Made with Love (18 page)

L
ovina's heart pounded as she rode her bike away from the center of Pinecraft. The pounding wasn't from exertion. Her legs were used to the exertion. Excitement urged her on.

She'd visited the bank no less than a dozen times in the last two months, but this time she had a greater purpose than all the times before. She had to get to the bank, and she had to talk to Jason. Then she had to get home before her outing with Thomas Chupp, even though that was the last thing she wanted to spend her time on today. There was so much to think about. There were so many plans to make!

Two minutes later Lovina parked her bicycle in front of the bank and hurried in. “Is Jason Schlabach in?”

The man behind the desk shook his head. “I'm sorry. He had a meeting across town. But I'll tell him you stopped by.”

Lovina's heart fell. Her hands dropped to her side. “That's all
right. I can stop by later.” She turned to leave the building. She knew she could talk to Jason another time, but she wished she could do it now.

“Lovina!” the man called after her and she turned.

“Your father called this morning. I believe Jason has plans to meet him after lunch.”

She felt like jumping up and down with excitement, but instead she simply nodded. “Danke. Thank you. That's wonderful.”

On the way back home she rode slowly by the warehouse. She also eyed Roy Yoder's house, hoping to see Noah. She thought about stopping to tell him her father's decision, but she decided now wasn't the right time. There was an order to everything, her grandmother always told her. And when one got out of turn, one usually ended up at the end of the line.

No, she'd wait for Dat to meet with Jason. Only then would she talk to Noah. The last thing she wanted to do was jump out of place.

By the time she got back to her house Thomas was waiting. He sat in the back seat of a blue car. A driver she didn't recognize sat behind the wheel. Lovina parked her bike and hurried to the car. Thomas exited, walked around, and opened the door for her.

“I'm so sorry I kept you waiting.” She looked up to him as she slid into the seat. Instead of seeing anger on his face, she noticed a warm smile.

“Don't think anything of it, please. I was early. I was just so eager to start our day.”

They chatted in the backseat on the way to the beach. Lovina shared what it was like growing up with four sisters, and Thomas talked about growing up with twin older brothers and all the pranks they'd play on neighbors and teachers.

By the time they reached the beach Lovina felt comfortable
with Thomas, but that didn't make things easier. The driver pulled over to let them out, stating he'd be back in four hours.

Four hours?
Lovina held in a sigh. It was going to be a very long day.

Lovina walked across the parking lot with Thomas by her side, but her mind was far from this place. Trying to carry on pleasant conversation with him was the last thing on her mind.

The large beach was packed with people, even though it was September. People came this time of year to avoid the winter crowds, which she always found humorous.

As soon as they walked from the parking lot to the beach, they entered an area with pine trees, picnic tables, and playground equipment. Lovina noticed eyes upon them as they walked—she in her Amish dress and kapp and he in his homemade clothes.

She was used to that. Her whole life it had been the same. Back in Walnut Creek busloads of Englischers would come to get away from their fast-paced lives and spend time with the Plain people. Here in Sarasota, she and her sisters couldn't go to the beach without people staring.

Lovina smiled even now thinking of the surprised looks on the Englischers' faces when her younger sisters took off their dresses to reveal modest swimming suits underneath. They even gawked when Faith and Hope played a game of volleyball with other Amish youth or asked if they could join in with Englischers—as if all Amish did was sit and quilt or cook, never having any fun.

As they walked along, looking for the perfect spot on the beach, Thomas chatted about his family's drive down to Sarasota and their flat tire in the middle of nowhere.

“Our driver was old, and he couldn't change it himself.” Thomas chuckled. “But my uncle and I figured it out, which surprised him. I don't think he realized that buggies have wheels too.”

She laughed at that, and when they found a sandy spot away from the crowds, she took off her flip-flops and let her toes wiggle into the sand. White sandy beach stretched as far as she could see. Noticing her bare feet, Thomas paused, took off his sturdy black shoes and socks, and rolled up his pants.

Lovina glanced at the sky. The sun was rising higher, and she wondered what time Dat and Jason were meeting. Dat had told her last night that since the building was “For Sale by Owner” and she was paying with cash and offering a good price, he guessed the deal could move very quickly. But how long did “quickly” mean?

The sand was warm under her feet, and Lovina chided herself, telling herself to enjoy the present. Thomas spread a blanket for her and she settled in, noticing how the sun shined on his dark hair. He smiled at her and she smiled back, but although he was handsome, she didn't have the same feelings as when Noah was by her side.

There you go,
she chided herself
. You have the attention of Noah Yoder for one day and then think you have the right to be choosy.

She knew she shouldn't get her heart set on either of the two men. Lovina had a feeling that Thomas's invitation was only a chance for him to have something to do, a distraction from a quiet village. And as for Noah Yoder, one always had to be extra nice to a person who might offer you a job, right?

“I wish you could be here in season,” she said as Thomas settled down beside her. “The village smells so good. All the orange trees are ripe with fruit, the temperatures are cooler, and there are people everywhere.”

Thomas shielded his eyes and scanned the waves hitting the shore. “My dat's been before, and he's told me about the shuffleboard and volleyball games.”

