Cousin's Challenge (23 page)

Ella tied her horse to a post on the back porch, prepared to give it a bath. She was planning to visit Loraine today, because she hadn't seen the baby yet. But her silly horse had decided to roll in the mud in the corral.

For some reason, the horse acted more fidgety than usual, and it made her think about Jake and how easily he handled horses. She found herself wishing that Jake was here right now. Two days had passed since their unexpected kiss, and Ella still hadn't shaken off the feelings it had brought on. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out why she'd allowed Jake to kiss her. Or for that matter, what had possessed him to do it. It wasn't like they were a courting couple. Since they mostly argued when they were together, it made no sense that he'd want to kiss her.

Ella let her mind wander back to the past ... back to when she'd had a schoolgirl crush on Jake and had waited anxiously at the end of their driveway for him to show up and walk her to school every day. She knew now that what she'd felt for Jake back then wasn't love, but she sure had liked him a lot. Ella had often wondered how things might have gone if Jake had taken her for a ride in his buggy when he'd turned sixteen. Would they have started going out? Would she have become his steady girl? Even if they had started dating, Jake might have left for Montana. It could have been her instead of Loraine left pining for Jake and hoping for a letter.

I'm not that little girl with a crush on Jake anymore,
Ella told herself.
I'm a grown woman who should know better than to let herself fall for Jake again.

A horsefly buzzed nearby, and Ella's horse whinnied and jerked its head. “Hold still, Pet,” Ella mumbled. “You know you're only making things worse!”

Pet continued to thrash her head and snap at the fly, while Ella tried to steady the animal with one hand and hold onto the hose with the other hand.

Whoosh!—
Pet jerked again, flicking the hose with her tail. That, in turn, caused the water to squirt Ella right in the face.

“Thanks a lot,” Ella mumbled. “You're the one who needs a bath, not me.” She grasped the hose and sprayed some water on Pet's legs.

The fly buzzed again, and Pet tossed her head and stamped her front hooves. Ella shot a spray of water at the fly but hit the horse's head instead. Pet reared up, knocking the hose out of Ella's hand and breaking the rope that had secured her to the post. The hose flipped this way and that, shooting water in all directions. By the time Ella was able to grasp it, her clothes were soaking wet. She looked around and spotted the horse's hind end as it disappeared into the barn.

“I don't need this today,” Ella grumbled.

She was about to turn off the hose, when a horse and buggy pulled into the yard. It stopped in front of the hitching rail, and Jake got out. “Are we having a bit of trouble?” he asked when he joined her. “You look like a cat caught in a rainstorm.”

Ella wrinkled her nose. “Very funny.”

Jake chuckled. “If you're trying to give yourself a shower with the hose, then maybe you'd better go inside and get a bar of soap.”

“For your information, I was trying to give my horse a bath, but she got upset when a horsefly kept buzzing her. Then she broke free from the porch post where she was tied, and the hose got knocked out of my hand and shot water all over me.”

“What made you tie the horse to the post on the porch?”

“Well, I...”

“Probably would have been better if you'd tied her to the corral fence or the hitching rail.”

“I wanted to be close to the hose, so I thought—”

“Horses are very powerful animals, Ella. You never know what they're going to do.”

“I realize that, but—”

“You've got to let the horse know who's boss right away, or it'll take advantage of you.”

“Are you saying I know nothing about my horse?”

“No, I'm just saying that you need to be in control.”

Ella's temper flared, and she opened her mouth to defend herself but stopped when she felt a nudge at her heart. Angry words didn't solve a thing. Like Mama had mentioned the other day, the Bible taught that she should treat others the way she would want them to treat her.

“I'd like to continue this discussion,” Ella said, “but I need to get inside and change into some dry clothes so I can go see Loraine and Wayne's new boppli.”

“Would you like me to get your horse and hitch it to the buggy while you change clothes?” Jake offered.

Ella almost said she could do it herself but changed her mind. “Jah, sure, I'd appreciate that.” She started up the stairs but turned back around. “Pet's in the barn.”

“I kinda figured that, since I didn't see her out here.” Jake sprinted for the barn, and Ella entered the house.

When she stepped outside a short time later, carrying the gift she'd bought for Loraine's baby, she saw Jake standing beside her horse, shaking his head.

“What's wrong? How come Pet's not hitched to my buggy?” Ella asked.

He pointed to the horse's right front foot. “She's missing a shoe.”

Ella grimaced. “That's just great! Guess I won't be going over to see Loraine's boppli after all, because Charlene and Mama had some errands to run in town, and they took our other driving horse.”

