The story of love, p.2
The Story of Love, page 2
“Mamm said she’d be over later to pick up some pizza,” Jake said as he loaded a slice from each pie onto his plate. “She said to thank you. Mei parents love pizza as much as Eva and I do.”
After they all had food on their plates, they bowed their heads in silent prayer.
“So, how did it go at the store today on your first day by yourself?” Jake asked.
Yvonne finished chewing before dabbing her mouth with a napkin. “There weren’t many people, but I remember you said that’s typical for a Tuesday. Everything went fine, though. A few ladies from Illinois came in and bought quite a bit.” She was trying to ease into a conversation about Abraham. They hadn’t brought up his name since she’d arrived. “And I met Abraham Byler’s girlfriend, Brianna.”
Jake and Eva exchanged looks before Jake cleared his throat. “Uh, ya, they’ve been dating about three months. We don’t know much about her. I’ve talked to Abe, so I know he’s been spending a lot of time with her, but we haven’t met Brianna.”
“Before I had to stay in bed most of the day—which I’m so tired of—a couple of ladies at a Sister’s Day were talking about his new girlfriend. Abe’s family is still here, and since he grew up Amish, everyone knows who he is.”
“She didn’t seem like his type.” Yvonne regretted the judgmental comment right away.
Jake grinned. “Ya, I think he was a little smitten with you, but he understood that it hadn’t been that long since your fiancé passed.”
“But you said he wrote you letters and even tried to call, right?” Eva shifted her weight in her chair, flinching a little. “This boppli moves around a lot.”
“She’s just eager to get here.” Yvonne smiled. “Yes, I believe it to be a girl even though you don’t know that for sure. And, yes, Abraham did try to correspond with me.” She shrugged. “I just felt it was too soon to have a close male friend, but I should have written him back. I feel bad about that.”
They ate quietly for a few minutes.
“Does he know I’m living here now?” Yvonne tried to sound casual and didn’t make eye contact with Jake or Eva.
“Ya, he does. I don’t know how serious things are with him and Brianna.” Jake waggled his brows at Yvonne. “Want me to find out?”
Yvonne felt herself blushing. “No. Don’t do that. I don’t want to wreck anything he has going on with Brianna, although I don’t think that’s possible anyway. The woman is knockout gorgeous, which is fitting since he is such a good-looking man.”
“Looks aren’t everything.” Eva grinned, then turned to Jake. “I just happened to have lucked out and married the most handsome man on the planet, who also has a huge heart.”
Jake blew her a kiss. “Back atcha, mei beautiful fraa.”
Yvonne smiled. Jake and Eva were cute together. And they had Yvonne starting to think she wanted someone special in her life too. But it didn’t look like it was going to be Abraham Byler.
Chapter 2
Abraham sat on Brianna’s couch, sinking into the plush cushions colored in hues of blue and turquoise. Brianna had placed a wrapped package on her glass coffee table, which actually seemed too tall for a coffee table and had long, winding silver legs. Everything about Brianna’s house was modern and looked like it could be featured in a magazine—a stark contrast to the farmhouse Abraham had redone a couple of years ago. When he sat on his couch at home, he could put his socked feet on top of the coffee table. Not here. Nor did he think he would even if the table were lower. It just felt more formal here.
“I got you something today.” Brianna sat down beside him, smiling. “Open it.”
“And what did I do to deserve this?” Abraham angled around the radio attached to the belt that held up his blue jeans, the volume turned down as low as it would go. He was off duty but on call and hoping it would be a quiet night as he reached for the package wrapped in blue paper. It matched the living room, which was decorated in blue and white, along with her kitchen. Shiny white floors flowed throughout. Her bedroom was also decorated in the same colors, with a bedspread covered in large blue-and-white flowers. Not that he had ever been in her bed. Maybe it was his Amish upbringing, but he wanted to reserve that sacred act for marriage.
