“Well, how long do these baptism classes take? It doesn’t seem like you’re in a big hurry to get married.”
Linda smiled to herself. It was something she and Ben had discussed many, many times. They were in a wonderful hurry to get married, but they wanted to do it right, so they needed to wait. Ben worked extra-long hours with his dat and Levi to earn money for the down payment on a house. Linda had taken on another job cleaning houses for Englischers in the area for the same reason. And then there was the wedding itself, which took a lot of planning and sewing and recipe collecting. Mamm could be overbearing, but she was ecstatic about planning a wedding. Linda certainly wouldn’t rob Mamm of that joy by rushing things.
Linda tightened the strap on Cathy’s snowshoe and helped her stand up, then put her own snowshoes on. Levi got into his snowshoes and strapped a child carrier backpack onto his back. Ben lifted Winnie into the backpack. Winnie giggled and kicked her legs as Ben secured her into the carrier. “Snow, Ben,” Winnie said, pointing to the vast field of white on the golf course.
Ben winked at Linda and came close enough to whisper. “Esther says she will stay with Cathy so we can finally have our race.”
Linda’s heart pounded with anticipation. How many times had she challenged Ben to a race? How many times had she laughed at him and made him mad, so mad she hadn’t expected him to keep coming back for more. She was glad he hadn’t given up on her. His persistence was a testament to his gute heart and sweet disposition. It was why she had fallen in love with him. “You know you’re going to lose.”
His smile was wider than the sky. “We’ll see about that.” They shuffled into the deeper snow. Ben glanced at the others before slipping his gloved hand into Linda’s. “I’m going to win, but it doesn’t really matter if I finish before or after you. It’s not possible for me to lose. I’ve already won the greatest treasure in the world.”
Linda arched her eyebrow. “Hmm. You’re already making excuses for losing. It’s a gute strategy, but it won’t work on me. Love is not an acceptable reason for losing the race. I won’t go easy on you even though I love you to distraction.”
His eyes lit up with amusement. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”
“Okay then.” Linda scanned the golf course. “I’ll race you to the other side of that pine tree.” It was the perfect place, away from prying eyes. “If I win, you have to give me a kiss.”
Ben chuckled. “And if I win?”
Linda’s heart danced like a leaf in the wind. “I have to give you a kiss.”
“Sounds like a gute plan.”
On the day she had caught Ben Kiem skiing behind her buggy, Linda never would have guessed that a practical girl like her would be wildly, irrationally, insistently in love with him. She didn’t know what the future would bring, but she knew that Gotte had a plan. How else would she and Ben have gotten together in the first place? Lord willing, they would have many years together, growing older but never growing stale. Who knew, maybe they’d be like Cathy, snowshoeing in their eighties, going gluten free, and telling people about their health problems whether they wanted to hear or not. One thing was for sure and certain, every day she spent with Ben would be filled with adventure, joy, and lots of love. Love was the greatest adventure of all.
Ben smiled at her. “You know I love you, right?”
Her heart swelled to overflowing. “Jah. I do.”
“Gute,” he said. “Because there is no way I’m losing this race. Ready. Set. Go!”
The Amish Quiltmaker's Unruly In-Law Page 26
