A Season of Love (18 page)

When she could no longer take the pain of staring from afar, Katie turned back toward the playground and wondered what she could do to make this day end faster.

By Friday, Katie was tired of spending her days stuck in the
kitchen at the bakery. Although she loved to bake, she was ready to venture outside of the hot kitchen for a change of scenery.

At noon, she crossed to her grandmother’s office and found her sitting at her desk.
“Mammi?”
she asked as Elizabeth looked up from her ledger. “I was wondering if I could go for a walk during my lunchtime today.”

Placing her pen on the desk, Elizabeth looked curious. “Why do you want to go for a walk, Katie Joy?”

Katie leaned on the doorframe. “Janie’s birthday is next week, and I was thinking about heading to the fabric store. I’d like to make her a new dress as a special gift.”

“That’s very nice,” Elizabeth said, smiling. “Did you want to go now?”

Katie nodded. “Walking in the nice cool air sounds like a
gut
break from the hot kitchen.”

Elizabeth motioned toward the door. “Go on. You can eat your lunch when you get back.”

“Danki.”
Katie nodded at her aunts and cousins and the other bakers as she crossed the kitchen and grabbed her cloak from the peg by the back door. Pulling on her cloak, Katie crossed the parking lot and noticed Jake’s pickup truck wasn’t parked among the tourists’ cars. She wondered why he was absent from work and hoped he was okay.

She started down Gibbons Road and hugged her cloak closer to her body while thinking of Jake. She’d missed talking to him all week, and she wondered if he missed her as well. Did he think of her as a good friend too? She contemplated if Nancy and her grandmother were right and she would meet and fall in love with an Amish man someday. But how could she possibly forget her special friendship with Jake Miller, even if it had lasted only a short time?

Pushing the thoughts of Jake away, Katie walked down the road and thought about her little sister’s birthday. She
contemplated what color fabric she should get for Janie’s dress. Her little sister loved the color pink, but she thought she should get a more traditional color, such as cranberry or maybe purple.

“Hey!” a voice called, interrupting her thoughts of her sister’s gift.

Katie looked behind her and spotted three young men following her. They each were clad in stained, ripped jeans and dirty denim jackets. Their long, greasy hair fell past their shoulders. Two carried beer bottles while the third held a fancy cell phone.

Assuming they weren’t speaking to her, Katie turned her gaze toward the road ahead of her. An uneasy feeling gripped her, and she picked up her pace, wishing she’d asked Amanda or Ruthie to walk with her to the store.

“Hey, Amish girl!” one of the men yelled. “We want to ask you a question.”

Oh no. They
are
talking to me!
Katie walked faster, hugging her cloak closer to her body.
Only two more blocks, and I’ll be at the fabric store. I can make it!

“Wait up!” one of the men yelled.

Katie heard footsteps rushing up behind her, and she considered running to the corner. However, a strong arm grabbed her and spun her around, forcing her to face the three men. Her heart thudded in her chest as they sneered at her.

“You know, it’s rude to ignore someone who’s talking to you,” the tallest of the men, who was holding a beer bottle, said. “We were calling you.”

“What do you want?” she asked, her voice a strangled whisper.

“We just want to ask you a question,” the second man said. He reached over and touched the tie to her prayer covering. “Where do you get these pretty bonnets you Amish chicks wear?”

Katie stepped away from his touch. “We make them.”

“How do you make them?” the third man asked. He smiled, revealing yellowed, chipped teeth.

“We make them by hand,” Katie said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I must go.” She turned.

“Wait,” one of the men said, grabbing her arm with a forceful grip that made her wince. “We’re not done.” He threw down his beer bottle, which smashed into pieces by her black sneakers.

Katie’s stomach lurched as the man stood close to her. His breath smelled of onions, and she feared she might vomit from the stench. “Please let me go,” she said.

“No,” he said with an evil grin. “We want to take your photo.” He nodded toward the short man. “Hank has an iPhone, and we want to get a photo with you so we can prove to our friends we really met a pretty Amish chick today.”

“It’s against my religion to have my photo taken,” she said, her voice quaking with fear. “Please let go of me. You’re hurting me.”

Hank held up his phone. “Be a nice girl. Just let me get a photo with you.”

