Rebecca's Rose (27 page)

“Are you okay?”

Two boys had their skis off and knelt beside her almost before she stopped rolling. One of the boys touched her arm, and she screamed in pain.

“She broke something,” he said.

“Rebecca!”

Levi and Tara got to her at the same moment. Levi released his skis and crawled to her head. “Rebecca. Where are you hurt? Can you feel your legs? What about your neck?”

Rebecca didn’t answer, although she wanted to scream at Levi to get away. She panted as the pain threatened to send her into unconsciousness.

“I think she broke her collarbone,” said the first boy. “We need a rescue crew up here.” He pulled a cell phone from his pocket and dialed a few numbers.

“No,” Rebecca said, trying to sit up. The searing fire in her shoulder sent her to the ground again. “I cannot afford it.”

“I’m taking you to the hospital,” Levi said.

This time she did sit up, in spite of the efforts of three boys to keep her down. “No hospital,” she said, before the trees, the faces, the sky became a cloud of snow and fog.

Levi gently took her by her good arm and put his hand around her neck. “Lay back, kid.”

She didn’t argue. She couldn’t argue. When she made any movement, the pain almost overwhelmed her. She sank to the ground with Levi’s hand still under her head.

“It’ll be all right. You’ll be okay, kid.”

“Stay away from me,” she said weakly.

The tortured look on his face did nothing to lessen her contempt.

She tried to push his hand away with her good arm. He wouldn’t budge. “Don’t touch me.” She talked to the boy with the cell phone. “Get him away from me.”

Levi and the other boy looked at each other in confusion. “Hey,” the boy said mildly, “I don’t think she wants to be touched. The pain is making her punchy.”

Rebecca took a deep breath and let a wave of pain subside. “You killed Dottie Mae.”

Levi’s face twisted in pain. “I’m so sorry, Rebecca. I was going to tell you about the accident. I didn’t know it was Dottie Mae.”

Tara folded her arms and flashed Levi a superior look. “You forgot to share that minor detail about your past.”

Rebecca’s shoulder burned and froze at the same time. “Go away, Levi. I never want to see you ever again.”

The ski patrol announced themselves on two growling snowmobiles. They quickly assessed the damage and wrapped her shoulder and arm while Levi and Tara stood watch. Levi wouldn’t leave but stayed far enough away that she couldn’t complain that he was harassing her.

The medics lifted her onto a strange sort of medical sled to transport her to the bottom of the hill, where Rebecca suspected an ambulance waited.

Tara folded her arms and glanced smugly at Rebecca. “I told you she was a self-righteous little prig.”

“Save it, Tara,” Levi said. “I’m not listening anymore.”

Rebecca never felt more forsaken than when she lay on that examination table staring at the dingy white ceiling and waiting for the results of her X-rays. Her arm and shoulder felt like they were on fire. If only Mamm were here to hold her hand and reassure her that everything would be okay. At this moment, Rebecca would have settled for Linda or Danny. Even Max would be better company than her thoughts. She wished she could erase the last seven months of her life and forget she ever knew Levi Cooper. She would be content if the thought of him never crossed her mind again.

The nurse pulled back the curtain and handed her a cup of ice water with a straw. “Here you go,” she said.

Rebecca wiped the sweat from her forehead. “I’ve got to get out of here,” she said. “Please let me out of here.”

The nurse rubbed her hand up and down Rebecca’s leg. “The doctor should be back in just a few minutes, honey. You’re almost done. Everything will be all right.”

Rebecca took a long sip of water and tried to breathe normally.

The nurse picked up a towel and sponged off Rebecca’s head. “I hate to ask again, but that boy in the waiting room is wondering if he could come in and see you. I know you’ve already said no, but he looks so upset. I thought you might change your mind.”

Rebecca frowned and closed her eyes. Thank goodness for hospital privacy rules. “I won’t see him.” The nurse forced a smile. “Okay, I’ll tell him.”

“Tell him to go home.”

“He says he’s your ride.”

“I’ve already called someone else to come and get me.”

“Can I tell him how you’re doing?”

Rebecca turned her head from the nurse and stared at the wall. “Tell him I’m much better off without him.”

Mrs. Johnson pulled the car in front of Rebecca’s house. “I’ll help you in,” she said.

