The Innkeeper's Bride

by Kathleen Fuller

  “May I take your coat?”

  She looked up at him, startled for another time by his appearance. Richard was fastidious about his appearance, but this morning he was still in his bathrobe with the belt barely tied, his hair was sticking up in places, and his eyes were bleary. “Did I wake you?”

  He shook his head. “I didn’t sleep much.”

  “Me either.”

  They looked at each other for a long moment, and an awkwardness that had never been between them before filled the room. Finally he said, “I don’t know about you, but I need to sit down.”

  “Oh. Of course.” She slipped off her coat, and when she struggled with one sleeve, he helped her out of it before hanging it on a peg by the door. Then they sat down, him in his recliner, her on the couch. Again, they were both silent, not looking at each other.

  Then Cevilla felt a nudge, deep inside, prompting her to speak. “I’m sorry, Richard. I shouldn’t have read Sharon’s letter.”

  “You’re right. You shouldn’t have.” He turned to her. “But you did, so we might as well talk about it.”

  She peered at him. “You want to talk about it?”

  He nodded and then stared at the floor. “I thought about what you said last night. That I don’t want to discuss important things. And you’re right, I don’t. Because in my experience, that only leads to conflict.” He met her gaze again. “I don’t want conflict between us, Cevilla. If that takes talking over the things I’ve been putting off, then I want to do that.”

  Nodding, she felt a bit of her anger and tension lift. “Thank you.”

  “I wish I would have thrown that letter away. I knew Sharon was going to be a problem.” He combed his fingers through his hair. “I’ve tried talking to her on the phone, but she hangs up on me. I wasn’t there for her when she was growing up. I was too involved in my business, in making money and being successful. I accomplished both of those goals, but I’m ashamed to say that it was at the cost of my daughter.” His eyes filled with tears. “She’s spoiled, entitled, and manipulative, and it’s my fault. Nancy did the best she could, but she and Sharon’s personalities clashed. She didn’t know what to do with a strong-willed daughter, and I was no help.”

  Cevilla nodded as Richard wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. “You did the best you could,” she said.

  “Don’t cut me any slack. I messed up and put material things before my only child. I was a terrible father. She would be the first one to tell you that. Sharon never lacked for money or toys or cars or clothes. But none of that took my place, and I’ve been trying to make it up to her ever since. After her divorce, I also vowed that I would be the father to Meghan I wasn’t to Sharon.”

  “You still are.” Cevilla knew firsthand how much Meghan adored her grandfather. “We all make mistakes, Richard. You learned from yours, and that’s what matters.”

  “I guess.” He tugged at the belt of his bathrobe. “But she’s never forgiven me. And those things she said about you in her letter? Ignore them. We both know you’re not a gold digger and a bad influence.” He let out a bitter laugh. “You couldn’t be further from either.”

  “I don’t care what she called me,” Cevilla said. “I just don’t want to come between you and your family.”

  “You won’t. Meghan loves you, and just because Sharon lives in a house I paid for and spends my money, doesn’t mean we have a relationship.”

  “Maybe you should try calling her. You could invite her out for a visit, and she and I could get to know each other.”

  He looked horrified. “I wouldn’t put you through that.”

  She lifted her chin. “I’m no wilting flower, Richard. You should know that by now.”

  He stared at her for a moment and then nodded. “It’s too early to call,” he said. “Why don’t you go home, and I’ll be over in a little while after I shower and get dressed.”

  Cevilla got up from the couch and shuffled to the window. She peeked outside and then shook her head. “Bother. She’s still there.”

  “Who?”

  “Delilah. She said she wasn’t leaving until you and I worked things out.” She let the curtain fall over the window and turned around. “I guess I haven’t been here long enough for her satisfaction.”

  “Seems you’ve met your match,” he said, smiling. “But I know you won’t admit it. How about some breakfast while we wait her out? Then we’ll call Sharon together. She can at least meet you over the phone.”

  “I’d like that.”

  He stood, went to her, and wrapped his arms around her. “I love you, Cevilla. I promise that from now on I’ll talk things out with you.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and looked at her. “Speaking of which, there’s something important we need to discuss. But not right now.”

  “Soon?” she said.

  “Very soon.”

  She laid her head against his chest. “I love you too.” Then she pulled away. “Now, let’s eat. I’m starving.”

  * * *

  Levi stared at the black coffee on the table in front of him and then pushed it away. He glanced at the clock. Selah was supposed to be here half an hour ago, and she was never late. His stomach churned. He wasn’t surprised that she hadn’t shown up, and he didn’t blame her. Last night he’d made the biggest mistake of his life, and Selah had suffered for it.

  He hadn’t slept a wink, replaying the ride with Selah over and over in his mind. What had he been thinking? Not about the kiss. He’d been thinking about kissing her for a long time before the near-miss car accident had made him draw her into his arms. The kiss had been more than he imagined, and it had been almost agony for him to pull away.

  But then he had to ruin everything. Their tentative friendship, her job at the inn, the possibility that sometime in the future they might become something more than friends . . . In a moment of panic and confusion, he’d cut her deeply with his words. He smacked his forehead. Why did I do that?

