Love’s Journey Home (42 page)

Enthusiasm poured from the young girl. Seth trotted after her. Gabriel settled his
hat back on his head and watched as the group of children flocked around Seth, carrying
him into their game. The teacher would have a fine time getting them settled down
on the first day of school.

He turned back toward the buggy. Beyond it he saw Helen standing next to her buggy.
He could tell from the guilty look on her face she’d been watching him. She looked
as if she might climb into her buggy and run away. In fact, she immediately grasped
the handle and started to haul herself up.

“Helen. Wait.”

She stopped, one hand still on the buggy, but she didn’t speak. He wished she would.
If she’d start the conversation, he could find a way to keep it up. The starting part—that
was the part that gave him trouble.

He strode toward her, wanting to say something. He only had a few yards to figure
out what that something would be. She stood motionless, looking like a roly-poly robin
in her brown dress that had just a hint of red in it, nothing garish or bright. “How
are you?”

That wasn’t it.

“Fine.”

Not helpful. “I mean, I haven’t had a chance to talk to you since supper the other
night.”

“Three weeks ago, you mean?”

“With the store and the house and the children, time has gotten away from me.” That
didn’t mean he hadn’t thought of her. “I thought I might have time in the evenings,
but the girls…”

“No excuses necessary.”

“Or no excuses accepted?”

He wanted his angry retort back immediately. What was it about this woman who got
his back up every time they ran into each other?

“Gabriel! Gabriel!” Bethel came flying across the front yard of the school. “How are
you? Good of you to stop by. We plan to have a parent meeting to talk some about the
curriculum next week. You’ll be there?”

“I will.”

Gabriel glanced at Helen, waiting for her to join in. Surely, she would come to the
curriculum meeting as well. All the parents did. To his surprise, sharp emotions were
tumbling across her face. She harbored jealousy toward the teacher. Why on earth?
Bethel was tall for a woman and thin and she had a nice face, but she had none of
that earthiness that made it hard for Gabriel to dismiss Helen from his mind. She
had a roundness that made him want to touch her, much as he tried not to think about
it. Beauty in the eyes of the beholder? Not beauty. An inner strength that fought
with insecurity and a kind nature that made her a caring mother. These qualities would
make her a good fraa. If he could stop putting his foot in his mouth about her son.
Instead, help her to guide Edmond and let her help him guide Abigail. Together they
could be a team.

If he ever learned to control his tongue.

“Helen, what about you?” Bethel turned to Helen. “Your girls are getting so big. I
might ask Naomi to be my helper this year.”

“She’d be honored.” Helen’s frown stretched into a smile. Proud, no, grateful, mother
appeared. “Thank you, Bethel. Naomi tries hard, and she’ll be so pleased to help you.
I’d best be going. I need to take some jams and jellies into the bakery this morning.”

Gabriel opened his mouth to say something, anything, but the two women were already
turning away, each going on with their day’s tasks.

“Time to go in, children. The first day of school has begun,” Bethel called. She clapped
her hands. “Let’s begin on the right foot, shall we? Everyone in.”

Gabriel took a step toward Helen, willing her to wait until the children filed into
the school. She looked up at him, then looked away. When she started to climb into
the buggy, he put his hand on hers. He heard the audible breath she took. Startled
at his own forwardness, he withdrew it. To his relief she stayed put, her cheeks scarlet,
but her gaze steady on him.

Seth waved as he went by and then disappeared through the school door. When the door
closed, Gabriel breathed. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Helen raised her eyebrows and climbed into the buggy. This time
she didn’t stop. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“I’ve done nothing but criticize and judge.”

“Jah.”

“Why is this so hard?” Gabriel flung his hands up in self-defense. “I want to do this,
but I don’t know how to find a balance. They’re my children.”

“And Edmond is mine. He’s not perfect. Not one of us is. Only Jesus.” She looked down
at him. “You have to decide if you’ll trust me to be a good mother to my son and daughters.
If you’ll trust me to be that for your children someday. If you do, then all I know
is that it’s the man’s job to court. It’s a woman’s job to wait for him to do so.”

