“Is there anything I can do for you?” she asked. “You’ve given me a wonderful gift.”
He shrugged nonchalantly. “Just keeping my promise.”
“It’s more than that, and you know it.”
When she didn’t go on, he nodded silently. “Can I just say you’re welcome and be done with it?”
“Sorry.” She shook her head, wiping away a final tear. “That’s in no way good enough. I’m going to give you something someday. Something you didn’t know you wanted or needed, and I’ll be the only one who can give it to you.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know yet, but whatever it is, and whenever you need it, you know you can come to me.” Esther realized it was an empty vow full of frivolous words, but she meant them anyhow.
“Okay,” he said, wiping his palms over his knees. “I can’t think of anything you can give me right now—or I mean, I can, but, well, I won’t…” After a sigh, he ran his hands over his face.
To Esther, it wasn’t completely clear what he meant, though her heart began to race when she considered the possibilities.
“Anyway,” he added as he quickly stood up, “do you want tea?”
“Please,” she replied. “Need help?”
“You’re my guest. I promise I do know how to boil water.”
She laughed, feeling fully at home in her own body. “If you say so.”
“Does your father still have a booth at the Lancaster farmer’s market?” he asked.
They chatted about vegetables and their rising prices as he made the tea. Meanwhile, Esther continued flipping through the scrapbook. Lucas Brenneman had definitely been one of the community’s favorites, popular with the boys and the girls. Adults loved him, too. It was clear judging by the number of pages in his book. One page was devoted to pressed flowers that had long since lost their bright colors and fragrances.
No doubt, those had been added by an eager Amish girl who’d been dreaming of making Lucas her beau. He’d been a hard worker back then—had he even realized most of the girls in Honey Brook had a crush on him?
Herself included—before Jacob had started asking to drive her home after the singings.
Esther couldn’t imagine how difficult it must have been for a sixteen-year-old to leave a place where he’d been so loved and respected.
Jacob had also contributed to the scrapbook. But he’d written a knock-knock joke that he’d probably heard from an English acquaintance, because Esther could not figure out the punch line. It was heartwarming, though, seeing his neat print in his brother’s book.
“Whoops,” Lucas said. She stood, expecting to find a puddle of hot water on the kitchen floor. Instead, he was looking out the window. “It’s almost dark.”
“It is?” Esther moved to the door and opened it wide. The sky was streaked in pink, orange, and yellow, but the colors were fading fast, the sun only moments from setting. “What time is it?”
“Past six thirty.”
Whoops was right. She needed to get home before her father sent out the brethren to track her down. How would she explain being discovered here?
“I have to go,” she said. “I hate to, but—”
“Me too. I’ll get Peanut,” he added, walking past her and out the open door. She missed the smell of him. So clean and manly.
“Thank you.”
A moment later, he was back. “Look, it’s going to be completely dark before you get home. Can I take you?”
“In your truck?” she asked. For a moment, she contemplated the excitement of flying down the road as fast as the gusting wind. “Not a good idea,” she said. “My folks will wonder where the buggy is in the morning, and Peanut can’t stay here all night. You’d lose your voice singing her lullabies.”
He laughed and bobbed his head, a dark curl of hair falling across his forehead. “Looks like I’ll be driving you in the buggy, then.” Without another word, he jogged off toward the barn.
Not bothering to argue, she put on her cloak and gloves, saying a silent though very sincere prayer for such a wonderful evening, and for Gott really and truly being there for her, even when she was too stubborn to feel Him. When she heard a sound from the barn, she continued her prayer with how grateful she was for the time she’d spent with Lucas.
“Bless him, Lord,” she whispered under her breath. “He’s searching, too. Give him all he stands in need of…when he asks in faith, nothing wavering.”
“Ready?” he asked, leading Peanut gently by the reins.
“Ready!” She climbed into the buggy. “But, Lucas, if you take me all the way, how will you get home?”
“I’ll call a buddy of mine,” he said, tapping the pocket of his pants where there must’ve been a cell phone. She wanted to pull it out of his pocket and examine it, press the numbers and speak to someone on the other side of the world.
Even though her own father kept a phone in his office in the barn, Esther understood that modern technology should not be part of her world. Even if Lucas having one gave her a silly thrill.
He climbed in beside her, and she threw the wool blanket over both their laps. “Best get a move on,” he said, then clicked his tongue, encouraging Peanut to walk.
The evening air was even chillier than before, and the wind was really picking up. Still, Esther couldn’t keep the huge grin off her face. She felt close to him, like she could ask him absolutely anything.
“Lucas,” she began after they’d been chatting for a while about how to grow the perfect tomato plant. But before she could ask the question, a black car came out of nowhere, speeding by them so fast that it caused Peanut to veer off the path. Esther screamed in fear and grabbed Lucas’s arm. Half a moment later, she watched in terror as the buggy hit a bump and began sliding into the shoulder.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Lucas feared he was much too out of practice to save the buggy from completely breaking apart. But then every driving lesson his father had given him as a boy flashed through his mind, pushing his body into autopilot.
