Love’s Journey Home (44 page)

“Seth forgot his lunch.”

“We’re leaving, ma’am.” The EMT slapped one ambulance door shut. “If you’re going
with us, you need to get in.”

“Go to your onkel.” She patted Naomi’s cheek. “You’ll be fine. Tell him where I am.
Tell him I’ll come when I can.”

Over Naomi’s shoulder she saw another stretcher being loaded into an ambulance. Gabriel’s
long, gangly body lay supine, his hair dark against the snowy white sheets. “Gabriel?”
she whispered. “
Ach
, Gabriel!”

M
ark and Josiah on her heels, Annie threaded her way through the crowd in the medical
center emergency room. Her entire community seemed to be crammed into the waiting
room. She searched the faces. Waiting. Stoic. Troubled. Praying. There they were—Emma,
Luke, Thomas, Leah. Her family. She squeezed past the Glicks and the Hostetlers. One
of the older women patted her shoulder as she passed.

“Are they all right? Is everyone all right?” Annie pulled Emma into a hug, including
baby Lilah in the embrace. Her sister’s body trembled, but she managed a smile. A
smile.
Gut
. Very
gut
. “Where are they?”

Her brothers and sisters parted. All six of the family’s children sat side-by-side
in the padded waiting room chairs. Lillie leaned against William, her eyes closed,
face peaceful in sleep. Rebecca, who held baby Caleb on her lap, had bandages wrapped
around both wrists while Eli sported a Band-Aid over his nose and a second one on
his cheek. Bruises darkened the skin around both eyes. He seemed quite pleased with
his appearance. “The wind knocked the school down, Annie! It knocked it down and it
knocked us down!”

“
Ach
. Thank Gott you’re all right.” Annie hugged each child, careful not to wake the smaller
ones who had succumbed to the exhaustion of such an exciting day. “My sweet babies,
I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Jah, thank Gott.” Luke’s arm went around Leah’s shoulders. His fraa’s lips quivered,
but she shed no tears. She hugged little Jebediah closer to her, her gaze steady.
Luke’s hand rubbed against her sleeve. “Thank Gott we didn’t lose anyone. Every child
survived. Only Gott’s grace…”

He stopped, his voice choked.

“Any bad injuries?” Annie tried to collect her thoughts. She prepared to pray. To
seek God’s mercy for the children of her neighbors and friends. “Who?”

“Bethel.” Leah’s face worked, but she managed to contain her sobs. “She covered the
smallest children with her own body. Her back may be broken.”

“
Ach
.” Annie whispered. A good teacher. A good person. “I’ll pray.”

“Pray,” Leah repeated. She sank onto the chair next to Esther and Ruth, who slept
side-by-side.

“Jonah and Ruth’s boy Solomon has two broken legs,” Thomas added. “Letty Brier is
unconscious with a head injury.”

“Has anyone seen my daed? Gabriel. Gabriel Gless.” Isaac’s deep voice carried over
the crowd. Annie turned to see him weaving his way among the clusters of families,
stopping to ask his question here and there, his face dark and miserable. “I can’t
find him. What about Seth Gless? He’s eight. Has anyone seen him?”

Annie slipped past the Grables and called Isaac’s name. He swung around. His face
lightened for a second, then darkened again. “I’m looking for Daed and Seth. Have
you seen them? Abigail said he went to the school to take Seth his lunchbox. He forgot
it…”

“Did you ask at the desk?”

“I just got here. I need to find them. My daed.” He stopped, his lips pressed together
so tightly they turned white. He pulled his hat from his head and turned it in his
hands. “He’s my daed.”

“I’ll ask.” Annie moved through the crowd. Her friends and neighbors parted for them.
Isaac didn’t touch her, but somehow it felt as if he held her hand. “This way.”

The nurse at the counter studied the computer screen. “Mr. Gless is in examining room
three. So is Seth Gless. He’ll be admitted shortly. The boy, I mean.”

“Admitted?” Isaac gripped the counter with both hands, but his voice remained calm.
“Seth’s to be admitted? Are his injuries…are they bad?”