“I'd shoe the horse for you right now,” Jake said, “but I don't have any of my tools with me.”

“That's okay. I can go over to Loraine's some other time.” She flopped onto the porch step with a weary sigh.

Jake put Pet in the corral then joined Ella on the porch. “Why don't I drive you over to Loraine's and we can both see the baby? After that, I'll stop by my place, pick up my tools, and shoe your horse when I bring you home.”

Ella hesitated but finally nodded.

They headed for Jake's buggy, and when Jake reached for Ella's hand to help her up, she felt an unexpected tingle.
It must be my imagination.

As they turned onto the road, tension wound around them. Ella figured she needed to say something to help herself relax, so she pointed across the road and said, “Looks like there are plenty of trees being tapped for maple syrup this spring.”

“Yep. Sure looks that way.”

Ella searched for something else to talk about. Anything to keep from thinking about the kiss that she and Jake had shared the last time they were together. “Do you enjoy working with horses and training them to pull buggies more than you do shoeing them?”

“I definitely prefer to train 'em.” Jake looked over at her and smiled. “Once I get my own business going, I probably won't do any shoeing.”

His own business? Did that mean Jake was planning to stay in Indiana? Did Ella dare to ask?

“Of course, training horses isn't all fun and games,” Jake continued. “Some horses can be real stubborn, and some are just plain high strung. I once had a horse that kept throwing his head back, so I had to come up with a way to make him stop.”

“What'd you do?”

“I took a plastic bag and filled it with warm water. Then I got a split piece of leather, and whenever the horse threw his head back, I smacked the leather strap in the air so it made a loud
crack.
At the same time, I broke the bag of water between the horse's ears.”

Ella's interest was piqued. “What did that accomplish?”

“The noise and the warm water made the horse think he must have been hurt and was bleeding. Believe it or not, it settled him right down.”

“Hmm ... That's interesting. Are there some specific things that might make a horse spook or act up?”

“Yep. When a horse is going down the road pulling a buggy it can get spooked by several things. Mailboxes; flower beds; people walking; cows or horses running in an open field. Oh, and a horse can get pretty upset when a loud semitruck roars past.” Jake's nose crinkled. “Some horses like to rear up and take off, and I have to be ready for that. Of course, some horses are so temperamental that they can never be trained to pull a buggy.”

“Where do you buy the horses you train?” Ella questioned.

“From horse dealers, who get them from the race track. When I get the horses, they're already harness trained but not trained to pull a buggy. So That's my job. I always start by getting them to pull a cart, and then we progress to the buggy.”

“I know how important it is to have a dependable horse,” Ella said. “We have enough buggy accidents caused by other vehicles on the road. We don't need unruly horses causing more accidents.”

“That's for sure. Buggies aren't cheap, and when one's destroyed because of an accident, the Amish man who owns the rig is out a lot of money.” Jake let go of the reins, lifted one hand, and turned it palm up. “Since an Amish man doesn't have insurance to replace the buggy, the way most Englishers have with their cars, it's not always easy to get a new rig right away.”

“That's true.”

They rode in silence awhile; then to Ella's surprise, Jake draped his arm over the back of the seat, so his hand touched her shoulder. “Would you like to go out to supper with me one night next week?”

Ella's spine tingled and she sat up straight. “I ... uh ... don't think That's a good idea, Jake.”

“Why not?”

“Because we'd probably end up arguing the whole evening.”

“That's what we do, Ella.” Jake's eyes sparkled with laughter, and Ella found herself smiling in response.

“I'm not sure why we argue so much,” she said in a near whisper.

“Maybe it's because we're so much alike.”

She shook her head. “I don't think so. We're about as different as the sun and the moon.”

“So are you saying that you won't go out with me because I'm not like you?”

“That's not what I meant.” Ella thought about the kiss they'd shared the other day. She had a feeling Jake had been as shocked by it as she'd been. She also thought about the promise she'd made to herself, not to let herself get involved with Jake.

What happened between us was nothing more than a fleeting attraction,
she decided.
Jake and I have nothing in common, and I'm sure that I'd never be able to trust him again.

Jake bumped Ella's arm. “Answer me, Ella. Is the reason you won't go out to supper with me because I'm not like you?”

“No, not really. It's just that I don't think we should start something we can't finish.” Ella steeled her heart against Jake's lopsided grin and looked away.

Jake reached over and tucked a wayward strand of hair under Ella's head covering, and then he let his fingers glide down the length of her face. His gentle touch was almost her undoing.

