A Cousin's Promise (9 page)

“What’d you come by for?” she asked. “Was it anything important?”

“Not really. I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

I’d be doing better if you hadn’t come back to Indiana.
She forced a smile. “I’m all right; just taking one day at a time.”

“That’s the best way, I guess.” Jake reached his hand out, like he might touch her, but he pulled it quickly away and turned toward his buggy.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

“See you later, Loraine,” he mumbled as he walked away.

Loraine gathered up her letters and turned toward the door.
I hope it’s awhile before I see you again, Jake,
she thought as she stepped into the house.
Being with you only confuses me.

“I’m a real idiot,” Jake berated himself as he headed for home. “I shouldn’t have tried to take Loraine’s hand. I probably shouldn’t have gone over there this morning.”

Jake flicked the reins to get his horse moving faster and continued to fume.

He’d gone over to Loraine’s place with the intent of telling her about his conversation with Wayne the day before and to see if he could tell if she might still have an interest in him. He’d changed his mind, though. If there was any chance at all of him rebuilding a relationship with Loraine, he’d have to go slow. For now, the best thing he could do was be her friend, and that’s exactly what he planned to do.

“I’m glad you were able to squeeze me in today,” Wayne said as Dr. Hopkins helped him onto the table. “My back’s so spasmed, I can barely move. Between that and the phantom pains I’ve been having, I’m about to climb the walls.”

“I took a class not long ago and learned about a technique that involves something I think might be helpful in relieving not only your back pain, but the phantom pains you’re experiencing, as well.”

“Something besides chiropractic adjustments?” Wayne asked.

The doctor nodded. “Are you familiar with acupuncture?”

Wayne nodded. “I’ve never had it done to me, though.”

“Well, there’s a fairly new technique that involves tapping one’s finger along certain acupuncture points, while stating an affirmation. If you’re willing to give it a try, I’d like to show you how it’s done.”

“With the kind of pain I’ve been having, I’m willing to try most anything.”

The doctor gave Wayne’s arm a gentle squeeze. “All right then. I’ll do some adjustments on your back, and then I’ll teach you how and where to tap, and what you’ll need to say while you’re doing it.”

Wayne rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. He didn’t know what kind of weird thing he’d agreed to try, but if there was even a remote possibility that it might help relieve his phantom pains, he’d stand on his head and wiggle his ears.

“Looks like we’re gonna have ourselves one less sheep,” Pop said when he entered the house after breakfast on Friday morning.

“What happened?” Mom asked. “Did some critter kill one of our sheep?”

“One of the young lambs got into the horses’ pasture and got her left front leg stepped on pretty bad.”

“Is she dead?” Mom asked.

Pop shook his head. “Nope, but her leg’s badly mangled. I’m afraid she’s gonna have to be put down.”

“Did you call the vet to see if he can amputate the leg?” Wayne asked from where he sat in his wheelchair near the stove.

“Nope.” Pop gave his beard a quick tug. “Even if the vet takes the ewe’s leg, she won’t be good for much.”

The hair on the back of Wayne’s neck bristled. “Did you put me down because I lost a leg? Do you think I’m good for nothing?”

Pop’s face reddened, and a muscle on the side of his neck quivered.

“Of course you’re good for something,” Mom said before Pop could respond. “You’re our only son, and we love you just as much now as we did before the accident.”

Pop nodded vigorously. “You’re mamm’s right, and I didn’t mean you were good for nothing, Wayne.”

“What did you mean?” Wayne asked.

“I meant that you can’t compare the lamb’s situation to your having lost a leg or how it’s dealt with.”

“Well, I think that ewe has as much right to live as anyone.” Wayne pointed to the stump of his leg. “I’m gonna have to adjust to only one leg, and so can the lamb.”

Pop gave his earlobe a tug. “The lamb would need a lot of care, and with all the chores I have to do, I don’t need another one right now.”

“I’ll look after it myself.”

“Oh, Wayne, do you think you’re up to that?” Mom asked.

