“Everyone is fine. I’m sorry to drop in so late.”
“It’s fine. Go in the living room by the stove and warm yourself. I’ll go get you a cup of tea.” Emma hurried toward the kitchen.
“Don’t go to any trouble, Emma. I won’t stay long.”
“It’s not any trouble at all. The kettle is still hot since I had a cup of tea a few minutes ago.”
Atlee followed Sam into the living room and immediately strode over to the woodstove. He held his hands out, turning them this way and that way to thaw them. Sam dropped onto a worn armchair near the stove.
“Here you are.” Emma handed Atlee a steaming mug. “It’s chamomile, always nice to have at night.”
“Danki, Emma.” He was pretty sure it would take more than herb tea to calm him, but he was grateful for a hot cup to wrap his hands around and hot liquid to thaw his insides.
“I’m going to go upstairs and let you two talk. It’s gut to see you again, Atlee.”
“You too. Gut nacht.”
Atlee lowered himself to sit on the edge of the wooden rocking chair on the other side of the stove. He ventured a small sip of the tea to moisten his suddenly dry throat. “How is everything going? Are things busy at Swarey’s Furniture Shop?” Sam had worked at Emma’s daed’s shop for years, and Atlee knew the place usually stayed very busy. Pretty lame beginning, but Atlee hadn’t yet figured out how to talk about his true reason for visiting. He took a gulp of tea that ignited a fire all the way down to his stomach.
“Everything is fine. Emma and I are getting the house in shape. Swarey’s is busy, as usual.” Sam leaned forward. “I don’t think you came here on a cold, dark night to ask about business. Do you want to tell me the real reason for your visit?”
Atlee coughed and clapped a hand across his mouth to keep from spewing out that second boiling gulp of tea he’d just taken. He carefully set the cup on a cherry end table to keep from spilling its entire contents. “Nice table,” he mumbled.
“I just finished that for Emma. Now, enough chitchat. It isn’t that I don’t like seeing you, Bruder, but I don’t think this is a social call. What’s going on?”
“Nothing is going on, actually. Not yet, leastways.” Without the mug to occupy his hands, Atlee wasn’t sure what to do with them. He drummed his fingers on the wooden chair arms, but the noise sounded like thunder in the otherwise quiet room. Sam stared at him, waiting for him to spill whatever was on his mind. Help me out here, Sam, he begged silently.
“Would this be about a girl?” Sam urged.
“I, uh, I suppose so.”
Sam settled back in his chair. He crossed one ankle over the other knee and rubbed a hand across the short beard he’d been growing since his marriage.
Atlee suddenly felt overcome with embarrassment. He shouldn’t have bothered Sam. His poor bruder worked all day at the shop and worked around the house when he arrived home. He was probably beat, and Atlee was keeping him from his sleep. He needed to say what was on his mind or leave. Right now, leaving sounded like the best choice.
“I’m taking that as a jah. Do I have to guess who it is or are you going to tell me?”
Atlee sighed. “Becky,” he mumbled.
“Becky Zook.” It was a statement, not a question.
“Jah. You don’t act very surprised.”
“Should I be?”
“I didn’t think my interest in her was so obvious.”
“Maybe not to anyone else, but your family picked up on it pretty quick.”
“You mean Mamm and Malinda have been discussing me with the rest of the family. Is that it?”
“Not with everyone. I doubt Aden and Ray would be interested.”
“Funny. So what did Mamm or Malinda tell you?”
“Why don’t you tell me what you feel?”
“I’d kind of like to know what they think.”
“I think they are concerned about you. They care about you and want you to be happy. But they want you to make the right decision.”
“So they don’t think I’m thinking clearly. They aren’t exactly thrilled that I, uh, might be interested in Becky, ain’t so?”
“They don’t want you to be hurt, and Mamm doesn’t want you to take on more than you can handle.”
“Translation: Mamm thinks because Becky is, uh, well, she thinks a ready-made family will be too much for me.” Atlee rubbed his hand across his face. “I thought Mamm and Malinda would be fair. They both said they didn’t hold a grudge against Becky.”
