A Hope Springs Christmas (14 page)

Levi waited, but Sarah didn’t come get him that morning. He figured Vernon must be better. Sarah wouldn’t hesitate to involve the doctor.

The twins returned with two tired children just before noon. When questioned, Levi discovered his brothers actually enjoyed spending time with the little ones. Merle was so taken with Moses that he asked if Moses would take him to the park again tomorrow.

Moses ruffled the boy’s hair. “Sure, kid. Why not?”

Late Friday morning, Levi stopped in to check on Sarah again. She looked worn to the bone and more worried than ever. She offered him a seat at the kitchen table and a cup of coffee.

He asked, “Is Vernon worse?”

“No, but Alma has made herself sick with worry and work. I went to the Wilsons’ down the street and used their phone to call the doctor. He’s with Alma now.”

“Is it the babe?”

Sarah nodded. “I can’t bear to think of her losing her baby. Why can’t we have one Christmas with something joyous to remember?”

The sound of the doctor’s footsteps coming down the stairs had Sarah out of her seat. Her hands were clenched tightly together.

Dr. White came in the kitchen. A tall, dignified man with silver hair, the elderly physician was well past eighty, but still practiced in the community that he loved with the help of a partner. “I won’t beat around the bush. She needs rest. She needs to stay in bed for a week at least. I’m going to send my granddaughter-in-law, Amber, over to give you a break, Sarah.”

“
Danki,
Dr. White.”

“Don’t mention it. Alma is worried about her other children. Is there someone in the family who can keep them for a while? I think it would ease her mind and help her rest.”

“I’m sure my Aunt Emma will be happy to take the children for a few days.”

“Good. Call me if anything changes, Sarah.”

Levi walked him outside. The doctor asked, “How are you? No lingering ill effects from your bout with this mean virus?”

“I feel fine.”

“That’s great. I hear there is a winter picnic out at Leah Belier’s home tomorrow. I remember what fun they could be.”

“You’re welcome to come.”

“No, these bones are too old to sit on hay bales around a bonfire. You young people go and enjoy yourselves while you can. See if you can get Sarah to go. She needs a break. She doesn’t say anything, but I can tell she’s under a lot of strain. It can’t be easy having her only remaining sibling ill and lying in the same room where her husband died. For some reason, she thinks she is to blame because she invited them.”

“I thought Vernon was getting better.”

“Oh, he is, but I’m not sure Sarah can see that past the painful association she has with past events. It isn’t rational, but for her it is a very real fear.”

Levi shook his head. “I doubt she’ll go to a picnic. I plan to stay home, as well. Someone should be close by if she needs help.”

“You’re probably right. I’ll stop in at the Wadler Inn and ask Naomi Wadler to put the word out that Sarah could use an extra pair of hands.”

The doctor settled his gray fedora on his head and glanced at the gray overcast sky. “My old bones think it’s going to snow. They’re usually right.” He nodded to Levi and walked briskly up the street toward his clinic.

Levi was preoccupied with thoughts of Sarah as he entered the shop. The twins were working on a banged-up courting buggy that had ended up in a ditch when the driver should have been paying attention to the road and not the girl beside him.

Levi looked at the clock. It was getting late.

He spoke to the boys. “I’ve got to get going. Leah Belier is expecting me. If Sarah needs anything, I know she can count on you until I return.”

Moses tipped his head to the side. “You’ve been seeing a lot of Leah lately. Is there something you want to tell us?”

“Not right now. Maybe later.” He didn’t want to say anything until he heard back from Leah’s cousin about a job for only one of them in Sugarcreek.

“What does that mean?” Atlee asked.

“It means I may have news to tell you later but I don’t have anything to say about it now.”

Moses tipped his head toward the door. “Come on, Atlee, let’s get the buggy ready for Levi while he gets cleaned up, or he’ll be late for his date.”

“And she may not wait.” Atlee chuckled at his rhyme, but Levi just shook his head.

Moses said, “Leah hates it when people are late.”

When Levi came out of the house a half hour later, his horse and buggy were waiting outside the front door. The twins were nowhere in sight. He caught sight of Sarah back by her barn slipping a headstall on her gray. Where was she headed?

He walked toward her. As much as he wanted to take her in his arms, he knew his timing couldn’t have been worse. She had too much on her plate at the moment. She didn’t need to hear his lovesick utterings. If only he could manage some time alone with her, then he might find the courage to tell her how he felt.

“Sarah, can I give you a lift somewhere? My horse is ready to go.”

She turned around with a grateful sigh. “I need to take the children out to my Aunt Emma’s farm. Naomi Wadler and Amber are sitting with Alma and Vernon so I thought I would go now and be back before dark.”

Her aunt’s farm wasn’t exactly on the way to Leah’s place, but he didn’t mind the detour. Not if it meant spending time with Sarah. “I’ll drive you out.”

