“I’m sorry about your conversation with your brother,” she said as they continued walking, passing English tourists, their pale legs peeking out from under cotton shorts, and sunglasses framing their faces.
He shrugged. “It’s irritating, but it’s no big deal. He cares about me, you see. That’s a blessing.”
“Indeed.”
“Do you have siblings?”
As it always did, the question cut through her. “I used to have a sister,” she finally admitted. “But she died.”
His expression grew serious. “I’m sorry to hear that. What happened?”
“I’d rather we didn’t talk about that right now.” There was no way she could even attempt to explain Lissy’s abduction and her own loss in a few succinct sentences. It would also mar the joy and excitement she’d been feeling about the day.
She simply wasn’t ready to lose that feeling of happiness yet.
“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it? I’m a mighty gut listener.”
“I’m positive.”
“Why?” His gaze turned searching.
“Because we’re here, you see.” Pointing to the SCAT stop crowded with people, she added, “We’ll need to take the shuttle, then transfer to the bus going to Siesta Key. Are you sure this won’t be too hard on you?”
“If things get too bad, I’ll tell you. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said as they came to a stop at the edge of the crowd, the faint scent of sunscreen infusing the air around them.
“Gut.” He smiled. Then, as if he’d just realized that most of the Amish men and women at the stop were staring at him, he lifted his hand. “Hi.”
“Hi,” one teenaged girl in a bright pink dress replied, then promptly giggled.
No one else responded, but Penny guessed that while they were watching him silently, more than a couple were probably wondering if he was the Michael Knoxx or if he just happened to look a lot like the headliner for the famous evangelists.
Over the next hour, Penny noticed him receiving similarly appraising looks when they transferred buses, and again as they walked through the parking lot on the way to the beach. He didn’t look fazed by it in the slightest, however. He simply smiled at whoever was staring at him, then looked away before they got up the nerve to ask him any personal questions.
When she saw him politely ignore a middle-aged couple who looked intent on making his acquaintance, she said, “This happens a lot, doesn’t it?”
“Walking to Siesta Key with a pretty girl? Never.”
She laughed. Not because she knew he’d never been to this beach before, but because she knew she wasn’t anything all that special to look at. “I mean, people approach you a lot, don’t they? Even when you’re not speaking in a crowd?”
He shrugged. “It doesn’t happen as much as you’d think. Usually, the only time people stop me to ask questions is at a speaking engagement. And that’s to be expected.” He frowned. “I promise, usually I am a lot more receptive to folks. I’m glad for their interest and grateful for their support. But that said, I need a break this week.”
“I don’t blame you for that.”
“You sure?”
His hazel eyes searched hers as they reached the edge of the parking lot. It was almost as if her opinion really mattered to him, which was ludicrous. But perhaps this was exactly why he was so well known. He had a way of looking at a person as if he or she mattered. It was a mesmerizing thing to experience when he was speaking to a crowd, but in person? Well, half the time his intense gaze left her tongue-tied.
“Penny?”
“Oh. Jah. I am sure. You’re only human.”
“You’re right about that,” he quipped, his expression easing. “So, are we finally going to go to the beach now?”
She pointed ahead. “It’s right there. All we have to do is go down those steps and you’ll be walking on the softest, silkiest sand in the world.”
Stepping forward, he grinned at her. “How could a guy refuse an offer like that?”
She chuckled. “Put that way, I have no idea.” When they started down the cement stairs, she noticed some added strain in his expression. “Michael, will you be all right, walking on the beach?”
“I’ll let you know if I’m not.”
His reply didn’t alleviate her worries one iota. “I don’t intend to be mean, but I feel I should point out that you’re much bigger than me.”
She felt his gaze travel the length of her body. “Jah,” he said with a nod. “I’ve noticed that as well.”
She felt her skin flush. “Um, what I’m saying is that if something were to happen . . .” Her voice drifted off, because, truly, how could she say what she was trying to say without ruining his day?
“I know you can’t carry me, Penny,” he said softly. “Don’t worry. I would never let things get that bad.”
“Michael—”
“This pain is new, but my disability is not. I’m used to dealing with it.”
“If you’re sure.”
His eyes brightened with an amusement he didn’t attempt to conceal. “I am sure. Danke, Penny. Thank you for worrying about me.”
Feeling as if her whole body was lighter, she took the canvas bag filled with their lunch and towels off his arm. “In that case, Michael Knoxx, please enjoy Siesta Key.”
He took three steps onto the sand. Looking right he focused on a group of kids playing volleyball. Glancing left, she watched him eye the bright blue lifeguard tower with interest. Then, at last, he stared straight out over the water. As the waves rolled forward, he breathed deep. Then sighed.
“It’s beautiful,” he murmured. “Penny, it’s exactly like you said. And absolutely worth coming out here for.”
Something new and warm and wonderful filled her. It felt a lot like happiness, but stronger. Something inside her whispered that it felt like love, but of course that couldn’t be. Maybe it was more along the lines of intense satisfaction.