“Let go of me!” Katie called, tears pooling in her eyes. “I have to go!”

“Come on, babe,” the third man said, throwing his beer bottle into the street. “Why don’t you have a little fun with us.”

Katie tried to pull away from them, but the man was still holding onto her wrist, and the third grabbed her prayer covering, yanking it off her head and causing her to yelp as the pins and ribbon were ripped from her hair.

“Stop!” she yelled, tears spilling from her eyes. “Let me go!”

“Let’s see your dress, babe.” The man who was holding her wrist looked at his friend. “Help me get her cloak off, Nick.”

“Stop!” Katie screamed as the two men held her and pulled off her cloak. “Please! Let me go! Stop it, please!” Her sobs cut off her voice as they threw her cloak to the ground and began to paw at her dress. She prayed someone would come and help
her. Why hadn’t she asked one of her cousins to walk with her to the store? How long would this nightmare go on?

“Are you getting this on video, Hank?” the first man asked with a grin. “Look at her pretty dress. Do you make your clothes yourself too?” He grabbed at her waist, and her dress tore with a loud rip.

“Please stop!” she pleaded with them. “Let me go.”

“What’s your name, babe?” the first man asked, pulling her to him. “You’re awful pretty for an Amish girl.”

A horn blasted and a dark-colored pickup truck slammed onto the sidewalk less than a foot from where Katie stood, struggling to get away from the groping men.

“Get away from her!” a voice hollered. “Go now! I’m calling the police!”

Katie’s heart swelled with relief as Jake approached with a fierce expression and a two-by-four in his hands.

Glowering, Jake held the board like a baseball bat. “I mean it!” he bellowed. “Let the girl go now!”

The men scattered, and Jake tossed the piece of wood into the bed of his truck. Katie launched herself toward Jake, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face in his shoulder while she sobbed.

“Katie,” he said, running his hand over her hair. “Are you okay?”

She swallowed deep breaths and tried to regain her composure. “Jake,” she finally said, holding onto him for comfort. “I was so scared. I didn’t know what they were going to do to me. I’m so glad you came along when you did.”

“I know,” he said softly, holding her close. “I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw them.” Putting his fingers under her chin, he tilted her face so that she looked right into his deep blue eyes. “I’m so glad I had to get supplies this morning, and I’m thankful there was a back-up at the store. If I hadn’t arrived when I did, I don’t know what would’ve happened to you,
Katie.” He shook his head, his expression serious. “I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”

“Katie Kauffman!” a voice bellowed behind her.

Katie looked behind her and spotted Bishop Chupp sitting in his buggy by the side of the road. “Bishop Chupp,” she said, pulling away from Jake and stepping back. “I was —”

“Get in the buggy, child,” the bishop said. “I need to take you
heemet
right this minute.”

Katie looked at Jake, and he nodded.

“Go,” Jake said. “I’ll go tell Elizabeth and Eli what happened.”

“Danki
,
”
Katie whispered. “Go,” Jake repeated. “Now.”

Katie climbed into the buggy next to the bishop and hugged her arms to her trembling body. Reaching up, she realized her prayer covering was gone. She wondered if her cloak and prayer covering were lying on the sidewalk near where she’d been accosted. Her body shuddered as she thought of the three men who’d groped her. What would’ve happened if Jake Miller hadn’t come along? The thought caused her to feel queasy.

“Bishop,” she began. “Jake Miller had just saved me from three men who —”

“There’s no need to explain yourself, Katie,” the bishop said, keeping his eye on the road as he guided the horse. “I know what I saw.”

“I’m telling you the truth,” Katie began. “Three men had surrounded me.” She pulled at her ripped dress and her tears began anew. She sniffed and swiped her hand over her face, but the bishop kept staring straight ahead as if she were invisible. Why didn’t he believe her?

They drove in silence the rest of the way to her house. When the buggy came to a stop, Katie walked slowly behind the bishop as they entered the house, where her parents and her younger siblings sat at the table eating lunch.

“Katie,” her mother said with a gasp. “What happened to your dress? Where’s your covering?”

“Bishop Chupp?” her father asked. “What’s going on? Katie, why aren’t you at work?”

The bishop gestured toward the family room. “May I speak to you alone, Robert?”

