A Daughter's Dream (18 page)

That same day

F
rom the moment Peter had come to get Lilly at school, he'd worn a serious and intense expression. He'd been kind and reassuring, yet a little quiet.

He didn't say much when they were in the car with Meghan other than to thank her for the ride. After Meghan parked her car and reassured them that she didn't mind waiting to see what her grandparents wanted to do, Peter walked Lilly into the house.

She followed reluctantly. So many emotions were churning through her, she wasn't quite sure how to deal with it all. She was worried about her uncle, wanted to be brave for her grandparents, and ached to lean on Peter. He had become her best friend. But overriding all of that were the stark memories of running into the hospital after learning about her parents' accident.

She didn't know if she was going to be able to step into another hospital.

After telling her grandparents about the accident, and about Meghan's offer, Peter stood to the side while her grandparents debated about what to do. When they finally decided to accept Meghan's offer, Peter seemed relieved.

Lilly, on the other hand, was filled with dread.

With one last look at Lilly, Peter headed back outside. “I'll tell Meghan to wait for you,” he said quietly.

“Wait, don't you want to come to the hospital?” She wasn't sure if she was going to be able to get through her visit without him there. Of course, the moment she asked her question, Lilly felt her cheeks heat in embarrassment. Obviously he didn't want to go sit at the hospital!

But amazingly, he looked as if he completely understood. Gently, he said, “I would go with you if I could, Lilly. But I can't. I promised Mr. Kinsinger that I'd get back to the mill and help out some more.”

“Oh. Yes. Of course.”

“Tell your uncle that I hope he feels better soon,” he said as he turned to leave.

While her grandparents bustled around the kitchen gathering keys and wallets, Lilly knew she should say something to them about how afraid she was to return to the hospital. But how could she burden them with her fears right now?

Instead, she gave in to the impulse and walked back out the door. “Hey, Peter?”

He was already halfway down her driveway. When he heard her voice, he turned around.
“Jah?”

“Are you . . . I mean, is everything all right?” What she really wanted to ask was if everything was all right between them.

His gaze softened. “I'm fine. It's just hard, you know, deliver
ing news like this. Look, I've got to go, but I'll try to come over later, when you're back from the hospital.”

Making a decision, she walked a little farther away from the door. “I won't be going there.”

“Why not?”

Hating that her limbs seemed to be trembling, she said, “I don't think I could ever step foot in one of those places again. I hate them.”

Walking back toward her, he said, “Lilly, they aren't so bad.”

“
Nee
, you don't understand.” Though it hurt to relive the memories, she explained. “Peter, I was in a hospital waiting room when a doctor came out to talk to me about my parents. He told me, in front of everyone, that they were dead.”

Stepping to her side, he reached out and rubbed her arm. “Nothing like that will happen today. Your uncle ain't gonna die. Mr. Kinsinger was simply being extra careful when he sent Jacob to the hospital. I bet he's going to be ready to leave by the time you get there.”

His voice sounded firm and knowledgeable. Comforting.

In the wake of such maturity, she felt silly and childish. But sometimes she felt like she still needed to be childish. “Everything you are saying makes sense. But I . . . I just can't go, Peter. Not this time.”

He looked pained. “I hate leaving you, especially if you are going to be waiting here by yourself. But I gotta go.”

“I understand.”

After giving her a tight smile, he turned and started walking at a good clip.

“Lilly, are you ready?” Mommi called out.

“
Nee
. I'm going to stay here.”

Her voice hardened. “Don't you think you need to be there for your uncle?”

“I'm sure that would be best. But I can't go. I want to, but I canna do it, Mommi. I can't go back there.” When her grandfather looked about to argue, she blurted, “Dawdi, I'll clean the house and start supper. Just please, don't make me go.”

They exchanged glances. But to her surprise, instead of attempting to convince her, her grandfather enfolded her in his arms. “I understand, Lilly.
Jah
, you take care of things here. We'll be back as soon as we can.”

Sighing in relief, she walked with them to Meghan's car. “Mommi, Dawdi, this here is Meghan.”

“Good to know ya,” her grandfather said as he opened the passenger-side door.

Lilly walked back to the front porch and waved good-bye, then went inside to make good on her promise. After fishing around in the refrigerator, she found enough vegetables to make some soup. Getting out her grandmother's favorite wooden cutting board, she started slicing carrots. Anything to keep her mind off the memories.

T
HE NEXT SEVERAL
hours passed for Rebecca as if they had been seconds. The moment she got to her desk, she quickly typed up a note telling the bare minimum about Amos and Jacob. At the bottom of it, she added some lines about how they would do everything possible to update all the workers on Amos's and Jacob's conditions and that she and Lukas would appreciate everyone keeping the men in their prayers. To Rebecca's relief, Mercy had been professional and intent on following Lukas's directives to a T.