Irritation flared in Wayne’s chest. “I’m not a complete invalid!”

“I know that, but—”

“If he thinks he can do it, then maybe we should give him the chance.” Pop squeezed Wayne’s shoulder. “I’ll go down to the phone shed and call the vet right now. If he thinks it’s a good idea to take the ewe’s leg rather than putting her down, then she’s all yours.”

Wayne smiled. It was the first genuine smile he’d been able to muster since the accident. He’d make sure that lamb survived, no matter what anyone said!

Loraine had just left the hardware store to take her lunch break when she spotted Jake in the parking lot, getting out of his buggy.

Her mouth went dry, and her palms grew sweaty. So much for trying to avoid her ex-boyfriend. She wished she had gone out the back door, but the Wana Cup Restaurant was across the street, closer to the front of the shopping center where the hardware store was located.
Maybe Jake won’t see me,
she thought as she hurried her steps. But it was too late. Jake was heading her way.

“Heard you were working here,” he said, stepping up to Loraine. “I didn’t think you’d be getting off work so early in the day, though.”

She wiped her damp hands on the sides of her dress and forced a smile. “I work until four. I’m on way over to Wana Cup for some lunch.”

Jake reached under his straw hat and scratched the side of his head. “I haven’t had lunch yet, either. Mind if I join you?”

Truthfully, she did mind. Being with Jake after all this time made her feel uncomfortable and jittery. It hadn’t always been so. Loraine used to long to be with Jake. She had felt happy and carefree back when they were together. Things were different now. She was in love with Wayne. It was too late for her and Jake.

Jake nudged her arm. “Your silence makes me wonder if you’d rather not have lunch with me.”

“It’s not that.” She didn’t want to appear rude. “I ... uh ... guess it would be okay.”

A wide smile spread across Jake’s handsome face. “Great! I’ll even treat you to an ice cream cone for dessert.”

She smiled, despite her reservations. “That does sound good.”

He nudged her again. “We’d better get going before the restaurant gets too busy with the lunch crowd, and then there’ll be no seats left for us.”

As Jake and Loraine sat at a small table near the back of the restaurant, eating burgers and fries, he studied the curves of her slender face, her ebony-colored eyes—even the smattering of freckles on her nose. Being with her again made him keenly aware that he’d missed her more than he’d realized. He knew he would have to work hard at rebuilding the walls of trust between them. Loraine had trusted him to come home, and he’d trusted her to wait for him. They’d both let each other down.

“This burger is sure good. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I started to eat.” Loraine dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a napkin.

“You’ve got a spot of mustard on your chin.” Jake reached across the table and blotted her chin with his napkin. He was pleased when she didn’t pull away.

They ate in companionable silence for a while, and then Jake decided to bring up the subject of Wayne.

“I went to see Wayne the other day.”

“Was he surprised to see you?”

He nodded. “You were right about him being depressed. He didn’t seem like himself at all.”

She reached for her soda and took a drink. “He’s not the same. Because of the accident, none of us will ever be the same.”

“I was surprised when he told me that you two had broken up. When you and I spoke, you never mentioned that.”

“We ... uh ... didn’t really break up. Wayne called off the wedding, but I’m sure when he feels better he’ll change his mind.”

“What if he doesn’t?”

“He will.”

“How do you know?”

“Because he loves me. Eventually, he’ll realize that losing his leg doesn’t mean we can’t get married.”

“What about you, Loraine? Do you love Wayne?”

“Of course I do. I wouldn’t have agreed to marry him if I didn’t.”

“Do you love him as much as you did me?”

Loraine’s face flamed. “That’s not a fair question, Jake.”

“I think it is.”

She toyed with her knife and stared at the table.

He reached over and covered her hand with his. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just need to know if the love you feel for Wayne is stronger than what you felt for me.”

Deep wrinkles formed in her forehead, and she pulled her hand away. “We shouldn’t even be having this conversation.”

“Why not?”

“Because you gave up your right to ask anything of me when you left home and didn’t come back.”

