Courting Emily (A Wells Landing Book 2) (28 page)

“What did you do again, Emily? What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about you sitting over there all angry because I came to see Luke. I love him, but only as a friend.”

“I know.” Yet the frown remained.

“Then why are you mad at me?”

He shook his head as if clearing his thoughts. “I’m not mad at you.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “But you are.”

“I think I would know if I was mad.”

“And would you tell me?”

“
Jah,
I made the promise to be open and honest with you.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

He sighed, his gaze darting around the austere waiting room. “This is where we came with
Dat,
” he said. His voice dropped low and somber. “I sat here so many days not knowing if he was going to live or die. Those are days I never want to live again.”

“And being here is bringing it all back?”

“
Jah
.”

“And you knew when we left Wells Landing,” she said. It was not a question.

“
Jah
.”

“But you came anyway?”

“Of course.”

“Why?”

“Because it meant so much to you to be here for Luke.”

Tears tracked down her cheeks. “Elam, I don’t know what to say.”

He smiled. “Just tell me you love me.”

She returned his grin. “You love me.”

He chuckled and stood, pulling her to her feet as Ben shuffled back down the hallway toward them. “Close enough.”

 

 

The ride back to Wells Landing was so very different from the ride to Tulsa. Ben Smith drove with Emily and Elam in the backseat, but the tension was gone from his shoulders.

As jealous as he had been of Emily’s previous relationship with Luke, he could only wish the man well. To have him hurt and near dead for a time made Elam pray even harder for his recovery.

But it was even more than that. Seeing Emily and Luke in the same room together, him introducing his new
Englisch
girlfriend, all of these proved to Elam without any doubts that he held Emily’s love for his own.

He couldn’t be happier.

“I’ll swing by and take Emily home first.” Ben glanced in the mirror at the two of them.

“Just drop me at Emily’s, too. I can get home from there.” Elam gently squeezed Emily’s fingers and resisted the urge to raise her hand to his lips and kiss each fingertip.

He hated that he worried her and that she’d thought he was angry. He had learned his lesson about jealousy and love. Now he wanted to spend the rest of his life proving his love to her day by day.

“Where is everyone?” Emily asked as Ben pulled the car into her drive.

“Probably at my house planning our wedding.” Elam laughed.

Ben smiled at the two of them. “I thought maybe,” he said, shaking Elam’s hand and slapping him jovially on the back.

“Are you sure I can’t pay you for taking us to Tulsa?” Elam asked.

Ben twirled his car keys around one finger. “I wouldn’t hear of it.”

Elam nodded as Ben headed back to his car. The Mennonite stopped and turned to face them once more. “Well, there is one thing.”

“
Jah?
” Elam asked.

“Invite me to the wedding?”

“You got it.”

Together they turned back toward the house. “Where do you think everyone is?”

“There’s no telling,” he said as Ben Smith drove away. “Let’s get inside where it’s warm.”

The house was empty when they got inside. Elam couldn’t say the fact didn’t please him. He treasured any time he could find that left him alone with Emily.

She perched on the edge of the sofa as he hung their coats by the door.

“We’re okay,
jah?
” She looked at her hands in her lap. Her fingers were intertwined and twisted together in her apron.

“Is something bothering you, Emily?” He sat down next to her, careful not to sit too close. It would be months before they could say their vows. There was a lot of courting to do between now and then.

“
Nay
. It’s just . . .”

He hooked one finger beneath her chin, lifting her gaze to his. “What is on your mind,
mei liewe?
”

“Am I your love?” The words slipped from her lips, breathless and burning.

“Have we not already covered this?” he asked, confused by her frown of worry.

“
Jah,
it’s just that . . . well . . .”

“We promised to be honest and true,” he said. “Say what’s on your mind, Emily Jane.”

“Uhum, why haven’t you kissed me again? I mean since we worked things out.”

He managed to suppress his laughter. Her eyes flashed such a serious light, he didn’t want her to think he was making fun. “You want me to kiss you?”

“Well,
jah
.”

“And that will settle your mind about us?”

“It would help. I mean, you’ve told me that you love me, but I—”

“You want me to show you,” Elam supplied.

“
Jah,
please,” she whispered.

Elam smiled, then lowered his head and kissed the bishop’s daughter.

Somehow Emily and Elam managed to wait until the last week of October to get married. It wasn’t easy. Emily was so very ready to start her life with Elam, but he insisted they have time to court. He wanted her to have the experience of Sunday drives and picnics and all the other things girls enjoyed.

Secretly she thought he wanted to replace all her memories of Luke with memories of him. And in truth she was okay with that, too.

“I’ve never been to a purple Amish wedding before.”

Emily whirled around at the sound of the familiar voice behind her. “Luke!”

She wanted to throw her arms around him, but he looked barely secure on his own two feet. Aluminum crutches were clamped to his wrists, but all in all, he was the same ol’ Luke. If their presence was any indication, he hadn’t completely remastered the art of walking, but he was well on his way.

“You remember Sissy?”

Emily smiled at the pretty blonde standing to Luke’s left. “How are you, Sissy?”

The young woman smiled. “Thank you for inviting us. It was a beautiful ceremony.”

“
Danki
.”

“Even if it was purple.” Luke made a face.

“Technically,” she said, “it is lilac.”

Luke rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Technically it is purple.”

“What’s wrong with purple?” Sissy asked, looking from one of them to the other.

“Lilac is not a normal color for Amish weddings,” Luke explained.

“So what color are Amish weddings usually?” she asked.

“Blue,” Luke answered.

“All of them?” Sissy’s eyes grew wide.

“
Jah,
” Emily said.

“She only got away with it because her dad is the bishop,” Luke groused good-naturedly.

Emily stuck out her tongue at him, so grateful they could joke the way they used to. Even after all this time.

