Neighbors Of Lancaster County: Amish Weddings Part 13

"What?" Rose s.h.i.+fted in her chair, wondering how long she'd been daydreaming.

Trudy exhaled as her hands fell to her lap. "Like I've said three times, it's your turn."

"Oh," Rose responded, looking at her tiles as Dat pa.s.sed through the kitchen.

"Guder Nacht," he said as he reached the hall. "See you tomorrow."

Thankfully Joel would help him with the milking in the morning. And Trudy was going to make breakfast. It would be the first day Shani worked since Lila's accident. Rose would care for Lila in the morning and then take Trudy to school. Then she'd return to Lila. It was a crazy schedule. Thankfully Shani had the rest of the week off.

"Maybe I'll make Dutch babies," Trudy said.

"Stick with scrambled eggs and ham slices," Rose said. "That's easy and it will fill Dat up."

After a couple more turns, Rose told Trudy it was time for bed. "I need to get over to help get Lila to bed."

Trudy's lip turned down. She didn't like sleeping in their room by herself. She'd shared it her entire life with both Lila and Rose.

"I'll see you in the morning," Rose said. She already had her bag packed and by the back door.

"Can't I go with you?"

Rose shook her head. "There's only one cot." There were other reasons too, but those didn't concern Trudy. "Brush your teeth," Rose said. "And don't forget to say your prayers." Trudy only had three years of school left, and then she'd be running the household for Dat. It was good for her to start taking more responsibility. They'd all spoiled her.

As Rose walked down the lane under the light of a nearly full moon, she couldn't help but hope Trevor would come along and give her a ride. Just the thought of him gave her a jolt as she pa.s.sed the cedar tree and approached Shani and Joel's house. Trevor's car sat in the driveway. Maybe she would see him.

The evening had grown crisp and cold, and she pulled her cape tighter as she walked slowly by the Becks' home. When no one came out, she stepped around the side of the barn. A single lamp burned in the kitchen window of the little house. Perhaps Shani had already helped Lila get ready for bed.

As she hurried onto the porch, the door swung open and Trevor stepped into the near darkness. "I was waiting for you," he said. "To say good-night."

Rose smiled and stepped closer.

He gazed down.

"Who all is here?" she asked.

"Just Zane and me. We're ready to leave though." He stayed in the doorway. "So did you go to the singing tonight?"

She shook her head. "I played games with Trudy instead."

He smiled.

"Ready?" Zane asked, coming up behind Trevor.

"Yep," he answered, stepping aside so Rose could enter the house.

Zane wore an Englisch jacket over his Amish s.h.i.+rt. "Lila just had her pain meds."

Rose told the boys good-night, shut the door, and then took off her cape and hung it on a peg by the front door. The fire was roaring, and it was too warm in the little house. She approached Lila and after saying h.e.l.lo added, "Did Shani already get you ready for bed?"

Lila nodded. Rose tucked the quilt around her sister, feeling she should do something, and then she moved the lamp and sat down in the recliner, pulling the latest copy of the Budget from her bag.

When she was certain Lila had fallen asleep, she put her cape back on and tiptoed to the front door.

Lila stirred. "Where are you going?"

"To get some fresh air. It's burning up in here."

"Rose . . ."

"Honestly, Lila. I'm just going to stand on the porch for a minute and then change into my nightgown and get some sleep before you need your next pill." She turned the doork.n.o.b. When Lila didn't respond, she went ahead and stepped onto the porch, breathing in the cool air as she pulled the door closed. She could see a sliver of light coming through the apple trees from the Becks' house. She continued on, knowing exactly what she was hoping for. She was sure it wouldn't happen though. Trevor had probably gone over to Eve and Charlie's as soon as he left.

She walked along the barn and then stopped at the corner, craning her neck to see if Trevor's car was still there. It was.

"Hey."

She gasped and then giggled. It was Trevor, at the other corner of the barn. "Hey, yourself," she said and then giggled again at the risk she was taking. But she wasn't going to feel guilty about it. She should have spent some time running around two years ago. That was the mistake she'd made.

