He shook his head. “There seems to be a shortage of teachers right now.”
“That’s unfortunate.” She let out a heavy sigh.
“What was that for?”
“I know the perfect teacher.” She sighed again. “Too bad she turned down the job.”
His sister was starting to sound as if she were a tragic Shakespearean heroine. “Who?”
Selah looked at him with an artful expression. “The one and only Ruby Glick.”
He raised his brow, hoping he appeared unaffected at the mention of the woman he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since she’d left for Lancaster. “They offered her the teaching position?”
She shook her head. “Nee. I mentioned it to her when I visited her a month ago, though.”
“You went to see her?” He had to stop himself from asking about her, even though he was highly curious. More than curious. Desperately wanting to know about her was more accurate.
“Ya.” Selah looked down at the porch floor. “I needed to apologize for how I acted toward her.”
“I presume she accepted your apology?”
“Of course she did. She’s too nice not to. I also told her about how the school was filling up again and that the board would need to hire another teacher.”
He had told Selah about that when he called her in January, never suspecting she would pass that information along to Ruby. In fact, it hadn’t dawned on him that the two of them would ever speak to each other again. “Um, what did she say?”
“She didn’t want the job.”
“I see.” He rubbed his palms over his pants legs, surprised that they were a little damp. His heartbeat felt a tad bit accelerated too. “I’m not surprised.” But I am disappointed.
“For the record, it wasn’t because the position is in Birch Creek, or because of the students, or even because she has doubts about her teaching ability.”
“She shouldn’t doubt that,” he mumbled.
“She’s apprehensive about working with you.”
Christian took that in. He wasn’t surprised. They hadn’t parted on the best of terms. “I guess that’s that, then.”
“I guess so.” She drummed her fingers on the arm of the chair. “Too bad someone can’t convince her otherwise. She’d be perfect for the job, you know.”
“I know.”
“And it’s a shame she has to turn down an excellent teaching job because . . .” She gave him a pointed look. “Because of her potential coworker.”
Now he was rubbing the back of his neck. “She won’t listen to me.” He got up from the chair and started to pace. “And even if she would, I would probably make things worse by talking to her. I seem to have a gift for that.”
“Color me shocked, Christian.”
Christian stopped walking long enough to see his sister smirk. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve never shied away from a challenge before.”
“Are you forgetting Martha?”
She waved her hand. “If you really cared about Martha, you would have made that work.” Her gaze met his, not wavering. “You can’t tell me you don’t care about Ruby.”
He opened his mouth, but then he closed it and went back to pacing. “My feelings are immaterial.”
“Yer feelings are important. So are hers.” Selah stood and arched her back. “It’s been a long trip. I think I’ll lie down for a while. After supper I’m going to Martha’s.” She touched his arm. “I promise I’ll be back.”
He nodded. “I know you will.”
Selah went inside, and Christian thought about what she said. Setting his personal feelings for Ruby aside, he fully believed she would be the best person for the teaching job. There was no doubt about that. It distressed him to think that she was giving up a prime opportunity because she didn’t want to work with him. Admittedly that stung a little bit, but he couldn’t resent her for it.
He also couldn’t let her turn down the perfect job because of him.
Christian sat back down and stared at the now-empty bird-feeder. Next week was a short school week, as the students had Friday off. He could make a quick weekend trip to see Ruby and talk her into taking the job. They would discuss logistics. He wasn’t making this decision because of Selah, even though he knew his sister wouldn’t let up until he agreed to talk to Ruby. He was doing this for Ruby, and for the benefit of the schoolchildren. And he would ignore the annoying pounding of his heart that seemed to happen when he was around her.
Ruby sipped on a glass of iced tea as the sun started to set. She’d come out on the back patio a little after supper to pray and enjoy the early spring evening, which was slightly chilly but better than being cooped up inside. It wasn’t the same as sitting under the huge oak tree back in Birch Creek, but she felt a sense of peace here now, and she was grateful for it.
The back door opened, and she glanced over her shoulder. Her father came out with his own glass of tea and sat down next to her. “Nice sunset,” he said, stretching out his legs.
“It is.”
“I figured I’d see you at the kitchen table studying yer books again.”
Ruby shrugged. “I needed to take a break.”
He nodded. “It’s gut to have a rest every once in a while. You’ve been working hard on yer studies.”
She was surprised he’d noticed. “I enjoy learning.” Which was something she hadn’t realized about herself. She’d been an average student in school, but she’d found it boring sometimes, which had led to her getting into trouble more than she should have. But having her own course of study in a topic she was interested in—that was satisfying. And I have Christian to thank for it.
Christian. She thought about him often. A little too often for her own good. She figured it was because of the teaching connection. But that didn’t explain why he came to mind when she wasn’t working on her education studies. Or why she wondered if he was okay. Was he eating enough? Did he and Selah work things out, or were they back to arguing again? Did he still sit under the beautiful oak tree and pray?
“Ruby?”
She looked at her father. “Ya?”
“Everything all right? You got quiet all of a sudden.”