“Really? But where were you going?”

“To help Leah set up for the winter picnic. I honestly don’t mind going a little out of my way.”

“That’s hardly a little out of your way.” She bit her lip.

“Okay, I don’t mind going a lot out of my way. I’ll drop you off and pick you up in a few hours. You can fill Emma in on what’s been happening and not have to rush off.” Would she accept? It might give him the opportunity he’d been hoping for. Time alone with her.

“All right. I’m so tired, I was worried I’d fall asleep and who knows where old Gray would take us. I’ll go get the children.”

Levi could barely contain his excitement. Without the children in the buggy, he and Sarah would be alone on the ride home. He’d have a chance to tell her how his love for her had grown and discover if she could return those feelings.

His hands were ice-cold when they finally got underway. He wanted to blame it on the rapidly deteriorating weather, but the truth was he was as nervous as a man could be. Merle was excited about the trip. Rosanna put up a weak protest. She didn’t want to leave her mother. Phoebe was quiet and held tightly to her doll. Sarah kept up a running conversation in an effort to reassure the children.

He put his horse into a fast trot. The sooner he delivered Sarah and the children to her aunt, the sooner he could finish his work at Leah’s and be back in this same buggy for a leisurely ride home with Sarah at his side.

The snow quickly changed over to sleet, and then back to snow as they traveled. The road became slippery, even for his surefooted mare. A half hour later, they were rounding a curve on a steep hillside when Levi felt something shift in the buggy beneath him.

The horse felt it, too, and cocked her head to the side. Her move carried the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. Sarah grasped his arm just as the buggy lurched sharply.

In horrifying slow motion, the buggy tipped over and tumbled down the ravine. He heard Sarah scream his name and then everything went black.

Chapter Fourteen

L
evi pressed a hand to his aching head. He winced when he felt the lump above his right eye. The sound of whimpering slowly registered in his foggy brain. He tried to sit up, but someone lay sprawled across his chest. Forcing his eyes to focus, he realized it was Rosanna.

He moved her gently to the side. “Rosanna, are you hurt?”

“Yes.”

“Where, honey?”

“My face hurts.”

He sat up and looked. She had a knot forming on her cheekbone that would turn into a bad bruise and a nasty gash on her chin. The good news was that it had stopped bleeding. He searched for the other children. Where were they? Where was Sarah?

The buggy lay smashed against a tree at the bottom of a steep hillside. Snow was quickly covering the splintered wood. A large black shape moved off to one side. He realized it was his mare. She was on her knees and struggling in the tangled harness.

“Sarah!” he shouted into the night.

“Levi?” came a weak reply. It was Merle.

Levi crawled toward the sound. He found the boy sitting on what once had been a door. “Merle, are you okay?”

“I’m scared.”

“I’m scared, too. Where is Phoebe? Where is Sarah?”

“I don’t know. What’s wrong with your horse?”

“I’ll see to her in a minute. I have to find the others. Sarah!” he shouted as loud as he could.

“She’s with me.” The voice belonged to Phoebe and it came from up the hillside.

Levi took the boy in his arms and carried him back to Rosanna. “Stay here.”

He quickly worked his way up the steep slope where he found Phoebe sitting beside Sarah who lay sprawled sideways across the hill.

To his relief, she was breathing.

Thank You
,
dear Lord
,
for sparing her.

He looked at Phoebe. “Are you injured, child?”

“My hand hurts real bad.”

“Let me see.” She held it out. She had two dislocated fingers. His stomach took a wild flop, but he knew what he had to do. He searched around and found her doll nearby.

“Phoebe, I want you to bite down on your dolly’s legs as hard as you can. Will you do that for me?”

“I don’t want to bite her.”

“This is important. She’s going to help make your hand better, but you have to close your eyes and bite hard. She won’t mind. She wants to help.”

“Do as he says, Phoebe.” Rosanna called from below.

Phoebe bit down on her doll and he quickly jerked her fingers back into place. She screamed and then fell back.

Rosanna struggled up the hill toward her.

Levi said, “She’s okay. She just fainted.”

He turned his attention to Sarah and lifted her gently in his lap. “Sarah, speak to me,” he begged.

Her
kapp
was missing, and there was blood covering the side of her face. After a moment, her eyes fluttered open. Relief made him giddy.

Thank You
,
God
.
I will never again miss the chance to tell this woman how much I love her
.

Sarah gazed up at him. Slowly, she raised her hand and touched his face. “You’re alive.”

“We all are.”

“The children?” She tried to sit up, but he wasn’t willing to let her go.

He glanced over his shoulder. Phoebe was sitting, supported between Merle and Rosanna. “They’re banged up, but nothing too bad as far as I can see. What about you? Tell me where it hurts.”

“I’m not sure.” She touched her head and winced. Squinting, she moved her hand in front of her face and stared at her fingers. “Is that blood?”

