[Kentucky Brothers 01] - The Journey (48 page)

“Is she expecting you to pay the money Phoebe owes?” Fannie asked.

Arie shook her head. “I don’t think so. She thought Phoebe would be here and asked that she call her right away.”

“But Phoebe’s in California, isn’t she?” Elsie questioned.

“That’s what we thought, but since Phoebe moved to California, she hasn’t kept in good touch with us.” Arie’s chin quivered, and she blinked, as if trying to hold back her tears. “I phoned Charlene back, and when I told her that we hadn’t heard anything from Phoebe in several months, she said Phoebe had told her that she needed some money for a bus ticket to Kentucky so she could see a friend.”

Fannie sucked in her breath. “Titus?”

Arie gave a nod. “I would assume so.”

Fannie’s heart began to pound. If Phoebe went to Kentucky and contacted Titus, they might end up together again. Titus was just beginning to make a new life for himself, and if Phoebe influenced him as she had in the past, he might lose his way.

“Charlene said she figured Phoebe would return to Pennsylvania after visiting with her friend in Kentucky.” Arie looked over at Fannie, as though struck with a new realization. “Has Titus called you lately? Has he said anything about Phoebe?”

Fannie, trying not to let on about the concerns she felt, shrugged and said, “The last time I spoke to Titus, he made no mention of Phoebe.”

“Maybe he didn’t know she was coming,” Naomi interjected. “Maybe Phoebe decided to go there and surprise him.”

A knot formed in Fannie’s stomach. Could Phoebe be in Kentucky right now? If so, how would it affect Titus’s future?

Pembroke, Kentucky

Phoebe didn’t know how she’d managed to sit through the three-hour church service that had been held in the buggy shed of a family named Zook. It wasn’t the backless wooden benches or even the length of the service that bothered her, though, for she’d become used to that from growing up in an Amish family. What bothered Phoebe the most were the curious stares in her direction. She’d been introduced to a few people before the service began, but most of the others probably wondered who she was, and maybe why the dress she wore was a few inches shorter than those of all the other women who were present.

When the service was over and lunch had been served, Phoebe wandered around, looking for Titus. She was pleased when she spotted him over by the barn, talking to a young man who looked to be about his age. She waited until there was a lull in the men’s conversation; then she asked if she could speak to Titus alone.

He started walking toward the area where all the buggies were parked, and then turned to face her. “What’s up?”

She glanced around to make sure no one could hear their conversation. “Esther told me that you have a girlfriend. Is it true?”

He nodded.

“How come you made no mention of it last night?”

“I tried to a couple of times, but you kept interrupting me.”

“Is she here today?”

He shook his head. “She’s at home, sick with the chickenpox.”

“Esther said your girlfriend looks like me. Is that also true?”

“She has auburn hair and blue eyes.”

Phoebe tapped her foot and gave a slow nod. “Hmm. That’s interesting.”

“What do you mean?”

“You must still have feelings for me if you picked someone to court who looks like me.”

A splash of color erupted on Titus’s clean-shaven cheeks. “I didn’t care for Suzanne at first because she reminded me of you. Every time I looked at her, I thought of you, and how much you’d hurt me.”

“And now?”

“Now it’s different. I’ve gotten to know Suzanne and have discovered that she and I have a lot in common.”

“Are you planning to marry her?”

“I don’t know; maybe.” He sighed. “I’ve been thinking about it.”

Phoebe’s hand trembled as she placed it on Titus’s arm. “What about me? Won’t you give me another chance?”

He shrugged and dropped his gaze to the ground.

She stepped in front of him and looked up so he’d have to see her face. “I told you last night I want to join the Amish church and live here with you. Doesn’t that count for anything?”

A muscle on the side of his neck quivered. “I thought I knew what I wanted and was sure I had my future planned out. Now that you’re here I’m so
verhuddelt
.”

“Spend some time with me, and I promise you won’t be confused anymore. Give me a chance to prove myself, and you’ll see that you feel the same way about me as you did before.”

“Oh, you mean before you left for California and broke my heart?” His tone was clipped, and she could see the hurt on his face.

“Jah, before I left for California.” She took a step closer. “Before our folks made so many rules that finally came between us.”

