Plain Proposal (9 page)

“Okay,” he said, trying not to sound as disappointed as he was. “Maybe some other time.”

“When?” Her eyes widened as she faced him, and Saul didn’t think he’d wanted to kiss anyone more than right now. He froze for a moment, then blinked his eyes a couple of times and forced himself to look away from her.

“
Mei daed
will expect me to work in the fields, then do chores on Saturday. But I could go Saturday night.” He looked back at her. “Think your folks would let you go?”

Miriam dabbed at the sweat beading up on her forehead. Saul wondered how her parents would feel about him taking her to supper and a movie. But most of the teenagers in their district did things normally forbidden by the
Ordnung
, and parents just looked the other way while they were in their
rumschpringe
. This was the time to experience the outside world, but Saul suspected Miriam had never taken full advantage of her freedom.

“I’m sure it will be fine,” she finally said, smiling.

Saul felt warm inside as he smiled back at her.

Shelby thanked Jesse for the ride home as he pulled to a stop in front of Miriam’s farmhouse. Jesse had been polite enough, but when Shelby mentioned twice how much she enjoyed going fishing, he never suggested a return trip to the Zook farm. And he talked about Miriam a lot. Shelby didn’t even think he realized it. Miriam’s name just seemed to slide off his tongue in almost every conversation. Jesse was Amish anyway, so what was the point? But his stunning good looks had been a nice distraction today. For a while this afternoon, she hadn’t thought about her parents or Tommy.

She waved to Jesse, then headed across the front yard.

“Where’s Miriam?” There was an urgency in Rebecca’s voice, and it caught Shelby a little off guard.

“She’s still with Saul. I think they wanted to spend some time alone together. I think maybe today was supposed to be a date, but I ruined that for them.” She smiled but quickly stopped when Rebecca’s eyebrows drew into a deep frown.

“Did Miriam say when she would be home?”

“No, ma’am.” Shelby regretted that she had apparently gotten Miriam in trouble. Maybe Amish girls weren’t allowed to date. Maybe Shelby shouldn’t have used that word. She’d talk to Miriam later when she got home. Besides, she had something to tell Miriam. Something Jesse told her that she didn’t think Miriam was going to be happy about.

Rebecca lifted her chin and sighed. “Well, I’m sure she’ll be along shortly. Why don’t you go in and get yourself a glass of iced tea. Miriam knows to be home to help with supper, so she’ll be here soon.”

Shelby nodded and slid past Rebecca. She was hot and tired, and a glass of iced tea sounded wonderful.

Rebecca stood in the front yard and watched her husband washing his hands at the pump by the barn. When he was done, he slowly made his way toward her.

“Aaron, Miriam is with Saul Fisher.” She clenched her hands at her sides. “And they are alone together.”

Her husband took off his straw hat, then ran his sleeve across his forehead. He slowly put his hat back on as he let out a heavy sigh. “
Ach
, we’ve known this was coming. She’s liked that boy for years.”

“Aaron, how can you be so calm about this? Saul Fisher has been in more trouble than any other boy in this community.” She folded her arms across her chest. “And you heard what Ben said at supper last night, that he heard Saul wasn’t going to be baptized.”

Her husband lowered his head, then lifted tired eyes to meet hers. “Now, Rebecca, those’re just rumors.”

Rebecca reached up and pulled a piece of fuzz from Aaron’s black beard, speckled with gray. “I don’t want her seeing that boy, Aaron.” She knew it was wrong to judge another person, but Miriam was her only daughter.

“Rebecca.” Aaron put one hand on his hip, then rubbed his forehead with the other. “She’s in her
rumschpringe
. Let the
maedel
have some freedoms. We’ve raised Miriam well. She will make
gut
choices.”

“I never said that Miriam shouldn’t experience her
rumschpringe
.” She sighed with irritation. “It just gives me worry that she might be thinking of dating Saul Fisher.” She shook her head. “He’s not right for her, Aaron.”

“Who are we to decide that, Rebecca?” He sighed, and Rebecca knew her husband was ready to get into the house and have something cold to drink, but worry consumed her.

“We are her parents. That’s
who
we are.” Rebecca raised her chin and faced off with her husband.

Aaron kissed her on the cheek. “I’m goin’ in the house, Rebecca. I’m hot and tired.” He eased past her, and she spun around.

“Pray about this, Aaron! I will be.”

He didn’t turn around but waved an acknowledgment as he made his way up the porch steps.

Rebecca shook her head. Like her husband, she’d known for years that Miriam had a crush on Saul Fisher, but she’d always hoped that her daughter would have the good sense not to get involved with a boy like that. She recalled Miriam’s hesitancy to take Shelby with her today, which certainly set off alarms. Now, after hearing what Shelby had to say about Miriam and Saul wanting to be alone, Rebecca felt her stomach clench with worry.

Miriam wished she could sit on the porch swing with Saul well into the evening, but she knew she was already going to be late getting home.
Mamm
wasn’t going to be happy if she didn’t arrive in time to help with supper.

