Her Restless Heart Part 29

"It's not really something I can discuss." She twirled her straw in her gla.s.s of iced tea.

"Likely poking his nose in things he doesn't need to. I know about him the same way I know about you and Jacob." He leaned forward. "Why don't you come to Florida for a visit? See what it's like where I live? You might want to stay."

She rested her chin on her hand, her elbow on the table, and stared out the window of the restaurant. "You know, the last time you were here I was feeling pretty restless. Actually, up until recently that was true. I didn't know if I even belonged here. But I'm not feeling that way anymore."

"What changed?"

"I think I was still hurting over the way my father was," she told him.

Her food was served, and she thanked the waitress but didn't immediately begin eating. "I didn't think G.o.d had listened to me. I was so mixed up I didn't even see what was in front of me. Who was in front of me."

"Jacob," he said heavily.

Even though dating was considered very personal, something that wasn't shared as she knew it was in the Englisch world, she felt he deserved to know. She saw his look of disappointment and felt bad, but didn't know what to say. Finally, she nodded.

"A lot of people come to my town for a break from the winter weather," he said. "But then they leave. I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever find a wife."

She reached across to take his hand. "I'm sorry. But you know, G.o.d's set aside a woman for you. He'll bring the two of you together when it's time."

He squeezed her hand. "You're a sweet woman, Mary Katherine. I kept thinking about you and decided to come back and see if you and Jacob were engaged."

Someone appeared at the side of the table. They looked up and saw Hilda, the mother of a schoolmate of theirs.

"Why, Daniel, I thought you'd gone back to Florida!" she exclaimed.

"I did. Just making a quick visit back," he told her. "How's Lizzie?"

Mary Katherine quietly withdrew her hand, but the woman saw and a speculative expression crossed her face.

"Married and has two kinner already," she told him.

"That's nice," he said, but there wasn't a lot of enthusiasm in his voice. "Tell her I said h.e.l.lo."

"I'll do that."

She left them, and Mary Katherine picked up her fork and tried her chicken salad. It was excellent, as usual. She glanced over at Daniel, who was picking up his hamburger.

Evidently, he wasn't so lovesick for her that he couldn't eat, she thought, trying not to smile. Not that she'd wanted him to be.

Well, maybe she did. But just for a few minutes. She couldn't help feeling flattered that two men were interested in her. She was only human, after all.

Very human.

15.

Jacob watched Hilda drive away in her buggy and wondered if she knew just how devastating what she'd said had been to him.

He knew she didn't have a mean bone in her body, that she hadn't come to deliberately upset him. But she'd felt he should know. Daniel was back in town, and she'd seen him holding hands with Mary Katherine in a restaurant at lunch.

There had to be some explanation. She'd called him and said that she was going out to supper with her grandmother and her cousins and so couldn't go for a drive with him. She promised to stop by later in the week, and he had looked forward to it ever since.

He walked to a rough wooden bench at the edge of the field and sat down. Taking off his hat, he wiped his forehead with a bandanna, then tucked the bandanna back into his pocket. He watched Ben walking toward him carrying an insulated jug and two plastic cups.

A flock of birds flew overhead. "Guess they're hoping we'll drop some seed," Ben said.

He pa.s.sed Jacob the cups and poured their water. "So what did Hilda want? I'm guessing it wasn't good. You don't look happy."

"She said I deserved to know."

"Nope. Doesn't sound good." He gestured for Jacob to move over and sat beside him.

"Said Daniel was back in town and she saw him holding Mary Katherine's hand."

"Hilda loves to gossip. Always has."

Jacob glanced at him. "But she wouldn't tell an untruth."

"Well, there has to be an explanation. You're going to ask Mary Katherine about it, right?"

Jacob glanced at him and nodded. "Of course. And we're not engaged. She can see whoever she wishes."

He felt Ben pat his back awkwardly.

"I'm sorry. But you need to ask Mary Katherine about it. Wait until you talk to her."

His throat was dry, and it hurt to swallow. "It's all my fault."

"How do you figure that?"

Jacob looked at him. "I knew Daniel was interested in her the last time he came to town. It made me realize she meant more to me than I thought. So I decided to pursue her. She said at first she only wanted to be friends, but lately . . ."

"Lately she feels more for you. I've seen it."

"You have?" Jacob looked at him. "You're not just saying that because you think I want to hear it?"

Ben drew back and looked affronted. "I wouldn't do that."

Jacob sighed. "No, you wouldn't."

He tossed back the last of the water in his cup and then set it down. "It's what I get for tampering with G.o.d's will," he muttered. "Maybe He planned for Mary Katherine and Daniel to be together."

"Well, you know what they say."

"Best-laid plans?"

"No, I was thinking, 'If you love something, let it go. If it comes back to you-' "

A flock of birds flew overhead, interrupting him. He raised an imaginary shotgun and fired.

"What-?"

"Oh, sorry," Ben mumbled, looking embarra.s.sed.

