A Love Made New (30 page)

S
EPTEMBER

I
rene's hands trembled as she fastened the last bobby pin onto her
kapp
as she stood at the bottom of the stairs. She tried not to think about all the people waiting for her outside on this hot September day, but to focus on the fact that soon she would be Mrs. Solomon Troyer. Getting married so quickly wasn't typical, but she and Sol had waited long enough. Nerves mixed with anticipation. She wanted to be a good wife to Sol. He had come so far over the past few months, and she had too. She had learned how to have faith and trust in her husband to be, even when there were still a few people in the community who questioned whether Sol really was a changed man. But she couldn't do anything about their opinion of him. All she could do was follow her heart.

She slipped on her black bonnet and tied it under her chin, then breathed deeply. It was time. She started for the door that led to the backyard of her parents' house where the wedding ceremony would take place.

“Irene.”

Pausing at the sound of her father's voice, she turned around. He stood there, a sheepish smile on his face. She was still getting used to having him here, but she was so grateful for his presence. He was wearing his Sunday clothes, the new ones
Mamm
made shortly after his return. He'd grown his hair out, and it covered the tops of his ears. She returned his smile.

“You ready for this?” he asked.

“
Ya
,” she said, her nerves calming down a tiny bit. Then she smirked. “Are you?”

He walked toward her. “Honestly . . .
nee
.”

She frowned. “
Nee
?”

His blue-eyed gaze searched her face. “I missed so much with you and Andrew,” he said, his voice low and full of regret. “You're
mei dochder
. . .
mei
little girl. And now I'm handing you over to someone else.” His eyes misted. “I have so many things to make up for—”

“
Daed
, don't.” She touched the sleeve of his white shirt. “This is a new beginning, for all of us. We need to celebrate the present, and let God take care of the future.”

Her father nodded. “How did you get so wise?”

“I'm not.” She grinned. “I'm just repeating what Sol said to me last night.”

“So he's the wise one.”
Daed
leaned over and kissed her cheek. “I love you, Irene.”

“I love you, too,
Daed
. I'm so glad you're here to share this
daag
with me and Sol.”

He gave her a small nod, then went outside. A minute later Irene followed him, ready to marry the man she loved.

Asa stuffed his hands in his pockets as he waited for Irene to appear. From his position in the congregation, he could see Sol, who was standing next to the bishop with a big grin on his face. The man had changed over the past five months. The love of a good woman would do that, Asa guessed, trying to stem his jealousy, trying not to think of Abigail. He thought that as time passed it would be easier, that now that she was out of sight she would be out of his mind and his heart. If anything, her presence was stronger. More than once he'd been tempted to defy his own vow not to go to Middlefield. He just wanted to see her, to take in her beautiful round face and soft brown eyes, to feel her in his arms one last time, to kiss her pretty mouth . . .

He looked away. That was why he couldn't go to Middlefield. If he did, he wouldn't be following God's timing, he'd be forcing his own. That never worked out for him. So he'd bide his time as long as he had to. If patience was a virtue, then he was the most virtuous man in Birch Creek.

A murmur went through the wedding attendees, and he turned to see what the commotion was about. His breath hitched as Abigail stepped into the yard. He glanced up at the sky, his heart hammering as he silently acknowledged God's perfect timing. He shouldn't be surprised that she would show up at the exact moment he was thinking about her.

She didn't move any farther into the crowd, but she did give her friends smiles. Then Irene came out, and the wedding was underway.

But Asa couldn't concentrate. He kept looking at Abigail, even though she never met his gaze. He tapped his foot, wishing the vows would move faster, then feeling guilty because Irene and Sol deserved their wedding moment. Once again he had to
be patient . . . but at least he knew that in a short time he would get to talk to Abigail again.

Abigail smiled as she watched Sol and Irene exchange vows. A genuine smile, and she was happy she'd made the decision to come to Irene's wedding after all. When she'd been invited two weeks ago, she wasn't sure she was ready to come back. She'd been settled in Middlefield, getting to know her cousin and the people who lived in Mary's district. She'd also been very productive with the loom she had there, creating beautiful wall hangings she knew would sell well in the grocery store. But while she'd been happy, she'd missed her family. Her friends.

She had especially missed Asa.

She knew he was here. She'd seen him when she arrived, but she had to pretend not to notice him. Which was hard. He was still devastatingly handsome, possibly more so than the last time they'd been together. Her pulse thrummed as she tried to focus on the ceremony. She could see how deeply in love Irene and Sol were. They complemented each other, and made each other better. Everyone could see that. Sadie said they had asked to have the wedding at the Schrocks' house because it was larger than the Beilers' and the Troyers'. Aden and Sadie had been happy to accommodate them. Sadie even mentioned to Abigail that the tension between her and Sol had eased over the summer.

