His Love Endures Forever (14 page)

“This is the master bedroom.”

Danielle forced a smile, noticing it was in the same condition as the rest of the house. “It’s big.” She walked around, looking for a closet . . . but then a bigger issue caused her stomach to lurch. “Levi?”

He walked closer to her. “I know it’s a wreck, but we can get it clean enough to live in while we fix it up. This is
okay, isn’t it? I’ll work hard to make it nice. We can do this together.”

Bless his heart. He sounded so hopeful. “There’s no electricity,” she finally said, her voice squeaking toward the end.

“I know. It’s pretty old. I don’t know of any Amish family who ever lived here since the district is so new, but whoever lived here didn’t have electricity.”

She asked the burning question. “We’ll have electricity, right?”

Levi scratched his forehead, frowning. “I can’t really afford that. And I’ve never had electricity anyway. Can you live without it? At least for a while?” Levi smiled. “As soon as I can afford it, I’ll have
Daed
help me install some solar panels. That would be cheaper than having it all wired for electricity, and it’s allowed by the bishop.” His smile faded. “Not that it really matters, huh?”

Danielle was quiet as she tried to envision her new married life.
No television? Blow-dryer? Radio?
How was she going to charge her cell phone? She brought a hand to her chest. “How long?”

Levi took off his hat and scratched his head. “I don’t know. I guess I didn’t give it that much thought. I always figured I’d marry an Amish girl . . .” He shrugged. “If it’s that important to you, I’ll try to borrow more money from the bank.”

She shook her head. “No. I don’t want you doing that. I can live without it.” She poked him playfully on the arm. “For a while.”

“Let me show you the rest of the house.”

Levi walked her down the hallway and showed her the other two bedrooms, and there was one bathroom at the end of the hallway. Good-sized bedrooms, but both were also in
need of an overhaul. She picked the larger of the two rooms to be the baby’s room.

“The kitchen is a
gut
size.” Levi walked around, eyeing the old gas range. There wasn’t a refrigerator. “Looks like the stove will be okay for now.”

It looked a hundred years old to Danielle, like the rest of the house, and unlike any stove she’d ever seen. She eased back into the living room, glad there was a big fireplace. She’d practically frozen last winter, her first year in Canaan. Despite all her money, Martha was frugal when it came to air-conditioning and heat, and Martha’s small fireplace didn’t heat the upstairs very well.

Levi faced her, hands on his hips. “Don’t look so worried. I’ll have it livable by the time we get married.”

It sounded strange to hear him say the word
married
, but she just nodded, unable to fathom how this old house could possibly be fit for human habitation in a week.

Or how she was going to survive in a home without electricity.

  
Nine

V
ERA’S STOMACH CHURNED ALL THROUGH THE
quilting party on Tuesday, knowing she needed to talk to Sarah. When Sarah finally thanked Lillian for hosting the party and began saying her good-byes, Vera seized the opportunity to speak with her privately.

“I’ll help you carry your things,” Vera said as she quickly reached for the casserole dish that Sarah was trying to balance on one hip while positioning her quilting basket on the other. “Betsy, I’ll be right back.” She pointed a finger at her young daughter, hoping Betsy would behave until she returned.

Vera was running out of time to put a stop to this ridiculous wedding her son had planned for Saturday
. Just four days
away!

“
Danki
, Vera.” Sarah smiled as Vera handed her the dish when they arrived at her buggy. Sarah didn’t have a clue what was going on. Vera hated to be the one to break the news to her, but she needed Sarah’s help. Telling the tale as quickly as she could, she watched Sarah’s eyes well up with tears.

“I’m sorry, dear. But I need to know the name of the
boy in Alamosa. I need to visit his family. This is not Levi’s responsibility.”

Sarah sniffled. “His name is Matthew Lapp.” She paused, shaking her head. “But why would Levi marry Danielle unless he loved her? He must love her.” A tear rolled down Sarah’s cheek.

“Nee, nee.”
Vera took a deep breath. “He thinks he’s had a calling from God to marry Danielle, but I believe this is the devil’s work . . . calling him away from his faith. Matthew Lapp’s family needs to know the truth. Maybe there’s hope that Matthew will come forth and marry Danielle.”

“I don’t understand.” Sarah dabbed at her eyes, then looked up at Vera. “I guess that’s why he never invited me to do anything else.”

“Levi is just very confused, and we’ve got to get that boy right before he messes up his life and walks away from the Lord.” She leaned closer to Sarah. “For now, let’s not mention this to anyone. Hopefully I can talk to the Lapp family, and maybe they can make Matthew come to his senses and take responsibility for this child.” Vera raised an eyebrow. “And, Sarah . . . I implore you to do what you can to stop Levi from making the biggest mistake of his life.”

A
N HOUR LATER
— and against her husband’s wishes—Vera climbed into the backseat of Wayne’s car. Their
Englisch
friend provided rides back and forth from Canaan to Alamosa for not much more than the cost of gasoline. Vera handed him a basket of blueberry muffins, the way she always did when he drove her somewhere.

“Wayne, I’m sorry to trouble you, but when we get into Alamosa, I’m going to need to ask around until I find the Lapp family.” Vera eased back against the seat.

“No need,” Wayne said as he reached for a muffin. “It’s a small Amish district, and I drive the Lapp family sometimes. The wife’s name is Anna Marie. Husband is John. And they have one son.” He took a bite of the muffin, crumbs spilling into his lap.

“Matthew? Is that the son’s name?”

Wayne finished chewing. “I believe so, although I’ve never met him.”

Vera cringed, knowing how painful all this must be for Anna Marie Lapp, especially since Matthew was her only son. She wasn’t looking forward to the visit, but it was her only hope to stop the wedding.