Rebecca was fairly sure that Mercy's willingness to comply no doubt had something to do with Rebecca's fierce glares. And likely, her thinly veiled threat that Mercy would lose her job if she didn't take her orders seriously.

Peter, though he was four years younger than Mercy, had reacted like a true adult. He'd barely blinked when Rebecca told him to go to the Yoder house and gently impart the news about Jacob's injury.

Practically the moment after Peter left, the phone started ringing. Then, true to Lukas's prediction, her reception area soon became as busy as the flea market on a Saturday morning. Concerned workers stopped by, anxious for news about Amos and Jacob. Other people called, all wanting information. Most everyone was polite and respectful. Rebecca smoothly handled their myriad concerns as patiently and competently as she could. She also took care to follow Lukas's orders. She gave information as she learned it, sending Mercy back out with new information twice.

The first bit of news was that Jacob Yoder was going to be just fine. His cut had been terrible, for sure. He had needed seventeen stitches. However, the blade hadn't cut anything vital, and that was a blessing. He was still at the hospital, but was expected to be sent home within the hour in the company of his parents.

Amos Taylor had suffered a heart attack. However, it was a relatively minor one. He had survived, was conscious and talking to people, and was currently undergoing tests. An hour after that, Lukas had been told that Amos was expected to be in the hospital for another day at the very least. If the doctors recommended surgery, Amos would be transferred to a different, larger hospital, most likely in Mansfield or Cleveland.

Later, the vans had taken all the Amish workers home, and most of the team leaders had locked their sections of the mill. The reception area had cleared out and the phone had finally stopped ringing. She'd sent both Peter and Mercy home earlier, fervently thanking both for all of their help.

Lukas was still on the phone. However, his tone had lost its staccato rhythm and he was both listening to others with ease and answering with care and patience. She noticed that even the lines of stress around his eyes had softened.

While he finished up his latest call, Rebecca cleaned up her area, then entered his office. When he smiled at her, she sat in one of the chairs directly across from his desk and stretched out her legs. They had done it. They had survived this crisis.

A few minutes later, when Lukas at last hung up, clicking the phone off with a resigned jab, he pressed a palm to his temple and rubbed. “I didn't think I was ever going to get to say good-bye to that man.”

“You going to be okay?” she asked.

He said nothing at first. Finally, when he opened his eyes, his gaze was piercing. “
Jah
. You?”

She nodded. “
Jah
. I'm going to be fine, too.”

“What a day, huh?”

“Definitely one for the books. We'll be talking about it for years to come.”

His lips curved. “Probably.” He shook his head. “I'm sorry if I was too curt with you back there in Warehouse Four. I was about to lose it myself.”

“You weren't too curt. And even if you were, I can take it.”

“
Jah,
you can.”

“Hey, were you thinking about the fire, too?”

He looked startled to be asked, then he nodded slowly. “I couldn't help but think about it. There was something about hearing those sirens. In a flash, it all came back. I panicked. I . . . I could feel my heart beating like crazy. And even though everything inside me was telling me that this was nothing like the fire, I felt that same lump lodge in my throat.”

“Me, too.” If she had been able to put all her jumbled thoughts and feelings into words, she would have said the same exact thing.

“Thanks for getting that note out. I think it prevented a lot of panic.”

“Mercy did a good job today.”

“I'm glad she didn't tarry.”

Rebecca grinned. “I think she was afraid to. I was pretty firm.” She decided Lukas didn't need to know about her threats. “I hope you don't mind, but I let Peter leave work an hour early, at four, so Lilly wouldn't be sitting at home alone.”

“That was
gut
thinking. Poor thing.” Standing up, Lukas said, “I need to go to the hospital and talk to Amos's family. Lock up and then get on out of here, too, okay? I'll see you later.”

He looked so alone. “Do you want me to go with you? I don't mind.”

“
Danke
, but Darla's going to go with me. She's upstairs in the break room waiting for me. I'll go up and get her.”

She was surprised that she hadn't realized Darla had arrived, but then again Darla was very cognizant of Lukas's work. Most likely, she didn't want to be in the way.

“I'm going to go home and see Amelia, then head over to Jacob's
haus
.”

“Gut.”
He was about to turn, but then strode right up and gave her a hug. “Thanks again,” he whispered.

Too emotional to do anything but nod, she went to her desk, grabbed her purse, and then left. She needed to get cleaned up and go see Jacob.

She wasn't going to be all right until she saw that he was going to be just fine, too.

That same day

J
ust as she was waving good-bye to her study group, Rachel saw another unexpected guest approaching. But this one was a welcome surprise.

“Marcus!” she cried. Unable to help herself, she rushed down the steps and reached for his hands. “I'm so relieved to see you.”

