A Cousin's Prayer (23 page)

Eunice was not looking forward to going to the stamp shop, but that’s exactly where she was heading. She’d just come from the Lambrights’ place, where she’d delivered some candles Ada had ordered. Mama had asked her to stop by the stamp shop on her way home to pick up some cardstock and a few scrapbooking supplies. Eunice dreaded seeing Katie because she knew that Katie was in love with Freeman. She could tell by the look on Katie’s face whenever she and Freeman were together.

Eunice had hoped that after she’d told Katie that she and Freeman planned to be married, it would discourage her from hanging around Freeman so much. What Eunice hadn’t expected was that Freeman would break up with her that very same night. She hoped she could get him to change his mind, but in the meantime, she was worried that Freeman might start going out with Katie.

When Eunice entered the stamp shop, JoAnn was busy waiting on an English woman, but there no sign of Katie. That was a relief. Maybe Katie wasn’t working today. Maybe she wouldn’t have to speak to Katie at all.

Anxious to be on her way, she hurried over to the scrapbooking supplies and picked out what Mama needed; then she grabbed a package of cardstock. As soon as the English woman left, Eunice placed the items on the counter.

JoAnn smiled. “Looks like you’re going to be busy for a while.”

“These aren’t for me,” Eunice said. “They’re for my mamm.”

“Oh, I see.” JoAnn placed everything in a plastic bag. “Is there anything else you need?”

“No, but I was wondering where Katie is. Isn’t she working here today?”

JoAnn shook her head. “Katie’s up at the house, packing her suitcase.”

“Is she going on a trip?”

“No, she’ll be moving back to Florida tomorrow morning.”

“Now that’s sure a surprise.”

“It was to us, too. She’ll be living with Jeremy’s cousin and his wife until she finds a job.”

Eunice smiled to herself. With Katie out of the picture, Freeman was bound to take her back.

Slurp! Slurp! Slurp!

Freeman moaned as Penny continued to lick his face. He tried to sit up, but the burning pain in his chest wouldn’t allow him to move. He tried to talk, but he could barely breathe. All he could do was lie on the ground and pray.

Clip-clop. Clip-clop.
Someone was coming up the lane.
Clip-clop. Clip-clop.
The sound of horse’s hooves drew closer.

Freeman gritted his teeth and tried to get up, but it was no use.

Woof! Woof!
Penny darted away.

Freeman lay there helplessly as Penny continued to bark. Even if he’d been able to holler for help, no one could have heard him with the dog yapping like that. Well, at least she’d quit licking his face.

Several minutes went by; then someone shouted his name.

“Oh, Freeman, what happened to you?” Eunice dropped to her knees beside him, her eyes wide with fear.

“F–fell,” he rasped.

Eunice stared at him with a blank expression for several seconds. Then she pointed to the ladder nearby. “Did you fall from that?”

He managed a slow nod. “C–can’t breathe.”

“I’m going to the phone shed to call for help!” Eunice leaped to her feet and hurried away.

Penny flopped down beside Freeman, whimpered, and licked his nose.

Freeman closed his eyes and said a prayer.
Thank You, Lord, for sending help.

Several minutes went by; then Eunice knelt beside him again. “I called 911, and an ambulance is on the way.” She took hold of Freeman’s hand. “I was heading to your bike shop to tell you something, but Penny kept barking and looking up this way, so I decided I’d better see if something was wrong.”

Freeman’s chest hurt so bad, he could only nod in reply. He was relieved when he heard the wail of a siren.

“I’d better go to the schoolhouse and let Fern know what’s happened,” Eunice said after the ambulance arrived.

Freeman nodded and closed his eyes, thankful to God that Eunice had come along when she did.

“Would you like another pillow?” Fern asked as Freeman settled himself on the sofa.

He winced as he shook his head. “One’s enough.”

“Are you in pain?”

“A little.”

“Should I get you some water and a pain pill?”

“Not right now. I had a pill before we left the hospital.”

Slurp! Slurp!
Penny, who’d been lying on the floor in front of the sofa, lifted her head and swiped her tongue across Freeman’s hand.

“You’re a good girl,” Freeman mumbled.

Fern took a seat in the rocking chair across from him. “I’m so thankful that Eunice found you when she did. No telling what would have happened if she hadn’t come along.”