"What are you doing?" He slipped something into his pocket.

"Getting some fresh air," she answered. "It's a hothouse in there."

"Yeah," he said. "Well, Lila was cold, and Zane kept stoking the fire. I told him we were all going to die from heatstroke, but he wouldn't listen."

Rose smiled and then said, "I thought you would have left by now. What are you doing out here?"

"I was hoping you'd come out to say good-night."

Her heart skipped a beat. "I already said good-night," she teased.

He stepped closer. "A second good-night, then." His breath smelled a little sweet and a little peppery at the same time. He turned on the flashlight on his phone and nodded his head toward the barn. "We could sit in there."

"All right," she said, leading the way, following the beam of light as Trevor pushed the door open. The Becks' barn was mostly empty. Rose knew Lila and Zane wanted to raise a couple of calves and some chickens, but currently the family had no animals. There were a few bales of hay, probably from when Zane kept Billie there for a short time.

There was a bench in front of one of the stalls. Trevor pointed toward it. Rose sat down, and Trevor sat next to her, on the far side of the bench. She scooted a little closer to him before she considered what she was doing. She stopped. It was one thing to flirt with him but another to be too forward. She'd never acted so un-Plain in all of her life.

"Do you think Zane is doing all right?" Trevor asked. "I'm worried about him."

"Oh?" Rose hadn't really given Zane much thought.

"He's upset about the other driver. And the deputy that questioned Lila. He's afraid the insurance company is going to get out of paying."

"Doesn't it take a while for those things to get settled?"

"Sure," Trevor said.

"It hasn't been very long."

"True." Trevor placed his cell phone, the flashlight beam shooting upward, between them. "Zane always seemed so calm and level-headed in the Army. He seems like a loose cannon now."

"What do you mean?"

Trevor shook his head. "I probably shouldn't say anything. . . ."

Rose leaned a little closer. "What happened?"

Trevor didn't answer right away, but then he said, "I think he feels helpless. Like there's not a lot he can do to help Lila."

"Oh," Rose answered. There really wasn't much he could do. He couldn't dress her or sponge bathe her or spend the night with her. She didn't want to talk about Lila and Zane, but she wasn't going to tell Trevor that.

He sighed. "I can understand being frustrated about not being able to help someone you really care about."

"Oh?" Rose said again, but this time in a teasing way.

He turned toward her, his eyes serious. "I'd care about you in a split second, if you weren't Amish. As it is I can't risk the wrath of your father. He seems pretty formidable."

Rose wasn't sure what to say. Dat wasn't anyone to make mad-that was for sure. Trevor picked up his phone and held it in his hand, partially blocking the light. Rose placed her hands in her lap and stared at him. His face was in the shadows, but he was still looking at her.

"Jah," she finally said. "We definitely come from different worlds." And that was fine. She certainly didn't want anything from him, except some fun.

As he turned his body toward her, she leaned forward. He put his hand on her shoulder gently, then scooted closer. When his lips met hers, she wondered if perhaps she was only fooling herself. Perhaps she did want more. It was as if something was exploding deep within her. She couldn't help but think that Reuben kissing her would never feel like this.

She scooted closer to Trevor until they were hugging as they kissed, each pulling the other closer. His mouth was warm and then open and tasted both sweet and spicy, just like his breath smelled. He'd been drinking something by the barn. He held her tighter and kissed her harder. But then he pulled away suddenly.

"Wow," he said, standing quickly. She looked up at him, afraid she'd offended him somehow. "Look," he said. "I didn't mean for that to happen." He inhaled deeply and then exhaled, s.h.i.+ning the light toward the door. "I'll walk you back."

Confused, she followed him out the door.

"You okay?" he asked as he walked with her around the barn.

"Jah," she answered. "I can walk the rest of the way alone."

"No," he said. "I'll see you safely there." When they reached the porch, he put his hand on her shoulder.

She turned her face up toward his, longing for him to kiss her again.