“I made a mistake; I realize that now.”

“What’s done is done. It’s in the past.”

“There’s still the future.” He laced his hands behind his head and stared at her.

“My future’s with Wayne.”

Jake was tempted to argue but decided it was best not to push. Even though Wayne had made it pretty clear the other day that he wasn’t going to marry Loraine, she seemed convinced—almost determined—that he would change his mind.

The best thing I can do,
Jake told himself,
is be patient and let Loraine know that I want to be her friend. Maybe after we spend a little more time together, she’ll realize that she loves me more than she does Wayne.

When Ada stepped into the Wana Cup Restaurant, the tangy odor of cooked onions and grilling burgers wafted up to her nose. Her stomach rumbled. She’d been running errands all morning and had worked up quite an appetite. She was also desperately in need of a cup of coffee.

She headed for the back of the restaurant, thinking she’d use the restroom before finding a table, and screeched to a halt. Loraine sat at a table on the other side of the room, and Jake Beechy sat across from her!

That sneaky fellow wasted no time in trying to get her back,
Ada fumed.
From the way she’s looking at him, I’d guess she wants that, too. I knew Loraine wasn’t right for my son. I’ve known it all along!

Ada compressed her lips as she contemplated what to do. Should she go over to their table and say something—ask what they were doing together? Or would it be better to leave the restaurant and say nothing to Jake and Loraine?

Her hands trembled as she held them tightly at her sides.
I think it would be best if I don’t make a scene here in the restaurant. I need to go home and tell Wayne what I’ve seen. He needs to know that the woman he loves was seen having lunch with another man—the man she used to date, no less.

Ada whirled around and marched out the door.

“Where’s Wayne?” Ada called to Crist as she guided her horse and buggy up to the hitching rail near their barn.

Crist motioned to the barn. “He’s in there with that crippled sheep he’s taken on as a project.”

“I need to speak to him.” Ada stepped out of the buggy. “Would you mind taking care of my horse for me?”

“Sure, I can do that.” Crist took the horse’s reins, and Ada scurried into the barn. She found Wayne sitting in his wheelchair, holding the crippled lamb in his lap.

He turned his head and smiled at her. “Tripod’s doing pretty good. I think she’s gonna make it, Mom.”

Ada tipped her head. “Tripod?”

“Jah. Just like a camera tripod that has three legs.”

She lifted her gaze to the beams overhead and rolled her eyes. “If you ask me, Tripod’s a silly name for a lamb.”

He rubbed the lamb’s ears, then patted its head. “I think it fits her just fine.”

Ada shrugged, then lowered herself to a bale of straw, smoothing the skirt of her dress as she did so. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

“There’s something I want to tell you, too.”

“What’s that?”

“When I was at the chiropractor’s having him work on my back, he showed me a new technique to try for my phantom pain.”

“Oh, what’s that?”

“It involves tapping your fingers on different acupuncture parts of the body while you make an affirmation.”

Ada’s eyebrows lifted high on her forehead. “What kind of
narrisch
treatment is that?”

“It’s not foolish. It’s proven to work on a lot of different things, and Dr. Hopkins thought I should at least give it a try.”

“And have you?”

He nodded. “It did bring some relief, so I’m going to keep doing it every day and see how it goes.”

Ada clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. “I can’t believe you’d actually try something like that! Sounds like a bunch of hooey to me, and it might even border on superstition.”

“It’s not superstition! I thought you’d be glad to know that I’ve had less pain.”

“I am glad about that, but—”

“What was it you wanted to talk to me about?” Wayne asked, feeling the need for a change of subject.

Ada’s eyes narrowed into tiny slits. “Before I left Shipshewana around noon, I decided to get some lunch at the Wana Cup Restaurant. You’ll never guess who I saw there.”

“Who was it?”

“Loraine and Jake Beechy—sitting at the same table together!”

“Why would I care about that? Loraine has a right to have lunch with anyone she pleases.” Wayne’s face reddened. “I broke up with her, remember?”