Saul was a man of few words, but Miriam stayed persistent and eased him into a conversation, and during the past half hour, she’d learned a little bit more about him. All food related. It was a subject he was passionate about. He was allergic to shellfish, didn’t care for whoopee pies, and once ate seven cheeseburgers on a dare from a friend. He also knew how to cook and told her that he could make a better shoofly pie than anyone in the district. She’d stifled a grin more than once as he spoke.
Saul Fisher can cook?

Miriam remembered that Saul’s mother and only sister had died in a buggy accident about five years ago. Since then, Saul had helped his
daed
raise his two younger brothers, and he’d probably learned to cook out of necessity. She couldn’t believe how many different things he knew how to prepare, and she found herself sharing some of her secret recipes with him.

“Okay, Saul. I told you how to make cream of carrot soup. Now. . .” Miriam nudged him with her shoulder. “I want to hear about this ultimate grilled cheese sandwich.”

Saul chuckled. “No way.”

“That’s not fair, Saul Fisher. That cream of carrot soup was my great-
mammi’s
recipe, and no one in the district knows how to make it but me and
Mamm
.”

“Not true. I’ve had cream of carrot soup before.
Mei mamm
used to make it before—” He took a deep breath. “Before the accident.”

Miriam wasn’t sure how much Saul wanted to talk about his mother, and they’d been having so much fun, so she just nodded.

“Fine.” He shifted his weight in the swing, turning to face her even more, and grinned. “I’ll tell you how to make the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich.”

Miriam kept her eyes on his, but she was acutely aware of his knee pressed up against her leg. “
Gut
. Let’s hear it.”

Saul described preparation of the sandwich as if he was creating a work of art, talking with his hands as he spoke, but Miriam couldn’t stay focused on anything but his mouth, his lips. It took everything in her power not to thrust forward and press her mouth to his.
How completely inappropriate!
She blinked a few times to refocus and caught the tail end of his explanation.

“You mix the cream cheese and mayo until creamy, and then you stir in the cheddar, mozzarella, garlic powder, and seasoned salt, and—” Saul stopped midsentence, and his dark-brown eyes locked with hers. “Do you think it’s weird that I like to cook?”

Miriam was careful not to blurt out the first thing on her mind, since the truth was she thought it made him a thousand times more attractive. She didn’t know any men who could cook, and she found this new information about Saul fascinating. “No, I think it’s wonderful that you cook!” She stared into his eyes and pictured the two of them in their own kitchen, cooking together and trying new recipes. It was a very non-Amish scenario, but Miriam had the vision just the same.

Saul’s smile broadened. “Well, I like to eat, so I had to learn to cook. After
mei mamm
and Hannah died. . .” His smile faded as he momentarily pulled his eyes from her, then looked back up. “
Mei mammi
used to come cook for us. But then she got sick and wasn’t able to come so much.” He paused, then rubbed his chin as he spoke. “I just kinda taught myself.”

This was the most she’d talked to Saul, and she wasn’t ready for it to end. But her mother would start to stew if she didn’t get home soon. “I guess I need to go,” she said as she watched the sun begin to set.

“
Ya
. Me too.” He smiled at her as they both stood from the swing. “Guess what everyone at my
haus
will be having for supper?” He rubbed his hand in a circular motion on his stomach.

Miriam giggled. “I’m guessing ultimate grilled cheese sandwiches.”

Saul nodded, then they both headed down the creaky porch steps. “Watch that cow patty.” He latched onto her arm and guided her around it, then let go and waved an arm at two cows in the yard. “Go on, now! You don’t need to be in the front yard.”

“This is so sad,” Miriam said as they eased their way through the overgrowth in the yard. “This place was so pretty at one time.”

“
Ya
. I know.” Saul shook his head as he let Miriam go ahead of him through the rickety gate at the end of the sidewalk. He opened the door of Miriam’s buggy, and she climbed in. Then Saul untied the reins and handed them to her.

“This was fun today.” Miriam was sad to see it end, but she would have Saturday to look forward to.

“Ya.”
Saul stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I guess I’ll pick you up on Saturday. Seven o’clock?”

Miriam nodded but then said, “Why don’t I meet you in town? On Saturday, I run errands in the afternoon, so I’ll already be on Lincoln Highway. I could meet you at Yoder’s Pantry. They stay open late.” She paused, wondering how her parents were going to feel about her going on a date with Saul. “Can we make it eight o’clock?” She crinkled her nose, then grinned. “It’s Saturday night.”

“Sure.”

She pulled back on the reins and clicked her tongue until her horse started to back up the spring buggy. She’d backed up a few feet when Saul walked briskly up to her.

“Miriam, wait!”

She stopped, raised her brows.
“Ya?”

Saul cocked his head to one side and stroked his stubbly chin. “What made you come talk to me yesterday at the creek?” He captured her eyes and gazed at her, one side of his mouth hinting at a grin. “I mean, after all these years.”

Miriam bit her lip and pulled her eyes from his. Then she looked back at him and held his gaze. “Don’t you think it was time?”

His grin eased into a big smile. “
Ya
. I guess it was.”

Miriam started backing the horse up again, and Saul walked to his own spring buggy. Then she stopped again. “Saul?”