Christmas in Apple Ridge (15 page)

He’d felt the pull of Beth from the moment he saw her, but he believed he’d felt it long before then. It rested inside his faith during year after year of waiting.

But so much more separated them than the secrets Beth had shared because Lizzy had tricked her. He was convinced she wanted nothing to do with another man. Why else would she keep wearing black? And even if they worked through that, she provided much of the economic stability of her community. She didn’t just live in Pennsylvania; her feet were cemented there.

Mammi angled her head. “Is she … who you want?”

“I’m not sure it matters what I want. You were right when you said I’m an idealist. I thought when I found the right person, we’d carve a life together, creating amazing scenes of things we’d both always wanted. I hate how I sound, so over the top with emotions, but I’ve waited so long, hoping I’d find her. And now everything is all wrong.”

Mammi sighed. “If you can’t carve the image you want, then carve what you can.” She stepped out of the sleigh. “We take what is and trust that God is making things we can’t yet see.” She touched the place on his hand where his two missing fingers had once been. “You use pieces of wood most people would burn in a fireplace, and you make them into something only you can.” She picked up his cane and passed it to him.

“Carve what can be carved.” That idea sat really well with him. “You’re pretty smart.”

“So are you.” She gave the flashlight a few hard cranks, making the beam of light grow stronger. “There’s supper at our house if you’re interested.”

“Ya? Is it any good?”

“Better than your burnt toast specialty.”

He started to leave but then paused and held the kerosene lantern near the sleigh. Between him and Beth, maybe he should be the first to refuse to hoard broken things from the past. If he could make himself renovate this sleigh, he might find it had more to give than bad memories and haunting voices.

G
abe Price walked beside Beth as they left his office. “How soon before you’ll know?”

Beth’s heart pounded with excitement, and she glanced at Gloria, who rose from her chair in the waiting room.

Beth kept her tone even, her emotions in check, as she put on her winter jacket. “I’ll talk with Jonah Kinsinger as soon as I can reach him. He may need a while to think before responding, but I expect to have an answer for you within a week.”

Gabe walked with her as they went to the van. The early-November air made her shiver.

He opened the door. “Sounds good. I hope this works out.”

She slid into the vehicle. “Me too.”

Gabe closed the door, and Gloria started the engine. Beth waved and managed to keep her excitement under control until they were out of his driveway.

“Yes!” Beth stomped her feet in quick succession. “Can you believe this? If Jonah agrees to these contracts, it’ll be the best deal I’ve ever made for an Amish craftsman.”

“I’ve always said you got confidence, Bethie girl. Bold, brassy gall. That’s all I can say.”

“Ya, but look what I came away with.” She pulled the contracts out of her bag. “You know my next question, right?”

“Hmm, let me think about this. It’ll have something to do with going to Jonah Kinsinger’s place.”

“If he had a phone, I’d call first, but even if we can’t catch him at home, we can leave the information at Pete’s. Maybe Pete can tell us where to find him.”

“Who are you talking to? There’s no way you’re heading back to Pennsylvania without a face-to-face with Jonah, even if we have to stay at the closest motel and try again tomorrow.”

“We’ve been traveling together for too long, Gloria. What else can you tell me about myself?”

“That you’re not hungry, but I am. That you won’t need a rest room for another four hours, but I do. That you probably slept no more than three hours last night getting ready for today, and on the way home you’ll fall asleep. And that you pay well enough that I’m willing to drop everything almost anytime you need a driver.”

Beth drummed her fingers on her canvas briefcase, ready to tell Gloria she knew about her longstanding agreement with Beth’s parents. “Well, you have more incentive than just what I pay you, don’t you?”

Gloria glanced from the road to Beth and back again several times. “You’re not supposed to know about that.”

“What, am I eighteen and on my first business trip again?”

“How long have you known?”

“Since I was eighteen and going on my second trip.”

Gloria broke into laughter. “They love you, you know.”

The joy of the deal faded, and she managed a nod. She knew. The problem was she’d kept so much of herself from them once she began having trouble with Henry that they no longer knew the real her. Even when in the room with them, she missed the closeness she’d once cherished.

“Your family couldn’t stand letting you go on these trips without a chaperone.”

“So they sweeten the pot because you’re the safest driver they know, and you report back to them if I start some ungodly behavior like eating without a silent prayer before and after the meal, right?”

Gloria chuckled. “You have a dry sense of humor. Sometimes I don’t know if you’re teasing or perfectly serious. They trust me to keep you safe. That’s all they really want.”

“Well, then, let’s safely travel to Jonah’s place. You know where he lives?”

“I know. Do we need to call Lizzy and say we’re extending the trip by a few hours?”

“I guess we do. I wasn’t sure how this would go with Gabe, so I didn’t tell her we might go on to Jonah’s. You stop as needed for food and rest rooms. You call. You drive. I’ll work.”

Beth opened her briefcase and removed paperwork. The next time she looked up, they were passing through the little town of Tracing and were near Pete’s Antiques. The roads twisted and curved until Gloria pulled into a driveway.

“That’s the house Lizzy went to,” Gloria said, pointing. “Then she went into that shop.”

Beth slid the files and contracts into her briefcase. “I need to talk with Jonah alone, but you can’t stay in the van the whole time. If he’s home, I hope to be a while.”

