by Jessica Loft
“And I fear that I must ask your forgiveness again, Katherine, for now it seems I’ve cause distress between you and your parents.”
“No, you—” she started to say.
“I appreciate you coming by and telling us what happened,” her dad said, interrupting her. “You did the right thing. It’s this Samuel who’s been causing strife, not you.”
“All the same, I beg your forgiveness once again,” Matthew said.
“Don’t worry about it,” Katherine said.
Matthew stood with his hat in his hands. “Thank you for your time.”
He walked to the door, and she jumped up to follow him.
On the porch she called out, “Matthew. I really am very sorry about your beard. If I had known what a big deal it was to cut a beard, I never would have done it.”
“I believe you,” he said.
“Thank you for not pressing charges.”
He nodded to her and climbed into his buggy.
She went back inside to face her parents.
“Katherine, I cannot believe what you’ve done,” her father said. “How could you?”
“I had no idea it was a big deal.”
“But Samuel did and he was there.”
“And he tried to stop me, actually, but it was too late.”
Her mother spoke up for the first time. “I thought you weren’t going to see him anymore.”
“I thought about it, but I really like him. I know what you think of him, but he’s everything I’ve been looking for. Well, aside from the Amish part, but we’ll deal with our difference in faith when we need to. He’s a godly man who makes me want to be closer to God. Dad, you always said that was the most important thing.”
“Closer to God? Katherine, he could have gotten you arrested! You will take this seriously!” He got to his feet, his face red, and paced the floor “I will not have you sent off to jail over some boy. You will not see him again. Period. And if you do, you will find your own place to live. Is that understood?”
She stared at him, dumbfounded. “You’re saying that if I keep seeing Samuel, you’ll kick me out?”
“Yes.”
Her mother made a move like she was going to protest, but stopped when she saw the expression on her father’s face.
He looked angry enough to hit something. Katherine had never seen him like this.
“You are my only daughter. I want the best for you. And Samuel is not it. There is a perfect man out there for you, who will treat you right and not lead you into situations where you could end up with a criminal record.”
Chapter 10
Katherine locked herself in her room. She didn’t want to hear anything else her father had to say. She needed to do some serious thinking.
In the end, it didn’t take her nearly as long to decide as she thought it would. She waited until night fall. Her parents were fast asleep and she snuck quietly from the house. She wasn’t sure if her car starting would wake them up, but it was too far to walk.
She drove to Samuel’s house and parked on the street, a good distance from the house. The soft dirt of the ground made her footsteps silent. Good, because she wasn’t sure exactly where she needed to go. The house was mercifully only one floor, which made her task much easier.
She walked around the house, peaking in windows until she thought she found the right one. She saw Samuel asleep in his bed through sheer curtains. But he shared a room with Dan and Paul.
She pressed her palms against the glass and pushed up. It didn’t budge. She tried again, but the window must be locked or stuck tight. She tapped lightly, hoping she could wake up Samuel and no one else.
Dan was the first to stir. She moved out of the way so he didn’t see her. He settled and she tapped again. This time, he got up. He came to the window and opened it.
He stuck his head out and looked around, then saw her. “Katherine?”
“I’m sorry, I need to talk to Samuel. It’s very important.”
Dan’s head disappeared from the window. She stayed where she was, off to the side of the house, and waited. A few minutes later, Samuel stuck his head out.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“I need to talk to you. Please.”
“Okay.” His head vanished and she waited several long minutes.
He walked around the side of the house.
“Samuel.” She ran to him and threw her arms around him.
He stood still, frozen for a moment, before wrapping his arms around her in return. Tears ran down her cheeks as they hugged.
“I had to see you. My parents, and Matthew, and—” She had gotten herself hysterical and couldn’t speak.
“It’s okay.” He held her hands tight in his. “Slow down. Breathe.”
She explained what had happened that day and how her parents threatened to kick her out.
“I am so sorry for all that’s happened. Matthew came to visit my family as well.”
“He did?”
Samuel nodded. “My parents have also warned me not to have contact with you. They understand you were not at fault, but they feel that it will cause too many problems in the community because of what happened.”
She stared at him, the tears cold on her cheeks in the breeze. “So both of our families said they don’t want us together.”
He nodded sadly.
“What do you want?” she asked.
He took a long time to think before he answered. “From the first time I saw you, Katherine, I felt a deep desire to protect you. When I started getting to know you, that desire grew. I wanted to be near you all the time. And then… I started to have other feelings. More physical feelings. And over time, as I prayed, I realized that you were the one for me.”
She sucked in a deep breath, but he held up a finger to continue.
“After all that’s happened, though, I don’t feel worthy of you. And I can’t take you from your family. I can’t be the one to cause that sort of strife.”
“No, Samuel—”
“I’m sorry, Katherine. I am in love with you. And because of that, I have to let you go.”