Brianna seemed to have other ideas about that sometimes and could be hard to resist. She was beautiful, generous almost to a fault, and one of the smartest people he’d ever known. She was a certified public accountant and worked from home, but he was still unclear why she’d packed up her life in New York and moved to the small town of Montgomery. She was evasive every time he brought up the subject. As a cop, he’d had the thought to run a background check on her, but he’d immediately quashed that idea. It was wrong on a lot of levels, including an abuse of his job. He was dating the woman, not investigating her, and an unwillingness to discuss her background didn’t make her a criminal.
“It’s just a little something.” Brianna folded her hands in her lap as she waited for him to unwrap the gift.
He swallowed hard when he saw the photo of them inside a pretty frame with hearts in each corner. His first thought was that it seemed too soon for such a gift. But Brianna was clearly waiting for a response. “It’s pretty.” He forced a smile. “Thank you.”
She snuggled up to him and kissed him on the cheek. “Now, when we’re not together, you’ll have a picture of us at your place.” She pointed to a hutch against the wall. “See, I have a photo of us too.”
After nodding to acknowledge her identical frame and picture, he said, “Thank you,” again. “I appreciate the gift and . . .” He breathed in the scent of something heavenly coming from the kitchen. Everything about Brianna’s place was lavish and made him uncomfortable, but her cooking skills were top-notch. “What’s that I smell cooking?”
“It’s a tartiflette, which is a fancy word for a cheese-and-potato bake. It’s French. I think you’ll like it.” She leaned around and kissed him on the mouth, the aroma of her floral perfume filling his nostrils and tempting him to follow her lead, but he gently eased her away.
“I’m starving,” he said and smiled before he gave her a quick peck.
She stood, motioning for him to do the same. “The table is set, and I have a fresh pitcher of sweet tea ready for you.”
Abraham followed her into the kitchen, which was almost as big as his living room. He inhaled again as his stomach growled, then helped her finish prepping the food. In minutes, the main dish, a salad, and bread sat waiting on the white table. As usual, Brianna had a glass of red wine by her plate. Abraham reached across the table for her hand and thanked God for the food and an abundance of blessings.
“Amen,” they both said. He wasn’t sure where Brianna’s faith stood, but she had participated in prayer ever since he had offered to say the blessing before their first meal together.
The food was incredible, and he’d told her so at least three times when she finally cleared her throat and said, “I went into Jake Lantz’s bookstore today. That’s where I got the frames.”
Abraham nodded as he reached for another slice of bread. It wasn’t like his mother made, but it was from a local bakery and pretty tasty. “They’re good people, Jake and Eva. I heard she’s on bed rest until the baby is born. And Jake’s father is ill. Last I heard he was going to hire someone to run the bookstore.” Abraham had been anxious about Yvonne’s arrival ever since Jake told him she would be moving to Indiana.
“He did.” Brianna was soft-spoken most of the time, but her voice rose a little louder now. “A woman named Yvonne who moved here from Texas.”
Abraham couldn’t recall mentioning Yvonne to Brianna, but it was a small town, and she could have heard the news from anyone. Or maybe Yvonne had told her.
“Do you know her?” Brianna raised an eyebrow.
Abraham knew better than to react with much excitement even though he was instantly elated on the inside. He hadn’t known Yvonne was already here. He also didn’t know exactly how much Brianna knew about his prior interactions with Yvonne, limited as they were.
He nodded, finished chewing. “I met her a couple of times.” And I’ve never stopped thinking about her. “But I don’t really know her.” He recalled the letters he’d sent her and how she never wrote back or answered his call. He’d been disappointed at the time, but he understood. It had been too soon for her to acknowledge an attraction between them. He was sure she’d felt it too; they had just clicked naturally. But the timing was off.
And now she was living here, and the timing felt off again.
“She seemed very nice.” Brianna beamed, and Abraham wondered if the two women would become friends, which felt odd for some reason. “Didn’t you say that new officer you introduced me to is single and looking to meet someone? Maybe you should connect the two of them.”