She chuckled. “Which is so unlike me.”
“Oh, you’ve had yer quiet moments.”
“Usually after I got into trouble.”
Her father turned pensive. “You’re not the only kinn to ever get into a few scrapes,” he said.
“Timothy certainly didn’t.”
“Nee, but he takes after yer mudder.” He gave her a cryptic smile. “You, I’m afraid, take after me.”
Surprised, she said, “You would get into trouble when you were younger?”
“Definitely. Pretty much up until I married yer mamm.” He paused. “But there’s a difference between you and me. You’ve always got gut intentions. I rarely did. I was a mischievous bu. Gave mei parents fits sometimes.”
Why hadn’t her father told her this before? “I’m sorry for all the problems I caused you.”
He waved his hand. “Let all that stay in the past, Ruby. We forgave you. Consider it forgotten.” His smile widened. “I suspect now that you’ve found yer calling, things will geh a bit smoother for you.”
“I hope.” She still hadn’t found a job, and it was nearly April. Even if she wasn’t hired anywhere, she’d already decided to offer tutoring services to any students in the community who needed them. She had a plan B, which was a miracle, since she’d never bothered with having a plan A before.
The back door opened, and her mother stepped out. “Ruby, you have a visitor.”
She turned. “I do?” She wasn’t expecting anyone.
Christian suddenly appeared behind Mamm. Stunned, Ruby just stared at him.
“I think this is mei cue to geh.” Daed stood up, yawned, and went to the door. “You’re Christian Ropp, ya?”
Christian lifted an eyebrow. “Ya.”
“Figured as much.”
<
br /> Her parents went inside, and then Christian came outside. He stood near the house, and Ruby didn’t move. She was too surprised to say anything. She also couldn’t keep her eyes off him.
“Hello.” He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry I came by without prior notice.”
Still formal as always. Which she would have found endearing if she hadn’t reminded herself that she wasn’t supposed to find him endearing anymore. She stood and lifted her chin, ignoring the pitter-patter rhythm in her heart. “Surprising people must run in yer familye. Selah came here unannounced several weeks ago.”
“I know.” He took a step forward. He wasn’t wearing a hat, and she noticed his hair was a little on the long side. She could also see a bit of five o’clock shadow on his face. Which was strange, since Christian was always meticulous about his appearance—and everything else. The only other time she’d seen him askew was when he was upset about his sister.
“Did something happen to Selah?” she said, alarmed.
He shook his head, frowning. “Nee. She’s fine.”
“Oh. Gut.” She blew out a breath. “I thought maybe that was the reason you’re here looking a little . . . uh, disheveled.”
“Impressive use of vocabulary.” He ran his hand over his unshaven chin. “And accurate. Although you could have simply said messy.”
“I’ve been studying.” Despite trying to keep her emotional distance from him, she couldn’t help but smile. “I have a vocabulary book on mei desk. Along with a dictionary.”
“The Webster’s Dictionary?”
She chuckled. “Why, Christian, did you just make a joke?”
He smiled. “I suppose I did.” Then his smile faded. “Jocularity aside, I’m here to talk to you about something of a serious nature.”
She took a step back, her good humor disappearing. “The teaching job.”
He nodded. “Selah told me you refused to apply. I was surprised to hear that.”
“Why?”
“Because you want to be a teacher. It’s an available job. The logical decision would be—”
“I’m not interested in logic!” Suddenly she remembered why she was irritated with him in the first place. “Christian, we can’t always make logical choices.”
“Why not?”
“Because the heart isn’t always logical.”
He pressed his lips together. “And yer heart is saying to stay away from Birch Creek.”
She nodded. “There’s nee reason for me to geh back.”
“On the contrary. Yer bruder and his familye are there. I believe you and Martha also became friends of some sort. Even Selah misses you, although she’s living back in New York now.”
“What about you?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “What about me?”
“Do you . . . miss me?” She wished she hadn’t asked the question. But now that it was out there, she needed to know his answer.
“I suppose there are moments, brief moments, of course—”
“Forget it.” Her eyes burned. She should have known better than to ask him about his feelings. She knew he had them, just not for her. He was here only to persuade her to apply for the job because it was the reasonable thing to do. And rationally, he was right. It was the only teaching job available. But like a nitwit she had allowed herself to hope he had come here for a reason that had nothing to do with her teaching and everything to do with each other. Stupid, stupid. She plopped down in her chair and crossed her arms.
“That’s quite petulant of you.” Christian moved to stand over her.
“I still have mei petulant moments.” She uncrossed her arms, feeling childish. She refused to fall into bad habits. “I appreciate yer trying to help me gain employment,” she said, keeping her tone even. “But I’m still not going to apply.”
“Is the reason . . . Is it because of me?”
She looked up at him. He was rubbing the back of his neck so hard she thought he might rub off his skin. His gaze stayed pinned to the ground. Never had she seen him so uncertain. Not when they played horseshoes, not when his raspberry pie hit her in the face, not even when he kissed her. Now he was tapping his foot, and his hand moved from his neck to his suspender. He started to fidget with it. Wait, Christian didn’t fidget. Which gave her an opening.