“No, no, no.” She pulled him close again, not caring any longer what they should or shouldn’t do. “Samuel, you love me and I love you, and God brought us together. Our families don’t understand, but they will eventually. If it takes years, they’ll see the truth. They’ll see God’s plan in all this.” She put her hand on his cheek. “I’ve never known anyone like you, so calm and steady, and strong. You’re everything I ever wanted. Is God really telling you not to be with me?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know. My heart hurts so badly, it’s all I can feel.”
“If it hurts so bad, how can it be the right thing?”
He put his hand on her cheek to mirror her position. Tears filled his eyes when he looked at her. He leaned forward and kissed her. Not like they had before, the quick peek of a kiss. This was a real kiss. His lips moved against hers, and he held her closer.
He pulled back and looked at her again. “We only have two choices. We never see each other again—”
She shook her head and whispered, “No.”
“Or we run away, we leave all this behind, we get married, and start a new life away from here.”
She blinked at him. “But, you’re Amish. Could you really leave behind your whole way of life? It’s so different out in the world.”
“But you know that world. And I’m not so innocent as you might believe.” He pulled his mouth into a half smile. “I had a whole year of rumspringa, you know.”
She chuckled. She’d heard plenty about the year of wildness Amish teens were allowed before they committed to the Amish life forever.
“Would you be happy away from this life?” she asked. “It’s all you’ve known.”
“I’ll be happy as long as I have God and you.”
She sighed in deep contentment and kissed him again. “So, where are we going?”
“Wherever l
ife takes us.”
“Then lead the way.”
Now Enjoy The Next Story Below Or Choose One From The Table of Contents
Galactic Warrior
Chapter One
“I know this is not the greatest situation, but it’s the best that we have at the moment. We all need to make sacrifices. We can’t grow much up here on the Moon. Especially with our limited supply of seeds to plant and the soil being unforgiving, what actually grows is very little.”
“Why do I get the feeling you’re preparing us for something?” Hanson was too smart for his own good. Being her second in command, he was supposed to know what January was thinking and be ready for just about any order she gave.
“I know you don’t wanna hear this, but long-range sensors have picked up a beacon. Those back on Earth want us to check it out and report back our findings.” She wanted them to understand her position, but January could see that many of them were still quite hesitant to take her leadership seriously.
“We just got home, and they expect us to go back out this soon?” Hanson grumbled. “I don’t know about the rest of these guys, but I need some time to recharge my batteries.” January knew that Hanson was being stubborn for a reason. He was put off that she had rebuffed his advances. He thought that he was god’s gift, but what she saw was a womanizer who had no interest in any kind of commitment. “It would be best if we all take a vote,” he finished, frustration in his voice. January didn’t believe that this was a democracy. She was going to have to do something to make sure that Hanson didn’t think he had any kind of power that he could wield over her.
“I know that none of you are going to like this, but I’m afraid that I’m going to have to pull rank. I’m the Captain, and if I say we go, then you salute and do it. I don’t want to get into this anymore. I’m tired of walking around on eggshells to make everybody else happy. This is the last time I’m going to have this conversation.” She would write a very detailed report about their insubordination, but only if it was absolutely necessary.
There was a chorus of heads nodding and mumbled voices of discontent. Hanson was grinning like the cat that ate the canary. Although he was smart, he was always trying to stir the pot. January didn’t think she’d done herself any favors by denying his need to copulate. She’d heard from two of the science officers that they’d had relations with him. As captain, January couldn’t stop them from fraternizing, but she had made a point to discourage it.
What those female scientists told her in confidence made her realize that her instincts were right on the mark about Hanson. He was that dark-haired, brooding man who knew how to say just the right things. His seduction techniques could make women of any race, creed or color eat out of the palm of his hand. What he didn’t realize, however, was that January was made out of tougher stock than that. She did not get caught up in physical relief. If she really needed it, she could always take matters into her own hands.
She waited until everybody was out of the room, and then January sat down with Hanson. He looked up into her green eyes and that little grin turned into an automatic frown. He could easily see that she was not happy. She was about to make an example out of him.
“I don’t like having my decisions questioned. My door is always open for an alternate opinion, but not in front of the staff. We should always try to remain a united front. You will not undermine my authority. If you do that again, you’ll find yourself sitting on the sidelines twiddling your thumbs, until I can have you replaced with someone who can respect the chain of command.” Hanson looked her up and down. She had her long, dirty-blonde hair pulled into a ponytail. The skintight silver suit was good to keep cool under pressure and didn’t leave much to the imagination.
“I’m sorry that you felt like I was doing that, but I was only trying to play devil’s advocate. Are you sure you’re not just feeling a need that has not been scratched? I could easily take you back to my room and we can see about getting rid of some of the obvious sexual frustration between us. I could start by giving you a nice deep-tissue massage to relieve some tension, and then… whatever happens after that is entirely up to you.” He had that bad boy act down to a science. January knew Hanson had no problem showing off for the females willing to buy what he was selling.