“Bruce? Yeah, he’s looking to meet someone, but I don’t think they’d be a good fit.” Abraham didn’t like the idea of anyone he knew dating Yvonne. He had been so enchanted with her at the time, he didn’t think he’d like seeing her involved with one of his friends or associates.
“Why not?” Brianna had set her fork down and seemed genuinely interested. Or jealous. There were a few people in town who knew Abraham had written to Yvonne. Again, he wondered how much Brianna knew.
He shrugged. “I don’t know either one very well, but I can’t really picture them together.”
“Hmm . . .” Yvonne wiped her mouth with her napkin. Abraham waited for more, but she was quiet. They both were until the static of his radio broke the silence.
Abraham responded to the call before he looked across the table at Brianna. “I’m so sorry.”
She sighed. “I know. I know. You’ve got to go. Duty calls.” She stood when he did, then walked around the corner of the table and kissed him passionately. “I’ll be up late if you want to come back after you go take care of the bad guys.”
He sighed. “Maureen and Will Robertson aren’t exactly bad guys, but they act like it when they fight. This is the third domestic-violence call that’s come in on them.” He kissed her before he moved toward the door, stopping with his hand on the knob and turning to face her as she approached him. “That was a wonderful dinner. Thank you.”
“Of course.” She gazed into his eyes. “Remember, I’m here if you want to come back.”
“I’ll call you,” he said before giving her one final kiss and dashing out the door.
There wasn’t much crime in Montgomery. Mostly domestic issues, the occasional robbery, and too many car and buggy accidents. At least that’s how it had been since he joined the force well over a decade ago. Leaving his Amish upbringing had been a tough call and particularly hard on his family since he’d spent nineteen years living the Amish ways. But since he hadn’t been baptized, he was free to make that choice without being shunned.
Now, at thirty-seven, he usually didn’t have any regrets. Sometimes he missed the closeness of the community. He was still welcomed among them, but he was looking in from the outside now. He’d prayed hard about it for a lot of years, but even as a teenager, his decision not to be baptized had been backed up by the fact that he’d always thought he would eventually choose a lifestyle that didn’t include the Amish ways. A friend’s legal mishap had sparked his decision to leave, and it only gained fuel as he got older.
When he’d joined the police force, members of the community had been shocked since the Amish were passive, and being a cop crossed that line repeatedly. But even though he’d overhauled his life, he’d held tightly to his Christian faith. And over the years his family and friends had grown at least more accustomed to his career.
When he showed up at Maureen and Will Robertson’s house, Maureen was on the porch holding her cell phone and crying. Even in the dim light, Abraham could see her swollen eye, which would eventually turn black—like the other times. She had a cut on her lip.
“Are you ready to press charges now?” He handed Maureen a handkerchief to press against her mouth, which was bleeding.
“He doesn’t mean to get like this. I know he had a bad day at work, and I probably shouldn’t have called 911.” Maureen hung her head. She was a young gal, early twenties. Abraham had told her before that she needed to break this pattern unless she wanted to live this way the rest of her life.
“But you did call.” Abraham moved past her. “Will! Get out here,” he yelled over Maureen’s shoulder.
Will was older than Maureen by over a decade. He was Abraham’s age, and they’d lived here all their lives. As kids, they hadn’t gone to school together since Abraham had attended school only through the eighth grade, as required in his district. Later, he’d pursued his education to get into law enforcement. But he remembered Will had been a bully even when they were younger, and as an adult he’d always seemed to hook up with younger, naïve women. The only reason Abraham knew Maureen was because of these frequent phone calls.
“I just want to take back the call.” Maureen sniffled with the handkerchief still pressed to her mouth. “I’m not pressing any charges.”
Abraham turned his attention to Will as the man stumbled onto the front porch. “Hear that? No charges,” Will slurred.
