His Love Endures Forever (18 page)

As she pulled a section of hair through her flatiron, she wondered what kind of wedding pictures she would have. The majority of the people attending were Amish, and they didn’t believe in posing for pictures. Would Levi pose with her, at least? They hadn’t discussed it.

She took a final look at herself in the mirror in her ivory dress and thought about her mother. Blinking her eyes a few
times, she was determined not to cry. Her mother had lost the right to attend her wedding a long time ago. She placed her hands on her tummy.
Or to be a grandmother
.

Martha would be the baby’s grandmother. And Vera, she supposed. She’d watched the way Vera was with Levi’s younger sister, Betsy, and with all the little ones in the Amish community. She’d be a wonderful grandmother too. In time. Once she accepted their marriage.

She dabbed on a bit of lip gloss, opting to wear almost no makeup. It seemed important to make this day as easy as possible for Levi and his people, even if his people wouldn’t
be
his people after today. That thought still troubled her, how much Levi was giving up. She heard Martha bellowing from downstairs that it was time to go, so Danielle leaned close to the mirror, had a final look, and went down the stairs.

Martha was grabbing her purse from the couch when Danielle hit the landing, and Arnold was putting on his black hat, the one he always wore to church.

“You sure look spiffy,” she told Arnold, then gave him a hug.

“As do you. A beautiful bride.” He pulled her into a hug and kissed her on the cheek. “Are you ready?”

“Yes. I’m ready. And, Arnold . . . thank you for helping Levi, his brother, and friends work on our house for the past couple of days.”

“It felt good to step out of retirement.” He pushed his outdated hat into place. “Does an old man good.”

Arnold had been a carpenter when Martha had first met him, helping to build a school for the Amish children.

Martha huffed. “If you’re old, I’m old, and I choose not to be old.” She turned off the television and flipped off the lights.

“We’re not going to have any electricity or solar panels for a while, but otherwise, Levi said it’s cleaned up and livable.” She looked to Arnold for confirmation and with some relief saw him purse his lips and nod. “Though I’m not sure how it can be livable without me being able to charge my cell phone.”

Arnold chuckled. “Well, that will give you a good reason to come visit. To charge your cell phone, straighten your hair, or whatever else you might need.” Then he whispered, “And I know you’ll miss Martha’s cooking.”

Truth was, Danielle couldn’t cook much better than Martha. “You can eat my share,” she whispered back.

They both were laughing, but stopped when they heard a knock at the door.

“I’ll get it.” Danielle walked to the door and pulled it open, surprised to see Sarah standing on the porch. She’d been around Sarah a few times and saw her at the Amish worship services, but she didn’t know her well at all. But she did know that Levi had taken her to a few of their Sunday singings. She tensed. “Hi, Sarah. What’s up?”

Sarah bit her bottom lip for a moment, then blew out a breath. “I need to talk to you.”

“Okay.” She stepped aside and gestured toward the den.

“Alone?” Sarah whispered after she’d nodded in Martha and Arnold’s direction.

Arnold moved past them, gently pulling Martha by the arm. “We’ll be outside, ladies, enjoying the sunshine.”

“Make it quick,” Martha said. “We need to leave shortly.”

After they were outside, Danielle motioned for Sarah to sit down, but Sarah folded her hands in front of her and shook her head.

“I can’t stay. I just came here . . . I came here to . . .” Sarah dropped her gaze to the floor.

Danielle took a step toward her. “What’s wrong? Is something wrong with Levi? What is it?”

“No, Levi is fine.” Sarah looked up at her. “And I’m so sorry to come on your wedding day, but, Danielle . . .” She moved closer and touched her arm. “I couldn’t have lived with myself if I didn’t come.” Pulling her hand away, she blinked back tears.

“It’s Levi, isn’t it?” Danielle’s heart was racing, wishing Sarah would get to the point.

Sarah nodded. “Levi is so confused, Danielle. This wedding will pull him from his people. I was with him Tuesday night, and—”

“This past Tuesday?” Danielle put a hand on her hip. “Where?”

“I had supper with the family and Levi drove me home. We talked a lot, and he just isn’t ready for all of this . . . the wedding and everything.” Sarah looked at the floor and shook her head.

Danielle folded her arms across her chest. “Really?” Or maybe Sarah just wanted Levi for herself and this was her lastditch effort to keep Danielle from marrying him. “He seems fine to me. He loves me.”
But did Levi really confide in Sarah?
Does he still have reservations?

Sarah’s tears in the corners of her eyes dried instantly as she locked eyes with Danielle, a smirk on her face. “If he loves you so much, why was he kissing me?”

Danielle felt her knees giving way beneath her. “I don’t believe you.”

“Ask him then.” Sarah flashed a thin-lipped smile at Danielle. “Because you know Levi can’t lie. He’ll tell you the truth. Just
a few days ago, he was kissing
me
. I think that should tell you something. He’s not ready to be pulled from his faith, from all that is familiar to him . . . or from me. He doesn’t belong with you, Danielle. Do the right thing, and let him go.”

Sarah spun around and marched to the door.

Danielle stood with her jaw hanging open as she watched Sarah leave in her buggy.

Martha and Arnold came back inside.

“What was that about?” Martha walked up to Danielle and stood in front of her.

Danielle couldn’t control the tears from falling. Sarah had been right about at least one thing. Levi couldn’t tell a lie. He’d surely kissed Sarah recently. Danielle already knew what the answer would be if she asked him about it.

“The wedding is off !” Danielle fled the room and hurried upstairs.

I wanted a sign from God. And now I have it
.

