An Amish Wedding (38 page)

F
RIDAY EVENING
C
HESTER WAS TIRED AFTER WORKING
on the house all day. He’d spent the early morning hours looking for a new job in town, but he wasn’t having much luck. He didn’t know how to explain to potential employers that he was fired for stealing money, so he just didn’t mention working for Mr. Turner, which left him with little work experience to take under consideration, other than farming.

He’d just pulled his suspenders off his shoulders when Abe walked into his bedroom. He quickly asked his brother if he was done in the bathroom. A hot shower was going to feel mighty good.

“
Ya
, I’m done.” Abe ran a comb through his wet hair. “
Mamm
wanted me to remind you to put your marriage license in a place where you won’t forget it on Tuesday.” He shrugged. “I guess you could give it to me.”

Chester stood perfectly still as he scanned his bedroom.
Where did I put it?
He and Priscilla had gotten their marriage license almost two months ago. He pulled open the drawer of his nightstand and rummaged through some papers, then quickly moved to the top drawer of his chest.

“You lose your license,
bruder
?” Abe chuckled, but stopped right away when Chester glared at him.

“It’s here somewhere.” He yanked open the second drawer, pretty sure he didn’t store it where he kept his underwear. Closing it, he turned to face Abe. He could feel the color draining from his face. “Priscilla will have my hide if I’ve lost our marriage license.” He shook his head. “I know it’s here somewhere.”

“It wonders me if
Mamm
won’t have your hide too.” Abe grinned as he backed out of the room and shut the door.

Chester sat down on the bed and scratched his forehead.
Think, think. Where did I put it?
He looked around his small room again and spotted Rachel’s envelope atop his nightstand. He’d managed to keep track of a picture from Rachel, yet he’d lost the one document necessary for him to marry Priscilla in four days.

God, why is everything going wrong?
He knew how important it was for Priscilla to have everything in order. It was just part of who she was, and this wedding was definitely an event that she wanted to run smoothly. He might not have questioned whether or not they were on the right path if she hadn’t, but with so much opposition . . .

He let out a heavy sigh, knowing that he loved Priscilla with all his heart. She was everything he’d ever wanted in a wife and mother, and they balanced each other, with her necessity to have things organized while Chester so often focused on the moment to moment. And sometimes Chester was able to push back a little and let Priscilla know that the world would not come crashing down if everything didn’t run smoothly all the time. He knew that Priscilla trusted God’s plan for their lives, as he did.

There’d been the problems with the house, her wedding dress disaster, change of plans for the cake, Chester losing his job, and now this. What else could possibly go wrong?

Chapter Ten

P
RISCILLA TRIED TO STAY FOCUSED ON CHURCH SERVICE
this brisk Sunday morning, but her mind kept drifting. They were gathered in the Petersheims’ barn because Elizabeth and Elam’s house was small and couldn’t accommodate over a hundred people. Priscilla wasn’t sure how it housed Elizabeth, Elam, and their five children.

This would be her last time to attend church as a single woman, and tonight would be her last time to attend a Sunday singing with Chester. Soon they’d start their own family, and someday their teenagers would gather on Sunday evenings.

She glanced around the barn. As usual, the women were sitting on long wooden benches facing the men on the other side, and the bishop and deacons were in the middle. Priscilla smiled at Chester, and he returned the smile—sort of. Priscilla sensed by his expression that something was wrong. She hadn’t had time to talk to him before the service, but after lunch she’d see if something was bothering him.

Naomi sat next to
Mamm
. Priscilla was disappointed that Zeke had been called back to Middlefield to tend to his
daed
, but she certainly understood. She had hoped Naomi the matchmaker might have found a match of her own. Rose sat two rows in front of Priscilla. She felt sorry for her friend, who scratched her arms through most of the service, but despite her poison ivy, Priscilla caught her and Luke exchanging smiles.

She stifled a yawn and refocused on the service . . . though visions of her wedding in four days challenged her attention span, and within a few minutes her mind trailed. Chances were good that things were not going to go as she’d planned. She tried to recall when she’d become such a perfectionist, needing things to run smoothly all the time. Yes, she’d always dreamed that her wedding day would be special, but it was more than that, and Priscilla knew it. She thought back to what Naomi had said to her.

When there was order in her life, she felt like she was on the right path, God’s path. When things fell apart, she questioned her actions, inactions, and everything that did or didn’t happen to cause the upheaval. As she pondered her past up to now, Bishop Ebersol’s voice suddenly boomed, and her eyes rounded as she held on to his words.

“To question the Lord’s will is to not believe in His perfect plan.”

Priscilla locked eyes with the bishop, then hung her head, knowing that his words were the essence of everything she’d been taught her entire life.
Why haven’t I been living by that?
Her perfection was not God’s perfection. She closed her eyes.

I’m sorry
.

