Treasuring Emma (24 page)
Emma turned around. Adam Otto, talking of spiritual things? Questioning her the way her grandmother would? She shook her head.
“What?”
“It’s just that . . .” She sighed. “You’ve changed, Adam.”
“I guess so. I hope so. I’m trying to work some things out. Things I avoided for a long time.”
As he stared at her with his honey-colored eyes, a warmth kindled within her—empathy coupled with attraction. She glanced away, not wanting to be drawn in. At one time she appreciated his concern and his friendship, yet she’d also wanted more. She still wanted more, and always would.
“Have you prayed about this, Emma?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. She hadn’t. And she wasn’t going to admit it and get a lecture from this new incarnation of Adam. She picked up a jar of nails to move it from the windowsill to the counter near the front of the shop. Pointless, yet it allowed her to avoid the question. “Clara is right. So is
Grossmammi
. I have to let
geh
of the past if I’m going to move forward.”
“Does that mean you’re willing to let
geh
of what happened between us?”
The jar slipped out of her hand, crashing to the floor. Sharp nails and shards of glass flew everywhere. She sank down to the ground and blindly grabbed at the mess. Pain shot through her hand. A bright stream of blood flowed from her palm.
Adam appeared at her side. “Emma.”
His voice, soft in her ear, sent chills through her. She tucked her hand inside the cuff of her sweater. “I’m such a klutz.”
“
Nee
. You’re not.” He picked up a few pieces of glass, found an old bucket, and tossed them in. “We’ll put the glass in here.”
She nodded, trying to ignore the throbbing in her hand. She reached for a chunk of the glass jar and saw a dark spot seeping through the navy blue fabric of her sweater.
“Let me see.”
“I’m all right.”
Adam put his hands on his hips and stood in front of her. “I’m not budging until you show me.”
“Fine.” She pulled up the cuff of her sleeve. Blood was smeared all over her hand. “It looks worse than it is.”
“I hope so, because that looks pretty bad. We need to
geh
inside and clean it up.”
“I can do it myself.”
“Okay, then you
geh
inside and take care of it. I’ll pick up the rest of the glass and nails.” He bent down and carefully lifted a large shard of glass.
“Adam?”
“Can’t hear you.” He tossed the glass in the bucket. “I can’t hear you because you’re already inside cleaning up your hand, like you told me you would.”
Behind his back she smiled. A little. Then she turned and went into the house.
“Adam.”
Adam turned to see Mark standing in the doorway. He stood up, tossing the last pieces of glass into the bucket. “Mark.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same question.”
Mark strolled into the workshop and looked around. His face registered disgust as he took in the ramshackle place. “Needs a lot of work.”
“
Ya
. It does.”
“More than Clara realizes, I believe.” He turned to Adam. “You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here.”
“You’re right. I haven’t.”
Mark smirked. He rolled his shoe back and forth across one of the loose nails on the floor. “I suppose you don’t think you owe me an explanation.”
“Not really.”
“And I don’t owe you one.” He leaned against the counter and crossed his ankles. “When are you leaving?”
“I haven’t decided yet.” He looked Mark directly in the eye. “In fact, I’m thinking about staying around for a while. A
gut
long while.”
“Am I supposed to take that as a threat?”
“You can take it any way you want to.” Adam smiled. “But Amish don’t threaten. You should know that.”
“Oh, I do.” He smiled right back. “But you’re not Amish anymore.”
Adam’s smile faded. Nothing seemed to unnerve Mark King. He stood in this building as if he owned it.
Or wants to
.
“I suppose we should clear the air between us.” Mark uncrossed his ankles and walked to Adam. “Since you’re planning to stay and all.”
Adam picked up a couple of nails and clicked them together in one hand. “Suit yourself.”
“I intend to court Emma.”
Adam’s fist tightened, and one of the nails pierced the skin. He hid a wince. “Uh-huh.”
“That’s all you have to say?”
The words. The tone. The sarcastic sneer. Clearly Mark was itching for a fight. He wanted to match wits, maybe even match fists with Adam. And considering the anger welling up inside Adam’s gut, it would be easy to rise to the bait.
But it was a trap. The Amish were peaceful people, and it would only take one argument for Emma to be upset. She already held a cache of resentment toward Adam. Even if Adam won, he’d lose, simply because he took up the challenge. Mark would be the true victor.
Adam wasn’t about to fall for that. “You do what you want. I’m not Emma’s keeper.”
The smirk on Mark’s face slipped a little. “I thought you cared about her.”
“I do. But I can’t tell her what to do. Who to like or who . . . not to.”
“So you’re agreeing you’ll stay out of my way? That you’ll leave Emma alone?”
Adam was about to leave the workshop. He needed to check on Emma, see how her hand was doing. But he caught the uncertainty in Mark’s tone.
