by Amy Clipston
“It’s the perfect day,” Laurel said as if she could read his thoughts.
“It is.”
“Did you fish with your dat and daadi when you were younger?”
He nodded. “I did.”
“Tell me about your daadi.”
“He loved to hunt and fish, and he enjoyed taking me. His influence is one of the reasons why I love being outdoors so much. I enjoy being a carpenter, but spending time out in nature is what makes me the happiest. Daadi was an intelligent man, too, and he loved the Lord.”
“What are your favorite memories of him?”
Glen shifted on the seat and began describing the more memorable hunting and fishing trips he’d taken with his daadi, and the time flew by as they laughed, shared stories, ate snacks, caught fish, and packed them up for future meals. He didn’t want the afternoon to end.
“I suppose we’d better head home,” he said.
“Ya, I think so. I still need to do some cleaning before I make supper.”
While Laurel loaded up their fishing gear, Glen put the boat back on the trailer. During their ride home, Laurel told Glen about the lessons she had prepared for the week. Glen listened, a smile spread across his face, only stopping her to ask more questions about her plans for her students.
When they reached the house, sadness settled in Glen’s chest. How had the day passed so quickly?
“I’ll bring that cheesecake over later,” she said.
He halted the horse at the barn and then turned toward her. “That would be perfect.”
“Gut. Then I’ll see you after supper. Danki for a fun afternoon.”
“Let’s do it again sometime?”
“Ya, I’d love to.” She gathered up her cooler and then climbed out of the buggy.
As Laurel walked toward the house, he released a deep sigh. In spite of his mother’s warning to not get attached, he couldn’t stop his heart from craving more than friendship from Laurel. Would someone like her ever consider staying in Colorado for him?
* * *
Laurel squared her shoulders and then knocked on Glen’s back door later that evening. She’d spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning her house, writing a letter to her family, and grading papers before making her grandmother’s favorite chicken potpie recipe for supper.
After she ate, she cleaned up the kitchen, gathered up the cheesecake, and headed over to the Troyers’ house, hoping they hadn’t already had dessert.
Though she’d just seen him hours before, she couldn’t wait to see Glen again. Oh, how she enjoyed getting to know him! He was such a kind man, and he had become a special friend. She felt her heart craving more than friendship from him, but she couldn’t imagine how they could make a relationship work. Still, he was the kindest, most generous young man she’d ever known. He had become her confidant, the one person who went out of his way to help her feel at home in Colorado.
Footsteps sounded and then the door opened, and Glen greeted her with a warm smile that made her heartbeat tick up. “I was hoping you’d still come by to visit.”
Voices sounded behind him, and she heard the twins and their parents talking in the kitchen as the aroma of pork chops whipped over her.
“I wanted to give you and your family time to eat.”
“Please come in.” He held the door open wide. “That cheesecake looks appeditlich.”
She followed him into the kitchen, and the family looked over at her, smiles overtaking their faces. Their plates were clean, as well as the platters and bowls in the center of the table. She had managed to arrive just at the end of their supper.
“Teacher Laurel!” Lea clapped. “Our teacher is here, Levi!”
“Don’t yell in the house, Lea,” Bethlyn corrected her.
Magdalena divided a look between Glen and Laurel. “How nice of you to come by. Glen mentioned that you picked up a dessert for us.”
Laurel held up the cake. “I saw this cheesecake while I was out shopping today, and I wanted to bring it over to thank you all for being so nice to me. I’ve appreciated your hospitality as I’ve learned my way around here.”
“Oh, how thoughtful of you,” Dorothea said.
Glen hurried over to the counter and prepared the percolator. “Please stay, Laurel. I’ll put kaffi on.”
“And I’ll take care of the dirty dishes.” Bethlyn stood.
Laurel set the cake on the counter. “May I help you with them?” She gathered up the empty platters and bowls, while Bethlyn took care of the dishes and utensils, and Magdalena picked up their drinking glasses.
