“Why didn’t you tell me you were being forced into an arranged marriage with Jessup King?”
Katie hadn’t yet caught her breath. “How did you know the marriage was arranged?”
“I could see it on your face. No wonder you didn’t want to tell me about it. Does Caleb know?”
Katie sighed. “I told him the first day I met him that I was betrothed. He was irritating me. How was I to know I would end up…”
Rachel took hold of Katie’s arms. “You are in lieb with Caleb.”
Katie’s legs began to wobble, forcing her to collapse onto the bed. “Promise me you won’t tell him.”
Rachel smiled. “I guess we both have secrets we’re keeping from my bruder. The first thing we have to do is find a way to get you out of that marriage. And then we will work on getting you together with Caleb.”
Katie didn’t want to go back downstairs and face everyone. “Is it too late to get out of the dinner invitation?”
**********************
CHAPTER 14
**********************
Caleb couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw Rachel pour the pitcher of tea down the front of Katie. Knowing Rachel, she had a reason, but that didn’t make it right. He hadn’t missed the look of pure terror on Katie’s face at the mention her betrothed. Did Rachel know the circumstances surrounding Katie’s engagement? He squirmed in his seat, trying to think of an excuse to go upstairs to find out what was taking the two of them so long. He pushed back his chair, avoiding eye-contact with his mamm, who would be the one to call him out.
Thankfully, she was too engaged in conversation with Bishop Troyer’s fraa to pay him any mind. Katie’s aenti, however, flashed him a scowl as he left the table.
Upstairs, he could hear Katie and Rachel laughing about something. He knocked lightly on the door.
“Kume,” Rachel said.
Caleb opened the door cautiously, not wanting to interrupt. He poked his head inside. “Everything alright in here?”
Rachel flashed Katie a mischievous smile.
“Caleb, would you mind taking Katie home?”
Caleb frowned at his schweschder. “Didn’t you bring your aenti’s buggy?”
Rachel answered for her. “Jah, she did. But I can’t find anything of mine that will fit Katie. She is so much taller than I am, that none of my dresses will be the appropriate length for her to wear. She can’t go downstairs wearing a short dress in front of the Bishop. And she can’t stay in that soaking wet dress the entire night.”
“Jah, I suppose I can take you home. But what about your aenti?”
“Don’t disturb their dinner,” Rachel said. “Slip out the front door. I’ll get her coat and meet you out at the barn.”
“Could you wrap up some chicken for Katie? I promised her fresh fried chicken, and I don’t want to go back on my promise.” He shot a quick smile toward Katie.
Rachel nodded. “Jah. Now go, before mamm and daed start looking for us.”
Caleb grabbed Katie’s hand and led her down the stairs. He was surprised when she didn’t try to pull her hand away. It was warm, and it fit perfectly—almost like a missing piece to a puzzle. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Caleb reached for the doorknob, but his daed’s voice stopped him.
“Where are the two of you going?”
Caleb turned around to face his daed, still clutching Katie’s hand. “Rachel doesn’t have anything that will fit her properly. I’m taking her home so she can avoid further embarrassment. I didn’t want to disturb everyone’s meal, so I thought we could leave quietly through the front door.”
Jacob’s eyes drifted to their hands that still intertwined. He forced his gaze back to Caleb. “I’ll let your mamm know. It was nice to meet you, Katie. Perhaps next time we can finish the meal together.”
“Danki,” Katie managed with downcast eyes.
Before she could say another thing, Caleb pulled her gently onto the porch and closed the door. He continued to hold her hand until they reached the barn, where he reluctantly let go.
Katie turned to him. “I can’t believe your daed just let us go like that. My daed is so strict, he would never let me get away with leaving in the middle of dinner—especially not with the Bishop as a guest.”
She was smiling so much her cheeks ached.
“That was the most fun I’ve had in a while.”
Caleb raised an eyebrow. “If that was the most fun you’ve had in a while, you need to hang out with me and my schweschder more often.”
Katie smiled as he grabbed an extra quilt and draped it across her shoulders. “I’d like that.”
Caleb pushed the buggy out of the barn, and then threw a blanket over his horse before leading him outside. Katie stood in the shelter of the barn while he hitched up the horse. Within minutes, Rachel entered the barn, slightly out of breath.
She pushed the chicken into Katie’s hands. “Do you want to just hold your cloak so you don’t get it wet? You should be warm enough with the quilt around you.”
Katie shook her head. “Danki, Rachel. I don’t know when I’ll be able to repay the favor since my aenti will probably ground me until I leave here.”
The two of them giggled.
“You’re a grown woman, Katie. If she grounds you, I will have to sneak you out.”
Katie hugged her. “If I had a friend like you back in Nappanee, I might not be in the predicament I’m in.”
“My parents are very liberal. They remember what it’s like to be young. It helps that they made a few mistakes along the way and don’t judge us harshly.”
Katie smiled. “I wish I could take you home with me at the end of the school year so you can help me talk to my parents about Jessup. I really don’t want to marry him.”
Rachel suddenly looked very serious. “You shouldn’t have to. My daed would never make me marry someone I didn’t love. I am going to do everything I can to help you so you can be my new schweschder-in-law.”
