Allison's Journey (6 page)

Allison stepped into the Kauffmans’ barn, and the first person she spotted was Aaron Zook. He stood next to the refreshment table, holding a paper cup in one hand and a cookie in the other. She was tempted to go over and talk to him but thought that would seem too forward. Besides, Aaron could very well have a girlfriend, and Allison didn’t want to do anything that might cause trouble between them if he did.

Glancing around the barn, she discovered Katie sitting on a bale of straw talking to Joseph Zook. Since they both had blond hair and blue eyes, they made quite a striking pair. Allison remembered Katie had mentioned earlier that she had her eye on Joseph. From the looks of the smile she saw on Joseph’s face, she had a hunch he might be asking if he could give Katie a ride home.

Katie looked over at Allison just then and motioned her to come over. Allison hesitated until Joseph headed over to the refreshment table. Then she scurried over and took a seat on the bale of straw next to Katie.

“I’m glad you could make it tonight,” Katie said.

Allison smiled. “Aunt Mary thought it would be good for me to come so I can get better acquainted with everyone.”

Katie nodded and glanced over at Joseph. “Do you have a steady boyfriend back home?”

“Oh, no,” Allison was quick to reply.

“Someday you will, I’m sure.” Katie released a contented sigh. “Joseph Zook just asked if I’d like a ride home in his buggy tonight.”

“What’d you say?”

“I said I’d be willing, of course.” Katie nudged Allison’s arm. “From the way some of the fellows are watching you, I’d say you might have your pick of whose buggy you get to ride home in.”

Allison’s eyebrows shot up. “What do you mean? I haven’t noticed anyone staring at me.”

“If you keep your eyes open, you will.”

With a quick glance around the room, Allison scanned the faces of the young men present. Katie was right—one man was watching her. She hadn’t seen him in church. The young man had shiny black hair worn a bit longer than any of the other fellows. When he caught her looking at him, he winked and lifted his hand.

Allison looked away. “Who is that guy leaning against the wall over there?” she asked Katie.

“Where?”

Allison nodded with her head and said quietly, “Over there by the back wall. The one with the hair black as coal.”

“Oh, that’s James Esh, my cousin. He’s kind of wild, but I think he’s harmless enough.” Katie leaned closer to Allison. “Was he staring at you?”

“Jah. He winked at me.”

Before Katie could respond, Joseph showed up with a plate of cookies and some pretzels, which he handed to Katie.

“Danki, Joseph.” Katie scooted over, and he plunked down beside her.

Joseph glanced over at Allison and smiled. “I was impressed with how well you played ball today.”

Allison smiled. “Danki.”

“My brother Aaron wasn’t too happy about being one player short at the beginning of the game, but after you joined, his team sure racked up the points.”

“I was glad I could play. It was fun. We don’t usually play ball after church in my district back home.”

Just then, James showed up, carrying a plate of cookies. “Since we haven’t been properly introduced, I thought I’d come over and say hello,” he said, offering Allison a crooked grin.

“I’m Allison Troyer.”

“And I’m—”

“My pushy cousin James,” Katie cut in.

James’s dark brows drew together as he scowled at her. “I can speak on my own behalf, you know.” He squeezed onto the bale of straw beside Allison and handed her the cookies. “I thought you might be hungry.”

Allison took one with chocolate frosting. “Danki.”

Allison, James, Katie, and Joseph visited until the song
leader called out the first song—“Mocking Bird Hill.” James kept time to the music by tapping his finger on Allison’s arm. His attention made her feel nervous, but she felt flattered, too.

When the singing ended, Allison decided to leave the stuffy barn and breathe some fresh air. Maybe she would join the group that had begun a game of volleyball.

“Hey, where are you going?” James called.

“Outside.”

“Mind if I come with you?”

“No.”

James joined Allison under a maple tree, where she stood staring up at the moonlit sky. “Sure is pretty tonight,” he whispered against her ear. “Some of those stars are so bright they look like headlights in the sky.”

Allison nodded. Being this close to James made her feel jittery as a june bug.

“Say, I was wondering if you’d be willing to let me take you home tonight.”

Allison shivered even though the evening air was quite warm and muggy. Should she allow James to escort her back to Aunt Mary’s? She’d only met him and didn’t know anything about him other than the little bit Katie had shared. Still, if she accepted the ride, it would leave Cousin Harvey free to escort someone home without her tagging along.

“What’s your answer?” James prompted.

“I. . .I guess it would be okay, but I need to speak with my cousin first.”

“What for?”

“I can’t take off without telling him. He’d probably be worried.”

James pointed to a buggy parked near the end of the barn. “That’s my rig—the one with the fancy silver trim. If Harvey’s okay with me taking you home, then meet me over there.”

Allison hurried off to look for her cousin. She found him talking to a young woman he introduced as Clara Weaver. From the affectionate looks the young couple gave each other, Allison figured Clara must be Harvey’s girlfriend.