In spite of the searing pain up her arm and shoulder, Rebecca popped the door open and jumped out. “I can manage.”

“You sure?”

“I’ll be fine.”

The hospital ordeal was finally over. After the doctor gave her a crisp sling and discharge instructions, Rebecca had sneaked out the back way to Mrs. Johnson’s waiting van. Undeterred, Levi tracked Rebecca’s escape and tenaciously followed in his Toyota, back to Apple Lake like a stray puppy.

Glancing behind her, she saw Levi sitting in his dented car at the entrance to the long driveway, leaning as far forward as he could and waiting for Mrs. Johnson to back out. “Thank you a million times for the ride, Mrs. Johnson. You saved me today.”

“You called at a good time. My soap was over, and I had nothing else to do all afternoon. Get some rest, and I’ll see if one of the Newswenger girls can clean for me until you’re better.”

Rebecca made her way to the house as rapidly as she could without jarring her shoulder. She must be safely hidden inside before Levi could intercept her. Oh, that she had never asked him to take her skiing!

Rebecca slammed the front door behind her and stormed into the kitchen. She stopped short, and her heart sank. Wednesday afternoon. Marvin was here.

He sat at the table with Linda, Max, and Danny. Linda must have been in charge of dinner. They were eating hot dogs and dill pickles, and the cupboards practically sagged with dirty dishes.

They stared at her in silent disbelief. She must look a sight. Englisch clothes, hair askew, arm in a sling… She chastised herself for not sneaking through the back door.

“What happened to your arm?” Danny asked with his mouthful of pickles.

“Where have you been?” Linda said.

Rebecca ignored the questions and Marvin’s shocked expression and went to the sink. She turned her back on her family, filled a pot with water, and put it on the stove to heat up. Then she put the plug in the drain and turned on the faucet. She poured dish soap under the cold running water and filled the sink with dishes left from breakfast and lunch. Disregarding her throbbing shoulder and the deafening silence behind her, Rebecca started washing dishes with her one good hand.

As expected, she heard a knock at the door.

She looked at Marvin and tried to remove any emotion from her voice. “Tell him I will not see him.”

Without taking his eyes off her, Marvin rose deliberately from his chair, laid his napkin on the table, then disappeared into the living room. Rebecca could imagine his smug expression when he opened the door and discovered who stood on the porch.

Levi’s voice cut through her soul. “I need to talk to Rebecca.”

A long pause. “What did you do to her arm?”

“I would never hurt her.”

“She will not see you.”

“I’ll wait.”

“Go away,” Marvin said. “She does not want to see you.”

Rebecca heard Marvin shut the door partway and Levi put out a hand to stop it. “Please,” he said, talking louder. He must have suspected she could hear him. “Someone as good-hearted as Rebecca would give even her worst enemy a chance to explain and ask for forgiveness.”

“So you
did
hurt her arm.”

“Please ask her to come out.”

Marvin shut the door, and Rebecca heard him slide the dead bolt into place. When he came into the kitchen, she picked up the frenetic pace of her pot-scrubbing.

“What did he do to you?” Marvin asked, his words charged with indignation.

Rebecca winced as her sudden movements pulled at her shoulder.

Max jumped to his feet. “Sit, Rebecca. Danny, finish the dishes.” He pulled Rebecca gently by her good arm and led her to his chair at the table. Kneeling beside her, he laid his hand over hers. “You’re as pale as a sheet,” he said. “Is your arm broken?”

Rebecca shook her head. “Collarbone.”

Marvin towered over her and folded his arms. “Why are you dressed like that? Your fater warned me that boy would be trouble.”

Rebecca met eyes with Max in unspoken communication. Max stood and gave Marvin a firm pat on the shoulder. “Denki for coming today, Marvin,” Max said. “But it is time for you to leave. Rebecca needs rest.”

“I will stay,” Marvin said, straining for the bravado he didn’t have. “He won’t dare threaten you while I am here.”

“Levi would never harm us,” Max said. “And we will take care of our own.”

Marvin looked to Rebecca for support. She averted her eyes and grabbed on to Max’s hand. Fourteen-year-old Max stared Marvin down until Marvin surrendered. After a brief hesitation, he lifted his hat from the stand and reluctantly put on his coat.

“Send to my house if you need help,” he said.