Freeman nodded. “I’m very grateful.”

Fern’s nose crinkled. “When Eunice came to the schoolhouse to tell me what happened, I could see how concerned she was. It’s obvious that she cares for you, Freeman.”

“I know.” Freeman leaned his head against the pillow and closed his eyes. “I’m really tired. Could we talk about this later?”

A knock sounded on the door. Freeman opened his eyes and groaned. “I hope it’s not someone who went looking for me at the bike shop.”

“I’ll see who it is.” Fern hurried from the room, and when she returned a few seconds later, Eunice was with her.

“I was hoping you’d be home from the hospital by now,” Eunice said, moving quickly across the room.

“I have something to do in the kitchen, so I’ll leave you alone.” Fern smiled at Eunice, and then she scurried from the room.

“How are you feeling?” Eunice asked, stepping into Freeman’s field of vision.

“Fair to middlin’, all things considered.”

She took a seat on the end of the sofa by his feet. “I was really scared when I found you lying on the ground.”

“I was scared, too.” He grimaced as he tried to find a comfortable position. “Don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t come along when you did.”

She nodded. “Guess it’s a good thing Fern’s puppy was barking like that, or I might not have come up to the yard.”

Just then Penny leaped into Eunice’s lap and swiped her tongue across Eunice’s nose.

“Get down!” With a disgruntled look, Eunice pushed Penny to the floor.

Freeman smiled despite the pain in his chest. “Guess I’m not the only one that pup likes to kiss.”

They spent the next several minutes in silence. The only noise in the room was the steady
tick-tock
of the clock on the far wall. Freeman wondered if Eunice felt as uncomfortable as he did. Was she expecting him to say that he’d changed his mind about breaking up with her?

Should I change my mind?
he asked himself.
She did come to my rescue yesterday, and she does seem to care about me. Still, I’m not sure that’s a good enough reason to keep going out with her.

Eunice inched a little closer to Freeman. “When you’re feeling better, maybe you can come over to my place for supper again.”

The expectant look he saw on Eunice’s face made him want to jump off the sofa, run out to the barn, and hide in the hayloft. But he was in no position to jump or run. “Since I’m gonna be laid up for the next several days, I probably won’t be going anyplace,” he said.

“I meant after you’re feeling better.”

“Maybe Fern and I can both come to supper after I catch up with things in the shop,” he said, hoping to appease her.

Her mouth turned up at the corners. “That would be nice.”

Loraine’s steps slowed as she neared the stamp shop. When Ella had told her that Katie was leaving for Florida tomorrow, she’d decided to come over and see if she could talk Katie out of going. She just hoped her cousin would listen to reason.

Loraine stood on the porch a few minutes as she asked God for wisdom in knowing what to say. Drawing in a deep breath, she stepped into the stamp shop. She found Katie bent over a piece of pegboard where some scissors and paper punches hung.

“I hear you’ll be leaving us tomorrow,” she said, stepping up to Katie.

“That’s right,” Katie said. “Clarence and Mae are planning to leave sooner than they expected.”

Loraine touched Katie’s shoulder. “Do you really have to go?”

Katie nodded, and tears gathered in her eyes. “It’s the best thing for me right now.”

“How come?”

Katie sank into a chair at her mother’s desk. “Eunice has spread so many rumors about me, and with her and Freeman planning to get married next spring, it wouldn’t be right for me and Freeman to remain close friends.”

Loraine’s eyebrows shot up. “Wayne and Freeman are pretty good friends, and as far as I know, Freeman hasn’t mentioned anything to Wayne about marrying Eunice.”

Katie shrugged. “They probably won’t let too many people know until the time gets closer, but Eunice told me herself that she and Freeman would be getting married.”

“Speaking of Freeman,” Loraine said, “did you hear that he got hurt while he was pruning some trees in their yard?”

Katie bolted out of her chair. “When did that happen?”

“Yesterday morning. Eunice’s daed came by the taxidermy shop with a fish he wanted stuffed, and he told Wayne that Freeman had been pruning some trees in their yard and fell off the ladder.” Loraine’s brows puckered. “I guess Freeman ended up in the emergency room with some broken ribs and a collapsed lung.”

Katie covered her mouth with the palm of her hand. “That’s baremlich!”

