“I hope you don’t find it too presumptuous, but when I saw you get out of your truck to admire the corn, I thought you changed your mind about joining me for a refreshing sip of iced tea.”
Steve nodded to her, watching her pour the tea into tall glasses filled with slices of lemon. Soft blond tendrils fluttered against her cheek, and her eyes shone like the stars that were just beginning to light up the indigo sky. He was mesmerized by her beauty that didn’t come from makeup or fancy hair or clothing like the city girls. Lydia’s beauty came from within and radiated to her outer appearance like a halo. To Steve, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid eyes on.
“Just a half glass for me,” he said, interrupting her pouring. “Then I should be on my way. I’m not sure your brother would approve of me being here without an escort.”
Lydia paused before setting the pitcher of tea back on the small table. “I’m a grown woman, and mei bruder hasn’t been here to guide me in that process, so I’m not sure he has claim to his say about the matter.”
Steve had been awkward at dating since he was a teenager. He was shy and didn’t know what to say half the time, but Lydia had put him at ease from the moment he’d met her. Her smile was enough to melt his pounding heart.
“I imagine he would have a lot to say. He’s still your brother, and he’s never stopped loving you. I’ve heard so much about you over the years, I feel like I already know you.”
Lydia nearly choked on her iced tea. “That hardly seems fair! You’ll have to catch me up so I know an equal amount about you.”
Steve cleared his throat. “That could take a while.”
“The only thing I have to do right now is watch the corn grow.” Lydia smiled at him.
Steve relaxed a little and smiled back. If Lydia was okay with him sitting on the porch alone with her, then he wouldn’t argue. He was happy to be in her company, and Liam had all but given him his blessing earlier—before the accident.
“You know I met your brother back in ninth grade. He still lived at home back then, and it was a struggle for him. If not for the support of his dad, he wouldn’t have made it to graduation.”
Lydia’s eyes grew wide. “I didn’t know our daed knew he was going to the public school.”
“Your dad was supposed to go to Liam’s graduation, but he…didn’t make it.”
“Because he died in the accident,” Lydia added.
“Yes,” Steve said quietly. “Liam told me he was going to bring your mother to the graduation.”
“Mamm knew about it too?” Lydia was having a hard time grasping that bit of information. “Why didn’t she tell me?”
Steve didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to be in the middle of this conversation or in the middle of the feud between sister and brother.
“I’ve found over the years that sometimes people have a tough time telling others how they really feel about things. From what I know of your brother, I’d say you all need to learn to communicate a little better. And don’t think I haven’t said that to him quite a lot since I’ve known him.”
Lydia sighed. “Maybe Liam’s accident was a blessing in disguise. Maybe now that he thinks he’s back where all this started, we can have a chance to work through what went so wrong in our familye after mei daed’s accident. None of us spoke to each other after the accident; we just held in our feelings about everything and went our own separate ways.”
Lydia pondered her own statement as she gazed up into the sea of stars against a cobalt sky. The crescent moon hung amidst the stars as though keeping order over the vast universe. She listened to the crickets and the rustling of the corn stalks in the field as if the resonance whispered a message of hope directly from Gott—as if hope floated across the warm, summer breeze.
Chapter 23
Lucy stepped onto the path between the rows of corn that led to Lydia’s farm. Though the sun had barely tipped over the horizon, she was to meet Lydia so the two of them could get a ride into town with Steve. She hadn’t told her folks she was going to the hospital again or anything about Liam’s accident because they would not understand her need to be involved. Her familye had lectured her repeatedly about letting go of Liam, but she had not let her heart let go of him. Now she was on her way to the hospital to see him, and she felt as nervous as a teenager again.
Reaching out a hand, Lucy tapped the leaves of the cornstalks as she whisked by them. Liam used to chase her around this very field in the summers, and they would swim in Goose Pond, and skate across it in the winter. She had a history with Liam, and now she had a chance at the future with him she’d always dreamed of. Even though it wasn’t the ideal beginning to that future, she was determined to try to make it work to her advantage. She’d missed him more than she realized.
Suppressing a yawn, Lucy pressed on though the dirt under her feet was still very damp with early morning dew. She hadn’t slept much, and thought about the thermos of coffee she carried, wondering if it would be enough to keep her awake all day. She’d been so consumed with thoughts of Liam, she hadn’t fallen asleep until well into the wee hours. At eight o’clock now, she’d been up for two hours already doing chores to prepare for her absence from the farm for the day.
All she could think about the entire night was how she felt about leaving her familye and the community to cling to Liam. She was more mature than she was the first time she’d pondered the question, and she believed more than ever that she was finally ready. If that was what Liam would require of her, she would choose him this time. She loved him; she had never stopped.
At the clearing, Lucy could see Steve’s work truck parked in front of Lydia’s haus. Steve leaned up against the bed of the truck, his hands moving around tools in the back. The squeak of the screen door let Lucy know that Lydia had been waiting for her approach before exiting the haus. In her arms was a medium rucksack, and if she knew Lydia, it was packed with food for the day. Lucy hadn’t thought past the thermos of coffee that she hoped would keep her awake. With food in her belly, it might be tough to fight sleep with the long day ahead of her.