He stopped in the doorway. “I’m not agreeing to anything, King,” he said. “But I’m not your biggest problem. If you want Emma to be your wife—”
He paused and swallowed down the bile that rose at the thought. “You’ll have to convince her that you’re worth being her husband. And that, you’ll never be able to do.”
Clara came into the kitchen to find Emma standing at the sink, washing her hands. Behind Clara, Peter entered the room with Junior and Melvin at his heels and Magdalena cradled in his left arm. They had all walked to the Shetlers’, including Mark.
Mark had already disappeared into the woodshop. He was probably hard at work now, sorting tools.
Emma glanced over her shoulder. “I guess you’re ready to start work?”
“
Ya
. Peter and I are headed to the shop. Could you watch the
kinner
for us?”
Emma shut off the tap, took a towel from the counter, and patted her hand dry. She smiled at Junior and Melvin, who gave her gap-toothed grins in return. “I’d be happy to. I haven’t seen these adorable
buwe
in a long while.”
Junior’s smile turned upside down. “We’re not aboradle.”
“We’re tough,” Melvin added.
“Sorry, tough guy,” Emma said. “You’ll always be ‘aboradle’ to me.” She patted the tops of their hats with the hand that wasn’t covered with the towel. Peter came over and started to hand her the baby. “I’ll get her in a minute. I just need to bandage my hand.”
“What happened?” Peter asked.
“
Nix
. Just cut my hand. Very minor, nothing to get excited about. I’ll be right back.” She left the kitchen, presumably for the bathroom where the first aid supplies were.
As soon as Emma left, the back door opened. The boys rushed out and Adam came in. What was he doing here again?
Dust covered his clothes, and Clara had a sinking feeling he’d been in the workshop. Had he run into Mark out there? She hoped not. She was tired of the strife in her family, ready for Adam to leave and go back to Michigan once and for all. If he’d just go home, the last bit of conflict would be out of their lives.
Clara and Peter were sorting things out and had prayed together last night. She had asked God to remove the confusing feelings she had about Mark. This morning when she saw her husband’s cousin, she didn’t have a single reaction.
Things were turning around. She didn’t want Adam messing that up.
“Hi, Adam.” Peter extended his hand. “
Gut
to see you back.”
Adam returned the handshake, nodding. “I never thought I would say this, but it’s
gut
to be back.”
Clara frowned. What did Adam mean by that? Maybe he was just being polite. She certainly hoped he didn’t intend to stay.
Her husband handed her the baby. “I’ll go out in the shop with Mark,” he said. “Come out when you’re ready, Clara.”
Adam stayed. “Where’s Emma?”
“Did you have something to do with her injury?”
“
Nee, nee
. At least not directly. We were talking and she dropped a jar of nails.”
“What were you doing in
mei grossvadder’s
workshop?”
“I just told you. Talking.”
“You shouldn’t be here.” Magdalena tried to pull on Clara’s
kapp
. She grabbed her daughter’s hand and moved it away.
Adam rolled his eyes. “Clara, you’ve told me that before. Many, many times. But let me tell you this. Just because I left, because I’m shunned, doesn’t mean that I stopped caring about Emma, or your
familye
.”
“If you cared so much about Emma, you wouldn’t have broken her heart.”
Adam looked away. “I never meant to hurt her.”
“So you say. But the longer you stay, the more you’re hurting her. Can’t you see that?”
“So you think Mark is better for her?”
“
Ya
, I do. He’s a
gut mann
.”
“Just because he’s Peter’s cousin?”
“Because he’s been nothing but helpful to me and Peter. And
ya
, it is because he’s part of Peter’s
familye
.”
“Peter is a
gut mann
, but that doesn’t mean everyone he’s related to is. I’d think you’d be a little more careful with your sister’s feelings, Clara. You haven’t known Mark that long.”
“I only knew Peter through letters, but even then I knew the kind of
mann
he was. And still is. I never met him, but I fell in love with him.”
“That’s you and Peter. What does it have to do with Mark and Emma?”
“Sometimes you can get to know somebody, who they really are, in a short period of time. Just because Mark hasn’t known Emma for years doesn’t mean he hasn’t come to care for her.”
“Don’t you think Emma deserves to choose her own happiness?”
“I believe she will find happiness with Mark. She will not find it with you.”
When Emma returned to the kitchen, she found Adam and Clara glaring at each other. They both looked unhappy.
“I’m heading to the workshop,” Clara said. “If you need anything, I’ll be there.” She handed Magdalena to Emma and left, brushing by Adam but otherwise ignoring him.
What was that all about?
Emma wondered.
She cuddled Magdalena close and breathed in her scent— powder, baby sweetness, maybe a little bit of strawberry jelly.
Then Emma felt Adam’s eyes on her.
He was staring at her, his honey-colored eyes flitting from Magdalena’s face to Emma’s and back again.
“What?” Emma asked.
Adam’s gaze jerked, and he shook his head. “
Nix
. I’ll be outside.” He took a step back, stared at her again. “In the barn. Working.”