A Match For Addy (The Amish Matchmaker Book 1) (16 page)

And I do,
she thought.
I have a right to think for myself. I can honor my parents and my faith and still be my own person.
She wanted to ride the merry-go-round. If she said no, would she ever get the chance again?

“I’ll go with you,” she said boldly, “but only if you let me buy you lunch.”

Gideon grinned. “You want to buy my lunch?”

“I’m hungry.
Mam
packed a cooler but I don’t want the tuna salad I eat at my father’s table every week. They say the Grange makes the best fried chicken and cole slaw at the fair. First lunch, and then you take me on the merry-go-round.”

“And your parents? You won’t get in trouble with them?”

It was her turn to laugh. “Probably. They’ll worry if I don’t meet them later.”

“Not for long,” he replied. “I told Rebecca to tell them not to wait for you. That you were catching a ride home with friends.”

“You were that sure I’d say yes?”

He laughed again. “
Ne
, not sure, but hopeful.” He caught her hand. “Now, where’s this Grange building with the good chicken?”

* * *

The Grange chicken was some of the best fried chicken that Gideon had ever eaten. He allowed Addy to pay for them both because it seemed so important that she do so. And he was rewarded by her animated features, her laughter and her obvious joy in the simple meal of cole slaw, fries, roll and chicken. The tent where the picnic tables had been set up was filled with people enjoying a hot midday meal in the comfort of air-conditioning and huge fans. He and Addy weren’t the only Amish eating there, so they attracted few stares from the other fair-goers.

Gideon was again struck by how pretty Addy was in her lavender dress, her dark apron and black bonnet, with her prayer
kapp
peeking out beneath the deep brim. If only she would laugh more often, he thought. She looked younger today, her eyes sparkling, more girlish and vulnerable than he’d ever seen her. As he watched her, he was nearly overcome by his desire to make certain that Addy never lost that expression of wonder again.

Once they’d finished their meal, they ducked back outside into the hot afternoon sun and made their way toward the tinny Wurlitzer sounds of the carousel. The closer they got to it, the more animated Addy became. She was positively bouncing up and down as they stood in line to buy the tickets. When he reached the window, he glanced at her. “You’re going to ride? You’re sure? Not backing out on me, are you?”

After the night on her roof, after she’d told him she didn’t want to walk out with him, he’d actually considered going home to Wisconsin. He couldn’t believe he could have been mistaken about Addy’s feelings for him. He certainly wasn’t mistaken about his own; that had become plainer to him with each passing day. But it had also become obvious to him that Addy hadn’t been happy. Not since the night on the roof. He suspected—hoped—that maybe she was having second thoughts. And that maybe he still had a chance with her.

Addy giggled and met his gaze “
Ne
, I’m not backing out. I do want to ride.”

The merry-go-round wasn’t as crowded as some of the rides, and they were able to get on after only a five-minute wait. “Which one do you want to ride?” he asked.

When she pointed to a glittering gold-and-white horse with a flowing mane and tail on the outer rim, he caught her by the waist and lifted her up.

She motioned to a striped black-and-orange tiger. “Aren’t you going to ride?”

But he remained where he was, standing beside her, where he could sense every ounce of her excitement. And then the organ began to play, the gears groaned and the merry-go-round began to move. Onlookers waved and called out to their children and friends. Laughing, Addy waved back and laughed merrily as the gold-and-white horse began to go up and down.

Gideon just watched Addy.

Chapter Thirteen

T
he revolving carousel, the loud music and the flashing lights made Addy’s head spin. It all seemed like a dream, being there, having fun and laughing with Gideon. She felt younger and more carefree than she had in years, and for the first time ever, she felt pretty. He made her feel pretty.

Addy knew that her parents wouldn’t approve of riding the merry-go-round, but she didn’t care. If they chastised her, she would gladly accept her responsibility and listen dutifully to their reasoning. But for once, she wanted to do something wild and unexpected.

