Hopefully ever after, p.7
Hopefully Ever After, page 7
More important, she was realizing she wouldn’t fall off after all.
“Faster?” Samuel yelled, grinning.
Eden nodded. “Yes!” She’d fallen into sync with Bessie, lifting her rear in intervals to match the horse’s gait so that she wasn’t bouncing.
Samuel led them around the pond where more land stretched for as far as Eden could see. It was amazing, exhilarating, and the longer she was on Bessie, the more trusting she became, enabling her to enjoy the thrill of the ride.
For another ten or fifteen minutes, Samuel led the way, and Eden’s heart was full. It was everything she’d imagined, but she was also surprised by the closeness she felt with God, in His world, such beauty.
Samuel finally pulled back on the reins, and when he did, Blackjack’s front feet came off the ground. “Whoa!” he hollered.
Eden hesitated, not eager for Bessie to imitate the other horse, but when she gave the reins a little tug, Bessie slowed to a steady trot right away, and she followed Samuel to the edge of the pond.
“Well, what did you think?” Samuel’s tawny brown eyes twinkled, and his smile filled his face, surely a mirror of her own expression.
“It was awesome!” Eden relaxed enough to lean forward and scratch Bessie’s neck, letting go of the saddle horn. “I can’t believe you get to do this every day.”
He chuckled. “I don’t. Mei sisters ride for pleasure more than I do, in between their chores. I’m mostly at work. But I try to ride once a week just for the fun of it.”
Despite the wind in her face, Eden was drenched in sweat, but not as much as poor Bessie.
Samuel dismounted from his horse, and Blackjack lifted those front legs again. “Whoa,” Samuel said as he latched onto the bridle, then rubbed his horse’s muzzle.
Eden followed suit and eased her leg around the horse until one leg was on the ground, then dislodged her other foot from the stirrup, but held on to the reins.
“You did great,” Samuel said, still smiling. “I’m glad it was fun for you. We can run them back, but they need to rest, and I thought we’d walk them to the pond for a drink.”
Eden nodded, breathless. “Sure.”
Samuel walked Blackjack to the pier that spilled across the pond for at least thirty feet. It looked more like a small lake to Eden as she briefly eyed the canoe and wondered if that would be part of today’s adventure too.
Samuel loosely tied Blackjack’s reins to a pole near the pier and then did the same with Bessie. Both horses leaned down and started to drink.
“We can go sit at the end of the pier and dangle our feet in the water to cool off a little if you want.” He ran a hand across his damp forehead. “It’s gut we’re riding early. By midday, it will be up in the eighties, and it can be mighty hot on a clear day like this.”
“It’s beautiful here.” Eden took in her surroundings again, in awe of the simplicity of everything around her that came together like the postcard in her mind.
She followed Samuel when he started walking down the narrow pier that was only a few feet wide, and it swayed gently in the wind. Without any handrails, she kept her eyes on her feet, thinking how embarrassing it would be to fall into the water.
At the end of the pier, Samuel kicked off his black boots, then peeled off his socks, and rolled his black pant legs up to his knees. Eden did the same.
When he sat down, he patted the spot beside him, and when she sat, her leg lay flush against his, which sent a wave of adrenaline up and down her spine. Normally, she avoided physical contact with men—of any age. But this wave of adrenaline felt different and not something to be feared.
She lowered her feet into the cool water, which reached her midcalf. She turned to him and smiled. “Thank you so much for this.”
“Ya, you’re very welcome.”
* * *
Samuel didn’t want to take his eyes off Eden. He longed to tell her that she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen, but he didn’t want to scare her off. He was also curious about the butterfly tattoo she had on her left hand. He wanted to know everything about her and the life she led that was foreign to him.
Pulling his eyes from hers, his focus moved to her lips. He took longer than he’d intended, and she looked away first.
He cleared his throat. “Was it as fun as you thought it would be?”
