Amish Romance BOXED Set: Amish Days: Sally's Story (Hollybrook Amish Romance) Read online

  I exhaled loudly. “Who’s supposed to go with me? You can’t leave the farm. Everyone around here’s busy.”

  “Mary will go,” Uncle Benjamin’s tone brooked no argument.

  Oh, great, I sighed. I could already hear her complaints.

  ****

  One thing about Mary. She was the most annoying cousin in the world. She made me go from happy to wanting to strangle her in a minute flat. She made me wish I slept in the stuffy attic instead of share a room with her. But there was one thing that was a puzzlement: she constantly surprised me.

  When Uncle Benjamin ordered her to go to Ohio with Bryan and me, I braced myself for a storm of protests, but all she did was smile and agree.

  I stared at her like she’d grown two heads.

  “Really?” I asked. “You’ll go?”

  “Dat told me to,” she answered. Then she lowered her blonde kapp-covered head and swished past me like the picture-perfect demure girl.

  I was not fooled.

  I rushed after her up the stairs to our room where she was pulling her deep green dress and matching apron from a peg. She laid them on the bed and squinted as if assessing them.

  “Okay. Spill,” I said.

  She looked at me, her blue eyes wide. “Spill? What do you mean?”

  I plopped on the bed and folded my long legs under my chin. “Why are you so eager to go? And what about your goats?”

  She tossed her head. “Ach, Ann will take care of my goats. In fact, she’ll jump at the chance.”

  “I repeat, why are you so eager to go?”

  She scooted her green dress to the side and sat beside me. “I never get to go anywhere. That’s why.” Her eyes were solemn. “I’m grabbing the chance.”

  “It’s Ohio. It’s not like we’re going somewhere exciting.”

  She shook her head. “You don’t understand. Anyplace else is exciting for me.”

  “You don’t like it here?”

  “Of course, I like it here.”

  Her words were appropriate, the right answer—but a suggestion of unrest hovered in her eyes.

  She continued, “It’s my home. My family. Of course, I like it here.”

  I scowled. “You just keep saying that, Mary. Maybe one of these days I’ll believe you.”

  Her cheeks flushed pink, and she jumped off the bed and gathered up her dress to return it to its peg.

  I regretted my words. “I’m sorry. That was harsh. Thanks for agreeing to go.”

  Mary turned to me, and her eyes were moist. “There’s another reason I want to go. When Jack ran away the first time, I totally blamed myself. I’d pushed him too hard to help me build a goat pen. I felt horrid about it. Then, when he ran again, I didn’t feel as guilty. But still—” She took a huge breath. “I’d like to see for myself that he’s settled. That he’s happy.”

  “Jack, happy?” I rested my cheek against my knees. “I doubt it. I hope so, but I doubt it.”

  “Then I’ll keep praying, jah?” Mary touched my shoulder and left the room.

  ****

  All arrangements were made. On Saturday, Bryan would pick up Mary and me at seven in the morning, and we would be sitting and visiting with Jack by noon.

  There was only one detail.

  I’d miss the work frolic.

  I didn’t care so much about the actual frolic; although, strangely, I’d found Amish work frolics to be quite fun. But I did care that Zeke wouldn’t know why I didn’t show. He’d think I was some flakey fancy girl who didn’t like to work.

  And that bothered me. More than bothered me.

  So, early Friday evening—when I should have been making plans for the dance with Bryan—I found myself wandering down the road toward Zeke’s house, hoping he’d see me pass. I couldn’t think of any other way to talk with him. It would be unheard of for me to go up to the door and knock, asking to see a guy. I grinned just thinking about it.

  “Hello. Can Zeke come out to play?” I’d ask, and his mother would faint in a heap on the floor.

  I ambled slowly down the road, singing and swishing the stick I’d found under a willow tree. Abbie, one of Zeke’s younger sisters, was in their front yard standing barefoot on the wooden seat of a rope swing. She saw me and waved, nearly tumbling into the dirt.

  “Hey, Sally!” she yelled. “Wanna swing with me?”

  I waved back, holding my stick above my head. “Why, I’d love to, Miss Abbie!”

  I couldn’t have planned this better myself.

