by Laura Hilton
Jacob moved away another step, his shoulders slumping. “I’ll be right back.”
“You have my permission,” Becky blurted out before she could change her mind. And then she wondered if he’d take advantage of it right at that moment. She almost wished he would. Yet another part of her already regretted her offer. She would be setting herself up for a fall. And it would be bad. Very, very bad.
His eyes searched her face and then lit up with a brightness she hadn’t seen in them before. He straightened his shoulders and gave her a heart-stopping grin. “I’ll pick you up in a few minutes.”
She nodded, then watched him turn and jog down the porch steps and across the lawn. When he disappeared inside the dawdi-haus, she got up and went inside to get ready. Not that it’d take much. She’d need to take care of Emma, put on her shoes and socks, and grab her black bonnet. And maybe say a prayer.
It would be a frolic. Annie would be there. Jacob would be there. And the chances that Kent would be there? Probably next to none. Jah, she would have a good time.
When Becky went into the kitchen to check on Emma, she found Naomi Joy and Mamm sitting at the table.
Naomi Joy looked up and smiled. “Becky, we were just talking about you! I was telling Mamm that I’m looking to hire someone to help with Regina, who, as you know, will soon have a baby brother or sister. I wondered if you might consider doing it.”
Becky blinked. “You want me to be your hired help?” But what about Jacob?
“Jah. You could just kum home with me tonight. Mamm said it’d be okay with her if you agreed.”
“Tonight?” Ach, she sounded silly parroting her sister’s words. “I promised to go to the frolic tonight.” Even sillier was her excuse, considering her nerves. “I can’t kum now. Maybe Katie could, and then I could kum some other time.” Like when she was more certain of where she stood with Jacob. Or, when she’d gotten over her crush, if only partway.
“Katie is still in school,” Naomi Joy reminded her. After a pause, she said, “Well, think on it, Becky. I want you, but you can kum when you’re ready.”
“Jah, I’ll do that.” Becky nodded, then lifted Emma out of her cradle. “Best go take care of her.”
Upstairs, she gave Emma a quick diaper change and then settled into a chair to feed her. Jacob would just have to wait a bit.
Thirty minutes later, a sated Emma heavy in her arms, Becky selected a clean pair of socks and went back down to the kitchen, where she gently laid the boppli in her cradle again. Mamm and Naomi Joy had disappeared, but Daed and Jacob were both there, sitting at the table with cups of coffee and a plate of cookies. Becky covered Emma with her pink blanket, then went to the door to retrieve her shoes before she sat down to pull them on.
“You’re teaching Jacob bad habits,” Becky said. “He’ll be expecting his future frau to keep his cookie jar full.”
When Becky looked at Daed, he smiled and shrugged. “Jah. But you’re….” He hesitated for a moment. “Any well-trained Amish girl would be up to the challenge, ain’t so?” His eyes issued a challenge. Or at least seemed to.
Any well-trained Amish girl? Or her?
“You ready, Bex?” Jacob drained his coffee cup.
“Jah. Jah, I’m ready.” Well, aside from her still-queasy stomach. And her out-of-control emotions screaming for her to kiss Jacob with all the passion bottled up inside her, then beg him for the right to be the frau keeping his cookie jar full.
Daed pushed himself to his feet. “Have fun, you two. Don’t worry about anything, Becky. Emma will be fine. You just relax and try to enjoy yourself.” He carried the two empty cups to the sink. As he left the room, he looked over his shoulder and added, “And don’t forget to smile.”
***
Jacob wondered if Becky’s smile function might be permanently broken. Her mouth didn’t even flicker when Daniel issued that final directive. For a second, he considered using his thumbs to press those soft lips into a smile, but he quickly dismissed that idea. Touching her right now would be like putting a lit match to a piece of paper.
He needed to get her to the relative safety of the frolic. At least there, they wouldn’t be alone, and she would have less need to be fearful.
“I have the buggy hitched and ready to go.” Jacob nodded toward the door, trying to ignore the expression in Becky’s eyes. It seemed to be a mixture of fear and anticipation, but it made him want to scoop her up and carry her off someplace where she would never be hurt again.