Katie’s face turned several shades of red. “I don’t know if you should be planning that far ahead. He isn’t going to even ask me for a buggy ride until I’m free from my engagement with Jessup. It wouldn’t be proper.”
Rachel giggled. “I think it’s a little too late for that. You’re about to take a buggy ride with him right now.”
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CHAPTER 15
**********************
“Are you warm enough?”
Katie smiled as Caleb piled yet another quilt on top of her. “Jah, I think that will do it. I’m almost too warm.”
Caleb looked out the front window of the buggy at the thick snow that fell from the heavens. It was nearly dark, and he was glad he didn’t have far to go to take her home.
“Do you mind if we stop up the road a ways and eat this chicken before it gets cold? You promised me fresh chicken hot out of the griddle, remember?”
“Jah, I did. We can pull off the road at the schoolhouse if you’d like.”
Katie smiled her acceptance of his plan.
They rode in silence until they reached the school yard, where Caleb pulled the buggy under the shelter of two trees.
“My older schweschder, Abby, was married here recently.”
“In the school yard?”
“Under these trees to be exact. They’d shared their first kiss here when they were very young. So this is where they wanted to be married.”
Katie’s face heated at the thought of it. Why had he brought her to such a sentimental place?
“It must be a popular spot. I’ve already seen two of my older students sneaking a kiss under these trees.”
Caleb chuckled. “They start kissing pretty young these days.”
Katie giggled at his statement. “You sound like an old mann saying such a thing.”
Putting his hand to his chin, he scraped his hand across the whiskers Katie estimated to be two day’s growth.
“I’m at least eleven years older than y
our oldest students. That’s a lot of years when you think about it. That makes me feel kind of old.”
Katie reflected on the number of years between her and Jessup, and wondered if Caleb would say it was too many. Ten years was a lot. There would come a time in the future when the age difference would seem far greater than it does now. He would become old and gray long before she would, and the difference in their ages would make them look even more mismatched than they do already. It embarrassed her to be seen in public with such an older mann now; how would she feel ten years from now?
“Shall we eat before it gets cold?”
Katie opened the plastic container filled with chicken, allowing the steam to reach her. The aroma alone was enough to make her stomach growl. She’d saved her appetite all day in anticipation for this meal, and she was finally about to get a taste of it. Caleb bowed his head in silent prayer, and Katie paused to join him. Before she opened her eyes, she could feel the weight of his hand reaching into the plastic container she held on her lap.
“Dig in before it gets cold,” he said around a mouthful of chicken.
Katie sunk her teeth into the juicy chicken. She had to admit it was much better fresh, but she imagined it would have been even better if it had been eaten immediately after it was cooked.
“So what do you think?”
Katie nodded. “It’s wunderbaar.”
Caleb chuckled. “I have a feeling it might not have tasted this gut if we had eaten it in the company of your aenti. Will you be in trouble when she returns home?”
Katie’s appetite suddenly soured at the thought of it. “Jah, I told Rachel she will probably forbid me to leave the haus until it’s time for her to send me packing at the conclusion of the school year—if not sooner.”
Caleb smiled warmly, taking her hand in his. “If she does, my Aenti Bess runs the B&B a few miles from here, and she will let you stay there.”
Katie felt discouraged thinking about the animosity between her and Aenti Nettie. “I would hate to have to spend a portion of my salary on room and board. I should probably apologize to her first thing when she returns from dinner with your familye.”
Caleb squeezed her hand gently, sending shivers of delight through her.
“I hate the thought of you getting on her bad side because of me.”
Katie squeezed back. “I was on her bad side the moment I asked her to dinner. She’s compiled a long list of offenses against me, starting with tricking her into a dinner with your grossdaddi.”
Caleb looked into her eyes. He suddenly didn’t care that she was betrothed. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her. He wouldn’t do such a forward thing. He cared for her, and would never engage her in unwanted affection. Still, he found it increasingly difficult to keep his thoughts pure. He twirled his fingers across the palm of her hand, not caring how flirtatious this action was. He intended to convey his feelings toward her—even if he couldn’t kiss her.
Katie felt a surge of desire course through her as Caleb lightly tickled the palm of her hand with his fingers. Was this the kind of behavior friends engaged in? She had never gotten this close with Jessup. He’d kissed her a few times on the cheek or the forehead. But never once had she sat in his buggy and delighted in his touch. She doubted his touch would have the same effect on her as Caleb’s touch did now. She wanted Caleb to throw his arms around her and pull her into a deep kiss—her first. She could feel the pull of desire like a magnet, causing her to lean into him. She had never been this close to a mann. Her breath came in shallow puffs as she leaned even further until their cheeks touched. His warm breath tickled her cheek, drawing her closer still. His lips swept across her temple and down to her ear, causing her head to tilt back and her eyes to close.
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CHAPTER 16
**********************
Katie pulled away suddenly. What was she doing? Surely she didn’t want to give him the impression that she was a free woman. Not only was it not fair to encourage him, but it was improper and could soil her reputation. It didn’t matter that she did not love her betrothed, or that he had been forced upon her by her parents. The fact still remained that she was engaged to be married.
