An Honest Love (18 page)

Sitting down next to him, she handed him the box. “Merry Christmas.”

Shock registered on his face, and he didn’t accept the gift. He just stared at it.

His reaction poked a hole in her bubble of happiness. “There’s nothing alive in it. Or poisonous. I promise it’s 100 percent safe.”

“I’m sure it is.” Finally he took it from her. “I’m surprised, that’s all.”

“
Geh
on, open it.” She leaned her chin on the heels of her hands. “I hope you like it.”

He slid his finger underneath the strip of tape fastening the lid closed, then opened the box. His eyebrows lifted as he pulled out a navy blue scarf. “Did you make this?”

“
Ya
. I knitted it myself.” As he examined it, she hoped he wouldn’t notice how many stitches she’d dropped, or that it was a bit uneven on the ends. She’d never been a great knitter, but she had tried.

“It’s nice. Very soft.” He put the scarf back in the box and looked at her. “
Danki
, Elisabeth. I’m sorry. I don’t have anything for you.”

She sat back in her chair. “That’s okay. I didn’t think you would. Not because I think you’re a scrooge or anything, although maybe you are, I don’t know.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind. I just want you to know that I didn’t make it because I expected you to give me something back. I made it because I wanted to give you something for Christmas, and to say
danki
.”

“For what?” he asked. “I haven’t done anything.”

“Sure you have. You always seem to be there when I need you, and I appreciate it. If you hadn’t shown up when you did at that party . . . I don’t want to think about what might have happened.”

“I’m glad I was there too.”

“I also appreciate that you didn’t rub it in my face about how wrong I was. Believe me, I learned my lesson. I’m sticking to singings and frolics from now on.”

“
Gut
idea.” He fingered the scarf again. “This was really nice of you, Elisabeth.” He grinned.

There was that smile again. She was amazed by the way it transformed his face and warmed her heart. “Wow, you really have a gorgeous smile.”

Did she just say that out loud?

His face turned pink and he glanced away.

“Uh, I mean it’s nice. In a good-looking way.” She just kept digging that hole deeper and deeper. “I mean—”

“
Danki
, Elisabeth.” He picked up the scarf and his plate, taking the plate to the sink. Tucking the box under his arm, he went into the living room to join the other men.

Elisabeth laid her head on the table. Why oh why had she said that out loud? He must think she’s
ab im kopp
, or worse, that she had a crush on him. Which, of course, she didn’t.

“Something wrong, Elisabeth?”

She lifted her head to see Anna standing beside her. “
Nee
. Unless you count making an idiot out of myself as something wrong.”

Anna sat down beside her. “I’m sure whatever you did, you didn’t make an idiot of yourself.”

“Oh, I’m sure I did.” She told Anna what she said to Aaron. “Now he probably thinks I like him.”

“Do you?”

“Of course I do. We work together, and he’s helped me out.” More than she cared to admit.

“I don’t mean as a coworker or a friend. You knitted him a scarf, after all.”

“For Christmas. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“
Nee
, there isn’t.” Anna brushed a few crumbs off the tablecloth with the side of her hand. “It was a nice thing to do.”

“That’s because I’m a nice person.” She smiled, feeling less like a fool. “Speaking of liking people, what’s going on with you and Lukas?”

Anna’s smile faded. “
Nix
. He’s not here.”

“I know, and that’s strange. I can’t imagine where he’d be.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m sure wherever he is he’s having a
gut
time.” Anna stood up and went to the sink, turning on the water.

“Do you need some help with the dishes?”

She shook her head. “There’s only a few left. We washed most of them earlier.” Facing Elisabeth, she said, “Why don’t you
geh
upstairs?”

“Are they still talking about quilts?”

“Probably.”

Elisabeth let out a sigh. “Thrilling.”

She pushed back from the table. There wasn’t anything else for her to do, so she might as well go back upstairs. She was tempted to go in the living room and sit with the men, but knowing them, they would be talking about work, and she wasn’t in the mood to listen about the intricacies of cabinet building or the pros and cons of using coal or carbon in the forge. What she really wanted to do was go out and catch snowflakes on her tongue, like she used to do as a child. But she wasn’t a child anymore, and she needed to put those things behind her. If discussing textile designs helped do that, then she’d participate.

Yet she couldn’t resist stepping out the back door and watching the snow float to the ground for just a minute. Looking around, she stuck her tongue out to taste the flakes, then went back inside.

“I forgot how tiring having company could be.” Edna wiped the top of the stove with a wet rag. “I’m exhausted. But it was a nice time,
ya
?”

“
Ya
, it was.” Despite her disappointment about Lukas not showing up, Anna liked visiting with everyone. She especially enjoyed talking to Elisabeth, whom she suspected was in a bit of denial about her feelings for Aaron. Then again, if anyone was an expert on denying their feelings, it was Anna.

She walked over and took the rag from her mother’s hand. “Let me finish this,
Mami
. You
geh
ahead to bed.”

“Are you sure?”

Anna nodded. “There’s not much else to do. I’ll finish up in here and put out the candles in the living room.”

“Zeb is in there.”

“Still?”

“
Ya
.” Edna shook her head. “He fell asleep about an hour ago. Don’t worry about him. He’ll wake up and go upstairs in a little while.”

“All right.”

