For Every Season (14 page)

Erlene set the hangers next to the clothes on the couch. “Ayeah.” Erlene’s Maine brogue came through thick this time. “He must’ve tried on eight shirts before picking you up tonight.”

She gnawed on her lower lip, refusing to speak or smile. “Hmm.”

“Well,”—Landon shrugged—“you didn’t think I was perfect, did you?”

“I did. But I stand corrected.”

Landon tried to pull the shirt out of her hand. “I’ll do them myself.”

She tugged back, and he let go, making her fall back on the couch.

“Seems to me you aren’t standing at all.” Landon grabbed another shirt from the pile. “And what is one of your faults I’m not aware of, Leah King?”

“I have none.” She actually had a lot, but who confessed their flaws? Her biggest mistake was Michael Yoder, a lousy excuse for a man and an even worse boyfriend. She stood and snapped wrinkles out of the shirt. “Have you dated much?”

“Not really. I was an awkward teen, too shy around girls to ask anyone out. That whole fear of rejection thing ruled my life for a while.”

“It’s hard to believe you felt tongue-tied.”

“Why, because I can’t shut up?”

“Something like that, ya.”

He dangled his keys in front of her. “It’s a long walk home from here, Leah.”

She eyed them, timing the moment before she snatched them.

“Whoa.” He stared at her. “What are you, some kind of Houdini?”

The phrase sounded familiar, and she had no doubt he was quoting a line from television. It seemed to be his talent, and she wasn’t very good at it. “I’ve never driven before.” She clutched them tight, grabbed her coat, and headed for the front door. “I hope you have plenty of insurance.”

“Me too.” He turned toward the kitchen. “Hey, Gran, we’re going out for a bit.”

“Drive careful, honey.”

“I’d like to be the one driving,” he mumbled.

Leah hid her laughter and swooshed out the front door. She tossed the keys into the air while walking, but Landon plucked them in midair. “Hey.”

“No, Leah. This isn’t
hay
. These are
keys
, and if you don’t know the difference, you shouldn’t be driving.”

“Give them back.”

“Not happening.”

She pushed him. “Now!” She held out her hand.

He dangled them high, and when she tried to grab them, she couldn’t reach them. Their laughter echoed against the still night, and she couldn’t imagine not being with Landon forever. She’d never known anyone more real.

“You win. This time.” She went to his truck and leaned against it, staring into the vastness of the night sky. “But shouldn’t I learn to drive?”

“If that’s what you want. The laws are pretty specific, but it’s just a matter of going through the steps. You’ll need your birth certificate and Social Security number.”

“I don’t have either.”

“Everybody has a birth certificate, don’t they?”

“I was born at home.”

“But the midwife should’ve registered the birth with the state. I’m pretty sure it’s the law. Ask your brothers about it. Samuel had to have both to take out a mortgage. If they don’t know about your birth certificate, ask your mom.”

“It might cause her to ask a hundred questions.”

“So?”

She shrugged. “And then she’s likely to turn me down. Besides, I’m not used to being straightforward with my parents. Being sneaky or keeping my mouth shut is more my style with them.”

“It sounds like maybe you don’t really want a license.”

“Are you giving up before we even try?”

“You’re the one who doesn’t want to answer a few probing, uncomfortable questions from your mom.” He leaned into her shoulder. “Decide whether you’re willing to pursue and pay the price for what you want. It seems to be what life is all about.” He straightened. “I don’t want to be the one talking you into or out of anything. You know?”

She was beginning to, and she liked the sense of trust he had in her. It was her life, her decisions, and he was there for moral support only. “You make it
sound like talking to Mamm will be easy. But she’ll believe I’m entering into sin to want a license. The thought of it will break her heart.”

“Sounds like her idea of what constitutes sin is off the mark.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“I’m not. Back in the day when my granny was a young woman, good manners and skilled social behavior were equal to godliness, and the lack of it was considered a sin. In her mother’s day, using one’s imagination was looked down on. To daydream was considered a sin. Does God really judge someone based on table manners or an inventive mind?
Or
for wanting to get a driver’s license?”

