The Heart's Journey: Stitches in Time Series #2 (32 page)

She hadn’t always smiled like that. He started noticing it just a few months ago, after the shop had opened. It was like she came to life. He’d passed by the shop one day a couple of weeks ago and stopped to glance inside. He’d seen her working at her loom, a look of absorption on her face, a quiet smile on her lips.

Something had moved in his chest then, a feeling he hadn’t had before. He’d resolved to figure this out.

He hadn’t been in a rush to marry. It had been enough to take over the family farm, to make sure that he didn’t undo all the hard work that his
daed
had done to make it thrive. He didn’t feel pride that he’d continued its success. After all, Plain people felt
hochmut
was wrong. In school they had often practiced writing the proverb
Der Hochmut kummt vor dem Fall
. Pride goeth before the fall.

But the farm, its continuity, its legacy for the family he wanted one day—that was important to him. To have that family, he knew he’d have to find a
fraa
. It was important to find the right one. After all, Plain people married for life. So he’d looked around, but he had taken his time. He likened the process to a crop—you prepared the ground, planted the right seed, nurtured it, asked God’s blessing, and then harvested at the right moment.

Such things took time.

Sometimes they even took perseverance. She’d turned him down when he approached her and asked her out.

He decided not to let that discourage him.

She turned from the window and began walking down the sidewalk toward him.
Look at her
, he thought,
walking with that bounce to her step
. He looked at the way she glanced around, so animated, taking in everything with such animation, such curiosity.

He waited for some sign of recognition but she hadn’t seen him yet. When they’d attended school, their teacher had often gently chided her for staring out the classroom window or doodling designs on a scrap of paper for the weaving she loved.

Mary Katherine moved through the sea of
Englisch
tourists on the sidewalk, who parted for her like the waters had for Moses. He watched how they glanced at her the way she did them.

It was mutual curiosity at its best.

He walked toward her, and when she stopped and blinked, he grinned.

“Jacob! What are you doing here?”

“You make it sound like I never come to town.”

“I don’t remember ever seeing you do it.”

“I needed some supplies and things are slower now with the harvest in. Have you eaten?” He’d casually asked Anna what time they took their break, but he figured it was a good conversational device.

“Yes. We ate a little early at the shop.”

He thought about that. Maybe he should have planned better. “I see. Well, how about having supper with me tonight?”

“Did you come all the way into town to ask me out?”

Jacob drew himself up. “Yes.”

“But I’ve told you before—”

“That you’re not interested in going out.”

“Yes.”

“But I haven’t heard of you going out with anyone else.”

She stared at him, oblivious of the people who streamed around them on the sidewalk. “Who did you ask?”

Her direct stare was unnerving. His collar felt tight but he knew if he pulled it away from his neck he’d just appear guilty. “I’d have heard.”

“I’m not interested in dating, Jacob.”

When she started past him, he put out his hand to stop her. She looked down at his hand on her arm and then met his gaze. “Is it you’re not interested in dating or you’re not interested in dating me?”

Her lips quirked. “I’m not interested in dating. It’s not you.”

“I see.”

She began walking again.

“Do you mind if I walk with you?”

“
Schur
. She glanced at him. “Can you keep up?”

He found himself grinning. She was different from other young women he knew, more spirited and independent.

“Where are we going?”

She shrugged. “Nowhere in particular. I just needed to get out and get some fresh air.”

Stopping at a shop window, she studied its display of tourist souvenirs. “Did you ever think about not staying here? In Paradise?”

“Not stay here? Where would you go?”

She turned to look at him and shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s a big world out there.”

Jacob felt a chill race up his spine. “You can’t mean it,” he said slowly. “You belong here.”

“Do I?” she asked. Pensive, she stared at the people passing. “Sometimes I’m not sure where I belong.”

He took her shoulders and turned her to face the shop window. “This is where you belong,” he told her.

She looked at the image of herself reflected in the glass as he had directed. He liked the way they looked together in the reflection. She was a fine Amish woman with a quiet beauty he’d admired for some time. He’d known her in school and of course they’d attended Sunday services and singings and such through the years. He hadn’t been in a rush to get married and he’d noticed she hadn’t been, either. Both of them had been working hard, he at his farm, she in the shop she and her grandmother and cousins had opened.

He began noticing her shortly after the shop opened. There was a different air about her. She seemed more confident, happier than she’d been before.

He reminded himself that she’d said she didn’t date.

So why, he asked himself, was he trying again? Taking a deep breath, he turned to her. “Mary Katherine—”

“Jacob!” a man called.

He turned and saw a man striding toward him, a newcomer to the Plain community.

Though the man hailed him, his attention was clearly on Mary Katherine. He held out his hand. “Daniel Kurtz,” he said. “Remember me?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Jacob saw Mary Katherine turn to the man and eye him with interest.

“You live in Florida now.”

“I do.” He eyed the shop. “So, this is yours?”

“My grandmother’s. My cousins and I help her.”

Daniel nodded. “Very enterprising.” He glanced around. “Is this the size of crowd you get this time of year?”

Mary Katherine nodded. “After-Christmas sales bring them out. But business slows down while people eat this time of day.”

“I came into town to pick up a few things and I’m hungry. Have you two eaten?”

“I asked Mary Katherine but—”

“We’ll join you,” she said quickly.

Jacob stared at her. But the two of them were already walking away. With an unexplained feeling of dread washing over him, he followed them.

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