Twenty minutes later, Wayne pulled off a gravel road and into a driveway several miles outside of Alamosa. He stopped in front of a newly constructed white home. “This is it.”

“I won’t be long.” Vera opened the car door and stepped out.

The Lapp home was a bit fancy for Vera’s taste on the outside. There weren’t any flower beds or shrubs yet, but the wind chimes and hummingbird feeders hanging around the porch were much too ornate with bright colors and chrome enclosures. The two rocking chairs on the porch were white, but there was a small, glass-topped table in between them that also felt quite lavish. Vera grimaced as she walked up the steps to the front door. Too many luxuries weren’t good for any family. It sent a bad message to their young people—that it was okay to partake of the ways of the
Englisch
.
And their girls . . .
She gave her head a quick shake and squelched the thought.

After two knocks, a woman opened the door, and Vera’s dread doubled over the task at hand. Anna Marie Lapp was dressed almost exactly the same as Vera—in a dark brown dress, black apron, and white prayer covering. But the woman had dark circles underneath sad eyes, a pinkish nose, and a tissue in one hand.

“Can I help you?” she asked from the other side of a screened door. Her partial smile couldn’t hide the sadness in her voice.

“I’m Vera Detweiler from Canaan. It wonders me if I might talk with you for a few minutes?”

Anna Marie nodded, and Vera stepped backward so Anna Marie could open the screen door. “Come in. I’m Anna Marie Lapp.”

Vera crossed the threshold into the living room, the smell of fresh paint hanging in the air. Anna Marie closed the door behind her. A dark blue couch and two matching recliners circled a heavily etched oak coffee table with a vase full of artificial flowers. Vera couldn’t fault her for that. Weather conditions in the San Luis Valley made it difficult to grow just about anything unless you were familiar with the climate changes. A fancy oak hutch was against the wall, filled mostly with books, but there was one picture on the shelf of a boy. He was dressed in Amish clothes and looked to be around Levi’s age.
Matthew?
Even though pictures weren’t allowed, Vera knew that sometimes youth in their
rumschpringe
would pose for pictures. But for Anna Marie to display such a picture was inappropriate. She thought briefly if she would bend such a rule if Levi ran away.

“I was just making some coffee. If you’ll join me in the
kitchen, I’ll pour us both a cup.” Anna Marie forced another smile and stuffed the tissue in the pocket of her apron.

“Danki.”
Vera followed her into the kitchen. The countertops were a faint shade of yellow with decorative glass knobs on the cabinets, and the refrigerator and stove were shiny white— propane, like hers, Vera assumed. She quickly scanned the room to see if there was any electricity. There wasn’t.

Anna Marie poured two cups of coffee and motioned for Vera to take a seat in one of the four high-back chairs surrounding a small table in the middle of the room. “What brings you to Alamosa, Vera?”

Vera accepted her coffee and sat down. She circled the rim of her coffee cup with her finger. “It’s about your son, Matthew.”

Anna Marie brought a hand to her chest as her eyes began to tear. “Please tell me that nothing has happened to him. He’s supposed to be at our cousin John’s
haus
in Indiana.”

“
Nee, nee
. Nothing has happened,” Vera said, shaking her head. She took a deep breath, knowing the blow she was about to deliver was selfish. But didn’t Anna Marie deserve to know that she had a grandchild on the way? “Matthew used to spend time with an
Englisch
girl. Danielle, right?”

Anna Marie weighed the comment with a critical squint. “
Ya
. We always worried that he would venture into the
Englisch
world to live with her.” She lowered her head for a moment, then looked back up. “But he ended up leaving her too and running off to Indiana to live with our cousins who no longer live Amish.”

“I know how upsetting it can be to have one of your own leave the faith.” Vera took a deep breath.

“Do you?” Anna Marie’s voice had such hope in it, clueless
that Vera’s mission was not to befriend her or offer her consolation. “Has this happened to one of your
kinner
?” She paused. “And are you a friend of Danielle’s?”

Instinctively, Vera shook her head and avoided the first part of the question. Vera knew that she needed to handle this situation carefully; otherwise, she could end up as equally destroyed as Anna Marie. “I know Danielle, but I wouldn’t call us friends.”

Anna Marie narrowed her eyebrows. “What is the purpose of your visit, Vera?” She took a quick sip of coffee. “I’m glad to make your acquaintance, but you must have traveled here to speak with me for a reason, no?”

“Ya.”
Vera took a deep breath, then she looked up at Anna Marie, whose curious hazel eyes met hers. “I’m afraid I have some shocking news.” She forced herself to go on. “
Mei sohn
is going to wed Danielle this Saturday coming.”

“
Ach
, Vera. I’m so sorry.” Anna Marie reached over and briefly touched Vera’s hand. “There is nothing more painful than to lose one of our own to the outside world. Will he still be nearby? Matthew is such a long way from us, and . . .” She pulled the tissue from her pocket and blew her nose. “I’m sorry.
Mei
husband—John—and I are just so upset.”

“Maybe there is a way that you can convince Matthew to come back home?” Vera said hopefully.

“Our boy made his choice. He wasn’t baptized yet, so he was able to do that. But we are confused about why he felt the need to run so far from us. Our hearts are broken.” She sniffled. “He’s our only child. We were unable to have more.”

Vera reached over and put her hand over hers. “He is running from something else, Anna Marie.” She paused for a long
while, keeping her eyes locked with the woman’s. “Danielle is pregnant, and the baby is Matthew’s.”

Anna Marie jerked her hand out from under Vera’s. “
Nee
. It isn’t true.”