A Son's Vow (6 page)

March 25

U
h-oh,” Amanda Jefferson called out from the counter of the post office. “Don't look now, Darla, but you've got company.”

It was five minutes before the end of a very long day. In the back, Darla was just locking up the cash drawer and closing down the machines. She looked at Amanda curiously. “Tell whoever it is that we'll be open tomorrow at nine. I'll help them then.”

Amanda poked her head into the room. “I don't think it's gonna be that easy.”

Darla bit back a sigh of impatience with effort. Amanda was eighteen and rather enthusiastic. She also was a little scared of making decisions or confronting anyone by herself. Darla understood that, and could even sympathize, but it was time for her to take some responsibility.

“Amanda, it will be all right. People know what time we close.
They might not like having to come back, but they'll understand.”

“But—”

Deciding that maybe it would be best to illustrate how to be firm, Darla pointed to the clock. “Amanda, as of right now, we are closed. Tell whoever is out there that I couldn't help them even if I wanted to. The postal machines have been turned off.” With a feeling of satisfaction, she flicked the machine's switch and listened to its steady humming fade into silence. “There now. Our day is done. Go lock the door if you'd like.”

Yet Amanda remained, wobbling on the balls of her feet and looking a bit like a small child in need of a bathroom. “Um . . .”

“Amanda, please do this. I'm ready to pack up and go home. It's been such a long day.”

And it would have been just as long if Mary Troyer
hadn't
come in to inflict her daily dose of accusations and threats. But Mary had, and today her anger and screeching had risen to new heights. Darla had had to press her palms down on the countertop so Mary and the other customers wouldn't notice how badly she was shaking.

Amanda cleared her throat. “I hear what you're saying, I really do. But simply closing the door on our newcomer ain't gonna be that easy.”

“Because?”

“Because I don't think your visitor is gonna leave just 'cause I told him he needed to.”

Darla stopped sorting the papers on the counter. “Visitor?”

“
Jah
. That's what I've been trying to tell ya. It's Lukas Kinsinger who's here.”

“Lukas?” She was surprised. The last time he'd been in,
Lukas had announced that he wouldn't be back. And though she hadn't been entirely pleased that she'd gotten her way—she hadn't thought he would back down so easily—it wasn't like him to be back so fast.

“I'll go say you'll be right out,” Amanda announced before Darla could ask her to send him away.

Seconds later, the girl's voice drifted to her. “Darla's in the back, Lukas, but I'm thinking she'll be out presently. And by the way, we're closed,” she chattered on. “She turned off the machines, so we can't be doing any work right now even if we wanted to. Which we don't.”

“Is that right?”

Darla pressed her hands to her cheeks as Amanda continued spouting off information. “Oh, yes. Now, you gotta step aside 'cause I'm gonna have to put on the Closed sign and lock the door.”

“That's fine, do what you want. I didn't come to do business. I came to walk Darla home.”

His voice was deep and sure. And, like always, laced with that quiet confidence that Darla had always found so appealing.

There in the privacy of the office, Darla felt a tremor run through her.

Shoot!

“Oh,” Amanda said. “Well, I told her you were waiting on her, but she didn't say nothing about your walking her home. Do you think she knows?”

“I have a feeling she probably knows by now. Now, don't you worry about me, Amanda. I'll just stand here while you do whatever you need to do.” Raising his voice a bit, he said, “I don't mind waiting here all afternoon for Darla.”

“I think I better go tell Darla that,” Amanda squeaked. “Um, I'll be right back.”

Before Amanda could appear again, Darla snapped the drawer shut and picked up her purse. After locking her office door, she joined them at the front. Now Amanda was standing in front of the counter staring at Lukas like he was the most handsome man in Charm, Ohio.

Which he was.

Lukas, on the other hand, was leaning against the wall of post office boxes, arms crossed over his chest, looking for all the world like he had every right to loiter in the lobby.

His chin lifted when she appeared. And then, to her regret, he smiled. “Hi.”

Aware that Amanda was staring at them, Darla smiled. “Hi. Just a sec, okay?”

He didn't reply. Merely smiled.

Now, why in the world did that make her shiver? She really needed to get a handle on both her reaction to Lukas and all those foolish dreams she used to entertain about him.

Practically pivoting on her heel, she turned to Amanda. “
Danke
for your good work today. I already locked the office door, so the next time you come in we'll note the time you left. You can leave now.”

After looking from Lukas to Darla to Lukas again, Amanda went behind the counter and grabbed her canvas tote bag. “I'll see you on Saturday.”

“I'll be here. See you then.”

The minute Amanda walked out, Darla locked the door behind her. Then she turned to face Lukas, who was still leaning
against the wall of post office boxes as if he had nowhere else in the world he'd rather be.

His presence made the room seem smaller and her mind go blank. “Lukas, I thought we already discussed this. We canna spend time together.”

“I decided I wasn't really on board with that.”

“Why? What are you doing here? And why did you tell Amanda that you were walking me home?”

“I think that would be fairly obvious. Don't you agree?”

“But we agreed not to be friends.”

“I know, but I changed my mind. Are you ready?”

“Nee.”
She needed to stand firm. He shouldn't be so bossy with her. He shouldn't ignore what she was saying. Just as important, he needed to understand that she simply wasn't going to drop everything whenever he asked.

Well, not anymore.

He looked around then, pointedly, at the purse on her arm. “What else do you still have to do?”

“It's not that.” She took a breath and plunged forward. “Lukas, I don't think we should be seen walking together. People will talk.”

“People are already talking.” He stepped forward, getting into her space. “People are talking a lot. Actually, I don't think they want to stop talking about you and me and the mill and the fire. From what I hear, and I don't hear much, we seem to be the favorite topic of conversation around most every coffeepot in Charm.”