Ruby shot up from the chair and faced him. “Why did you kiss me?”
He took a step back, his brow shooting up as he looked away. “Why are you bringing that up now?”
“Because you never answered me when I asked that question months ago.” She moved closer to him, determined to get an answer from him this time. “Why, Christian Ropp, did you kiss me?”
Christian thought his heart was going to hammer right out of his chest. He’d been a bundle of nerves since leaving Birch Creek earlier today, enough so that he not only forgot to shave, he also left his hat on the kitchen table. Right up to the moment he knocked on Ruby’s front door, he’d nearly changed his mind. But when he saw her sitting there with her father . . . When she turned around and looked at him . . . his emotions went haywire.
And they were still firing in all different directions, even when he fell back on what he’d always been able to trust—logic. But what he was feeling wasn’t logical. It was disconcerting. A bit frightening. And for some unfathomable reason, very right.
Until she asked him about the kiss. And she did deserve an answer. He opened his mouth. No sound came out.
“I’m not letting you leave until I get an answer.” She crossed her arms again. This time instead of looking petulant, she looked cute. Cute. He’d never used that word in his life. Yet it was the perfect word to describe Ruby. He tried to speak again, and once again, he couldn’t say a word. What is wrong with me?
Ruby threw up her hands. “This is getting us nowhere.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the mouth. Lightly, quickly. But long enough to make his knees buckle.
“Why did you do that?” he asked, amazed he managed to formulate the question, especially since he still felt the tingle of her lips on his.
“To refresh yer memory.” She smirked, looking quite satisfied with herself. “Now, why did you kiss me?”
“Because . . . because . . .”
Her lovely eyes turned dull. “Never mind.” She turned her back to him. “Christian, geh home.”
She was right. He wasn’t going to convince her of anything. It was hopeless because she wouldn’t listen to reason. She insisted on playing games, asking personal questions, bringing up the irrelevant. Why had he bothered to come here in the first place? He would call a taxi right now and wait at the station as long as necessary for the next bus. Ruby Glick’s employment wasn’t his responsibility. It wasn’t as if he cared about her.
He stilled. His heart thumped even harder, as if he’d run the entire distance from his house to Ruby’s. I care about her. And admitting that felt freeing. The exact opposite of how he felt holding his feelings for her in. He swallowed and lifted his hand. It hung in the air for a moment, hovering over her shoulder, before he lightly touched her sweater.
She turned, her eyes wide with surprise. “Christian?”
“I . . .” He gulped. Everything washing over him was new, and he could barely make sense of it. But one thing was clear—he couldn’t leave her without telling her how he felt. “I kissed you because . . . because I wanted to.”
Her expression turned soft. “You did?”
“Ya.” And he wanted to kiss her now. But he didn’t dare. He moved his hand to his side, both arms straight next to his body. “I’m sorry if I crossed the line when I did.”
“You didn’t cross a line,” she murmured, taking a step closer to him. “But, Christian, people don’t kiss unless they like each other.”
He nodded. “I know.”
“I mean as more than friends.”
“Ruby, I’m not an infant. I do understand how human mating rituals work.”
“You make it sound so romantic.” She
sighed. “I just want to make sure you know what you’re saying. What you’re feeling.”
Christian paused. Then he took her hand in his. Her skin was soft, warm. Her hand fit in his hand perfectly. “I know what I’m feeling,” he said, meeting her eyes. “I don’t understand it completely. I’m not sure how to express it yet. All I know is, I care for you. A lot. And I don’t want to be the reason you don’t take the job in Birch Creek.”
“Apply, you mean.”
“That’s just a formality.” He rubbed his thumb over the top of her hand, barely aware he was doing it but unable to stop. “Once you tell the board you want the position, they’ll hire you immediately.”
Danki for saying that, Christian.”
“I don’t say it lightly.” He let go of her hand. “If you can’t work with me, then I’ll find a teaching job somewhere else.”
“Nee.” She grabbed his hand. “You love yer job and yer students. You can’t leave.”
“I will, if it means you’ll take the job.”
Ruby couldn’t believe what Christian was saying. He couldn’t give up his job for her. That didn’t make any sense. “You’re being illogical, you know.”
“Perhaps.” His eyes softened. “But as someone wise just told me, you can’t always make decisions based on logic.”
She released his hand and tentatively put hers over his heart. “You have to follow this.”
He swallowed. “Ya. You do.”
She moved her hand away, her heart suddenly swelling with emotion for this man. No, not any emotion. Love. And while Christian hadn’t told her he loved her, the sacrifice he was willing to make said everything. “Keep yer job, Christian.”
“But—”
“And I’ll apply for the teaching position.”
His body almost went limp. “Seriously?”
She nodded. “Seriously.”
Relief flashed over his face. He really was handsome, even more so now that he was letting her see how he felt. “I’m glad you changed yer mind,” he said. “It was the—”
“Logical thing to do?”
He shook his head. “The right thing to do.”
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