Her Restless Heart Part 36

Mary Katherine goggled at Anna's words. "You're not suggesting Jacob and I . . . antic.i.p.ated our vows, are you?"

"No, dear, although some of those looks the two of you exchanged when you thought no one was looking were quite sizzling." Anna waved her hand as if she were overheated. "I wondered if flames would erupt."

She took the pizza from Naomi and sailed toward the kitchen.

"Well, she's certainly not moping around, feeling moody, is she?" Naomi remarked.

"She never is, especially this particular month," Leah noted, jerking her head toward the calendar. "I don't want to see her depressed, but there's such a thing as covering up your feelings and that can be harmful. I feel like she goes around with a cheerful mask on."

Frowning, she walked toward the back room, and Naomi followed and helped get out plates and soft drinks.

She and Anna knew all about cheerful masks, Naomi thought as she nibbled on her own piece of pizza and found it tasteless.

"Is something wrong with it?" Mary Katherine asked.

"I'm just not very hungry today." She pushed the box closer to her cousin, who took a third piece.

They chatted about the weather-it was the time of year between the too-brief Pennsylvania spring and the always long summer that drew customers. They'd be returning after they enjoyed a big Amish lunch.

Mercifully, her wedding plans weren't a topic of conversation today. She managed to force down a few bites of pizza, then covered what was left on her plate with her crumpled paper napkin. She rose and walked to the sink to wash her plate and place it in the drying rack.

"Done already?" Leah asked.

"I'm full," she lied. "I'm going to get back to the quilt. I promised it to a customer by next week."

She sat by herself and sewed the wedding ring quilt, trying not to think of how one day she and other women would gather around the big quilting frame and st.i.tch hers.

Someone knocked on the window and she jumped. She looked up and saw John staring at her through the gla.s.s. But instead of gesturing for her to open the door they'd locked so they could eat lunch, he waved casually and walked on.

"Who was that?" Leah asked as she walked over to sit in a chair next to Naomi.

"John."

Surprised, Leah stared at her. "He didn't want to come in?"

Naomi shook her head. "He was just making sure I was here."

"Where else would you be this time of day?" Leah pulled her chair up to the quilting frame and threaded a needle.

"He likes to make sure I'm where I said I'd be." Her voice sounded flat.

Leah's hands, which had been busily threading her needle, stilled. Her eyes searched Naomi's face. "There's something wrong, isn't there? It's not my imagination."

Naomi started to say it was nothing, but her grandmother placed her hand over hers.

"Tell me," she said quietly. "Tell me."

That's all it took. The floodgates opened.

"John's turned into-into someone I don't know," she said, reaching into her pocket for a tissue. "He tells me what to do and where to be and checks on me all the time. Like just now."

She dabbed at her cheeks. "I want to be obedient and learn to be a good fraa," she said. "But he-he scared me the other night."

"How?" Leah asked, her voice almost a whisper. "How did he scare you?"

Naomi couldn't look her in the eye.

"Tell me, how did he scare you?"

"I went to walk away from him, and he grabbed my wrist and hurt me."

Leah reached over and unerringly chose the very wrist John had grabbed. Naomi winced. Her grandmother didn't release it, but pushed the sleeve of Naomi's dress back, exposing the bruise.

"I thought you were favoring it," she said, frowning. She looked up at Naomi.

"It only hurts a little," she said, wiping at her cheeks again with her tissue.

"It only hurts a little there, but a lot in your heart." Leah's eyes were damp and filled with sympathy.

"He said he was sorry."

Leah pulled down the sleeve. "And how many other times has he said he's sorry?"

Sobs rose up in her chest. "Too-too many," she admitted.

There was a knock on the door. Naomi jumped.

"You go wash your face," Leah said. "Then let's go in the back room and talk."

"We don't have time. We have to work."

Leah stood. "We'll make time."

True to her word, after Leah opened the door and took care of the customer, she got Anna and Mary Katherine to run the shop while she and Naomi talked.

"You have to break it off with him."

"Maybe counseling-"

"Counseling is a good idea. For you."

"Me? I'm not the problem."

"But how you respond to John's treatment worries me. I want you to think about it." She hesitated, then forged ahead. "I know that some people who act like John can be helped, but I wouldn't count on it. And it's a terrible way to start out in a marriage. I don't want to be harsh or seem unforgiving. But it's too big a risk to take."

Naomi nodded. "I know."

"Next time it could be a bigger injury."

"I know! Don't you think I know?" she burst out. "That's why I kept it to myself."

"Which is what he counted on-so he could exert more control." Leah sighed. "And it's so important to make a good match. There's no divorce. You'd be with him until one of you dies."

Naomi shuddered and got up to take some aspirin for the headache that was pounding behind her eyes. She turned to her grandmother. "I don't think I love him anymore."

"Yes, you do," Leah disagreed gently. "Otherwise you would have spoken up by now."

The door opened, and Anna poked her head inside. "Everything okay? We heard Naomi raise her voice." She glanced at her cousin and saw the tears. "What's wrong?"

Naomi started to say it was nothing but then realized that was how all of it had started. "I'm having problems with John."

She watched one emotion after another chase across Anna's face. "I thought something was wrong, but I could never get you to talk."

"I didn't want to burden anyone."

"You thought I wouldn't understand, didn't you?" Anna asked her. "Happy, carefree Anna hasn't got the depth to understand, right?"

Shocked, Naomi stared at her. "No, I didn't think that at all. But you've had enough sadness."

"You have no idea what I've experienced," Anna said. "Maybe I haven't wanted to face it myself."

With that, she spun on her heel and went out, shutting the door firmly behind her.

"I need to go after her."

Naomi stood, but Leah put her hand on her arm, stopping her.

"Let me. I think I know what's wrong. And I've let her get away with it for too long."

Leah hurried after her, and Naomi followed, watching helplessly as her grandmother opened the front door of the shop, stepped out, and slipped and fell.

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