He kicked himself. What sort of idiot threw such a presumptuous statement at a woman when she was so upset?
“Red, my excitement got the best of me,” he whispered, cupping her damp face in his hand. “I—I’d hoped to talk things through and show you how my thoughts and feelings have changed, but I’ve done it again! I’ve assumed you’d go along with my crazy ideas just because I want you to. Sheesh,” he added with a shake of his head. “I’ve really stepped in it now, haven’t I?”
Gabe closed his eyes in a wave of pain. Why had he blurted things out instead of saying them in a logical, practical order? Why hadn’t he concentrated on Red—on making her feel better—before he’d launched into his grand plan for their future?
With a sigh, he turned. There was no putting the cat back in the bag, and there was no way to restate the ideas he’d bungled so badly. Maybe he really did need Dat’s help when it came to making Red sparkle, because he’d only made her cry even harder.
“Okay, I’ll see you another time,” he said as he started down her walk. “Maybe when we’ve both had a chance to settle ourselves—”
“Please don’t go.”
Gabe’s heart lurched. Had Red spoken to him? He’d been so intent on chastising himself, he wasn’t sure if her words were real—or just wishful thinking on his part. When he turned, she was mopping her face with his handkerchief, hiccupping instead of sobbing.
Red let out a sigh that sounded every bit as ferhoodled as he felt. “I’m sorry I cut loose on you, Gabe,” she said. “I could use a friend about now. Can we start this conversation again?”
Her smile looked as wobbly as a newborn colt and her freckled face was red and blotchy, yet Gabe had never seen a prettier young woman than Regina Miller. He reached for her hand—a hand as stained and calloused as his own—feeling intensely relieved when she wove her fingers between his.
“Really? You’ll give me another chance?” he whispered.
Her smile took on more confidence as she gazed at him. “After all the stern words we endured during the preachers’ meeting—and the way we had to face the congregation with our heads down during that endless service—why wouldn’t I want to spend time with you, Gabe?” she asked softly. “We’re partners in crime—kindred spirits, like you said before. Nobody else understands us the way we understand each other, ain’t so?”
Gabe felt ready to melt, and it had nothing to do with the afternoon heat. “Red, you’re the best, you know it? I—I really do love you, even if I’ve bungled things up telling you about it.”
“Shall we get in out of the sun? I’ve got some bologna for sandwiches and some fresh lemonade,” she said as she led him up the porch steps. “And while we eat, you can tell me about why you’ve decided to stay Amish—and your plan to buy my house.”
To Gabe, her offer sounded better than any Sunday dinner he’d ever eaten. It sounded like an invitation to a beautiful new life.
Chapter Thirty-One
As Regina made their bologna sandwiches, her whole being thrummed with excitement. Not only did Gabe love her, he wanted to live in the house she so desperately hoped to keep!
“When I asked Dat to help with a down payment, he insisted on your coming with me—to prove we’re courting, so I wouldn’t make a big investment mistake in case you didn’t want to—” Gabe sighed in exasperation. “There I go again, putting the rig before the horse. You must think I’m the biggest idiot on the face of God’s gut earth.”
Regina took her time pouring lemonade and taking the chair across the table from him. She’d always assumed Gabe was coolheaded and in control around young women—even suave enough to date English women—so it was almost fun to hear him tripping over his tongue as he expressed his feelings for her. But it would be cruel to keep him wondering where he stood.
“Shall we pray for a moment?” she asked.
When they bowed their heads for a silent grace, Regina peered at Gabe through the slits of her partially closed eyelids. Lord, You’ve brought us this far and I’m so happy that I might pop! Help us make this dream come true—and help us do it the right way, she added.
Gabe ended the silence with a sigh—and then laughed when he caught her watching him. Then he became serious. “What do you see in me, Red? Anything worth your time?”
Regina’s heart pounded. It was a question that deserved just the right answer—but she needed an explanation first. Gabe didn’t look any different on the outside, yet he’d apparently undergone a complete inner transformation. “What made you decide to stay in the Old Order, Gabe? Last I knew, you were totally frustrated with Amish rules and regulations and you couldn’t wait to jump the fence.”