“But why purple?” Sissy asked. “Is that your favorite color?”

Emily smiled. “In a way,
jah
. But more importantly, Elam’s
dat
has a thing for purple. I couldn’t deny him this.” She pointed to where James stood holding two-month-old Hollis Fitch.

Andrew and Caroline’s new son had been named after her father, Hollis Hostetler, and immediately dubbed Holly by those around him. Emily wondered if the child would ever live down the name. That and the fact that his gown matched the lilac James had chosen for the ceremony. It was a
gut
thing the Amish were against photography. There would be no proof of this to show in the years to come.

“You look beautiful,” Luke said, staring at Emily with wonder in his eyes. “Very happy.”

“I am happy.” She smiled at him. “What about you?”

He cast a quick look at Sissy. “Yeah,” he said. “It’s been slow, but Sissy’s father has been good to me. I’m working a little in the garage. Fixing the cars and such. I don’t think I’ll be ready for the upcoming season, but the next one for sure.”

“What about Justin?” Emily asked.

“He came by the other day to check on everyone. I don’t think he’ll ever come back to racing,” Luke said. “His
dat
got him a job selling insurance.”

She wasn’t sure exactly what that meant, but Justin’s reluctance to drive again was understandable. After nearly being blown to pieces, it surprised Emily that Luke wanted to return to the fast-paced, dangerous world. Then again, Luke was a born driver: easygoing, adventurous, and cool under pressure. She was so very
froh
he had found happiness in the
Englisch
world.

“There you are.” Elam came up behind her, standing close as he greeted their guests.

A few short months ago she would have worried about his reaction to finding her talking to Luke, but those days were a thing of the past. Today they had pledged their love and their lives together. They were secure and committed. Funny how God’s will worked.

Luke nodded in greeting to Elam, not exactly a warm welcome, but not all-out hostile either. He turned to Sissy. “Are you ready to go meet everyone?”

She smiled. “Lead the way.” She looked to Emily and Elam. “Thank you again. Congratulations.” Then she and Luke disappeared into the crowd of well-wishers.

“Have you seen
Dat?
”

Emily pointed to where James cradled Holly Fitch in his arms.

“I think he’s getting in some practice.”

A flush started somewhere around her neck and worked its way to her hairline. “Are you talking about us?”

She knew Elam wanted a family. She did, too. It was something they had talked about many times in the last few months.

It tickled Emily that Elam blushed at the meaning behind her words as well.

“I mean
Mamm
.” He pointed to where Joy Riehl stood one hand on her midriff, the other resting at her side. A slight curve rounded a body that months ago had seemed thin and frail.

“I thought maybe she was just putting on a little weight. You know, after everything.”

Elam smiled and shrugged. “I think it might be more than that. Just a hunch.”

Emily’s heart surged. What wonderful news! “You’re not worried about him, are you?”

Elam shook his head. “He might not be the same as he was a couple of years ago, but he’s still a
gut
man, a
gut
father.”

James was kind and loving. He cared about his children and his wife. Emily was proud to be a part of such a
wunderbaar
family.

“Elam.” Becky hurried over to where they stood, hooking her arm through her
bruder
’s before trying to tug him away. “You said you would talk to Billy Beiler today.”

“I did?” He looked to Emily for confirmation. “Did I?”

“Better get it over with.”

Everyone expected that soon Billy would ask Elam and James to be allowed to court Becky.

Mary, Becky, Aaron, and Billy had all joined the church at the end of the summer. Emily had a feeling a big wedding season was building for next year.

Elam shrugged and allowed his sister to lead him away.

“How does it feel to be married?” Caroline Fitch sidled up to Emily and slipped one arm around her waist.

“Oh, Caroline. I’m so very happy.” She returned her friend’s sideways hug.

“You look happy,” Caroline said.

“And no one deserves that more.” Lorie Kauffman came up on Emily’s other side.

“You’re next,” Caroline joked.

But Lorie shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“Trouble with Jonah?” Emily asked.

But it was more than that. Lorie hadn’t attended the baptism classes that had been held in the spring. It would be another two years before the next classes would be held. She couldn’t join the church until then. Even though Jonah Miller, her on-again, off-again boyfriend had bent his knee that very summer.

“Let’s not talk about such things today,” Lorie pleaded. “Today is supposed to be a joyful day.”

And it was.

Emily let her gaze wander around the room at all the familiar and happy faces. All their sisters were sprinkled throughout the room, easily recognizable in their distinctive lilac dresses. The twins with their shiny red hair, Norma and Johanna eating cake from the same plate, two forks, one slice. Becky looked both shy and knowing as she watched her brother and Billy Beiler talk. No doubt Elam was stunning him with talk of the new milking machine he’d purchased just last week. Bea stood next to Rose as she talked to William Brontranger. If Emily knew that look at all, a romance was budding between the two young teens. Susannah talked in her over-the-top, animated way while Mary scanned the crowd, no doubt looking for Aaron Miller. Emily would be surprised if Aaron didn’t ask her father for permission to court Mary in the next couple of months.

Jonah, Andrew, and Luke stood together, all laughing and talking about subjects only
buwe
understood. Sissy stood close, a confused wrinkle across her brow, even as her lips continued to smile. James cooed at baby Holly while Joy looked on, a sweet smile on her lips.

And her husband. From across the room, Elam’s clear green eyes met hers, and Emily felt his gaze, like a caress. She never knew it was possible to love someone as much as she loved Elam. Her steady and true husband. She was grateful, fortunate, and blessed that he was a part of her life.

His lips lifted at the corners in a smile full of promise and more. Emily smiled in return, thinking of the night ahead. Her first night as Elam’s wife.

Jah,
God’s hand was indeed at work. And Emily was so glad He touched the lives of them all.