Jake moistened his lips and fought the urge to kiss Ella. Ever since he'd tasted her lips the other day, he'd wanted to kiss her again.
What's wrong with me?
he wondered.
Why would I want to kiss someone who clearly doesn't like me? It just has to be because I see Ella as a spirited challenge—like one of my unruly horses.

Jake forced himself to keep his eyes on the road. It was ridiculous to think such thoughts.

When they pulled into the driveway leading to Wayne and Loraine's place, Jake halted his horse and buggy.

“What are we stopping here for?” Ella questioned.

“I ... uh ... had an urge to...” Jake never finished his sentence. Instead, he pulled Ella into his arms. When his lips touched hers, it seemed as if the whole world had receded into nothingness. The kiss was exhilarating and had been worth the wait.

Ella was the first to pull away again, and he couldn't help but notice that her fair complexion had become mottled with red.

“I probably should apologize for that,” he murmured, “but I'm not going to. You know why?”

“Wh-why?”

“Because I enjoyed it, and I think you did, too.”

Ella looked down at her hands clasped in her lap.

As Jake continued to stare at her, the truth slammed into him with such force that he almost fell out of the buggy. He was in love with Ella!

Clearing his throat, he was prepared to declare his love and take his chances on her reaction, but before he could get a word out, Ella spoke first.

“I ... uh ... hope you didn't get the wrong impression when I let you kiss me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I'm not sure what's been happening between us lately, but I think we both realize that we can never be more than friends.”

Disappointment flooded Jake's soul. It made no sense, given the way she'd responded to his kiss. For some reason, Ella seemed to be holding back. He'd been hoping for more than friendship, but if that was all Ella wanted, then he'd have to accept her decision no matter how much it hurt. Her friendship was better than nothing—and it'd be better than them arguing all the time.

“For someone's who's going to a wedding, you sure look glum today,” Charlene said to Ella as they met each other in the hall outside their bedrooms.

“I'm not glum, just tired.” Ella yawned. “I worked hard yesterday getting Katie's cake done, and after I delivered the cake, I spent the rest of the day helping Katie and several others set things up for the wedding meal.” She smiled at Charlene and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I appreciate your taking over in the bakeshop for me so I could help Katie.”

“No problem; I was glad to do it.”

Ella sniffed the air as she descended the stairs behind her sister. “Smells like Mama has the coffee going already.”

“Jah, she's been feeling better lately and seems to be getting a lot more done.” Charlene halted when she got to the bottom of the stairs and turned to face Ella. “Are you looking forward to being one of Katie's witnesses today?”

“I am, and I'm sure Jolene is, too.”

“Who'd you say Freeman asked to be his witnesses?”

“Andrew and Lonnie.”

“Do you wish he'd asked Jake so you could be with him all day?”

Ella's mouth went dry. Why did Charlene have to bring up Jake? She'd been trying so hard not to think about him.

Charlene poked Ella's arm. “Well, do you wish you could be with Jake today?”

“Of course not.”

“Are you sure? I mean, every time Jake comes around, I see a look of longing on your face.”

Ella shook her head. “You're wrong. The only look you see on my face when Jake's around is a look of frustration.” Even as Ella spoke the words, she couldn't deny her own feelings to herself. The fascination she'd had for Jake as a child had resurfaced soon after he'd started coming around offering to help out. She'd never have admitted it to Charlene, but she'd begun to see a side of Jake she hadn't seen before. He could be kind, helpful, and interesting to talk to. Every time Jake came over, Ella found herself wishing Jake would see her as more than someone who needed his help. Maybe he did. He'd kissed her, not once, but twice. And he'd invited her to have supper with him. Was Jake just toying with her affections, or did he have feelings for her? The question that haunted Ella the most was whether Jake could be trusted not to hurt her again.

“Guess we'd better get into the kitchen and help with breakfast,” Charlene said, bumping Ella's arm. “It wouldn't be good for one of the bride's attendants to be late for the wedding.”

Still half asleep from getting to bed too late the night before, Jake stumbled across the room and stubbed his toe on the end of the bedpost. A burst of pain shot up his leg, and he groaned. Limping over to the dresser, he jerked the bottom drawer open to retrieve a pair of clean socks. He'd slept longer than he'd planned to and needed to get dressed and down to breakfast soon, or he'd be late for Freeman and Katie's wedding.