He picked up a half sandwich and then put it down, sighing. “When Dat was in the hospital and we didn’t know if he’d survive, I—I got a wake-up call that could’ve only come from God,” he replied reverently. “I got scared, Red, when I realized how much I stood to lose if my father didn’t come home . . . and what I’d forfeit if I left my family just so I could play my guitar.”
His whispered admission gripped her heart. “Jah, life’s not the same after you’ve lost your parents,” Regina said softly. “If my friends from church—and Bishop Jeremiah—hadn’t been there for me, I might’ve rolled into a useless, mindless ball and never recovered.”
Gabe nodded. “I also realized what I’d lost after I suggested we jump the fence together,” he said ruefully. “I was so focused on myself, I couldn’t see how I was shooting myself in the foot. Losing you, Red, well—I finally saw that you are a woman of purpose and integrity, while I was skipping out on my vows for a very selfish, adolescent reason. When I grow up, I want to be like you. Strong and true.”
Regina blinked, stunned by the sincerity of his confession—and his compliment. Words eluded her, so she simply gazed at him, basking in the glow of his deep green eyes.
“Do you see anything worth salvaging, Red?” he asked in a voice she could barely hear. “Could you be happy with me despite my tendency to speak before I think and—”
“Oh, Gabe, I’ve wanted to be with you for years—even when you didn’t realize I existed,” she confessed as she reached across the table for his hand. “After all, why would you choose me, when you could court girls who wear pretty, colorful dresses and who could cook you a decent meal—with their soft, clean hands?”
He relaxed and took a deep breath. “I guess it’s like those words to ‘Amazing Grace,’” he said. “The part about being blind but then able to see. And when I look at you, Red, I don’t want to look any further. Will—will you let me court you?”
“Will you let me marry you?” she shot back before she thought about it.
Regina’s hand flew to her mouth as her face burned with embarrassment. “I—I was trying to be funny, but I jumped in feet-first and stomped all over the words the man is supposed to say. I’m sorry, Gabe,” she added meekly.
Gabe’s face shone brighter than the July sun. “I’m not!” he said. “We’re both on the same page, ain’t so? I want to be with you, and you want to be with me—and we want to be here in this cozy little home, jah?”
“Oh, jah. You’ve said it all exactly right, Gabe.”
Regina felt so full of joy she suddenly had to share something very special—something no one else would understand. She rushed back to her bedroom and returned to the kitchen with the pencil sketch.
“When you left last time—when I thought you would skip town to live English,” she said in a rush, “I sinned yet again by drawing your face, Gabe. I thought it might be all I had left of you. I—I was worried I’d never see you again.”
Gabe gazed at the sketch. “This is how I look to you?” he asked in an awed tone. “You surely can’t believe I resemble this fellow with the determined look in his eye. This man has everything all figured out, and he knows exactly how to create the life he wants—without making stupid mistakes.”
Regina shrugged, gratified by his reaction to her work. “It’s
you,” she insisted. “So now that you’ve seen it, you don’t have to doubt how I feel—because I love you, Gabe. I loved you even after I thought I’d lost you.”
Gabe blushed, looking flustered. “Well, then,” he mumbled, seemingly at a loss for more words.
After a moment, however, he met her gaze as though he couldn’t possibly look away. “Well then, Regina Miller,” he said, teasing yet sounding extremely serious. “You’ve committed an even worse sin than painting wildlife by sketching my face, ain’t so? And I’ll carry your secret to my grave, honey-girl,” he added softly. “You have no idea how your talent touches me, and how grateful I am that you shared this picture with me. You’re amazing, Red.”
How could she possibly respond to such a compliment? Regina had a feeling she’d remember this moment with Gabe until her dying day. She swallowed half of her lemonade to settle her runaway emotions. “So, you’re thinking to buy the house?”
