The promise, p.20
The Promise, page 20
After the bishop and his mother left forty-five minutes later, Sarah found she didn’t want to go in yet. She sat on the red swing and gave herself a push. The padded seat and cushioned back made it comfortable. The squeak of the chains wasn’t too loud. It was a good spot to sit and think. And that was exactly what she needed.
She and Isaac were returning to the easy friendship they had known in the past. It was almost funny. There were times when it seemed like they hadn’t been apart at all. He was growing to be a dear friend. Would that friendship blossom into love? She had to have faith in God’s plan for her and Isaac.
And what about Levi? The stirring of feelings she had for him confused her. It was more than friendship, but how much more? Was it real? How could she care so much for two men?
“A penny for your thoughts,” Levi said from behind her.
She tilted her head back as far as possible and saw he was standing with his hands in his pockets just staring at her. “I won’t take less than a dollar.”
He chuckled as he came around the edge of the swing and sat beside her. “You drive a hard bargain.”
“I know my own worth.”
He reached out, took hold of one of her ribbons and gave a gentle tug. “I wonder if you do.” He dropped the ribbon and leaned away from her. “How goes the courtship of Isaac?”
“Slow. We are taking things slowly.”
“Why?”
Because he’s getting over a broken heart.
Isaac had begged her not to tell Levi about the girl he’d left behind. Sarah had to honor his request.
“Neither one of us wants to repeat our past mistakes by rushing into something we aren’t ready for.”
“That sounds so reasonable. Why don’t I quite believe you?”
“Because you have a suspicious and devious nature.”
“True. Maybe I can speed things up for you. Add a little fertilizer for your romance, so to speak.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “Has Granny Weaver fixed a love potion at your request?”
“I hadn’t thought of that. Does she make them?”
“Ernest claims that’s the only way Betty Shetler got Henry to propose.”
“Betty. Is she that tall, skinny woman with a big, hearty laugh?”
Sarah rolled her eyes at him. “She is tall, but I would never describe her laugh that way.”
“And he’s the short fellow with thick glasses? I don’t see that they would need a love potion. I do see the need for a stepladder when he wants to kiss her. Then again, maybe he simply waits for her to sit down. Say on a swing on her front porch. Kind of like this one.”
He placed a hand beneath Sarah’s chin and lifted her face. Slowly, he bent near and kissed her.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
SARAH FROZE IN SURPRISE. She should have turned aside or moved away but she didn’t. The tenderness of Levi’s lips against hers sent her pulse leaping. The sounds of the late afternoon faded away until she and Levi were the only living things in the world. It should have felt wrong, but it didn’t. It was wondrous.
His kiss was gentle, coaxing her to respond. She lost herself in the sensations his touch brought to life. It was a marvelous, warm moment unlike any she had known. It crossed her mind that she had never really been kissed before. The awkward exchanges she and Isaac had shared in the past were nothing like this.
She wanted it to go on and on.
When he pulled back, she almost moaned with disappointment. Slowly she came back to her senses and took a deep, steadying breath. The earthy scent that was so uniquely his surrounded her. The sounds of the farm returned. The swing made little creaking noises. Why had he kissed her?
He rested his lips against her temple. “Isaac is watching. This should stir things up for you.”
The kiss had been for show. It didn’t mean anything to him. Sarah wanted to sink through the floor.
* * *
LEVI HAD SEEN Isaac watching them from the corner of his eye and decided a little prodding might benefit Isaac as well as Sarah. He lost sight of his purpose the moment her lips softened beneath his.
In that instant she became everything he’d never known he needed in his life. But she wasn’t his. She wanted Isaac.
She tried to move away but he kept his arm around her. His purpose returned with the thud of a lead weight. “I want to make it look good.”
He hated every word that came out of his mouth. It had started for Isaac’s benefit, but it was more than that now. He was falling hard for his brother’s girlfriend.
“Never do that again.” Her whisper was ragged and harsh.
He forced himself to get up off the swing and walk past Isaac, who was standing at the end of the porch. “Hello, little brother.”
He went down the steps with the taste of Sarah lingering on his lips. If he knew Isaac as well as he thought he did, Isaac would make a stronger play for Sarah just so Levi couldn’t have her. He looked back at her sitting quietly on the swing with her hand pressed to her mouth.
What was she thinking? That he was a scoundrel? She wasn’t far wrong. He walked away from her and found himself standing outside of Wing’s stall. The horse put her head over the top board to beg some affection.
“You have a rival. I used to think you were the only one for me, but there is someone else now. Lucky for you, she isn’t a horse. She’ll never outrun you, but she makes my heart soar the way it does when I’m flying along behind you.”
He rubbed the filly’s cheek. “I’m a big heel. She is my brother’s girl. I didn’t know I could sink so low. Except it doesn’t feel low when I’m with Sarah. It feels...amazing.”
He could still feel the weight of her against his chest.