  His father walked into the lobby, his cane thumping against the floor, a mug of coffee in his other hand. “Where is everyone?” he asked, crossing the room. “I can’t find yer grossmutter anywhere, and Nina seems to have disappeared too. I thought Selah would be here already.” He chuckled. “It’s more of a ghost town than usual around here.”

  Levi didn’t laugh. He could barely shrug. “Nina went to Ira’s for a little while to help Mary put together some care packages for a mission group in Millersburg. Grossmutter took the buggy and left. She didn’t say where she was going. And Selah . . .” He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. How was he supposed to tell his father—and the rest of the family—that he had run Selah off? That he’d kissed her, insulted her, and then expected her to come back? No, I don’t expect her to come back.

  “Selah what?”

  “Nix.” He put his glasses back on and started to stand. “I’ve got some firewood to split.” Yesterday morning a delivery truck had brought a load of wood cords. His father had overordered, thinking they would go through firewood faster. To save money, they hadn’t fired up the woodstove unless necessary, like they’d thought it was last night.

  The evening had been a disaster in more ways than one.

  “The wood can wait.” His father sat down across from him and put his mug on the table. “Something’s wrong. Really wrong. I haven’t seen you this down since . . . since yer mamm died.”

  The pain in Levi’s heart wasn’t similar, but it was as intense.

  “I know you’re worried about our finances, but don’t be. They might look bleak now, but business will pick up. Or the Lord will have a different plan for us and let that be known in his time.” He paused. “But our lack of guests isn’t what’s bothering you, is it?”

  He thought about lying. It would be easier, and he could keep his pain to himself. They would find another maid—not that they especially needed one right now—and he and Selah wouldn’t see each other except at church, where she could easily avoid him. Afte
r what he did, she wouldn’t want to have anything to do with him. Eventually his pain would subside even though right now it seemed unlikely. More like impossible.

  “Did something happen between you and Selah?” Daed asked.

  Levi nodded. “Ya. I really messed up.” He clenched his hands. “She’s not coming back—”

  “Sorry I’m late!” Selah had come through the front door, still wearing her coat and grasping her purse. “I overslept.” She looked sheepish. “I guess it was from all the excitement last night.”

  Daed nodded. “It was an interesting night, to say the least.”

  “That’s for sure. I thought I’d work in the flower beds today. They’re full of weeds and leaves and need some tidying up.” She kept her gaze on Daed. “Unless you need me for something else.”

  “That’s a great idea.” He turned to Levi. “What do you think?”

  All Levi could do was nod and stare at Selah. If she’d had trouble sleeping last night, she didn’t look like it. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold, her blue eyes as bright as her smile. He remembered the devastated look on her face last night, and it was as if she were a different person this morning. Did that mean she’d forgiven him? That she realized he was an idiot and didn’t mean what he said? Dear Lord, he hoped so.

  “I should probably figure out what seeds and annuals to order,” Daed said. “We planted plenty of bulbs last year, but we need to refill the hanging baskets and plant some flowers around the two oak trees out front. A few pots on the porch would be nice too.” He rose. “I’ll geh take care of that right now.”

  As Daed left, Selah walked to the front door. Levi jumped up from his chair. “Selah?”

  But she walked outside, the glass door shutting behind her. Thinking she hadn’t heard him, he followed her. “Selah!” he called as she flew down the porch steps, setting down her purse along the way.

  No answer. She went to the far side of the inn, crouched in front of the flower bed, and started pulling weeds.

  Was she ignoring him? Forgetting that she had every right to do so, he marched over to her. “Selah.”

  She continued to yank out weeds.

  Fine. She wanted to give him the silent treatment? Great. It wasn’t like he wasn’t expecting it. That would make everything easier. He turned around and went back to the inn. When he got inside, he calmed down. He didn’t have the right to be mad at her, and she had every right to ignore him. But he was grateful she’d returned to work. He knew how important this job was to her, and he was glad she hadn’t let his stupidity keep her from it.

  * * *

  Selah leaned back on her heels and let out a heavy sigh. She knew she was acting like a child, but ignoring Levi was the only way she could both deal with him and keep her job. If she even looked at him, she would lose her temper, melt into tears, or do both at the same time.

  Although it was chilly out, the brisk air helped her remain calm. She dug her hands into the cold dirt and focused on pulling out the weeds. It wasn’t long before her hands were stiff, and she wished she had put on gardening or work gloves. But she kept working until her fingers were numb—just like her heart.

  The sound of crunching gravel made her turn around, and she saw Nina jogging toward her from the parking lot. “Hey, Selah,” she said when she knelt next to her.

  “Hi.” She glanced at Nina and gave her a small smile before going back to work.

  “So . . .” Nina put her palms flat on top of her legs and grinned. “What happened last night?”

  “You know. You were there.”

  “Not the supper, although I do hope Cevilla and Richard worked things out. They missed a great dessert, if I do say so myself. That was mei first time baking a red velvet cake.” She nudged Selah. “I’m talking about after.”

  “After?” Selah tossed a handful of weeds in a pile behind her and then scooted down to the next section of the bed.