“Before anybody else can snatch it away from you,” Gabe said, nodding eagerly. “We can talk to Dat about a loan first thing tomorrow—or I’ll take money from my bank account for a down payment, then go straight to Jessica’s office to start the paperwork. I was hoping to have it signed, sealed, and delivered before I surprised you with it—”
“And that’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard, Gabe,” Regina said as she picked up half her sandwich. “But—but why don’t we just tell Jessica it’s not for sale anymore? Why should you have to pay for a house I already own?”
Gabe looked thunderstruck. “I hadn’t thought about that,” he admitted. “I was trying to prove I could take care of you and—and I figured your uncle wouldn’t have a thing to say about it if I bought the house,” he explained. “He couldn’t accuse you of defying his wishes.”
Regina chuckled. “I can’t wait to see Uncle Clarence’s face when I tell him I’ll soon be living here with you, Gabe,” she said. “But that’ll happen no matter whose name is on the deed, so why not just take the house off the market?”
“It would be simpler,” he agreed. “We can use my down payment as plan B, if Jessica’s got some legal reason she has to keep the place listed.”
Regina suddenly felt as though the whole world had changed course—because it had. Someday soon she’d be Gabe’s wife, and they would begin their life together in this home they both loved. It was a far cry from believing she could never marry because she wanted to keep her painting a secret. “We’ve come a long way in a short time, Gabe,” she whispered.
“We have,” he agreed as he clasped her hands on the table. “It’ll all work out now. We’ll court for a while, and then we’ll set a date to begin our happily-ever-after, Red. Me and you. Right here, honey-girl.”
* * *
Gabe arrived with Red at Jessica’s office just as the Realtor was opening her door on Monday. “We’d like you to take Red’s house off the market!” he began jovially.
“We’re getting married soon, and we plan to live there ourselves!” Red put in with a big smile. “This changes everything, jah?”
Jessica’s key stopped just short of the lock. She resembled a deer blinded by high-beam headlights. “Uh—congratulations on your engagement,” she began, swallowing hard. “But I sold the house yesterday afternoon. The buyer’s paying full price for it, in cash, including an allowance for all the furniture. I—I was coming to tell you about it first thing this morning, Regina.”
Gabe exhaled hard, clutching Red’s hand for support. “You sold it?”
“How could that be?” Red demanded with a frown. “We were there all yesterday afternoon, and nobody came by to look at it or—”
“The buyers and I were here, filling out the papers,” Jessica hastened to explain. “I couldn’t argue with the fifty thousand dollars of earnest money they laid on the table. And you’d given your consent to accept a full-value offer, Regina, because you were certain you had to be out of your house. I had the impression that changing your mind wasn’t an option.”
Gabe’s thoughts swirled like a tornado, and Red’s expression told him she was as flummoxed—and as keenly disappointed—as he was. “Who bought it?” he demanded. “We can return their money—persuade them to back out.”
Jessica got an odd look on her face. She studied Gabe closely. “I’m not at liberty to say,” she replied. “The buyer insisted that the transaction be kept confidential. Sometimes that happens when ex-spouses are involved, but—”
“Ex-spouses?” Gabe blurted. “We don’t know anyone who’s divorced! We don’t believe in it.”
“Must’ve been somebody English,” Red suggested ruefully. Her sigh sounded like a balloon with a slow leak. “Are you sure it’s a done deal, Jessica? We had our hearts set on living in that house, and I was delighted about keeping my furniture—and telling my uncle I wouldn’t be moving to his place. So now . . . ”
Gabe tucked Red’s hand in his elbow, trying to sound more in control than he felt. “So now we make plan C,” he said under his breath. “I don’t have a clue what we’ll do, Red, but we’ll work it out. I promise.”
As they walked back to the rig, Jessica called after them. “Congratulations anyway, kids! Keep the faith—this will turn out exactly the way it’s supposed to.”
Gabe shook his head and kept walking. “Jah, we’ve kept our faith,” he muttered.
“Even after we got turned out,” Red chimed in. “I guess God’s not finished testing our mettle yet.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Regina gazed straight ahead, not really seeing the familiar buildings they were driving past. She hugged herself hard to keep from crying in front of Gabe, who was every bit as disappointed as she was. Just when they’d thought their plan for happiness had fallen into place, they no longer had a home.