Her heart suddenly felt as light as a helium balloon bouncing toward the sky as someone held tight to the tether. But she still didn’t want to upset her Mamm. Just the thought of hurting her made Leah cringe. “Is there another way to get a birth certificate?”

“Maybe. Each state has centralized offices where a copy can be ordered, but that’s only going to work if the midwife recorded your birth with the state.”

“Let’s check that out first.” She shrugged. “That would make it easier to sidestep Mamm knowing what I’m really like.”

His eyes fixed on her until he bent and picked up a rock. “You don’t believe she likes you.”

How had he nailed the way she felt so squarely? “It’s my fault. I was born into a home with lots and lots of rules, and I didn’t keep them. My parents love me, but their ability to like me is thin at best.”

He didn’t move for several moments. “If that’s true, it’s really sad. And it’s their loss.” He threw the rock across the road. “Is that how they feel about Jacob? He’s a rule breaker too.”

“It’s different for guys. Parents expect them to be rowdy, and if they’re a little less unruly than they could be, parents are pleased. Samuel stepped into my grandfather’s shoes, loving the orchard from the time he was young, and they couldn’t be more proud of who he is. Jacob loved carpentry, and although his leaving home to move to our uncle’s bothered them, they were always pleased with his ability to build homes. My specialty was sarcastic wit and hiding
in the hayloft to read novels. Mamm and Daed never really liked anything about me.”

“Sarcastic wit is an art, best used on anyone except yours truly. And it seems to me most parents would be thrilled for their children to love reading. Mine were. As a kid, I could pick up
TV Guide
, and they’d get all twitterpated.”

She laughed. “Get what?”

“I’m not telling, but the next movie on our list is
Bambi
.” He picked up a rock and held it out to her. “It helps to lob a rock as far as you can. Try it.”

Her insides quaked from talking about her parents. Did Landon know that? “I may not do anything about getting a license for a while yet.” She took the stone from him. “If I cause a fuss with my parents, it could alter what I can and can’t do here in Maine. It’s nice to have no one balking at me coming here or slipping away on Sunday nights.”

“There’s no pressure from me. If you want a license, I’ll help you. If you never want a license, I’m sure my truck will be the safer for it.” His chuckle warmed her insides.

He was too good to be true. She threw the rock as far as she could, and it barely made it to the edge of the road. But he was right; it did make her feel better. She grabbed another one and tossed it. It landed a few feet from the truck.

Landon chortled. “What was that?”

She tugged on his coat sleeve. “Our cue that it’s time to make those cookies for tomorrow night.”

“You do remember that it’s also a church Sunday for you. The Amish church day will barely be over by the time you need to slip out the back door to go to Unity Hill.”

“It’s their special music night. I’m not missing that if I have to walk there.”

He grinned. “You love that part most of all, don’t you?”

“Does a horse have a tail?” She headed for the front door.

He followed her. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“A team of wild horses could not drag that answer out of me.”

“What?”

“You heard it straight from the horse’s mouth.”

“If I’d let you drive my truck, could I have been spared all these horse sayings?”

“We’ll never know, will we?”

Growing up Amish had limited Leah’s choices in everything from hairstyles to clothing to education and beyond. But if she wanted it, Landon was willing to open the world to her.

Maybe she should jump at the chance to get a license, but right now she was content just knowing the door to her future was unlocked.

TWELVE

Night fell, and the horse’s hoofs beat a steady, endearing pace in Rhoda’s ear as the buggy jostled them down the empty road. Jacob held the reins loosely as he drove the rig. They’d had a wonderful Sunday evening thus far, and the awkwardness between them continued to melt. She had to admit, buggy rides with her beau were precious. “I thought Steven did a good job preaching the sermon today.”

“Ya.”

They’d had a perfect date night—board games and a walk in the orchard. Then they’d begun this carriage outing a couple of hours ago. He’d told dozens of jokes throughout their time together. But now he was really quiet. Had she done or said something that had offended or hurt him? “Did you have a favorite part of the sermon?”