He went inside the stall and began brushing Wing’s coat. The simple repetitive motion always soothed him, but it didn’t tonight. Tonight he had stepped over a line he swore he wouldn’t cross. If Isaac hadn’t shown up, Levi knew he would’ve bared his soul to Sarah and asked her to choose him over his brother. Her answer would have been Isaac. He knew it, but that didn’t change the need to pull her close and taste her sweet lips one more time.
He shook his head. One kiss was all he would have to remember. He kicked a pile of straw into the corner and sat down. He needed to stay far away from Sarah. As far as Lancaster, Pennsylvania. And he needed to go soon.
* * *
SARAH SAT WITH her hands covering her face. Why had she let Levi kiss her? She wanted to feel humiliation or shame. Instead she felt the loss of his wonderful touch. She finally looked up and saw Isaac standing at the corner of the porch. He hadn’t moved. She reached out her hand. “I’m sorry.”
He came forward, took her hand and sat beside her. “Levi is the one who should be sorry.”
“I didn’t know he was going to do that. I wasn’t prepared.”
“I’m not the only jerk in the family.”
“Oh, Isaac. You aren’t a jerk.”
“I used to be.”
“We all change and grow.” She was changed. Levi had done that to her. The kiss didn’t mean anything to him. He had done it to provoke Isaac. To make him jealous. For her, it had shone a bright light into the darkness.
Isaac slipped his arm around her shoulders. “I’ll talk to him. I’ll make him apologize.”
“Can’t we just forget it? It’s not going to happen again. I won’t let it.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Okay, if that’s the way you want it.”
“It is.”
She sat with him for a long time, trying to erase the feel of Levi’s arms around her. Isaac’s arm around her shoulders was comforting, but it didn’t stir her heart the way Levi’s nearness had. After a while she pulled away. “I want to go home now.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am.”
Sarah left the swing and hurried to her brother-in-law’s tractor. She didn’t relax until she was out on the road and headed toward home. A jumble of emotions churned in her mind. She should’ve felt cheapened by Levi’s action, but she didn’t. She pressed a hand to her lips. She felt treasured.
At home she went about her chores without thinking. She sat at the supper table with her family, but she wasn’t hungry. She took a few bites and pushed the rest around on her plate.
She wanted to see Levi again. She wanted to know if the kiss had really been for Isaac’s sake or if there was something that Levi felt toward her.
“Sarah, are you feeling okay?” Laura Beth asked.
“I’m a little tired. I think I’ll go to bed early.”
She got up from the table and left the room, knowing her family would be concerned and worried, but she couldn’t explain.
After talking endlessly about Isaac and her pursuit of him, how could she tell them a kiss by Levi had turned her world upside down? She had thought she was falling in love with Isaac the way she had loved him so many years ago. Only she wasn’t. She liked him as a friend, but the closeness she had hoped for wasn’t there.
She didn’t know what she felt for Levi. It was so much more complex.
She got ready for bed and lay down, but it was a long time before she actually fell asleep. When she did, she dreamed Levi was kissing her.
* * *
“THERE’S TALK GOING around about you and Levi,” Angela whispered on their way up the stairs to the room reserved for their class on Sunday morning.
The prayer meeting was being held at Seth Knepp’s farm. The home was large enough to house the congregation downstairs. The main-level rooms had been designed with movable walls that opened to make a single meeting space.
“What kind of talk?” Sarah was pretty sure she already knew.
“Like maybe a courting couple got carried away and wasn’t looking where the horse was headed and the sheriff stopped them.”
Sarah’s mouth dropped open. “Are you serious? People are saying that?”
Angela giggled. “The real question is, are you and Levi serious about each other? I thought you had your sights set on Isaac.”
It was hard for Sarah to keep her mind on what was being taught after that. The same church elders continued the baptismal instructions for her that morning, along with Isaac, Angela and Thaddeus. Isaac asked more questions and seemed more interested in the answers. She hoped that meant he was becoming serious about accepting the Amish way of life. After the class was over, she waited impatiently for the church service to end. Four hours of preaching had never felt so long.
Several times during the service, she glanced over at the men’s side of the room. Twice she caught Isaac smiling at her, but Levi never looked her way that she saw. She was the object of more attention from the other women than the men. When the last hymn drew to a close, she shut the large black hymnal and tried to leave with as much dignity as possible. Outside a group of her friends were gathered beneath a large maple tree in the Knepps’ front yard.
One of the girls grabbed Sarah’s arm. “We heard you were pulled over by the sheriff for speeding with Levi Raber. Is that true?”
Sarah gave a long-suffering sigh. “I knew everyone would be talking about this today. I’m sure Granny Weaver was delighted to repeat the tale. She likes to share a good story almost as much as Ernest does.”
She kept her eyes on the door to the Knepps’ house, waiting for Levi to come out. She knew the men were rearranging the benches into tables. She finally saw him leave and head toward the barn where a number of other men were already gathered.
