Along Wooded Paths (26 page)

He fought to keep the anger from his tone. “So I can be friends with an Amish person, but I can’t fall in love?”

“You know what’ll happen. People don’t turn Amish, but the Amish . . .” She tilted up her head and looked out the window to where a large four-wheel-drive truck drove down the road half-speed. The snow was picking up.

Ben didn’t need her to finish. “You’re worried about her leaving?” He dug his hands deep in his pocket. “Really, Annie, you’re concerned about that? I know it’s her tradition—the way she was raised—but she’ll still be walking with God, even if she doesn’t wear a kapp. I’ve seen the change in her, haven’t you? I see peace in her eyes where there was pain before.”

“I’m not worried about her leaving. Everyone has a choice, their own life to live. I’m worried about her being led away. Think about it, Ben. Do you want to be the cause of a split in her family? Of her battle with her faith? Of the struggle whether to wear a kapp or not? It sounds like minor issues, but to these people it’s everything.”

“So what do you want me to do? Do you want me to walk away? It’s not just me. I see her feelings when I look in her eyes.” He pulled his stocking cap from his head, smacking it across his leg. “Do you think I wanted it to be this way? Don’t you think I’ve struggled? I’ve asked God to take away these feelings. I’d argued with Him, told Him it would have been easier if I hadn’t fallen in love with an Amish girl. If it could be anyone else . . .”

Ben leaned forward on the counter, hiding his face in his hands. If Annie saw how he felt about Marianna, no doubt everyone did else too. That’s why Marianna’s dat had that talk with him. And it probably was why some of the other Amish families he used to drive stopped using his services.

“Annie . . .” His voice sounded dry, hoarse. Maybe because all the moisture pooled near his eyes. “What am I supposed to do?”

“You have to back off. You need to let time tell the matters of the heart. You need to allow Marianna to come to you instead of drawing her away. Love will come in God’s time. I know, because I had to learn all that years ago, when I fell in love.”

“But . . . you’re single.”

Annie took Aaron’s hand. “Uh-huh.”

“That doesn’t help.”

“I know, son.” Annie squeezed his hand. “But you have to let her go. This has to be Marianna’s decision. She’s got to choose her own path. Let God lead her. He has the perfect plan for her—for you—you’ve got to trust Him with that.”

He hated this. It was tearing him apart. But he knew Annie was right. “I have to let her go.”

“Walk away, Ben. Only then will you really know.” Annie reached over and patted his hand. “If she comes to you, if she follows, then—son—you know it’s meant to be.”

As she neared the house after work the next day, Marianna couldn’t help but notice the front curtain flutter.

She entered the house and inhaled. The moist air smelled of laundry. A line hung from the second post on the stairway, leading up to the bedrooms. The other end was connected to a hook her father had placed in the wall by the dining room. Unlike their house back in Indiana, this house had no basement for laundry to dry and on blanket and sheet wash day there was not even room upstairs.

Without even looking, Marianna knew hers and Mem’s dresses were drip-drying over the bathtub. She pushed a cool, damp sheet aside and stepped through, as if stepping through a theater curtain.

“Marianna, hurry. Dat might come. This is surely a
gut
surprise!” Charlie’s voice rang out. A sea of faces greeted her—Mem, her siblings, and Mr. and Mrs. Carash from down the road with their three kids. Aaron had moved from his place on the couch to one of the dining room chairs that had been pulled into the living room. The bench that Dat and Mem kept at the end of their bed had been brought downstairs and topped with a pillow, and that’s where Aaron’s leg rested, his pink toes poking out from the end of the cast. Meeting her gaze, he smiled. She offered a quick glance, then her eyes moved to the stairway where Ben walked down with Ellie cradled in his arm.
What is he doing here?

Her Uncle Ike descended behind him, and a smile filled her uncle’s face.

“Mari!” Ellie waved a piece of paper in her hand.

Marianna’s heart leapt in her chest, and she didn’t know what surprised her more—that Ben was here or that Aaron’s gaze upon her was amused—as if he considered her wide-eyed reaction as funny.

“Ellie colored a picture for your dat’s birthday,” Ben explained. “Or at least that’s what I guessed she said when she dragged me upstairs with her. I had to get Ike to help translate. I’m still not great at deciphering Pennsylvania Dutch. But it is a good gift for the party.”

“Dat’s birthday. Of course.” How could she have forgotten? She’d talked to Dat this morning and hadn’t said anything about his birthday before heading off to work. Had Mem mentioned something about this party? She thought so, but she couldn’t remember. Her mind had been on other things.

Besides, even if she’d remembered there was a birthday celebration today, she would not have thought of this. Their usual celebrations involved a nice dinner followed by cake and one simple present at most. This . . . surprise party, with sheets hanging across the room and Englisch friends . . . This was not typical. In fact, she’d never heard of it being done. She’d have to ask Mem about it later. Why had she chosen such a way?

“Wow, look at that.” Marianna unbuttoned her coat and moved to the stairs. “
Darf ich es mal sehen
?”

Ellie lifted the page for her to look at. In the hand that rested on Ben’s shoulder, Marianna also noticed Ellie still had the stub of a red crayon in her grasp.

“Let’s get that and put it away before you accidentally write on the wall again.” Marianna chuckled and took the crayon from Ellie.

“Good idea.” Ben winked. “I missed that, but I bet I would’ve been called back to help clean up the scribble.”

Marianna placed a balled fist on her hip. “You better believe it, mister,” she said, mimicking Annie. Then, remembering she had an audience, Marianna stepped back. “It’s good to see you.” She touched his arm. “It seems like every time I see you as of late you have a little girl in your arms.”