“I don’t feel like going to work yet, do you?” Gabe asked.
Regina blinked. “We have a lot of furniture orders to—”
“The other folks can carry on without us for a while,” he interrupted, his voice tinged with bitterness. “I’m in no mood to deal with people right now—especially Dat. I was all ready to announce that we’d be living at your place because we’ll be getting hitched someday soon . . . ”
Regina’s eyes widened. “Um, that getting hitched part hasn’t changed, has it?”
Gabe hugged her close as the rig continued down Morning Star’s busy street. “Of course not, honey-girl! I’m just really bummed about this news. It seemed like everything was finally going our way—and I was hoping you wouldn’t have to move in with Clarence and Cora,” he added sadly. “I doubt your uncle would allow you to stay with Lydianne or one of your other friends. And it wouldn’t look proper if you took the guest room at our place.”
“Jah, that would be pushing it,” Regina agreed. She thought hard, hoping to lift Gabe’s spirits. “I’d be fine with living at your parents’ place after we marry, though. That’s how a lot of couples get started.”
“It’s not how I want to start out,” he shot back. He sighed, falling back against the seat. “Sorry I’m so cranky. Where would you like to go for a while, so we can get past this mood we’re in?”
“Let’s go home,” Regina insisted. “I’ll only be staying there until Friday—and I was so surprised by the sale, I didn’t ask Jessica when the new owners will take possession.”
Gabe turned the rig, and they were soon at the house on Maple Lane. It seemed odd to offer him lemonade and cookies from the bulk store this early in the day, yet the humidity and the lack of a breeze made coffee seem like the wrong choice. As they sat down in the kitchen, Regina turned on the small battery-operated fan on the counter.
“Here’s another example of my baking skills,” she teased. “I’d cook more, but with working at the factory—and my new embroidery projects—I don’t spend much time in the kitchen. Maybe that’ll make you rethink your decision to marry me.”
As she’d hoped, Gabe waved off her remark. He bit into an oatmeal cookie that was so stale it sh
attered between his teeth—and then he began to laugh. “I know just how that cookie feels,” he teased as he brushed its crumbs into a pile. “Soon enough you won’t be working at Flaud Furniture. You’ll be staying home with our babies, jah?”
Regina couldn’t help smiling at the pictures his statement brought to mind. “I never thought I’d see that day, and I’m looking forward to it, Gabe. You’ll make a wonderful dat.”
His eyes widened. “You think so? Sometimes—like yesterday when I was tripping over my tongue, telling you I loved you—I wonder if I can pull everything together and support a family,” he admitted. “It’s time to ask Dat for a raise, now that we’ll be house-hunting.”
“At least he’s still around, so you can ask him,” she pointed out.
Gabe grasped her hand. “That’s what I love about you, Red,” he said. “You see the gut in everything and you handle setbacks—like our shunning—with a positive attitude. You’ll be the anchor of our marriage, honey-girl. The rock I build my life on.”
Her cheeks tingled as he gazed at her. “I’m blessed to have you, Gabe. We’re two of a kind, even though we had no idea about that until the chips were down, jah?”
He finished his lemonade, appearing renewed. “What if we take the long way back to the factory? We could ask Jessica for information about lots or houses that are for sale, jah?” he asked, brightening. “And I could treat you to pizza before we make our entrance at work—which will cause a stir, most likely. Are you up for that?”
Regina laughed, feeling better already. “A stir? I can be the spoon—as long as you’re the hand that’s holding it.”
“That makes us an unbeatable team,” Gabe stated as he rose from his chair. “Let’s find another place to build our nest, Red. If we’re there together, it’ll be the best home ever, ain’t so?”
* * *
When he kissed Red lightly on the temple before she headed for the staining room, Gabe caught the speculative glimmer in his father’s eye.
“I was wondering if you skipped town, son,” Dat remarked as he fell into step with Gabe in the main workroom. “But when I realized Regina was gone as well, I got my hopes up. You won’t give me a different excuse for missing work, I hope?”
Morning Star Page 25