The sounds and smells of the carnival added to her excitement: the shrieks of children on the spinning rides, the shouts of the barkers, the sizzle of frying hamburgers, the odors of hot buttered popcorn mingling with candy apples, pizza and the slightly oily smell of metal gears and creaking machinery. High above the carousel, she caught glimpses of a multicolored hot-air balloon, its swaying basket filled with merrymakers.

“Catch the ring!” Gideon said. He pointed toward a wooden arm that jutted out from a tall blue-and-yellow-painted pole. “See!” he called as they approached it.

She reached for the silvery circle, but when the merry-go-round swept her past it, her mount went down, putting the ring out of reach. They both laughed.

“I’ll get it next time,” she promised, watching it over her shoulder.

Up and down, round and round her make-believe horse with the flowing mane and tail carried her, seeming to leaving a trail of organ music and lights behind her. She completed the rotation again; Addy stood in the stirrups and reached up and out. This time she clasped the glittering ring.

To her surprise, it was light, too light to be metal, only plastic. Still, Addy was pleased with herself that she’d caught it, and Gideon seemed to think that she’d achieved some marvelous feat.

“You got it!” Gideon congratulated her as his hand settled over hers on the horse’s reins.

Addy blushed. Was he holding her hand? In public? She glanced around to see if anyone had noticed, but she didn’t pull her hand away. It felt too good.

“There’s another,” Gideon cried.

The horse she was riding rose as the arm with the ring swept closer. Addy held her breath...and yes! She stretched as far as she could and grabbed the ring. “Got it!” she cried triumphantly. “And this one isn’t silver. It’s gold!”

Gideon laughed. “That means you win another ride,” he explained. “Catch the
brass
ring, and you’re a winner.”

“Really? I won? I won!”

He was still laughing. “You won.”

A troubling thought crossed her mind, and she suddenly grew serious. “Is it gambling? It isn’t gambling, is it?” Gambling went against the
ordnung
. Riding the merry-go-round was one thing, a minor transgression, but she couldn’t be a part of gambling.

“Ne,”
Gideon assured her as the carousel slowed and the music wound down. “No more than playing at corn toss and winning a prize. I paid for the ride, not the chance to win another. But you did catch the brass ring.” His endearing grin widened. “Do you want to ride again?”

She felt like she was smiling so hard that her cheeks might shatter. “Only if you’ll ride the tiger,” she dared.

He did, and the second ride was as thrilling as the first. This time, neither of them caught the brass ring, but it didn’t matter. The merry-go-round was crowded, and everyone seemed to be having as much fun as she was. Addy didn’t see any other Amish people riding the carousel animals, but there was a young Mennonite couple, the woman in a small lace
kapp
and a chubby toddler in his father’s backpack riding what looked like a pink sleigh. The woman smiled at her, and Addy smiled back, sharing the happiness of the carousel and the day.

The second ride was ending when Addy heard a familiar, high-pitched voice calling out to her. She looked up to see Ellie, Thomas, Sara and two other Amish couples walking toward the merry-go-round. Ellie was waving frantically.

“Gideon.” Addy pointed. “It’s Sara and Ellie. I think they might be looking for you.”

“Not time to meet up yet. I’ve still got an hour. Come on!” He caught Addy’s hand and tugged, leading her away.

Addy had to run to keep up with him. They jumped off the far side of the carousel and ran past a balloon stand and a ring-toss booth. They dodged a man in a clown suit and hurried down an aisle between a pretzel seller and an exhibit with signs boasting of the world’s largest horse.

“Gideon! Stop. Someone will see us,” she called to him. She was laughing, though why, she didn’t know. “We shouldn’t be running. What will people think?”

Laughing with her, Gideon stopped short and dodged between two flaps in a big tent.

Addy blinked, her eyes slowly becoming adjusted to the semidarkness after the bright light of the July sunshine. The tent was being used for storage for the nearby food vendors; she spotted stacks of plastic trays with hotdog rolls and canisters of sodas for fountains.

