An Honest Love (17 page)

“All right,” Anna said, impatience coloring her tone. “How soon can I have the surgery?”

“You can ask at the front desk. They’ll schedule it for you.” She handed Anna a prescription slip. “Good luck, sweetie.”

“Thanks.” Nerves strung tight, she made her way to the receptionist, who scheduled the procedure for the third week of January. At least she could focus on the Christmas rush at the store without having to deal with surgery too.

“You’re gonna burn the house down with all these stinky candles.” Zeb took his hat off and waved it over one of the cinnamon-scented candles on the coffee table in the living room.

“Zeb!” Edna went to him, snatching away his hat. “You’re the one who’s going to catch on fire if you keep doing that.”

Anna laughed as she set a platter of butter cookies next to the candles.

“I don’t see why we have to have all this stuff around here anyway.” He gestured to the fragrant pine bows hanging on the mantle of the fireplace, filling the room with their fresh scent. Bright red apples were interspersed in the pine branches, adding a festive punch of color. He shuffled across the room and plopped down on his old rocking chair. “Fancy stuff we don’t need.”

Anna looked at him, unwilling to let her crotchety uncle spoil her good mood. She was also determined not to think about the surgery. No, tonight she would focus on celebrating the birth of their Savior and enjoy visiting with the Bylers and Detweilers. Edna, Emma, and Sarah had become fast friends over the past few months. “Where’s your Christmas spirit,
Onkel
Zeb?”

“Here.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out a red-and-white-striped candy cane. A faint smile played on his lips, causing Anna to giggle.

“Give me that.” Edna held out her hand to Zeb. “Those are for the
kinner
.”

“And people say I’m mean,” Zeb grumbled, but he handed the sweet to Edna, who put it in a basket on a small table near the front door.

“Now, behave yourself, Zeb. Company will be here soon.” Edna tucked an errant strand of hair into her
kapp
and blew out a long breath.

“
Mami
, everything’s perfect.” Anna went to her. “Don’t worry, we’ll all have a
gut
time.”

“I hope so. It’s been so long since we’ve had so many visitors. Not since your
daed
died.” She looked at Anna. “Christmas is always the hardest.”

“I know.” She walked over and put her arm around her
mami’s
shoulders.

Edna leaned into the half hug, then stepped away. “All right, they’ll be here any minute. I’m going to check on the chicken and noodles.”

When her mother had left, Anna went to the window and looked out into the darkness. It had started snowing earlier that day, and when she squinted, she could see a faint layer of white on the ground.

Moments later she saw the lights and reflective tape from three buggies as they came up their road. She stepped away from the window and went into the kitchen. “They’re here.”

Edna pulled a large pan of bubbling chicken and noodles out of the oven and put it on top of the stove. She shut the oven door and yanked off her red-and-green quilted oven mitts. “Go ahead and let them in.”

Anna went to open the front door, as Zeb hadn’t budged from his chair. Emmanuel and Sarah Detweiler arrived first, followed by Joseph and Emma, Elisabeth, Stephen, and Ruth Byler. Moriah and Gabe, along with their two daughters, Velda and Ester, came in next.

The women and children went to the kitchen while the men settled in the living room and immediately engaged in conversation. But Anna tuned out their voices as she looked out the window again. Where was Lukas? Surely he was coming. The entire Byler family had been invited.

“Lookin’ for someone?”

Anna let the curtain fall and turned around to see Zeb staring at her, his hands folded over his belly. “
Nee
.” She moved away from the window.

“Sure looked like it to me.”

“Just watching the snow fall.” She didn’t want to admit anything to Zeb or to the other men in the room. Although she didn’t need to worry about them, as they were discussing whether they were all in store for a hard winter this year.

“Hmph.” He started rocking back and forth in the chair. “You’re a terrible liar, Anna. Which is
gut
, because lying is a terrible thing.”

Guilt jabbed at her. “I’m going to see if
Mami
needs help in the kitchen.”

“You do that.”

Anna left to go to the kitchen, which was abuzz with activity and lively conversation. But her good spirits had taken a dive in Lukas’ absence. Where was he? Was he spending Christmas with someone else? Had his feelings for her changed?

Maybe she had waited too long to tell him how she felt. Correction, she had made him wait too long.

“Anna?” Elisabeth came up to her. “Will you help me spread the tablecloth?”

“
Ya
.” She took one end of the white cloth while Emma took the other. As they opened it and put it on the table, she couldn’t resist asking, “Is Lukas coming tonight?”

“I thought he was. He said something about it a few days ago. Then again, I don’t always know his comings and goings. He rarely tells me anything, except that I’m too nosy.”

“Oh.”

“But I’ve never known him to miss a family gathering.” Elisabeth smiled. “So he’ll probably be here.”

For the next couple hours Anna tried not to look at the clock and resisted the urge to check the window. She tried to enjoy the meal and the company, but her thoughts were filled with Lukas. Until that moment she hadn’t realized how much she had wanted to spend Christmas with him. Or how much she missed him now that he wasn’t here.

