you?”
Mrs. Troyer looked flustered but finally relented and nodded to Abe. “That would be nice….” She tentatively glanced at Mary. “That is, if you don’t mind. I’m having a very difficult time.”
“No problem at all,” he said. “Mary, you don’t mind, do you?”
“Of course not.”
Abe untied the wagon from the back of the three-wheeler. “We’ll follow you.” As they fell in behind the woman, with Abe pulling the wagon behind him, he winked at Mary. “As soon as we deliver the load, we’ll go get our ice cream.”
Mary’s opinion of Abe soared even higher. The man was kind to everyone, smart, educated, handsome, and tenacious. To top it off, each time she was with him, the fluttery feelings in her tummy increased.
They arrived at the woman’s house, where she hopped off her three-wheeler and pointed to a patch by the door. “Just leave the wagon there. What do I owe you?”
Abe’s forehead wrinkled. “Nothing. It was our pleasure.”
She grinned. “You are a very sweet man. Thank you.” Then she glanced at Mary. “I hope you realize what a fortunate young woman you are to be with a man like Abe.”
“I’m the fortunate one for Mary to be with me,” Abe said. “If you don’t need us anymore, we’ll be on our way.”
Mary and Abe walked in silence until they came to the end of the block when Mary turned to him. “You didn’t have to say anything.”
“I know I didn’t, but I felt it was the right thing to do.”
“I’m used to it, though. In fact, I’ve come to expect people to think the worst of me.”
“That’s not right, Mary. Maybe she doesn’t think badly of you. Some people simply don’t say much.”
“Or they want to shun me for what my mother did.”
“Mrs. Troyer wasn’t shunning you, if that’s what you’re implying. She is just one of those quiet, shy women. I saw her look at you, and there didn’t seem to be any animosity in her eyes.”
“So what are you saying, Abe?”
He squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds as though he might be sending up a brief prayer. Then he looked directly at her. “Perhaps you’re the one holding on to the grudge. It’s not like your mother was the first to leave the church.”
Mary shook her head. “I don’t feel like people respect me around here, no matter what I do.”
“I think you’re a wonderful woman, and I’m sure others do, too.” Abe stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and turned her around to face him. “You should never be treated with anything but the utmost respect.”
“Thank you.” Mary gulped as she looked up into Abe’s eyes, which flickered from the reflection of the afternoon sun. He lowered his head toward her and looked like he was about to kiss her, making her heart hammer so hard she feared Abe would hear it.
But he didn’t kiss her. Instead, he took her hand and turned her back around. “I’m hungry for some ice cream. Let’s go.”
At the moment, Mary didn’t care if she never saw ice cream again. She’d much rather have a kiss. Disappointment rolled through her.
When they arrived at the tiny ice-cream shop, Abe asked her what she wanted. “I’ll just have whatever you’re having.” She folded her arms and tried to hide her feelings.
He squinted as though confused by her answer, then turned to the woman behind the counter. “We’ll have two double vanilla cones please.” After she scooped the ice cream and Abe paid, he handed Mary one cone and licked the other. “Mmm. This is good.”
Mary turned her cone around and studied it before tasting it. A tiny drop of ice cream splashed onto her hand, and she licked it off. “Yeah, it is good. Perfect, in fact.”
“What just happened back there, Mary?” he asked as they ambled down the street. “You suddenly acted strange.”
She paused mid-lick. “Strange? How so?”
“After that conversation when we left Mrs. Troyer, you gave me an odd look. Did I do something wrong?”
“No, Abe,” Mary said
Mrs. Troyer looked flustered but finally relented and nodded to Abe. “That would be nice….” She tentatively glanced at Mary. “That is, if you don’t mind. I’m having a very difficult time.”
“No problem at all,” he said. “Mary, you don’t mind, do you?”
“Of course not.”
Abe untied the wagon from the back of the three-wheeler. “We’ll follow you.” As they fell in behind the woman, with Abe pulling the wagon behind him, he winked at Mary. “As soon as we deliver the load, we’ll go get our ice cream.”
Mary’s opinion of Abe soared even higher. The man was kind to everyone, smart, educated, handsome, and tenacious. To top it off, each time she was with him, the fluttery feelings in her tummy increased.
They arrived at the woman’s house, where she hopped off her three-wheeler and pointed to a patch by the door. “Just leave the wagon there. What do I owe you?”
Abe’s forehead wrinkled. “Nothing. It was our pleasure.”
She grinned. “You are a very sweet man. Thank you.” Then she glanced at Mary. “I hope you realize what a fortunate young woman you are to be with a man like Abe.”
“I’m the fortunate one for Mary to be with me,” Abe said. “If you don’t need us anymore, we’ll be on our way.”
Mary and Abe walked in silence until they came to the end of the block when Mary turned to him. “You didn’t have to say anything.”
“I know I didn’t, but I felt it was the right thing to do.”
“I’m used to it, though. In fact, I’ve come to expect people to think the worst of me.”
“That’s not right, Mary. Maybe she doesn’t think badly of you. Some people simply don’t say much.”
“Or they want to shun me for what my mother did.”
“Mrs. Troyer wasn’t shunning you, if that’s what you’re implying. She is just one of those quiet, shy women. I saw her look at you, and there didn’t seem to be any animosity in her eyes.”
“So what are you saying, Abe?”
He squeezed his eyes shut for a few seconds as though he might be sending up a brief prayer. Then he looked directly at her. “Perhaps you’re the one holding on to the grudge. It’s not like your mother was the first to leave the church.”
Mary shook her head. “I don’t feel like people respect me around here, no matter what I do.”
“I think you’re a wonderful woman, and I’m sure others do, too.” Abe stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and turned her around to face him. “You should never be treated with anything but the utmost respect.”
“Thank you.” Mary gulped as she looked up into Abe’s eyes, which flickered from the reflection of the afternoon sun. He lowered his head toward her and looked like he was about to kiss her, making her heart hammer so hard she feared Abe would hear it.
But he didn’t kiss her. Instead, he took her hand and turned her back around. “I’m hungry for some ice cream. Let’s go.”
At the moment, Mary didn’t care if she never saw ice cream again. She’d much rather have a kiss. Disappointment rolled through her.
When they arrived at the tiny ice-cream shop, Abe asked her what she wanted. “I’ll just have whatever you’re having.” She folded her arms and tried to hide her feelings.
He squinted as though confused by her answer, then turned to the woman behind the counter. “We’ll have two double vanilla cones please.” After she scooped the ice cream and Abe paid, he handed Mary one cone and licked the other. “Mmm. This is good.”
Mary turned her cone around and studied it before tasting it. A tiny drop of ice cream splashed onto her hand, and she licked it off. “Yeah, it is good. Perfect, in fact.”
“What just happened back there, Mary?” he asked as they ambled down the street. “You suddenly acted strange.”
She paused mid-lick. “Strange? How so?”
“After that conversation when we left Mrs. Troyer, you gave me an odd look. Did I do something wrong?”
“No, Abe,” Mary said
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