Abram's Daughters 04 The Prodigal (35 page)

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All reason flew away when his endearing eyes met hers, "Well, I s'pose it might be all right." She willingly follows I Jonas past the horse and to the carriage, where he helped hei up.

Once inside, Jonas picked up the reins, his voice suddenly earnest again, a concerned look in his eyes. "How's your fain ily?"

She shared that her father was well. "But Mamma dial giving birth to our Abe in 1949," she explained. "I raised my brother and sister Lydiann as my own, with help from Dat. . , and, more recently, Aunt Lizzie, who married my father some six years ago."

He expressed his sadness over the loss of her mother, ami Leah was taken by his gentleness. Their talk grew more ani mated as she attempted to catch him up on the community i >l the People in Gobbler's Knob.

The years were melting away, as though nothing much had changed. And when her father's house came into view, Jonas didn't halt the horse or offer to make the turn into tin* long lane to the Ebersol Cottage.

Instead, he kept on, describing his Apple Creek cabinet making shop and telling her about Emma Graber, the deal landlady who rented out an upstairs room to him. He talked of his years alone . . . and the many wonderful-good things tinLord had been teaching him.

Leah hung on to his every word, soaking in his presence, memorizing his every movement and expression . . . lest she wake up and discover this to be a fleeting dream.

When Jonas stopped talking of Ohio, an uncomfortable silence followed. And then, he turned to her, his eyes

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lilir i||flth*f serious. "Leah ... I believed all these years. . . you \\< i' fflurrtcil u> Smithy Gid."

I illf shook her head slowly. "I sent a letter right back ltli> i ynu wrote me your questions." She paused, gathering her

Ic'iiylllN, Ikt wits.

I loniiN mrned to look at her. "What letter do ya mean?" I In nil her life, she could not have imagined this conver-

n mid this moment, as the two of them came to grips

U\ nil nil the foolishness that had caused their wedding plans

> i'>i tivvry. She explained the mix-ups and misunderstandings Hi I't'Sf she could, careful to keep dear Sadie out of her li hi il'ks, "I've honestly forgiven the past," she whispered at

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I 'Uowly Jonas pulled back on the reins, bringing the buggy I i atop on the dirt road south of the Amish cemetery, off H " 'I'^etown Road. "I didn't know for sure till just now," he Bui'I, "but I've waited years to tell you this, never daring to In lii-vi' I'd have the chance."

I ' ilu1 stared at his dear face. "What is it?" she asked, nearly I'l .iiMess to know.

I Mis eye* gently pierced her. "My heart has always Belonged to you, Leah."

I In that tender, yet revealing instant, she knew that no

flutter how busy her life had become, how important her

tuponsibilities to Lydiann and Abe, or how many times she

liiul been convinced she'd left the past far behind, she had

never, ever stopped loving Jonas.

"If you should happen to have any feelings left for me," lie said in a near whisper, "I'd like to spend time with you . . . (jet to know you again. Once the bishop gives me the goahead, that is." ; ; '

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She breathed in slowly and held the air in her lungs. W;i.-. he indicating he'd returned home to court her. . . was rh;ii what he meant to say? "I ... it's ... I'd like to get iv acquainted, jah, really I would. It's just that. . ." Scarcely could she get the words out.

So many things to consider . . . to work through. Tinbishop's insensitive ruling on Sadie, for one. Wouldn't Jon;i-. be put through a similar Proving? One even more trying, pel haps? And there was Jonas's father to reckon with, too. Wouldn't Peter Mast and Bishop Bontrager put their head', together and devise a way to keep Jonas and Leah apart? Pos sibly forever.

"I love you," Jonas whispered, his words close to her ear.

Tears sprang to her eyes, yet she nodded back, desperately trying to tell him that she cared deeply, too.

"I'll never leave you again, Leah. Never."

She could not speak for the rush of emotion, and when Inmoved closer still, she felt nearly helpless, yielding, at last, lo his tender embrace.

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I Immu:,ily marvel at the amazing things the Lord has done

in inv li^' -I sometimes have to pinch myself, for sure. Jonas

i ill I. iws me . . . after all this time. But what is most astonish-

"'-, iiMilt- from my darling's plan to move back home, is that

In with a little help from Dat was the one to set the

In i-I in motion for Jonas to return in the first place. Aunt

I ' H whispered this to me while we were rolling out pie

i h 'U|;li loday.

I Ik- minute*! could go and find Sadie in the Dawdi Haus, when- she was sitting and reading Mamma's Bible, I leaned tii nvii and kissed her cheek.

She looked up at me and said with eyes bright with her i iwn tears, "It was the least I could do for ya, sister, considerin' ,ill i he trouble I've caused."

I )ear Sadie! She misses Harvey something dreadful, and I pray she might offer up her desires and longings to the Lord, lin Me alone is the answer to her lonely and broken heart.

Lydiann, too, seems caught in a fog of melancholy. She is miserable and restless, and more times than I can count, I've

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prayed that something or someone might come along to ^ei her attention off Jake Mast.

It's still heartbreaking for me to think of Sadie's son beinu clear out in Ohio, though now with Jonas returning home, I also worry Jake might up and decide to come back, too. If so, what a pickle we will be in!

Dr. Schwartz surprised me by announcing his retiremeni, even though Lorraine says this won't happen for another six months or so he'll have to turn his loyal patients over in young doctor Burkholder. If I want to, I'll still have plenty I < > do keeping house for them, though sometimes it's hard in work for Dr. Schwartz, knowing what I know. It does seem peculiar to me that he should want to simply travel round and "see the world," giving up his work at the clinic when he's still a relatively young man. Dat thinks it's an awful shame. "A man oughta work till he dies," my father likes to say. A:> for me, I think it is high time the village doctor packed aw;iy his stethoscope.

Thinking of work, Sadie, Lydiann, and I have been busy sewing dresses and aprons for Hannah's girls, as well as crocheting more baby blankets for sweet Ruthie. And it won't he long before Ruthie has herself a new cousin, for Hannah's toKI me privately that she's expecting another little one, as well.

Abe, the baby of this family, has been having plenty of fun at the expense of a good many rats and other farm pests here lately. With the corn harvest in full swing, he's been joiniiij; other young fellows round the area, going to pest hunts. So the suppertime talk is frequently filled with his chatter aboui such rambunctious things, but I do love to watch his expre.1. sive eyes light up with all the youthful excitement. And I can see by Dat's eyes that he, too, is delighted and amused.

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|1hI is ;ilso outwardly pleased at the prospect of Jonas's (jiipendinj: return to Gobbler's Knob, although I must admit Si beltlj,' Mu'fe fretful in waiting to hear how the bishop and Hit' brethren will view all of this . .. and just when I'll see my pinved ;if,';iin.

I I'ar now, I simply thank our dear Lord for His merciful iilnlness, and I'm trusting Him no matter what the future may nil Id, I cum only hope to marry Jonas one fine day, but even nit 11 a si a1 red end and a joyous beginning, too must rest in PhiI'n hdvc"reign will, and that alone.

344Watch for Abram's Daughters book five,The Revelation :

in summer 2005 at your local bookstore!

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