Jake reached inside the drawer for a pair of dark-colored socks but only found one. The rest were all white. “There's gotta be another black sock in here somewhere. They can't all be in the wash,” he muttered. He fumbled around for the matching sock but found none. In exasperation, he pulled the drawer out and set it on the floor. After a bit more fumbling, he finally located another black sock near the back of the drawer. When he lifted the drawer to put it back in place he caught a glimpse of something wedged between the bottom drawer and the wood that separated it from the drawer above. It looked like a piece of paper.

Jake reached inside and pulled it out. The paper had been folded in half, and one end was torn clean off. He unfolded it and squinted at the words written there.

I can't believe you lied to me, Jake. You promised when you turned sixteen and got your own buggy that I'd be the first one you took for a ride. I'll never trust you again!

Jake stared at the note for several minutes. The rest of the page—probably where the person who'd written the note had signed their name—was gone.

Jake scratched the side of his head.
I wonder who wrote this note and how it got in my drawer.

He sat there a few minutes, letting his mind take him back to the past. The first girl he'd taken out after he'd turned sixteen was Loraine, so the note couldn't have been from her.
Who'd I make such a promise to?
he asked himself.
Who wrote me this note, and how come I don't remember anyone giving me the note?

Tap! Tap! Tap!
Someone knocked on Jake's door. “Who is it?” he hollered.

“It's me, Kyle. Mom said to tell you that breakfast is almost ready, so you'd better get a move on, 'cause it'll be time to leave for the wedding soon.”

“Okay. Tell her I'm coming.”

Jake put the drawer back in place and stuck the note inside his coat pocket, which he'd laid out the night before to wear to the wedding. He'd think more about this later.

When Jolene and her family pulled into the Bontragers' yard to attend Katie and Freeman's wedding, she was surprised to see Lonnie, dressed in a dark-colored frock coat and matching trousers, pacing in front of the buggy shed, where the wedding would take place. She'd known him long enough to tell when he was nervous, and the fact that he was pacing was a good indication that he must be quite anxious this morning.

As soon as Dad stopped the buggy, Jolene climbed down and hurried over to Lonnie.
“How come you're pacing?”
she signed.

He grimaced.
“I'm nervous about being one of Freeman's witnesses.”

“There's no need to be nervous. You won't have to do a lot—just sit with Freeman during the wedding service and also the meal afterward.”

Lonnie nodded, although he didn't look convinced. He'd come a long way these last few months, but it was obvious he still had some doubts.

“I mean it. Everything will be okay.”

“I'm not so sure about that. There will be a lot of people here today. I'm still having trouble reading lips.”

“Don't worry; we'll have Jake and Andrew to interpret for us through signing.”

“I think it would have been better if Freeman had picked Jake as one of his witnesses, instead of me,”
Lonnie signed.

“What makes you say that?”

“Jake has more confidence than I do. If he'd been asked to be one of Freeman's attendants, the two of you could have been together today.”

“I'd rather be with you than Jake.”

Lonnie tipped his head.
“What was that?”

“I'd rather be with you than Jake,” Jolene repeated, speaking as she signed.

“You don't have to say that just to make me feel better. I've accepted the fact that you and Jake are going out.”

Jolene's mouth dropped open.
“Where'd you get that idea?”

“I've seen you two together a lot, and you liked his Christmas gift more than—”

“Jake and I are not going out.”

Lonnie didn't seem to grasp what she'd said, so she repeated it, signing as she spoke.

“You're not interested in Jake?”

“Only as a friend.”

Was that a look of relief she saw on Lonnie's face? Could it possibly mean that he might have feelings for her? Had he been holding back all this time because he thought she and Jake were going out, or was his deafness the reason he'd been keeping his distance? Jolene wanted to say more, but she spotted Katie on the other side of the building, motioning for her to come.
“The bride is waiting for me, so I'd better go.”

“Guess I'd better find Freeman, too,”
Lonnie signed.

A sense of sadness crept over Jolene as she joined Katie and saw the happiness glowing on her face. Lonnie had given no definite indication that he saw her as anything more than a friend. And with Lonnie being set against marriage, the chance of him asking her out was slim. She'd have to accept that fact and focus on being happy for Katie and Freeman today.

As Jake sat on a backless wooden bench on the men's side of the buggy shed, he couldn't keep his eyes off Ella. She sat in a straight-back chair between Katie and Jolene, facing Freeman and his two witnesses, Andrew and Lonnie. Ella looked prettier than ever today. She wore a dark blue dress that brought out the color of her pale blue eyes, and a white cape with matching apron. On her head, she wore the black head covering that was typically worn to their church by young women before they were married.