  I joined her under the expansive tree whose leaves fluttered and danced in the breeze, making spattered pockets of light shimmer over the ground. “Want me to push you?” I asked.

  She grinned, and I saw her two bottom teeth were missing. “Ah, you’ve got a window in your mouth.”

  “A window?” Her freckled nose crinkled in confusion, and then she laughed. “You mean my teeth? Jah, I lost the second one last night.” She stuck a finger in her mouth, feeling the empty space on her gums.

  She lowered herself to sit on the swing and gripped the ropes firmly. “I’m ready! Push!”

  At first, I pushed her gently and then with more and more force. She stretched out her legs and her dress flipped up in the breeze, exposing knobby knees. She looped an arm around the rope and tried to hold down the hem of her dress.

  Each time she reached the sky, she gave out an excited, “Whee!”

  Within minutes, both of us were cracking up with the pure joy of the moment. I heard the branch above us groan, and I quickly stopped pushing.

  “Hey,” I hollered as she continued to whiz back and forth, “are you sure this swing will hold?”

  “It will hold,” came a deep voice from behind.

  I swirled to see Zeke standing there. Amusement flickered in his eyes, and an easy smile played at the corners of his mouth.

  “Oh! I didn’t see you,” I said, feeling my face grow warm.

  He stepped closer, and I smelled the spring fields on him. “I see you’re entertaining my sister.”

  I glanced back around at Abbie, still happily sailing toward the sky. “She’s so cute.”

  He tipped his head to the side. “Jah, that she is. What brings you here?”

  I picked up the willow stick I’d dropped earlier. “Oh, nothing really. Just taking a walk.”

  Why does he make me so jumpy? I was an expert at talking to guys, but around Zeke, my skills dropped off like so much dead skin. I opened my mouth to tell him about my trip, but then snapped it shut. I was being way too obvious. And presumptuous. As if my attendance at the frolic was life or death to him.

  “I guess I’d better be off.” I looked at Abbie. “Thanks for playing with me, Abbie! See you soon.”

  “Bye, Sally!” she called, wiggling her toes to the sky.

  “Wait,” Zeke said, following me toward the road. “About Saturday’s frolic. You never said for sure if you were coming.”

  I blew out my breath in relief. Now I could tell him. “I’m going to Ohio on Saturday.”

  He stopped, and so did I. “To Ohio?”

  “Yeah. I’m going to visit Jack.”

  His shoulders visibly relaxed. “For the weekend?”

  “No, just for the day.”

  The blue of his eyes was like a warm wave, pulling me in.

  “You going by bus then?”

  “Uh, no. A friend is taking both me and Mary.”

  He nodded. “Mary’s going, too. That’s good. And your friend, she’s nice to drive you.”

  “The she is a he,” I said, my gaze unblinking.

  He made a backward movement, so slight it was hardly noticeable.

  “Oh.”

  I felt an odd compulsion to ramble on. “The he is Bryan, my friend from school. He’s really nice, and he’s a good sport to drive me so far. I mean, drive us so far, Mary and me.”

  Zeke held up his hand and cleared his throat. “I understand. It is nice of him. I hope your trip is good. Give Jack my greetings.”
>
  He gave me a questioning look and turned away.

  “I will,” I murmured to his back. I couldn’t take my eyes from him as he walked off. The set of his shoulders, his firm stride, the way his brimmed hat sat on his straw-colored hair—all of it set my heart pounding and my lungs gasping for air.

  He reached the middle of the yard and glanced back to scrutinize me. “He likes you? This Bryan?”

  I stared into his eyes and nodded. He raised his head an inch, cocked it to the side, and then turned to continue toward his house.

  A deflated feeling crept into my gut as he disappeared, and a strange trickle of guilt shuddered through me—like I’d betrayed him or something.

  Which was ridiculous.

  Simply ridiculous.

  Three

  Mary and I stood on the porch ready to go. Uncle Benjamin was out in the fields and Ruth and Elizabeth were already working on the noon meal even though the breakfast dishes were barely washed up. Ann sat on the porch swing with Apple on her lap.

  “Don’t see why I can’t go,” she complained. “I miss Jack more than anyone.”

  Apple yipped and Ann absently rubbed the dog’s fluffy brown ears.