His gaze drifted over her face before he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her brow. “I'm glad to see you, too.” Taking her hand, he gently squeezed it. “Are you feeling all right?”

As it always did, the warmth of his touch soothed her like little else could. “I'm better now. But I have to tell ya that things were mighty worrisome for a while. Peter came here to get Lilly. And Meghan told me about the ambulances, too. I was so worried about you.”

His eyebrows rose. “About me? Never do that, Rachel. I'm not going anywhere,” he said with a hint of a smile.

“Don't act like I'm being foolish. Accidents happen.”

“
Jah
, they do,” he said as he guided her back inside the building. When they had their privacy, he lightly kissed her lips. “But like I said, I am fine.”

“How is Jacob Yoder?”

“He needed a bunch of stitches, but I heard he's going to heal in no time.”

“And the man who had the heart attack?”

“It was Amos. Do you remember me speaking of him?”

“
Jah
. His daughter got married last year.”

Marcus smiled. “Well, he's hanging in there. Lukas told me that his doctors are going to run some tests to see how his heart is running.”

“I'll pray for him, too.”

“I know he will be appreciative of that.” He stepped back a bit. For the first time since he'd arrived, he looked tentative.

“Is there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?”

“Actually,
jah
.”

“What is it?” Rachel braced herself for him to chastise her again about working.

Running a hand along his short beard, he stared at her, then glanced around the room as if he were looking at it for the first time. Rachel looked around, too. She noticed the messy stack of notebooks on one of the side tables. The lessons she hadn't yet erased from the chalkboard. The pile of picture books her youngest pupils had forgotten to put away.

She became aware of the scent of crayons and glue and peanut butter and, well, children. It wasn't unpleasant; no, it was so very familiar to her it made her heart warm. But she was sure that to Marcus this place looked unkempt and disorganized.

“Rachel, as I was walking over, I realized something.” He looked up, took a breath, then met her gaze again. “I realized that I was glad you weren't sitting home alone by yourself. I was happy that you weren't pacing our hallway, waiting and wondering how I was doing.”

He knew her so well. “You're right. I would have been pacing nonstop.”

Instead of smiling at the image, he looked even more determined. “The truth is, though a lot of my friends' wives enjoy the solitude at home, I know that ain't you. I . . . well, after everything that happened today, I realized that I was glad you were working here.”

“I don't understand.”

“Being here makes you happy. It keeps you occupied. This classroom and the
kinner
you teach are as much a part of your life as Kinsinger's is to me. Ain't so?”

She curved her hands around her middle protectively. “
Jah
. When I am around my little scholars, I feel needed and helpful. Their innocent comments make me smile, their silly antics make me laugh. I feel . . . well, I feel like I am helping these children find their way through life. I love them. Every one of their accomplishments makes me feel worthy—even when Toby learned to tie his laces yesterday.”

He smiled. “I'm sorry that I didn't understand that before now.”

“When the babe comes, I will stop teaching, Marcus. But for now, I want to be here. Just like you with all the men who work on your team, I have people here who count on me.” She smiled slightly. “They may be small, but their needs are just as important.”

“Will you forgive me for being so bossy and obstinate?”

Just to tease him, she rolled her eyes. “Ain't that what I always do?”

He grinned. “Careful, Mrs. Mast. I ain't one of your
little scholars
.”

Holding out her hand, she smiled. “No, you are not. You're someone even better. You're my husband. Are you ready to go home?”

“What about your classroom? Don't you need to clean it up or something?”

She did. Of course she did. But some things were far more important than scattered books and ungraded papers. “I think I'll tackle it all tomorrow. Right now, I'd rather walk home with you and count my blessings.”

“Lead the way, then, Rachel. You lead and I will follow.”

As she picked up her purse and pulled out the keys to lock the door, Rachel decided that sweeter words had never been said.

L
ILLY HAD WORKED
hard on the house while her grandparents were at the hospital. She'd put fresh sheets on her uncle's bed, finished making chicken soup, and baked buttermilk biscuits.

After that, she'd gone to the barn, checked for eggs, and washed the four she found before setting them neatly in the refrigerator.

Then, at long last, Uncle Jacob came home.

Unable to stop her tears, she'd hugged him tight. He'd hugged her back, kissed her brow, and then assured her he was not too worse for wear. Only when her tears were dry did he disappear into the house behind Mommi and Dawdi.

Not too long after that, Peter returned.

She had been sitting on the front porch, simply enjoying the quiet. When he saw her, he smiled. “Hey.”

“Hi. How are things at the mill?”

“Good enough. How's your uncle?”

“He's got a big bandage on his arm but he's all right, I guess. He's inside with my grandparents.”

“Can I sit with you on the swing?”