Rebecca nodded and tried to hide her relief that Marvin was going. Max turned to her, and she mouthed a “Thank you.”

Marvin frowned in frustration and stomped out of the kitchen. The door closed with a loud
bang
, and they heard his heavy steps on the porch.

“What happened, Rebecca?” Max said. “And what does it have to do with Levi?”

Rebecca covered her face with her hand. “I fell, skiing. It’s starting to hurt terrible.”

All heads turned when they heard another knock at the door. Rebecca couldn’t find her breath.

“Do you want me to make him leave?” asked Max.

“Jah, please.”

Max walked out of the kitchen, and Rebecca heard him go outside.

“You went skiing?” Danny said, abandoning his dish duty and sitting next to Rebecca.

“Did they take you to the hospital?” Linda asked.

Rebecca nodded.

“How will we pay?”

“I don’t know,” said Rebecca.

“It’s not coming out of my money,” Linda insisted. “I am saving for a scooter.”

“Did Levi go skiing with you?” Danny asked.

They heard the door open. Max walked through the kitchen and down the hall. He came back carrying a thick quilt from his bed.

“What are you doing?” Rebecca said.

“He won’t leave. He says he will stay on that porch until you come out. I’m taking him a blanket because it’s cold out there, and from the set of your mouth, it looks like he’ll be out there a long time.”

Rebecca took deep gulps of air to keep from breaking down. “He can freeze to death out there, for all I care.”

Max’s dark expression made him appear years older. “He’s crying, Rebecca. Crying. What happened?”

“He’s a liar and a fake. An Englischer, Max. He pretended to be Amish so Fater would let him come to the farm.”

“That is no reason to leave him out in the cold,” Max said, raising his voice. “Levi is a gute person, Englisch or not.”

“You don’t know what he did!” Rebecca yelled back.

Max pulled Danny off his chair and sat next to Rebecca. “Whatever it was, as a Christian, you should hear him out. Get off your high horse and go out there.”

“You don’t know, Max. Stay out of it.”

Still clutching the quilt, Max scowled and stormed out of the house.

Danny immediately slid into the chair beside her. Tears filled his eyes. “He will get real cold out there.”

Rebecca’s resistance slackened. Danny was a better Christian than she. “He will leave when it gets cold enough,” she said.

“I don’t think so,” Danny said. “Remember how he stayed until midnight painting the last of the red on the barn? He won’t quit easy. I don’t think he’ll go away unless you talk to him.”

The thought of facing Levi made Rebecca sick to her stomach. How could she look into those penetrating brown eyes that stunned her senses with their depth, knowing what he had done? But Danny was right. Levi refused to give up on Rebecca. He loved her too much to ever quit trying.

She caught her breath. He loved her—she knew it beyond a doubt. Her heart pounded with miserable longing. That was why he would wait on her porch until he turned to dust and the wind blew him away. He loved her, and she could not bear the thought of it.

Keeping his eyes glued to Rebecca’s face, Danny wiped a tear from his cheek. “Do you want me to come out with you? I don’t mind the cold.”

Rebecca sighed. “Nae, I will go myself.”

Danny supported her arm as she slowly rose to her feet. Every movement sent shock waves through her body. “Are you okay?” he said.

“I will call if I need you,” she said.

Danny helped her walk to the door and opened it for her. She let go of his shoulder and stepped out onto the porch.

Levi sat on the bench, his knees to his chin, with his arms wrapped around his legs. His forehead rested on his knees with the blanket draped around his shoulders. When Rebecca emerged, he jumped to his feet. He grabbed a stunning bouquet of long red roses from the bench and held them out to her. “Rebecca,” he said, his eyes brimming with sorrow.

She stood her ground. “I don’t want your roses.”

Dejected, he laid them on the bench. “You must be cold,” he said. She stood motionless as he took the quilt from his shoulders and wrapped it around her, taking care not to bump her arm in the process. She refused to be moved by his singular kindness. She shrugged the quilt off her shoulders and set it down on the bench, smothering his roses.

The gesture was not lost on him. He riveted her attention with a tormented look. His eyes were too brilliant. She couldn’t look away. “What do you want, Levi?”

“Tell me what words to say so you won’t hate me.” He took a step closer. “I’ll do anything.”

She didn’t answer. He reached out and grabbed her good hand. She snatched it away. “Don’t touch me.”