yard. What Mamm intended was obviousenough. She planned to fetch her down to speak with the young man. Apparently Naomi hadn’t been the only one to wish they could reach out for Jonas’s help. Shirley froze with her hand on the drapes. She didn’t want to talk to him ever again. The conversation would go nowhere and increase the pain in her heart.
Shirley pulled back as Jonas’s gaze crept along the upper level of the house and past her window. If he noticed her presence, he gave no sign of it. He looked down again, and Shirley stepped away from the window. She might as well tell Mamm about her plans for tonight. Wasn’t the general rumspringa crowd better than Jonas Beachy—at least from her parents’ point of view? At least they were still Amish.
A quick knock came on the bedroom door.
Shirley said nothing.
A moment later the knob turned, and Mamm appeared. Her glance took in the window and the open drapes. “I see you noticed Jonas arrived.”
Shirley still said nothing.
“You need to come down and see him.” Mamm ’s voice was firm. “You owe him that much. He’s been paying your medical bills, after all.”
“He’s the one who hit the deer.” The words exploded out of Shirley’s mouth.
“That wasn’t Jonas’s fault,” Mamm chided. “You know that.”
Shirley tried to calm herself. “I’m not seeing him. Not like this.” Her hand crept to her face.
“Shirley, you can’t stay in your room and hide from him forever.” Mamm reached out for her hand. “Come. He’s waiting for you.”
When Shirley resisted, Mamm sighed and said, “All right, then. I’m bringing Jonas up here.” Mamm turned to go.
Shirley rushed to her side. “Please don’t, Mamm . Let me deal with this my way. I’ll go out. I won’t hide. In fact, I’ll go out tonight. I’ll meet Amish friends and…” Shirley’s voice trailed off.
“You plan to go out with Lee and Mark?” Mamm ’s hand was on the knob.
“If they won’t take me, I’ll go myself.” Shirley put on her best stubborn look.
Mamm hesitated. “I guess Amish friends would be better than Jonas, but still…” Mamm thought for a moment. “Jonas won’t go away, so you will have to deal with him. Come talk to the man, and then you can go out with Lee and Mark.”
Shirley took a deep breath. Mamm had agreed to her going out tonight. She could hardly believe it. Her parents didn’t usually do that. But she would have to speak with Jonas if she wanted to stay on Mamm ’s gut side. And perhaps this was for the best. The ties with Jonas would have to be formally severed once and for all.
As they went downstairs together and approached the front door, a sudden dread filled Shirley. Jonas, the man she had loved. The man who had kissed her and traced her pretty face with his gentle fingers. She would die when he saw and recoiled from what was left of her beauty. Her feet reluctantly moved ahead.
Mamm seemed to understand and held the door open. “I’ll wait for you in here.”
Shirley turned her face away as she went out the door.
Jonas heard the door open and came toward her.
“Shirley, I’m so glad you’ll speak to me. I’m so sorry about all this.”
He was beside her now, his voice in her ear.
She could manage no response other than to cry softly.
His hand touched her arm. “Shirley, look at me. You’re still beautiful.”
Shirley lifted her face toward him and choked up. No words would come out.
“I’m so sorry,” he repeated.
Shirley took a deep breath. “Well, now you see my face. I’m a monster now.”
His gaze traced her face and followed each scar. “No, Shirley. You’re not that. But the insurance company will continue to see that you get the best doctors. They’ll take care of you. You’ll see.”
Shirley laughed bitterly. “Like that will do much gut . I am what I am.”
His hand found hers. “There’s nothing I can say to make this easier or better for you, is there?”
She shook her head. “I
Shirley pulled back as Jonas’s gaze crept along the upper level of the house and past her window. If he noticed her presence, he gave no sign of it. He looked down again, and Shirley stepped away from the window. She might as well tell Mamm about her plans for tonight. Wasn’t the general rumspringa crowd better than Jonas Beachy—at least from her parents’ point of view? At least they were still Amish.
A quick knock came on the bedroom door.
Shirley said nothing.
A moment later the knob turned, and Mamm appeared. Her glance took in the window and the open drapes. “I see you noticed Jonas arrived.”
Shirley still said nothing.
“You need to come down and see him.” Mamm ’s voice was firm. “You owe him that much. He’s been paying your medical bills, after all.”
“He’s the one who hit the deer.” The words exploded out of Shirley’s mouth.
“That wasn’t Jonas’s fault,” Mamm chided. “You know that.”
Shirley tried to calm herself. “I’m not seeing him. Not like this.” Her hand crept to her face.
“Shirley, you can’t stay in your room and hide from him forever.” Mamm reached out for her hand. “Come. He’s waiting for you.”
When Shirley resisted, Mamm sighed and said, “All right, then. I’m bringing Jonas up here.” Mamm turned to go.
Shirley rushed to her side. “Please don’t, Mamm . Let me deal with this my way. I’ll go out. I won’t hide. In fact, I’ll go out tonight. I’ll meet Amish friends and…” Shirley’s voice trailed off.
“You plan to go out with Lee and Mark?” Mamm ’s hand was on the knob.
“If they won’t take me, I’ll go myself.” Shirley put on her best stubborn look.
Mamm hesitated. “I guess Amish friends would be better than Jonas, but still…” Mamm thought for a moment. “Jonas won’t go away, so you will have to deal with him. Come talk to the man, and then you can go out with Lee and Mark.”
Shirley took a deep breath. Mamm had agreed to her going out tonight. She could hardly believe it. Her parents didn’t usually do that. But she would have to speak with Jonas if she wanted to stay on Mamm ’s gut side. And perhaps this was for the best. The ties with Jonas would have to be formally severed once and for all.
As they went downstairs together and approached the front door, a sudden dread filled Shirley. Jonas, the man she had loved. The man who had kissed her and traced her pretty face with his gentle fingers. She would die when he saw and recoiled from what was left of her beauty. Her feet reluctantly moved ahead.
Mamm seemed to understand and held the door open. “I’ll wait for you in here.”
Shirley turned her face away as she went out the door.
Jonas heard the door open and came toward her.
“Shirley, I’m so glad you’ll speak to me. I’m so sorry about all this.”
He was beside her now, his voice in her ear.
She could manage no response other than to cry softly.
His hand touched her arm. “Shirley, look at me. You’re still beautiful.”
Shirley lifted her face toward him and choked up. No words would come out.
“I’m so sorry,” he repeated.
Shirley took a deep breath. “Well, now you see my face. I’m a monster now.”
His gaze traced her face and followed each scar. “No, Shirley. You’re not that. But the insurance company will continue to see that you get the best doctors. They’ll take care of you. You’ll see.”
Shirley laughed bitterly. “Like that will do much gut . I am what I am.”
His hand found hers. “There’s nothing I can say to make this easier or better for you, is there?”
She shook her head. “I
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