Once the dirty dishes were in the sink, Magdalena ran hot water and added soap. Bethlyn pulled a stack of cake plates from the cupboard, and Laurel retrieved forks and brought them to the table. Glen smiled at Laurel as he handed out mugs.
After the coffee was ready, Laurel joined the family at the table, sitting beside Glen. When his leg brushed hers, a shiver raced through her.
Glen began cutting up the cheesecake and handing out pieces.
“I hope everyone likes cheesecake,” Laurel began. Then she smiled over at the twins. “I just adore my scholars, and the community has been so kind to me. I can’t thank you all enough.”
Glen handed Dorothea a piece of cake.
Dorothea nodded over at Laurel. “This is lovely. Danki.”
“We appreciate the treat,” Roy said as he added creamer and sugar to his mug of coffee.
“I love cheesecake,” Levi announced. “And schweschder does too.”
“Bruder is right,” Lea agreed.
Laurel laughed. “That makes me so froh.”
Glen held out a slice for Laurel, and when her fingers brushed his, her skin hummed with excitement. She cleared her throat. Then she turned to Bethlyn. “How was your family visit today?”
“It was gut. We saw Roy’s parents.”
“We had so much fun,” Lea said. “They have kittens in their barn. Me and bruder played with them all day.”
Levi gestured widely. “They have a thousand kittens!”
“They don’t have quite that many,” Roy said, and everyone laughed.
“How are your parents?” Laurel asked.
Roy nodded as he enjoyed a bite of the dessert. “Very well. Danki.”
Moses turned toward her. “I heard you and Glen went fishing today, Laurel.”
Levi stuck his lip out. “Onkel Glen, you went fishing without me?”
“I’m sorry, buddy,” Glen told him. “I promise we’ll take you next time, right, Laurel?”
“Absolutely,” Laurel agreed as she forked a piece of cheesecake. She savored the thought of more outings with Glen and his family.
Lea stuck her hand up as if she were in the schoolroom. “If Teacher Laurel goes, then I want to go too.”
“It’s a date,” Glen said.
Laurel smiled at him, and when he blessed her with a warm expression, she felt a strange stirring in her chest.
“How did you like fishing?” Roy asked.
“It was fun. We caught quite a few trout,” Laurel began before sharing the details. As she spoke, she glanced around the table and found the twins watching her with curiosity in their eyes. Meanwhile, Bethlyn and Magdalena looked at her with unreadable expressions.
“I love how you tell stories,” Dorothea said.
Laurel smiled at her. “Danki.”
“Have you spoken to your family?” Moses asked.
“Ya, I called them last night. I try to check in every couple of days, and I also write them letters every night. Everyone is well.” She felt a familiar tug at her heart. Oh, how she missed them! “Mei boppli schweschder is having fun at school. She was struggling with reading, but she seems to have had a breakthrough. I just love when a child suddenly understands something. There’s nothing like seeing that light in their eyes when it all clicks.”
Laurel spent the rest of her time with the Troyer family discussing her classroom in Colorado as well as sharing stories about her students
in Pennsylvania.
Once the cake was gone, Laurel helped the women clean up again. After she said good night to the family, Glen walked her home.
“Everyone enjoyed the special dessert,” he said as they sat beside each other on the rocking chairs on her porch.
“I’m so glad.” She took in his handsome profile as the sun began to set, sending glorious hues of red and orange across the vast sky. The Colorado sunsets were different from Lancaster County’s but just as beautiful. Leaning back into the rocker, she accepted that she was seeing Glen in a new light too. He had become important to her, and she could feel their friendship turning into something much deeper.
But Laurel hadn’t come to Colorado seeking a boyfriend or love. No, she had come seeking adventure before settling down back in Pennsylvania. She couldn’t fathom falling in love with Glen and staying somewhere so far away from her family. The thought of not seeing them except for possibly once every year made her insides turn and drop.
