Miriam's Secret (13 page)

Chapter Twelve

A
t ten minutes before seven, Shirley slipped out the front door and headed out toward the barn. She would look foolish waiting out by the road, so perhaps the barn was best. She couldn't stay in the house a moment longer.
Mamm
's sorrowful face was more than she could bear. Promises that she wouldn't be able to keep wanted to bubble up inside of her, but she refused to make them. Her resolve had weakened after supper when
Mamm
asked with hope on her face, “How old is this boy?”

“I don't know,” Shirley had answered. She'd wanted to add,
He's old enough to act decently
,
and we will.

“He's around eighteen, I think,” Miriam offered.

“I wish he was a little older,”
Mamm
commented.

Now Shirley reached up to touch her
kapp
. Her hair hung loose in a bun under it, kept there by the application of several extra pins. Thankfully neither
Mamm
nor Miriam had noticed.
Shirley had plotted a brave course for tonight, one she wasn't sure she had the courage to pursue. Under the right conditions, she would get rid of her
kapp
and look at least in part like an
Englisha
girl. Wasn't she officially on her
rumspringa
now?

Before Shirley could reach the end of the sidewalk there were footsteps behind her. Had
Mamm
followed her for one last lecture? She whirled around to see Miriam approaching. Shirley relaxed. Miriam might not agree with what she was doing tonight, but there would be no lecture.

“May I speak with you a moment?” Miriam glanced toward the road. “Before Jonas shows up?”

This would be better than waiting out by the road alone, Shirley decided. She nodded.

Miriam appeared worried. “I've been wanting to tell you how sorry I am that this farm thing has so upset our family. If I'm leading you astray, please forgive me. Please don't go with Jonas tonight.”

Shirley sighed. “
Yah
, in a way it had something to do with my decision. But in another way it didn't. Look, I'm glad I've taken this step, so don't blame yourself, Miriam. It'll be okay. I'll just have some fun and happy times with Jonas, and there will be plenty of time to join the church later.”

“You always make promises.” Miriam squinted at her sister.

Shirley glanced away. “Maybe someday I'll be a saint and keep my promises perfectly.”

Miriam managed a wry look. “That'll be the day.”

“See?” Shirley said. “Even you find a little humor in this situation. It's not as serious as everyone thinks.”

Miriam's gaze went to the end of the driveway as Jonas's fancy convertible pulled in and came to a stop. “I'd say it's pretty serious.” With that, she retreated toward the house at a rapid pace.

Shirley took a deep breath. She hadn't wanted an argument with anyone moments before Jonas arrived. That was why she'd come outside early, but it had still happened. It mustn't ruin the evening. She turned toward Jonas and smiled as she approached his car.

Jonas jumped out to greet her and open the passenger-side car door. “Good evening!”

He was all smiles and looked so handsome. She managed to hold her composure, return Jonas's greeting, and climb inside the car. It was even more
wunderbah
than she remembered.

“Your sister seemed upset,” Jonas said as he climbed into the driver's seat, shut the door, and turned the key. The engine caught with a soft purr.

Shirley waited to answer until they were out of the driveway. “She was trying to persuade me not to go with you tonight.”

“Obviously she didn't succeed.” Jonas grimaced. “Did your family make more trouble than expected?”

“A little.” Shirley took a deep breath.

Jonas seemed to sense her reluctance and moved on. “Have you ever seen a movie?”

Shirley tried to hide her embarrassment at the question.
Nee
.

Again he seemed to understand. “You'll enjoy it!”

On that he was right, Shirley told herself. She'd enjoy anything with him.

“So tell me more about your sister inheriting a farm,” he asked.

Shirley took another deep breath. “I guess the whole thing just happened out of the blue on Thursday. Miriam learned of her gift after Mr. Bland's funeral.”

“This Mr. Bland must have liked her.” Jonas grinned.

“I do think they'd grown close,” Shirley agreed. “Miriam told me he'd become like a
daett
to her.”

Jonas appeared pleased. “So it runs in the family then? This openness to non-Amish people?”

“I don't know.” Shirley knew puzzlement showed on her face. “How do you mean?”

Jonas motioned with his hand. “You are, after all, riding with me.”

Heat rose up Shirley's neck. “Oh, that way. I guess it does.”

“Well, I like it,” Jonas said. “I think it suits both you and your sister well.”

Shirley looked away. If
Daett
ever heard such talk he would grow even more gray hairs long before his time. At the moment she wanted to switch the subject to something more suitable, but what? She could follow through with her plan—if she dared. A quick glance at Jonas showed his concentration fixed on the road ahead of them. With a few quick pulls of the pins, Shirley removed her
kapp
and undid the hair bun. Her long hair flowed in waves over her shoulders. Shirley ran her fingers through them to straighten them out.

Jonas had his mouth open when she glanced at him, but he recovered soon enough. “I wasn't expecting that.”

Shirley looked at him with concern. “You don't mind?”

He laughed. “Certainly not! You're…well…quite something. I'd forgotten how wonderful long hair looks on a woman.”

“Your family will think me strange?” Alarm filled her face.

“Not at all.” Jonas shook his head as if to clear his mind. “It's…it's great. Believe me!” He gave her a quick smile.

