A Season of Love (19 page)

After rinsing off her tear-streaked face with the water from the washbasin in her room, Katie headed down the stairs and into the kitchen, where her parents stood talking.

“Where are the
kinner
?” Katie asked.

“I sent them outside so we could talk to you about your behavior,” her father said, frowning. “I can’t believe that less than a week after I punished you for seeing Jake Miller, you disobeyed me again.”

“I didn’t disobey you,” Katie began. “I was walking to the store to get some fabric to make a dress for Janie for her birthday, when three—”

Robert held up his hand. “I’m tired of your excuses, Katie. I don’t know what else to do aside from sending you away. It seems you can’t stay away from this bu. I need to do something to prevent you from seeing him at all.”

The back door opened, and her grandparents stepped in.

“Katie!” Her grandmother rushed over and hugged her. “Are you okay? Jake told us what happened.”

Katie nodded, her eyes filling with fresh tears. “I’m okay.”

“Here,” Elizabeth said, handing Katie her cloak and prayer covering. “Jake found these for you.”

“Danki
,
”
Katie said, placing the cloak and covering on a kitchen chair. Her body quaked as she thought of the evil men again.

“I want that Mennonite
bu
fired!” Robert bellowed. “I’m tired of him tempting my Katie Joy.”

“No,” Katie said, moving her hands over her cheeks. “Don’t fire him. I’ll stop working at the bakery. Maybe I’ll help
Aenti
Rebecca, and Lindsay can go back to the bakery.”

“But you love the bakery,” her mother said with a frown. “Why would you quit the bakery for that
bu
, Katie?”

“You can’t fire him,” Katie said, looking at her grandfather. “Remove me from the bakery instead.”

“You still defend that bu, Katie Joy?” Robert said, scowling. “What will it take to make you forget him?”

“He saved me,
Dat
,” Katie said, nearly spitting the words at him. “Why won’t you listen to me? I was in grave danger, and he saved me from it.”

Her father shook his head. “He’s Mennonite, Katie. Abner Chupp said you could be shunned from what he saw on the corner.” He looked at Eli. “I want the
bu
fired,
Dat.
This has gone on long enough.”

“How can I fire him?” Eli asked. “His
grossdaddi
is part owner in the furniture store. That’s a preposterous notion.”

“No one will be fired, Robert,” Elizabeth said, her expression stern. “This is ridiculous.” She turned to Eli. “I will make certain
Katie and Jake don’t interact at the bakery at all. I can keep my bakers busy if need be. Besides, the project is coming along quickly,
ya
?”

Eli nodded. “
Ya
. We should be done soon.”

“Fine,” Robert said. “I don’t want any contact between them. If there’s contact, then there will be more punishment, Katie. As of right now, you’re only to leave the
haus
for work and church. Indefinitely.”

Katie’s heart ached as she studied her father’s angry expression. Why didn’t he see she was telling the truth? Why didn’t he care about her feelings?

“Go to your room, Katie Joy,” her father said. “I don’t want to see you the rest of the day.”

With tears in her eyes, Katie turned toward Elizabeth.
“Danki
,
”
she whispered.

“Go,” Elizabeth said, handing her the prayer covering. “I’ll hang up your cloak for you. I’ll tell everyone at the bakery you’re not feeling well. No one has to know what happened.”

“Danki, Mammi.”
Katie slowly climbed the stairs and wiped her tears from her cheeks. She wished she could start the day over and ask Amanda and Ruthie to go with her to the store. Or perhaps she never should’ve ventured to the store at all. Katie hung her covering on the peg by her bedroom door and crossed to her window, where she spotted Jake’s truck idling in her driveway. Her heart warmed at the sight of him. Jake had brought her grandparents over to see her!

Placing her hand on the cool window glass, she wished she could go thank Jake again for saving her. Despite all of the emotional turmoil she’d suffered today, she knew one thing for certain — she was falling in love with Jake Miller.

“How’s Katie?” Jake asked as Elizabeth and Eli climbed into his truck as it sat in Robert’s driveway.

Elizabeth frowned, and Jake’s heart wrenched in his chest.
She’s hurt worse than I imagined!

“Robert wants you fired so you don’t interact with Katie anymore,” Eli said. “Katie insisted I don’t fire you, and she offered to quit her job at the bakery in order to save your job.”

“She did?” Jake asked with surprise. “But she loves her job.”