The most important thing was to remain calm. The second was to make sure—if it overturned—that it would fall over on his side, not Esther’s.
Maybe due to the recent rain, Lucas felt the moment the right-hand wheel hit a deep, soft spot of dirt. Next he heard a loud crack. Esther shrieked and leaned into him, clutching his arm.
“Keep ahold of me,” he shouted, feeling her grip tighten.
As if in slow motion, the left side of the buggy began to tip up. After another loud snap of wood, despite all his efforts, everything began sliding to the right. The sound of bending iron coupled with Esther’s screams was deafening as the buggy rotated.
When all was finally silent, Lucas opened his eyes. He was facedown, staring directly at a pair of closed eyelids, while he lay flat over Esther’s body.
“Hey,” he said, trying to roll off, but he was wedged in there pretty darn tight. “Are you okay? Esther, can you hear me?”
When she didn’t answer, he sprang into action, fearing the worst. Had she hit her head or had a dangerous internal injury? It hadn’t been a hard landing, but after working in trauma for two rotations, he knew anything was possible.
Before he’d had time to even get to his feet, he heard a soft laugh. The sound slowed his panicking heart.
“What’s so funny?” he asked, lifting himself onto his elbows so he could look at her.
While she continued to giggle—tears in her eyes now—he rolled onto his knees and got to his feet. After a quick assessment, he noted that her body wasn’t at any awkward angles; therefore, nothing major was broken.
“What’s so funny?” he repeated, wanting to join in her laughter out of pure relief.
“Everything,” she said. “That was so much fun.”
“You were screaming bloody murder.”
“While having fun.”
Lucas planted his hands on his hips. “Esther, you think nearly dying in a buggy crash is fun?” He reached out for her hand, their fingers clasping as he pulled her out the door of the tipped buggy. Not dropping her hand, he gave her another once-over, making sure she wasn’t bleeding or in any kind of distress.
“Peanut!” She gasped. Lucas regretted letting go of her hand but immediately tended to the mule, feeling heavy raindrops on his back. He’d never had a particularly special way with animals, but for some reason, he felt a connection to this funny white mule with the black face markings who loved to be serenaded.
“Is she okay?” Esther called, her voice coming from inside the buggy. She was smart enough to stay out of the rain.
Lucas stroked Peanut down the back a few times, then examined her legs. “Shaken but not hurt,” he reported.
“Peanut!” She called out in a singsong voice. “Don’t fret! You love the rain, remember, good girl?”
Lucas chuckled from his belly. This woman’s love for mules and goats and aardvarks and probably any animal knew no bounds.
“Lucas! It’s starting to pour. You better get back inside here.”
He took only a brief pause, assessing his own injuries—nothing more than mild abrasions on both palms—before returning to the shelter of the buggy. Esther was inside with the blanket, her face pink and glowing.
“Now what do we do? Papa’s gonna kill me.”
Lucas wiped his brow. “I’ll call my buddy Mike. He’s got a truck and horse trailer.” He made a quick call, relieved that his friend was available.
“Despite this”—Esther gestured at the wreckage around them—“I’ve had such a nice evening—seriously.” Her voice was firm, and she began chewing on a thumbnail. “For the last few months, I’ve been really down, as if no one in the world comprehended how I felt. Earlier tonight, you said my friendship means a lot to you.” She paused, sliding her hands into her apron pockets. “It’s the other way around. Having you in my life has changed everything. Do you know that?”
Before he could even think of a reply to such touching words, headlights cut through the twilight. “Mike’s here,” he said, part of him relieved for the interruption. “Stay put, and I’ll help him with Peanut.” Before leaving, he pulled the blanket up to wrap around her shoulders. She looked small and helpless, maybe a little vulnerable from what she’d just admitted.
Luckily, Lucas had to concentrate on settling down the anxious mule while he and Mike assessed the damage to the buggy. “Esther?” he said a good twenty minutes later, crouching so he could look into the buggy. “It stopped raining, and we need to right the buggy. Come out?”
Her dress got snagged twice, and he saw more of her legs than she probably realized, causing the blood pumping through his veins to feel red-hot. After not much of a struggle, she was standing on the road again, wrapping the blanket tighter around her body.
“Still feeling okay?” he couldn’t help asking, the medic in him always on alert.
“Fit as a fiddle.” She twirled in a circle. “Quit your worrying about me.”
“Nice try.”
“Stop it.” Playfully, she swatted the air.
Even during a near-tragedy, she could still make him laugh.
“Why don’t you talk to Peanut while we work on the buggy?”
After a nod and an expression of concern, Lucas could easily make out her whispers of calm, assuring words to her mule. He wished he could hang around to listen to the whole thing, but the buggy needed tending to. It took him and Mike a few tries, but finally the thing was standing upright again.
“Wheel’s busted,” Mike said.
“Affirmative,” Lucas agreed, wiping his brow. “I heard it snap when we hit the hole back there. Besides that, doesn’t look like there’s much damage—”
“It’s my buggy,” Esther suddenly interjected. “No one else will notice a few scratches.”
