Temptation (A Temptation Novel) (37 page)

Noah was studying my dad now with a look of anticipation.

“Yes, that would probably be appropriate under the circumstances.” Dad’s voice was guarded, and I couldn’t read anything into his words.

“Rebecca and I have agreed to allow Noah to court your daughter,” Mr. Miller said, with the more important issue of turning Amish still hidden from Dad.

Dad seemed to suddenly relax. Exhaling in relief, he said, “Oh, Amos, is that what you wanted to talk to me about?” He paused, smiling around the table. “Well, I’m perfectly fine with Rose dating your son.”

Even the girlfriend seemed to breathe easier. In the far reaches of my mind, I wondered, why the heck would she care so much?

Mr. Miller frowned slightly, looking from Noah to me and back again, before turning toward Dad and saying, “David, I don’t think you understand what I’m saying to you.” After a heavy breath, he continued, “We have only agreed to allow Noah to court your daughter because she has made the decision to…become Amish.”

The words hung in the air like clothes on a wash line, just glaringly out there in the open. I risked a peek at Dad’s face to witness it go from shock to fury. Dad was usually a pretty coolheaded guy, but when he was mad about something—watch out. The poor Miller family didn’t know what they were in for, and I braced in the seat, closing my eyes tight.

Dad’s uncomfortable laugh snapped my eyes back open, when he scoffed, “You’re kidding, right?”

Calm as a cucumber, Mr. Miller countered, “No, I’m perfectly serious. Our children have fallen in love, and I tried to stop it from happening, without success. Then I attempted to keep them apart, with tragic consequences. After praying to the Lord about the matter, I found peace that these young people should be together.”

“Look, Amos, I’m fine with them dating, but there is no way on this earth we live on that I will allow Rose to become Amish,” he said with angry certainty.

Mr. Miller was more determined than I ever imagined when he continued to hammer away at Dad, saying, “I understand that you wouldn’t want your child to walk a different path than that which you chose for yourself, but you must consider her desires in the matter.”

Oh, great. Now Dad’s head swiveled sharply to me and with squinting eyes, he demanded, “What is going on, Rose? Did you actually tell these people you were going to join their cult?”

Cult
was a harsh word, I thought, but seeing Noah’s reassuring gaze on me, I found the strength to stand up to Dad and inform him in a slightly quivering voice, “Dad, I love Noah with all my heart. We’re meant to be together. Can’t you see that?”

“But what does this have to do with you becoming Amish?”

“It’s just the way it has to be, sir,” Noah interrupted. Now Dad’s wrath was directed at him.

“If you think I’m going to let my daughter drop out of school to live in your antifeminist world, you’re delusional,” he said scathingly.

Mr. Miller said in a louder voice, still in pretty good control of his emotions, though, “I anticipated your feelings about the education part of this issue, and I talked to our bishop and the other ministers about this matter. We all agreed that Rose would be allowed to continue studying her learning materials in the home of the Amish family she lives with during the courtship.”

A loud snort from Sam reminded me that the big lug was still in the room, and I shot the meanest look I could manage at him. I was disappointed when he just snickered at me.

The conversation was over when Dad abruptly stood, grabbing my arm and hoisting me out of the chair, as if I was a garbage bag, half-full. I caught Noah’s enraged expression as he gripped the arms of the chair ready to bolt his still-broken body up, until his dad’s hand caught his shoulder, holding him down.

Tears began spilling out of my eyes uncontrollably, and the wet gasp that erupted from my mouth caused Dad to loosen his hold on me slightly. Simultaneously, the girlfriend was beside me, with her arm tightly around my waist. I didn’t want to lean on her, but my stupid body felt all weak with the realization that Noah and I were still being kept apart. I pushed my face into her embrace against my better judgment just before I saw Sam’s eyes widen as he rose from his chair. “This conversation is over, Amos. I’m sorry, but I think it’s best if these kids take a break from each other for a while.” He didn’t sound remorseful in the least as he pushed his girlfriend, still supporting me, toward the door.

I heard Noah say frantically, “Do something, Father.”

“There’ll be no talking to him right now, son. It’s better to leave him be for a while.”

Dad stopped at the doorway, while his girlfriend continued to hustle me toward the car, still gripping me tightly. I glanced over my shoulder to see him go back in the house, causing my heart to stumble at the thought of what he was doing. Even at the growing distance, his voice was loud and clear as he said, “Don’t go convincing yourselves that I’ll change my mind on this issue either, because I won’t. Just forget about her, Noah—find yourself an Amish girl and leave Rose the hell alone. And if you don’t stop pursuing her, damn it, she’s still a minor and I’ll get the law involved.”

The warm August evening air folded around me as we reached the car, and I thought to myself how perfect the night could have been if Dad had seen reason. Somehow he caught up with us and I found myself being shoved into the car like a criminal, before he jumped in and revved the engine. With a spray of gravel, Dad backed up and peeled forward down the driveway. The ride home was like a wispy cloud to my battered mind. Although I vaguely noticed Sam sitting quietly beside me, I made no effort to make eye contact with him.