V
ERA FACED OFF
with Elam in the living room, her bottom lip trembling. A combination of anger and hurt swam through her veins. “I’m not going, Elam. And there’s nothing else you can say to me.”

“How about I am the head of the household and you have to do what I say?” Elam looped his thumbs beneath his suspenders and stood taller. But only for a moment. “
Ach
, Vera . . . come on,
mei lieb
. He’s our
sohn
. And it’s his wedding day.”

Vera placed her hand over her heart. She hadn’t heard from Sarah or Anna Marie. How could both efforts have failed? Sarah was evidently not able to talk Levi out of the wedding,
and Anna Marie couldn’t get her irresponsible son home either. “I cannot go and watch Levi ruin his life. I just can’t. ‘A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.’”

Levi had left twenty minutes ago while Vera was upstairs. But as she’d watched Levi and Betsy leaving the house from her upstairs bedroom window, she was sure she’d felt her heart crack in two. Why was God letting this happen? She knew in her mind and heart that the Lord always had a plan for everything and that His will was to be done . . . but something was terribly amiss here, and Vera just couldn’t accept it as right.

“Well, I’m going then.” Elam pointed a finger at her, and Vera held back the urge to slap his hand away. “I think you are making a mistake.”

“Then it’s my mistake to make.” She turned and walked toward the stairs before Elam could see the tears spilling down her cheeks.

L
EVI PULLED UP
at the small church. He recognized Martha and Arnold’s car. He saw Jacob’s gray buggy with the long scratch down the side, a reminder from when his brother’s horse had gotten away from him one day and sideswiped a hitching post in town. His sister Emily and his brother-in-law David had also arrived, their buggy recognizable by the fine black horse hitched to it.

“Am I still going to see you?” Betsy tugged on the sleeve of Levi’s black jacket. “
Daed
said you aren’t shunned, so I’ll still see you, right?”

Levi pulled his buggy next to Emily and David’s. “Of course. You’ll see me all the time.” Once he was stopped, he twisted his head over his shoulder and searched the road, hoping his parents would be along soon. He knew this was hard on his mother, and she’d said very little, but maybe
Mamm
would come around when she saw Levi take vows with Danielle. Then she’d know in her heart, the way Levi did, that this was God’s perfect plan.

He stepped out of the buggy, feeling a refreshing spring in his step. He’d wondered if he might be nervous today, but he wasn’t at all. Grabbing Betsy’s hand, he helped her out of the buggy. “Go on inside. I’ll be in there shortly, after I get Chester settled. Some of your
aentis
and
onkels
are already here.”

Levi whistled softly as he tethered Chester to the post.
Thank You, Lord, for this day, for guiding my steps to do Your
will. I pray that I will be a loving, yet strong and protective husband
and father
.

Excited to see Danielle, he made the last loop on the hitching post, gave Chester a quick pat on the head, then headed for the church. He was halfway to the entrance when the door flew open. Levi didn’t think he’d ever seen Martha move as fast as she was moving now. Her face was red as a beet, her jaw was clenched, and half her hair was falling from her clip.

Levi stopped where he was in the parking lot, but Martha didn’t. She kept coming like a bull until she’d grabbed both sides of his open jacket and yanked him with the force of three men.

“You . . . you scoundrel! How could you do this to our girl?”

Levi didn’t move away. “What are you
talking
about?” He could see Emily, David, Beth Ann, and Jacob over her shoulder heading toward them. Arnold was trying unsuccessfully to coax Betsy into the church.

“Why would you go through this charade only to break Danielle’s heart?” Martha finally let go of him and took a step backward, wiping quick, angry tears from the corners of her eyes. Levi straightened his jacket, glanced over Martha’s shoulder again at his family, then back at her. “Martha, how am I
breaking
her heart? I love her!” His own heart was pounding against his chest.

Martha pointed a finger at Levi. “Your
friend
Sarah came calling this morning and informed Danielle about your hanky-panky.”

“What?” Levi’s stomach roiled as he took a deep breath.

“Don’t look so innocent there, mister. Danielle knows all about what you were up to
a few nights ago
.” Martha shoved her finger into his chest, glaring at him. “I’m going home now, to check on Danielle. We just came to let you and your family know that the wedding is off.” Then she marched to her car, hollering for Arnold to follow her.

Levi didn’t move as his family came around him. He could feel the heat in his cheeks despite the sting of the cool wind.

He had to get to Danielle . . . to make her understand.

  
Twelve

L
EVI PAWNED
B
ETSY OFF ON HIS STUNNED FAMILY
before he went directly to Martha’s house. But Martha wouldn’t even let him step one foot inside.

He stood outside and bellowed up at Danielle’s window. “Danielle! Just give me a minute! I need to talk to you!”

Arnold came out to the porch, arms folded in front of his chest. “Best give it a rest, son. Give her some time. Give us all some time.”

Levi closed his eyes and then rubbed his face. Slowly he turned away and climbed into his buggy, staring up at Danielle’s window, watching as Arnold slipped back inside. He didn’t blame them. He was an idiot. How could he have allowed himself to be in that position with Sarah? So soon before his wedding?

His heart was split in two—broken over losing Danielle, and splintered with anger that Sarah would stoop so low as to try to keep him from doing what he believed he was called by God to do. He was sure his parents had shown up at the church, heard what happened, and were back home by now.

By the time Levi pulled up at his house, the anger had built to a point that he probably should have gone somewhere else to cool off, but he wanted
Mamm
to know exactly how much she’d hurt him. Because she was behind it all. He was as sure of it as he was of the sun rising in the east.