Between Two Promises (6 page)

“No one will hear behind these old, sturdy walls.”

“Still not proper, not here.”

Aiden sighed. “You know, Daniel, I don’t like hiding things.”

“Hiding?” Daniel nudged Aiden’s hand from his chest, sat on the edge of the twin bed he had claimed, and rebuttoned his shirt. “What are we hiding?”

“We’re hiding who we are.”

“Aiden, not that again.”

“I know how hard coming out to your family would be. But how fair is it to pretend, to either of us, to go on hiding like this? How long will we have to do it?”

“You act like you’re the only one who never hides things.” Daniel lay back on his bed and eyed Aiden. “You’re not always so open.”

Aiden plopped down on the quilt beside him. “What do you mean? When have I ever hidden anything?”

“What about those threatening messages you got last year, when you still lived in Henry?” Daniel said. “You never told me anything about those until after we ran into each other in Glacier. You kept that from me for how long?”

Aiden rolled to his back and stared at the ceiling. He’d been leery when he’d first told Daniel about those threats. Shortly after Aiden had saved the Schrocks from the drunk driver, he had accepted a position with
The Henry Blade
, the town’s only newspaper. While there, he uncovered the suicide of a seventeen-year-old Amish youth from eight years before, Daniel’s second cousin, Kyle Yoder. His subsequent investigation into the unusual death led Aiden to believe he had been murdered. Pressure from his boss about the investigation forced Aiden to resign from the newspaper. But not before he received three mysterious threats. He guessed the threats most likely stemmed from his investigation into Kyle’s death. Either that or someone in the community suspected Aiden of being gay and resented him.

After their unexpected encounter at Glacier National Park in June, Aiden had shown Daniel the stored pictures of the threats he’d taken with his digital camera. The pumpkin someone had smashed against his bungalow and the message someone had spray painted in red block lettering on his front door: GET OUT OF TOWN. And there was the note someone had left in his mailbox, with the same threatening message as the one on his door, punctuated with the homophobic, although archaic, name-calling “to the Sodomite.”

In typical Amish fashion, Daniel had remained impassive while he examined the photos. When he finished, he handed Aiden the camera without a word. But the mechanisms in Daniel’s mind were churning. His temples crinkled with thick, twine-like veins, his eyebrows fused together. And the incessant beard tugging. Ultimately, he seemed to want to forget Aiden had ever mentioned it. Bury another ugly reality under a mound of dirt.

And in that case, Aiden agreed.

“Totally different situation,” Aiden said, leaning on his elbow to stare at Daniel’s tense face. “We weren’t even together then. Besides, you already had enough burdens, with me digging up Kyle’s death. I decided to show you those stupid threats so many months later because… well, I didn’t want any secrets between us. There wasn’t anything you could’ve done about it, anyway.”

Daniel glared at Aiden. “There was a lot I coulda done.” He pushed himself off the bed and, grabbing a handful of sleeping clothes from the dresser, marched into the bathroom.

Chapter Five

A
IDEN
gazed out of the window above his bed as the sunlight lifted over the distant creek. About four inches of snow had fallen overnight and softened the harsh landscape. Shades of pink and orange dusted the snowy field. A sense of newness filled him. The stress from yesterday seemed to have lifted.

He let the curtain dangle back into place and turned to Daniel, who, at that moment, had stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. “Should we eat breakfast here?” Aiden slumped back under the covers and shivered with contentment. “It
is
called a bed and breakfast, after all.”

“I think we should head over to the farm.” Daniel unraveled the towel and dried his hair. Quivering with anticipation, Aiden watched his boyfriend’s muscular arms work the towel over his bowl cut. Tall and brawny, Daniel’s nakedness always sent bolts of fire through Aiden. He liked that their modesty had ebbed.

“You want to go right now?” Aiden smiled, widening his eyes. “Or you want to hang out here a while longer.”

“Best we go.”

“I thought the Amish slept in a little later in the winter,” Aiden said.

“Not much later,” Daniel said. “There’re still chores to get done, animals to care for.”