Locking myself in my room, I cried myself out. Lying in the dusky light on my bed, after all my emotional noises were spent, I heard raised voices downstairs. Curiosity pushed some of my grief aside, and I tiptoed into the hallway and down the stairs.

To my dismay, Sam was sitting on the bottom step already listening to the voices coming from the family room around the corner. With only mild hesitation, and without looking in his direction, I joined him. He ignored me with the same conviction I had used on him earlier, thankfully.

“That’s insane, Tina. I can’t believe you’d even suggest such a thing!”

“Just listen to me, David. Love is the most powerful emotion in the world, and if these kids feel that strongly for each other, they’ll find a way to be together. If you aren’t careful about this, they’ll just run off some night, and you won’t hear from your daughter for years—if ever.” Her voice was emotionally charged.

“I think you’re being a little dramatic about it,” he mocked, a strange tone coming from his usual friendly voice.

“I minored in psychology, and one of my interests was adolescent behavior. I would bet money that if those two don’t run off, then she’ll get pregnant—is that what you want?” she asked bluntly. I was surprised that this woman, whom I had despised for weeks, was now my number-one advocate.

“Of course I don’t want that to happen to her. But I can control her at this point.” He seemed to be wavering a little bit.

“Oh, don’t fool yourself about that. Now that she has another man in her life that she thinks can take care of her, you’ve already lost your hold.” She spoke softer, and I strained to hear.

“God, if we hadn’t made this damn move, none of this would have happened. She would still be focused on doing her dancing and going to vet school.”

“Some things are just meant to be.”

“Why the hell did she have to grow up so fast? I feel like I’ve already lost her.” His voice was drained of emotion, empty.

“You haven’t been listening to me. You haven’t lost her,
yet.
I think if you go ahead and let her spend a few weeks with this Amish family, wearing those horrid dresses and bonnets and following all their rules, she’ll be begging you to come home. Then it will be her decision, so she won’t be automatically rebelling against your authority.”

“But what if she doesn’t? What if I go through with this craziness, and she likes being Amish. Then what?” His words were full of turmoil.

Silence filled the air and when Tina did speak again her voice was so low I had to quickly creep to the doorway to hear her. Sam followed me, and holding his breath, he leaned over my head to listen.

“I guess there is the chance that could happen, but I highly doubt it. And just think about it, these Amish people would take good physical care of her. And they are so strict she’d probably get in less trouble with them than she would here, being in this big house without adult supervision while you’re at the hospital.”

“Do you really think I should let her do this, Tina?” he asked, sounding pained.

“I don’t think you have a lot of choices. Either you put her on lockdown and hire a security guard for her, or you let her experience this lifestyle and make up her own mind to walk away from it. Remember, no matter what you do, she’ll be eighteen in no time at all. If she’s kept away from him until then, she’ll probably rush right into marriage with the guy right when her birthday arrives, which I’m sure you don’t want either.”

For what seemed like a few minutes, there was dead silence, then Dad spoke. “Okay, then. I’ll take the biggest gamble of my life with my daughter’s future, and we’ll wait and see where the chips fall.”

Then there was the muffled sound of kissing, and I stepped back from the door, jogging lightly up the stairs. Before I got the door shut, Sam appeared, not surprising me in the least.

“You know, Rose, if you do this you’re making a huge mistake,” he said.

But I was too happy to let him bring me down.

“Why don’t you focus on your relationship with the Barbie doll and leave me alone, Sam. I appreciate all your concern, really I do, but you’re wrong this time.”

Amazingly, he let me shut the door.

I waited patiently for Dad and Tina to come to my room and tell me the news. Yes, she had a name now, and I was beginning to feel as if she was my best friend in the world after what she’d done for me.

It was a bit awkward, because I had to act surprised. I figured I did a pretty good job, but I’ll probably never know if they realized I’d been eavesdropping. I hugged them both—Tina harder—and an hour later when they finally felt they’d covered every possible point of the discussion, they left me alone.

The door hardly had time to click shut before I was on the phone.

“Hello?”

It was Noah. I wondered briefly if he’d been out there in the shed with his still-damaged body, lying on some hay bale, waiting for me to call him.

“Noah, it’s me.”

“Are you okay, sweetheart?” he asked tensely.

“I’m good, Noah—real good, actually,” I teased him.

“Why, what’s going on?” His voice was clipped.

“Tina managed to talk Dad into letting me become Amish,” I squeaked happily into the phone.

“Are you sure, Rose? Your father was so against it earlier.”

“Well, there is a little catch,” I said quietly.

“What catch?” Now he sounded tired.

“Dad and Tina think that I won’t like being Amish and that I’ll want to come home after a little while. That’s why Dad’s letting me do it—kind of reverse psychology or something.”

Silence followed for an unbearably long time, and I was about to ask what he was thinking, when he said, “Do you think that will happen, Rose?”

Sighing into the phone for effect, I said with surety, “Of course not, Noah. By the time Dad realizes that I’m really going to convert, I’ll be eighteen and then he won’t be able to say a thing.”

“I don’t know if your father will give up that easily, but it’s definitely a start for us.” He still sounded doubtful.

“I love you, Noah.” I tempted him into loosening up.

“I love you, too…. So when is this all going to take place?”