A Reluctant Bride (39 page)

“God is calling for
yer
confessions,” the bishop said, his voice rising. “Clear
yer
conscience and
yer
spirit.
Kumme
, Aden and Sadie Troyer.
Kumme
forward and tell us all
yer
sins.”

Sadie's mouth grew dry. The entire church congregation was staring at her and Aden, their shocked voices surrounding her in
murmured dissonance. Some of them knew Sol was in the
bann
. How they found out she didn't know. But apparently no one had known he'd been hiding out with Sadie and Aden.

Her eyes met Aden's as her stomach churned.
What do we do now?

“They are not at fault. I am.”

Sadie turned to see Sol enter the barn, carrying a cloth bag. She watched as he headed up the aisle, his steps steady, his profile strong and sure.

The bishop looked shocked, and for once, he was speechless.

Sol went to the front of the church and set the bag on the ground. “I have sinned,” he said. “Because of that sin, I was put in the
bann
. Which I deserved.”

Sadie's gaze kept bouncing from Sol to the bishop. Aden's father's face had turned completely white.

“I've been a drunkard for years. Whiskey is
mei
drink of choice, but I've been known to consume anything that will get me drunk.” He looked at Aden. “But that's not the only sin I've committed.”

Aden balled his hands into fists.
Sol wouldn't dare confess to everything . . . not in front of the church.
But he had shocked Aden by showing up this morning. Aden wouldn't put anything past him. And if he admitted to the abuse, both he and his mother—and Sadie—would be brought into it. He would shame them all.

Had it come to that point? Did he hold his family's shame and their secrets higher than the truth?
Lord, forgive me.

He looked at Sadie again. She was transfixed by Sol, leaning forward and practically perched on the edge of the bench. Then,
as if she sensed him looking at her, she turned in his direction . . . and gave him an encouraging smile that settled his nerves. He knew whatever the fallout of the day entailed, she would be by his side. He'd never loved her more than at that moment.

“I've committed so many, many sins.” Sol's shoulders slumped a bit, as if the burden were physically weighing on him. “I've been cruel. I've been selfish. I've been physically abusive.” He glanced at the bishop before continuing. “I'm also a thief.”

Murmurs started throughout the congregation. Aden couldn't believe the courage Sol was showing. He'd seen confessions in church before, but never anything like this. His brother was stripping himself bare in front of everyone.

He picked up the bag from the ground, opened it, and took out a handful of bills. “This money belongs to you.” He looked around at the congregation. “To everyone in the community.
Mei vatter
had a special place where he kept it. But I knew where it was. And when I was put in the
bann
, I took it. I stole from all of you, my church family, and I was going to use the money to start a new life.” He looked at the bishop again. “Far away from Birch Creek.

“But God dealt with me.” Sol approached his father. “He dealt with me severely. He brought me low. He showed me what a weak man I truly am. He corrected me . . . and then he set me free.” He dropped the bag at the bishop's feet, then shoved the cash into his hand. “Take these ill-gotten gains from me,
Vatter
. Put them in the church
bank account
, where they belong, and make sure whoever needs the funds will get them.”

Aden studied the standoff between his brother and father. There was something underlying Sol's words. He could tell by his father's silence. The bishop stood there, holding the money, as if he couldn't believe what Sol was saying.

Before his
daed
could say anything, Sol faced the congregation again. “Please forgive me,” he said, his head hanging low, his hands clasped loosely together.

The congregation waited for the bishop to move. Aden looked at his father, who was still staring at the money in his hand, guilt awash on his face. Aden was still confused by Sol's confession, and from the mumbling of the churchgoers, he wasn't the only one. However, that didn't matter right now. Sol had confessed. He'd asked for forgiveness. He would be granted it, and welcomed back in the church.

Why wouldn't his father move?

Sol turned to the bishop. “Am I forgiven,
Daed
?” The pleading in his voice spread through the barn.

After an almost endless pause, his father finally spoke. “
Ya
,” the bishop said, strain evident in his voice. “You . . . are forgiven.”

Sadie couldn't move when the service ended. She was still in shock over what Sol had confessed, still bewildered by the bishop's strange reaction.

“Sadie, did you know about any of this?”

Patience's question brought Sadie out of her stupor. She shook her head. “I had no idea.” Several of the men were at the front of the church with Sol, including Timothy and Joel. Freemont was talking with the bishop, and from the frown of frustration on Aden's father's face, it was clear the bishop didn't like what he was hearing. “I need to find Aden,” she said.

Patience nodded. “
Geh
.”

She got up, ignoring the questioning looks from the other
women, and searched for her husband. She jumped when she felt a hand cupping her elbow.

“We need to leave,” Aden said, low in her ear.