Over the din of the conversation in the kitchen, she heard a knock at the door. Jumping up from her chair, she said, “I’ll get it.” Then she dashed out of the room, trying to hide her smile. Finally, he was here.

But when she opened the door her excitement vanished. It wasn’t Lukas standing on her uncle’s front porch.

It was Aaron Detweiler.

By the disappointed look on Anna Esh’s face, Aaron knew he’d made a mistake by coming. He was already a couple of hours late, having gone back and forth about whether to join everyone for Christmas. His mother had wanted him to come, but he hadn’t made up his mind when they left. After spending part of the evening alone, he’d decided to go. This was family after all, and they wanted him here.

Except for Anna, apparently.

“Hi,” she said, her tone reflecting the dejection in her features.

“Um, sorry I’m late.” He stood there, the moment filled with awkwardness. “Maybe I should
geh
.”

“What?” She gave her head a small shake, then looked at him. “Aaron, I’m so sorry.” Stepping aside, she motioned for him to come inside.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course I am. I’m glad you could come.”

“Okay, because I wasn’t sure for a minute there.”

Her face reddened. “I had something on my mind when I opened the door, that’s all. You’re always welcome here.”

He walked inside, giving her enough room to shut the door.

“Let me take your things. Then you can
geh
in the kitchen and get something to eat.”

As he removed his hat a few flakes fell off. The ride to the Eshes’ hadn’t been bad since there was only a thin coating of snow on the roads. But the flakes were coming down heavier now, so there was no telling what condition the roads would be in by the time he left.

He handed Anna his things and moved farther into the living room. He met his father’s gaze. The old man’s look of approval settled Aaron’s nerves. He greeted the rest of the men in the room before going to the kitchen, inhaling the lingering aromas of pine and cinnamon that always reminded him of Christmas.

He entered the kitchen, surprised to see it empty. But Anna had said he could get something to eat, and he was starving. Seeing an empty plate near the stove, he picked it up and dished up a healthy serving of chicken and noodles, added a spoonful of mashed potatoes, then smothered all of it in gravy before sitting down at the table.

He had finished his prayer and picked up his fork when the opposite door of the kitchen opened. Looking up, he saw Elisabeth standing there.

“Aaron!” She grinned, then went to him. “I was hoping you’d be here.”

Aaron couldn’t help but smile in return. He was glad to see Elisabeth had returned to her normal, bubbly self. After spending a couple of days brooding at work, she had shown up one morning with a plate of chocolate chunk oatmeal cookies and a bright smile. She hadn’t spoken about what had happened at the party, and he didn’t ask. It must not have been as bad as he’d assumed, and he didn’t want to do anything to spoil her good mood. He liked seeing her happy.

She put her hands on her hips. “Why are you so late?”

“I had things to do.”

“Oh.”

Her bright expression weakened, and he knew he was the cause of it. Suddenly he didn’t want to give her excuses anymore. “Actually, that’s not true.”

Curiosity entered her blue eyes. Perhaps it was because of the muted gas lighting in the Eshes’ kitchen, but he’d never noticed how pretty her eyes were before. Round and clear, with long, light blonde lashes that rested on the top of her cheeks when she blinked. She sat down next to him. “So what kept you?”

He looked down at his plate. “
Nix
.”

“What do you mean
nix
?”

“
Nix
. I didn’t have anything to do tonight. In fact, I spent the past two hours doing nothing.”

“You came here out of boredom?”

“
Nee
, Elisabeth. I came here because I didn’t want to be alone on Christmas.”

Her gaze grew soft and she put her hand on his arm. “Aaron, you don’t ever have to be alone.”

Her tender touch seeped through the fabric of his shirt, sparking something inside him. “
Danki
. I really needed to hear that.”

She smiled, giving his arm a squeeze. Then she leapt from her chair. “I’ll be right back. Enjoy your food.”

“Where is everyone else?”

“Upstairs, looking at quilt patterns. Bor-ing.”

“I thought you
maed
liked that kind of stuff.”

“Not all
maed
are alike, Aaron.” With that she left the room.

Aaron thought she was absolutely right. He didn’t know anyone quite like Elisabeth Byler.

Chapter 11

E
lisabeth went to Edna’s room in the back of the house. She had hoped Aaron would show up tonight, and when he hadn’t, she had been disappointed but not surprised. Now that he was here she could give him his Christmas present.

She searched for her tote bag, finding it under a pile of coats on Edna’s bed. Her mother had made the bag a couple of years ago out of scraps from dresses Elisabeth had outgrown, and it was one of Elisabeth’s favorite possessions. She reached in and pulled out a medium-sized square box, white and unadorned. Grinning, she dropped the bag back on the bed and went to the kitchen.

Aaron was drinking a glass of pop when she walked back in. She held the gift behind her back, relieved to see the kitchen was still empty. While she wasn’t embarrassed about giving Aaron a gift, she was glad she could give it to him when they were alone.