Courting Her Secret Heart. Mary Davis

noticed her absence? It figured.

      “Bartholomew Miller had an accident. An ambulance came. Bishop Bontrager asked me to take care of things here until you all returned and your vater was able to work again.”

      “My vater? Accident? What happened? Is he all right?”

      “I don’t know the details. But if the bishop thinks your vater will be well enough to work his farm again, then I think he will be all right eventually. Would you like me to drive you into Goshen to the hospital?”

      Deborah shook her head. “If I hitch up the smaller buggy, I can drive myself.”

      “I’ll hitch it.”

      “Danki.” Deborah ran into the house to grab her bag of sewing. In case she had a while to wait at the hospital, she wanted to have something to keep herself distracted from too much worry. When she came back out, Amos wasn’t much further along in getting the buggy ready.

      Impatient, Deborah stalked over to the horse standing in the yard and took hold of the harness on the other side from Amos.

      He stopped his progress. “I’m capable of doing this myself.”

      Deborah hooked the belly strap. “I know.” What Amish person didn’t know how to hitch up a horse to a buggy by themself by age ten or twelve? “If I help, it’ll go faster.”

      After a deep breath, he got back to the work at hand. Once the buggy was hitched and ready to go, he climbed in the side opposite her and took charge of the reins.

      She put her hands on her hips. “What are you doing?”

      “Taking you into town.”

      “I told you that I can drive a buggy myself.”

      “I know and have no doubt you’re capable, but you’re flustered over the news of your vater, and it would be best if you don’t drive in your present state.”

      “Present state? What’s that supposed to mean?”

      He tilted his head. “Are you getting in? Or would you rather walk to town?”

      With a huff, she climbed aboard and plopped down on the seat. “You are insufferable.”

      He handed her a quilt for her lap, then gently snapped the reins and clucked the horse into motion. “If by insufferable you mean helpful, then danki.”

      Why was she being so ill-tempered? This wasn’t like her. Maybe it was the news of her vater being injured. Or maybe it was her guilt of being away from the house when it happened. Or maybe it was because she knew she had been doing something her vater, her family and the community would frown upon. Or maybe it was all three. Whatever the reason, Amos didn’t deserve her poor attitude when he was being so helpful and kind. “I’m sorry for being difficult. I’m worried about my vater.”

      “That’s understandable.”

      She blew into her hands to warm them, then slipped on her knitted mittens. “I haven’t seen you before. Do you belong to a neighboring community district?”

      “Ne. We live on the other side of the district. We moved here a year ago from Pennsylvania. We’re at church every other Sunday. You’ve even been to church at our farm. We obviously haven’t made a memorable impression on you. Or at least I haven’t.”

      How could she not remember him? “Tell me a little about your family to remind me.”

      “I am the youngest of five boys. The two oldest stayed in Pennsylvania and split the farm we had there.”

      “I think I know who you are, or at least your family. I’m the middle of seven girls.”

      “I know. I’ve seen you in church along with all your sisters.”

      He’d noticed her?

      “Tell me something, is Miriam spoken for or being courted by anyone?”

      Evidently, he had his eye on her sister, who was a little over a year older than herself. That meant, it hadn’t been Deborah he’d noticed at church, but her sister. Disappointing. Someone else who overlooked her. “Timothy Zook seems interested in her.”

      “Is she interested in him?”

      “Some days ja, and others ne. Miriam likes a lot of boys. She can’t seem to decide which one she likes most. She’s so afraid of choosing the wrong man to marry, we fear she’ll never marry at all.” Deborah pulled a face. “I probably shouldn’t have told you all that. Please don’t hold it against her. She’s a very wonderful sister.”

      His chuckle held no humor.

      Was it truly Miriam she didn’t want him to think of poorly, or herself because of her derogatory words? Why should she care what this man thought of her? But she did. “Can you hurry? I need to know how my vater is.”

      “I’m going as fast as the Ordnung allows.”

      “But this is kind of an emergency. You would be allowed to go faster.”

      He thinned his lips. “This isn’t an emergency. Your vater’s being well looked after. Whether it takes us five minutes or five hours to get there will have no bearing on your vater’s condition.”

      He was right, of course, but she had already missed so much. She very much wished they were going by car. “When was my vater hurt?”

      “First thing this morning.”

      So long ago? He must have gotten hurt soon after she had slipped away. Now she really did feel guilty.

      Like Amos said, if she got to the hospital with everyone else or in the next hour, she wouldn’t have been able to make a difference. But at least she could have been with her family. And know what was going on.

      She settled her nerves for the plodding, boring journey. “Do you miss Pennsylvania?”

       “Ne.”

      That was a sharp reply.

      “But you grew up there. Your friends are there. The rest of your family is there. Don’t you miss any of them?”

       “Ne.”

      Again, his single word sounded harsh.

      “There’s nothing for me back there. This move was supposed to be gut.”

      But she sensed it wasn’t. She wanted to press him, to understand why he seemed to harbor bitterness toward the place where he’d grown up, but doubted he would tell her anything. After all, they were basically strangers.

      Eventually, Amos pulled in next to several other buggies outside the hospital.

      She jumped out. “You don’t have to stay. I’ll get a ride back with my family. Danki.” She trotted inside. She inquired at the information desk and soon found her family, with all her sisters, as well as several other community members. Her vater sat in a wheelchair, waiting to be discharged.

      His left arm rested in a sling, and his left leg was in a cast and propped on a pillow on one of the wheelchair’s leg supports. He’d chosen neon green. Would the church leaders approve of the color? Probably not, but they wouldn’t be able to do anything about it until he had the cast changed in a few weeks.

      Thirteen-year-old Naomi made a face at her.

      Deborah ignored her younger sister, who liked to stir up trouble, and hurried over to him. “Vater, are you all right?”

      Vater gave her a lopsided smile. “I’m feeling great. They gave me something for the pain. But I don’t have any pain.”

      “There you are, Deborah.” Her mutter frowned. “I was wondering where you’d gotten off to. Did you go to the vending machines