This wasn't the emotion she'd expected. Still, this was new territory for her. If Jonas said she looked okay, then she'd take his word for it.

“You can look in the mirror,” he offered. “There's one on the windshield clip behind the sun visor.”

Shirley reached up, pulled the visor down, and there was the mirror just like Jonas said. She regarded herself for a few seconds. She looked about the same as she did at home. If Jonas liked what he saw, that was all she needed to know.

“Impressive, huh?” he teased.

Shirley shrugged. “It's okay. It's what I'm used to.”

“I like your modesty. It's befits you.”

His eyes were warm when she looked at him. “Thank you,” she said.

Jonas turned into a driveway. Shirley straightened up in her seat. She'd been so caught up in this new adventure that she hadn't noticed they were so close. Now she would get to see this great house and likely meet Jonas's family. It was enough to take her breath away.

“They'll like you.” Jonas seemed to read her thoughts.

“I hope so,” Shirley murmured as Jonas pulled to a stop in front of huge garage doors. This house was bigger the closer they got, Shirley decided. Jonas motioned for her to stay seated until he walked around and opened the car door for her. Shirley rubbed her face, determined not to look like an eager fool in front of this family.

“Ready?” Jonas didn't wait for an answer as he led the way. He didn't offer to take her hand, which was
gut
. She would only have been embarrassed by the gesture. Jonas was a gentleman and then some. She was right to have come tonight. There was much here she could learn.

Jonas opened the front door, and the silence of the huge house greeted her. His family must be lost somewhere in the vastness, Shirley thought.

Jonas smiled and led her further inside.

In the living room his
mamm
and
daett
rose to be introduced
and shake her hand. They were nice, just like Jonas said they would be. They seemed neutral about her, which was fine. Jonas probably brought girls through here all the time. As Jonas led her upstairs, Shirley was speechless at the grandeur of the house. When they got to a large room at the top of the stairs, Jonas plopped down on the couch as if this was nothing special. It must be so for him, Shirley thought. But her head was spinning.

“Sit here next to me,” Jonas said, pointing to the place on the couch beside him.

Fluffy cushions lay everywhere, and Shirley pushed them aside. She ended up closer to Jonas than she'd planned, but she decided not to move. He might think she didn't want to be close to him. How wrong he would be!

“Ready?” He pointed a small black box toward a large television screen. A picture appeared and sound began. “A tour of the Holy Land,” Jonas offered, as if that explained everything.

Shirley settled in on the couch. Up on the screen strange lands and sights unfolded before her. Jonas didn't offer any commentary as the movie continued. Obviously he thought it was self-explanatory. She wasn't about to admit that it wasn't. Shirley concentrated until her eyes hurt. The pictures made some sense, but what she really wished for was Jonas's arm slipped over her shoulder. She'd love to snuggle up against him and feel the warmth of his smile turned toward her. But those were highly inappropriate thoughts, Shirley told herself. She was only seventeen and should be thankful Jonas had even invited her into his house. Any further attention was much more than she should expect. And Jonas seemed engrossed in his movie anyway. Still, his form so close to her was more than she could resist. Did she dare slip her hand through his arm? What would Jonas think? She must not, Shirley told herself. But moments later her fingers
brushed his arm. A quick glance upward took in his warm smile. He punched the box—the remote, as he called it—and the pictures and sound stopped.

“I'm sorry.” He stood up. “I'm forgetting my manners. Would you like something to drink?”

“I'd love that.” She gave him her sweetest look.
What I'd like even more is time spent talking with you
, she almost said.

He seemed to understand. His face softened. “That's right. You've never watched a movie before. It must be a little disconcerting. Come, let's step outside on the balcony. But first a soft drink, perhaps?”

Shirley didn't answer as she followed him downstairs. His
mamm
and
daett
had disappeared. Everything was strange in the kitchen. Ice rattled out of the refrigerator door, and they had soft drinks instead of homemade lemonade. She chose a Diet Coke and waited while he poured it for her. At home she would have served him, but here she was lost in the newness. Maybe in his world the men served more than the men of the community did. If so, Shirley liked the idea.

Soon they made their way back up the stairs with their drinks in hand. Jason pushed open a set of double doors that opened onto a balcony. Shirley drew in a sharp breath at the vista before them. Well-kept Holmes County farms rolled off into the distance, with the immaculately mown lawn in front of them as a starting point.

“Like it?” Jonas stood close to her.

“It's so beautiful,” Shirley kept her voice low. “I've never seen anything like it.”

He laughed. “I guess I'm used to it.”

“I'd never get used to this.” The words slipped out. Shirley didn't move for a moment.

Jonas remained relaxed beside her. She slipped her hand in his. The smile didn't leave his face, and his fingers tightened in hers. “I'm glad you came over, Shirley.”

The words she wanted to say caught in her throat, but he didn't seem to mind. She decided she was obviously starstruck. She could stay here for the rest of her life and be content. Shirley leaned her head against his shoulder. Her long hair flowed over his arm as she drank the view in. Weren't wonders like this supposed to lie at the ends of the earth? Yet the Yoder family farm in Possum Valley lay only a few minutes away, which didn't seem to distract from the pleasure at all. No matter what else happened in her life, she would always remember this evening at the Beachy home.