“
Gut nacht
, Anna.” She kissed her daughter’s cheek. “
Hallicher
Grischtdaag
.”

“Merry Christmas. Night,
Mami
.”

Anna wiped down the last dish and put it in the cabinet. She turned off the gas light in the kitchen and went into the living room. Sure enough, Uncle Zeb was snoring away in his rocker. She took the quilt off the back of the couch and laid it over him, then turned to blow out the candles. Just as she was about to extinguish the last one, she heard a knock on the door.

Startled, she paused for a moment. Who would be coming here this late at night? It was still snowing out, so maybe someone was stranded on the side of the road and needed help. She went to the door and opened it.

“Merry Christmas.”

Anna’s mouth dropped open at seeing Lukas standing in front of her. Snow covered his black hat and the shoulders of his coat. He held a box in his hand.

“All right if I come in?”

She didn’t say anything for a moment, unable to comprehend that he was here. She just gripped the door and stared.

“Anna?” He tilted his head, a puzzled look crossing his face.

“
Ya
?”

He hesitated, as if waiting for her to respond. When she didn’t, he frowned. “Can I come in?”

“What?
Ya
. Come in.” She moved so he could walk past her, then shut the door and turned around, still surprised to see him. “I didn’t mean to make you stand out there in the cold.”

“I’m really late, and I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t think you were coming.”

Lukas nodded. “I didn’t think I’d ever get here myself. I was on the way but a buddy of mine stopped by and he needed help with one of his cows. Seemed she decided Christmas was a
gut
day to have a calf, but the calf had other ideas.”

“Are they both okay?”

“
Ya
. The calf finally came out.
Mudder
and
sohn
are doing fine. But by the time it was over I was a mess and had to get a shower. I got here as fast as I could after that.”

She should have known he’d been helping someone. That was typical Lukas. “You didn’t have to come. I would have understood.”

“I know, but I wanted to be here so I could give you this.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a small box wrapped in plain brown paper.

“Lukas,
danki
.” Surprised and touched, she took the box from him.

He laid his coat and hat on the closest chair.

“Are you hungry? I can fix you something to eat.”

“
Nee
. I’m fine.”

“We can sit down here.” She gestured to the sofa on the opposite side of the room.

Lukas looked at Zeb sleeping in the chair. “Sure we won’t wake him up?”

“I doubt it. He fell asleep while everyone else was still here, so I think he’s gone for the night.”

They sat down and Anna held the box in her hands, anticipating the gift inside. “Can I open it?”

“I insist.”

She tore off the paper and lifted the lid. Nestled on a small square of white cotton was a silver watch pin. “It’s beautiful, Lukas.” She looked up. “I love it.”

He let out a breath and grinned. “
Gut
, because I can’t take it back.”

She touched the glass covering the face of the watch. It was a lovely gift, and the nicest one she’d ever received. It made hers pale in comparison. “I have something for you too. But it’s not as nice as this.”

“You got me something?” He seemed genuinely surprised.

“
Ya
.” She got up and went to her bedroom, coming back with his present. “Like I said, it’s not much.”

“It’s great!” He took the brand new straw hat from her. “How did you know I needed a new one?”

“I noticed the other one was starting to fray, so I thought you might like a replacement.”

“Well, I need it now because last week I set it on a table in the woodshop and Stephen knocked over a can of stain. Ran all over the brim.”

Anna smiled, pleased that he liked her gift. She sat next to him, a little closer than she had before.

He put the hat in his lap and looked at her. “
Danki
, it’s a
gut
hat.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Hope that was all right,” he whispered in her ear before pulling away.

Her heart flipped, her cheek still tingling from the warmth of his lips. “
Ya
.”

He reached for her hand, then entwined his fingers in hers. “And is this all right too?”

Her mouth went dry as he tightened his grip on her hand. At this point she couldn’t even speak; she could only nod.

His lips tipped up in a grin. “What about going out—and I’m not talking about as friends? Are you ready for that now?”

She swallowed, every part of her tingling at the tender look in his eyes. “
Ya
, Lukas. I am.”

“About time.”

Both she and Lukas looked over at Zeb, who was wide awake in the chair. He tossed the quilt off his body and slowly stood up, his bones cracking as he straightened. “Took you two long enough to figure this out. You should have been courtin’ a long time ago. I’m going to bed. Let me know when you’re havin’ the wedding.”

Anna’s mouth dropped open as her face flamed. “He was awake the whole time?” She turned to Lukas, who was chuckling.

“Guess so,” he said.

“Then he saw you kiss me!”

Lukas leaned forward. “I don’t think he’s going to tell anyone. And you know what?” He kissed her cheek again, his lips lingering. “I don’t care if he does.”

January arrived, bringing its crisp temperatures and blankets of snow. It had been a little over a month since the Schrocks’ party, and Elisabeth had put the incident out of her mind. She had better and more important things to think about, like her job and her growing friendship with Aaron.

He had shown up to work the day after Christmas wearing the scarf she’d made for him, and she noticed he’d worn it every day since. He had also joined her for lunch twice. If her remark about his smile had bothered him, he didn’t show it. Instead they talked about all kinds of things, and she found out that he liked ice skating, something she’d only done once. They decided to meet on a Sunday afternoon at his parents’ house, which had a small pond in the back that had frozen over.