Because she knew for a fact that the man by her side wasn’t the only person stretching his limits today. She had taken some giant steps of her own. And the day had only just begun.
PENNY WAS A WONDER. After scanning the area, she’d found a secluded cove that was a relatively short distance from the water. Then, she’d held his hand when he’d walked down to the surf, somehow making it look like she was the one holding on to him instead of the other way around.
Though Michael never felt self-conscious about missing part of a leg, for the first time in years, he found himself wishing he had two good legs. Maybe it was because the sand felt like heaven under his bare left foot. Or maybe it was because he feared he looked like quite a sight, walking on crutches toward the waves with one pant leg rolled up to his midcalf, the other pant leg brushing his tennis shoe.
Or perhaps it was because Penny looked more light of heart than he’d seen her all week. Her feet were bare and she’d knotted the sides of her skirt so they kind of billowed around her calves. Her cheeks were glowing from the sun, and her smile was so broad and bright it was infectious. And her laugh! She giggled and chuckled at crabs and jellyfish. She laughed outright at a child who was attempting to bury his older brother’s legs in the sand. She beamed at the teenagers playing volleyball and the elderly couple enjoying a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.
In fact, she had so much joy on her face, Michael was starting to wonder if he’d ever been so happy. He honestly couldn’t remember.
After his daring toe-touch in the ocean, they walked back to their spot and she helped him sit down. Then she carefully spread out another beach towel and handed him a thick roll filled with roast beef, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and brown mustard. Another container of sliced strawberries was set to one side. Then she handed him a bag of potato chips and a plastic cup filled to the brim with sweet tea.
“This looks amazing, Penny.”
She looked so pleased, he knew that she’d been the one to prepare the meal instead of Beverly. He
took a bite of the sandwich and it tasted just as good as it looked. “The sandwich is delicious.”
“I’m glad you like it.” She took a bite of her own.
After a few more bites, something occurred to him. “I was in the kitchen when you arrived for work, no?”
“You were.”
“Well, then when did you have time to make everything?”
“I made it all at my house this morning.” Looking guilty, as if he’d caught her in a fib, she added, “I made the turtle brownies last night, though.” She pointed to a covered container that he hadn’t even noticed yet.
“So, this is your food? Not the inn’s?”
“Well, jah.” She looked at their sandwiches with some concern. “Is that okay?”
“Of course it is.” He lifted up the remains of his own sandwich. Barely a fourth was left. “I, um, was simply worried about the expense. I hate the idea of you using your own money to pay my way.” Thinking of her working late into the night, he added, “And time. I didn’t think about you having to spend your evening baking.”
“Brownies don’t take long. And as for our meal? It is only sandwiches.”
He knew she wanted him to leave it alone, but there was something about what she’d done that gave him pause. “Why didn’t you use the kitchen’s food?”
A line appeared above her brows. “I didn’t do that because, um, after I asked Beverly for the day off, I didn’t know how to ask about your lunch, too. Besides, I enjoyed making the brownies and sandwiches.”
“Now things are starting to make more sense. When I told Beverly last night that I was going to the beach with you today, she seemed surprised. You’re not getting paid for today, are you?”
“Of course not. I’m at the beach, Michael.”
“But that doesn’t seem fair, you carting me to the beach on your own time.”
“I told you I wanted to go.” Irritation was seeping into her words now.
But the more he learned, the guiltier he felt about taking up her whole day off. “Did you have to cancel some other plans?”
“Not at all.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t think that’s any of your business.”
“I think it is.” He didn’t want to call her a liar, but he was pretty certain that she’d canceled all kinds of things in order to babysit him for the day. He simply wanted her to admit it so they could have it out in the open.
She pursed her lips together. For a moment there, he was genuinely worried that he’d made her so upset she wasn’t going to answer. Then she sighed. “I didn’t have to cancel anything because I don’t really have any friends and my parents are mad at me.”
He was stunned. He put the last of his sandwich back on the sheet of waxed paper and gave her his complete attention. “Why?” he asked. “Why don’t you have any friends? And why are your parents upset with you?”
“Michael, honestly, this doesn’t concern you. Can’t we leave it at that?”
Even though he heard the stress in her voice, he shook his head. “Nee, I don’t think so.” When she practically rolled her eyes, he pushed a little more. “Come on, Penny. You know all about me. You’re going to have to help take care of me for the next few days. Don’t make me feel like we’re completely on uneven ground.”
“We are, though.”
“Please? I’m not just asking because I’m being nosy. I’m asking because I care.”
“It’s kind of a long story.”
He leaned back on his elbows. “I’ve got time.” But more than that, he was eager to learn more about her. When she wrapped up her half of the sandwich and set it to one side with a resigned expression, he knew he’d won. “What happened to you, Penny?”
She closed her eyes, as if mentally preparing herself for what was to come, then began. “It all started when my sister, Lissy, was kidnapped walking home from school one day.”
It took every bit of experience he had to not betray how shocked he was. Instinctively, he knew if he reacted too intensely, she would shut down. “So, what happened to her, then?”