“Addy.” Gideon wasn’t laughing now, and his voice was husky. He stepped closer and put his arms around her.

It seemed the most natural thing in the world for Addy to look up at him. Then to meet his kiss. Their lips touched, tentatively, gently, and then with a sweetness that sent a rush of warmth from the tips of her toes to the crown of her head. In an instant, Addy felt enveloped in his strength and solid steadiness, and it felt so right that it brought tears to her eyes.

She moved back out of his embrace. “Oh, Gideon,” she murmured. “What have you done?” She could still feel the heady thrill of his arms around her.

“
Ne
, Addy, it’s not what
I’ve
done,” he said. “It’s what
you’ve
done. To me.” He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “You know, you’re the first girl I’ve ever kissed.”

“I am?” She stared at him, thinking that might have been the most surprising thing anyone had ever said to her.

Was it possible? Popular Gideon, with the girls crowding around him, Gideon who never walked or rode home from a singing alone, had never kissed a girl? He was as inexperienced in kissing as she was? And then, in spite of herself, she gave a small chuckle.
Less,
she thought.
Less, because I kissed Joseph.

She swallowed, trying to reason what kind of fast woman she was, kissing young men right and left. But oh, now she knew that there were kisses and then
there were kisses
, and what she and Joseph shared was no kiss at all compared to what had just happened between her and Gideon.

Addy’s knees were weak, and it felt as if doves’ wings fluttered in her chest. She thought she should say something else to him, but no words came. She just stood there, looking up at him, feeling the wonder of the moment.

“
Ya
, the only woman I’ve ever kissed, if you don’t count the girls in primary school when I was too young to know what I was doing.” He chuckled. “And the only woman I’ve ever asked to marry me.”

“Marry you?” Addy shivered, suddenly cold despite the heat in the still and dusty tent. “You want to marry me?”

He looked at her as if she had said the silliest thing. “What do you think I was talking about on your roof the other night? Forget courting. We’ve already had our courting. I know you better than any woman I’ve ever known, and I’m more sure of this than anything I’ve ever been sure of.” He caught her hand, brought it to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Addy Coblentz, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

“I...I...” she stammered. She looked up at him, tears suddenly coming to her eyes. What would her
mam
think? “I...” She gazed up at his beautiful face and...

Yanking her hand out of his, she turned and fled through the open tent flap.

“Addy!” Gideon called after her. “Addy? What’s wrong? Come back!”

Addy ran. She didn’t know why, but she did. She darted back onto the midway, into the milling crowd, making herself as small as possible as she made her escape.

She had to find her mother.

For more than an hour, Addy hunted for her parents, searching the sheep barn and the 4-H building, walking up and down the aisles between the food tents and the farm exhibits. She returned to the horse barn and the flower displays. Twice, she was certain the tall Amish woman walking ahead of her with a shorter man was her mother and father, but each time she was disappointed when the couples turned out to be someone else.

Finally, Addy spotted Anna coming away from a stand that sold cotton candy. Anna was with her two stepsons, the red-haired twins. One of the boys was carrying their little sister, Rose. Addy called to them and asked if any of them had seen her parents.

“I did,” Rudy said. “They were looking for you. Preacher Reuben said that he thought you might be in the Conservation Hall. Your mother said that she’d had enough of the fair and was ready to go home as soon as they found you.”

Addy thanked him and made her way quickly toward the building. If she’d missed them again, she’d go back to the van. She didn’t know where else to look. But this time, she was successful. She found her parents sitting under the trees beside a portable fish pond, just to the left of the concrete-block Conservation Hall. Her father was drinking lemonade.

Her mother glanced up and saw her coming. “There you are,” she said. “We were worried about you. We couldn’t imagine where you’d gotten to.”