She nodded, then turned to peek in Emma’s cradle once more, adjusting the blanket, before following him to the door.
“Maybe I should take you by McDonald’s first for a fancy coffee, ain’t so?” he teased. “Take the buggy through the drive-through?”
“That’d be out of the way.” She pressed her lips together in a tight, thin line.
“Jah, but worth it if it’d make you happy.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Afterwards, then.” Jacob offered his hand, but when she shook her head, he stood by and watched her climb into the buggy without help. Then, he went around to the other side, climbed up into the seat, lifted the reins, and guided the horse toward the road. “Aw, Bex, this isn’t a death sentence. It’s a birthday frolic. For your cousin. Loosen up.”
Her hands curled into fists. He braced, expecting one of them to come flying in his direction. Though maybe he did deserve it. That comment was rather callous, now that he thought about it.
“I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I meant…um….” What did he mean?
She glared at him. “You meant I need to loosen up. And I suppose you’ve got that magic little brown bottle hidden away under the seat. All I have to do is reach under there, and…. You know, maybe you’d better let me out now.” Her voice thickened.
Okay, that apology hadn’t gone over so well. “Huh? What little brown bottle?”
He watched as she leaned over and reached her hand under the seat. She groped around there for a minute before he realized what she was talking about. His eyes widened in shock. “Nein, Bex. I don’t drink, and I would never dream of asking you to.” He flicked the reins, hoping she had never gotten drunk. Or even tasted the stuff. He hoped she’d never experienced anything so ugly. “I just want you to enjoy yourself.” But maybe she’d already decided that she wouldn’t have any fun. And if she had—well, there was nothing he could do. “Don’t sabotage our evening. Please.”
She straightened, her eyes brightening. “I’ll try not to.”
“Gut.” Maybe there was some hope after all.
Jacob pulled into Ben’s yard, which was already crowded with buggies. They were late, but there was nothing like making an entrance. With a smile, he hopped out of the buggy and headed around to the other side, surprised for a moment by the sinful pride that came from knowing he’d have the lovely Becky on his arm. But it wasn’t for his own good; he’d be showing Ben and his friends that Daniel’s Becky was someone worth spending time with.
God, forgive me for my pride, he prayed. Help her to have fun.
As Becky turned to climb down, excitement coursed through his veins. Without a thought, he reached up and grasped her around the waist, lifted her down, then swung her around in a circle. Her eyes widened, and she grabbed his shoulders, her hands twisting his suspenders. “Jacob!”
***
“Sorry.” He put her down, the light in his eyes anything but apologetic. With an arm around her shoulders, he guided her toward the field, where she could see the bonfire already burning brightly.
Judging by the bounce in Jacob’s step, Becky would say he couldn’t wait to be out and around people. He must have been pretty popular back in Pennsylvania. She wondered if Missouri would have a vibrant enough social scene to hold him.
She didn’t think it would. His friends and family were all back there. He had no one here, except for her kin. No girl, no friends, no relatives. Though he did seem to be trying to make the best of it. Getting out to meet
people would be a good thing.
Although with her at his side, maybe not so much.
As they neared the crowd of young people, Jacob released her, perhaps thinking better of the intimate gesture. Maybe, despite his words, he was ashamed to be associated that closely with her in public. He strode beside her, his walk turning into something that reminded her of a rooster strutting before the hens. As they entered the crowd, he held his hands high in the air, and some of the guys in the group came up and slapped them.
Becky stopped walking to watch the exchange. What exactly was Jacob doing? And how on earth was she supposed to act while her date made such a spectacle of himself? Ignore him? She’d seen other Amish men do this, but never anyone she was with.
Jacob was well ahead of her when another man came out of the crowd toward him. “Jacob Miller, is that you?”
The next thing she knew, both men had their arms around each other in a bear hug, arms slapping each other’s back.
So much for thinking he had few friends. She didn’t recognize the Amish man he was with, though, so she turned away to look for a quiet place to stand—someplace where she could observe the festivities and remain invisible.