  Aunt Elizabeth opened the screen door and let it slam shut behind her. “Sally, try hard, won’t you? Try hard to make Jack come back.”

  Her face had creased into a map of worry lines, and my throat tightened at her sorrowful look.

  “I will,” I told her, even though I knew it was futile.

  “Tell Pastor Rankin and his wife how much we appreciate what they’re doing for our Jack.” Aunt Elizabeth clasped my arm with her thick work-worn hand. “Make sure they know, won’t you?”

  “Mamm, we will. Please stop worrying,” Mary said, stepping close.

  “And make sure they’re getting the money we’re sending for his keep.”

  “Mamm, we will. Stop worrying.” Mary put an arm around Aunt Elizabeth and gently led her back inside.

  Things had changed. When Jack and I were first dumped on the Lehman’s, Aunt Elizabeth was none too happy about it. Oh, she tried to fake it, but I could smell her efforts a mile off. She’d had some kind of falling out with my mom, which ended with Mom leaving the Amish years ago. I never did find out the whole story, and Aunt Elizabeth’s mouth had been nailed shut on the topic.

  Which slayed me. It was my own mom we were talking about here.

  But now, watching Aunt Elizabeth, she seemed to genuinely care about me and Jack. Hope would tell me it’s because God answered everyone’s prayers.

  I wasn’t convinced.

  Although, I’d thought more about God in the last months than I had during my whole life in Ohio. But God let my mom die in a car accident. So the only thing I should have been feeling toward Him was anger.

  Strangely, it wasn’t. Along with the anger was a wagon load of curiosity. I was starting to suspect that there was something to this whole God thing.

  Maybe there was even something to this whole Amish thing, too.

  Before I could stop it, my mind latched onto Zeke, and I grasped the white wooden porch column like a lifeline. I so didn’t want to dwell on Ezekiel Zook.

  The roar from a bad muffler split the air.

  “Bryan’s here!” I called through the door to Mary as Bryan swung into the drive in his vintage Volkswagen Bug.

  Mary emerged from the house with an eager smile. “I’m ready!”

  “Please, can’t I go?” Ann asked once again.

  “No, you can’t!” Mary retorted. “See you late tonight!”

  We hurried to the drive, and I pulled up the car’s front seat so Mary could climb into the back. Then I settled into the bucket seat next to Bryan and slammed the door.

  “Let’s go,” I said, fastening my seat belt.

  Bryan shifted the car into gear, and we thundered out of the drive as noisily as he’d come in.

  I squeezed Bryan’s arm. “Thanks for taking me.”

  He raised his eyebrow and gave me a sideways glance. “As if I would’ve said no.”

  I shrugged. “You never know. You might have. Hey, did you go to the dance without me?”

  A guilty look covered his face. “I couldn’t really not go, could I? I’m on the team.”

  “What team?” Mary asked from the back.

  “Basketball.” He eyed her in the rearview mirror. “You should come to one of my games some time.”

  Mary laughed. “Probably won’t happen, but thank you for asking.”

  “The dance, huh?” I said, eyeing him.

  “Yeah.”

  I put on my upset face, but in truth, I wasn’t upset—which didn’t make sense. Bryan and I were somewhat of an “item” at school. So the fact that he’d gone to the dance without me should have bugged me. A lot. Instead, all I felt was dull interest.

  I could tell he was nervous. His gaze kept darting my way, as if he were assessing the damage.

  “So you’re not mad?” he finally asked.

  “Like you said—you couldn’t not go, right?”

  He thumped his palm on the steering wheel a couple times. “Right. Like I said.”

  “Well, then, not mad.”

  I kept my eyes forward and watched the miles whiz by. I should have been considering my relationship with Bryan, but instead I found myself stewing about the possibility of leaving Indiana for good very soon.

  I hoped Pastor Rankin and his wife hadn’t told Jack I was coming. I hadn’t told him. I’m not certain why—except I couldn’t shake the image of Jack running away from me, just like he’d run away from Hollybrook.

  After hours of very little talking, we pulled into town and I directed Bryan toward the pastor’s house. I glanced into the backseat. Mary’s smiling face was pressed against the window. She noticed me staring at her and gave an embarrassed laugh.