“But Sol—”

“He'll be fine.”

She followed him out the door and to the buggy. Neither one of them said anything as they pulled out of the Yutzys' driveway. The horse spirited back toward the house as if he was as eager to get home as they were.

The pin oaks and maples were almost in full autumnal bloom, but Sadie couldn't enjoy it, not when Aden was sitting next to her as tense as she'd ever seen him. After they'd ridden a little more than a mile Sadie said, “Aden, are you all right?”

“I don't know.” He let out a long breath. “I didn't know Sol was going to do
that
.” He shook his head. “That wasn't
mei bruder
up there, Sadie.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean what we just saw was a miracle.” Aden's voice broke. “Sol has never apologized for anything, ever, except to us the day he came back to Birch Creek. He's never had to.” He paused. “He took the blame for everything.” Aden rubbed a hand over his face. “What will
mei vatter
do to him?”

“Aden, he forgave Sol.
Yer bruder
is reconciled with the church now.”

“
Ya
, but I can't see him letting Sol get away with it.”

“I don't understand.” She waited for him to reply, but he didn't. He was silent the rest of the way home.

Sadie went inside, prepared a cold lunch, and waited for Aden to return from caring for the horse. When he seemed to be taking too long, she went out to the barn and found him sitting on a hay bale. To her surprise, Homer was lying at his feet.

“He came back,” Sadie said, sitting next to Aden on the hay bale. Homer remained at Aden's feet, barely lifting his head in her direction, as if his focus was solely on Aden.

“
Ya
.” Aden reached down and absently patted the dog's head.

Sadie put her hand on Aden's shoulder. “I fixed lunch.”

“I'm not hungry.” He glanced at her. “But
danki
.”

She nodded. “Do you think the bishop will do anything to us? He was asking us to confess before Sol showed up.”

Aden shrugged. “Maybe. Everyone knows we disobeyed.” He leaned forward and rubbed his hands together. “I'm so confused.”

“You're not the only one.”

He chuckled, and that caused Homer to look up at him, then rest his furry chin on the toe of one of Aden's black boots. “I know I shouldn't say this, but I'm proud of what Sol did today. He showed a lot of courage.”

“
Ya
.” Sadie nodded. “I didn't think he had it in him.”

Aden looked at her. “He's hoping you'll be able to forgive him.”

“I do.” She fidgeted with her fingers. “It's hard, holding on to so much anger. I'm a different person now. I can let it go.” She took his hand. “I've made room for something else in
mei
life.”

“What's that?” he said, running his thumb across the base of her thumb.

“Love.”

His movements stilled as he gaped at her. “Love?”

“
Ya
.” She angled toward him. “I love you, Aden.”

He pressed a kiss against her mouth. “I never thought I'd hear those words from you,” he whispered, touching his forehead to hers.

“But you're so easy to love.” She grinned.

Aden laughed, then kissed her again. “I love you too.”

Homer barked, causing Aden and Sadie to look at the barn entrance. Sol stood there, but didn't walk in.

Sadie rose, giving Aden's shoulder a squeeze. “I'll leave you two alone.” She walked past Sol, who as usual barely looked at her. She stopped in front of him. Touched his hand. Then walked out of the barn.

“I didn't mean to interrupt you two.”

Aden looked at Sol, who still seemed dazed by Sadie's gesture. Aden was a little dazed himself, mostly because his heart was soaring. Sadie loved him. Hearing the words thawed the last barrier of ice around his soul, allowing the warmth he'd been missing all his life to flow in. “It's all right.”

“You two looked pretty cozy there,” Sol said, entering the barn. Homer approached him and sniffed his boots. “I'm happy for you. You've changed, Aden.”

“Not as much as you have.”

Sol walked to the hay bale and sat down beside Aden. “Getting away from me and
Vatter
has been a
gut
thing for you. That and the love of a
gut
woman.”

He didn't want to talk about his relationship with Sadie. “Sol, what happened back at church? What was that all about?”

“Confession, Aden.”

“But there's more to it. I can tell.”

Sol sighed. “When I get real drunk . . .” He paused. “When I
used
to get real drunk, I would wander the back roads and the woods. I'd black out, wake up a few hours later, and find my way home. One day a couple of years ago I was on a bender, and
I woke up inside this shack. I had no memory of finding it, but since I have a
gut
sense of direction I wasn't too worried about being lost. I left, still hung over—more likely still drunk. I'd only taken a few steps when I heard someone in the woods. It was
Daed
.

“I ran behind the shack to wait him out. He'd been on me about my drinking.” He looked at Aden. “He never stopped abusing me, Aden. Up until he put me in the
bann
. It was more subtle, though. And not that often. I think because I was bigger than him by the time I was twenty-one.”