Titus swallowed hard and wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand. Being this close to Phoebe, hearing her promising words, made him feel more confused than ever. If only she hadn’t run off to California. If she’d just settled down and joined the church while they were both living in Pennsylvania, they’d be married by now—maybe even starting a family. Was it too late for them? And what about Suzanne? Were his feelings for her real, or had he only imagined them, transferring what he’d felt for Phoebe to Suzanne?

“Have you met many people here today?” he asked, feeling the need to change the subject.

Phoebe shook her head. “Just a few. Esther and her mother introduced me to a couple of women before church, and then I met a few more after the noon meal. One of them was Verna Yoder. Is she related to the woman you’ve been courting?”

Titus’s heart raced like a herd of stampeding horses. If Esther and Dinah had introduced Verna to Phoebe, did Verna know Phoebe was his ex-girlfriend from Pennsylvania? If she did, then she’d no doubt tell Suzanne. He couldn’t let that happen. He had to make sure he told her himself.

“I’ve got to get my horse,” Titus said, moving away from Phoebe.

“You’re leaving already?”

“Jah. There’s someplace I need to go.”

“Where?”

“I need to speak to Suzanne.” Titus hurried off before Phoebe could respond.

When Titus arrived at the Yoders’ he stood on the porch and prayed for wisdom to know the right words before he knocked on the door.

Isaac opened the door. “Ah, Titus, it’s good to see you. You must have taken a detour on your way home from church today.”

Titus nodded. “I came to see Suzanne. Is she feeling any better?”

Isaac shook his head. “Not much. Still feverish and dealing with a sore throat. Both she and Effie are covered with spots.”

“Since Verna was at church today, I guess you stayed home to look after your granddaughters?”

Isaac grinned. “That’s right. Can’t do as much as I want to these days, but I’m still able to check on them and see that they get plenty of water and calamine lotion.”

Titus smiled, although he had to force it, for the butterflies in his stomach made him feel nauseous. “I really need to speak to Suzanne.”

“I’ll go see if she’s willing.” Isaac turned away, leaving Titus on the porch. He returned several minutes later. “She’s sleeping, and I didn’t want to disturb her.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Is there a message I can give Suzanne when she wakes up?” Isaac asked.

Titus slid the toe of his boot across the wooden boards on the porch, as he struggled with what to do. Finally, in desperation, he whispered, “I need Suzanne to know that my ex-girlfriend from Pennsylvania is here.”

“What’s that?” Isaac cupped his hand around his ear. “With you whispering like that I couldn’t make out what you said.”

Titus motioned for Isaac to step onto the porch. He didn’t want to risk waking Suzanne and having her overhear what he’d said. He really wished he could say this to her face so he could explain things to her.

Isaac grabbed his jacket from a wall peg near the door and stepped onto the porch. Then he took a seat in one of the wicker chairs, and Titus seated himself in the chair beside him.

“Now what’s this you want to tell Suzanne?” Isaac asked.

Titus repeated what he’d said before about Phoebe showing up, and was just about to say that she’d taken him by surprise, when his horse whinnied loudly.

Titus looked at the hitching rail, and was shocked to see Phoebe climb down from his buggy.

“What in the world?” He leaped off the porch and raced across the yard. “What’s going on?” he shouted at Phoebe. “What were you doing in my buggy, and how come I didn’t know you were there?”

Phoebe’s chin trembled as she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “When you said you were going to see your girlfriend, I decided I’d better come, too. Since I knew you’d never agree to that, when you went to get your horse, I hid in the back of your buggy.”

Irritation welled in Titus, and his hands shook as he held his arms tightly against his sides. “You had no right to do that, Phoebe! What were you thinking?”

Phoebe’s tears trickled onto her cheeks, and she started to sob. “Pl-please don’t yell. It—it upsets me when you yell.”

Titus felt remorse. He’d always been putty in Phoebe’s hands whenever she’d turned on the tears. He put his hand on her back and patted it gently. “I’m sorry for yelling, but you had no right to come here uninvited. I needed to speak to Suzanne alone and explain about you being here before she hears it from someone else.”

Phoebe sniffed and swiped at her tears. “I thought we could do that together. I thought if Suzanne met me and saw how much you and I care for each other, she’d understand.”

Titus stood there, too numb to say a word. Apparently nothing he’d said to Phoebe so far had sunk in. “I’m not sure if I care about you anymore,” he said firmly. “To tell you the truth, I’m not sure about anything right now.”