“You’re right, it’s terrible,” Loraine agreed. “Eunice’s daed said that Eunice told him that Freeman was in a lot of pain the day that it happened.”

“Is he still in the hospital?”

“I don’t think so. From what Wayne was told, Freeman was supposed to be released some time today.”

Katie moved quickly toward the door. “When my mamm comes out of the bathroom, would you tell her I had an errand to run?” She scooted out the door before Loraine could respond.

As Katie headed out with her horse and buggy, she reminded herself to relax, breathe deeply, and stay focused on the road. She hadn’t had a panic attack in several weeks, and she sure didn’t need one now.

A flock of geese honked overhead and landed in a nearby field. At the same time, a car whipped past Katie, going much too fast, and she gripped the reins tightly, fearing that her horse might spook. Dixie, however, did okay, and so did Katie. She was more relaxed than she’d expected.

Katie hoped Freeman was home from the hospital and that she was doing the right thing in going to see him. She just couldn’t leave Indiana without saying good-bye, and she needed to know that he was all right.

When Katie turned up the Bontragers’ driveway, she saw a horse and buggy at the hitching rail near the barn. Apparently, Freeman must be home, and he already had some company. Katie didn’t want to say good-bye to Freeman in front of anyone else, and she considered leaving a note, along with the banana nut cake she’d brought for him on the porch. But she wanted to say goodbye to Freeman in person, so she quickly dismissed that idea.

She pulled up to the other side of the rail, climbed down from the buggy, and secured her horse. Then she retrieved the container of cake and sprinted for the house.

Stepping onto the back porch, she rapped on the door. A few seconds later, she was greeted by Fern.

“I heard about Freeman’s accident,” Katie said. “I wanted to come by and see how he’s doing.”

“His ribs are very sore, but he’s getting along okay.” Fern glanced over her shoulder. “Knowing my energetic bruder, he’ll be back on his feet in no time at all.”

“Can I see him for a few minutes? I want to see how he’s doing.”

“Eunice is visiting with him right now. They’re talking about some personal things, so I don’t want to interrupt.”

“Oh, I see.” Katie heard muffled voices through the screen door and figured it was Freeman talking to Eunice. She cringed when she heard the words
love
and
marriage.
Eunice had obviously been telling the truth about getting married next spring. For all Katie knew, they might get married even sooner—maybe right after Freeman joined the church.

She stared at the toes of her sneakers, trying to decide what to do. It had taken courage to come over here, and she couldn’t leave without at least letting Freeman know she’d been here.

Katie handed Fern the container with the cake inside. “Would you give this to Freeman and tell him that I’ll be leaving for Florida tomorrow and wanted to say good-bye?”

Fern tipped her head as she took the cake. “Are you moving back to Florida?”

Katie nodded. “I’ll be living with my daed’s cousin and his wife until I’m able to get a job and a place of my own.”

“Oh, I see. Well, that’s probably for the best.” Fern’s mouth turned up at the corners. “You were happier there, right?”

“Jah, I was.” Katie could barely speak around the lump in her throat. She really didn’t want to leave Indiana, but hearing Freeman and Eunice talking about love and marriage made her even more certain that she was doing the right thing by moving back to Florida. “Will you tell Freeman I was here and give him the cake?” she asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

Fern gave a quick nod. “I wish you the best in Florida, Katie.”

“Danki.” Katie dashed down the steps and raced across the lawn. She quickly untied her horse and scrambled into the buggy. As soon as she took her seat, the dam broke and tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

As she guided Dixie down the lane and onto the road, she could barely see because of her tears, and her throat felt so clogged she could hardly swallow.

“I’m sorry, Eunice,” Freeman said, “but there’s no point in us going out, because we can never have a permanent relationship.”

“Why not?”

Freeman searched for truthful words that wouldn’t hurt Eunice too much. “I, um, think we both know that our relationship isn’t based on anything more than physical attraction.”

Eunice’s nose twitched. “Are you saying that the only thing you like about me is my pretty face?”

“It’s not that. It’s just that—” He blotted his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand and cleared his throat a couple of times.

“You’re in love with Katie, aren’t you?”

He nodded slowly. “But I don’t know if—”

“How can you love her?” Eunice scowled at him. “Katie has emotional problems, and she’s so immature.”