Katie touched her mother’s hand. “I was attacked by three men,” she whispered, hoping not to scare Janie. “Jake Miller saved me.”

Her mother looked confused. “What? I don’t understand.”

“Go get changed,” her father said before following the bishop into the family room.

“Go,” her mother said. “Get changed. We’ll talk later.”

Her mother trailed behind her father, and Katie stared after her in disbelief. Didn’t her mother care Katie had just been hurt by three men?

Katie hurried up the stairs to her room. Staring at her disheveled reflection in the mirror, she dissolved in sobs.

13

J
ake watched Katie drive off in the bishop’s buggy, and his body shuddered with a mixture of anger and regret. He wished he’d arrived at the scene earlier. His stomach soured at the thought of those three disgusting men touching Katie. Why hadn’t he left the wood supply sooner? He was just glad he was able to stop the incident before it had become even more grim.

Glancing around, Jake found Katie’s prayer covering and cloak on the ground. He retrieved them and then climbed into this truck. He had to get to the bakery and tell Elizabeth and Eli what had happened. Speeding toward the bakery, he thought of Katie and the fear he’d seen in her gorgeous blue eyes when he’d driven up. Holding her in his arms and comforting her was the greatest feeling he’d ever experienced. He knew one thing for certain — he’d wanted to comfort her and take away her pain. More than anything, he wanted to be with her. If he could only find a way …

Jake steered into the parking lot, pulled into a spot near the front entrance to the bakery, and slammed the truck into park. Grabbing his keys, he raced up the front steps and into the bakery.

“Jake!” Eli called with a smile. “Did you get the supplies?” The older man’s smile faded. “What’s wrong, son?”

“I need to speak to you and Elizabeth alone right away.” Jake started for the kitchen.

“Oh, dear,” Eli said. “This sounds serious.”

“It is.” Jake stepped into the kitchen and nodded at the curious stares the bakers aimed at him and Eli.

“She must be in her office,” Eli said, walking beside him. “I think today is her paperwork day.”

Jake followed Eli into the office, where Elizabeth sat at her desk writing in her ledger. She looked up as Jake closed the door behind him.

“Eli. Jake,” Elizabeth said. “What’s going on?”

“I need to speak to you both,” Jake said. “It’s very important.”

“Have a seat.” She pointed toward two chairs in front of her desk.

Jake sat on the chair beside Eli and took a deep breath, hoping to calm his still-frayed nerves. “I stopped to get supplies this morning,” he began, “and as I was driving in, I saw Katie in distress by the side of the road.”

“What?” Elizabeth asked. “What do you mean? She left here to go to the fabric store about thirty minutes ago.”

“How was she in distress?” Eli asked.

“Three men accosted her about a block from here,” Jake said. “I was able to scare them off.”

“What?” Elizabeth stood, her eyes filling with tears. “They hurt my Katie?”

“She’s okay,” Jake said, motioning for her to sit down. “I stopped them before they could do more than take her covering and rip her dress.”

“Oh no,” Elizabeth said. “Poor Katie.”

“Where is she?” Eli asked.

“Abner Chupp came along as I was comforting her, and he drove her home.” Jake stood. “I have her prayer covering and cloak in my truck. I was going to take them to her house for her.”

“Would you take us to her?” Elizabeth asked. “I want to go see her and make sure she’s okay.”

“Of course.” Jake stood. “I rushed here as soon as she left with Abner.”

“Danki
,
”
Elizabeth said. “I’ll go tell everyone we have to run an errand, and we can go to Robert’s right away. We shouldn’t tell anyone what’s happened to Katie. I’m certain she’s very upset about it, and she won’t want people asking questions or spreading the news about it.”

“I agree,” Eli said while Jake nodded.

As Jake walked through the bakery toward his truck, he prayed Katie was okay.

Katie changed into a clean dress before fixing her hair and putting on another prayer covering. She heard the clip-clop of hooves and glanced out the window as Abner’s horse and buggy disappeared from her driveway. Her stomach tightened as she wondered what Abner had told her father about seeing her with Jake. She prayed her father would allow her to explain what had happened on the street corner. Surely, her father would thank Jake for saving her instead of chastising him for hugging her.