“I’m sure they’ll understand if we show up a little later.” Daniel was not always swift catching on to Aiden’s flirting. Often, Aiden would have to stroke him with more forwardness. Throwing back the bedcovers, he exposed his morning arousal.

Daniel came up to him, bent his head down, kissed him on the lips. His whiskers, still damp from his shower, tickled Aiden’s chin. “We best get going,” he said. “They’ll most likely be waiting for us. Breakfast was probably eaten an hour ago.”

Aiden reached for Daniel, whose dark pubic hairs were coarse and wet. “Then they won’t miss us.”

Daniel pushed Aiden’s hand away. “Stop being so shussly and get dressed.” He moved to his side of the room and yanked clothes from a drawer with a rush of frustration. “It was your idea to come back here. We might as well be useful. For sure they’ll want the extra hands setting up for the wedding. And best we keep the Suburban here. We can walk to the farm.”

“Walk? Why?”

“It’s not proper to be parking that mammoth vehicle in front of the farm, especially with all those guests coming.” He pulled on his underwear and broadfall pants. “Mom and Dad were eyeing it out the window last night like it was some kind of monster. The farm’s only a few short miles from here. We’re used to hiking. Now get dressed.”

At the cabin, Aiden had never worried much about Daniel’s wearing his Old Order Amish clothes (Aiden thought he looked sexy in them), but now, as Daniel dressed in the clothes his mother had probably made for him years ago, the same pestering lump rose to his throat. Daniel fastened the hook-and-eyes on his cornflower-blue collarless shirt, tucked in the hem, and strapped on his suspenders, the way he must’ve done a million times before.

Sighing, Aiden dragged himself out of bed and went about dressing. The sense of lightness and warmth he’d welcomed a moment ago while staring out the window at the wintry landscape suddenly felt like a weighty block of ice on his chest.

D
RESSED
in brown clogs and a black winter coat, a pretty young woman strolled out of the house to greet Aiden and Daniel as they walked up the snowy driveway. Mark, hands deep in pants pockets, followed behind, smiling like someone with a happy secret.

“This is Heidi Miller,” he said. “She’s going to be my wife.”

Pink cheeked, with winterberry blonde tresses falling from the front of her white kapp, Heidi looked all freshness, like a bride-to-be should. But her demeanor, confident for a young Amish woman, surprised Aiden.

She thrust her hand to Daniel. “You must be Mark’s brother, Daniel. I’m so glad to meet you. Sorry I wasn’t here to welcome you yesterday, but we had so many other relatives to visit.” Aiden inwardly giggled, watching Daniel squirm at Heidi’s unexpected gregarious nature. “And you’re Aiden.” She turned her hand to Aiden. “You’re the one who saved the Schrocks when you drove your car in the path of that drunk driver. Mark told me all about it.”

Aiden blushed. “It wasn’t that much, really, anyone would’ve done it.”

“Ach, everybody says things like that, but it’s never true.”

Mark kicked at the snow and torqued his shoulders. “Heidi says there’s a fine line between being humble and outright lying.”

Everyone shared a good-natured chuckle.

“That’s me,” Heidi said. “Always with the philosophy.”

“Where’s your car?” Mark asked, glancing between Aiden’s and Daniel’s shoulders.

“Back at the inn.” Daniel seemed to stiffen. “Didn’t want to drive it in the snow.”

“That beast of burden?” Mark’s brown eyes popped. “For sure that thing can handle this little bit of snow on flat farm roads, if you drive it around Montana.”

“Best we leave it,” Daniel murmured.

“Ach, thank you for the gift of the furniture,” Heidi said, grinning so widely Aiden wondered if her apple cheeks might knock off her kapp. “The night tables are wunderbar.”

“Du wilcom,” Daniel said. “But we best get inside. It’s cold out. Mark, you don’t have a coat, and Heidi, you’re not wearing any boots.”

“I’m still not used to dressing for this cold weather.” Heidi cupped her hands over her mouth. “Down in Corpus Christi it never gets this cold. I haven’t seen so much snow in my life. I guess I’ll have to get used to it, living here. Mrs. Schrock was so kind to make me this winter coat.”

