One Child Page 13

  “Finally.” Caleb tapped the reins on the flanks of his horse as the buggy in front of them moved, then turned around in the driveway.

  In the dim light of dusk Seth could see the driver was another woman.

  “Would have been easier if she had dropped her off at the road.” Caleb maneuvered his buggy into an empty space by the barn. “And faster.”

  Seth regarded his friend. “Why are you in such a hurry?” As soon as he asked the question, he knew the answer. “That’s right. Mary Lapp.”

  Caleb shrugged. “Maybe.”

  Seth knew that was all he would get out of his friend, and he was fine with that. He was glad his first outing would be here. The Lapps were a good family, Mary included. She had always been a nice girl, friendly to all and a stranger to none. If anyone would help him not feel out of place, it would be Mary. Besides Caleb, of course. He was the one Amish friend Seth had kept in touch with during his wild years, and one of the few to visit him when he came home from the hospital.

  Caleb jumped out of the buggy, and envy stabbed at Seth. He swiveled in the seat as he opened the door, then slid to the edge and grabbed his walking stick. By the time Caleb had tethered his horse, Seth had just gotten out of the buggy.

  “Need some help?” Caleb asked.

  “Nee. I’ve got it.” Leaning on his stick, Seth shut the door behind him and turned around. “Go ahead and go inside. Don’t want to slow you down.”

  “I’ll wait.”

  Seth shook his head. “I know how eager you are to see Mary—”

  “I never said that.”

  “You didn’t have to. Now, go.”

  Caleb hesitated again, then nodded and walked to the house, taking long strides. Again jealousy came to the fore, but Seth ignored it. He was determined to walk one day unassisted, no matter how long it took. He would accomplish that by continuing the exercises his therapist had given him, even though they were painful.

  Seth hobbled along until he reached the front door. He knocked out of politeness, though he had been to the Lapps’ many times as a child.

  Mary’s mother, Katherine, opened the door. She stood still for a moment as she looked at Seth’s face, then at his walking stick, then back up until her gaze focused on his scar.

  “Gut-n-Owed,” Seth said, breaking the silence.

  She blinked a couple times, then grinned. “Seth Fisher! I’m so glad to see you.”

  His earlier nervousness dimmed a little at the warm welcome. “Danki, Frau Lapp.”

  “Come in, come in. Everyone’s downstairs. I’m sure they’ll be happy you came.” She stepped aside, and Seth entered through the doorway, then turned and faced her, inhaling the sweet scent of cinnamon that wafted through the room.

  He knew the brighter light in the Lapps’ front room made his scar more pronounced, and that was evident by the way Frau Lapp was looking at him. A mixture of pity and curiosity filled her eyes, but for only a moment.

  “Do you need some help getting down the stairs?”

  “Nee. I can manage on my own. But danki just the same.”

  Katherine glanced at his walking stick. “All right, but if you need anything, just let me know. Jeb and I will be right upstairs.”

  Seth nodded and headed for the basement. The murmur of conversation, peppered with a few laughs, drifted up the stairwell. He couldn’t help but smile. He sorely missed the company of people his age, especially after spending weeks in the hospital, then months at home trying to heal. He hadn’t realized how isolated he’d been until now. But his eagerness to join the others was tempered by a hike in his anxiousness. How would they react? Would they ask a million questions? If they did, he wouldn’t hold back. He’d tell them everything they wanted to know.

  Realizing he was wasting time, he made his way down the stairs, using both the handrail and his stick for support. When he reached the bottom he turned left, which led to a large, open room that held about twenty-five young people. The scent of pine wafted from the boughs decorating the walls, reminding him that Christmas was only a couple weeks away.

  At first no one noticed his arrival, as they were all involved in their own conversations. Then Mary Lapp, with Caleb at her side, spotted him. “Seth?”

  The conversation died down to nearly nothing. It seemed that everyone in the room had turned their focus completely on him.

  “Goodness, it’s gut to see you, Seth.” Mary gave him a huge smile, the dimple in her right cheek deepening. She wore a white kapp, and her dark hair was neatly parted and pulled back, exposing her pretty brown eyes.

  He hadn’t seen Mary in a couple of years, and while she had been sort of a cute girl when they were younger, she had grown into a pretty woman. No wonder Caleb was smitten.

  As if to remind Seth that Mary was his, Caleb stepped closer to her. Seth didn’t miss the slight spark of warning reflected in his friend’s blue eyes. He didn’t blame Caleb for being concerned. In the past when Seth Fisher saw what he wanted, he took it, without any regrets.

  Seth would have to earn his friend’s trust. And not only Caleb’s, but everyone else’s as well.

  “Don’t just stand there; come on in.” Mary, the consummate hostess, led Seth into the room. “Look who’s here, everyone. Seth Fisher!”