Caleb straightened, apologized, and then picked up the reins. He clucked at his horse. “I better get you home.”
How could he have acted so rashly? And why had she let him get so close to her? Was it a moment of weakness after being absent from her betrothed? He didn’t dare say another word to her for fear of saying the wrong thing and alienating her. He wondered if things would be awkward between them now, and if it would be too difficult to see her at the school.
Panic surged through him at the thought of not being able to sit in on her reading lessons anymore because of his actions. He’d made such progress this past week that he hated the thought of not being able to finish the lessons. Was there a way to recover from this mistake in judgment?
“I’m sorry, Katie,” he whispered.
She didn’t respond.
Caleb sighed inwardly. Had he just cost himself any chance he may have had at winning Katie’s heart?
Katie’s insides were tied up in knots. She was shaking uncontrollably, not from the cold, but from what had almost happened between her and Caleb. What would have happened if she hadn’t stopped it? Would he have kissed her? And if he had, would it have changed his opinion of her? Now she was worried that their near mistake may have cost her his respect, or worse, his friendship.
****
Nettie tried to turn down Hiram’s offer to drive her home, but just couldn’t do it gracefully under the watchful eye of the Bishop.
How is it that this mann still manages to get under my skin?
So she conceded with a heart full of anger toward her niece.
When I see Katie again, she’s going to get an earful.
Hiram assisted Nettie inside, being careful of her injuries. She was healing nicely and could get around quite well without assistance, but she was playing on Hiram’s sympathy.
Might as well milk it for all it’s worth…
Hiram handed Nettie a lap quilt and she snatched it from him. He was trying too hard to get on her gut side, and it suddenly angered her.
“Stop fussing over me. The Bishop can’t see us anymore. They went back inside the haus.”
Hiram’s mouth formed a grim line. “Is that what you think? That I’m helping you to score points with the Bishop? Let me remind you I’m an Elder of this church district, and I don’t need to impress anyone.”
Nettie snorted. “You don’t impress me.”
“Nettie, why do you still carry a grudge for me? Is it because you never had a familye of your own?”
Nettie snatched the reins from Hiram and halted her old mare. “Get out of my buggy Hiram Miller before I throw you out!”
“You ornery alt woman. You can’t throw me out of here.”
Nettie pursed her lips. “Old? Who are you calling old? You’re still a year older than me—alt mann. And I can throw you out. If you’d like, I can prove it to you.”
Hiram turned to her. “I’m sorry. I should not have said such mean-spirited things to you. It’s my fault you didn’t have a familye. I took that option away from you when I married Rachel. I won’t apologize for having a gut life with her, but I am sorry for hurting you.”
Nettie chuckled. “That has got to be the worst apology I have ever heard. And let’s get one thing straight. You were not my only option. I had other offers for courting, but I had my heart set on being a teacher.”
“Is that why you refused my proposal? Because you would rather teach?”
His question caught her off guard. She hadn’t thought about it from that angle before now. Maybe all this time she’d been blaming him for a decision she had made on her own. No one had talked her out of marrying Hiram—except herself. She’d been the one to choose teaching over his proposal.
Nettie looked Hiram in the eye for the first
time in nearly forty years. “I think that’s exactly what I’m saying. I was the one to choose my teaching career over you—not the other way around. I guess my feelings got stepped on when you married Rachel so soon and forgot all about me. It stung pretty bad watching you have a life with her over the years.”
Hiram took a chance and pulled Nettie’s hand into his. She didn’t pull away. That was a gut sign.
“I never forgot about you. There will always be a special place in my heart for you, Nettie. You were my first love. I could no sooner forget you than I could forget how to breathe.”
Nettie’s heart did a somersault. His hand was warm in hers, just the way she remembered. Was he declaring love for her after all these years?
“I have had a full life, Hiram. My students were my kinner. I have been happy for the most part, but I’ve always felt that nudge for what was missing.”
Hiram smiled. “It’s never too late to have what’s missing.”
Nettie blushed. “What are you talking about? I’m too old to have kinner of my own.”
Hiram’s smile widened. “You’re not too old to be married. We’re only sixty. Rachel has been gone for close to thirty years. I’ve been waiting a long time for you to let me back into your heart.”
Nettie snorted. “That’s narrish.”
Hiram pulled her close. “It’s no more crazy than spending the rest of your life lonely and unhappy. As for kinner, I can share mine with you.”
Nettie’s heart beat double-time. “What are you suggesting, Hiram Miller?”
“Marry me, Nettie. I still love you.”
Nettie leaned into him and kissed him gently.
It was just the answer he was hoping for.
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CHAPTER 17
**********************
Katie tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep after the confusing mishap between her and Caleb. She’d managed to slip into the haus before her aenti returned from dinner at the Yoder’s’. She’d gone straight to her room to avoid any conversation between the two of them. She’d even pretended to be asleep when the light knock sounded at her door an hour later. After the evening she’d had, she only wanted to sleep, but sleep eluded her. She knew she would be tired during school the next day, but she had too much on her mind.
Amish Winter of Promises: Book Four Page 5