“Broken wheel’s more than a scratch,” Mike added. Lucas noticed how his buddy seemed to be keeping his eyes averted from Esther. Was he not used to his plain folk neighbors yet? As he was about to officially break the ice, Esther stepped forward.
“Hi,” she said. “My name is Esther Miller. Thank you so much for coming.”
“Mike Ramirez.” He stuck out his hand but then flinched it back, maybe unsure of the correct protocol.
Lucas wanted to laugh.
“It’s very nice to meet you.” Esther smiled and shook his hand, looking as confident as ever. “The speeding car came too near us; then it all happened so fast.”
“Scary.” Mike crossed his arms and nodded, looking truly concerned. “And it’s no problem. Anything for Doctor B.”
“I’m not your doctor, man. I’ve told you a hundred times.”
Mike turned to Esther while pointing at Lucas. “Guy’s a medical marvel in my eyes but won’t let me call him ‘doctor.’”
“Because I’m a physician’s assistant, and you had a snakebite, man.” Lucas rolled his eyes to heaven. “Even children know how to draw out the venom.”
“Not this city slicker. The wife and I bought a place out here last year. We’re still figuring out country life.”
“Some brains just take longer,” Lucas said, patting his buddy on the back.
“Watch it,” Mike said, “or I’ll tell the story of how you got lost for three days by following the Susquehanna River. I mean, who gets lost following a river?”
“It was dark,” Lucas said, looking up at the sky. “And I misplaced my compass.”
“Misplaced? You dropped your phone down a ravine.”
“No, I didn’t.” Lucas paused, wondering if he had any pride left. “That was on a different hike.”
Esther suddenly burst out laughing.
“Something to share?” Lucas asked. It was about time the woman interrupted.
“You two fight like brothers,” she said, wiping the tips of her lashes. A second later, she peered at Lucas as if something was on the tip of her tongue. He was no mind reader, but he had a sneaking suspicion she was about to bring up his family again.
Instead, however, she began chewing on a thumbnail and asked, “I was just thinking—can you fix the wheel?”
“Of course.” Lucas felt his eyebrows smash together, mock indignantly. “Why? What’s going through that head of yours?”
“I can ride on Peanut the rest of the way home while you and Mike fix it.”
“Ha-ha. That’s your plan?”
She nodded. “And when you’re done, you’ll sneak the buggy back to my house like nothing happened. But it better be there before six a.m.—that’s when Papa and Benji get up.”
Lucas opened his mouth to laugh at the suggestion but then stopped himself. She wasn’t joking. “I do think I can manage that.” He looked at Mike. “You?”
Mike gestured at his truck. “My girl’s got a hemi.”
“What girl?” Esther asked.
“I know!” Lucas cut in, holding up a finger. “Because cars are referred to by the feminine pronoun.”
Mike’s eyebrows pulled together, but then he nodded. “You are correct, sir.”
“Englishers are confusing,” Esther said after shaking her head. “In any case, I better get going.”
Lucas moved to her side, reaching for the loose reins. “You’re not really going through with this, are you? There’s no saddle.”
Esther ran a hand along Peanut’s thick spine. “I’ve been riding her bareback since I was little. Peanut’s never hurt me. She’s gentle as a baby.”
Lucas was not convinced. “I think we should drive you home in the truck—”
After cutting him off with a loud huff, Esther grabbed the reins, placed a palm on the middle of Peanut’s back, made one practice bounce, then flipped a leg over the mu
le’s body, landing right on top.
All Lucas could do was stare. Then he rewound the scene to watch it about a million more times, picturing her beauty and grace while literally stealing his breath away.
“Good girl,” Esther cooed, bending forward to pat her mount’s neck and stroke her silky ears. “Good girl, Peanut. Who’s the best girl?”
A moment later, she glanced down, no doubt witnessing both men gaping up at her, jaws hanging slack like two hound dogs.
“Good luck with the wheel,” she said, wearing a wide, confident grin. “And don’t forget: six o’clock.”
“Uhh, right,” Lucas said. “B-bye.”
“Have a good night, now.”
“Yeah… Hey—wait!” Lucas forced himself awake, leaping to block her way. “That was really something.”
She lifted a shoulder. “Jah?”
After exhaling a chuckle out his nose, he asked, “When will I see you again?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. I’m running out of excuses—even to myself. I feel like we’re sneaking around.”
“I know.” Lucas bowed his head and nodded, comprehending the sentiment. The back of his neck felt wet from the rain, cold from the wind, overall chills. “I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not.”
“Well, who knows, maybe we’ll run into each other on the street sometime.” She smiled down at him, making Lucas exhale another chuckle. “Stranger things have happened.”
“Be safe, please.”
“Peanut’s got me.” She gave the animal one of her loving pats. “Don’t worry even one second about me.”
He kicked a rock. “Too late.”
“I’m going now,” she said, using her warning tone.
“I’ll believe it when I see it.”
With one click of the tongue, she trotted off into the night, bareback and all.
Lucas did worry, though. There weren’t many streetlights and the moon was mostly covered by rain clouds. What if that black car was still out there? Would she be okay? Should he follow behind on foot?
Never an Amish Bride Page 18
