Allison's Journey (15 page)

Allison stepped onto the back porch in time to see Bessie and Joseph enter the yard. She felt a keen sense of disappointment when she realized Aaron wasn’t with them. She’d hoped he would come to the barbecue but figured he must have responsibilities that had kept him at home.

At least Katie will be happy this evening, since Joseph is here
, Allison thought.
Guess I shouldn’t be so envious, but it’s hard to see Katie and Joseph all smiles when they’re together
.

Determined to be pleasant, Allison stepped forward and greeted her guests. “Sarah’s in the house helping Aunt Mary make some lemonade. I’m sure she’ll be glad to see you,” she said, smiling at Bessie.

“I’ll go inside and help ’em.” Bessie bounded away, and Allison turned to Joseph. “You and Bessie are the first to arrive, but I’m sure Katie and her family will be here shortly.”

Joseph grinned. “I hope so.”

Allison motioned to the barbecue grill across the lawn. “Uncle Ben’s got the chicken cooking, and he’ll be doing up some burgers, too. We should be able to eat soon, I expect.”

“It sure smells good.” Joseph sniffed the air. “Guess I’ll wander over there and say hello.”

When he sauntered off, Allison moved over to the picnic tables and spotted Aaron coming out of the barn. Her heart did a little flip-flop, and she drew in a quick breath to steady her nerves.

“When Bessie and Joseph showed up without you, I didn’t think you’d come,” she said when Aaron walked into the yard.

“I put my horse in the corral, then stopped off at the barn to talk to Harvey and Walter. They were checking on the new horse their daed recently bought.”

Allison smiled. “Jah, I know.”

Aaron shifted from one foot to the other as he glanced around, kind of nervous-like. “Where is everyone? Are we the only ones here?”

“You, Joseph, and Bessie are the first to arrive, but I’m sure the others will be along soon.”

Aaron took a seat on one of the picnic benches, and Allison sat across from him. Feeling a bit nervous and shy all of a sudden, she fiddled with the napkin in front of her.

Aaron cleared his throat. “Uh, I was wondering. . . .”

“Jah?”

“Do you think you might be free to—”

A buggy rumbled into the yard and a deep male voice hollered, “Whoa there! Hold up, you crazy critter!”

Allison’s mouth dropped open when she saw James Esh in his fancy buggy, with his unruly horse trotting at full speed straight for the barn.

A
s James’s horse and buggy thundered into the barn, everyone in the yard took off on a run.

“That crazy fellow is going to hurt himself if he keeps pulling stunts like that,” Aaron mumbled as he sprinted along beside Joseph.

“Jah,” Joseph agreed. “He had no call to be running his horse like that. I’m sure he could have gotten the animal stopped in time if he’d had a mind to.”

“The way James raced into the barn, his horse could have been injured,” Uncle Ben added.

“I hope James isn’t hurt,” Allison said breathlessly.

It would serve him right if he did get hurt
. Aaron bit back the words on his tongue and drew in a sharp breath. His attitude wasn’t right; he really didn’t want to see anyone hurt, no matter how irritating they could be.

By the time they reached the barn, James, who appeared to be unharmed, was backing his horse and buggy out the door. “Get back, everyone!” he shouted. “I’m comin’ through!”

When James had maneuvered the buggy out of the barn, Allison stepped up to him and asked, “Are you all right? Is your horse okay?”

“I’m fine, and my horse wasn’t hurt. I was just trying to give everyone a little thrill for the day.”

“You could have picked a better way to do it,” Aaron said, stepping up to James. “Someone could have been trampled by that crazy horse of yours.”

James leveled Aaron with a piercing look. “You think so?”

Aaron nodded.

James glanced over at Allison and smiled. “I told you my horse was a spirited one.”

Allison stood silently, a peculiar expression on her face. Was she impressed with James’s brazen behavior? Did she find him exciting?

Just then, two more buggies rolled into the yard—the Eshes and Hiltys had arrived.

“Why are we all standing here?” James asked. “Let’s head over to the picnic tables and eat ourselves full!”

As Allison moved over to one of the picnic tables, she thought about how foolish James had been to run his horse into the barn like that. He’d said he’d been trying to give them a thrill, but she figured he was probably showing off, the way her brother Peter did when he was trying to impress Sally.
Could James have been
trying to impress me?
she wondered. She thought about how he’d kissed her the night he’d given her a ride home from the young people’s gathering. Maybe James didn’t mind her tomboy ways. Maybe he accepted her as she was.

Allison grimaced.
But James hasn’t joined the church, so it’s not likely that he’s ready to settle down. Besides, I’ll be going home in a few months, so there wouldn’t be much point in starting a relationship with James or anyone else, even if they are interested in me
.

She glanced over at Aaron, who had taken a seat at the picnic table across from her. Truth be told, it was Aaron she wished would take an interest in her, not James. But that was about as unlikely as Aunt Catherine saying she missed Allison and begging her to come home. Aaron had given no indication that he was interested in her in a romantic way.

“Sure is a nice night, isn’t it?” James asked, plopping onto the bench beside Allison.

“Jah.” Allison glanced at Gabe and Melinda Swartz, who sat across from Aaron. They looked happy and content. Katie and Joseph were all smiles, too. Allison couldn’t help but envy the two couples who were obviously in love.

