Katie's Way by Marta Perry

about Mamm. “We’re always trying to get her out of the house and visiting with people, but she still says no more often than ja.”
    Katie frowned, apparently in concentration, as she cut the piece. She folded it, hands smoothing the fabric as she did. “I wonder . . .”
    He lifted his eyebrows. “What?”
    As if making a decision, she pulled a sheet of paper from under the counter and showed it to him. He frowned, reading the piece. It was a flyer advertising a quilting group.
    â€œI’m starting a group to meet here at the shop once a week to quilt together,” Katie said. “Everyone from beginners to experienced quilters is most wilkom. I wonder if maybe your mamm would like that. We would love to have such an accomplished quilter join us. Do you think she might?”
    He doubted it, but he hated to say so to Katie, who was being kinder than he probably deserved. “I’ll show it to her. Denke, Katie. That is ser gut of you.”
    She smiled, putting the paper in a bag with the material. “Your mamm would be doing me a favor if she came.”
    â€œI will tell her that.” He hesitated. He could, maybe should, walk away now, his errand complete. But there was something else that needed to be said. “Katie, about your sister . . .”
    Her blue eyes turned to ice. “My sister is not your concern.”
    â€œI know. You were right to be upset with me at the singing. I shouldn’t have spoken about it. And I have to admit everything went fine.”
    She didn’t thaw, at least not that he could see. “You have to admit? That sounds as if you think you have a right to judge how my sister behaves during her rumspringa. Of all people, you—”
    Katie stopped midsentence, her cheeks turning scarlet.
    So, she knew. Someone had told her about him. He tried to ignore the faint, bitter taste of it.
    â€œConsidering what I got up to in my rumspringa, ja?” His jaw felt as if it would break if he said anything more, but he forced words out. “Someone has been telling you about me.”
    She looked as if she would speak, but he shook his head.
    â€œIt’s all right. Everyone in Pleasant Valley knows about me.” He couldn’t help it—the bitterness seeped into his voice. “I am not a gut pattern for any young person to follow, ain’t so?”
    It was useless. He couldn’t talk about this. He turned away. Katie grabbed his wrist. He was so startled at the feel of her slim, strong fingers against his skin that he couldn’t move.
    â€œI am sorry for your pain.” Warmth colored her words, seeming to ease through him.
    He turned slowly to look at her, seeing the sympathy in her face. And not just sympathy. Something more. Something that seemed to say she understood how much love can hurt.
    â€œDenke, Katie.” His throat closed. But he didn’t have anything else to say anyway.
    â€œThe past should be forgiven,” she said earnestly, gazing into his eyes as if she had to be sure she impressed him. “It should be forgiven and forgotten, Caleb. Can’t you do that for yourself?”
    He shook his head, the black anger he sometimes felt threatening to overwhelm him. “It’s not so easy as that. Do you think you could forgive and forget when you’ve been hurt badly by someone you love?”
    Her face changed, the bright color fading, as if she’d come up against something that frightened her. “I . . . I don’t know.” She stumbled on the words, then put her hand to her lips, looking stricken. “I don’t know.”
    What had he done? He wanted to erase that expression from her face, but he didn’t know how. If he could find the words . . .
    But she moved away, shutting him out. She fumbled with something on the counter, her rigid back saying she was fighting for control. And that anything he had to say would be unwelcome.

CHAPTER SIX
    K atie picked