“Your aunt sure liked him. Sounds to me like he’s good at working his way into the hearts of Hertzler women.”

Beth opened the door. “You coming?”

“I’ll wait here for now. We’ll change plans as needed.”

Driving the rig toward home, Jonah listened while Amos shared humorous stories from their day at the lumbermill business. The moment Jonah guided the horse and carriage into the driveway, he spotted a van. It looked like the same vehicle Lizzy had used when she visited, although there was no shortage of white work vans in these parts.

Before he could direct the horse to swing the buggy wide so he could see the license plate, his grandmother burst through the door and hurried down the steps. The intensity on her face caused him to stop the rig.

“Beth’s here,” she said. “Arrived about forty minutes ago.”

He couldn’t name the emotion that thundered through him—hope, unrest, anxiety—but his insides felt caught in a hailstorm. “Beth or Lizzy?”

“She’s wearing black. That’s Beth, right?”

He passed the reins to Amos. “Ya. Where is she?”

“Since I thought she was the one you told me about, I sent her to your place. Her driver is inside with me.”

Without asking any of the questions he wanted to, he headed for his cabin. Cold air circled around him and dead November leaves crunched under his feet as he walked to his house. Smoke rose from his chimney, and he wondered if his grandfather had started a fire for her. If his
grossdaddi
had walked into Jonah’s home, she already knew the man writing to her wasn’t who she’d thought. He said a silent prayer and went inside.

Beth sat in a ladder back at the worktable in his living room, her attention on the carving in front of her. She held one of his many finished crossword magazines in her hand.

The moment she looked up, emotion drained from her face, and she reminded him of the stark beauty of tree limbs in winter.

He crossed the room “Beth.”

Her blue eyes reflected unease as she laid the magazine down. He removed his hat and set it on the table.

“I’m Jonah Kinsinger.”

She stood. “What?” Disbelief colored her whisper.

“I have to tell you a few things that will be hard to hear at first, but I see no reason for us to end our friendship because I’m younger than you thought. It’s still me, Beth. And the woman I’ve been getting to know is really you.” He pointed to the carving. “I understand that you like my work.”

“
Your
work?” She grabbed her satchel and pulled out one of his letters. “This Jonah Kinsinger?”

“Ya. There was a mix-up, and I didn’t know I was writing to you,
and you didn’t know … Well, I realized something was wrong the night I called the store. Remember the odd conversation you had with—”

“What?” she interrupted, but he doubted she actually wanted any information repeated.

“It’s not as bad as it sounds. I was shocked too when I learned of the misunderstanding.”

Confusion, embarrassment, and horror were written on her face.

Pursing her lips, she cleared her throat. “Yes, well, I … uh.” Her voice wavered, and she cleared her throat again. “I brought an offer for you to consider.” She tossed his letter onto the table and reached into her satchel. “It seems”—she licked her lips and drew a deep breath—“that, uh, we have a man interested in your work.”

“Beth, I’m sorry, but there’s an explanation. Don’t hide behind your work. Can we talk about this?”

With her eyes on the contracts in her hand, she held them out to him. “No, but thank you, anyway.”

Her voice regained some evenness as she fought to remain calm. She’d shut him out. Professionalism stood in her stead. He could see feelings and thoughts running through her, but she refused to share any of them with him. He began to understand why Lizzy would resort to deception to circumvent her will.

Reluctant to point a finger at the person who had tricked them both, he tried again. “Miscommunication caused the letters to start.”

“Not a problem. We have it all settled now, don’t we?” While holding the contracts out to him with one hand, she covered her eyes with the other for a moment, visibly shaking. Then she lowered her hand. “Take a few days and look that over. The deal would be between you
and Gabe Price. If you have any questions, you can call Lizzy. I can relay any information to her.”

“Beth.”

She looked him directly in the eyes, anger starting to outweigh the hurt and embarrassment. “Do not try to act like this was all a mistake. Clearly I’m still gullible at times—something that won’t happen again, I promise that—but I’m not inexperienced when it comes to men and deceit.”

Men and deceit?

Feeling as if she were on the brink of really talking to him, he cringed when he heard his front door open.

“Hey, Jonah.”

Jonah didn’t turn around. “Now’s not a good time, Amos. Please close the door on your way out.”

Beth raised an eyebrow, defiance clear as she sidestepped him. She grabbed her satchel and coat. “Hi.” She smiled at Amos, one of those professional looks Jonah was learning to despise. “We were discussing some work, but we’re through.”

“No we’re not.” Jonah moved closer but remained to the side. He didn’t want to block her, only to get her to look at him. “You have a right to be angry. Say what you’re feeling, but don’t act like it’s no big deal. It’s still me, Beth. I made the carvings. I answered your letters. I’ve been getting to know you.”

“A deceived part of me and a part I would not have chosen to share if I had known the truth. Which of those do you request to bow to your will?” Her matter-of-fact tone struck him like a physical blow.

Speechless, he watched as she walked out the door.

Once past the threshold, she paused and faced him. “That’s a good offer, the best I’ve ever negotiated. If you don’t intend to accept the work, please don’t leave Gabe Price hanging. He needs to know by next week. Can I trust you with that much?”

“You can trust me with anything.”

She rolled her eyes, but he saw the threatening tears before she turned and went down the porch steps.