“Maybe you young people would like to play a game of croquet after we’re done eating,” Aunt Mary suggested, smiling at Allison. “Later, after everyone feels hungry again, we’ll start cranking the homemade ice cream.”

“Croquet sounds like fun,” Katie spoke up. She turned to Joseph. “Don’t you think so?”

He nodded with an eager expression. “I’ve always enjoyed battin’ the ball around.”

Katie jabbed Joseph in the ribs. “It’s not baseball we’ll be playing, silly. We’re supposed to hit the ball through the metal
wickets, using a mallet.”

Joseph jiggled his eyebrows. “I knew that.”

Allison felt James’s warm breath on her neck as he leaned over and whispered, “Why don’t you and me take a walk down the road while the others play croquet? We can get to know each other better if we’re alone.”

The back of Allison’s neck heated up. What would everyone think if she went off with James? What if he tried to kiss her again? “I’d really like to join the game,” she replied. “If you don’t want to play, maybe you can find something else to do until the ice cream is made.”

“I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than spend time with you,” James said, offering her a crooked grin. “So if it means hitting a ball through some silly wicket, then that’s what I’ll do.”

Aaron pushed a spoonful of macaroni salad around on his plate as irritation welled in his soul. He didn’t like seeing James sitting beside Allison, whispering in her ear like she was his girlfriend. Couldn’t she see what that pushy fellow was up to? Didn’t she realize all James wanted was a summer romance with no strings attached?

Aaron clenched his fists.
If I’d come in my own buggy, and Joseph and Bessie had a way home, I’d head out now so I wouldn’t have to watch James carry on like a lovesick cow
.

“You’re not eating much.” Gabe leaned across the table and pointed at Aaron’s plate. “If you’re gonna beat me at croquet, then you’d better do something to build up your strength, don’t you think?”

Aaron shrugged. He was in no mood for Gabe’s ribbing. Truth was he wasn’t sure he wanted to get in on the game.

“You look like you’re sucking on a bunch of tart cherries,” Gabe said. “Is something bothering you?”

“I’m just not hungry.”

“I’ll bet he’s saving room for that homemade ice cream.” Melinda reached for the dish of deviled eggs and took two.

Gabe looked over at his wife and smiled. “Now that Melinda’s eating for two, she takes second helpings of everything.”

Melinda needled him in the ribs with her elbow. “That’s not so, and you know it.”

Aaron’s mouth fell open. “I—I didn’t know you two were expecting a
boppli
.”

Melinda nodded, and Gabe’s smile widened. “The baby should be born in October. I’m hoping for a boy to help me in the woodworking shop.”

“Congratulations.”

“Danki,” Melinda said. “I’m really looking forward to being a
mudder
.”

Aaron grabbed his glass of iced tea and took a big drink. He would never know what it was like to have a loving wife and a baby of his own.

The young women teamed up to play the first round of croquet against the men. Aunt Mary sat on the sidelines, visiting with Katie’s mother, Doris, while the children played a game of tag. Uncle Ben and Katie’s father, Amos, had taken a walk to the barn.

Allison went first, since she was the guest of honor. Then it was Katie’s turn, followed by Melinda, Sarah, and Katie’s fifteen-year-old sister, Mary Alice. Next, the young men took turns.

“It sure is obvious that the fellows are trying to win this game,” Melinda said to Allison when Gabe hit his ball through the middle wicket, leaving everyone else two wickets behind.

“I guess it doesn’t matter who wins as long as everyone has fun.” Allison wouldn’t have admitted it, but she’d intentionally not played as well as she would have at home. She was trying to act like a woman and not a tomboy.

“I didn’t get much chance to visit with you at the last preaching service,” Melinda said to Allison. “But I understand you’re from Pennsylvania.”

Allison nodded and took aim with her mallet. She gave the ball a light tap, but it missed the wicket by several inches.

“How long will you be in Webster County?” Melinda asked as Katie took her turn.

“Just until the end of summer.”

“Do you like animals?” came the next question from Gabe’s pretty, blond-haired wife.

“Some. I like dogs, although I’ve never had one as a pet.”

“Really?”

“My aunt Catherine doesn’t care much for pets,” Allison explained.

“You’ll have to go over to Melinda and Gabe’s sometime,” Katie said after she’d taken her turn. “Melinda’s got more pets than you’ll see at the zoo.”

Allison’s interest was piqued. She couldn’t imagine having that many pets.

“I have an animal shelter where I care for orphaned animals
or those that have been hurt and need a place to stay while they’re recuperating,” Melinda explained. “Gabe’s a woodworker, and he’s built lots of cages for me to keep my animals in.”

“Is that so?”

Melinda nodded as Katie explained, “Melinda used to work at the veterinary clinic in Seymour, so Dr. Franklin sends all his orphaned patients to her once he’s done all he can for them.”

“There must never be a dull moment at your place,” Allison said.

“That’s for sure. I think my folks were glad when I married Gabe and they no longer had to put up with all my animals and the crazy stunts they pulled.” Melinda giggled. “Now it’s Gabe’s job to help me round up any runaway critters.”