Feeling a little awkward, she scooted over and bit her lip when he settled right next to her. “I'm so tired,” he said sheepishly. “I feel like I've run all over Charm today.”

“You might have.” Shyly, she added, “What you did, running out to school to see me? It was a good thing. I'm glad you were the person to tell me about Uncle Jacob.”

“Me, too.”

After a little while, Peter stretched and placed his arm around her shoulders. Lilly stiffened, unsure what she thought about that, then decided his arm felt comforting. He was warm and steady and smelled good, too.

Because she couldn't think of anything to say, she simply relaxed against him.

Peter seemed to feel the same way. He rocked them back and forth with one foot. Together, they watched the sun glide across the horizon, turning the sky into a pretty mixture of pink and orange before it faded.

Realizing it was going to be dark soon, Lilly turned her head. “Are you sure your parents aren't gonna mind you being over here? It's getting late.”

“I stopped home before I came back here. They'd heard about Amos and Jacob. After I filled them in, I told them that I needed to see you. They understood.”

“That's nice of them.” She smiled shakily.

“I've got nice parents,” he said easily. “They understand most things.”

“I guess so.”

Peter's foot continued to move their swing back and forth. The motion made her slide closer to him. He seemed not to notice that, because he started talking again. His tone was smooth and lazy. The way it usually was. “Lilly, you might not realize this, but until about a year ago, I was kind of a handful.”

She had heard rumors about him. Katie had said that he'd been a little wild. Lilly hadn't been all that surprised. Peter seemed to be the type of boy to push boundaries.

“Is that right? What did you do?” she teased. “Did you stay out too late playing and talk back to adults?”

Their
rumspringa
hadn't started yet, of course, but even during their running-around time, most just talked a big game. Hardly anyone ever did anything all that shocking. She sure wasn't planning to.

He laughed. “You should be a detective.”

“Not so much. It's just that kids talk. You are a favorite topic, you know.”

He rolled his eyes. “People just like to gossip.”

“Katie stopped by after you and my grandparents left. She told me she'd heard from her cousin that Mr. Kinsinger had barked orders to you today and that you handled everything like you'd been working there for years.”

“I didn't have much of a choice. He was pretty scary. Usually he talks slower and jokes a bit. But he was telling me so many things I had to listen to him and then go do what he asked. Immediately.”

“I would have been scared when they took that man away on a stretcher.”

“It was scary. All the men in that warehouse looked shaken up.” He squeezed her shoulder. “But you don't need to worry about it none, Lilly. It's all over now.”

“I'm glad.”

“Me, too.” He dropped his arm and moved a bit apart from her.

She missed the comfort of his arm around her. She missed his warmth, too. But, of course, what they had been doing wasn't seemly.

“Hey, Lilly?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you want to go for a walk with me?”

“Now? It's getting dark.”

He looked at the horizon. “The sun is setting but we've got time. Plus it's a full moon. Want to go? I won't take you far.”

“Why do you want to go for a walk?” She'd been having a mighty nice time simply sitting on the swing with his arm around her.

“No reason.” But the look he gave her told a different story. Almost as if his reason wasn't all that sweet. Or good.

She wondered what he had in mind. All she knew was that she wanted to find out.

“Let me go tell my grandparents,” she said. “I'll be right back.”

She hurried inside and found her grandparents sitting in the kitchen with Jacob. They had their hands around big coffee mugs. Uncle Jacob was eating her soup and had a plate of biscuits in front of him.

“Everything okay, Lilly?” Mommi asked.

“
Jah
. Um, Peter asked if we could go for a walk. Do you mind?”

Her grandfather's eyebrows rose. “Now? Isn't it time he went home?”

“We won't be gone long. Please?”

Uncle Jacob said nothing, just looked down at his plate and smiled.

“I don't mind, dear,” Mommi said at last. “But you be home in thirty minutes.”

“Danke.”
She smiled and ran back outside. “Peter, they said they didn't mind but I have to be back in a half an hour.”

He smiled. “Let's go then.”

Walking by his side, they strolled toward the barn, walked around it, then headed down a sloping hill toward a thicket of raspberry bushes. Crickets chirped around them. In the distance, near their small creek, Lilly could hear the croak of a bullfrog.

After glancing back at the house, Peter stopped. Then, to her surprise, he held out his arms. “Lilly, come here.”

Feeling a little afraid but trusting him, too, she did as she was asked.

The next thing she knew, he was holding her close. “This was what I wanted to do when I came by earlier today,” he murmured. “It was so hard to keep my promise to Mr. Kinsinger and only deliver my news, and then leave. I wanted to stay and make sure you were all right.”

“I'm all right now.” She rested her head on Peter's chest, closed her eyes, and held on. Somehow, he'd known exactly what she'd needed, yet again.

And in doing so, he'd changed a bad day into a good one. One of the best.