The Memory Jar (12 page)

“Breakfast.” Jathan rubbed his stomach. “When we get down to town, I’m heading over to the restaurant.”

Laughter burst from Sarah’s mouth. “Yer not thinking about wrapping up in a quilt and sitting before a warm fire? That’s what I am looking forward to the most.”

“Sarah, do you really think I’d be considering heat more than food?” He smiled. “You have a
Dat
and
brieder
. Don’t you know how much earnest thinking men put into their meals? In fact, one of my
brieder
told me food was one of the reasons he stayed Amish after
Rumspringa
. Because most
Englisch
women don’t know how to cook. It’s a joke, of course … but there’s a ring of truth.”

Sarah laughed. “
Ach
, I can see that. Maybe he’s not the only one. I have a feeling many an Amish man was corralled by the scents drifting out of an Amish woman’s kitchen.”

She shook the pine needles off Jathan’s shirt and then handed it to him. “You better put this on, or it’s not gonna look right when we’re rescued.”

“Rescued? What do you mean rescued? I’ve already rescued you.” He jutted out his chin. “You watch. We’re going to make it to the gate before they even get a chance to send anyone up the trail.”

Sarah looked up the hill. She stood clumsily to her feet. “I’m not so sure about that. I’m gonna have to take it easy like.

I’ll do the best I can, but I’ll most likely need to lean on you for support.”

“Wait now.” He stepped closer to her. “That’s not going to work.” Jathan opened his arms, and before she knew what was happening, he scooped up Sarah like a father scooping up a five-year-old.

Instinctively, Sarah’s arms went around Jathan’s neck. Her cheek was just slightly lower than his chin, and she felt his warm breath on her face. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been carried. Maybe when she was a toddler in
Dat
’s arms. This was completely different.

Because of Jathan’s muscled arms around her, Sarah’s skin smoldered like the dying campfire embers. He felt warm. Safe. At that moment, Sarah knew something else too. They’d entered these woods as almost strangers, but now they were leaving as friends … and maybe something more.

She dared to glance up into his smiling face. He was looking at her. Studying her. There was the same care and attention in his gaze that she’d seen yesterday, but now she understood it, understood him.

Jathan wasn’t awkward; he was timid, yet caring. He had humor in his gaze when he looked at her not because he was making fun of her, but because she made him smile.

“I’ll get you out of here. I know the way.”

She didn’t argue. Instead she hung on tightly as he climbed the path that would take them to the rock slide trail.

“If that’s true, if you know the way, then why didn’t we head out last night?” she teased.

“I wasn’t sure in the dark, but now that I can see the mountains, I’m sure I can find the trail.”

“Just as long as you don’t get us lo —”

“Lost?” He finished for her. “We’re already lost, Sarah.”
Instead of getting angry, he smiled. “But I have no plans to stay that way.”

Something in Jathan’s eyes made her want to believe him. She looked deeper. No, it was more than that. He wanted to succeed. He
needed
to succeed.

Instead of looking around to make sure he was going the right way, she relaxed in his arms. Her legs dangled. The pain in her ankle hadn’t lessened after all — not really. Even the movement of its swaying hurt. She never would have been able to walk out of these woods. Jathan had realized that.

He moved with steady steps and watched his footing closely.

“I’m not a glass vase,” she said, not much louder than a whisper, after they made it a little way up the trail.

“Excuse me?”

“If you drop me, I won’t break, I promise.”

“Is that what you thought before you hurt yer ankle?” He stepped upward with deliberate steps and sucked in deep breaths.

“That’s not funny.”

“I know. That’s why I’m going to make sure you don’t get hurt any worse.”

“Thank you.”

He walked for a while, and she tried not to stare at his face, but she couldn’t help but notice his strong jaw, the stubble on his chin, and the small scar over his eye.

“How did you get your scar?” She lifted her hand, instinctively wanting to touch the scar, before lowering it again.

He pulled back his head and winced. “It happened a long time ago.”

“Did that happen when you fell out of one of those trees?”