She nodded. “I just thought you’d like to know how fickle she is. Couldn’t even wait a week before she took up with her old boyfriend.”

“Like I said, she has the right to see Jake if she wants to. In fact, it’s probably for the best. Since Loraine and I won’t be getting married, she needs to move on with her life.”

“Do you truly mean that?”

He gave a slow nod.

“I’m real glad to hear it.” Ada smiled and touched his shoulder. “Since I didn’t eat lunch in Shipshewana after all, I’m going into the house to fix myself something to eat. If you haven’t eaten already, I’d be happy to fix something for you, too.”

“No thanks. Pop and I had a ham sandwich about an hour ago.”

“Wouldn’t you at least like to come inside and keep me company?”

He shook his head. “You go ahead. I’m gonna stay out here with Tripod awhile longer.”

“All right then.” Ada patted the top of Wayne’s head and left the barn, wearing a satisfied smile. It looked like she wouldn’t have to do a thing to see that Wayne didn’t marry Loraine. He’d taken care of that himself, and she was pleased that he seemed to have accepted the fact that he was better off without Loraine. She just wished there was some way to get him back with his old girlfriend again. Too bad Fern and her family had moved to Ohio.

As Loraine pedaled her bicycle home from work that afternoon, she allowed her thoughts to wander. She had enjoyed being with Jake today. Sitting in Wana Cup, eating a juicy burger, had brought back memories of the days they’d been dating. Jake was fun to be with, and his lighthearted attitude made him easy to talk to.

Of course,
she reasoned,
Wayne was easy to talk to before the accident. Now I feel like I’m talking to the barn wall whenever I visit with him. If he’d only take down the barrier he’s erected and let me get close to him again.

She blinked against stinging tears, remembering how peaceful and content she used to feel when she and Wayne were together. Now she felt as if she was skating on thin ice. Every time she opened her mouth, she was afraid she’d say the wrong thing. She thought about the verse of scripture that Ella had attached to the loaf of friendship bread she’d given her a few weeks ago. She wondered if she would ever really have the desires of her heart that Psalm 37:4 spoke of.

Of course,
she thought,
I’m not sure what my desires are anymore.
A few months ago, Loraine had known exactly what she wanted and had looked forward to the future with gladness. Now she just felt confused and frustrated.

Wayne and I will never get back together if we don’t see each other. I’ve got to go over to his place and check on him from time to time, even though he asked me not to. I’ll just have to be careful what I say when I’m near him and make sure I don’t bring up the subject of marriage.

Loraine turned her bike up the road leading to the Lambrights’ place. She would stop there right now and say hello to Wayne before she went home.

She left the bike around the back of the house, stepped onto the porch, and knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Ada answered her knock.

“I came by to see how Wayne’s doing,” Loraine said. “Is he at home?”

“He is, but he doesn’t want to see you.” Ada’s tone was about as cold as a block of ice. There wasn’t even a hint of a smile on her face.

Loraine’s jaw clenched. “I know what he said, but I thought—”

“I saw you with Jake Beechy at the Wana Cup Restaurant today.” Ada’s lips compressed tightly together. “Are you two dating again?”

“No, of course not. I was taking my lunch break when I ran into Jake. He asked if he could join me.”

Ada folded her arms and leaned against the doorjamb. “Humph! You could have said no.”

Irritation bubbled in Loraine’s soul. “I didn’t want to be rude. I thought—”

“What’s going on?” Wayne asked as he wheeled up to the door.

Loraine smiled, feeling a sense of relief. “I’m glad to see you, Wayne. I came by to see how you’re doing and ask if there’s anything I can to do to help.”

“We’re getting along just fine,” Ada said in a none-too-friendly tone.

Wayne looked up at his mother. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to Loraine for a few minutes alone.”

Ada’s face blanched. “But you said you didn’t want her coming over here again.”

“I know what I said, but I want to talk to Loraine alone.”

Loraine held her breath and waited for Ada’s response.