“I bet it’s so new for you,” Aiden said, remembering Mark had met Heidi last December while on rumspringa at Texas’s Mustang Island, near where Heidi lived with her parents in a fledgling Amish settlement.

“New and exciting, for sure,” she said. “But Daniel’s right. Let’s get inside. You both can meet my parents.”

M
R
.
AND
M
RS
. M
ILLER
were seated at the large oak kitchen table under the soft glow of a hanging lantern, sipping stovetop-brewed coffee, when Aiden and Daniel were introduced to them. Daniel judged them to be pleasant, but he was suspicious neither was helping with the kitchen work. His mother kneaded dough. Grace was hand-washing dishes at the sink. Elisabeth sat at the table cradling Gretchen. Heidi’s two aunts, who had been briefly introduced to him last night when they’d stopped by for a visit, were at the counter cutting celery stalks and onions.

“Where’s Dad?” he asked, glancing about.

“Basement, doing watch repair,” Rachel said. His mother looked exhausted. Her hair fell in clumps from under her kapp, and her eyes burned red. The kitchen, usually scrubbed spotless after breakfast, was in a muddle. A mess of pots and pans were stacked to the side of the sink, opened bags of flour and sugar and dirtied mixing bowls covered the counter, canned goods in boxes filled an entire corner of the wood floor.

“Looks like you been keeping busy,” he said, taking a seat on a bench at the table.

“Ya, been baking nonstop for Mark and Heidi’s wedding, on top of everything else,” Rachel said. “Hardest part is keeping up with orders for my baked and canned goods.”

“Business picking up?” Daniel said.

“Ya, for sure,” Rachel said. “Been keeping us busy since summer.”

“Things seem to be picking up everywhere,” Mr. Miller said. “We got so many orders for houses lately, we been turning work away.” The Millers, like Daniel, made their living woodworking, but instead of building furniture, they built houses along Texas’s Gulf shore and refurbished those damaged in the storms. Daniel and Mr. Miller talked shop while Rachel fried Aiden and Daniel “dippy eggs” and bacon.

“How do you like your room at the inn, Aiden?” Rachel asked, carrying over a cast-iron pan sizzling with fried eggs and bacon. Using a spatula, she plated their breakfasts.

“It’s nice,” Aiden said. “Room has a good view of the farmland and the creek.”

“And Daniel, how do you like your room?”

Aiden and Daniel swapped glances across the table.

Daniel tried to will the blood from heating his cheeks. He knew how much Aiden hated being forced to lie. Daniel didn’t like fibbing much either. Surely Aiden understood they were Amish. Things weren’t like with Aiden’s parents. With them the words had flowed like rain. But how long could they hide the truth from Daniel’s family? At some point, a resolution had to be made. Snubbing that thought, Daniel said, “I like my room fine.”

“Adel and Sam are staying at the Harvest Sunrise,” one of Heidi’s aunts said over her shoulder as she sliced into a new bushel of celery. “Is it nice, like folks say? I haven’t yet seen them to ask.”

“It’s very nice.” Aiden lowered his eyes to his plate and nudged around his fried eggs with his fork.

“I hear the place is haunted,” Grace said, dipping a platter in and out of the sudsy water.

“Grace,” Rachel breathed, “the things you say sometimes.”

“But Mom, I’m only repeating what I heard. Folks say the original owner, some Englisher farmer from a hundred years ago, still walks the halls. Some say they seen him.”

“No one needs to hear about ghosts and hauntings, Grace. Now get back to the dishwashing so you can help me with the baking.”

“Where’re the relatives?” Daniel wanted to change the topic of where he and Aiden were staying. He forked a bite of egg into his mouth and chewed slowly.

Rachel sat at the table with a heavy sigh and mopped her forehead with the back of her flour-speckled hand. “Your Aunt Frieda should be here early this afternoon, if the bus from Indiana doesn’t get held up in Chicago, like it did last time she came for a visit. We’re expecting your Uncle Abraham and Uncle Wayne tomorrow. Joe Karpin’s daughter’ll be picking them up from the train depot. Everyone else is already here, scattered about.”