Jacob stood and flexed his shoulders to work out the ache. It was a good ache, one that came from hard work. But his muscles hadn't been used like this since harvest. He'd be grateful for a hot shower later and one of the meals he'd frozen last week. He knew the first days back to the all-important planting were going to be exhausting, so he made up some simple ca.s.seroles-with recipes from his mother and his sisters-and all he had to do was put one in the oven.

Then he suspected that he'd be sitting around thinking about why Mary Katherine had been with Daniel at the restaurant.

Sighing, he stood. "Let's get back to work while we still have some daylight."

The bishop's home office was as austere as the man himself.

Aside from shelves filled with volumes of books ranging from several editions of the Bible to histories of the Amish, there was little decoration. The big wooden desk he sat behind held a jar of pencils, a desk blotter with a calendar, and the biggest Bible she'd ever seen.

He was dressed very formally in the kind of Sunday suit he wore when visiting the services in the homes of the people of the community.

"So, how can I help you, Mary Katherine?"

"I've come to tell you I want to join the church."

She was surprised that he wasn't surprised but instead stared at her intently over steepled fingers.

"Do you think you're ready? It seems to me that you are still in rebellion."

"Rebellion? I don't know what you mean. I've been uncertain whether I should join and I finally made my decision."

He shook his head. "I'm not as certain that it's the decision you should make."

She hadn't expected this. Oh, she hadn't thought he'd give her some kind of big rousing welcome, but he was telling her no? She took a deep breath. "Why is that?"

Placing his hands on the desk, he leaned forward. "It seems to me that you've had too much exposure to the Englisch world. There have been a number of incidents that demonstrate this. One," he said, ticking off a finger, "you were seen coming out of Jacob's house-"

"I did NOT go into-"

"Do not interrupt!" He gave her a quelling look. "Two, you spoke disrespectfully to your father. And three, you were seen sitting with Jacob in his buggy beside the road."

"Well, I had no idea you listened to gossip and half-truths," she told him, trying to keep her voice level.

Color rose in his thin, lined cheeks. "That's impertinent, young lady. I am the arbiter of correct behavior in this community."

"My behavior has been above reproach," she said, sitting up straight. "I simply locked the door for Jacob that day while he hitched his horse so we could go for a ride. And yes, we were riding home one evening and pulled off to the side of the road to talk. But nothing happened. And so far as my father-I had no idea he complained to you but I don't believe what I said to him is anyone's business but ours."

"He came to me to seek advice on whether he had been incorrect in how he behaved in his home. I advised him that he had not."

Mary Katherine sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry to hear you say that. It just isn't right the way he treats my mother or me."

"It's a fraa's role and a dutiful daughter's role to-"

The beginnings of a headache began to pound behind her eyes. Stay calm, stay calm! she warned herself. You have to go through this man to get what you want and deserve.

"Bishop, I'm here to begin the process to join the church." She met his gaze unflinchingly. There was no way she was going to be goaded into an argument with him. But there was also no way that she was going to be deflected from her goal. She was going to start the preparations to join the church.

"Are you taking this step to pursue a relationship with Jacob? To marry him?"

"I'm taking this step to become a member of the church and have a relationship with G.o.d. That's the most important reason."

He subsided into a silent study of her. If she hadn't grown up with the man who was her father, he might have been able to intimidate her. Perhaps he might have even been able to do that a year ago. But not anymore.

Finally, with a begrudging air, he opened a big book that looked almost like a ledger, and made notes with a ballpoint pen. He rustled in a file for some papers and handed them to her.

"These outline your course of study." He stood. "That will be all."

With that, she was done. She'd set in motion one of the biggest decisions of her life.

She couldn't wait to tell Jacob. Then she'd tell her grandmother and her cousins. Oh, and her mother. And Jamie. A whole list of people.

But Jacob was the most important one. Jacob.

Jacob was. .h.i.tching up the buggy when he heard a car in the drive. He looked out and saw Mary Katherine paying the driver, then turning to look for him.

He felt conflicting emotions rush through him. On the one hand, his heart leaped with joy at seeing her when he hadn't for a few days. But he felt dread, too. Had she come here to tell him that she'd decided on Daniel?

If she was going to tell him she wanted to be with Daniel, it not only meant the end of his own plan to ask her to marry him-it meant that he'd probably never see her, as she'd be moving to Florida. Of course they'd live there since Daniel loved it so much. Jacob was losing more than a possible wife . . . he'd be losing his best friend.

He sent his horse back into its stall in the barn. Poor horse. He'd thoroughly confused it by making it think it was going to take him for a ride-something it loved to do-but he couldn't do anything about that.

Mary Katherine looked as she had before her mother had fallen ill-happy, a smile on her lips, her stride confident and energetic as she waved and walked toward him.

She stopped close to him, so close, then frowned. "Were you going somewhere? I saw you hitching up the buggy."

"I was going to your grandmother's house to talk to you."

Now that she was closer, he saw how her blue eyes sparkled, how her cheeks were flushed rose-pink.

"I wanted you to be the first to know. I-"

"I already know," he blurted out.

"You do? How could you? I just came from-"

"Someone saw you with him."

"Oh. I guess the Amish grapevine's working better than usual. But I could have just been going in to talk to him about anything."