Pellets of sleet mixed in with the snow stung Levi’s face. He needed to get her and the children to shelter. “Do you think you can stand? We need to get out of this weather.”

“I’ll try.”

He lifted her to her feet but she crumpled against him with a cry of pain. “My knee. It won’t hold me.”

He lowered her to the ground. “Which one?”

“The right one. This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have invited them to visit. I knew something bad would happen.”

“Sarah, you didn’t cause this.”

“You don’t understand. Everyone I love is in danger.”

She must have hit her head harder than he thought. She wasn’t making sense. He sought to soothe her. “Don’t fret. The children are going to be fine.”

With gentle fingers, he examined her leg. Her knee was already swelling. “I can’t tell if it is sprained or worse.”

She looked at her nieces and nephew huddled together. “If you can help me to the buggy, Levi, I’ll wait here while you take the
kinder
to safety.”

“I’m not leaving you.”

“I’ll be fine. Just take care of the children. Please, Levi.”

“This is going to hurt.” He slipped his arm beneath her knees and lifted her. She clutched his shoulders and bit her lip but didn’t cry out. He carried her to the wreckage of the buggy. It was useless as a shelter. He lowered her to the snow-covered ground. There was no way he was going to leave her here alone. He looked at the children. They would all have to go together.

Leaving them briefly, he moved to his horse. She had stopped struggling and lay quietly on the ground. “Easy, my girl. I’ll get you loose.” He managed to unbuckle and lift the harness from her. She surged to her feet, but limped heavily as she managed a few steps. She wouldn’t be able to carry Sarah or the children.

He searched for a suitable place to leave her and found it beneath a leaning cedar. Leading her slowly, he tied her under the makeshift canopy knowing she would be safe until he could return for her.

Moving back to Sarah and the children, he surveyed what they had and what they would need. The first thing was to get up the hill to the roadway and hope they could flag down a passing vehicle. It was unlikely this time of day and in this weather. Barring that, they would simply have to walk to the home of Sarah’s aunt.

He said, “Rosanna, I need you to unbuckle one of the long lines from my horse’s bridle.”

To his relief, she quickly did as he asked. When she came back with the leather strap he said, “Now, I want you to make three loops for handholds about three feet apart.”

“Like this?” she asked as she tied the first one.

“Ja.”

“I’m cold,” Phoebe whined.

Merle said, “I want Mama.”

Sarah said, gently, “Darling, Levi is going to take you to
Aenti
Emma’s. I want you to do as he tells you.”

Rosanna held up the rein with three loops in it. “Is this right?”

He took it from her. “Couldn’t have done better myself.”

He tied one end around his waist, and then squatted so he was eye level with the children. “I want each one of you to put your hand through a loop. Rosanna, I want you on the end so that the little ones are between us. If everyone holds on, no one can get lost. Okay?”

The children nodded. He looked at Phoebe. “I need your apron to make a bandage for your sore hand. Is that okay?” She nodded. He fashioned a makeshift sling and some padding for her arm. It was the best he could do.

Rosanna quickly fastened the loops around her sister’s good hand and then placed one over Merle’s.

Levi moved to pick up Sarah. She tried to push him away. “You can’t carry me all the way to my uncle’s farm. I will only slow you down.”

“Sarah, the longer you keep talking, the longer these children have to stand here in the cold.” He scooped her up in his arms and ignored her hiss of pain. It couldn’t be helped.

He stared up the hillside. It would be a steep climb at the best of times. At night, in the snow, with Sarah in his arms, it was going to be a nightmare.

He looked at the children lined up behind him. “Ready?”

They all nodded. Levi began making his way up the slope with careful steps. The wet snow made the climbing treacherous. It wasn’t any easier for the children behind him. Each time one of them slipped and fell, he felt the jerk on the line at his waist. He struggled to keep his feet.

His arms ached with the strain, but he didn’t stop. By the time they reached the top and the roadway, everyone was out of breath and panting. Merle began crying.

“The hard part is over, dearest,” Sarah said with her face buried in Levi’s neck. Her voice had grown weaker.

The steep part was over. Levi wasn’t sure they were past the hard part. “This way,” he said, and started walking.

They had only gone a little ways when Rosanna called out, “Can we rest now?”

“Sure.” Levi dropped to one knee, allowing Sarah’s weight to rest on his leg and give his aching arms a much-needed break. She still had her face buried against his neck. If the children weren’t present, he would have kissed her and professed his love again and again.

That would have to wait until they were all safe, but the sun would not set tomorrow before he found a way to be alone with Sarah and make his feelings known. Did she care for him at all? He prayed that she could find it in her heart to love him a little.

He struggled to his feet. “Time to go.”

Merle refused to get up. “I can’t go on. I’m tired. I want my
daed
to come get me.”