“Becky did steal Malinda’s beau.”
“Isaac wasn’t right for Malinda. She even said so herself. She has Timothy now. I thought she would want me to find happiness, too.”
“That’s just it, Bruder. They do want you to be happy.”
“They don’t think I can be happy with Becky? Tell me what you think, Sam.”
“The important thing is what do you think? What does your heart say?”
“It’s really hard to explain. I don’t even understand it myself. You know I never paid attention to Becky before she left. You didn’t, either. We just thought she was a silly flirt and all the other fellows were foolish to be taken in by her.”
Sam nodded. “I only had eyes for Emma.”
“That’s true. And I wasn’t thinking about any girls in a serious way.” Atlee paused. A frown crossed his face as he scratched his head. “But something changed, Sam. I changed. Becky changed.”
“Are you sure she has—other than the obvious, I mean?”
“Jah. I believe her story.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t believe her. I think we can all understand how a young, innocent girl could be easily deceived. She was able to trust people here, so she naturally assumed she could trust people everywhere. But has she changed in here?” Sam thumped his chest.
“She has. I’ve gotten to know her well. We’ve taken walks, and I’ve visited at Lena’s. She’s truly sorry for the way she acted before and for running off. She regrets what happened in New York, but Sam, she loves her boppli. She wants to do the right thing. She’s planning to join the church as soon as she can.”
“Those are all gut things. I don’t think anyone took her flirtations that seriously. A few fellows might have felt a twinge or two of pain. Some girls, including our own Malinda, might have harbored some jealousy or anger, but I think they’ve all gotten over those feelings and moved on.”
“I think so, too. Malinda and Isaac have. I’m not sure how thrilled Mamm would be to wilkom . . .” Atlee stopped abruptly. He’d revealed more than he intended.
“How serious are you about Becky?”
Atlee reached for his tea and swigged another gulp. At least the liquid had cooled and no longer scalded his tonsils. “I, uh, I care a great deal for her.”
“Have you thought this through, Bruder? Are you ready to be a daed right away?”
“I’ve thought and prayed until I’m blue in the face. And I already care about the boppli, too.”
“Are you sure you aren’t letting your heart run away with your head?”
“I don’t believe I am.” Atlee thought for a moment, considering how to phrase his next question. Drawing a blank, he simply blurted, “How did you know Emma was the right one for you?”
Sam uncrossed his legs, slumped back in his chair, and closed his eyes for a moment. A smile played with his lips. “That was easy. Emma was always the nicest girl in school. Prettiest, too. She stole my heart when we were still scholars.”
“You were kinner then. How did you know as a grown man? Did your heart trip over itself at the thought of her? Did your breath catch at a glimpse of her? Did you feel a strong urge to protect her and take care of her?”
Sam slapped his knee and chuckled. “It sounds like you already know exactly how it was. How it is. I’d do anything for Emma, and I want to make her happy however I can. Gott first, and then Emma.”
Atlee nodded in complete understanding. “Jah.”
“I think
you’ve got it bad, Bruder. Now what are you going to do about it?”
That was an excellent question. What was he going to do about it? If Becky didn’t share his feelings there would be absolutely nothing he could do. He couldn’t force her to care. But he had a very strong hunch she did care. She just needed to conquer her fears. How did he help her do that?
Sam broke in on his thoughts. “Does Becky feel the same way as you?”
Atlee drummed his fingers on the chair arm again. “I hope so. I think so. I don’t know.”
“You must have some idea.”
“My gut says she does, but Becky is afraid she’ll make trouble for me. Whenever she seems to draw closer to me, she jumps back. She thinks she’ll tarnish my sparkling reputation or cause problems with Mamm and Daed.”
“Has either of them hinted they would be less than pleased if you courted Becky?”
“Like you, Mamm worries about my taking on the responsibility of a fraa and a boppli. She still sees me as a happy-go-lucky little bu, but I’m not a bu, Sam. I’m not even the same fellow I was a few months ago. Sure, I still like to laugh and look at the bright side of things, but I’ve grown up.”
