there, Gretchen. God is with us, and God is with Stefan. To pray would be a gut thing.”
I hunched forward and pressed on. “There isn’t time to pray. We must keep moving.”
“There is always time for prayer.” He touched the tip of his finger to his straw hat. “Pray in your head while we walk.”
I did as he said, my thoughts running through my mind like a herd of galloping horses. No matter how hard I tried, I was unable to tame my thoughts any more than I could have tamed a wild horse. Please let Stefan be there, Lord. Please let him be unharmed. Please don’t let me lose my temper when I see him. Please make the Gypsies cooperate. One after another, the pleas tumbled through my mind. I could only hope God was listening and could decipher my jumbled prayer.
“Over here,” Conrad said. He took hold of my hand and circled to the right.
“Are we sneaking up on them?” I’d intended to whisper, but my question was more of a croak.
“No. I’m sure they already know we are—”
Before he had finished his sentence, the sound of horses’ hooves pounded on the ground behind us. We twisted around to see Loyco charging toward us on the giant white stallion with Stefan bouncing behind him. I clasped my hand across my mouth to keep from screaming. Shirt unbuttoned and flapping in the breeze, he circled the horse around us. Reaching behind, he grabbed Stefan around the waist and lowered him to the ground.
“You have come looking for my young friend, I see.” Loyco’s broad smile revealed a row of even white teeth made brighter by his dark complexion. “He is safe and sound. Even better, he is learning how to become an excellent horseman.”
“He is supposed to be in school learning to read and write.” I yanked Stefan by the arm and pulled him to my side. “You promised, Stefan. Brother Ulbricht came to the store this morning worried about your illness.”
Loyco tipped back his head and laughed. “The boy has horse sickness. He longs to ride and be free, Gretchen. That is not such a bad thing. You should try it sometime. I would be pleased to let you ride with me, and then you will know why Stefan comes to the camp each day.”
“He will not be coming here anymore, and if he does, you are to send him home. Do not let him ride that horse again.” I stomped my foot in the grass. “Do you understand?”
Loyco swung down from the horse and moved toward me, but Conrad stepped between us. The Gypsy looked from Conrad to me, then gestured back and forth with his index finger. “The two of you, you are husband and wife?”
I squeezed Stefan’s shoulder to make certain he didn’t move toward Loyco. “Of course not! I am not married.”
He eyed Conrad. “And you?”
“I am not married, but I don’t know why that matters.”
The Gypsy shrugged. “It matters to me.” He took a step closer. “Maybe you would like the adventurous life of a Gypsy, riding around the country enjoying your freedom. What do you think, Gretchen?”
I gasped and stared at him, dumbfounded by his disrespectful conduct, but Conrad took a giant step and met Loyco eye to eye. “Do not ever again speak to Gretchen in this way.” Conrad’s jaw twitched, but he didn’t look away or flinch when Loyco raised his hand.
A scream locked in my throat, but Loyco’s hand came down on Conrad’s head with a light touch and roughed Conrad’s hair. “You are in love with Gretchen, yes?”
Conrad bobbed away from Loyco. “That is not a question for you to ask.”
Loyco rocked back on his heels with a hearty laugh. Lines creased his face, and he slapped Conrad’s shoulder while he hooted. “You are a brave man to defend your woman. I think you are a man worthy of Gretchen, but Gypsy men do not give up so easy. The best man will win her heart in the end.” He winked at me, and my face warmed at his ongoing show of improper conduct.
“We have come here to find my brother, not for this silly talk.” I grasped Stefan’s arm
I hunched forward and pressed on. “There isn’t time to pray. We must keep moving.”
“There is always time for prayer.” He touched the tip of his finger to his straw hat. “Pray in your head while we walk.”
I did as he said, my thoughts running through my mind like a herd of galloping horses. No matter how hard I tried, I was unable to tame my thoughts any more than I could have tamed a wild horse. Please let Stefan be there, Lord. Please let him be unharmed. Please don’t let me lose my temper when I see him. Please make the Gypsies cooperate. One after another, the pleas tumbled through my mind. I could only hope God was listening and could decipher my jumbled prayer.
“Over here,” Conrad said. He took hold of my hand and circled to the right.
“Are we sneaking up on them?” I’d intended to whisper, but my question was more of a croak.
“No. I’m sure they already know we are—”
Before he had finished his sentence, the sound of horses’ hooves pounded on the ground behind us. We twisted around to see Loyco charging toward us on the giant white stallion with Stefan bouncing behind him. I clasped my hand across my mouth to keep from screaming. Shirt unbuttoned and flapping in the breeze, he circled the horse around us. Reaching behind, he grabbed Stefan around the waist and lowered him to the ground.
“You have come looking for my young friend, I see.” Loyco’s broad smile revealed a row of even white teeth made brighter by his dark complexion. “He is safe and sound. Even better, he is learning how to become an excellent horseman.”
“He is supposed to be in school learning to read and write.” I yanked Stefan by the arm and pulled him to my side. “You promised, Stefan. Brother Ulbricht came to the store this morning worried about your illness.”
Loyco tipped back his head and laughed. “The boy has horse sickness. He longs to ride and be free, Gretchen. That is not such a bad thing. You should try it sometime. I would be pleased to let you ride with me, and then you will know why Stefan comes to the camp each day.”
“He will not be coming here anymore, and if he does, you are to send him home. Do not let him ride that horse again.” I stomped my foot in the grass. “Do you understand?”
Loyco swung down from the horse and moved toward me, but Conrad stepped between us. The Gypsy looked from Conrad to me, then gestured back and forth with his index finger. “The two of you, you are husband and wife?”
I squeezed Stefan’s shoulder to make certain he didn’t move toward Loyco. “Of course not! I am not married.”
He eyed Conrad. “And you?”
“I am not married, but I don’t know why that matters.”
The Gypsy shrugged. “It matters to me.” He took a step closer. “Maybe you would like the adventurous life of a Gypsy, riding around the country enjoying your freedom. What do you think, Gretchen?”
I gasped and stared at him, dumbfounded by his disrespectful conduct, but Conrad took a giant step and met Loyco eye to eye. “Do not ever again speak to Gretchen in this way.” Conrad’s jaw twitched, but he didn’t look away or flinch when Loyco raised his hand.
A scream locked in my throat, but Loyco’s hand came down on Conrad’s head with a light touch and roughed Conrad’s hair. “You are in love with Gretchen, yes?”
Conrad bobbed away from Loyco. “That is not a question for you to ask.”
Loyco rocked back on his heels with a hearty laugh. Lines creased his face, and he slapped Conrad’s shoulder while he hooted. “You are a brave man to defend your woman. I think you are a man worthy of Gretchen, but Gypsy men do not give up so easy. The best man will win her heart in the end.” He winked at me, and my face warmed at his ongoing show of improper conduct.
“We have come here to find my brother, not for this silly talk.” I grasped Stefan’s arm
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