“The man’s job is harder.”

“You’re wrong about that.” She looked down at him, then shook the reins and clucked.
The buggy jolted forward, leaving Gabriel standing there in the dust kicked up by
the wheels.

“Nee. Don’t go,” he said, but he knew she couldn’t hear him. She couldn’t hear the
jumble of thoughts. His own dilemma. Should he uproot his family again? Or should
he try to make Bliss Creek work? With Helen at his side, he could make it work. “Don’t
go. Stay here with me.”

A
nnie shifted the basket of baked goodies into the crook of her arm and smoothed her
apron with the other. She’d never been to an Englisch wedding. She’d feared Luke would
say no, but he’d surprised her by simply nodding and telling her to carry his good
wishes to Charisma and her policeman. Even Leah looked a little wistful at the idea.
She hoped Charisma would like the Broken Star patchwork quilt they’d recently finished
at a quilting frolic. Its burgundies and blues looked so pretty together.

Annie glanced at Helen. She carried the quilt, carefully wrapped in soft white tissue
paper. She looked as nervous as Annie felt. Together, they slipped through the door
of the small white building with its steeple and its colorful stained glass windows.
Annie had heard the church’s bell ring many times during her growing-up years, but
she’d never been inside. Curious, she glanced around. One big room was filled with
wooden pews. Not that much different from a barn filled with wooden benches. Except
for the piano. The pews were full at least three-quarters of way back. Garlands of
sunflowers and daisies had been intertwined and strewn from pew to pew, giving the
sanctuary a festive air.

“Bride or groom?” asked a young man dressed in a blue suit with a bow tie askew. He
held a stack of folded papers in his hands, which he bent back and forth in a nervous
gesture.

“I’m sorry?”

“Bride or groom. Which side do you want to sit on?”

Perplexed, Annie looked at Helen. She shrugged. Annie turned back to the young man
who was running a bony hand through his hair, making it stand up in dark spikes. “We
would like to sit with the other women.”

He frowned. “Are you friends of the bride or the groom?”

“Both.”

Annie had never heard of the idea of dividing people up this way. Weren’t they all
there to support the taking of the vows by two people who professed to love each other?

“Annie. Mrs. Crouch.” Officer Bingham lumbered toward them. Annie had never seen him
out of uniform before. He wore the same blue suit as the young man, but the buttons
on the white shirt underneath it looked in danger of being flung to the far reaches
by the pressure of his protruding belly. “I got this, Frankie. Charisma asked me to
save a spot for you right up front next to Mrs. Bolton from the restaurant. She’s
keeping an eye on the kiddoes.”

Annie would have preferred a spot at the back, but she obediently followed Officer
Bingham. He took the wedding present from Helen and laid it on the table in the corner
with stacks of wrapped gifts with silver bows and sparkly paper. Muttering appreciative
sounds under his breath, he set Annie’s basket on the table with an almost reverent
touch. “Snickerdoodles and monster cookies,” he whispered as if to himself.

“I didn’t know if we should have brought food for the wedding dinner.” Annie looked
at the piles of presents. She didn’t see any food. “I thought of a cake, but I imagine
they have one.”

“Oh, you can take this over to the restaurant after.” Officer Bingham looked like
he might take it for her, given the chance. She doubted a single cookie would make
its destination.

“The restaurant?”

“Yeah, Mrs. Bolton closed for the rest of the day so the boss and his bride can have
the reception and dance there. She’s making all the barbecue, and she isn’t charging
them a dime.”

Annie studied her hands. They could come to an Englisch wedding, but she knew better
than to think that extended to a dance. “It’s very nice of her. She’s making this
an even more special day for Charisma.”

“And for the boss. I never seen a man so in love.”

“Are you married, Officer Bingham?”

“It’s Joe, and no ma’am, no way.”