She laughed. “Are you kidding? It was totally amazing, way better than I could have imagined. I was nervous at first, especially when Bessie shot past the gate and started running right away. But after only a couple of minutes, I felt safe and was able to enjoy the ride.” She glanced at him. “Thank you again,” she said.
“You’re welcome.” Samuel was aware that their legs were touching. He could have inched over a little and put some space between them, but he liked the feel of her next to him. As she lowered her hand into the water, he took advantage of the opportunity to study her face again. He wondered if she had kissed anyone. Surely she had. Samuel had come close to kissing Sarah King six months ago, but one of his sisters had caught them in each other’s arms behind the barn and threatened to tell their parents. Sarah had been terrified and avoided Samuel now. It had bothered him for a while, and he knew it was mostly because of the strict reputation his parents presented to the community, but he would have taken a risk to see her again. However, Sarah had no interest in that scenario, so maybe she hadn’t liked him that much after all.
Sitting with Eden like this, kicking their feet in the water on a beautiful summer day, reminded him that God always had a plan. Maybe his destiny was to meet Eden.
“How do you like it here so far?” His foot brushed against hers in the water as he leaned back on his hands.
“I love it. I mean, I haven’t been here but a few days, but I like all this . . .” She waved an arm around. “It’s so open in the country.” She turned to him and smiled. “I like the buggies, there isn’t a lot of traffic, and it’s quiet.”
“Too quiet sometimes,” he said. “I guess it’s a lot different where you live.”
She didn’t say anything, just smiled. If he was reading her expression, though, it almost looked like a sad smile. “Yeah, it is,” she finally said.
He waited for her to elaborate, and when she didn’t, he said, “Do you have your own car?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m living with my cousin, Emma, in Texas right now. She said I could take driving lessons when she returns from her trip to Europe. That’s why I’m staying with Yvonne and Abraham right now, until she gets back.”
Samuel took off his hat and scratched his head. “How old are you?”
“Sixteen.” She leaned back on her hands the way he was doing, and they both squinted as the sun took its place higher in the sky.
“Ya, me too.” Sixteen seemed old enough to stay on your own. “So, that’s home? Texas?”
She wagged her head again. “Just for now. I actually live in California.”
“How long will you be in Texas?”
She turned to face him, tipped her head to one side, and stared at him. “Um . . . I don’t know.”
“Mysterious,” he said as he gently nudged her with his elbow and grinned.
“Not really.” She opened her mouth like she might be getting ready to share but snapped it closed. She eyed the canoe as it gently bumped against the pier.
“Do you want to go for a ride in the canoe?” He wanted to spend as much time with her as possible, and if they got right back on the horses, they’d likely head back to the barn way before he was ready for her to go.
Her eyes lit up. “Sure.”
He stood, offered her a hand, surprised how smooth her skin was when she accepted. His mother and sisters didn’t have hands like that. Eden probably didn’t work in a garden, mow grass, or do other chores that left a woman’s hands rough.
“If you want to get in the front, I’ll take the stern so I can steer.” He offered her a hand again and helped her into the boat before he loosened the tie. As they slowly drifted from the pier, she picked up a paddle and he did the same.
“I bet living here is like being on vacation all the time,” she said dreamily.
Samuel laughed. “I have a job, and I help mei daed in the fields when I can. Mei sisters and Mamm take care of the yard, the flowerbeds, the cleaning, the cooking, and the washing. We stay busy. I guess it doesn’t really feel like a vacation. But it’s all we know.”
“I read online that the Amish get to run around a little when they turn sixteen.” She glanced over her shoulder. “What do you get to do?”
Samuel hadn’t pushed anything with his strict parents. It seemed easier not to rock the boat unless there was a good reason. Eden felt like a good reason. “Anything I want,” he said. “It’s called rumschpringe, the word for our running-around period. We get to do that until we choose to get baptized.”
“How long does it last?”
Samuel shrugged when she looked over her shoulder again. “It depends. Some teenagers don’t get baptized until they are getting ready to get married. A lot of Englischers—that’s what we call non-Amish people—think we all get married at seventeen or eighteen, but these days most everyone waits until they’re a little older. But sometimes younger people get baptized even before they’ve chosen a spouse.”