“I know,” Elizabeth said. “I convinced my stubborn son to allow you both to work there, promising to be certain you’re kept apart.”

“I see.” Jake nodded, hoping they couldn’t tell his heart was breaking.

Elizabeth’s expression was sympathetic. “I know you care about my granddaughter, but I need you to keep your distance. I’m thankful you were able to save her today before she was severely hurt, but I hope you realize how you can get her into trouble with the church.”

“I know.” Jake sighed. “I would never do anything to hurt her.”

“I know you wouldn’t intentionally hurt her.” Elizabeth smiled. “You’re a special young man, and she’s a lovely young woman. However, you’re from different worlds.”

“But we’re very thankful for you, Jake,” Eli said. “You came along at the perfect time. God made certain you were there to save our little Katie Joy.”

“How is she?” Jake asked again. “Is she okay?”

Elizabeth frowned again. “She’s okay physically, but I could tell she was shaken up.”

“And Robert made it worse.” Eli looked disgusted. “Elizabeth and I tried to talk some sense into him after Katie went up to her room. But Robert is upset Abner Chupp brought her home and said she could be shunned for hugging you in public. Robert convinced Abner not to shun her and promised to talk to her. Robert told her she’s not allowed to leave the house, and he wanted you fired because the bishop came to see him about her behavior.”

Jake’s mouth gaped with shock. “Robert and the bishop don’t care that Katie was attacked?” he asked.

Elizabeth and Eli shook their heads in unison.

“They don’t believe she was attacked,” Eli said. “All they know is she was hugging you in public.”

“You’re saying they’re more worried about her hugging me in public than the fact that three men accosted her in public?” Jake asked.

“Ya
,
”
Eli said.

Jake ran his hands through his hair while contemplating the ridiculous actions of Robert Kauffman and Abner Chupp. “I can’t believe it. Katie could’ve been in grave danger if I hadn’t come along. It doesn’t make sense to me that Robert would react like that to the news that his daughter had been attacked.”

“I know,” Elizabeth said. “However, he’s her father, and there’s nothing we can do other than abide by his rules.”

“We’d better get back to work,” Eli said.

Jake put the truck in gear and backed down the driveway, all the while wondering what he could do to find a way to be with Katie so he could protect her.

Katie sat on the grass Sunday afternoon and smoothed her hands over her apron. The sky was peppered with gray clouds, which seemed to mirror her dull mood. A slight chill in the air caused her to rub her hands over the long sleeves of her dark blue frock.

She’d struggled to concentrate on the service earlier this morning, but her thoughts were still on her failed relationship with Jake and the nightmarish memories of the men who’d accosted her Friday. The flashbacks had kept her up every night since the incident. The only person who had listened to her about the ordeal and who had offered comfort was Nancy. Katie was so thankful for her younger sister.

Her father avoided all contact with her at the house, and he wouldn’t answer her when she’d tried to talk to him last night. Her mother’s reaction to her was also frosty as she offered one-word answers to Katie’s questions. It seemed no matter how hard Katie tried, her parents were reluctant to listen to her explanation about what had happened Friday, and the whole situation caused her stomach to ache and her shoulders to tense.

Lindsay and Lizzie Anne continued their conversation about the evening’s plans while sitting across from Katie.

“The gathering will be at Mary Elizabeth Zook’s
haus
tonight,” Lizzie Anne said, breaking an oatmeal cookie in half. “I’m so excited! Samuel is going to pick me up and take me. Is Matthew taking you?”

Lindsay nodded as she chewed a peanut butter cookie. “
Ya
. He said he’s going to pick me up and take me
heemet.
I’m so glad we can ride together now. I enjoy having time to talk in the buggy.”

Katie picked at a blade of grass and wondered if her friends realized they were ignoring her. Perhaps they were as insensitive as her parents.

“Katie?” Lindsay asked.
“Was iss letz?”

Katie looked at her friends and debated what to share. “Nothing,” she finally said. “Everything is fine.”

Lindsay and Lizzie Anne glanced at each other.

“I’m sorry,” Lizzie Anne said. “We didn’t mean to leave you out of the conversation by talking about our boyfriends.”

“No,” Lindsay chimed in, shaking her head for emphasis. “We didn’t at all, Katie. Please don’t be upset.”

“I’m not upset,” Katie said, forcing a smile. “Why would I be upset?”