Irene and Sol kissed, and Abigail glanced around the room. She was surrounded by people she loved—and people who had found their soul mates. Andrew and Irene's parents had been reunited. Irene had written to Abigail, explaining how her father
had admitted he had left his family and asked for forgiveness and to be accepted back into the church. He was forgiven, and now worked with Andrew in his farrier business.

Then she saw Andrew and Joanna. Other than Andrew and Abigail, no one knew Joanna was expecting. She was only a couple of months along, but she glowed, and Andrew's eyes were filled with love when he looked at her. Then she saw Sadie and Aden, standing close to each other. Abigail would have never put the two of them together, but God did. Now she couldn't imagine them apart.

Then her gaze landed on Asa, and she couldn't pull it away this time. He was watching Irene and Sol, and Abigail looked to see who he was sitting next to, if he had found someone else while she was gone. If he had, she wouldn't blame him or resent him. As for her, no one in Middlefield could compare to Asa, not only in looks but more important in kindness and heart. The ache in her chest that had been there for months intensified. She missed him so much—his kindness, his charm, his love.

He looked up as if sensing her looking at him. The corner of his mouth lifted into a small smile . . . and she couldn't breathe.

She turned away and slipped behind the barn. She pulled in deep gulps as she tried to slow her pulse. She shouldn't have come back. She wasn't ready for the onslaught of emotion flowing over her. Plus, she wanted a brownie. But that's what she did when she was stressed—reached for food. She shook her head. She didn't need food. What she needed were her feelings to simmer down.

“Abigail.”

Well, that didn't help. She couldn't turn around right away at the sound of his deep voice. They'd been here before, several times, him checking on her when she was distressed, comforting her when she needed him, being a good friend, and then, for a
short time, something more. The pounding of her heart roared in her ears as she finally faced him. She cleared her throat. “Asa.”

He put his hands in his pockets. “Nice day for a wedding,
ya
?”

She nodded, her heart hammering at his nearness. “
Ya
.”

Their gazes locked, and she saw the yearning in his gray eyes.

“I'm sure Irene will be glad to know you're here.”

Was she the only one? Abigail couldn't voice the question. She couldn't pull her gaze from him, either. “
Ya
,” she said, her tongue almost tripping over the word. “I'm glad she's so happy.”

“She is.” He looked at his feet for a moment, then back at her. “What about you, Abigail? Are you happy?”

She pressed her lips together. “
Ya
. I am.”

“So you like Middlefield?”

“It's nice.” The small talk was getting on her nerves. Then again, what did she expect? For him to gather her into his arms?
You left him, remember?
And she had been right in doing so. But at that moment all she could think about was how much she wanted him to hold her.

“Does that mean . . .” He paused, his eyes not leaving hers. “That you're going back?”

She thought about the suitcase in the kitchen. The taxi had a flat tire on the way here or she would have been at the wedding early. She would have already put her suitcase in her bedroom. Whether she would have unpacked it, she didn't know.

He took his hands out of his pockets. Stepped toward her. Cupped her cheek in his hand. “I missed you,” he whispered, running his thumb across the top of her cheekbone. “I missed you so much.”

Something inside her broke at his gentle touch. “I missed you too.”

He pulled away from her. “I told myself I would be patient,” he said. “That I would wait on God, and on you. But now that you're here . . . I don't know if I can be patient anymore.”

His words sent a shiver from the top of her head to her heels.

“I still love you,” he continued, his voice turning raspy. “Not because God told me to. Because I can't help but love you. I always will, even if you turn around and walk out of
mei
life forever.”

She nearly melted at the tears pooling in his eyes. She couldn't say anything. She could barely catch a breath.

“I just wanted you to know that.” He gazed at her for one long moment, then started to turn away.

“Asa?”

When he faced her, she launched into his arms. “I'm sorry,” she said, letting the dam inside her burst into pieces. She leaned her cheek against his chest as his hands went to her waist. For once she wasn't self-conscious about him touching her there. Instead she closed her eyes, feeling cocooned in his embrace and his love. “I'm sorry,” she repeated against his shirt.

“It's okay.” His cheek rested on the top of her head, even though they were both in full view of anyone who was looking out the kitchen window. “I'm just glad to be holding you,” he added with a whisper. “I thought I'd never get to hold you again.”

“I needed time,” she said.

“I know. We both did. I'm glad you realized it, because I wasn't listening.”

She lifted her head and looked up at him, losing herself in his beautiful eyes. “It's because of you that I
started
listening. I can't thank you enough for that.”