The Days of Redemption (30 page)

Chapter Two

Even at this distance, Roman realized, Amanda Yoder had a peaceful way about her. As she watched Roman and Beth approach, she didn't look startled or suspicious. Merely curious.

But it was more than that. She was stretched out on her beach towel as if she'd never had a thing to worry about in her life.

It was the exact opposite of the way he functioned. He got up early and usually hit the ground running. He made to-do lists and crossed off each completed task with a dark
X
to signal his satisfaction. He kept to himself and concentrated on working hard.

Amanda, in contrast, looked as if she never hurried through anything. She seemed like she took the time to enjoy each minute of the day, instead of worrying about plans and goals and what was up ahead.

It was completely attractive.

When she looked his way and smiled slightly, he felt his body's temperature rise another degree. Most likely, his cheeks were flushed. With effort, Roman looked toward the sea and tried to calm his wayward thoughts.

Beside him, Beth had no such compunction. She was beaming so brightly that it was a wonder Amanda didn't look away to shield her eyes. “Amanda, hi!” she called out. “
Gut matin!
How are you?” she continued, not letting more than the briefest of seconds pass before she continued. “We saw you sitting here alone, so my cousin Roman and I wanted to say hello.”

“I hope we're not disturbing you,” he said, then cursed his tongue. It was barely seven in the morning, and she'd been sitting alone, obviously enjoying her own company. Of course they were disturbing her.

“You aren't disturbing me in the slightest. I was simply sitting here, enjoying the morning sun,” Amanda replied. After glancing his way for a split second, she focused on Beth. “Regina enjoyed playing with Lindy yesterday.”

“We should get them together again soon. It's so wonderful that our four-year-olds have found each other. And they play well together, too.”

“I've been thinking the same thing.”

Beth looked toward Amanda's condo. “Is Regina still asleep?”

“
Jah
. My Gina likes to sleep in, I'm afraid. She's something of a night owl.”

“It would be hard to go to sleep early here,” Roman said. “It's a beautiful area. . . . I don't want to miss a minute of daylight.”

As if she was amused, she slowly smiled. “It is a beautiful place. I'm Amanda, by the way.”

“Roman Keim.”

“Pleased to meet you. Do you live in Indiana as well?”

“Ohio. Where are you from?”

Her smile widened. “I live in Pinecraft.”

Without being invited, Beth sat down on the sand. “This is your home? I thought you were on vacation, too.”

“Oh, I am on vacation, for sure. I live in town. My, uh, husband's family owns this condominium. They're encouraging me to take a week's rest.” She rolled her eyes. “They seem to think I work too much.”

Feeling awkward, being the only person standing, Roman sat down as well, stretching his legs as the warm sand shifted around him. “Do you?”

Her eyes widened, then she nodded after a moment's consideration. “I suppose I do. But I don't mind working. To me, it makes the days fly by.”

Beth nodded. “My two kids make my days fly by, too. Well, most days.”

“Mamm?” Lindy called out from the condo patio. “Mamm, I'm hungry.”

Beth scrambled to her feet. “That's my cue to pour cereal,” she said with a laugh. “No doubt her
daed
is standing right there, but for some reason Lindy and Cale like me to do the serving.”

Amanda chuckled. “That is a mother's duty, for sure.”

Backing away as Lindy called out for her again, Beth said, “Amanda, we'll knock on your door later to see if Regina can play.”

“See you then,” Amanda said with a smile.

With a spray of sand, Beth trotted back to the patio. In a flash, she was out of sight, leaving Roman and Amanda relatively alone.

There in the morning sun, it felt as if they were the only two people on the beach—the only two people smart enough to take time to enjoy the day's glorious start. Reluctantly, Roman realized he should probably get up as well, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. The sand was as soft as powdered sugar, the salty, faintly damp breeze coming off the water felt good on his skin, and he was enjoying the novelty of being one of only two people out on what was usually a very crowded beach.