Annie laughed at his emphatic tone. “But you think it’s great for the boss?”

“He’s a lot more relaxed—at least he will be when all this wedding stuff is over.
It’s been making him crazy. He says he wants to settle down with his wife and kids.
Those kids are awful lucky. He’s already a daddy to them.”

“I’m happy for all of them.”

“Me too.” Officer Bingham snatched a cookie from the basket, a grin on his face. “Me
too. I get cookies and wedding cake. He gets all the headaches.”

With that definitive statement, he turned and led them along the side aisle to the
first row of pews. At the front of the chapel stood Chief Parker—Dylan—dressed in
yet another blue suit with a bow tie. Did all English weddings require such a suit?
Next to him stood a man Annie didn’t know but he looked an exact replica of Dylan,
maybe a tad bit younger. He also wore the blue suit. Dylan grinned and nodded when
he saw Annie and Helen. He lifted his hand and gave them a wave, followed by a thumbs-up
sign. Annie glanced around, then returned the thumbs up, feeling like a kitten in
a barn full of puppies.

Once seated, Helen turned to Annie and whispered, “Have you ever seen the citizens
of Bliss Creek so dressed up? I never thought they’d make such a fuss over Charisma.”

Music began to play. It emanated from the front of the chapel where an older lady
with hair piled up several inches over her head in a thick plait played the piano.
Chattering ceased and all heads turned toward the back of the church.

Little Gracie traipsed down the middle of the aisle in a white frilly dress and white
shiny shoes, a basket of flower petals hanging from one arm. Smiling from ear to ear,
she flung the rose petals about in front of her with such enthusiasm they floated
into the laps of those closest to the aisle. A murmur of soft laughter floated through
the chapel. Annie couldn’t begin to imagine what the purpose of the petals could be.

Then everyone stood as Charisma started down the aisle toward her husband-to-be.

Annie couldn’t help but think of Isaac when seeing the look on Dylan Parker’s face
as he stood at the front of the chapel, waiting for his beloved. Charisma had two
children from another man. She was sassy, stubborn, and an incurable cynic. But Dylan
loved her and he was willing to take her, warts and all.

Isaac claimed to have those feelings for her. Despite her stubbornness, her cheekiness,
her reluctance. Like Dylan, he would take the woman he loved and her child, knowing
the two were inseparable. Annie had never been a cynic. She’d always believed in love.
Isaac believed in her.

That Annie should be so blessed for a second time.

And then she turned her thoughts from Isaac and focused on the couple at the front
of the church. She didn’t want to miss the happy moment when Dylan Parker and Charisma
vowed to love, honor, and cherish each other from this day forward—the moment they
became husband and wife.

She wanted a moment like that of her own.

G
abriel mopped his face and glanced at the sky as he climbed into his buggy. Black,
menacing clouds scudded overhead. A moist wind slapped him in the face like a damp
washcloth that clung to his skin. Thunder rumbled. Lightning answered, quick and razor-sharp.
What a day for Seth to leave his lunchbox on the kitchen counter. With the second
week of school underway, he should have his routine down by now. The boy showed signs
of being a scatterbrain sometimes. Gabriel had work to do, and his mood hadn’t improved
as he spent his days repairing equipment and his nights wondering what to do about
Helen. Her words still rang in his ears.
A man’s job to do the courting
. He wanted to do it, but something kept him from showing up at her house, flashlight
in hand. Pride? Surely not. Fear? He was a man, not a boy. Then what?

All the grumpier at the thoughts he couldn’t corral, Gabriel slapped the reins and
the buggy took off with a jolt. Better he focus on what he knew how to do. Isaac had
left early to deliver a repaired hay mower to the Yoders. Samuel had followed shortly
after that to work for Thaddeus. That left Gabriel to run this errand. A trip to the
schoolhouse would delay his arrival at the shop. That would mean he wouldn’t finish
converting the wringer wash machine to propane until after lunch. Michael Glick would
be waiting at the door for him.