C
HESTER HELPED THE MEN REARRANGE THE BENCHES
and set up tables after the church service ended. It was chilly in the barn despite the propane heaters placed throughout, but Chester’s forehead dripped with sweat. How was he going to tell Priscilla that he couldn’t find their marriage license? There was a three-day waiting period in Pennsylvania, so even if they went tomorrow to get a new one, there was no way they could get married the following day.

He helped Abe set out some additional folding chairs in preparation for the meal, although he didn’t have much appetite.

“You find your license?” Abe grinned, and Chester felt his blood start to boil. He reminded himself that smacking Abe went against their ways.

“No. I didn’t.” He shoved the last of the chairs up against the table. But when he turned back toward his brother, Abe wasn’t smiling.

“Seriously? You didn’t find it?” Abe stroked his clean-shaven chin as his eyebrows drew inward.

“No.”

“What are you going to do? The wedding is in two days, and that ain’t long enough to go get another one.”

“I don’t know, Abe!”

“No need to holler,
bruder
.” Abe put a hand on Chester’s shoulder as he glanced around the barn at the other men. “I’ll help you look some more tonight.”

Chester lowered his head, rubbing his forehead. “I don’t know where else
to
look.”

“Will you tell Priscilla?” Abe lowered his hand and sighed. “Maybe you should wait.”

“I’ve looked everywhere, Abe. It just isn’t there. I’m going to have to tell her.” He dropped his chin. “So much has already gone wrong, and now this.” He looked up at Abe. “We can’t even get married without that license, and everyone is already coming on Tuesday, tomorrow everyone will prepare the food, and . . .” He stopped when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye.
Priscilla
. She eased her way through all the men setting up tables and benches.

“How’s my favorite husband-to-be?”

Abe made a dash for the barn door. “See you later.”

“They’re getting ready to bring out the food, so I was sent to make sure the tables were ready.”

Chester looked around. “I think so.” He forced a smile and wondered how he was going to tell Priscilla that the wedding would have to be postponed.

Fifteen minutes later he was seated next to Abe and his father, picking at his food while Priscilla and the other women scurried about, making sure everyone was taken care of.

After the meal, he had the perfect opportunity to tell her. They were standing off to the side of the house, but when Priscilla started detailing the plans for Tuesday, he just didn’t have the heart to interrupt. She seemed to have made some sort of peace with the fact that so much had gone wrong.

“It’s God’s will for us to be challenged,” she said. “But I love you so much, Chester. I can’t wait to be your
frau
.”

Now as he rode alongside Abe in the buggy on the way home, he knew that he would have to tell her the truth tonight at the singing. It would only make things worse if he kept putting it off.

P
RISCILLA BATHED HERSELF IN LAVENDER BUBBLE BATH
that she and her mother had made recently, and the sweet smell reminded her of spring. By then, she would be Mrs. Chester Lapp.

As she towel-dried her hair, she thought again about how this would be her last official Sunday singing. Lots of older folks still attended from time to time, but mainly it was the younger people, those who were of dating age.

She’d prayed hard about the challenges that she and Chester had faced as the wedding drew closer, but she hadn’t had any more hiccups, and she was doing her best not to worry. She’d felt much more open and able to hear God’s guidance. Nothing was going to stop her from becoming Chester’s
frau
.

After she dressed, she gathered up the Sunday vest and pants she’d made for him. If anything had gone right along the way toward the wedding, it was the clothes she made for Chester. Each seam was lovingly sewn and straight, and she couldn’t wait to give them to him.

“I’m going,
Mamm
,” she said when she walked into the living room downstairs. She reached for her heavy black coat on the rack, then pulled her arms through the sleeves. “I saw Chester pulling in from my window.”

“Enjoy yourself.” Her father looked above his gold-rimmed glasses and smiled. Her mother got up from the couch and gave Priscilla a hug.

“
Ya
, have fun, dear.” She kissed Priscilla on the cheek. “Sarah Mae is with Naomi at the
daadi haus
, so your father and I are going to enjoy this nice fire and some quiet time.”

Priscilla smiled. Her parents were still so much in love. “I won’t be too late.” She pulled on her black bonnet and headed outside, glad that the Petersheims’ house was close by. Close enough to walk if it hadn’t been so cold.

“You look beautiful,” Chester said when she climbed into the buggy.

“Danki.”
She handed him the vest and pants. “They’re not wrapped, but I couldn’t wait to give them to you.” She grinned. “I hope they fit.” She’d asked Abe about sizes, so hopefully he’d given her the right measurements.

Chester ran his hand gingerly over the vest, then the pants. “I’m sure they’ll fit perfectly,” he said, but just like this morning, she sensed something was wrong. He clicked his tongue, and they started toward the Petersheims’.

When they arrived at the singing a few minutes later, Chester leaned down and kissed her as soon as they were out of the buggy. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She gazed into his eyes. “Chester, is everything okay?”

“
Ya
. Why?”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “You just seem . . . like . . .” She reminded herself not to fret. “Never mind. Let’s go into the
haus
. Looks like lots of folks are here.” She squeezed his hand as they made their way up to the front porch. “Our last Sunday singing before we’re married.”