Freeman’s fingers clenched as irritation welled in his chest. He was trying to be nice to Eunice, but he was getting tired of hearing her put Katie down all the time. “Katie’s panic attacks are getting better, and she’s not immature!”

“Well, if you want my opinion, anyone who’d keep a baby when she should have notified the sheriff is immature,” Eunice huffed.

“I’ll admit that wasn’t a good decision on Katie’s part, but she’s trying to make good decisions now, and she’s able to cope with things a lot better.”

Eunice left the sofa and dropped to the floor on her knees in front of Freeman. “Katie doesn’t love you, Freeman.”

“Maybe not now, but in time, she might. We’ve become good friends, and—”

“If she loved you, she wouldn’t be moving back to Florida.”

“What?” Heat shot up his neck and cascaded onto his cheeks.

“I talked to Katie’s mamm the other day when I dropped off some candles at Ada’s. She mentioned that Katie plans to move back to Sarasota. She wouldn’t be doing that if she loved you, now would she?” Eunice looked up at him with questioning eyes and a hopeful smile. “Won’t you please give us another chance? I’m sure if we spend more time together—”

“Did JoAnn say when Katie plans to move?”

“Uh—I think she said in a few days, but I’m not really sure.”

He breathed a sigh of relief. That would give him time to heal enough so he could go over to Katie’s and talk to her. Maybe if he came right out and told her that he loved her, she’d reconsider. Then again, a declaration of love might scare her off.

Just then Fern stepped into the room holding a plastic container with a cake inside. “Katie came by a few minutes ago, and she wanted me to give you this.” She set the container on the coffee table.

“Did she say anything else?”

Fern glanced over at Eunice then back at Freeman. “She said she was leaving for Florida tomorrow morning and asked me to tell you good-bye.”

Freeman groaned as he closed his eyes and pushed against the pillow. He couldn’t believe Katie was leaving so soon. Never in all his twenty-two years had he felt like this. The physical pain in his ribs was nothing compared to the emotional pain in his heart.

Eunice smiled to herself. Katie was leaving even sooner than she’d expected, which meant she’d no longer be a threat. Given a little more time, Eunice was sure that Freeman would forget about Katie, and then he’d see Eunice in a different light.

“I think I’d better go and let you get some rest,” Eunice said, rising to her feet. “I’ll be back tomorrow to see how you’re doing.”

Freeman opened his eyes and slowly shook his head. “Don’t bother, Eunice. It’s over between us.”

Her mouth dropped open, and her eyelids drooped. “You—you can’t mean that.”

“Jah, I do. It’s your fault Katie’s leaving.”

Indignation rose in Eunice’s chest. “How can it be my fault?”

He shifted on the sofa and moaned. “If you hadn’t started so many rumors about Katie, I don’t think she’d ever have decided to go back to Florida.”

Eunice thrust out her chin and was going to defend herself when Fern stepped up to her and said, “Maybe it’d be best if you went home now. Freeman looks tired, and he needs to rest.”

Eunice gave a quick nod and rushed out the door. She hurried to her buggy, untied the horse, and was soon on her way.

“Well,” she mumbled, gripping the reins, “I may never have Freeman, but Katie won’t, either.”

Eunice drew in a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm herself as she pulled out of the driveway. The trees lining the road swayed in the breeze, and the twittering of birds could be heard all around, but she barely took notice. “At the rate I’m going, I’ll never find a husband,” she mumbled. “Why have all my boyfriends pushed me away?”

Eunice had gone only a short ways when she spotted a dead possum in the road. She guided her horse and buggy around it but had just moved back into her lane when the sunlight caught a piece of metal lying on the shoulder of the road. The flash of light from the reflection temporarily blinded her and apparently startled her horse. He whinnied, stopped dead in the road, and then backed straight into the ditch.

Eunice snapped the reins, but the horse wouldn’t budge. She reached for the buggy whip and cracked it over the horse’s head. He lunged forward, but the buggy didn’t move. The wheels were stuck.

She cracked the whip again, and the horse reared up. Clutching the reins, she tried to get him under control, but he only tossed his head from side to side and stomped his feet.

Suddenly, the buggy lunged forward, rocked back and forth, and jerked to the right. The next thing Eunice knew, it had flipped on its side, spilling her out.