“Maybe I’m practicing.” Ben smiled. “Making sure I know what to do when I’m blessed with my own family some day.”

With the noise of many voices, Marianna hoped no one had heard what Ben said. She also hoped no one in the room noted the red she could feel rising to her cheeks. Especially Aaron.

“Speaking of being blessed, have you met Aaron? He’s a friend from home.” Marianna turned back to Aaron and sent a quick smile.

In spite of the smile, Ben seemed stiff, uneasy. “Yes, your mem introduced us.”

“
Ja
, of course.” Before she could worry about that any more, David’s voice called above the noise.

“He’s here. Quiet. Everyone behind the sheets.”

The room turned silent. Even Ellie held a finger over her lips. Her eyes were wide. Her small button nose wrinkled.

They listened to the sound of Dat’s booted feet coming up the front porch steps. Then his stomping as he knocked snow off his boots. Finally the door opened.

“Anyone home? It’s awful quiet.” He pushed the sheet to the side, stopped in his tracks, and threw his head back, laughter bursting from his chest.

“Surprise!” A chorus rang out. Voices began again, raised in excited chatter, and Ellie pushed against Ben’s chest, wanting down. He set her on the ground and she ran over to Dat, arms wide. With a smile, Dat swept her up, accepting the birthday wishes and kisses.

“I’m surprised you’re here.” Marianna didn’t know what else to say to Ben.

“Yes, well, I was driving home from work tonight when I saw your uncle walking down the road. Seems his horse twisted his leg on a slippery ice patch yesterday and he didn’t want to take a chance with the sled.” Ben laughed. “Personally, I believe Ike just wanted a ride. When we got here, we needed someplace to park my truck so your dat wouldn’t know. We parked it down at the Carashes’ house and Ike invited them too. I’m not sure it’s what your mem had in mind.”

Marianna brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and though she wasn’t about to look, she was sure Aaron’s eyes were on her. She also noticed out the window that more people were arriving—Amish friends she guessed Mem had invited. The Shelters, the Peachy family, and a few others from their church.

Marianna looked to Mem. There was a pinched look around her eyes.
What would her Amish friends think of the Englischers here?

“So, Marianna.” Ben touched her arm and she stiffened. Heat rose on her neck—probably because of Aaron’s steady gaze fixed on that spot. “Hmm?”

“I was looking on the Internet and I saw Annie’s new Web site. There was a wonderful picture . . . of you, of us.”

“Yes, I know. I gave her permission to use it.” She swallowed down a lump that formed in her throat. Oh, why had she ever said yes?

“I love it. I asked Annie for a copy and she said she gave you one too.”

The door opened and the other Amish families began filtering in.

“She did.” Marianna looked to his eyes. “I have it around here somewhere, I’m not sure where I put it.” From the hurt on Ben’s face, he believed her.

“Oh, yes, I know that Amish don’t believe in photos of themselves. I should be glad you didn’t burn it.” He forced a smile, but Marianna wasn’t fooled. Her heart ached to see she hurt him, but as the other families entered and scanned the room she noticed disapproval on their faces then they saw her standing near Ben.

“I like it. I . . .” Ben let out a sigh. “It’s good to know I’ll always have it, in case you do return home.”

Marianna didn’t answer, instead she took a step back. “I should go. I need to introduce our company to Aaron.”

“Yes, of course.” Ben nodded. “Sorry for keeping you so long.”

Marianna hurried to Sarah, trying to focus on making introductions. She could tell by the look on Sarah’s face she thought Aaron to be handsome. And he was. If she ever told Aaron that things were not to work out between them, there’d be a long line of Amish women that would set their sights on such a man.

Marianna didn’t like that thought at all.

More guests arrived and the mood in the room changed. Ben had been around the Sommer family often. They laughed and joked in his presence—or at least they had before he started letting his feelings for Marianna show. After they talked about the photograph, Marianna retreated, moved closer to Aaron. She sat in the chair next to him, and Ben’s stomach sank and pooled on the floor between his feet.

Neither Aaron or Marianna spoke to each other—she was busy talking with the other guests—but it was clear they felt comfortable in each other’s presence. The casualness of their years as friends tied them together, like an invisible clothesline wrapping around their bodies, tethering them.

She sat only inches away from Aaron, yet her body seemed relaxed. Even as Aaron scanned the room, smiling at the introductions, his focus was on her. Every few minutes he gazed at her from the corner of his eyes. It wasn’t a possessive look, but an eager one—as if Aaron watched to see if she had a need he could help with. Ben’s stomach ached when he saw that.

Someone offered him a piece of cake, but he couldn’t think of taking a bite. His throat was tight, his stomach clenched. Aaron had what
he
wanted—a closeness with Marianna, a history, a common lifestyle.

Hope for a future.

And that’s what bothered him—no, was driving him crazy. Though Marianna seemed interested in him, she
fit
when it came to Aaron. Their care for each other went beyond attraction. It came from years of spending time together, of sharing common dreams and memories. Aaron knew what Marianna had been like as a girl. He no doubt remembered some of her brightest—and even most embarrassing—moments. Aaron knew her. The real her.

Another emotion that Ben hadn’t faced in a while bubbled up inside him, mixing with the jealousy: embarrassment. The emotion trickled down from his head to his heart.
What a fool.

Marianna was interested in him because he was different. She might even think him handsome, but now . . . now he saw it. She’d never seriously consider a relationship with him. Not when there was someone like Aaron around. Someone good and handsome. Someone she wouldn’t have to sacrifice her community, her lifestyle, and her right standing before God for.