After a brief greeting, she and Lydia climbed into the truck and they headed toward the hospital. The closer they got, the more Lucy’s stomach roiled with second thoughts. She was so sure she’d made the right decision, but now that she was about to come face-to-face with Liam, she began to overanalyze her decision yet again.
Thankfully, Lydia didn’t seem to be in a very chatty mood this morning, or Lucy would not have been able to sort out her feelings before they reached the hospital. Secure in her resolve, Lucy stepped out of the truck with confidence in knowing exactly how she would handle herself with Liam when she saw him.
Lydia already noticed a connection with Steve. Their long talk the night before had helped bring them closer together, and she was content with their friendship moving at such a fast pace. At twenty-five, Lydia was at risk of becoming a spinster according to the way most Amish viewed marriage. Most girls are married by the time they turn twenty, and Lydia had watched each of her friends marry. There was not much choice of bachelors in the community, but Lydia did not care. Her heart was already filling with hope for a future with Steve. Though she feared her mamm would not approve, she tried to push the thought of leaving the community the way Liam had out of her mind for the time-being. Was she prepared to leave if forced to choose? There was a part of her that was, and that frightened her enough to push down the thoughts.
Lydia took her time scooting out of the middle of the cab of the truck, enjoying the feel of the hand Steve had offered her. In her opinion, it fit perfectly. The only thing that could be more pleasant would be to have his lips meet hers. Now was not the time for that, Lydia knew, but that didn’t stop her from daydreaming about that perfect moment when such a magical thing would finally happen for her. One look into Steve’s blue eyes, and Lydia was certain he was thinking the same thing. She’d caught him gazing at her mouth a few times last night, and she’d hoped he would
be assertive enough to give into the temptation, but he hadn’t. Much to her dismay, he’d acted like the perfect gentleman.
With Lucy already ducking into the hospital entrance ahead of them, Lydia was tempted to linger outside with Steve for a few moments, but she knew her mamm would need the change of clothing she’d brought for her. She’d also brought a pair of her daed’s trousers and a shirt just like her mamm had asked of her because Liam’s clothes he’d left behind in his teens would no longer fit him. Lydia wished she’d had the time to wash the musty clothes she’d taken from the old trunk in the attic, but they would have to do for now.
Lydia and Steve ambled down the hallway to Liam’s room. It was evident to her that Steve enjoyed her company, and she hoped that when Liam was well, she and Steve would have the opportunity to explore those feelings a little more in-depth. For now, she would concentrate on helping her bruder get back to whatever path he would take for his life. Liam had been given a fresh start whether he was aware of it yet or not, and Lydia would do everything she could to make sure she and her mamm were a part of his future.
Chapter 24
Lucy crept quietly into Liam’s room, careful not to disturb him. She’d run into Nellie at the nurse’s station, and the woman encouraged Lucy to take a turn visiting with her son while she stretched her legs.
Grateful for a few moments of privacy with Liam, Lucy sat in the chair beside the bed and pulled his hand into hers. Even in the hospital gown, Liam was adorable. She longed for him to wake so she could pull him into her arms and declare her love for him, but there would be plenty of time for that later. For now, she would be content that he had survived the accident, and that Gott had given them all a second chance with him.
Liam turned his head toward Lucy and opened his eyes a small slit. His vision was still blurry, but he could feel the warmth of her hand in his. He groaned as he tried to move. His ribs hurt and his head pounded.
“Don’t try to get up,” Lucy’s gentle voice urged. “You’ve had an accident. Do you remember anything yet?”
He winced from the pain in his head. “The buggy accident!”
Liam tried to sit up again, but was unable due to the pain coursing through him. “Is mei daed here too? Is he injured?”
Tears constricted Lucy’s throat. How could she tell the mann she loved that his daed had passed away seven years before?
Nellie walked into the room just then and stood at her son’s bedside.
“Your daed is not here, Liam. He’s visiting relatives.”
It was enough to calm him down, but both women knew it wouldn’t satisfy him for long. It wasn’t exactly a lie, Nellie conveniently left out the part about it being relatives in Heaven that her husband was with. The two women looked at each other for a long moment, stress distorting their faces. They knew the real explanation would come out soon enough, but for now, Liam was content.
Unable to control her tears, Lucy excused herself abruptly and exited the room. In the hall, she let her tears flow freely. What had she been thinking when she’d decided that reuniting with Liam was a gut idea? It hadn’t really sunk in that she would have to pretend to be seventeen again in order to keep him. What if he never regained his memory of the last seven years? Would she have to pretend to have her birthdays all over again? She’d wished so many times to have those years back, but now that she was faced with it, the concept was a little too terrifying for her to deal with.
She felt a hand on her shuddering shoulders and immediately stiffened and wiped her face. Nellie pulled Lucy into her arms allowing her to let go of a fresh batch of tears.