“Are you going to get baptized soon?” This time, she twisted in her seat and faced him.
“Nee. Not any time soon.” Maybe never.
She giggled, her eyes still on him. “Is that so you get to play around longer?”
He forced a smile, unwilling to discuss his doubts about his future with someone he didn’t know. “I guess you could say that.”
The wheels in Samuel’s mind spun. He wanted to spend as much time with Eden as he could today, but he also wanted to ensure that he could see her again.
“Would, um . . . you like to go to a movie or something Saturday? I, uh . . . have to work half a day, but I could pick you up after that.” He took a deep breath and tried to read her expression.
“I thought I read movies aren’t allowed.” She smiled. “Oh, but I guess they are since you’re in your rum . . . rum . . .”
“Rumschpringe,” he said as he stared into her worldly green eyes, not wanting to appear otherwise. “We could get something to eat first.”
She faced forward again. “That sounds like a date.”
Samuel swallowed hard. He’d never asked a girl to supper and a movie. He’d never even been to a movie. He was already wondering how he would pull it off without his parents finding out. Even though most parents chose to look away when their children took liberties during their running-around period, Samuel was quite sure his parents would forbid going to a movie, especially with an outsider. It was hard not to stay bitter about his parents’ rules. Their demands weren’t in line with the Ordnung—the unwritten rules of the Amish ways. He let that fact justify his actions . . . in his mind, anyway.
“I guess it does sound like a date.” He held his breath. If she turned him down, he might have blown his chance to get to know her better, outside of this one day.
She swung around again, laid the paddle across her lap, and smiled. “I think that sounds great.”
“There’s a shady spot over there.” He pointed to a cluster of trees on the bank nearby. “We can park there to get out of the sun for a while if you want to.”
“Sure.” She put her paddle back in the water, and they made their way to one of Samuel’s favorite spots.
His focus had shifted a little. Even though he looked forward to being with her as much as he could today, his mind was already working out a plan for Saturday. The more he thought about it, there was no way he could tell his parents he was taking Eden to supper and a movie. They would absolutely forbid it. He’d never lied to his folks before. A first for everything, he supposed, even though he didn’t feel good about it.
Again, he thought about his future and his inability to explore his options if he didn’t take some liberties. A movie seemed like a good first step, but there was so much more that he was curious about. Mostly he wanted to know how outsiders lived. What was a normal day like? Did they get up, drive their car to work, maybe meet friends afterward for supper? Despite the socialness in his community, there was still a sense of isolation. The same gatherings with the same people, day after day. The world was vast, with millions of people, and he had only been allowed to see and feel a tiny part of God’s glory. Wouldn’t God want him to explore his options?
He cringed as he had the thought. It went against everything he had been taught to believe—that staying within one’s inner circle was safe and there wasn’t a need to discern what those closest to him believed.
Even as he speculated about his feelings, he acknowledged an underlying realization that he was trying to justify his needs. Maybe that’s why he wasn’t hearing God’s voice. Or was he blocking the voice of God, intentionally or subconsciously?
He was only certain of one thing. Something deep within his soul didn’t feel right.
Chapter 6
Anna peered out the window of the mudroom in the back of the house, the only place she could see the pond from downstairs. What was supposed to be a riding lesson had now turned into a canoe ride, and the two young people were headed to shore on the far side of the pond. Samuel liked the shady spot and went fishing there often. Her son seemed to be needing more and more time to himself, which was to be expected at his age. But the English girl could be trouble. Especially someone as pretty as Eden.
“Mamm?”
Anna startled when Mae came up behind her. Her oldest daughter at fourteen, Mae was like a cat and known to sneak up on a person. “Ya?” She pulled her eyes away from the window, but it was too late. Mae was already grinning.
“Samuel has a girlfriend,” she said before snickering.
“Nee. That’s nonsense. Your uncle Abe and aunt Yvonne are hosting Yvonne’s cousin for a month. Your bruder offered to teach her how to ride a horse.”