He glanced over at her and lifted an eyebrow. “You okay?”
She forced her lips into a smile. “Ya, I was just noting how the sunsets here are glorious.” She pointed to the sky. “And listen to those froh cicadas. It’s as if they’re singing their favorite hymn to God.”
“I like how you see the world. You help me see the beauty here that I’ve taken for granted for too long.”
“Danki.” A yawn overtook her, and she shielded her mouth with her hand. “I think the sun wore me out today.”
“Ya, me too. I should get to bed.” He stood. “Will you ride to church with me tomorrow?”
“Of course.”
“Great.” He held his hand out to her.
She took it, and once again, she felt that jolt of heat that warmed her from the inside out. “Gut nacht,” she said, her voice breathy.
“See you in the morning.”
As he walked toward his house, she felt a tingle of worry in the pit of her belly. She couldn’t allow her heart to fall for Glen. She had to remind herself to keep him at a safe distance.
But somehow, she knew to the depth of her bones that it was too late.
Chapter 6
Laurel rested her elbow on the desk and her chin on her hand as she yawned on Friday night one month later. She shivered as the cold September air crept into the schoolhouse, and she pulled her sweater closer against her body.
She sat up and rubbed her eyes before turning her attention back to the math papers she had to grade. She was determined to finish them tonight so that she could clean, grocery shop, and work on lesson plans tomorrow. She glanced out the window and found darkness creeping in. She had lost track of how long she’d been working, but she had to finish this tonight.
The past month had moved at lightning speed as she settled into a comfortable routine at home and at work, focusing on her students and staying busy in order to keep her homesickness at bay. She loved her job as a teacher, and she did her best to connect with her students every day she was in the classroom.
She’d also concentrated on being Glen’s friend and ignoring her growing admiration for him. While she enjoyed spending time with him at Sunday youth group events, she’d avoided seeing him alone, only agreeing to go fishing and hiking when they included the twins or Faith and Jerome, who had started dating a few weeks ago.
Sitting up straighter on her chair, Laurel moved the Coleman lantern closer to her paper and tried her best to concentrate on the math assignment in front of her.
She had finished grading one paper and turned to another when she heard the doorknob turn and the door creak. Her heart thudded in her chest and her throat dried as she looked toward the back of the schoolroom.
“Hello?” Her voice scratched out as fear twined through her.
“Laurel? Are you in here?” Glen’s voice sounded, and her shoulders relaxed.
She stood and met him as he walked up the aisle between the desks. “Glen! You scared me.”
He gave her a hesitant smile. “I’m sorry. I was worried about you when you didn’t come home. You haven’t ever stayed out this late.” He grimaced. “I know that makes me sound creepy, but I was afraid something had happened to you.”
Her heart trilled in her chest. “Danki for worrying about me. I was just trying to finish grading papers.”
“Can’t you go on home? You can finish up tomorrow.”
“No, I’m almost done.”
He studied her, and concern flashed over his face. “I’m sure you’re hungry. Why don’t you come home with me, and you can eat with my family?”
“I don’t want to—”
“You’re not going to impose,” he said, as if reading her thoughts. “Please just kumm.” He started toward the door, and when she remained in the same spot, he turned toward her. “What are you waiting for?”
“Really, I’m almost done.” She shivered again and noticed he was wearing a coat. He was prepared for this cold weather, but she was not.
He must have noticed too, because he shucked his coat and held it out to her. “Here, take this, Laurel.”
“Oh, I couldn’t.”
He tilted his head. “Are your other siblings this stubborn? Or are you the only headstrong one in the Weaver family?”
She laughed. “Fine, you’ve convinced me.” She pulled on his warm coat and breathed in his scent—wood, soap, stain, and a manly musk. “Danki.”
“Gern gschehne. Now, let’s go. Pack up what you need, and let’s get you home. The meal was almost ready when I left, which means we have to hurry. Mei mamm gets cranky when I’m late.”