“And there is music and singing on Birky Street in the evenings. They line up chairs and near fill the streets.”

“It sounds like I'll have to visit again in a few months.” He scooted next to her, closer than she thought he ought. “Which won't be a problem since Dat and Mem put an offer on the house. It looks like they'll be staying. Will you be around?”

Instead of looking at Thomas she looked to the water, focusing on the seagulls that floated over the waves looking for their lunch. “Ja, I hope to be here for a while. I can't imagine returning to Ohio without Mem and Dat.” She thought about telling him about the warehouse and the pie shop. She considered telling him that Dat had finally agreed to her dream, but something felt wrong about that. Thomas might be interested, but Noah would be thrilled. She smiled even now considering how much fun he was going to have entering the warehouse and looking through all the items left behind.

“So you've decided to make Pinecraft home?” Disappointment was clear in Thomas's voice. He leaned forward and picked up a handful of sand, letting it fall through his fingers.

“I mean, if there were other reasons to go back I'd consider it.” She looked at him, attempting to focus on this moment, on Thomas, the best she could. “I like it up north too. It's not that I didn't enjoy living there. It's just that everyone who's important to me is here. If there were a reason to return. If I were to marry and…well, that could change things.” The words were out before Lovina knew why, and wondered if she'd been too forward. “Ja, I've learned one never knows what tomorrow will bring, that's all.”

Heat rose to her cheeks. Had she really just implied to this man—one she hardly knew—that if she met someone special she'd return up north? Lovina pressed her lips together, reminding
herself that it really didn't matter. Thomas would go back north soon himself, and that would be the end of that. And by tomorrow, hopefully, she'd know more details about the warehouse. Then it wouldn't matter if she never won a bachelor's heart. At least she'd have something meaningful to pour her time into.

“Have you ever been to Somerset, Pennsylvania?” Thomas asked.

“No, but I've read about it in
The Budget
.”

“Oh, I'm sure
The Budget
can't fully describe it. That's where our farm—my farm—is. It's a small community. We actually have a meetinghouse, like here in Pinecraft. There are rolling hills and winding dirt roads. No matter the season the drive is always pretty.” Thomas's eyes brightened as he spoke of the place, and she wondered if that was the look she got in her eyes when she talked about her pie shop.

“It sounds like a lovely place.”

“It is, especially in the summer. Nothing like this hot muggy air. My sister is a schoolteacher, but she will only be working one more year.”

A seagull swooped down, but noticing they had nothing interesting on their blanket, it flew away.

“So she's getting married?”

Thomas nodded. “Ja, although it's not published yet.” Then, noticing the seagulls, he pulled out a paper bag with lunch. “Some for us and some for the birds.” He smiled and handed her a sandwich, muffin, and bottle of water. She thanked him and took a drink.

Lovina tilted her head and eyed him. Instead of looking at her, as he'd been doing all day, he was tossing pieces of bread crust to the sea gulls. His mood changed, and she wondered why. He'd been so eager to talk before, and now he was hesitant.

She took a big bite from her sandwich and eyed the muffin. Her guess was that his Aunt Vera had made them. Her blueberry streusel muffins were always requested at special gatherings. Lovina knew that having her family in town was good enough reason to bake.

“I hear that you taught school for two years,” he said, trying to sound casual.

Her sandwich was halfway to her mouth when he spoke. A rush of emotion ran over her, and suddenly her stomach turned, feeling sick. Is that what this was all about? Was he interested in her because their community needed a
schoolteacher?

Thomas glanced at her and frowned. “Are you all right? Your face…it just turned very red. It's not too much sun, is it?”

“Sun?” She glanced overhead and then shook her head. “It might be. I don't know. It is warm out here.” She took another bite of her sandwich, but what had tasted delicious before now tasted like cardboard in her mouth.

“So did you teach school?” Thomas asked again.

“Oh, ja, in a one-room schoolhouse where we lived in Walnut Creek.”

Thomas dug his bare toes into the sand. “Did you like it?”

Lovina shrugged. “It was fine. Nothing I'd want to do again. Unless I had to.” She thought again about telling him about the warehouse, about her pie shop and her plans to remodel, but where the words had spilled out with Noah yesterday, today they balled up in the center of her throat.

“Teaching school takes a special person,” he added. Then he finished off his sandwich and turned to her. Uncertainty still filled his face. “Are you sure you don't need to cool off? We can walk to the edge of the water.”

“Ja, I'd like that.”

They walked to the water and walked side by side for a while. Once, when a wave came in fast, splashing upon her legs, Lovina rushed out of the way and found herself crashing into Thomas. He caught her, keeping her from tumbling to the ground. He held her arms longer than she expected him to.

He helped her steady herself. “You all right?”

She nodded. “Ja.”

His gaze moved from her eyes to her lips and for a moment she wondered if he was going to kiss her. Her heartbeat quickened, but she smiled awkwardly and pulled away. Then, as they continued down the beach, they walked closer than before and every now and then their fingers brushed each other's.

Lovina sighed as she took in the scent of the ocean, the roar of the waves, and the feeling of the sun on her skin. She couldn't think of a more romantic setting or a more beautiful day. It was a moment she never expected to experience, not really. So why was there a sense of anxiousness in her gut?