  Reactions varied, from outright gaping at the scar on his cheek to polite smiles and nods. The ages of the group ranged from sixteen to twenty-four, so it was no surprise that the younger kids were the ones staring. He didn’t mind; he’d expected both surprise and curiosity.

  “Are you hungry? There’s plenty of food. Mudder prepared a feast.” Mary gestured to a long table situated against the wall on the other side of the room.

  Seth took in the bowls of chips, potato salad, ham slices, three different kinds of cheeses, an abundance of bread, Christmas shortbread cookies frosted in red and green, and several varieties of soda. Everything looked delicious, and normally he would have dived right in. But tonight he wasn’t interested in eating, not when everyone was still scrutinizing him. “Maybe later,” he said.

  “That’s fine. Just fill up a plate whenever you want.” Mary smiled again, reassuring him that he had made the right decision in coming.

  The three of them chatted. While Mary described her job waitressing at a local restaurant, Seth surveyed the room. Instantly something caught his eye. Not something. Someone. A young woman. Angling to get a better look, he turned his head as far as he could while still appearing to listen.

  The maedel had caught his attention because she was standing apart from the group, leaning with her entire body pressed against the wall, as if it would fall down around her if she walked away. Her black bonnet obscured part of her face, and she took small sips from the plastic cup in her hand. He guessed she was the woman he’d seen being dropped off earlier.

  “Seth?” Caleb tapped him on the arm.

  “What? Oh, sorry.” He tore his gaze away from her and looked at his friend. “What were you saying?”

  “Mary and I are going to get a drink. Do you need anything?”

  “Nee.” He lowered his voice. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine. Enjoy your time with Mary.”

  “Danki. I intend to.” Caleb tilted his head to the side.

  “What?”

  “You wishing me a good time. You really have changed, haven’t you?”

  “I hope so, Caleb. I really hope so.”

  Miriam wanted to throw up.

  Lydia had given her a few last words of encouragement before dropping her off, and Miriam had held on to those words and entered the party with feigned confidence. While her niece Anna Marie and some of her friends had greeted her, a quick scan of the room told her that not very many of her own friends were in attendance. Before long, several young men and women started pairing off, while others huddled into small groups of three or four, forming small cliques that Miriam had no desire to try to penetrate. How she wished her best friend, Hannah Beiler, was there. Then at least Miriam would have someone
to talk to. But Hannah and her family were visiting her mother’s cousin in Lititz and wouldn’t be back until after Christmas.

  She watched with a little bit of envy as Mary Lapp confidently greeted her guests, making everyone feel equally welcome in her home. Miriam wished she had the self-assurance to walk right up to anyone and just start a conversation. But the thought of doing that made her stomach spin, so she stayed on the sidelines.

  Knowing she had to endure only an hour or so of the singing, she filled a cup with lemon-lime soda pop and leaned against the cold basement wall, a true wallflower. But being invisible to everyone else had one advantage: it allowed her to people-watch, something she did enjoy. She noticed right off that Caleb Esh and Mary Lapp were sweet on each other. They made a striking couple, with her dark hair and his lighter features. Anna Marie had captured the attention of Amos Zook, but Miriam would keep that tidbit to herself, not wanting to insinuate herself in her niece’s business. She observed several others, making mental notes as she did. She was almost enjoying herself.

  Then Seth Fisher walked in.

  Even before Mary spoke, Miriam had seen him.

  Which made her stomach turn inside out.

  What was he doing here? He’d made pretty clear his disdain for Amish social activities when he was fifteen. Why show up to one tonight?

  Maybe he wanted to be the center of attention, as usual. She noticed he walked with a limp and used a wooden walking stick. The stick was quite beautiful, actually, probably one of his father’s or brother’s designs. Both had sterling reputations as carpenters. Already she could see several people crowding around Seth, more than likely entranced as he regaled them with tales of his accident. She didn’t know the exact details, but she’d heard it had been pretty severe.

  Well, she really didn’t care. It was callous of her, but why should she? While she would never have wished for anything bad to happen to him, she didn’t have much pity for him either.

  Well . . . maybe a little. Very little.

  “Hi.”

  She jumped, splashing some of her drink onto her dress. Annoyed not only with the speaker but with herself for being on edge, she grimaced and tried to dry the soda off the bodice of her dress with little success.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I can get you a bauchduch—”

  “Nee, I don’t need it. I’m fine,” she said, unable to hide her irritation. “It’ll—” At that moment she made the mistake of looking up—directly into the eyes of Seth Fisher.

  The story continues in A Miracle for Miriam by Kathleen Fuller

  Other Amish Novellas

  A Choice to Forgive by Beth Wiseman

  A Miracle for Miriam by Barbara Cameron

  Christmas Cradles by Kelly Long

  Another novella by Barbara Cameron found in An Amish Gathering

  About the Author

  BARBARA CAMERON is the author of fifteen novels and three nationally televised movies, as well as a recipient of the first Romance Writers of America Golden Heart. Her Amish stories are inspired by her visits to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.