“Finally!”
Atlee tossed the little needlepoint pillow behind him at Sam’s head.
“I suppose we’ll always be buwe to Mamm.” Sam tossed the pillow back.
“Probably. How’d she ever let you go? You were her firstborn.”
“I’m sure it was hard for her.”
“You were always the serious one, though, so she probably trusted your judgment a whole lot more than she trusts mine.”
“I don’t think it’s that she doesn’t trust you. She most likely wants you to be sure you’ve thought everything through before you take such a big step.”
“I’ve thought so much it’s a wonder my brain hasn’t exploded. It isn’t like I’m getting married tomorrow. Becky hasn’t even joined the church yet. Besides, she may not even want me.” Atlee felt his brow wrinkle. That wasn’t a thought he wanted to entertain.
“Well, I’ll tell you, Bruder. I’ve observed you and Becky at gatherings, and I’ve seen the same light in her eyes when she looks at you as I see in your eyes just sitting here talking about her.”
“Really? Then why did you ask me if she cared?”
Sam stroked his short beard. “I wanted your impression. I’m just an observer. Look, Atlee, if you truly care about Becky and you feel it is right, then you need to listen to your own heart. Anyone who has any qualms will have to deal with it.”
“That’s our mamm you’re talking about.”
Sam laughed. “Our mamm is a fair-minded, caring person. She wanted me to be sure Emma was right for me.”
“She did?”
“For sure. I think it kumms with the territory of being a mamm.”
“Mamm never had any problems with Emma, did she?”
“Nee. She only wanted me to be sure, since marriage is forever. I never had any doubts. Emma has always been the girl for me.”
“I don’t have doubts, either, not about myself at least. I just need to convince Becky to give us a chance.”
“Give her time, Bruder. I’ve seen signs that she cares, but she’s been through a lot. Be patient.”
* * *
“Be patient. Be patient.” Atlee mumbled Sam’s words over and over as he began the trek home. First Malinda told him to be patient, and now Sam said the very same thing. Two little words. Easy to say. Hard to do. If he had his horse and buggy, he might head over to Lena’s to talk to Becky right now, despite the late hour. Hope. That’s all he needed. A little encouragement. Some sign that Becky would give him a chance. Preferably sooner rather than later.
He would never have believed he, Atlee Stauffer, fun-loving jokester, would want more than anything to settle down. He felt absolutely sure now. He wanted to marry Becky. He wanted to be a daed to her little one.
Atlee shivered and increased his pace to a slow jog. If he had his horse and buggy, he wouldn’t be freezing right now. The bright stars and big moon shining in the inky sky were sure pretty, but the lack of clouds had made the temperature plummet. If he didn’t want to turn into a block of ice, he’d better speed his jog up to a full run.
If only Lena Troyer’s house was on his way home. Maybe it was better it wasn’t, though. Not being able to stop by would force him to be patient. He didn’t think he’d be able to be patient for too long, but he’d give it a try. He prayed Becky would realize he wasn’t concerned about what anyone else thought or said. He wasn’t worried those guys from New York would show up here. Southern Maryland was so far off the beaten path, the chances of them ever locating Becky were slim, even if they wanted to find her.
His lungs burned from the frigid air and from his sprint the last half mile home. The dim light burning in an upstairs window was a wilkom sight, even if it did mean someone was still awake. Atlee counted the windows. Just what he thought. It was Malinda who was still awake. He wondered if he could slip into the house and into his room without her ears picking up a sound.
Blessed heat wrapped itself around Atlee in a bear hug as soon as he stole into the house and eased the door closed behind him. He crept into the living room to stand against the woodstove for a few minutes before sneaking upstairs to his cold bedroom. He held his hands out toward the stove and would have dropped them onto the metal if he could avoid burning them. Since they were numb at the moment, he feared he would burn them without even noticing. Instead he rubbed them together briskly to restore circulation.