“About everything one might wish to never happen, Michael. After, she was found in a field.”
He blinked. He’d seen enough of the world to have a very good idea of what had happened to her sister. But for some odd reason, he wished she’d said the words anyway. Almost as if he was hoping that his darkest imaginings were completely off base.
But he would never ask her to speak of such things.
“So that’s how she died,” he murmured to himself. He swallowed hard, hoping she didn’t notice how much her story was affecting him. She needed him to be her support now.
“Jah.” She leaned forward, ran her finger in the sand. “Lissy was . . . She was dead when the police found her.”
“I’m so sorry, Penny.” He was such an idiot. Here he had been pushing and prodding her to tell him private information about herself, thinking he could use his wealth of experience to ease her pain in some way. But now it was so very obvious that she had much to teach him.
“Danke, but it’s okay.” Visibly steeling herself, she added, “They did find the man who murdered her. He was arrested and later sent to prison.”
“Ah.”
“He, uh, died there. Someone murdered him.” She took a deep breath. “As you might imagine, it has been a difficult thing living with what happened to my sister. I’ve often wondered why that man didn’t kidnap me.” She met his eyes. “I’ve wondered why the Lord took Lissy so young. Why did He have to make her suffer so?” Lowering her voice, she added, “And why did He decide that nothing should happen to me?”
As she paused for breath, Michael struggled to find the right words to comfort her. But what could he ever offer that would comfort Penny?
She continued. “Lissy’s death, um, drew a lot of attention to our community. In the news.”
“I can only imagine.”
She looked down at her feet, as if it was too hard to face him. “Some reporters acted as if what happened to Lissy was doubly bad because she was Plain.” She shrugged. “I don’t think that matters though, you know? I mean, it was all bad.”
Practically unable to speak, he nodded.
“Anyway, after a time, my parents decided to move here, to Florida. They wanted a fresh start. And, well, Lissy died in the middle of winter. There was something about the cold, gray skies that my mamm, especially, couldn’t deal with.”
“How old were you when that happened?”
“Twelve.”
“Twelve,” he repeated. Twelve was far too young to experience such a tragedy.
She nodded. “I, ah, was almost fourteen when we moved here.” A few minutes passed as she shifted, fussed with the makeshift knot in the hem of her dress. “Anyway, we moved here, but time hasn’t really helped my parents all that much. They are angry and bitter and so very sad.”
“I imagine lots of people would be that way still.”
She nodded. “The way they dealt with their loss was to keep me close. They don’t want to lose another daughter, you see.”
Now he was beginning to understand her lack of friends. “Even though you might’ve been perfectly safe, they didn’t want you to be out of their sight.”
“Not at all.” She pressed her lips together before continuing. “At first I felt the same way. Then, when it began to chafe, I tried to understand and give them time. But then something snapped, I guess. I couldn’t do what they wanted anymore.”
She turned to look at him directly. As if she needed him to understand. “Michael, I knew if I stayed one more day in that house I was never going to leave. My sister may be dead, but I felt like I was dying inside. I told my parents that I was going to go see your family speak in Pinecraft Park. I do know some folks from church and one gal, Violet, had said that she was going to go. So I went.”
And that very night, when she’d offered to help him, he’d acted like a jerk. What was wrong with him? “I’m sorry I was s
o rude to you.”
“You weren’t rude. You were in pain. And there’s no reason for you to apologize.”
“Still, I could have been nicer.”
“Michael, you were yourself. Believe me, I’m glad you acted like yourself. I’m glad you weren’t perfect.”
“I was far from that. I am far from that.”
She shook her head, chuckling softly. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. If you had been perfect, I think I would have been even more nervous the first time we met.” She rolled her eyes. “It would have been even more awkward than it was.”
“So, you really did just start working at the inn?”
“Jah. On Monday.”
“Monday. Miss Beverly needed an extra pair of hands, and here we are. Sitting on the beach.” He forced himself to smile, even though so many emotions were running through him, his insides felt raw.
“Jah.”
“So I take it your parents aren’t happy with you working?”
“Nee. They’re punishing me by ignoring me. I was mighty happy I had something to do today.”
He gazed at her. Saw her dimples, her freckles. Her dark blond hair, blue eyes. Her general awkwardness. And knew he’d never before felt so unworthy of someone’s friendship.
Here he’d gotten into an accident, lost half a limb, and turned that experience into a way to travel the world with his family. And though he believed in the power of the Almighty, he would be lying if he didn’t admit to feeling self-righteous at times.
Now he cringed as he recalled some of his speeches, especially some of his first ones, when the pain and fear of being stuck in that ravine was so fresh. He had probably come across as thinking that he was the only person on earth who had ever been in a bad accident. Or who had been alone and frightened while waiting for help to arrive.
Or who had lost part of a limb.
But here was Penny. Losing a sibling was undoubtedly traumatic, but to lose her sister like that? Michael couldn’t imagine.
The Proposal at Siesta Key Page 10