Laurel gathered up the papers she needed and loaded them into her tote bag. Then Glen lifted her bag onto his shoulder and walked her outside. He held up his flashlight as she locked the schoolroom door. Then they started down the road together toward the house. She could see her breath in the cold evening air. It was much colder in Colorado at night in September than it was in Pennsylvania.
“I haven’t had a chance to really talk to you this week,” he said as the beam from his flashlight bounced along the pavement. “How is school going? Seems like you’re working too hard.”
“Perhaps I am, but the kinner are working hard too. I just have one who is struggling with reading, and Rena has also been spending extra time with him. There’s another bu who is having trouble with long division, and I’m trying to think of new ways to work with him. I have a few ideas I want to try next week.”
“You’re so schmaert, Laurel.” The intensity in his eyes made it hard for her to speak.
“I, uh—well, danki. I just try to think of new methods to help them. Not every scholar is the same. The kinner that need extra help just need a different way to understand.” Her thoughts turned to his niece and nephew. “Levi and Lea are very bright. They’re doing so well with their reading and math. I saw Lea helping another scholar the other day. She’s very kindhearted.”
“They are gut kinner.”
“I agree.” She peeked over at him. “Do you want a family someday?”
“Ya, of course I do. Do you?”
“I do.”
They walked up the driveway together, and when they reached his back porch, she held her hand out for her bag. “Danki for walking me home. I’ll take my bag.”
He sighed. “Are we really going to have this argument again?”
“I guess so.”
“Please come eat with my family and me.” He reached out and touched her hand, and she gasped and took a step back, surprised by the contact. “I’m—I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to be that forward.”
“Glen! Laurel!” Dorothea called from the porch. “Get inside now. The chili is getting cold.”
He grinned. “You heard mei mammi. Let’s go.”
Laurel felt a blush creep up her cheeks. “Looks like you win again.”
“That was the plan.” His smile was smug, and she couldn’t help but laugh. “You’ll love mei mamm’s chili.”
And Laurel was
sure she would.
* * *
Glen held the back door open for her and then set her tote bag on a bench in the mudroom. After she handed him his coat, he hung it on a peg above the bench and then tossed his straw hat beside it.
He could smell the delicious aroma of chili and cornbread as the sound of his family’s discussions filtered out into the mudroom.
He gestured for her to walk into the kitchen first, and she hesitated. “Go on,” he said. “They’re expecting you.”
She gave him a shy smile and then stepped into the kitchen. “Good evening, everyone. I hear the chili is fantastic.”
Glen walked into the kitchen, and his mother shot him a concerned look. Ignoring her, he walked over to the sink. “Danki, Mammi, for inviting Laurel to join us,” he called over his shoulder.
“I already set a place for her,” Mammi said with a wink.
Lea waved to her. “Hi, Teacher Laurel!”
Levi also waved.
“Hi.” Laurel moved over to the sink, and he breathed in the flowery scent of her shampoo mixed with her soap and something that was uniquely her.
After they each washed and dried their hands, Glen and Laurel sat beside each other at the table. She gave him a sweet smile, and his heart flopped around like a fish on land.
“You made it just in time,” Dat said. “We were about to pray when your mammi said she saw you two walking up the driveway.”
Laurel glanced around the table. “Danki for inviting me to join you.”
“You’re always welcome. Let’s pray.” Dat closed his eyes and folded his hands.
Glen closed his eyes and opened his heart to God. Thank you, Lord, for this meal, for my family, and for my special friendship with Laurel. If it’s your will, please guide me to an even more special relationship with her. I feel in my heart that she and I belong together, but I will listen to hear if you see fit for her to be with me.
When Dat shifted in his seat, Glen looked up and found his father reaching for the pot of chili while Mamm took a piece of cornbread and then passed the platter to Bethlyn beside her.
“Why were you working late tonight?” Mammi asked Laurel as she scooped chili into her bowl.