“No.” He shook his head. “After that. I don’t mean to be vague, but it isn’t one of my favorite memories. I would like to
tell you sometime, but …” His breathing grew labored as the path rose up the hill. “Another time would be better.”

“
Ja
, of course, I understand.” And she did.

There were stories about Patty Sarah hadn’t shared with anyone, like the day they’d worked on Patty’s quilt. Sarah hoped she could share someday. In a strange way, it was the happiest moments with her friend that would be the hardest to share. But things would get better. Sarah had a feeling the more she shared, the easier it would be.

And what if instead of holding back, Sarah stepped out and started becoming the person Patty had seen her as? What would it be like to allow herself to be creative in the kitchen and open-hearted to those she served — the Amish and
Englisch
alike?

Patty always told Sarah she should own her own bakery because she had both cooking skills and a love for people, but what would that really mean? Would her Amish community accuse her of being too independent? It just wasn’t something a young Amish woman did. More than that, the West Kootenai was a small place. There wasn’t a need for two bakeries, let alone one that specialized in
fancy
.

And what about Jathan? How did he fit into everything? Sarah couldn’t imagine leaving these woods and not having him in her life.

As Sarah rested in his arms as he walked up the hill, she knew one thing. Jathan wouldn’t shrink away from carrying her through the rough patches.

She leaned her cheek into his neck. She had a feeling her question from now on would continue to be,
What about Jathan?

The only time Jathan set Sarah down was when they stopped at the spring by Lake Geneva and filled their water bottles. He’d found the trail easily enough and had insisted on taking her to the bottom of the hill. That included carrying her as he walked down the rock slide.

Not wanting to look, Sarah had clung to his shirt and pressed her forehead into his neck. He was steady on his feet, and she never truly feared falling … but she didn’t want him to know that. She enjoyed the closeness. She had a hunch he did too.

Just as Jathan had predicted, the search-and-rescue team in their bright orange vests — along with members of their community, both Amish and
Englisch
— were gathering in the parking area behind the gate when Amos spotted Jathan carrying Sarah down the road.

“There they are!” Amos shouted.

Sarah studied the faces as they approached — her parents, Edgar, Jenny, Annie, the Carashes, the Peachy family, and numerous other friends. Sarah hadn’t seen so many Amish and
Englisch
gathered together in one place since … she swallowed hard. Since Patty’s funeral.

Her parents rushed toward them, closely followed by their friends. Sarah softly sighed and then patted Jathan’s chest. “You did it. You rescued me.”

A grin filled his face, and she could feel his chest puff up. No Amish man would ever admit pride, but she had a feeling Jathan would be retelling the story often. And even though many would know how foolish Sarah had been for veering from the main trail, Sarah was fine with it. They could gossip about her. She didn’t mind, so long as everyone also knew what a brave and kind man Jathan was. So long as her parents knew too.

She patted his chest with the palm of her hand. “
Ach
, you
can let me down now. My
Mem
was quite concerned when she heard that some of the bachelors had seen me without my
kapp
. I bet she’s even more worried now. To see this with her own eyes and to know that word will get out that we walked out of the woods with me in yer arms. Who’s going to want to be caught by me now?”

“Do you want to catch a bachelor?” Jathan asked as he gently set her down.

The question caught her off guard, and her ankle ached as soon as her foot touched down. She stumbled slightly. Sarah grabbed Jathan’s arm to steady herself.

“Uh,
ne
,” she answered. “I’m not wanting to catch anyone … else.” She swallowed hard and squeezed his arm. She couldn’t believe she’d added that last word, but seeing his face brighten, she continued, “What is the
Englisch
saying, ‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush’?”

Jathan chuckled, his laugher causing her heart to dance. “Well, Sarah, if I’m a bird, I’m a big one. But I don’t mind being caught, not one bit.”

“Sarah!” Her mother reached her first, wrapping her arms around Sarah’s shoulders. “Are you cold, hungry? We need to get you home.”

Dat
hugged her next, pulling her close. “Sarah, yer well. Look at you, yer safe. W-we …”
Dat
’s voice trailed off. “We were so worried.”