“I’m sorry.” Addy sank onto the bench beside her mother. The water looked cool and inviting, with the orange-and-black fish swimming around. A small waterfall at one end kept the current in the rock-lined pool swirling gently. “But I’m glad I found you.” She took a breath. “Because I need to talk to you,” she said. “About something important.” She looked around, glad that the three of them were alone here with the fish, glad that she could say what she needed to before she burst with what was pent up inside her.

“I hope you haven’t found something foolish you want to buy,” her mother said peevishly. “Someone is selling tomatoes they’ve grown upside down from hanging baskets, over by the tractors. Can you imagine that anyone would think they could grow decent tomatoes that way? And to pay twenty dollars for a single tomato plant in a plastic—”

“
Mam
, please,” Addy interrupted. “I need you to listen to me.” And they were going to have to listen. Because she was only going to say this once. She gathered her courage. “You know that I love and respect you both. No one could have better parents.”

Her mother’s eyes narrowed. “When a girl says such a thing, it usually means trouble,” she pronounced. “What are you saying,
Dorcas
? Do you want to leave the church? Turn Mennonite and become a missionary like your cousin Leah?”

“Martha.” Her father frowned at her mother. “How can you say such a thing? Listen to the girl. What is it, Dorcas?”

“Addy,” she said quietly. “I’m Addy,
Dat
.”

“Well, go ahead,” her mother said, making a show of folding her hands and placing them in her lap. “Speak your piece, since you’ve made such a fuss about it.”

“I can’t do what you ask,” Addy blurted. “I’ve tried to follow your wishes, but I can’t. About choosing a husband.” Her gaze moved from her father’s face to her mother’s. All the sounds around her seemed to dissipate as she spoke. “There’s someone I care about deeply...someone I love.” She took another breath. “And he’s asked me to be his wife.”

“Who?” her mother demanded. “Don’t tell me he’s an
Englisher
.”

Addy stared at her mother. “I would never leave my faith. Do you not know me any better than that,
Mam
?”

“Then who?” Her father fixed her with a compassionate gaze. “Do we know him?”

“Gideon. Gideon Esch.”

Her mother shot up off the bench, her face turning first pale and then a purple-red. “Sara Yoder’s hired hand? Have you lost your senses? Haven’t you heard a thing we’ve told you?”

“Ach, ach.”
Her father rocked back and forth, tugging at his beard. “Such a thing when we had such hopes for you.”

“I’m sorry,” Addy said. And then she shook her head again. “
Ne
, actually, I’m not sorry. Gideon is a good man. I love him, and he loves me. And he wants to marry me.
Mam
,
Dat
, I’ve waited what seems like my whole life for this man and...I won’t let him go.”

Her father took off his hat and rested it on his knee. He ran his fingers through his thinning hair and hung his head. “I don’t know, I don’t know,” he muttered. “There will be Sara’s match to pay for, and however will we manage that?”

“Do you have any idea how much that is?” her mother asked her.

And then she named a number that made Addy’s stomach turn over.

“So much?” Addy breathed.

“Didn’t I make it clear to you that you had to find a husband who could afford Sara’s fee?” Her mother’s mouth tightened into a thin white line.

Addy only thought for a minute before she looked at her mother again. “So, we’ll pay it,” she said firmly. “Gideon and me. We’ll work until we can raise that amount. You won’t have to bear the burden, I promise. We’ll work for years if we have to, but I won’t give him up. If he’s willing, I’ll wait for him. We’re going to be married.”

“And you don’t think that we know more about life than a green girl who’s been no farther than Dover, who knows nothing of the world, and of marriage? If you choose to go your own willful way, you can expect no help from us.”

“You know that your mother and I love you,” her father said. “You’ll always be our daughter. But we don’t want to see you rush into a difficult life with a hired hand. You can understand that, can’t you? You’ve known this Wisconsin fellow, what, a month? Two? Don’t be in such a hurry to set your feet on a rocky path.”

“
Ya
, a poor boy,” her mother repeated with a shake of her finger. “A hired man with no trade, no land and no prospects, who will be making sausages in someone else’s kitchen and selling them off the back porch for the rest of your life!”