And then there was his companion.

He thought Amanda was one of the loveliest women he'd ever met. But attracting him more than her pleasing features was the calm way about her.

“So, what is it you do?” he asked. When a line formed between her brows, he clarified. “I mean, what work do you do too much of?”

“Oh! I work at a bakery that my husband's family owns, Pinecraft Pastries. Do you know it?”

“
Nee
.” Though she was talking about the bakery, he couldn't help but fixate on the way she spoke about her husband. This was the second time she'd brought him up. Obviously, his cousin had gotten her information wrong. “Does your husband work there, too?” he asked politely.

Her eyes widened. “
Nee
. Oh, no,” she blurted. “I guess I need to stop doing that. I keep saying ‘husband,' but he's gone. I mean, he went up to heaven two years ago. I'm a widow.”

“I'm sorry for your loss.” Why did he have to prod her to divulge that? Here he was, making her uncomfortable. He would've thought he could have shown a little bit more tact.

“
Danke
. I am sorry about Wesley, too.” Her chin rose. “But I am thankful for my many blessings. I have a sweet daughter and a good life.” Leaning back on her hands, she said, “What about you?”

“Me? I'm not married.”

“And your work?”

“I work on my family's farm,” he began, then realized that was about all he could say. His family was in turmoil, he'd never had a steady girlfriend to speak of, and at the moment, he couldn't seem to count very many blessings. He couldn't think of another thing he did besides work and try to stand apart from everyone else's drama.

“What kind of farming do you do?”

He shrugged, not really wanting to talk about taking care of livestock or walking behind a plow. It all sounded boring and dirty—the exact opposite of life where they were. Here on the beach, everything felt bright and new and clean.

After another second of looking at him expectantly, her warm expression cooled as she got to her feet. “I see. Well, I should probably go inside now.”

“So soon?”

Bending down, she shook out the bright turquoise beach towel, then folded it in her arms. “I don't like my Regina to wake up without me being around.”

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Amanda. Maybe we'll see each other around this week.”

“I imagine we will,” she said. “We are neighbors, after all.”

Side by side, they walked back to their units, Amanda carrying her towel and empty mug of coffee, Roman empty-handed.

It was obvious to him that she was in no hurry to get to know him.

He wondered if that was because she was still mourning her husband. Or if she simply wasn't interested in him.

Well, he couldn't blame her. Roman realized that he had terribly little to offer. He was reasonably attractive, but not much more than that. He was reserved by nature, and a lifetime of standing on the sidelines and keeping to himself meant there were few bright spots in his life. In his anxiousness to remain calm and collected, he let much of life pass him by.

Back in Berlin, he'd been proud of that fact. Unlike the rest of his family, he'd had little pain, no secrets, and nothing to be embarrassed about.

But now his lack of excitement made him feel curiously flat. One-dimensional instead of three. As if he'd simply existed instead of lived.

It wasn't a good realization. Not at all.

 

Amanda didn't find it difficult to say goodbye to Roman Keim. Though he was lightly tanned and fit, had handsome features and attractive brown eyes, she found him to be too reserved.

She could understand a man's need for privacy, but not about such things as his occupation or his family.

Roman had reacted to her questions as if she were attempting to learn all his secrets. She definitely hadn't cared to know his secrets or his problems.

After all, she had plenty of her own to worry about.

In her twenty-five years, she'd had more than her share of hardships. She'd been scarred by her husband's failing fight with cancer, and before that, she'd married against her parents' wishes. They'd wanted her to wait to marry.

She'd insisted on marrying at nineteen.

They'd wanted her to live near them in Pennsylvania. She'd wanted to live with Wesley near his family in Florida.

And after Wesley's death, she'd gone her own way again. Instead of succumbing to her parents' demands and moving back to Intercourse to live with them, Amanda had chosen to live in the little house she and Wesley had bought with every last bit of their savings.