Something she did better than most.
If only she’d brought a book along.
Would Daed be upset if she walked home early without Jacob? Would that be construed as being rude to his guest?
All she knew was that if Jacob had invited her on the rebound to help him get over his Susie, he didn’t need Becky. He’d already forgotten about her.
She glanced over at the group of Amish young people and gasped as a man caught her eye. He raised his eyebrows, his mouth curling, and turned to say something to the person he stood with. The girl turned around and stared at her. Then, she whispered something to the man and laughed before nudging another friend and pointing in Becky’s direction.
Becky let out a deep sigh. So much for Jacob’s promise to stay right by her side.
Chapter 22
Jacob couldn’t believe it. One of his best friends from Pennsylvania, Matthew Yoder, stood before him. When they pulled apart from their embrace, Jacob found it difficult to stop smiling. He wondered if Joshua Esh had come, too. “Hey, I’d like you to meet Becky.” He turned to introduce her to Matthew. “Bex, this is one of my best friends—Bex?” She wasn’t there. He looked all around. Not a sign of her. She must have found her friend—the one she’d asked about tonight. Annie. He’d catch up with her later, he supposed.
But maybe he should look for her now. He didn’t want her to be alone. Why had she wandered away without telling him?
“Didn’t take you long to find a new girl,” Matthew commented quietly. His eyes narrowed but then brightened again a moment later. “I did hear Susie’s been seeing someone else, though.”
“Jah, she asked me for a break.” Jacob nodded. But then, he hadn’t written to acknowledge the break. He wondered again if it would it be official only when he did. He shrugged, making a mental note to write later that evening, if possible.
“She asked you?” Matthew’s eyes widened. “I thought she was totally into you.”
Jacob shrugged. “She said she didn’t want to sit home alone. Besides, I was going to ask her for a break. I got here and met Bex.” He glanced around again. Where was she? “Bex is amazing.” He eyed a group of giggling females standing on the other side of the fire. He’d never met Becky’s friend Annie. He had no idea who any of the girls were. He couldn’t remember meeting any of them before—but he might have. He searched from face to face but didn’t see Becky. The one he’d come with. The only one he cared for.
He needed to check on her, especially with her fears and her “reputation,” according to Ben. “I really want you to meet her. But I don’t see her right now. Want to help me look?” He hoped no one had her cornered while he spit insults at her. Though surely no one would be cruel enough for that. Behind her back, maybe. But not to her face.
Matthew raised his eyebrows. “Uh, jah. Blonde hair or dark?”
“Blonde. Blue eyes. Prettiest girl here. Stands about so tall.” Jacob held up a hand slightly below his shoulder to indicate her height. How could he have lost her? He’d thought she was right beside him. He strode back in the direction he’d come. Where exactly had he let go of her? He wouldn’t make that mistake again.
He and Matthew walked all the way back to the buggy, but still they didn’t see her. As they retraced their steps back to the field, they caught up on news.
“Maybe she went inside to use the bathroom?” Matthew suggested when they neared the house.
Jacob shrugged. “Could be.” He could have checked, but his instincts told him that wouldn’t be where he’d find her. “Let’s look in the barn first.”
The lanterns cast a flickering glow across the barn, but that didn’t stop some people from going in there, sitting on hay bales and talking or swinging from the loft on a long rope.
Jacob gave the big room a quick once-over. Not seeing Becky, he headed back to look in the chicken coop, the cow room, the horse stalls, and several other small rooms. There were lofts, too—some high ones—but he didn’t see any sign of her there, either.
Surely she wouldn’t have crawled into a loft to hide.
Another possibility hit him hard. What if she’d been overwhelmed when they’d arrived and had turned around to walk home? Without even saying good-bye? Ouch. He shut his eyes. What would Daniel say about that?
Even more important, what would he say to her when he found her?
That brought him back to his original question: Why would she leave without telling him? She had to know he’d be worried sick about her.
He looked around the barn once more, but she was definitely not in there.
