Tomorrow he would need to go back to work for her, and with this on his conscience, it would just be toohard.
No, Mother would have to find some other way around this problem. I will not open the envelope or take it to Mother.
Pulling on the reins, he turned left, then right on 100. Ten minutes later he was at a stop sign with the buildings of Milroy within his sight. Waiting for two cars to pass, he slapped the reins and pulled out onto the state road, hugging the right shoulder—driving half on and half off of it to make more room for passing vehicles.
The state road was always dangerous, and in snow like this, it was extra precarious. He considered turning on his flashers, but that would use up battery power. Instead, he would just keep his eyes open, and when headlights lit up his rear mirror, he would turn the flashers on for a short time.
But no headlights appeared until he was in the center of town, and by then the cars had to slow down anyway, so he left his flashers off. When Luke reached the post office, another buggy was already tied to the hitching post, so he pulled up beside it.
After climbing out, he tethered his horse, picked up the envelope from the passenger seat, and headed up the walk. With so many Amish in the area, he gave no thought of who might be inside until he swung open the post office door and saw her.
Susie was standing beside the counter with her mother, while a package was being weighed by the clerk. Turning, she saw him and quickly lowered her eyes. He thought for sure she would keep them there, but she must have caught something in his face because she looked up again.
He smiled at her. A smile he meant to convey meaning. This was his day. The Lord Himself must be smiling from the heavens for so many things to be going in his direction.
Susie blushed, the first time he had ever seen her do that. It made him feel like a man—like an important person. It was a feeling he liked very much. Stepping up to get in line, he held the envelope in front of him, still looking at her blushing face now turned away from him.
Her mother, a stout short woman whose brown hair showed no signsof gray yet, turned around, apparently sensing his presence. “Hello, Luke,” she said with a smile. “We weren’t expecting to see you.”
“No,” he allowed, “I wasn’t planning on coming into town, but Emma wanted this envelope dropped off. She was afraid the mailman wouldn’t be making his rounds, what with the snow and all.”
“Must be important,” Nancy said, “to have to be mailed today.”
“I suppose so,” he told her, keeping the address covered with his arm. It was none of Nancy’s business whom Emma was writing to, and he would keep it that way.
He felt a great boldness come over him, and he wondered if all people with money felt like this. He looked in Susie’s direction, meeting her eyes, now turned toward him fully.
“Can I speak with Susie? Outside maybe?” he asked Nancy.
Nancy raised her eyebrows. “I suppose. The clerk isn’t done checking this in. Go on,” she replied and motioned to Susie.
As if frozen to the spot, Susie made efforts to become unthawed, her body moving slowly. Luke noticed it, his heart skipping a beat. He had never known that a girl could be so attractive. “We’ll be just a moment,” he said to her mother.
She nodded as if she understood.
Luke led the way, and Susie, finally thawed, followed. After they had walked a few feet outside, he stopped. Glancing ahead, he saw that no one was coming up the sidewalk, which was just perfect. It was as perfect as this day had started out to be, like the Lord God Himself was truly in it.
Susie was looking at him, questions in her eyes. He cleared his throat, a little nervous after all. “Can I take you home from the singing this Sunday?” he asked.
He felt like lowering his gaze as her cheeks distinctly gained color right in front of him. Her lips moved and her hand came up to her mouth. “Me?”
No, Mother would have to find some other way around this problem. I will not open the envelope or take it to Mother.
Pulling on the reins, he turned left, then right on 100. Ten minutes later he was at a stop sign with the buildings of Milroy within his sight. Waiting for two cars to pass, he slapped the reins and pulled out onto the state road, hugging the right shoulder—driving half on and half off of it to make more room for passing vehicles.
The state road was always dangerous, and in snow like this, it was extra precarious. He considered turning on his flashers, but that would use up battery power. Instead, he would just keep his eyes open, and when headlights lit up his rear mirror, he would turn the flashers on for a short time.
But no headlights appeared until he was in the center of town, and by then the cars had to slow down anyway, so he left his flashers off. When Luke reached the post office, another buggy was already tied to the hitching post, so he pulled up beside it.
After climbing out, he tethered his horse, picked up the envelope from the passenger seat, and headed up the walk. With so many Amish in the area, he gave no thought of who might be inside until he swung open the post office door and saw her.
Susie was standing beside the counter with her mother, while a package was being weighed by the clerk. Turning, she saw him and quickly lowered her eyes. He thought for sure she would keep them there, but she must have caught something in his face because she looked up again.
He smiled at her. A smile he meant to convey meaning. This was his day. The Lord Himself must be smiling from the heavens for so many things to be going in his direction.
Susie blushed, the first time he had ever seen her do that. It made him feel like a man—like an important person. It was a feeling he liked very much. Stepping up to get in line, he held the envelope in front of him, still looking at her blushing face now turned away from him.
Her mother, a stout short woman whose brown hair showed no signsof gray yet, turned around, apparently sensing his presence. “Hello, Luke,” she said with a smile. “We weren’t expecting to see you.”
“No,” he allowed, “I wasn’t planning on coming into town, but Emma wanted this envelope dropped off. She was afraid the mailman wouldn’t be making his rounds, what with the snow and all.”
“Must be important,” Nancy said, “to have to be mailed today.”
“I suppose so,” he told her, keeping the address covered with his arm. It was none of Nancy’s business whom Emma was writing to, and he would keep it that way.
He felt a great boldness come over him, and he wondered if all people with money felt like this. He looked in Susie’s direction, meeting her eyes, now turned toward him fully.
“Can I speak with Susie? Outside maybe?” he asked Nancy.
Nancy raised her eyebrows. “I suppose. The clerk isn’t done checking this in. Go on,” she replied and motioned to Susie.
As if frozen to the spot, Susie made efforts to become unthawed, her body moving slowly. Luke noticed it, his heart skipping a beat. He had never known that a girl could be so attractive. “We’ll be just a moment,” he said to her mother.
She nodded as if she understood.
Luke led the way, and Susie, finally thawed, followed. After they had walked a few feet outside, he stopped. Glancing ahead, he saw that no one was coming up the sidewalk, which was just perfect. It was as perfect as this day had started out to be, like the Lord God Himself was truly in it.
Susie was looking at him, questions in her eyes. He cleared his throat, a little nervous after all. “Can I take you home from the singing this Sunday?” he asked.
He felt like lowering his gaze as her cheeks distinctly gained color right in front of him. Her lips moved and her hand came up to her mouth. “Me?”
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