“You’ll have to ask the doctor. He’ll be out shortly.”

Isaac turned, leaned over, and slapped his hands on his knees.

“Let’s walk down the hallway,” Annie whispered close to his ear. “The examining rooms
are that way.”

He nodded and straightened. They slipped along the corridor until they reached the
double doors. “They survived and they’re back there somewhere.” Annie peered up at
him, trying to imbue her voice with all the encouragement and peace and certainty
he needed to hear. “Good doctors are taking care of them. They are in good hands.
Gott’s hands. No matter what happens, they’re in Gott’s hands.”

Isaac nodded. His Adam’s apple bobbed. He chewed on his lower lip.

“What is it?” She stepped closer, longing for the freedom to give him a hug the way
she had the children. Why was it different between a man and a woman? He needed comfort.
She wanted desperately to offer it. “You can tell me anything, Isaac.”

“Anything?” Emotion roughened his voice. “You might think less of me. A man who lets
his emotions ride roughshod.”

“You care and you show it. I don’t consider that a character flaw.”

“Not very manly.”

“It is to me.”

This time his hand really did grip hers, his skin rough and callused. “How about this
emotion? I’m afraid I’m growing to love you.”

After a second, Annie managed to close her mouth. “You thought you might lose your
father and your brother. This isn’t the time for declaring love or any other big declarations.
When you mind is clear…”

“Were you the one asking for Gabriel Gless?”

They jumped apart at the man’s inquiring voice.

“Jah, I mean yes, that’s me.” His neck and face red, Isaac stepped back but he didn’t
let go of Annie’s hand. “Gabriel and Seth Gless.”

“Who are you?”

“His son.”

“Mr. Gless is trying to leave. Maybe you can convince him to stay overnight. He has
some fractured ribs, a broken finger, lacerations, and he received a blow to the head.
We’d like to keep him for observation.”

“If my father has made up his mind about something, there’s no changing it.”

Like father, like son
, Annie thought, but she didn’t give voice to those thoughts. What a time for an interruption.
She couldn’t be selfish and wish the doctor had waited to step into the hallway. Isaac’s
father and brother were hurt. Still, her mind reeled from his declaration. Did she
love him? The truth made her heart do a strange, small, painful dance. She might.
She found herself on a cliff, looking down at a raging river. She could stay where
it was safe or dive in.

Swallowing against the tide of conflicting emotion, she followed Isaac into the small
exam room. There would be time to discuss this later. Right now, they needed to see
to his family. She tugged her hand from Isaac’s and stopped in the doorway. Gabriel
stood, shoulders bent as if it hurt to straighten. His fingers fumbled with his shirt,
trying to tuck it in. His skin had a gray cast and white lines tightened around his
lips. Seth stirred and moaned on the bed next to his father’s. His eyelids fluttered
but didn’t open. Gabriel froze, his gaze on his son.

“Daed, what are you doing?” Isaac strode toward his father. He put his hand out as
if to help him. “You should be lying down. The doctor said…”

“Quiet. They gave Seth something for the pain. He’s resting. I have to go. Stay here
with him. The doctor says he’ll be fine, but they’re keeping him.” The rough staccato
of the whisper told Annie the older man labored under great emotion. “I’ll return
as soon as I can.”

“Where are you going?” Isaac lowered his voice to a whisper, but the urgency remained.
“You’re hurt.”

“I came here for a new start and I didn’t have the strength to take the chance when
it was handed to me.” Gabriel’s gaze came to rest on Annie and seemed to register
her presence for the first time. “I see you found the chance as well,” he said to
his son.

“I…I…jah, I think I did.”

“He did,” Annie whispered, seeing the need for assurance in Isaac’s eyes and hearing
the uncertainty in his voice. He needed to know she would join him in this new territory.
“He did.”

“
Gut
. I have to go.” With a tenderness on his face that made Annie want to look away,
Gabriel leaned over the bed and laid one hand on Seth’s cheek. The boy didn’t stir.
“I’ll be back, son. Soon.”