She felt groggy from hitting the hard ground, but she didn’t think she’d been seriously hurt. Her first impulse was to jump up and run after her horse, which had managed to break free from the buggy and was galloping down the road. Before Eunice could make a move, she heard the rumble of buggy wheels coming down the road from the opposite direction. A few seconds later, the horse and buggy pulled in behind her rig. Andrew got out and secured his horse to a low-hanging branch.

“Are you all right?” he asked, rushing over to Eunice.

Inhaling slowly, she nodded and said, “I think so.”

He reached out his hand to her. “How’d your buggy end up in the ditch?”

She stood and brushed a clump of dirt from her dress; then she quickly explained how her horse had reacted to the reflection and had backed into the ditch.

“Don’t think I can do much about your horse,” Andrew said. “He took off down the road like a flash of lightning and is probably halfway to your place by now. I’d be happy to give you a ride home, and then I can come back for your buggy later on.”

“Danki.” Eunice hoped her smile would convey the feelings of gratitude she felt. This was the second time Andrew had offered his help when she was in need.
Hmm ... maybe he would make a good husband.

As Freeman lay on the sofa, he decided he had to see Katie, and it had to be now. Gritting his teeth, he winced as he rose from the sofa. He was almost to the back door when Fern stepped out of the kitchen and snapped her fingers. “Just where do you think you’re going?”

“To the barn to get my horse.”

“What for?”

“I need to see Katie.”

“Oh no, you don’t.” She positioned herself between him and the door. “You’re not up to going anywhere right now, much less hitching the horse to the buggy.”

He leaned around her and reached for the doorknob, but a searing pain shot through his ribs, and he braced himself against the wall for support.

Fern snapped her fingers again and pointed to the living room. “You ought to be lying down, and there’s no need for you to see Katie today.”

“Jah, there is. She’s leaving tomorrow morning; you said so yourself.” He grunted and held his hands against his sore ribs. “I wish you’d have invited her in so I could’ve talked to her.”

“Would you like me to go out to the phone shed and leave a message for Katie on their answering machine?”

He shook his head. “She might not get the message before she leaves in the morning. I need to talk to her now.”

Fern folded her arms and stared at Freeman as if he didn’t have a lick of sense. Several seconds went by; then she puckered her lips and said, “You’re in love with Katie, aren’t you?”

“Jah. I don’t know if she could ever love me, but I can’t stand the thought of her leaving without me telling her the way that I feel.”

Fern moved away from the door. “If you’re determined to go, then let’s wait until after supper, because it’s almost done.”

“Us? Are you suggesting that you’ll go with me?”

She nodded.

“Huh-uh. I need to speak with Katie alone.”

“That’s fine; I’ll wait in the buggy while you talk to her, but I can’t stay here and worry while you go there alone.”

Freeman took a few minutes to think things through; then he finally nodded. It would be a lot easier if Fern drove the buggy. He turned toward the living room. “I’m going back to the sofa to rest. Call me when supper’s ready.”

When Katie entered the barn after supper that evening, she was greeted by the gentle nicker of the horses in their stalls and the sweet smell of hay.

She seated herself on a bale of straw and listened to the soft cooing of the pigeons in the rafters overhead. She’d come to say good-bye to Dixie and the other animals, but now that she was here, all she wanted to do was sit and cry. She would miss this place—her family, friends, and even the critters who lived in the barn. Most of all, she would miss Freeman. In the months since she’d come home from Florida, she had allowed herself to get closer to him than anyone else. She hadn’t even felt that close to Timothy. It had been as if she and Freeman were soul mates. The only problem was that she loved him and he loved Eunice.

Katie moved across the room, reached over the gate in Dixie’s stall, and stroked the horse’s soft nose. Dixie whinnied and nuzzled Katie’s hand.

Maybe it’s best that I didn’t get to say good-bye to Freeman,
she decided.
It would have been too painful. At least this time I’m not running away from the memory of the accident that took Timothy’s life. This time I’m going because I can’t stand the idea of seeing Freeman with Eunice, which to me is just as painful as losing someone in death.

Katie backed away from the stall, doubled over, and gave in to her tears. She would never let herself fall in love again. She would be an old maid for the rest of her life.