“See—”

“In fact, I think the only people not talking about you and me are you and me. Therefore, it's time to change things.”

Part of her agreed with him, but she was learning that what she wanted didn't always matter. “Lukas, my family won't be happy.”

“I don't care,” he said quietly. “I don't care about how they react. I care about what you think and how you feel.” Every word seemed to have new emphasis.

And in spite of her best intentions, she felt a pull toward him. She wanted to agree with him. Wanted to believe that he was right.

Lukas crossed his arms over his chest and studied her. “Darla, I have decided that God placed you in my life to help me become more patient.”

“Oh, Lukas, stop. And you mustn't use the Lord to attempt to explain yourself.”

“I'm serious, Darla. I don't think the Lord minds me bringing Him up in the slightest. What's more, I think He wants me to realize that I need to wait for the important things. That is why I'm determined to wait for you to change your mind. I'm gonna wait as long as it takes.”

“God doesn't bully, Lukas.” And yes, she did sound just a tad bit pious.

“No, God is good. So good that He is giving me the courage to push aside both of our doubts and wait.”

“You might be waiting a mighty long time.”

“I don't mind.” Staring at her intently, he lowered his voice. “Are you really going to throw away years and years of friendship?”

They did, actually, have years and years of friendship between them. Wonderful years.

Was she willing to disregard them in order to keep peace within her family?

Warily, she eyed Lukas, noticed that he was leaning against the wall again. It seemed he was intent on proving to her this new patience of his.

She didn't know what to say. Well, she knew what she
should
say, but she wasn't going to say it. “All right. I've got the keys right here. Let me finish locking up.”

Looking far too pleased for his own good, Lukas nodded. “Take your time.”

Taking her time involved locking up two more drawers before leading him outside and at last locking the front door. “I'm ready now.”

His lips curved up. “Is all that locking up standard procedure or did you put your own spin on it?”

“It's standard. Why?”

“Nothing. It's just that it seems like a lot of effort to guard some letters.”

“The United States Post Office takes mail seriously.”

“Obviously.” His faint smile grew into a grin. “So, do you need to go straight home? Or do you have some errands to run? Or we could walk to the creek.”

“Let's go straight home.” Her family wasn't going to be happy that she was renewing her friendship with Lukas but she was too tired to even attempt to sneak around.

“That's fine with me,” he said easily.

As they walked together, Darla felt a curious sense of everything finally going right for the first time in months. For the first time in more than one hundred days.

“So, Aaron and Hope, huh?” he said after about a half a block. “That's quite the news.”

“Jah.”
She tried to smile. “They are happy.”

“This engagement came up kind of suddenly, don't you think?”

She'd thought so but said, “Well, they've been courting off and on for two years, so I suppose it isn't all that sudden.”

“I meant the timing of the engagement.”

She glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye. He was being completely serious. More important—to her at least—she recognized that he wore a look of concern. For her. And because of that, she allowed herself to be completely honest. “Yes. I thought the same thing.”

“How did your siblings react?”

“About how you would expect. Patsy was happy, Maisie asked about a thousand questions. Little Gretel asked if Patsy could make her a new dress for the wedding, and the twins acted like it wasn't a big deal at all.”

“What about your
mamm
? How do you think she'll react?”

“Does it matter?” She didn't even try to hide the bitterness in her voice.

His tone gentled. “Is Aaron going to try to track her down and tell her?”

“Nee.”
Thinking about all the pain her family had gone through lately, in some ways their mother's departure had been the hardest to accept. “If there's one thing we all agree on, it's that we don't even want to think about our mother. She left us. She left us when we were hurting and grieving. Even my seven-year-old sister.”

Lukas lifted his arm, as if he were about to enfold her into a
reassuring hug, but then, just as abruptly, he dropped it. “I'm so sorry, Darla.”

“
Jah
. Me, too.”

“Maybe she'll come back soon and be able to explain herself.”

“Maybe.” She shrugged. “It doesn't matter now. We're doing all right without her.”

But she knew that wasn't true. None of them was doing all right.

“Sometimes life is too hard to manage,” he said gently. “Sometimes we all need a little time to ourselves.”

Because she didn't want to sound as bitter as she felt, she nodded. “I suppose.” But she didn't actually think that Lukas meant what he said. No matter what was going on, Lukas would have made time for everyone. It wasn't his way to make things easy for himself.

It wasn't her way, either.

Hating the downward path of their conversation, she blurted, “It's best we all learn to be happy for Aaron and Hope, no matter how their timing might affect us. Aaron is mighty pleased about the whole thing, and life is a lot better when he is in a good mood.”

“I bet.”

Those two words expressed a wealth of information about Lukas's feelings. That thought was neither a welcome nor pleasant one. She didn't exactly want to see his point of view on anything. However, it was becoming apparent that a lifetime of compatibility overruled a hundred days of suffering.

She wasn't sure if that was right or wrong. All she knew was how she felt.

They turned right off Main Street. In another two blocks,
they'd turn right again, and then they'd be just a few yards from her house. She knew she should brace herself. Her walking with Lukas was not going to be received very well. At all.

“Rebecca told me she heard that Aaron was going to move to Hope's house,” Lukas said. “Is that right?”

“
Jah
. I mean, I believe it is.”

“He's taking on a lot. More than I would have ever given him credit for.”

She heard the sarcasm in his voice. Darla paused, unsure what to say about Aaron's plans. If she said that he wanted to farm, she would be betraying Aaron's secret.

But if she didn't mention Aaron's intention, she worried Lukas would think she was supporting Aaron's actions.

She decided to err on the side of the truth. Daed had always said that the truth was worth bearing, no matter how hard it might be.

“Lukas, Aaron plans to farm Hope's land.”