“
Ja
, me too, at least for a while, but then … God sent help.
Mem, Dat
, I want you to meet Jathan.”

They barely had time to greet him before the rest of the rescue party approached.

A tall man in an orange vest waited patiently while everyone offered Sarah hugs and Jathan handshakes, and then he stepped forward.

“Are both of you okay?”

“
Ja
, I am.” Sarah looked up at Jathan. “Are you? What about yer foot?”

“What about
your
foot?” Jathan looked down at Sarah’s ankle. “Yer the one who can’t walk more than ten steps.”

“I can too.” She scowled at him. “I’m sure I can walk eleven.” She laughed.

Dat
cleared his throat and only then did Sarah realize how things must look. Jathan had just been carrying her and now — after a night spent together in the woods — they were harassing each other like an old married couple. Sarah bit her lip and attempted to be serious.

“
Ja
, my ankle hurts very much. My friend is right. I can’t walk on it much at all.” She emphasized the word
friend
.

“Well, Miss —” The
Englisch
man put a hand on her shoulders —”we’re so glad you’re out of those woods. We also like happy endings like this. Can you do us a favor?”

“What’s that?”

“Can you let these kind paramedics take a look at your ankle? I don’t want them to leave disappointed that they didn’t get to offer any help.” He turned to Jathan. “And you, too, sir. Even if there’s not much we can do, it’ll make us feel good after having come all this way.”

Jathan nodded, even though she could tell he felt foolish for having a bruise and slight burn checked out.

Sarah tried to show more enthusiasm. “
Ja
, yes, of course. I appreciate you coming, but I want to assure everyone that I was in very good hands. Jathan protected me completely. Honored me as any noble man should.”

Sarah didn’t have to look up into Jathan’s face to know he was smiling. She saw his smile reflected in her father’s gaze
and knew that Jathan would be a welcome visitor to their home, whenever he had that chance.

And as Sarah limped over to the paramedics, she prayed a secret prayer that the chances would be often.

She felt God had brought her Jathan to be a balm, to help heal the pain of her loss. And she was glad for that, because when she did decide to marry, she wanted to offer a whole and healed heart to her husband.

And maybe, just maybe, the man who helped heal her heart would be the one to benefit from it, to claim it for himself. Even though it was too soon to think about such things, Sarah smiled more broadly. It seemed just the way God would work.

At least they had months for time to tell. Months to get to know each other better and come to the place where they could share their hardest stories while also creating memories of their own.

S
arah plopped herself down on a chair and elevated her foot on a stepping stool. The bell on the front door jingled, and she considered getting up to see who it was, but then she changed her mind. Anyone coming into the West Kootenai Kraft and Grocery this early in the morning was no doubt a regular. And if they’d been around the store more than a few times, they’d know where to find her.

She held the measuring cup in her hand and watched the doorway. A tall figure moved her direction and her heart leaped in her chest. It still surprised her how Jathan walked so gracefully for a man his size.

Seeing her, he paused in the doorway and crossed his arms over his chest. “I cannot believe that yer here, working, jest one day after you’ve been rescued from the perilous woods.”

“Of course you can. That’s why you came, because you
hoped
I would be. Isn’t that the truth?”

His neck grew red, and he rubbed it. “
Ja
, you caught me. I suppose that’s the truth. But even though I expected you would be here, I also hoped you’d rest a while. It was a hard couple of days.”

Sarah picked up a cookbook on the counter and flipped through it, but she wasn’t sure why. She already knew what she was going to make. She also knew the recipe by heart. Maybe she diverted her attention because she was fearful of looking too closely into Jathan’s gaze. Not because she didn’t want to look at him; she did. Mostly because she feared that the connection they’d experienced yesterday wouldn’t be there. Or perhaps wouldn’t be as strong now that they were safe and had returned to their normal routines.

“I couldn’t stay home. Sitting on my bed doing nothing is the worst type of punishment. ‘Idleness is the nest in which mischief lays its eggs,’ as my
Mem
says,” Sarah said. “I thought about staying home, but I knew Annie would need help. I also …” She lowered her head. “Well, truth is, I’d hoped to see you here too.”