Lizzie Anne looked concerned. “You can ride with Samuel and me tonight to the youth gathering. I didn’t mean to exclude you.”

“
Danki
, but I can’t go tonight.” Katie yanked more blades of grass out and tossed them toward the toe of her black sneakers.

“What do you mean?” Lindsay asked, looking confused. “Why wouldn’t you be able to go?”

“I’m not allowed to leave the
haus
except for church and work.” Katie watched her best friends’ eyes widen with shock.

“Why?” Lizzie Anne asked.

“What happened?” Lindsay asked.

“I don’t even know where to begin,” Katie said, shrugging. “I allowed Jake Miller to give me a ride
heemet
from the bakery last Friday when I was stranded without a ride, and
mei dat
was very upset I was alone with a Mennonite
bu.
” She hugged her knees and stared at the ground as she spoke. “I was forbidden to see him. I made the mistake of sneaking over to Matthew’s driveway to talk to Jake alone the next day. I only wanted to tell him I was forbidden from seeing him or talking to him. Unfortunately,
mei dat
caught me as I was coming back, and he was even more enraged. He asked
Mammi
to watch me at the bakery to be certain I don’t even look at Jake Miller again.”

“It’s all because Jake gave you a ride
heemet
?” Lizzie Anne asked, breaking another cookie apart.

“There’s more,” Katie said with a lump swelling in her throat. “I avoided Jake all last week, as difficult as it was, and Friday I asked
Mammi
if I could walk to the store to buy fabric to make a dress for Janie for her birthday. While I was walking there …” Her voice quaked as tears began to trickle from her eyes. She swallowed a deep, shuddering breath.

“Katie.” Lindsay moved over, looping her arm over Katie’s shoulder. “What’s wrong,
mei liewe
?”

“Slow down.” Lizzie Anne took Katie’s hand in hers. “It’s okay. Take your time.”

Katie wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. Speaking slowly through fresh tears, she recounted the story of her attack, Jake’s rescue, the bishop’s interference, her parents’

reaction to the incident, and her grandparents’ visit. Her friends listened with their mouths gaping.

“Oh, Katie,” Lindsay said, pulling her into a hug. “I’m so very sorry this happened to you. You must’ve been so scared.”

Katie nodded while Lizzie Anne hugged her too.

“I don’t understand your parents,” Lizzie Anne said. “You needed their comfort more than anything, and they punished you instead. I’m so glad your
mammi
believed you.”

Katie shook her head. “I don’t know what I’d do without
Mammi
or Nancy.” She gestured at Lindsay and Lizzie Anne. “Or you two.”

“I don’t understand.” Lindsay looked confused. “Why don’t your parents believe you?”

“Why do they think you would even imagine making up something so horrible?” Lizzie Anne chimed in.

“I don’t know.” Katie shrugged and pulled up more blades of grass. “I guess
mei dat
has lost all confidence in me since I disobeyed him by getting a ride with Jake and then speaking to him at Matthew’s house after he told me not to.
Mei dat
is more worried about appearances than anything else, including my feelings or my safety.”

“It doesn’t make sense at all,” Lindsay said, frowning. “You’re his
dochder
, and you were hurt. You’re what matters most, not what other people think about your behavior.”

“I’m surprised at your
mamm
, Katie.” Lizzie Anne shook her head with disappointment. “I know she can be strict, but why doesn’t she believe you were attacked? Your dress was ripped. What more evidence does she need?”

Katie’s lip quivered. “I don’t know why she won’t talk to me. Sometimes I think she goes along with
mei dat
to keep the peace between them.”

“But your feelings should be more important,” Lindsay said. “My mother always took time to listen to Jessica and me, even when we were in trouble. Besides, what’s so bad about Jake
driving you
heemet
when you’re stranded?” She looked curious. “And why was he in the bakery in the first place?”

“Jake is working in the bakery now.” Katie brushed a few stray blades of grass off her apron. “He and
Daadi
are building new display cabinets. I had lunch with him and the other bakers a few times. The day I was stranded,
Mammi
thought I’d gotten a ride
heemet
with Samuel. I was taking inventory in the pantry, and when I returned to the kitchen, I realized everyone had left without me. The weather was bad, and no one was answering the phone. Jake insisted on driving me so I didn’t have to walk in the rain. When I got
heemet, mei dat
was really upset. He called me disobedient and said I could wind up with a bad reputation if I kept behaving that way.”