Mae inched closer to the window, then turned to her mother and lifted an eyebrow. “It looks like he’s teaching her more than riding and canoeing.”
Anna gazed across the pond, barely able to see much, except that her son was huddled up on a log with that girl and sitting entirely too close. She cut her eyes in her daughter’s direction. “Your bruder would never do anything inappropriate, if that’s what you’re implying.”
Mae shrugged. “I’m sure you’re right.” She smiled before she rounded the corner and went upstairs. Anna wondered if she was going to her sister’s room. Grace’s room had a better view of the pond and where Samuel and Eden sat.
Anna had worried about this time in her children’s lives when they turned sixteen and would expect certain freedoms. But Anna and Leroy were not planning to be lenient and would choose only options they considered safe for their children. Samuel spending time with Eden felt anything but safe. She would have to keep a close eye on this situation. Anna didn’t need a worldly and possibly troubled girl tempting Samuel.
She wanted to believe that she and Leroy had instilled a firm foundation for their children. “Boys will be boys,” she whispered to herself. Then she silently prayed that Samuel would be wise enough not to get close to this girl.
* * *
Eden listened as Samuel told her how Amish kids only went to school through the eighth grade, which she’d read about, but she just nodded. She liked listening to him talk, his accent, the way he punctuated his words.
“I wish we only had to go to school through the eighth grade.” Eden rolled her eyes. “I still have two more years of high school.”
“Will you go to school in Texas or California?”
Samuel sat on the log next to her, and she wondered if he’d brought other girls here. It was a pretty spot where a breeze blew through the branches of the enormous trees that formed an arch above them.
“Um, I’m not sure. It depends how long I stay with my cousin, Emma.” She avoided his inquisitive eyes. A part of her wanted to get it over with and blurt out, “My mom was sentenced to three years in prison. I have a little blooper on my record for shoplifting. And I got in a little trouble for sneaking out in Emma’s car. Oh, and there’s Max, my mom’s horrible boyfriend who tried to put his hands on me more than once, which he said was my fault. Now you know everything, and you can take me back and never have to see me again.”
But she was enjoying her time with Samuel, and she wanted it to last as long as it could before her past revealed itself. She would see the judgment in his eyes, and her fantasy of being someone else would be over.
Eden tucked her tangled hair behind her ears. “So, what kind of movies do you like?”
Samuel looked at his outstretched feet for what seemed like a long time. “I don’t know. I’ve never been to one.”
“Really?” Eden tipped her head to one side. “Are you sure it will be okay with your parents?” She was already on thin ice with his mother. “Because we can do something else or—”
“Nee, nee. It’ll be fine.” He frowned. “But I’m going to get us a driver. There are a couple of movie theaters in neighboring towns, but I think it’s too far for mei horse from where we live.”
“Hire a driver?” Eden raised an eyebrow, grinning. “That’s a pretty big deal where I come from, to pay someone to drive you around.”
He laughed. “We do it all the time. The horses can only travel about twenty miles before they need a rest.” Grinning, he said, “Mei mamm and schweschdere—sisters—like to go to Walmart, and it’s way too far to go by horse. And we need drivers for doctor appointments in town . . . things like that.”
“Amish sightings are something you wouldn’t see where I live in California or in Texas where I’m staying. I’d never even seen an Amish person until I came here.” Eden stretched her legs out in front of her and crossed her ankles. “It’s like a totally different world here.”
Samuel smiled. “So, tell me about your world.”
“Not much to tell.” Eden swallowed hard and avoided his inquisitive gaze, searching for something that didn’t sound horrible. Her living arrangement in California consisted of a small, rundown apartment with a leak in the roof and barely any hot water. It had never felt like home. Usually, they didn’t stay anywhere long enough for it to feel that personal. They’d either get evicted for failure to pay the rent, or sometimes Max was on the run from the police and they would pack up in a hurry. Twice, they’d slept in their car for a couple of days until they found a place to lay their heads, and none of those places felt like home.