“She’s around someplace. Maybe she went to the haus for some reason,” Matthew suggested again. “Or maybe she’ll be back out by the fire now. Is this girl that important to you?”
Matt was a good friend to help him hunt like this. Kind of reminded Jacob of the time they looked for Mathew’s little sister when she went missing. The child had been there one minute and gone the next. They’d finally found her sound asleep on the floor underneath her bed. They’d been pretty frantic by then.
“Jah, she’s pretty special. She made me rethink my relationship with Susie.”
“Avoiding the l word, though, ain’t so?”
Jacob laughed. “Too soon to tell. I am interested in courting her.”
“Whoa, really? This fast? You sure you aren’t on the rebound? I mean, since Susie asked you for a break and all.”
Jacob shrugged. “Not on the rebound. I told you that I was considering a break even before Susie told me about Timothy.” He tried to push aside his concerns about Becky. “Well, like you said, maybe she’s outside. She’s definitely not in here. So, where are you staying?”
“The Stoltzfus family is putting me up, and they offered me a job in their carpentry shop. They have a haus full of kinner, but it isn’t so bad. I’m sharing a room with their two buwe. Kind of reminds me of home.” Matthew chuckled. “They told me that their pond is a gut spot for fishing. Care to check it out tomorrow?”
“Jah, that’d be gut. I haven’t been fishing since last summer.”
They walked out of the barn and headed toward the bonfire. As they passed a tree, Jacob noticed someone sitting there, leaning against the trunk. Becky. She watched the activities but made no attempt to join in. He grinned, relieved he’d found her, yet saddened that she wasn’t with her friends.
“There you are, Bex! I’ve been hunting all over for you.” Jacob crouched beside her. “Are you okay?”
She swallowed. “Jah.”
“Why are you hiding? You’ll never find any of your friends if you stay out of sight.”
She shook her head. “I couldn’t find Annie.”
Was Annie her only friend? Jacob frowned. “Scared of what people might say, Bex?” He stood and held out his hand. “Kum.�
��
After a moment’s hesitation, Becky put her hand in his and allowed him to tug her to her feet. She glanced at Matthew and blushed. Jacob hoped she wasn’t bothered by what he’d said.
“This is one of my best friends, Matthew Yoder from Pennsylvania,” Jacob said. “He came down to be part of the swap. Matthew, this is Becky Troyer.” He swung an arm over her shoulders and pulled her close.
“Nice to meet you, Becky.” Matthew smiled. “You’re right, Jacob. She is the prettiest one here. Maybe if you change your mind…” he teased.
“Not happening.” Jacob grinned back at him and hugged Becky tighter.
He felt her wince, but she nodded to Matthew. “Nice to meet you, too, Matthew. Welkum to Missouri. Ach, look. There’s Annie.” She pointed in the direction of the buggies, where Jacob saw two girls walking. “Kum, I’ll introduce you both.”
She slipped out of Jacob’s embrace and headed toward a black-haired girl. “Annie!” Jacob and Matthew followed her.
Annie stopped and smiled when she saw Becky. “You came!” She glanced behind her at Jacob and Matthew, her eyes narrowed in confusion. Then, a flush of what looked like anger flashed across her face, highlighted by the flicker of the fire. She straightened, her back stiff. “Shoo. Go sniff after some other girl. Leave Becky alone.”
Jacob stared at her in confusion. Hadn’t Becky said this Annie taught in the one-room schoolhouse? She certainly had the sternness necessary. He felt like a naughty boy being scolded. Nice Becky had a friend willing to look out for her, though.
Becky reached behind her and clasped Jacob’s arm. After a second, she slid her hand down to grasp his. She shook her head. “This is Jacob Miller from Pennsylvania. The one I told you about. And this is Jacob’s friend, Matthew Yoder.”
Annie tilted her head and narrowed her eyes even more. She assessed Jacob, studying him as if judging his worthiness of her friend’s attention. Jacob wondered what Becky had told Annie about him. He hoped it was good.
Annie finally smiled. “Nice to meet you both. Now, I must find Ben and tell him happy birthday.”