“I’m so sorry,” Lucy sobbed. “I didn’t know what to say to him when he asked me about—your husband.”
“You’ve done a fine job of caring for him during this. I’m happy he had you here with him yesterday before I was able to get here. Thank you for helping us. You don’t have to be here, but I know you are here because you love him, and I’m grateful my son has you to care for him. I’ve prayed that Gott will give the two of you another chance to make things right between you.”
“Thank you,” Lucy said quietly.
Lydia and Steve met them in the hall. Nellie and Lydia exchanged a strained glance between them before she handed her mamm the bag in her hand.
“I brought you a spare dress and Daed’s clothing for Liam so he can wear them home tomorrow.”
Lucy turned her gaze sharply until it met Nellie’s. “You’re bringing Liam home with you?”
“Jah. The doctor here said it’s best if he follows a normal routine and remains in familiar surroundings to trigger his memories.”
Lucy’s head filled with immediate questions, but she didn’t want to be disrespectful to Nellie.
Steve spoke the words she’d been thinking but didn’t dare utter. “He should probably go back to his apartment in the South Bend. That would probably trigger his memories faster, wouldn’t you think?”
“Nee. He believes he’s still a teen, and it might be traumatic for him to find out suddenly that he’d left the community. As long as he believes his daed to be still alive, he needs to be at home with me and his schweschder, so that when his memory comes back, we will be there to comfort him through it.”
Steve nodded. “That makes sense.”
Lucy couldn’t hold it in any longer. “He thinks he was in the buggy accident with his daed. He asked me about it just before you walked in the room.”
Nellie sighed. “Then I suppose we will have to break the news to him a little bit at a time. We can start by taking him by the quilt shop in a few days and showing him what really happened. Maybe that will trigger something in his mind. He’s going to expect to try to finish school, so Steve, you’re going to have to come up with a reason he doesn’t need to go anymore.”
Steve nodded. “What if we just tell him that a little time has passed and he already graduated?”
“I don’t want to confuse him more, but the doctor did say he needs to be brought up to the present time—but slowly. Maybe if we tell him everything a little at a time, he will come to it on his own.”
They all agreed, but Lucy still had a few reservations. If he regained his memory too quickly, she feared he would remember he no longer loved her, and it would destroy their chance at a future together.
Chapter 25
Liam couldn’t shake the feeling that nagged him about his apprehension over going home with his mamm and Lydia. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but something seemed a little off about the situation. Despite reassurance from the doctors, his familye, and Steve, his best friend, he still felt uneasiness creeping into his mind. Was there something that his familye was keeping from him? Why had his daed taken this opportunity to visit with his relatives? Hadn’t he been in the buggy accident with Liam?
Pieces of his memories were missing, and it troubled Liam to the point of exhaustion. The doctors had advised him not to try too hard to remember, reassuring him the memories would return on their own. But what if they never did? What if he never remembered what happened to him? Would it be that bad? Maybe it was better that he didn’t remember his accident. But he couldn’t shake the feeling everyone was keeping something important from him.
Liam had his whole life ahead of him, and Lucy had agreed to marry him and start a new life with him outside of the Amish community. It had been his dream to have his own construction business, with his best friend working side-by-side, and now it was closer than ever. All he had to do was finish his last few weeks of school and graduate, and then he would be eighteen and ready to be on his own—with Lucy, the love of his life.
****
Lucy and Lydia had remained at the Yoder farm that morning to prepare for Liam’s homecoming. No matter how hard Lucy tried to stay calm, the butterflies disturbed her stomach. Why had she agreed to run off with Liam? Would he expect her to if he didn’t regain his memory before he was able to leave the community? She knew he had at the very least a week of physical recovery a
head of him, but would that prevent him from pushing her to make plans with him? She wondered what would happen when he realized he already had a place of his own in the city.
Lucy pulled fresh muffins from the oven and upturned them into a linen-lined basket. Lydia had practically begged her to make them since they had always been Liam’s favorites. She couldn’t deny him that; she would do anything for him. Even carrying on the charade of reliving their youth was all for him—or was it? She had to admit that a part of her felt selfish for wanting another chance with Liam, even it meant he might not remember they had been split up for so long.
“Do you fear that Liam will leave us all over again when he remembers what happened and how much time has really passed?”
Lydia’s question startled Lucy, who’d been lost in her own thoughts. It was a legitimate question, and one that warranted an answer, but Lucy couldn’t allow herself to think about the consequences of the situation. The entire thing could backfire in their faces, but to Lucy, it was worth a try just to be near the mann she loved once again.
“Let’s not borrow trouble, Lydia. We should remain strong in our faith and believe that the outcome will be Gotte’s Wille.”
The very thought of leaving her future up to Gott terrified Lucy. She knew better than to let her faith waver, but she did not have the strength to recover from another heartbreak involving Liam, and she suspected the same was true for Lydia and Nellie.
The Quilter's Son: Book One: Liam's choice (An Amish Christian Romance) Page 7
