toes.
Even though their team lost two games in a row, they were just beginning to hit their stride. That is, until a particularly high ball proved difficult to judge. Emma continued to back up, positioning herself for the shot until a voice exclaimed over her shoulder.
“Right behind you, Emma. I’ve got it!”
The familiar male voice, soft and husky, startled her worse than any snake in a boot. She quickly pivoted around to meet almost nose-to-nose with her fellow sheep farmer.
James was smiling like a cat in the cream.
The volleyball landed next to them, just missing her head.
“Better call your shots, you two,” someone shouted, “before someone gets knocked unconscious.” Everyone at the game laughed.
Everyone but Emma. “Whew, I need a break,” she called to Sarah. “The sun is flaming hot.” They walked off the playing field together.
But what truly is flaming is my face. James made her nervous. She knew what that meant. And she knew only too well that letting members of her district know that was surely a bad idea.
“Wait up,” James called, hurrying after them. “Let’s get something to drink. I’m parched and can also use something to eat.”
“All right. I’m a little hungry too,” Sam called.
They all drank lemonade and ate a hot dog each. But during the meal James was entirely too silly and flirtatious. Emma wasn’t accustomed to flattery and felt uncomfortable with the attention they seemed to be attracting.
As soon as she could, she found Matthew, pleaded a headache, and insisted they leave the party.
James walked her to their pony cart and helped Matthew hitch up the elderly horse. With only the briefest of goodbyes, Emma lightly slapped the reins on poor Belle’s rump, something she wouldn’t normally do. She was grumpy and confused and hadn’t been able to locate her new tennis shoes when it was time to go. The last pair left by the net was dirty and worn-out, but she had no choice but to put them on. She couldn’t leave barefooted.
And for some reason, she couldn’t stop thinking about the cause of her irritation all the way home.
June
E mma had thought things would get easier once she reached Rumschpringe, but she felt more confused than ever. She wasn’t used to making a spectacle of herself in public. When the volleyball hit the grass between them, she and James had locked eyes like two hawks vying for the same rabbit. Everyone had noticed…and laughed.
You’re facing the wrong direction, Emma.
Don’t use your head; this isn’t soccer.
Did you two come to play or to make goo-goo eyes?
Goo-goo eyes, indeed. She’d never before felt so humiliated. Yet all morning long she couldn’t keep from thinking about the man who had caused her mortification. First, she’d scorched the oatmeal at breakfast. Then, she’d forgotten to close the gate behind her, so several ewes retreated to the barn instead of marching to the pasture where their food and water were. Finally, she’d cut spinach and not lettuce in the garden and pulled onions instead of carrots to earn a scolding from mamm . Her mother kept looking sideways at her during lunch, expecting her to do something else senseless, but she managed to serve tomato soup with toasted cheese sandwiches to her father and brothers without mishap.
She didn’t like the effect James had on her mental state, but that was only one thing she didn’t like about him. When she’d headed to the lunch tent with Sarah and Martha, he and Sam Yoder had tagged right behind them. Both had asked her friends endless questions about the food choices as though hamburgers, hotdogs, baked beans, and coleslaw were unusual decisions.
Several Amish young men had noticed how much attention the Englischer was paying her. Emma didn’t need gossip starting behind her back. The final straw came when he followed her to the pony cart, and then acted as though he’d run into a long lost friend with Matthew.
Even though their team lost two games in a row, they were just beginning to hit their stride. That is, until a particularly high ball proved difficult to judge. Emma continued to back up, positioning herself for the shot until a voice exclaimed over her shoulder.
“Right behind you, Emma. I’ve got it!”
The familiar male voice, soft and husky, startled her worse than any snake in a boot. She quickly pivoted around to meet almost nose-to-nose with her fellow sheep farmer.
James was smiling like a cat in the cream.
The volleyball landed next to them, just missing her head.
“Better call your shots, you two,” someone shouted, “before someone gets knocked unconscious.” Everyone at the game laughed.
Everyone but Emma. “Whew, I need a break,” she called to Sarah. “The sun is flaming hot.” They walked off the playing field together.
But what truly is flaming is my face. James made her nervous. She knew what that meant. And she knew only too well that letting members of her district know that was surely a bad idea.
“Wait up,” James called, hurrying after them. “Let’s get something to drink. I’m parched and can also use something to eat.”
“All right. I’m a little hungry too,” Sam called.
They all drank lemonade and ate a hot dog each. But during the meal James was entirely too silly and flirtatious. Emma wasn’t accustomed to flattery and felt uncomfortable with the attention they seemed to be attracting.
As soon as she could, she found Matthew, pleaded a headache, and insisted they leave the party.
James walked her to their pony cart and helped Matthew hitch up the elderly horse. With only the briefest of goodbyes, Emma lightly slapped the reins on poor Belle’s rump, something she wouldn’t normally do. She was grumpy and confused and hadn’t been able to locate her new tennis shoes when it was time to go. The last pair left by the net was dirty and worn-out, but she had no choice but to put them on. She couldn’t leave barefooted.
And for some reason, she couldn’t stop thinking about the cause of her irritation all the way home.
June
E mma had thought things would get easier once she reached Rumschpringe, but she felt more confused than ever. She wasn’t used to making a spectacle of herself in public. When the volleyball hit the grass between them, she and James had locked eyes like two hawks vying for the same rabbit. Everyone had noticed…and laughed.
You’re facing the wrong direction, Emma.
Don’t use your head; this isn’t soccer.
Did you two come to play or to make goo-goo eyes?
Goo-goo eyes, indeed. She’d never before felt so humiliated. Yet all morning long she couldn’t keep from thinking about the man who had caused her mortification. First, she’d scorched the oatmeal at breakfast. Then, she’d forgotten to close the gate behind her, so several ewes retreated to the barn instead of marching to the pasture where their food and water were. Finally, she’d cut spinach and not lettuce in the garden and pulled onions instead of carrots to earn a scolding from mamm . Her mother kept looking sideways at her during lunch, expecting her to do something else senseless, but she managed to serve tomato soup with toasted cheese sandwiches to her father and brothers without mishap.
She didn’t like the effect James had on her mental state, but that was only one thing she didn’t like about him. When she’d headed to the lunch tent with Sarah and Martha, he and Sam Yoder had tagged right behind them. Both had asked her friends endless questions about the food choices as though hamburgers, hotdogs, baked beans, and coleslaw were unusual decisions.
Several Amish young men had noticed how much attention the Englischer was paying her. Emma didn’t need gossip starting behind her back. The final straw came when he followed her to the pony cart, and then acted as though he’d run into a long lost friend with Matthew.
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