A Blessing for Miriam (7 page)

There was no sense in rushing into anything. Her heart reached out to him, but it also had roots at home with
Mamm
and
Daett
and her community. She would need time to sort this all out. Maybe Jonas’s
daett
thought she was interested in Jonas because of their wealth. The thought stung because there was some truth to the accusation. If only
Daett
didn’t have such strict ideas about money, she thought. Then she wouldn’t feel the lack of it so strongly.

Shirley focused on her lemonade and took a small sip. Jonas set his glass on the balcony deck and slipped his arm around her waist.
That she could handle. She leaned against him instead of the rail. Now, if Jonas would kiss her…this evening would be complete.

“I’m glad you’re with me tonight, Shirley.” Jonas’s voice seemed to fill the darkness with joy.

“I don’t regret that we came here,” Shirley tried to sound brave and sure.

“Dad didn’t mean anything by what he said,” Jonas said again, almost as if he was trying to convince himself too.

“I know.”

Moments later Jonas’s arm slipped away, and he picked up his lemonade. “I guess I’d better get you home.”

It was clear there would be no kiss tonight. Shirley hid her disappointment as she turned toward him. “I guess it is kind of late.”

“Maybe next time will go better.” Jonas sounded hopeful. “There
will
be a next time, won’t there?”

“
Yah
, if you wish it,” Shirley said, squeezing his hand as they went back into the house. Inside she wanted to shout with joy. This was the first time he’d mentioned seeing her again.

Chapter Seven

I
van Mast drove south of Berlin, Ohio, on State Route 39. He kept one buggy wheel on the shoulder of the busy road when he could. Even then the traffic backed up momentarily on the uphill runs. Dusk had fallen an hour ago. There was no danger of an accident, Ivan told himself. His buggy had flashers on both sides, low headlights on the front, and the traditional slow-moving vehicle triangle and red lights in the back. Still, when three cars wouldn’t pass his buggy, Ivan pulled into Kline Lumber’s parking lot to allow them more room. His gesture would be appreciated, he was sure.

Ivan held the reins firmly as his horse, Billy, pawed the gravel. Both of them were impatient to get home. Ivan still had horse stalls to clean tonight, and Billy was surely anticipating his box of oats. Laura, Ivan’s
frau
, had sent him into Berlin to shop after he got home from his job at the Beachy’s furniture shop. He’d wanted to wait until tomorrow, but Laura said she needed Alka-Seltzer tablets tonight for her severe cold. It seemed to Ivan that the woman was susceptible to every bug that passed through Possum Valley.
Pregnancies were supposed to prevent such things, but not with Laura. Why the Lord had chosen to make Laura’s pregnancy such a difficult time, Ivan couldn’t imagine. But His ways were beyond question. Perhaps beautiful women had to suffer more to make up for what they enjoyed in other areas.

Ivan watched car headlights bounce on 39 and smiled. Laura had conceived soon after their wedding back in November. He would be a
daett
before long. The joy…and responsibility…already occupied his thoughts.

No time to think of that now, though. Ivan looked both ways before he let the reins out, and Billy plunged forward again. His hoofbeats on the road soon settled into a steady rhythm, and Ivan let his thoughts drift again. Laura was excited about one thing this week. Another letter had arrived from her sister Esther in Oklahoma. Esther had returned to the Oklahoma Amish community to care for the Swartz family’s ailing grandmother, Mabel.

Laura had wanted to read him the whole letter, but Ivan had waved his hand for silence once enough of the details emerged. Esther had resumed her interest in a young man in the community and felt she was close to a conquest of his attentions. The young man’s name was Wayne Yutzy, a handsome fellow by Esther’s account. They would soon date, Esther was certain. Laura had giggled as she reread that portion of the letter.