After several seconds ticked by, Ada gave a muffled grunt, spun around on her heel, and marched into the house.

Wayne motioned to the wicker chair on one end of the porch. “Would you like to take a seat?”

“Okay.” Loraine lowered herself into the chair, and Wayne maneuvered his wheelchair next to her.

“I’m surprised to see you here,” Wayne said. “After what I told you last week, I didn’t think you’d come over again.”

She shook her head. “I can’t stop coming to see you, Wayne. I care for you too much.”

“Guess I can’t stop you from coming over, but you need to know that we can never be more than friends.”

“I wish you wouldn’t say that. I wish—”

“I heard you had lunch with Jake today.”

She nodded slowly, as a rush of heat cascaded up her neck and onto her cheeks. “I guess your mamm couldn’t wait to tell you that she saw us at the restaurant, huh?”

“She did mention it.”

“I hope you know there’s nothing going on between me and Jake.”

He shrugged. “Since we’re no longer engaged, I have nothing to say about it. You have the right to see anyone you choose.”

Loraine fought the temptation to say more on the subject but remembered her decision not to push Wayne or bring up marriage. “How are you feeling?” she asked. “Are you still having that phantom pain?”

He shook his head. “Not so much this week as I did before.”

“That’s good to hear. I guess the pain medicine must be helping.”

He shrugged. “It’s helped some, but I’ve had even less pain since I started using a new technique.”

“What technique is that?”

“It involves tapping on various acupuncture points in the body.”

Loraine listened with rapt attention as Wayne explained the principles of the tapping method he’d been shown and said his chiropractor had suggested that he give it a try.

“Then, too,” he added, “I’ve been keeping busy taking care of Tripod, so that has helped to take my mind off my own problems for a while.”

“Tripod?”

“She’s one of our young ewes. Got her left front leg stepped on by one of our horses, and the vet had to take it off.” He glanced at the place where his own leg had been. “My daed wanted to put her down, but I talked him out of it.” He paused and stared off into space. Then he turned to look at her again. “Tripod and I have one thing in common.”

“What’s that?”

“We’ve both lost a leg and will have to learn how to walk all over again.”

“Does that mean you’ve decided to get a prosthesis?”

“Haven’t made up my mind yet. Those things are expensive. I was told they can run anywhere from three thousand dollars all the way up to fifteen thousand for the really fancy ones.”

“I’m sure our community will help with your expenses. In fact, my daed mentioned the other night that some folks are making plans to hold a benefit auction to help with the medical bills for everyone who was involved in the accident.” She smiled. “If you had a prosthesis, you might be able to farm again.”

Deep creases formed across Wayne’s forehead. “A lot of good that would do me, since Pop’s already leased out our land.”

“I’m sure you can find something else to do—something that’s not as physical as farming. Or maybe you can farm for someone else.”

“I don’t know about that. Pop wants me to learn taxidermy, but I’m not so sure that kind of work’s for me, either.” He rubbed the bridge of his nose and grimaced. “I’ll have to find something to do, though. Sure can’t expect my folks to support me for the rest of my life. They won’t be around forever.”

The dejected look on Wayne’s face was almost Loraine’s undoing. She wanted to reach out to him—wrap her arms around him and assure him that everything would work out okay. She wanted to tell him that she thought he should take his father up on his offer to become a taxidermist and then they could be married as planned. She knew that would be a mistake, though, so she kept those thoughts to herself.

Finally, Loraine rose from her chair. “I’d better get going. Mom will be starting supper soon, and I should be there to help.”

“I appreciate you coming by,” he said. “Next time you come over, maybe I can introduce you to Tripod.”

“I’d like that,” she said, smiling down at him. “Good-bye, Wayne.”

As Loraine hurried toward her bike, a renewed sense of determination welled in her soul. She could not allow her feelings for Jake to surface. She needed to concentrate on Wayne. With a little time and some patience, she was sure he would realize they were meant to be together. She hoped, however, that she wouldn’t have to wait too long, because the more time she spent with Jake, the more confused she became.