“I don’t know how many times I have to say this, but I’m not going back to your room. I know that sleeping with you will never change anything. I know that there is no such thing as commitment in your vocabulary. I’m not saying that I’m not interested, but I would want more than to be some kind of afterthought. I want you to think about that. Don’t you think that your cavalier attitude toward women is getting old? You’re approaching your thirtieth birthday, and I would have thought by now that you would be ready to grow up. Stop acting like a child and pouting really doesn’t suit you. Get Pegasus ready to fly. We leave within the hour.” January stood up and was about to leave when Hanson grabbed her wrist and held her in her place.
“Usually, when somebody speaks to me like that I feel emasculated, but with you it makes me hot. I like your attitude, and I can only imagine what you would be like in the bedroom twisting in my sheets. You already said that you were interested, and why you haven’t jumped at the opportunity is beyond me. You think that I’m callous towards women, but I have a healthy respect for the female form. I know what I like, and believe me when I tell you that you have always been on my mind.” He took one of her fingers and sucked it into his mouth, making her stare at him. She couldn’t believe he had the guts to pull something like this.
She probably should have pulled away immediately. By doing nothing January was giving him free reign to play fast and loose with her libido. “I know that you know this is not appropriate behavior. I would suggest that you get your act together, Hanson.” She scolded him as she yanked her fingers out of his mouth. Somehow, she couldn’t forget him, even though all that they had been through had made her acutely aware that he was the problem. She was not going to get caught up in some messy affair.
“I don’t think that you mean anything that you’re saying, January. You have no idea what you’re missing. Perhaps we should see if we are compatible before we decide to go any further.” His fingers were lingering a little longer on the back of her hand. It was striking a match. She tried not to show it, but she was sure that the quiver in her lip was a dead giveaway.
She took a breath to steady herself. “I’m going to have to rethink your position here on board,” she told him. “I know that you are better equipped than anybody, but I don’t necessarily feel comfortable around you. We can talk about this later. In the meantime, get the Pegasus ready. Make sure that we have everything on board that we’ll need for this expedition.” Thinking about the upcoming danger they faced, she touched the locket that she wore around her neck. Her parents were always with her in that locket. It was a reminder of what she had to live for.
January had never married nor had any kids. She had concentrated on her career. Being a woman, even in the year 2056, was not easy by any means. She’d still had to prove herself to her male counterparts. They thought that they owned the world, but women were showing that they were more than up to the task of doing the same job any man could do. It surprised January that even after all these years there were still those who believed that a woman couldn’t measure up.
Hanson interrupted her thoughts: “I hope you know that if you didn’t get that assignment, I probably would’ve been given the Captain’s seat. I’m not saying that you did anything to propel your career forward, but maybe having your parents speaking on your behalf was enough. We both know that the Scanlon name goes a long way. You may not think that they have that kind of influence, but trust me, your family knows how to get things done.” He had to bring up that painful subject. She’d tried to live outside the shadow of her parents, but it wasn’t easy with them constantly trying to get in her business.
January decided not to dignify his comment with a response. She left the
room, but glanced back to see that he was obviously undressing her with his eyes. She couldn’t blame him. Their silver suits really accentuate the positives. January took pride in staying in shape, especially because the suits would show any kind of flaw. It was the reason they had a gym at the station and in the ship.
She left Hanson to his thoughts. It was time to see what that beacon was all about.
Chapter Two
Erica, the chief engineer, came up to the bridge to tell the crew what had happened. “Engine one is down, and the second one is close to burning out. Whatever we have flown into is affecting our atmospheric controls.” It took almost three hours to get here, and now all of a sudden something has grabbed hold of the vessel. “I don’t know how much more we can take without breaking apart.” Erica stated. January didn’t like the sound of that. The only reasonable course of action was to get into their spacesuits as soon as possible.
January started issuing orders: “I want everybody in their airtight space flight suits, immediately! The ship is going to need to use life support. I will put all of you into a suspended animation and awaken you after we’ve emerged from whatever this is.” She saw several of them look at each other, but this was neither the time nor place to go against their captain’s orders. “THIS IS A DIRECT ORDER. We only need one person to handle the Pegasus. I’m more than equipped to do it.” They crew walked toward the back of the room where their suspended animation compartments stood, some more reluctantly than others, and began to don their suits.
When everyone was dressed, the crew positioned themselves inside the suspended animation chamber with their arms across their chests. The doors closing automatically when each person was in place. January saw the crystallization on their faces as they became paralyzed. They were essentially frozen.
She stared at Hanson, wiping the glass clean so that she could see his body. She could do this and he wouldn’t know of her secret longing and fascination. She was kicking herself now for not jumping at the opportunity to be with him. Maybe it was possible that she could change his mind about commitment. Don’t be silly. The fleeting thought left her mind. Women always thought that they could change men, to stop their destructive behavior, but January had learned the hard way from other boyfriends. It wasn’t that easy. Some claimed that they would change their ways, but mostly they were only placating and telling her what she wanted to hear.