Esther was capable of plenty of charm, that was for sure, Ivan thought. She easily matched her sister in beauty and charm. The two had their pick of any of the unmarried Amish men in Possum Valley they set their hearts on. Esther was the eldest, but she’d not accepted a date since the family had moved back to Ohio from Oklahoma. Apparently this Wayne situation explained why. Esther had left her heart in the West—no doubt with this Wayne fellow.

Laura had chosen Ivan out of all the Amish districts’ eligible men. This was a great honor, and one he was grateful for. Laura
was a catch, there was no question about that. He adored her many virtues more each day. Now that she was with child, his affections for her increased. Why else would he be on this inconvenient trip into town this late in the day? For Laura’s comfort, of course. Still, there were chores that awaited him at home.

Ivan glanced behind him as another thought niggled at his brain. Why was Laura so interested in her sister’s conquest in Oklahoma? There was the sister thing of course, but he was sure it went deeper than that. Perhaps all the way back to why Laura had chosen him in the first place. He’d never have dared to ask her home after a Sunday evening hymn singing if Laura hadn’t made it abundantly clear with bright smiles that she was interested in him.

And that was after he’d had his heart set on Miriam Yoder for several years. The attention he’d paid to Miriam had been no secret in the community, he was sure. In retrospect, it seemed like Laura had liked the challenge of pitting her charm against that of another girl. Miriam hadn’t stood a chance, even with her deeper character and personal maturity.

He had nothing to be ashamed of, Ivan told himself. He’d married the woman he’d wanted.
Yah
, there had been the
kafuffle
over the farm Miriam had inherited from that
Englisha
man. Ivan had attempted to resume a relationship with Miriam after he’d found out. Miriam believed his affections were tainted by her farm ownership, which hadn’t been entirely untrue. Sure, he’d thought about what a farm, free and clear of debt, could do for him, but in the end he’d put all that aside.

His main mistake had been dating Laura while he spoke of love with Miriam. That had been the height of foolishness. Laura could easily have dumped him when she found out, and she would have been in the right. Instead, Laura had risen to the challenge and closed the deal with him rather quickly.

Ivan winced when he considered that Laura must know this
Wayne fellow was now dating Miriam. She had to know. Such things weren’t secret in the Ohio and Oklahoma Amish communities because of their strong ties to each other. For one thing,
he
knew about it, and it seemed like most folks in his community knew. Sure, he was aware partly because he still had some interest in Miriam’s whereabouts. Such was usually the case with former sweethearts, wasn’t it? They lingered in a man’s mind. But if he was honest, Miriam outranked both of the Swartz girls in character. In looks—now that was another matter.

Esther followed in her sister Laura’s footsteps, Ivan told himself. When she set her cap for a fellow, she would land him for sure. Ivan didn’t like that—the idea that Miriam might lose out again to a Schwartz. But what could he do about it? Should he order Laura to tell Esther to back off? Laura wouldn’t listen. She enjoyed conquest too much. And who said Esther would listen even if Laura passed on the message? Any explanation of the wrongness of what Esther was doing would bring up questions about his involvement with Miriam and Laura’s actions during their courtship. She’d used kisses and other female wiles to win his heart, even knowing he had strong feelings for someone else.

Ivan glanced over his shoulder at the cars lining up behind him. He pulled aside again. No, he wouldn’t broach that subject with Laura. Not in a hundred years.

Ivan waited, his gaze on the cars as they drove past. Billy didn’t paw the ground this time. That last hill must have taken some of the fire out of him. Moments later all the cars had passed, so Ivan continued on. He had best leave the subject of Esther alone. There were too many angles he didn’t wish to explore. What if Laura should ask him if he had regrets that he wasn’t the possessor of Miriam Yoder’s farm? Miriam’s
daett
, Eli, currently tended the place for her. The word in the community was that Eli now owned the place but had promised to return it to Miriam once she married.
Ivan frowned. The farm could have been his place now instead of the rental where he lived with Laura. No, he wouldn’t be able to lie if Laura asked him. Even a moment’s hesitation on his part would send her into hysterics. Why Laura couldn’t believe she’d won his heart fair and square or that he considered the wedding vows unbreakable was beyond him.