  “I’m sure I seem crazy to you, jah? Staring like a little kid with a plate of snickerdoodles. I can’t help it, though. This is a wonderful place!”

  I raised my eyebrows and considered her words. “You know what, Mary? You’re right. It is a wonderful place.”

  The further into the heart of the town we drove, the more my memories of growing up stormed through me. I clung to the arm rest, fighting the tears that now burned down my throat. My mom’s image was everywhere I looked. There she was, walking into the neighborhood drug store, strolling through the town square, parking near the grocery store. I blinked hard, willing the tears not to fall.

  “Which way?” Bryan asked me at a stop light.

  “Turn right.” I barely choked out the words.

  Mary reached forward and gripped my shoulder. “Ach, I’m sorry,” she murmured. “This must be hard for you.”

  I shook my head. “I’m fine.”

  But I wasn’t fine. I hadn’t even thought about what returning to Ohio would feel like. All I’d thought about was Jack and how I should move back and take care of him. I hadn’t realized how hard it would be. I covered my mouth and chewed the edge of my finger. I wanted Mom back. I needed her back. She should be the one taking care of both Jack and me.

  Bryan slowed down and glanced my way. I dropped my hand back to my lap.

  “One more block. Then the brick house on the right. The one with the roses next to the porch.” I leaned into the seat and worked to calm my heart.

  Bryan pulled up next to the curb. He reached over and took my hand in his. “We’re here. You want Mary and me to go somewhere else and pick you up later?” His voice was so kind, I nearly burst into tears. He rubbed my hand between his strong hands, and his warmth seeped into me.

  I looked into his gentle, understanding eyes. I liked him better at that moment than I ever had before. I leaned forward and rested my forehead on his shoulder, taking slow deep breaths.

  “I’m here for you, Sally,” he whispered in my ear. “Whatever you need, I’m here.”

  I sat upright and my breath seeped out. “Thank you,” I murmured. I grabbed the door handle. “But
you guys can come in. I think Pastor Rankin is expecting more people than just me anyway. Besides, Mary you’d probably like to see Jack, right?”

  Mary nodded. “Jah, but he might not want to see me.”

  I stepped onto the slice of grass next to the street. “Come on, let’s go.”

  The curtain against the front window fluttered and the door flew open. Pastor and Mrs. Rankin bustled out with open arms.

  “Sally!” Pastor cried. “So good to see you, honey!”

  Mrs. Rankin enveloped me in her strong pudgy arms and squeezed me so hard, I struggled to catch a breath. “You’re a sight for sore eyes, my dear.” She let go and surveyed me up and down. Tears glistened in her eyes. “How are you? They taking good care of you over there in Hoosier country?”

  I nodded. “Hi, Mrs. Rankin. Hi, Pastor.”

  “You must be Mary,” Pastor Rankin said, taking Mary’s hand in his for a hearty shake.

  Mary’s eyes were wide and nearly bulged as she took it all in. Bryan stepped forward, introduced himself, and shook both their hands. I peered through the open door.

  “And Jack?” I asked.

  Four

  “Jack’s in his room. Just like you wished, we didn’t tell him you were coming. Although, I’m not sure about your reasoning,” Pastor said and guided us all inside.

  Pastor and Mrs. Rankin busied themselves serving lemonade to Mary and Bryan in the living room. I took off down the hall to the bedroom where Jack had stayed right after Mom died. I rapped on the door.

  There was a scuffle on the other side and then Jack pulled the door wide. When he saw me, his eyes bugged and his mouth dropped, forming a perfect O.

  “Hey, Jack,” I said, lightly punching his shoulder. “How’ve you been?”

  His hand dropped from the knob and his shoulders rose close to his ears. I leaned forward to give his stiff body a hug and then breezed past him and plopped on his bed.

  “Good to see you,” I said.

  He shut the door and turned to me. His eyes had lost some of the black shadows and haunted look he’d worn since Mom’s death. His sandy hair was newly cut and looked spikier than ever. He crossed his arms over his chest.

  “I’m not going back with you,” he said.

  “Whoa,” I exclaimed. “Your voice is tighter than a fist and an octave lower than last time. You growing up on me, bro?”