  Nina followed. “You know. The buggy ride? With mei bruder? But don’t be too detailed, because, ew.”

  Selah looked at her. “He took me home. End of story.”

  “Really?” She looked disappointed.

  “Really.” She grabbed a stubborn weed and yanked.

  “Huh. I thought—”

  “Do you want to help me with these?”

  “I would, but at breakfast Daed asked me to stack the firewood after Levi splits it.” She dug her thumb into the dirt. “Nix happened?”

  “Nix.”

  Nina stood. “Huh,” she repeated. “See you at lunch, then.” She went into the inn.

  Selah scowled. What had Nina thought would happen? That Levi would kiss her? That they would be a couple by now? She grabbed at the first plant she saw and gave it a hard pull. Only when it was out did she realize she had just destroyed a perennial.

  Her head fell to her chest. She wasn’t sure she could do this. Ignoring Levi was hard enough, but if his family had the idea that the two of them were getting together . . . And where would they have gotten that idea anyway? From Levi? She’d seen no evidence that Delilah had meddled. Her anger burned. What exactly had Levi said about her behind her back?

  She jumped up from the ground and quickly brushed off her dirty hands. In the distance she heard the faint sound of an ax sinking into wood. She stormed to the back of the inn, where Levi was standing in front of a flat stump, a short log positioned on it vertically. She waited until he was finished chopping, knowing there would be a chance for serious injury if she startled him. She was furious with him, but she didn’t want him to get hurt. When he tossed the split pieces aside, she marched to him.

  “Let’s get one thing straight,” she said, looking directly at him. “There will never be anything between us, so you can stop talking to yer familye as if there could be.”

  His brow flew up. “What are you talking about?”

  “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing with me, but it stops. Now.”

  “Selah,” he said, dropping the ax on the ground. “I don’t play games.”

  She crossed her arms. “All men play games. But I am not a toy.” She fought to keep her tone even. She had wanted to say the same thing to Oliver but never had the chance. “I’m here to do mei job. That’s it.”

  “There you guys are.”

  She turned around to see Jackson walking toward them. He waved as he approached. “How’s it going?”

  “Great,” Levi ground out. “Couldn’t be better.”

  “Glad to hear it. Hey, man, I’ve got a favor to ask you.”

  Selah slipped away. When she made it to the front yard of the inn, she felt dread instead of relief. Levi had seemed genuinely confused by what she was saying. Oliver had been a master liar, but she doubted Levi had a deceptive bone in his body. Still, she wasn’t sure she was entirely wrong. He was playing games with her, but maybe he didn’t realize it. Looking at her in a way that made her feel special and then treating her like an employee. Being there for her when she needed him during her panic attack and then keeping his distance. Kissing her and then telling her it was nothing.

  But it didn’t matter whether he knew he was being fickle. The fact remained that she couldn’t take it anymore. She turned around and stomped back to Levi. Ignoring Jackson, she tapped Levi’s shoulder.

  “What do you want?” he said, sounding more irritated than she’d ever heard him. But she didn’t care.

  “I quit!” She turned around, stalked to the front porch to grab her purse, and headed for home.

  Chapter 21

  Right before lunch, Richard pulled out his phone. “I think Sharon is up by now. She and Meghan are probably having breakfast together. Meghan usually works from home on Saturdays.”

  Cevilla sat at the kitchen table and folded her hands as Richard dialed the number. “What are you going to tell her?”

  He peered at the phone screen through the bottom of his glasses. “That we’re getting married.”

  Her mouth dropped open. “What?”


  “Marriage. You know, holy matrimony. Man and woman. Husband and wife. All that stuff. Ah, here’s Sharon’s number. Looks like it’s been awhile since I last called her.”

  “This is your idea of a proposal?”

  Richard set the phone down on the table and looked at her, his expression calm. “Well, I did have a special evening planned for this occasion, but we know how that turned out. And I’d get down on one knee, but I wouldn’t be able to get back up.”

  “But what about the church?”

  “I’ll be joining soon. I talked to Freemont about it a month ago, and we started classes last week. That was also part of last night’s surprise. Thanks for sticking a pin in the balloon.”

  She let his words sink in. He was joining the Amish, on his own accord, without her pestering him—at least too much. And he wanted to marry her. Butterflies took wing in her stomach and then settled down when she spied the phone. “What will Sharon and Meghan say?”

  “Meghan will be happy, of course. As for Sharon . . . I don’t know. But like I said, this is my life and my decision. She’ll have to get on board with it.” He picked up the phone again. “Ready to meet my daughter?”

  Cevilla nodded, excited despite what Sharon had said in that letter. “I can’t wait.”

  A few moments later, Richard had tapped in the number and put the phone on speaker. “Hello?” A sophisticated female voice answered.

  “Hello, Sharon, dear. How are you?”

  “Father.”

  Cevilla cringed at the tightness in Sharon’s voice. With one word the conversation was already on the wrong foot.

  Yet Richard seemed to take it in stride. “Is Meghan there with you?”

  There was a pause. “I am now.” Meghan’s light tone was a total contrast to her mother’s. “Hi, Grandfather. How are you? How’s Cevilla?”