She walked slowly toward the group. She didn’t want to fuel more gossip by running after him in front of the whole church. She set her eyes on Owen Mast and strolled toward him. Owen was standing near Levi. She quickly thought of a reason to speak to Owen while ignoring Levi. Her sister had lost a goat to the coyotes recently and had wondered if they needed a guard dog or a llama. Pretending she didn’t care if Levi was there or not might put a stop to any speculation that she and Levi were a couple.
She didn’t even glance at Levi as she walked up to Owen. “Guder mariye, Owen.”
“Guder mariye, Sarah. You don’t look so very windblown to me.” The men around him laughed.
She was going to be the punch line of a few jokes for a while. If she made light of the episode, it would be forgotten quickly. If she avoided the subject or Levi, then people would wonder why. Everyone knew she was working at the Raber farm.
She forced a smile. “When Levi Raber asks if you want to see how fast his horse will go, you’d better leave your hat at home. The ribbons of my kapp were standing straight out behind my head when the sheriff pulled us over. Took me an hour to iron them back into the right shape.”
“Is that true, Levi?” Ernest asked.
“I didn’t notice her ribbons, but her nose was pushed as flat as if it was up against the window glass. It still looks a little flat to me. What do you fellows think?” She was pleased that Levi was following her lead in making light of the episode.
Mr. Knepp scratched his beard. “I have a pretty fast trotter. I might like to see how my horse measures up to yours.”
Ernest rubbed his hands together. “A match race. I like the sound of that.”
Several men murmured their agreement.
“Did you need something?” Owen asked Sarah.
“I was wanting some information about the guard llama you recently purchased. My sister has a goat herd and we have been troubled by coyotes lately.”
“Mr. Knepp, I’d like to see this horse of yours,” Levi said.
“He’s out in the pasture. I’ll have one of my boys bring him in.” The two men walked toward the pasture gate. Most of the other men followed behind them.
“Ruth is the one who made the decision to get the llama. You should talk to her.” Owen joined the men at the fence.
“Do you think you turned the tide?” Ernest asked quietly in her ear.
Sarah arched one eyebrow toward him. “Maybe. Don’t you start spreading any rumors about Levi and me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” He chuckled as he walked away.
Sarah drew a deep breath. She had done what she could. Keeping things casual between her and Levi while they were in public would be her goal for the next few weeks until people found something else to gossip about.
She saw Isaac coming her way. He had a scowl on his face. “People are talking about you and my brother.”
“It’s okay.”
“How can you say that?”
“I open my mouth, and what I’m thinking comes out.”
His scowl deepened. “What should we do about the talk?”
“Nothing. Nothing happened. Nothing will come of denying that anything happened, so we do...nothing.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am. Now let’s go enjoy the meal and visit with Angela and Thaddeus. Maybe we can get up a game of volleyball after a while.”
“Okay.”
She saw Levi walking her way. He stopped beside them. “Have you eaten?”
“We were just on our way to the house.” She saw the concern in his eyes and knew it wasn’t because he thought she was hungry or angry. He wanted to make sure she wasn’t upset by the gossip.
“We’d rather eat by ourselves,” Isaac said.
“It will look better if I join you.”
“He’s right,” Sarah said. Together they walked past Henrietta and a group of her friends watching them closely.
“My fish was the bigger of the two. Are you ready to admit it?” Levi asked, his voice slightly louder than normal.
Sarah stopped. “You are narrisch if you think I’ll admit anything of the kind. My fish was much larger than yours.”
“Isaac, are you going to let your girl call me crazy?”
Isaac looked from one to the other. “I reckon I am.”
She inclined her head. “Danki, Isaac.”
Levi started walking again. Isaac and Sarah fell into step behind him. Isaac leaned close to her. “Did he just call you my girlfriend?”
She didn’t want Isaac to feel trapped in a relationship with her after ending his previous one such a short time ago. “For this morning. You can dump me on the way home.”
“I don’t see the need to do that.”
She stopped. “You don’t?”
He turned to face her. “Nee. You and I are friends. We should try being boyfriend and girlfriend for a while and see how it works.”
“What about your other friend?”
He scowled. “That’s over. I’m going to ask you not to mention her again.”
“Okay, I won’t.”
“Goot. It’s time we started dating. We will enjoy each other’s company, right?”
“Of course.” And she wouldn’t give Levi another thought.
She looked over Isaac’s shoulder. Levi was waiting for them by the kitchen door. Had he overheard Isaac’s comments? Was he satisfied that his ploy had worked?
* * *
HIS ACTION HAD taken root in Isaac’s mind and forced his hand. Levi wasn’t ready to pat himself on the back just yet. It was a long way from being a dating couple to getting married. If his nudge had started Isaac along that path, Sarah should be grateful. Levi took his plate of food and cup of coffee outside to sit under the shade of a mulberry tree beside the pump house.
Isaac and Faron joined him. “How is that horse working out now?” Levi asked.
“He hasn’t given me a lick of trouble. My thanks for your hard work. I sure will recommend you to anyone else with a problem horse.”
Owen and Joshua stood leaning against the hay trailer. Owen pointed his fork at Levi. “Are you planning on starting a business training horses?”
“I haven’t really thought about it.”