Now she was working hard to make the mortgage payments and take care of Regina. Her life was busy, with few moments for regret. Instead, she was surrounded by her daughter's joy. And, if, in the middle of the night, when the chores were done and Regina was asleep, she felt lonely and depressed? Well, that was her concern. Not anyone else's.

She had nothing in common with a man who had little to say for himself other than he worked on his family's farm.

Opening the refrigerator, she pulled out the quart of strawberries she'd bought at the market, and bit into the plumpest, juiciest one she could find.

The sweet taste exploded in her mouth, and she savored the flavors.

And couldn't help but contrast that zing with Roman's curiously bland manner. She wondered why he'd even agreed to walk over with his cousin to say hello.

After shaking out her towel again and hanging it on a rail on the back porch, she poured herself another cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table, irritated now.

She'd lied to Roman on the beach. The truth was that Regina wouldn't be up for another hour at the earliest. She just hadn't been eager to sit next to him for another moment, waiting for him to tell her something about himself.

Especially since she'd told him about Wesley being gone.

So, essentially, Roman had ruined her morning routine, her very favorite part of the day while on vacation. It was really too bad that he was staying right next door.

She couldn't very well go back outside without looking rude.

Looking around, she thought about making some jam with those strawberries. They had a refrigerator full of fruit. But that meant hours of working in the kitchen.

And that sounded like too much effort.

Amanda supposed she could read her book. Or practice on those Sudoku puzzles everyone else seemed to do with ease.

But those things didn't really appeal to her, either.

The phone rang and startled her out of her stupor. She eagerly ran to pick it up before it woke Regina.

“Hello?”

“Amanda, it's Marlene, dear. I was thinking of hopping on the bus and visiting Siesta Key today. Would you like me to bring you anything? Or have lunch together?”

Her mother-in-law was a
wonderful-gut
woman. But she was a talker. And a worrywart. And a bit controlling. Having her around today would not be relaxing.

Actually, Amanda had a feeling Marlene was worried about Regina. Marlene often watched Regina when Amanda worked at the bakery. She made no secret about how much she worried about Amanda's withdrawn little girl.

It did no good to tell Marlene that Regina was still recovering from Wesley's death. And that it didn't always make Regina feel better to be surrounded by constant talk and memories of a father she only remembered living in a hospital bed.

When she'd finally accepted her in-laws' invitation to use the condominium, Amanda had promised herself that she'd try to make this a carefree week. A happy one. She was looking forward to a few days of doing what she wanted, when she wanted to do it.

If Marlene stopped by, she would certainly comment on the unswept floors and unmade beds. The crayons strewn across the table and the sand toys in buckets by the back porch.

Worse, she would likely settle in and tell Regina a dozen stories about when her father went to the beach as a child . . . and how sad he'd been when he'd gotten too sick to see the ocean.

That wouldn't do. That didn't sound like the kind of vacation Amanda had in mind.

“
Danke
, Marlene, but I don't need a thing.”

“You don't? Oh.” She took a breath. “Well, how about I simply stop by for a chat? I'm worried that you're sitting by yourself day after day.”

In the privacy of the kitchen, Amanda let herself smile. After all, she'd only been gone for two days. “I haven't been sitting alone.”

“No?”

“Not at all. I've made friends with the family next door. Regina has, too. The Keims have a little girl named Lindy, and she's almost exactly Gina's age. They have become fast friends. We've got plans to get together with them later.”

“Oh.”

Amanda winced. That one sound held multiple meanings, for sure. Wesley's mother loved her very much. But she also envisioned Amanda memorializing Wesley for the rest of her days.

“Thank you for checking on me, Marlene. I'm glad you called.”

“Me, too. Is Regina right there with you? Could you put her on? I'd like to say hello.”

“Gosh, I'm afraid she's still asleep.”

“Still? It's almost eight.”

“I know.” Purposely, Amanda left the conversation at that. No way did she want to try to explain their late nights to her mother-in-law.