and laughter made him wonder what secret was so strong it could keep Beth from embracing life again. “I’d like to get out of this without embarrassing or hurting her.”
A clamor of excited voices caught his attention. A group of five or six girls headed toward them. One glimpse at the girl at the back of the group, and Jonah stopped breathing.
The woman from Pete’s store. The one who’d nearly run into him. The one he hadn’t been able to forget.
As everything he knew fell into place, emotions tugged at him— shock, frustration, amazement, embarrassment, and even honor that she valued his work so highly.
Her deep blue eyes were the most amazing he’d ever seen, not because of their beauty, but because of the unknown riches he believed lay behind them.
“Look who I dragged out of her office,” one of the girls yelled as she tugged on the arm of the girl, of Beth.
The games and conversations paused, and people broke into a disorganized murmur of welcomes, claps, and cheers.
“Denki.” Beth lifted her chin and made three circular motions with her hands as she bowed. An uproar of cheers rose into the air. “Denki. Ya, if someone drags me, I’ll show up.” She gave one slow nod. “Now, please shut up and go back to talking and playing.”
Her friends laughed, but most did as they were told. The girls surrounding her slowly dispersed, and the sight of black fabric engulfed him.
She stopped at one of the grills on the far side of the yard and spoke to a man. Then she spotted Lizzy and headed toward her.
What would he say to her? How would he and Lizzy tell her?
Beth stopped before them, lifting a hand to shade her eyes from the sun. “Lizzy, Daed said to tell you the meat is almost done.”
What Jonah saw in Lizzy’s eyes during those few moments explained a lot about her. She loved Beth dearly, enough to take a chance at angering both Beth and him. Lizzy stood. “Honey, I’m surprised you came today.”
Beth shrugged. “Susie and Fannie said Daed asked me to come, and then they proceeded to drag me.”
Lizzy put her arm around Beth’s shoulders. “There’s someone here you should meet.”
Beth looked right at him, and he saw a hint of recognition flash through her eyes, as if she might be trying to place him. “Hello.” The friendliness he’d seen in her when addressing the group was gone; instead she sounded like the businesswoman Pete had told him about.
“Beth.” Lizzy’s voice shook. “I’d like you to meet—”
Noise exploded among the volleyball players. Beth’s brows furrowed, but she held out her hand. Her palm was soft against his rough calluses. He’d thought about this woman every day since seeing her at Pete’s. If he’d stood any chance of making friends with her, Lizzy had ruined it.
“Hi, Beth.”
Judging by the look in her eyes when she shook his hand, she hadn’t heard his name, leaving him torn about repeating it or letting the matter drop for now. It seemed a very inappropriate time to share such awkward and upsetting news. Lizzy didn’t seem to know what to do either.
The volume around them rose again.
“Lizzy, I’m going back to the store now,” Beth said. “Okay?”
“Already?”
“I did as Daed asked.” A captivating half smile graced her lips, and she raised one eyebrow. “Besides…” She slid the letter he’d written from the bib of her apron. After talking to Lizzy on the phone, he’d had to write Beth again. If he hadn’t, she might think her openness had caused him to stop writing.
Lizzy looked at Jonah. His insides churned like the stew children made when playing—a concoction of muddy water swirling with dirt and debris, only good for pretending. He didn’t want to play make-believe. Never had but especially not now.
With Lizzy watching him, Beth’s attention moved to him too. But rather than showing interest in who he was and why he seemed familiar, her features grew cooler.
She kissed her aunt’s cheek. “I’ll see
A clamor of excited voices caught his attention. A group of five or six girls headed toward them. One glimpse at the girl at the back of the group, and Jonah stopped breathing.
The woman from Pete’s store. The one who’d nearly run into him. The one he hadn’t been able to forget.
As everything he knew fell into place, emotions tugged at him— shock, frustration, amazement, embarrassment, and even honor that she valued his work so highly.
Her deep blue eyes were the most amazing he’d ever seen, not because of their beauty, but because of the unknown riches he believed lay behind them.
“Look who I dragged out of her office,” one of the girls yelled as she tugged on the arm of the girl, of Beth.
The games and conversations paused, and people broke into a disorganized murmur of welcomes, claps, and cheers.
“Denki.” Beth lifted her chin and made three circular motions with her hands as she bowed. An uproar of cheers rose into the air. “Denki. Ya, if someone drags me, I’ll show up.” She gave one slow nod. “Now, please shut up and go back to talking and playing.”
Her friends laughed, but most did as they were told. The girls surrounding her slowly dispersed, and the sight of black fabric engulfed him.
She stopped at one of the grills on the far side of the yard and spoke to a man. Then she spotted Lizzy and headed toward her.
What would he say to her? How would he and Lizzy tell her?
Beth stopped before them, lifting a hand to shade her eyes from the sun. “Lizzy, Daed said to tell you the meat is almost done.”
What Jonah saw in Lizzy’s eyes during those few moments explained a lot about her. She loved Beth dearly, enough to take a chance at angering both Beth and him. Lizzy stood. “Honey, I’m surprised you came today.”
Beth shrugged. “Susie and Fannie said Daed asked me to come, and then they proceeded to drag me.”
Lizzy put her arm around Beth’s shoulders. “There’s someone here you should meet.”
Beth looked right at him, and he saw a hint of recognition flash through her eyes, as if she might be trying to place him. “Hello.” The friendliness he’d seen in her when addressing the group was gone; instead she sounded like the businesswoman Pete had told him about.
“Beth.” Lizzy’s voice shook. “I’d like you to meet—”
Noise exploded among the volleyball players. Beth’s brows furrowed, but she held out her hand. Her palm was soft against his rough calluses. He’d thought about this woman every day since seeing her at Pete’s. If he’d stood any chance of making friends with her, Lizzy had ruined it.
“Hi, Beth.”
Judging by the look in her eyes when she shook his hand, she hadn’t heard his name, leaving him torn about repeating it or letting the matter drop for now. It seemed a very inappropriate time to share such awkward and upsetting news. Lizzy didn’t seem to know what to do either.
The volume around them rose again.
“Lizzy, I’m going back to the store now,” Beth said. “Okay?”
“Already?”
“I did as Daed asked.” A captivating half smile graced her lips, and she raised one eyebrow. “Besides…” She slid the letter he’d written from the bib of her apron. After talking to Lizzy on the phone, he’d had to write Beth again. If he hadn’t, she might think her openness had caused him to stop writing.
Lizzy looked at Jonah. His insides churned like the stew children made when playing—a concoction of muddy water swirling with dirt and debris, only good for pretending. He didn’t want to play make-believe. Never had but especially not now.
With Lizzy watching him, Beth’s attention moved to him too. But rather than showing interest in who he was and why he seemed familiar, her features grew cooler.
She kissed her aunt’s cheek. “I’ll see
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