“Someone has asked to give me a ride home,” Allison said to Harvey. “If you don’t mind me going, then you won’t have to bother taking me back home.”

Harvey quirked an eyebrow. “Whose buggy are you riding in?”

“James Esh. He’s Katie’s cousin.”

“I know who he is, and I’d rather you didn’t ride in his buggy.”

“Why not?”

Harvey leaned closer to Allison. “James is kind of wild; I’m not sure he can be trusted. I can’t stop you from riding home in his buggy, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“He seems nice enough to me,” Allison said. “Besides, I think I’m old enough to take care of myself.”

Harvey shrugged. “Suit yourself. I’ll see you at home then.”

Aaron stood in the shadows watching James help Allison into his buggy. A feeling of frustration welled up in him. He’d spent most of the evening watching Allison and James as they sat together on a bale of straw, and now the fellow was obviously taking her home. He scuffed the toe of his boot in the dirt.
James isn’t right for Allison. He’s a big flirt, and he’s way too wild
.

Aaron knew that James, who had recently turned twenty-one, was still going through his
rumschpringe
. The unruly fellow had a mind of his own and liked to show off with his fancy buggy and unmanageable horse.

He shouldn’t be using that spirited gelding for a buggy horse
, Aaron fumed.
And he shouldn’t be escorting a woman home in a buggy pulled by that crazy critter
.

When James backed his buggy away from the barn, Aaron slunk back into the shadows and ambled toward his buggy.
Don’t know why I care what Allison does. It’s none of my business if she’s interested in James or any other fellow
.

“I hope things are going well at the young people’s gathering this evening,” Mary said to Ben as the two of them sat at the kitchen table drinking lemonade.

“I’m sure everyone’s having a good time.” Ben reached across the table and patted her hand. “Remember how much fun we used to have when we attended young people’s functions?”

Mary smiled at the memory of the evening when Ben had asked for the first time if he could give her a ride home in his buggy. She’d known from that moment that they would one day get married. “I wonder how Harvey will work things out if he wants to give some young woman a ride home tonight,” she said.

“What do you mean?”

“Since he escorted Allison to the gathering, he’ll have to bring her home.”

Ben shrugged his broad shoulders. “Maybe Allison will catch
some young fellow’s eye, and he’ll ask to give her a ride home.”

Mary took a sip of lemonade. “I hope it’s someone nice and not one of those fellows like James Esh or Brian Stutzman who likes to show off.”

“I’m sure if someone like that were to offer Allison a ride home, her answer would be no.”

On the ride home, Harvey’s words of warning echoed in Allison’s head. She’d chosen to ignore her cousin’s advice, not wishing to judge James without getting to know him. After all, it wasn’t as if he was asking to court her. It was a ride home in his buggy—nothing more.

“You don’t talk much, do you?” James asked, breaking into Allison’s thoughts.

She shrugged. “I do when there’s something to say.”

He chuckled and reached for her hand. “A pretty girl like you doesn’t need to say anything as far as I’m concerned.”

She eased her hand away and tucked a wayward strand of hair back under her kapp. She wasn’t used to receiving such compliments and wasn’t sure how to respond. “Your horse is nice looking, and he trots very well,” she said, for lack of anything better to say.

“As far as I’m concerned, he’s one of the finest. He can get pretty feisty when he wants to, though.”

“I’ve ridden bareback a time a two, though never on a spirited horse.”

James glanced over at her, and his dark eyebrows drew together. “You like to ride horses?”

She nodded.
Does he think I’m a tomboy? Should I have kept that information to myself?

“Besides owning a high-spirited horse, I also own a car,” James said.

“You do?”

He nodded. “I was thinking maybe sometime you’d like to ride to Springfield with me, and we can do something fun. There’s not much to do around here.”

“Oh, I don’t know.”

“You haven’t joined the church yet, have you?”

“No, I. . .I don’t feel quite ready.”

“That means you’re still going through rumschpringe, so you ought to be able to go most anywhere with me.” He reached across the seat and touched her arm. “Think about it, okay?”

Allison gave a quick nod. Being with James made her feel nervous, yet she felt an attraction to him.

They rode in silence. The only sounds were the steady
clop-clop
of the horse’s hooves and the creaking of the crickets coming from the woods along the road. When they turned up the driveway leading to Aunt Mary and Uncle Ben’s place, James pulled back on the reins. The horse and buggy came to a halt, and he slipped one arm around Allison’s shoulders. “I’d really like to see you again. If you’re not interested in going to Springfield, maybe we could go on a picnic sometime.” He smiled.

Allison swallowed hard. “That sounds nice, but my aunt mentioned last night that she’ll need help with her garden this summer. I’ll probably be kept pretty busy.”

“You can’t work every minute.”

“That’s true. I guess I’ll just have to see how it goes.”

James leaned toward her suddenly and bent his head. Before
Allison knew what had happened, his lips touched hers with a kiss that took her breath away. Except for her father’s occasional pecks on the cheek, she’d never been kissed and hadn’t known quite what to expect.