Katie's Journey to Love (15 page)

I could work extra hours at Byler's
, Katie wanted to say, but she didn't. Asking to keep any of her money before she was twenty-one would be the same thing as asking for Jesse's money.

“I would take it as a
gut
sign from
Da Hah
if He supplies you with the necessary funds,” Jesse said when she remained silent.

Katie nodded. She understood perfectly. Jesse thought the expense of the trip would kill the idea—as it well might. Then she would simply have to submit to the will of
Da Hah
. It was a fair enough test.

“That's all we have then?” Jesse asked as he glanced toward
Mamm
.

Mamm
looked up and gave Jesse a warm smile.

Katie rose. “Thank you, Jesse and
Mamm
,” Katie said, giving them both a smile. Slipping upstairs, she closed the door of her room. A moment later footsteps came up the steps, followed by a soft knock on the door.

“Come in,” Katie said.

Mabel's face appeared in the doorway, a look of triumph on her face. “What did I say! You're not going.”

Katie kept silent. Anything she said would make the matter worse. If Mabel wanted to gloat, she could go ahead.

“And
Daett
's on my side now,” Mabel continued. “Your
mamm
can't persuade him to forbid me my
rumspringa
time. I'm going to tell Mose he can come riding right up to the house from now on.” Mabel closed the door without waiting for an answer. Her footsteps faded down the hall.

So
Mamm
hadn't influenced Jesse about Mabel's
rumspringa
time. And for her part, she might still go to Europe by a miracle from
Da Hah
—a
financial
miracle.

At the next Mennonite youth gathering she would tell Margaret and Sharon the news. They would understand if the money didn't become available. They would mourn her not being able to go, but there were worse things in the world. She had aimed a little high on this one—about as high as wanting Ben Stoll to notice her. She couldn't expect
Da Hah
to allow her everything she wanted, right?

Chapter Fifteen

The following Wednesday, Katie came out of Byler's employee doorway and stepped into the brisk December air. Arlene was close beside her. Thankfully, four o'clock had finally rolled around and their day was finished.

“Hey, look who's waiting for us by the buggies!” Arlene grabbed Katie's arm and suppressed a giggle.

Katie almost stopped walking. Ben Stoll was leaning against her buggy.

“Now, don't pass out,” Arlene whispered. “He's not going to eat you.”

Arlene obviously didn't know the emotions Ben stirred up in Katie or she wouldn't tease like that. This was serious love she had for Ben, and it clearly wasn't going away. And he wasn't helping things by showing up like this. He probably had business with Arlene, Katie decided. But Ben appeared a little sheepish, which was a look he didn't normally wear around Arlene.

“I'd almost take my chances at snagging him,” Arlene said out
of the corner of her mouth, “if I thought I had the slightest hope in the world. And if I didn't already have a boyfriend.”

Katie kept quiet, her mind and body a little dizzy.

“What do you think he wants?” They were almost within earshot of the buggies and Arlene was still talking.

Katie kept her eyes aimed at the ground and didn't reply.

“
Gut
evening!” Arlene sang out.

Ben smiled. “How are you girls?”

“Just fine,” Arlene said.

Katie hung back but she did look up.

“What brings you out here?” Arlene asked.

“I was on my way home and thought I'd stop in and say ‘hi'.” Ben smiled again.

“Come on, Ben, 'fess up,” Arlene said. “You didn't stop in at Byler's to say hi to two lowly girls like us.”

“Well then, you're both charming princesses, and I felt I had to stop,” Ben responded with a grin.

“Stop teasing, Ben.” Arlene was glaring at him now.

Ben was looking at Arlene every time Katie took a quick glance at his face. She knew she ought to say something, but she wasn't nearly as bold here as she was at the Mennonite youth gatherings.

“I'm not teasing,” Ben was saying. “I'm sure your boyfriend, Nelson, would agree with me. Now let me help you with your horse, and then I want to speak with Katie.”

Katie felt a shock run all the way through her. She stared first at Ben and then at Arlene.

Arlene was clearly shocked. “Katie? You want to speak with Katie…alone?”

“It's a free world, isn't it?” Ben asked as he headed to the fence where the girls' horses were tied.

Arlene turned toward Katie and whispered, “What does he want with you?”

Katie stopped gazing after the retreating Ben and looked at Arlene. “I have no idea.”

Arlene obviously didn't believe her, but she said nothing more, appearing to still be in shock.

Ben led Arlene's horse to her buggy, and Arlene picked up the shafts so Ben could back the mare in. Katie helped with the tugs that were on her side while Arlene did the other side. Then Arlene climbed inside the buggy, an astonished look still on her face, and drove off toward home.

Katie felt herself relax as Ben turned to face her.

“I suppose this is a little surprising, me stopping in like this.”

“
Yah
,” Katie said, “it is. But I don't mind.”

Ben's sheepish look was back again. He was running the toe of his shoe around in a circle on the pavement, his eyes following the movement. Several moments passed before he looked up to meet Katie's gaze. “I'm sure you've heard that there's another youth gathering this Friday night.”

“
Yah
, Esther told me.”

“Well, if it's all right with you, I'd like to pick you up this time.”

“Pick me up?” Katie's heart pounded furiously. Had Ben really asked what he just did?

“Pick you up and take you there is what I mean. If you don't object, of course.”

The world was spinning in front of her eyes. Katie almost wanted to reach for something to hold onto.

“So, what do you say?” Ben asked, sounding just a little unsure of himself.

Katie thought she should answer before he changed his mind and remembered who he was talking to. “
Yah
, of course. Sure!” Her words fell all over each other.