“Great,” Levi muttered as he sank to his knee again. He couldn’t carry Sarah and drag the children, too.

“They are scared, Levi. Talk to them. Take their minds off what they have to do.” Sarah’s voice was weaker. He worried about the blow to her head. How serious was it?

He said, “Merle, I heard you’re quite a fisherman. Is that true?”

“Ja,”
came the small reply.

Levi rose to his feet and hefted Sarah to a more comfortable position. “What’s the biggest fish you’ve caught?”

“I caught a four-pound bass at our pond.” Merle’s voice grew stronger. “It was a whopper.”

Levi cocked his head to the side and said in mock disbelief, “Four pounds?
Nee,
not
a little fella like you.”

Merle rose to his feet. “I’m stronger than I look.”

Levi hid a grin. “I believe you. Girls, what about you?” He started walking. The children moved close to his side.

Rosanna said, “I caught a six-pound blue cat down at the river.”

“Are you sure it was a blue catfish and not a channel cat? Merle, did you see it?”

“It was a blue cat all right.”

“Some channel cats can look blue.” Levi kept a slow pace, even though his mind screamed at him to hurry for Sarah’s sake.

Merle said, “Channel cats have spots on their sides.”

Levi asked, “Did it have spots, Rosanna?”

“Not a one.”

Phoebe said, “I caught a pumpkin seed.”

“You did?” Levi pretended to be impressed.

Merle looked up at Levi. “It wasn’t very big.”

“But it was real pretty,” Phoebe insisted.

Levi said, “I reckon it was. I think pumpkin seeds are about the prettiest fish around. What about you, Rosanna?”

“I saw a goldfish in a store once. It was beautiful. It had a long tail that looked like a ribbon.”

“You don’t say?”

“I saw it, too.” Merle jumped in to support her claim.

Phoebe said, “I’m cold. Can we stop now?”

“Not yet, Phoebe. We still have a little ways to go.”

“How far?” she demanded.

“Look up ahead. I see a light in the window. Do you see it?”

Phoebe said, “I don’t see anything.”

“I do,” Levi insisted. It was an exaggeration on his part. He couldn’t see more than twenty yards through the snow, but he knew a light was shining in the darkness, waiting to guide them to safety.

“Is it a Christmas candle?” Rosanna asked.

He smiled down at her. “That’s right. It’s a Christmas candle in your aunt’s window. It’s meant to remind all of us that Christ is the light of the world.”

Merle said, “Christmas is God’s birthday.”

“It’s His son’s birthday. We did a play about the birth of Jesus for our school program,” Rosanna told them.

Levi’s aching arms couldn’t hold Sarah any longer. He said, “Let’s rest a moment.”

He dropped to one knee again.
Please, Lord, give me the strength I need.

“I’m so sorry this happened. I can stay here while you go on.” Sarah’s voice was weak, her words slurred together.

He redoubled his resolve and struggled to his feet. “I was just giving the kids a break. Rosanna, tell us about your play while we walk.”

Phoebe said, “I was one of the angels.”

Sarah’s arm slipped from around his neck. “Stay with me, Sarah. Did you hear? Phoebe was an angel in her school play.”

“I know.” Relief flooded him at the sound of Sarah’s voice.

“Who did you play, Rosanna?” she asked.

“I played the innkeeper’s wife.”

Merle said, “I’d be Joseph if I was old enough to go to school.”

“You will be old enough one day, Merle.” Levi squinted to see ahead of them. Was it his imagination? No, there was a light.

“Are we there yet?” Phoebe asked.

“We are. This is the lane and up ahead is your Aunt Emma’s house. Can you see it?”

“I see it.” Rosanna’s voice brimmed with relief.

“Me, too.” Merle dropped his loop and ran ahead.

When Levi and the girls arrived, Emma and her husband were at the door. Emma quickly stripped the wet coats from the children and wrapped them in quilts while her husband helped Levi carry Sarah to the sofa.

When she was safely surround by her family, Levi said, “She needs a doctor. She hit her head pretty hard. May I use your buggy?”

Abe patted Levi’s shoulder. “You get out of that wet coat and warm up, son. I’ll fetch the doctor.”

Levi gave his coat to Emma and sank into Abe’s chair.

“Levi?” Sarah called his name and raised her hand. He was on his knees beside her in an instant.

He took her cold hand in his. “What, Sarah?”

“I’ve never heard you talk so much in all the years I’ve known you. You were wonderful. You saved us all.”

“Rest, Sarah. I’ll be right here if you need me.”

“I never doubted it for a moment.” She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Levi closed his eyes, too, and gave thanks to God for sparing the life of the woman he loved.

* * *

Sunlight was streaming through the window when Sarah opened her eyes. The room in which she lay was vaguely familiar. A sharp headache pounded behind her eyes. Slowly, the events of the previous night came back to her and she realized she was in her aunt’s home.