Instead of guessing at her wish he said, "Look, I shouldn't have kissed you like that. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she said. "I didn't mind. Not one bit." She smiled up at him. None of her kisses with boys she went to school with had been like that. She hadn't known a kiss could be so pa.s.sionate. That she could feel so- "No, I am sorry," he said. "I don't want to take advantage of you. Of your innocence."

She shook her head, feeling a frown spread across her face. She'd rather have him kiss her than talk down to her. "Good night," she said and then hurried to the door, her heart aching.

As she entered the house, Lila called out her name.

"Jah," she said. "I'm here."

"Gut," her sister answered. "I can sleep now." Rose wasn't used to Lila being dependent on her. That in itself was unsettling.

But what was most unsettling was the way Trevor's kiss had made her feel. For a moment, she thought of Reuben and a wave of guilt washed over her. No, she'd ignore that. Trevor wouldn't kiss her again. She'd pretend it never happened. Nothing would change between her and Reuben. The only thing that had changed was that she'd caught a glimpse of what she'd wanted before she'd set her sights on Reuben, before she'd joined the church. Jah, it had probably been a mistake to do both so young. She definitely should have done a little more running around before it was too late.

Rose didn't see Trevor for the next couple of days. She knew he picked Zane up and then dropped him off after work, but he wasn't coming into the little house. He was probably avoiding her on purpose. She didn't blame him. He was probably afraid Rose had fallen for him. She wouldn't embarra.s.s herself. She'd play it cool when she did see him, wouldn't give it away that she was thinking about him every waking moment.

Finally, on the third day, as Rose helped Lila from the recliner to the bed, she asked her sister what she knew about Trevor.

"He's from Delaware," she said.

Rose knew that.

"It seems he had a girlfriend."

Rose nodded. He'd told her that.

"Zane thinks he regrets breaking up with her-or maybe that they're not entirely broken up."

Rose hadn't gathered that from what Trevor had said before. Her face grew warm. No wonder he'd immediately regretted kissing her. She should have gone to the singing with Reuben on Sunday evening instead of sneaking out to see Trevor.

"It's time for me to go get Trudy," Rose said. "Are you all right? Or should I go get Shani?"

"I'm fine," Lila said. "I'll sleep while you're gone."

Rose had parked the buggy outside Joel and Shani's barn after she took Trudy to school that morning and had put the horse in a stall. She'd brought over a bale of hay and spread it on the floor. As she led the horse out, past the bench she and Trevor had sat on, she couldn't help but remember their kiss.

He'd been apologetic. Obviously he wasn't that interested in her.

The clear skies had held, and the day was warm. She had the horse hitched in no time and headed down the lane. By the time she reached the school, it seemed that she'd seen at least ten red sports cars. None of them was Trevor's though. Thinking about him so much alarmed her. Was this how Dat felt about Beth? Was Rose accidentally falling in love with Trevor? She couldn't let that happen, and yet she could feel her certainty about marrying Reuben diminis.h.i.+ng each day. Perhaps she was only seventy percent sure now. The thought troubled her.

She tied the horse to the hitching post and started toward the building. "You're late." Trudy stood on the top step.

Behind her, Beth waited in the open doorway of the school. She waved at Rose and called out, "How is Lila doing?"

"Gut," Rose answered. Actually Lila seemed to be in a lot of pain still. It didn't seem to be getting better, and she was taking as many pain pills as always. She said she couldn't sleep without them.

"How are you doing?" Rose asked the woman.

"Fine," Beth said, but she didn't seem fine.

Rose stepped onto the first stair and shot Trudy a questioning look, but her little sister just shrugged her shoulders.

After stepping up another level, Rose asked, "What happened?"

Beth shook her head.

Rose raised her eyebrows.

Beth paused a minute and then said to Trudy, "Go get your book to take home. You should be able to finish it tonight."

Once Trudy slipped back into the school, Beth said, her voice low, "A few weeks ago Gideon cautioned your Dat and I from spending so much time together."

"Oh." It was as Rose suspected, but she was surprised that Beth and Dat would be caught off guard by Gideon's warning. "I'm sorry," Rose said. "I know how much you two . . ." She wasn't sure how to finish her sentence.