Then he limped past Isaac. When he reached Annie, he smiled down at her, a fleeting
smile she almost missed. “Danki.”

“Danki? For what?”

He didn’t answer. He pushed through the doorway and disappeared down the hall.

Isaac moved to his brother’s bedside. He pulled up the sheets and tucked them around
the boy’s thin shoulders. Annie watched the emotions play across his rugged face.
Then he turned so she couldn’t see his face anymore.

“Isaac?”

“He’s so little.” He cleared his throat, then cleared it again. “He looks beat up.”

“Flying furniture can cause a lot of damage, but the doctor says he’ll heal.” Annie
went to his side and slid her hand in his. “Gott is merciful.”

“Jah,” Isaac whispered. He turned to face her. “You know yourself how short life is.
We have no guarantees. I lost my mother. You lost your husband. You didn’t have the
time you wanted with him. We could’ve lost brothers and sisters today. You and I,
we know that you can’t wait when it comes to feelings of the heart.”

“What are you saying?” Annie tried to calm her breathing, but it seemed to get away
from her, racing faster and faster. “What do you want?”

“Marry me.” His hands tightened around hers. “I want you to marry me. If you’re not
ready in November, we’ll wait until next year. I’ll wait for you, Annie. I’ll wait
for you to be ready.”

“Isaac.”

“Do you think you can learn to love me?”

“Jah.” The word escaped of its own volition, but the second she uttered it, Annie
knew she spoke the truth. “I do love you.”

“I love you. So marry me.”

“We’re in the middle of a medical clinic.”

“Marry me.”

“Give me time to know you, truly know you.”

“I know. I’m racing ahead again.”

“You are, but I want to catch up. I will catch up. I promise.” As she said the words,
Annie felt the fluttering of hope, optimism, and tenderness as they bloomed inside
her. “We’ll have our new start, here in Bliss Creek.”

“Jah. A new start.” He leaned closer. “Do I have your leave to kiss you now?”

“You do.”

So he did. Everything stopped. The fearful voices died, drowned in the rush of emotion.
His lips touched hers and the confusion and the pain of loss subsided. Not gone, but
dwarfed by the conviction that this man loved her and she loved him.
Thank you, Gott
. The kiss ended, but Isaac’s long arms wrapped around her, holding her close. She
leaned her head against his chest. She could feel his heart pounding, a steady, sure
sound that calmed her own heart. She never wanted to move again. “More.” He raised
her chin with two fingers. His eyes were so warm she wanted to wade into them. “Just
a little more.”

This time the kiss went on and on. She never wanted it to stop. She leaned into him,
knowing they should stop.
Just a little more
.

“Isaac? Are you kissing a girl?”

At the sound of the boy’s groggy, confused voice, Annie jumped back. Isaac laughed.
Annie drew a shaky breath and managed a smile. Grinning, Isaac patted his brother’s
arm. “Not a girl, Seth, my future fraa.”

T
he note fluttered to the ground. Helen stared at the white, offending piece of paper
as it settled in the grass at her feet. Not caring that it was damp from the rain,
she sat down on the step on her front porch with a thump. Her legs didn’t want to
hold her anymore. Her only son had left her. Edmond had left her in a car driven by
another woman who had left her faith. Catherine knew better. She knew the terrible
cost. Yet she allowed this young boy to hitch a ride with her to the city. Helen lowered
her face into her hands. It surprised her to find that her cheeks were wet. She closed
her eyes and let the tears come. She’d failed.
I’m sorry, George. I’m sorry, Gott. I’m sorry
.

A hand touched her shoulder. She shrieked and stumbled to her feet.

“It’s me. It’s me, Gabriel.” He towered over her, his battered face filled with concern.
“What is it? You look so…sad.”

“What are you doing here? You should be at the clinic.”

“I’m fine.” He didn’t look fine. The bruises on his face had turned a purple so dark
he looked like a raccoon. He had a bandage across his forehead, and he walked with
a limp that said every step caused him pain. “At the clinic they said Ginny would
be all right. I saw your brother. He said you’d come home.”