Ella glanced over at Jake then quickly looked away, turning her attention to the message Bishop Hershberger was preaching from the book of Ruth. Toward the end of his message, he quoted from 1 Corinthians and Ephesians. Jake paid special attention when the bishop read Ephesians 5:31: “ ‘For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.'”

Katie seemed to radiate a blissful glow as she and Freeman left their chairs and stood before the bishop to say their vows, but Jake could only concentrate on Ella. He wondered how she would look on her wedding day. He knew Ella would be a pretty bride, and he found himself wondering what kind of wife and mother she'd make.

A vision of Ella sitting in a rocking chair, holding a baby with reddish blond hair, popped into Jake's head. He knew Ella could bake, because he'd tasted many of her baked goods. He'd also seen how well she managed a home and had witnessed the love and gentleness she showed, not only to her mother, but to her younger siblings as well. He felt sure Ella would make a good wife and mother.

Ella looked his way again then quickly averted her gaze.
Sure wish I knew when Ella started disliking me so much. When we were kinner, I thought we were friends.

As Jake continued to ponder this question, he realized that Ella had cooled off toward him around the time he'd started courting Loraine. He just wasn't sure why. Until recently, after she'd let him kiss her, Ella had shown no interest in him at all. At least not in a positive way. It made no sense ... unless ... Jake's spine stiffened, and he nearly fell off his bench. Unless Ella had written that note.

As Katie and Freeman spoke their vows before the bishop, Jake made a decision. The first chance he had to speak with Ella alone, he'd come right out and ask if she'd written the note.

As Ella sat on one side of Katie during the wedding meal, she had a hard time concentrating on anything other than Jake. He sat at a table directly across from her, looking more handsome than usual in a white shirt, dark trousers, and matching jacket. He kept looking at her, and she wondered what was going through his mind. Was he thinking about the day they'd gone to see Loraine's baby, and the kiss they'd shared in his buggy? Ella still couldn't believe she'd let her guard down like that—not once, but twice she'd been foolish enough to let him kiss her. The mixture of feelings she had for Jake made no sense at all. One minute she felt irritated by everything he said. The next minute she was melting in his arms like butter left out on a hot summer day.

Ella's mouth went dry as a sudden realization hit her full in the face. She was in love with Jake and wished she could be his wife!

That's crazy thinking,
she told herself.
Jake doesn't love me. Besides, he's given me no reason to trust him. He probably only kissed me just to prove he could do it. He probably thinks he's such a good catch that any woman would throw herself at his feet.

Ella reached for her glass of water and was about to take a drink, when Jake left his seat and headed toward the bride and groom's corner table.

“I have a couple of horses to shoe this afternoon, so I have to leave soon,” he said, looking first at Katie and then Freeman. “Just wanted to say congratulations and wish you all the best.”

“Danki, Jake.” Freeman's smile stretched ear to ear, and Katie fairly beamed. Ella couldn't help feeling a bit envious. If only she and Jake could be that happy. If only it was their wedding day.

Jake glanced her way, but she quickly looked away, and as he talked more with Katie and Freeman, she began a conversation with Jolene. “Did you ever see so much food?” she asked, signing as she spoke.

Jolene smiled and patted her stomach. “After today, I probably won't have to eat for the rest of the week.”

“Me neither,” Andrew spoke up. He nudged Lonnie and signed,
“How about you? Are you getting enough to eat today?”

“
I've already had more than my share
,”
Lonnie said with a grin.

Ella was about to ask Jolene another question when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned and gulped. Jake stood behind her wearing a serious expression. “I wonder if I could speak to you for a minute,” he whispered, bending close to her ear.

“Uh ... sure. What did you want to say?”

“Not here.” Jake motioned toward the door with his head. “Can you meet me outside?” His voice was so low, she could barely hear him.

Ella shook her head. “In case you hadn't noticed, I'm busy eating.”

“I don't see anything on your plate right now.” Before Ella could respond, Jake leaned over her shoulder and reached for her plate. In the process, he bumped her glass of water, knocking it over and soaking the front of Ella's dress.

Jake grabbed the glass and set it upright. “Oops, sorry about that. You'd better go outside and let the sun dry your dress.”

Ella gritted her teeth, but before she could formulate a response, Jake disappeared outside.

Ella waited a few minutes then excused herself. When she stepped outside, she found Jake leaning on the corral fence, as though waiting for her.

“What's so important that you had to drag me away from the wedding meal?” she asked, stepping up to him.