another word, his face stormy. He approached the couch.
Lucy was still crying, and looked to be doing her best to burrow into the cushions. Mattie stepped forward and held up a hand. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think you should see her right now.”
Just a few feet from Lucy, he stopped. “Why on earth not?”
“Because I don’t want you to hurt her,” she blurted, old feelings surfacing. Remembering how helpless she’d felt during Lucy’s first marriage.
At that moment, Lucy’s head popped up and Calvin’s expression became one of complete amazement. “What are you talking about?” he asked.
“You know,” Mattie said weakly. “Lucy’s been through so much. She doesn’t need your temper.”
He stepped to his right, obviously trying to catch Lucy’s eye. “Lucy?” he whispered. “Lucy, is that what’s wrong? Are you afraid of me?”
After the slightest of hesitations, she shook her head.
But Mattie saw that Calvin had seen the hurt on her face.
Eyes dark, he scowled at Mattie. “I don’t think you understand. I would never hurt Lucy. Never.”
Still determined to shield Lucy no matter what, Mattie lifted her chin. “I know you wouldn’t mean to, but . . .”
With an irritated look, he stepped toward Lucy and knelt at her feet.
Mattie was so dumbstruck by the action, she moved to the side, then looked toward her mom, who also wasn’t even trying to be inconspicuous. Mattie stepped closer to her mother and grasped her hand.
“Lucy, mein lieb, ” he whispered, grasping her hand. “I thought you knew my words stemmed from worry.”
“Y-you were so mad.”
“Lucy, you were holding that bag of flour.”
“I know.”
“Did you know it was mighty heavy? Perhaps too heavy for you?”
Mattie looked to her mother in confusion. Little by little the worry left her mother’s features and a sweet smile appeared.
Just as Calvin spoke again. “You know I’d be so upset if anything happened to you, or the baby.”
Baby? Shock coursed through Mattie as she gaped at her mom.
Her mom pressed a finger to her lips, signaling for her to stay quiet.
“But I told you I wasna helpless,” Lucy said.
“I know that. But you are special to me. You are everything, jah ? You and the boppli .” Right then and there, he leaned forward, held Lucy’s jaw between his two hands, and kissed her.
As she watched the happy couple, Mattie smiled. Then started to laugh. Oh, it was so good to not be thinking about her problems.
It was so good to think about blessings! “Lucy, you’ve got something to tell us, jah ?” she said with a giggle.
Her mother squeezed her shoulder. “I don’t think she heard you, dear.”
When Mattie glanced at Lucy and Calvin again, they were still kissing, Calvin at Lucy’s feet. Just like there was no one else in the world but them.
A lump formed in Mattie’s throat. That was what she wanted. Love. Love like that. A love so consuming that no one else existed.
She wasn’t sure if she’d ever find it, but Mattie knew she was willing to try.
Even if she wasn’t perfect. Even if she was scarred.
No matter what, a love like that was surely worth everything indeed.
Chapter Twelve
“G raham, the day’s over, man,” Scott, Graham’s shift manager, called out with more than a touch of exasperation in his voice. “It’s time to call it a day and go home.”
Still trying to get a hinge in place, Graham mumbled, “I will. As soon as I finish this project.”
“Leave it, why don’t you? It will still be there tomorrow. Honestly, you work harder than any man I know.”
Finally giving him his full attention, Graham glanced at his boss with amusement. “That’s supposed to be a good thing.”
“It is, except when you’re making the rest of us look bad,” Scott teased right back. “Now, go put up your tools and join us if you want. My wife made peanut butter bars this morning and dropped them by for everyone.”
A glance to the large, white-faced clock
Lucy was still crying, and looked to be doing her best to burrow into the cushions. Mattie stepped forward and held up a hand. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think you should see her right now.”
Just a few feet from Lucy, he stopped. “Why on earth not?”
“Because I don’t want you to hurt her,” she blurted, old feelings surfacing. Remembering how helpless she’d felt during Lucy’s first marriage.
At that moment, Lucy’s head popped up and Calvin’s expression became one of complete amazement. “What are you talking about?” he asked.
“You know,” Mattie said weakly. “Lucy’s been through so much. She doesn’t need your temper.”
He stepped to his right, obviously trying to catch Lucy’s eye. “Lucy?” he whispered. “Lucy, is that what’s wrong? Are you afraid of me?”
After the slightest of hesitations, she shook her head.
But Mattie saw that Calvin had seen the hurt on her face.
Eyes dark, he scowled at Mattie. “I don’t think you understand. I would never hurt Lucy. Never.”
Still determined to shield Lucy no matter what, Mattie lifted her chin. “I know you wouldn’t mean to, but . . .”
With an irritated look, he stepped toward Lucy and knelt at her feet.
Mattie was so dumbstruck by the action, she moved to the side, then looked toward her mom, who also wasn’t even trying to be inconspicuous. Mattie stepped closer to her mother and grasped her hand.
“Lucy, mein lieb, ” he whispered, grasping her hand. “I thought you knew my words stemmed from worry.”
“Y-you were so mad.”
“Lucy, you were holding that bag of flour.”
“I know.”
“Did you know it was mighty heavy? Perhaps too heavy for you?”
Mattie looked to her mother in confusion. Little by little the worry left her mother’s features and a sweet smile appeared.
Just as Calvin spoke again. “You know I’d be so upset if anything happened to you, or the baby.”
Baby? Shock coursed through Mattie as she gaped at her mom.
Her mom pressed a finger to her lips, signaling for her to stay quiet.
“But I told you I wasna helpless,” Lucy said.
“I know that. But you are special to me. You are everything, jah ? You and the boppli .” Right then and there, he leaned forward, held Lucy’s jaw between his two hands, and kissed her.
As she watched the happy couple, Mattie smiled. Then started to laugh. Oh, it was so good to not be thinking about her problems.
It was so good to think about blessings! “Lucy, you’ve got something to tell us, jah ?” she said with a giggle.
Her mother squeezed her shoulder. “I don’t think she heard you, dear.”
When Mattie glanced at Lucy and Calvin again, they were still kissing, Calvin at Lucy’s feet. Just like there was no one else in the world but them.
A lump formed in Mattie’s throat. That was what she wanted. Love. Love like that. A love so consuming that no one else existed.
She wasn’t sure if she’d ever find it, but Mattie knew she was willing to try.
Even if she wasn’t perfect. Even if she was scarred.
No matter what, a love like that was surely worth everything indeed.
Chapter Twelve
“G raham, the day’s over, man,” Scott, Graham’s shift manager, called out with more than a touch of exasperation in his voice. “It’s time to call it a day and go home.”
Still trying to get a hinge in place, Graham mumbled, “I will. As soon as I finish this project.”
“Leave it, why don’t you? It will still be there tomorrow. Honestly, you work harder than any man I know.”
Finally giving him his full attention, Graham glanced at his boss with amusement. “That’s supposed to be a good thing.”
“It is, except when you’re making the rest of us look bad,” Scott teased right back. “Now, go put up your tools and join us if you want. My wife made peanut butter bars this morning and dropped them by for everyone.”
A glance to the large, white-faced clock
Similar Books