“Maureen, this isn’t going to stop until you do something.” Abraham put a hand on his holster when Will pushed her out of the way and moved toward him. He’d never had to pull his weapon, and he hoped he never had to, but he was trained to be prepared.
“She ain’t pressing any charges, so get off my property.” Will staggered closer, then turned to Maureen. “Go on back in the house, sweetie.”
Abraham shook his head. Legally, he could take Will in, but it would all be for nothing. Maureen was too afraid of Will to press charges. Even if Abraham did go ahead and arrest Will, it would probably make things worse for Maureen when he got out of jail.
“You’re a bully, Will. Always have been, and I guess that will never change.” He pointed a finger at him. “But I’ll be hoping for Maureen’s sake that she wises up and gives you the boot.”
Abraham turned to leave, and before he’d gotten back in his patrol car, Will had gone inside and slammed the door. Abraham sat for a few minutes and prayed for the couple, especially for Maureen. After he prayed, he decided to go home instead of back to Brianna’s. Hearing Yvonne was in town—to stay—had rocked his world a little, which made him feel both exhilarated and guilty. Brianna was great, and he was lucky to be with her. But he couldn’t forget the short time he’d spent with Yvonne. There was something about her that had kept him up nights.
* * *
Wednesday morning, Yvonne flipped through a catalog of books. Jake had asked her to pick out a few authors that he didn’t typically stock—to try something new—but to keep it clean. She’d found four new authors that she thought would make good additions to his inventory. She was still browsing when her first customer of the day walked in the door.
She could feel the blush in her face before either of them said anything. “Hi, Abraham.” He looked exactly as she remembered, except even more handsome and somehow taller.
“I heard you were in town.” He slowly approached the counter. “Nice to see you again.”
Yvonne sighed. “It’s nice to see you too. I’m sorry I didn’t return your letters or call. I was, um . . . in a bad place at the time.”
“It’s okay. Really. I understand.” He edged closer to the counter. “You seem to be doing well. Do you like living here so far?”
“Well, it’s only been a few days, but I’m definitely enjoying the slower pace. And everyone has been really nice.” She took a deep breath. “I met your girlfriend, Brianna, yesterday. She’s absolutely gorgeous.”
Now it was Abraham whose face reddened. “Yeah, we’ve been seeing each other about three months.”
“That’s what she said.” Yvonne nervously tucked her hair behind her ears. “What does she do for a living, if you don’t mind me asking? She dressed as if she had a professional job, and it’s such a small town, and . . .” She shrugged. “I was just wondering.”
Abraham walked even closer to the counter, near enough that Yvonne caught a whiff of his cologne, which took her back to the day they’d shared a walk at Jake and Eva’s wedding.
“She’s a certified public account, a CPA, and she works from home.” He chuckled a little. “She dresses like that every time she leaves the house. I always tell her it’s a lot more casual here than in New York.”
Yvonne thought about Trevor and how much he’d loved his trips to the Big Apple. Even though it had been a year and a half since her fiancé had died, there were still triggers that brought back memories.
“Well, she’s lovely.” She paused, tipped her head to one side. “What made her move here from New York?” Cringing, she added, “I hope I’m not being too nosy. I mean, I made the move from Houston. Similar situation, I guess. But I would think that moving here from New York would be even more of a culture shock. Did she live in New York City?”
Abraham nodded. “Ya, she did. And to tell you the truth, I’m not sure exactly why she packed up and left.” He scratched his clean-shaven chin. “She never wants to talk about it, so I haven’t pushed too much.”
Yvonne smiled. “I can still hear your Amish accent when you say certain words.”
“I get that a lot. I spoke the dialect for so long, I guess part of it will always be with me. Kind of like the religion itself, it still lingers in my heart.”
“On our walk all that time ago, you said that an injustice was done to a friend of yours when you were young, and that’s why you chose to pursue a field in law enforcement.” He’d told her that an Amish boy had been unfairly jailed and ridiculed and that he’d wanted to be a voice for his people. “Do you ever regret leaving your roots?”