“Not really. Seems like he could add a little humor.” He slowed the rig as they came to a stop sign. “While he was talking about Adam and Eve, I thought of a joke I heard once. Adam was lonely, so God said He’d give him a companion, one who would cook and agree with every decision he made and bear children. Adam asked what the woman would cost, and God said an arm and a leg. So Adam asked what he could get for a rib.”

She chuckled, but her mind was busy trying to piece together more of the puzzle that was Jacob King. “Maybe you could give him some pointers on how to lace his sermons with some laughter.”

“I doubt he needs
me
offering tips about preaching.” Jacob clicked his tongue, and the horse went through the intersection.

Despite the joke, his countenance seemed heavy. She slid across the seat,
closing the space between them. “Jacob?” She caressed his jaw line. “Talk to me.” She kissed his cheek. “Please.”

He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “Sorry. Sometimes the subject of God is an uncomfortable one.” Lines in his handsome face constricted. “Most of the time, I guess.”

“Why?”

“Ever heard this one? A father was at the beach with his children when his four-year-old son grabbed his hand and led him to the shore where a sea gull lay dead in the sand. ‘Daddy, what happened to him?’ the boy asked. The dad replied, ‘He died and went to heaven.’ The boy thought for a moment and then said, ‘Did God throw him back down?’ ”

She couldn’t help but laugh even though the joke didn’t seem to be in line with their conversation.

Jacob turned onto another road, making his way toward the Cranfords’. “I haven’t been able to really pray in years. I’ve felt as if God would throw me back down, breaking my bones and killing me in the process.”

“Oh …” Her heart broke for him. “He wouldn’t. You know that, right?”

He nodded. But that was a brush-off. How many times did he brush her off without her realizing it? Getting him to open up was never easy, but when he did talk candidly, it strengthened them.

She rested her head on his shoulder. “I need you to talk to me.”

He drew a deep breath. “I’ve been a fool, Rhodes. An idiot. No one is saying it, and it hurts to admit it aloud, but you and everyone else at the farm know it’s true.”

“Nobody says that, because nobody is thinking that. You made some bad decisions as a teenager, and then Sandra lied for years in order to manipulate you.”

He pulled into the Cranfords’ driveway and drew the rig to a stop. “I appreciate you saying that. It helps. But I walked into that mess wanting to be a hero. Blaine needed supplies to finish building a few homes so they could go to closing and not breach any of the contracts. I figured out a solution, and even after I learned what I was doing wasn’t legal, I kept on doing it. I tuned out
every warning, and when I feared I would go to jail, I used my Amish roots to hide behind.”

“You cared about your friends and tried to help. If that’s wanting to be a hero, then we’re all guilty of it.”

“But they weren’t friends, were they? Blaine was using me and my ignorance to cheat and steal from the construction company. As it turned out, the owner of the company and even Sandra were in on it. I keep asking myself over and over, why am I letting her stay in my life?”

“You must have at least one reason.”

He closed his eyes. “Casey. The night she was born, when Sandra put her in my arms, I felt so sure she had a wonderful destiny, a good, productive future that others will draw from—if only she could reach adulthood strong enough to carry it out. Sandra loves her, but she struggles with bipolar issues and needs some kind of stabilizing force. For better or worse, that’s what I am to her.”

Rhoda snuggled against him. He hadn’t told her that Sandra was bipolar. “That’s plenty to know. And you’re right. Casey needs you to be involved in her life.”

He shifted, gazing into her face. “Do you really believe that?”

“You mean like when I knew your home was going to be destroyed by that tornado? No, not like that. I know it because you know it, and I trust you.”

His blank stare eased into a grin. “Knowing all you know now, you still trust my judgment?”

“Absolutely. Although some of your corny jokes do make me wonder about you.”

He tilted her chin and stared into her eyes. “You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I want to be that for you too.”

“You are.”

He smiled before kissing her lips. It was more like a peck, really, but it was genuine, and she was grateful for it.

She tugged on his coat. “It’s only around eight. Why don’t you come inside for a bit? Camilla’s said you’re welcome any time.”

“Not tonight. I’d like to spend a little time alone with God.”

Joy had her heart thudding. Oh, how she longed for him to be whole, with no blockades of guilt between him and God—and no dark secrets between him and her.