When adequately warmed, Atlee picked his way up the stairs, stepping lightly to prevent the wood floor from creaking. He paused at the landing to listen for a second. Maybe Malinda had fallen asleep with the lamp burning. Doubtful. Maybe she was absorbed in a book and wouldn’t hear him. A little more likely. He tiptoed down the hall and slipped into his room. Before he could get the door fully closed, he heard the soft voice.
“Atlee?”
Apparently Malinda had been wide awake and waiting for him to return home. He pulled the door open wider and pressed a finger to his lips.
In two steps, Malinda was beside him, pushing him into his room. She held a small lamp in one hand. “Where have you been?” She closed the door behind them and set the lamp on the chest of drawers.
“I didn’t realize I had to check in with you.” Atlee’s lips twitched as he tried to hold back a smile.
Malinda playfully slapped his arm. “I was worried about you. You took off without saying anything.”
“It doesn’t look as though Mamm and Daed were worried. They’ve gone to bed.”
“Mamm was worried all right. Daed convinced her you were a grown man and could take care of yourself. At least she acted convinced and followed Daed upstairs.”
“But you aren’t convinced?”
“I know you’re grown up all right.”
“But you don’t think I can take care of myself? I’m crushed at your harsh opinion of me.” Atlee pretended to wipe away a tear.
“Did you go to visit a girl? Are you courting?”
“Do I ask you about Timothy’s visits?”
Even in the dim lamplight, Atlee could see the color spring into Malinda’s cheeks. “Nee, but . . .”
“Then why am I not extended the same courtesy? Why do I have to tell all?”
Malinda shrugged but didn’t budge. She obviously wasn’t going to leave the room before extracting some sort of information from him. Atlee sighed. Fatigue threatened to swallow him. Morning would be here in the blink of an eye, and he needed to try to get a little sleep. “For your information, dear schweschder, I went to visit Sam.”
“So late?”
“They were still up. I needed to talk to him about something.”
“It must have been awfully important if you couldn’t wait until tomorrow.”
“Sam and I both work all day and have chores before and after. Exactly when would we find other time to talk except
in the evening?”
“Was it about a girl? Was it about—”
“You are a nosy little thing. Do you know that?”
“I’m not nosy.” When Atlee’s eyebrows shot upward, Malinda amended her statement. “I’m concerned.”
“Right.”
“You can trust me, Atlee. Did you talk to Sam about Becky?”
“Now why would you ask that? Do I ask you what you and Mamm discuss all day?”
“We talk about the house or the chores we’re doing or community happenings. Some things are private.”
“My point exactly.”
Malinda huffed out a breath. “I only want to help, Atlee. You’re my favorite big bruder.” She smiled and batted her eyes.
Atlee laughed. “I’m the only big bruder you have around right now to harass.”
“I’m a great listener, Atlee, and maybe I can give you some insight if you have girl troubles.”
“The only girl trouble I have is you.”
“Funny. Then why did you go to talk to Sam about Becky?”
“You said that. I never mentioned her at all.” Atlee faked a yawn. “It’s getting late, you know.”
“Nee you don’t. I didn’t wait up for nothing.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have waited up at all. You could have been getting your beauty sleep.”
“Atleeeeee.” Malinda drew out his name. She poked out her lip in a pout.
“Go to bed, Malinda.”
“Not until you talk to me.”
“We talked. I’m tired. Go to bed.”
Malinda stomped her foot. “You’re infuriating, but I’m not giving up.”
“You will when I toss you over my shoulder, carry you to your room, and throw you on your bed.”
“Atlee, talk to me.”
Atlee sighed louder. Clearly Malinda wasn’t going to go away unless he did toss her out. “Malinda, it’s late. We have to get up early.”
“I like Becky.”
“What?” Atlee shook his head and pulled at an ear, thinking he hadn’t heard her clearly.
“Your ears are fine, Bruder. I said I liked Becky.”
“After she lured Isaac away from you?”
“If Isaac had truly cared about me, he wouldn’t have been tempted by Becky’s flirtations. I don’t think Isaac could handle my illness. Sometimes my Crohn’s disease can get pretty bad. I’m not sure Isaac could deal with a girl who has a chronic illness.”
The Reconciliation Page 20