Ben visibly relaxed, a pleased look on his face. “That's great! I'll be looking forward to it. I'll need to pick you up earlier than Esther probably does because we'll be going by buggy.”

“That's just fine,” Katie answered.

“So let me help you get on the road. I've held you up long enough,” Ben said.

She wasn't in any hurry to leave Ben, Katie thought. But she didn't say anything. She waited as Ben went over and untied Sparky and then brought him over to the buggy. Katie lifted the shafts as Ben backed Sparky between them and then worked on hitching him to the buggy. She fastened the tug on her side.

“There you are!” Ben said, coming around and giving her a helping hand up to the buggy seat.

He's being so kind…and such a gentleman, Katie thought.

“Don't forget Friday night,” Ben said as he backed away from the buggy.

“I won't! See you then. And thank you, Ben.” Katie gasped as Sparky suddenly took off. No doubt she was acting like a fool, but then what else could she expect? This was the day she'd dreamed of for so long. The fact that she hadn't passed out was enough to get down on her knees and give thanks to
Da Hah
.

Katie leaned out of the buggy door for a quick glance back. Ben was still standing there waving. She waved back and quickly pulled her body back inside. For a long time she had to struggle to catch her breath.

From the tension on the buggy lines Sparky seemed to know something was up. He lifted his feet high and almost pranced down the road.

Moments later, a dark cloud crossed Katie's mind. She wondered what Arlene would say tomorrow. She'd been quite summarily dismissed tonight by Ben. No doubt she wouldn't be happy. Katie wondered what she was supposed to do. But she was too excited about Ben's offer to worry about Arlene's feelings for very long. A date with Ben Stoll! Would Arlene expect her to
crawl back into her shy and retiring cave and hide in sackcloth and ashes?
Nee, nee, nee!
That was not going to happen!

Katie couldn't stop thinking about Ben all the way home. He'd been such a gentleman—so kind and even a bit hesitant. Her heart raced at the memory of him looking at her and his smile.
Mamm
couldn't have been more wrong about Ben's character. She couldn't really blame
Mamm
for her doubts. She'd never really met Ben, but now she would. Not on the first date, of course. Things weren't done that way.

Ben was taking her to the next Mennonite youth gathering! Yes, the feelings from the rest of the family about Ben might be suspicious at best. But someday—after everyone saw they didn't intend to leave the faith—they would love Ben like she did. Slow down! Katie reminded herself. This was just one date. But one date might lead to another, and another, and…Katie hugged herself at the thought, leaving the lines slack for a moment. Sparky took the moment to dash even faster down the road until she reined him in. She settled back into the buggy seat and listened to the steady beat of Sparky's hooves on the pavement. Another dark thought flitted in her mind. What would
Mamm
say about Ben picking her up? This would no doubt be worse news than ever for
Mamm. Mamm
didn't want her to have anything to do with boys, much less with Ben. The combination of Ben
and
the Mennonite youth gatherings would surely put
Mamm
in an even greater tizzy.

But miracles were happening. She would remind
Mamm
that her wedding to Jesse had been a miracle. Wouldn't
Mamm
see that the same thing might be happening now for her daughter? Because this
was
a miracle. Even one date with Ben Stoll—if another one never happened—was so
wunderbah
she would treasure it for the rest of her life.

Mamm
would just have to accept this. There was no turning
back now. Ben's buggy would be coming down the driveway on Friday night. There would be no hiding that from anyone. Katie tried to keep breathing normally as she kept her eyes on the road ahead. The Christmas lights in the windows of an
Englisha
house twinkled off and on and drew her attention for a moment. There were many of these homes on the way home, and usually she would be enjoying the sight of the pretty lights. But tonight she had only one thing on her mind: Ben Stoll.

Chapter Sixteen

That evening the chatter at the supper table filled Katie's ears.
Mamm
had been all smiles since Katie had arrived home, apparently so caught up in her new duties that she hadn't noticed the dreamy look on Katie's face. And Katie had kept the news to herself, afraid that
Mamm
might say words in front of the others she would later regret. Later they'd have a private conversation about Ben and her upcoming date with him.

Mabel was the only one who wasn't joining in the hearty dinner table conversation. Katie noticed that a dark cloud seemed to come and go on her face. Before long
Mamm
would notice, and the questions would start. And then there would be trouble, if Katie didn't miss her guess. In the meantime, she kept watching
Mamm
as she passed the food around the table and made sure everyone was getting enough. She was the perfect hostess.

Mamm
had never been this way before she married Jesse. They'd never gone hungry at their old place, but food preparation had never been high on
Mamm
's priority list. Now she seemed
obsessed with the subject, glowing with happiness whenever one of the children took extra helpings.

“Awful nice eating we have here,” Jesse said, dishing another large portion of mashed potatoes on his plate. “A man could grow fat on this.”

Mamm
's cheeks glowed, and she lowered her head.

Almost like a teenager, Katie thought. Perhaps someday she would prepare food for Ben like
Mamm
was preparing food for Jesse. That thought made her ears and cheeks burn. Thankfully no one knew what she was thinking. And it was way too early for such thoughts anyway. Ben was only taking her to one youth gathering. Still, knowing that Ben was coming on Friday night made her toes tingle.

Mabel's glowering face came into focus again, interrupting Katie's thoughts. It looked like Mabel was really upset. But over what?

Clearing her throat, Mabel's voice rose above the family chatter as she blurted out the words. “So all those months I made our suppers, there was something wrong with my cooking? Is that what you're saying,
Daett
?”