Ivan cheered up as a new thought crossed his mind. Perhaps Laura and Esther were both wrong. This Wayne man might be impervious to Esther’s charms. Ivan stared over the darkened fields of Possum Valley, and his brow knitted. It was true that marriage wasn’t marriage until the vows were said, but Miriam had dated this Wayne fellow for some time now. Shouldn’t that carry some weight? It would serve Esther right to lose out to Miriam.

Ivan sighed as the headlights of another car broke over the hill ahead of him. He needed to get home. Hopefully Laura had the letter out of sight when he returned so they could talk of something else. If not, he’d steer the conversation to safer ground. Laura didn’t need any enlightenment on how he felt. And she wouldn’t ask if he kept his mouth shut about Esther’s devious plans.

A car raced past, shaking the buggy. Obviously a guy in a hurry. It sure looked to Ivan like it was Jonas Beachy’s fancy convertible. Jonas was his boss’s son, although in reality Jonas was his boss at the furniture shop. Raymond Beachy rarely showed his face around there anymore. Jonas must be headed out to Berlin…or Wooster, more likely. The boy had plenty of money and could go where he wished, unlike Ivan. He pushed the bitter thought away. He had Laura’s love and beauty to comfort him and that was enough. A man couldn’t have everything. Still his gaze lingered on the fancy convertible.

Ivan stiffened as the car’s taillights suddenly blossomed and the vehicle braked hard. He heard the screech of tires skidding on pavement as a thunderous thump boomed through the air. The
headlights, now on high beams, pointed off the road and illuminated a herd of deer near the brow of a knoll.

His heart racing, Ivan sped up Billy. Jonas might need assistance—and quickly. The boy had been going pretty fast. When Ivan was within a dozen feet of the crash site, he pulled off the road and onto the shoulder. His flashing lights normally served their purpose well, but they seemed inadequate now. They’d have to do until the police arrived. Already another vehicle ahead had pulled to the side with flashers blinking. Ivan saw the driver pull out his cell and assumed he was calling 911. Help would be on its way.

Quickly climbing out of the buggy, Ivan hurried toward the convertible. A huge deer lay partially in the road obviously in the throes of death. Approaching the convertible on the driver’s side, Ivan breathed a sigh of relief to see Jonas appeared unscathed. He already had his car door open and was leaning in to help a woman who occupied the passenger seat.

“May I help?” Ivan asked as he stared into the convertible. Both air bags had deployed, and there was blood on the seat and on Jonas’s shirt.

Jonas’s face showed surprise when he looked up. “Ivan! Has anyone called 911? Shirley’s hurt!”

Ivan held up his hands. “I’ll check to be sure someone has.” He looked for cross traffic before he dashed across the road to the nearest parked vehicle. They were lined up in both directions now as everyone wondered what had happened and whether help was needed.

Ivan stopped at the first car’s window. “Did you call 911?” he asked.

A woman answered anxiously, “Yes, sir. Help is on the way. Is anyone hurt?”

Ivan nodded and thanked her for calling for help. When he returned to the convertible, a man and a few women had gathered
around it. Already sirens blared from the direction of Berlin. Ivan hung back as a blanket was thrown over the shoulders of the injured woman and cloths were put against the deepest gashes. She was bleeding severely from wounds on her head and shoulders. Jonas had said her name was Shirley. Could it be Shirley Yoder, Miriam’s sister? Ivan shuddered at the thought. He’d heard that Jonas had gone out with Shirley a few times.

Ivan retreated as an ambulance pulled up. He’d best get out of here before he was blocked in. Jonas and his passenger were now in capable hands. Ivan could do nothing more for them. He climbed into the buggy and guided Billy off the road shoulder, moving slowly until he was clear of the ambulance and the police cars that had arrived. Already a man in uniform was directing traffic around the accident.