Christmas in Apple Ridge (25 page)

Sol went ahead of the other three hunters, going deeper and deeper into the woods. He could hear them talking as they trailed behind.

He took a deep whiff of the air around him. Cold and earthy. He loved the outdoors. The restlessness of the nocturnal creatures after the sun began to slip behind the horizon. The brilliance of stars at this time of year. The beauty of being in a tree stand as dark yielded to the first rays of the sun. The exuberance of the animals at daybreak.

He wished Mattie would come with him just once. They didn’t have to hunt. A perfect spot on a hill or in a tree stand and a pair of binoculars was all she’d need to learn that everything worth doing in a day didn’t take place inside her cake shop.

He spotted the clearing of the campsite some twenty feet
ahead. As soon as he arrived at the camp, he quickly set up his tent, and while the others put up theirs, he gathered wood and started a fire. The campsite had level ground, a fire pit, and a creek that provided both fresh water and the gurgling sound he loved to hear while falling asleep.

Within an hour they’d had a simple meal of hot dogs and were sitting around the fire ready to talk about nothing.

“Hey, Sol.” Amish Henry sat on a nearby rock with his forearms propped on his knees. “The three of us have been wondering about something.”

“Ya, what’s that?”

“You couldn’t get a girl before Mattie, and now that you have her, others are looking your way. It’s like you had to get a girl to catch the eye of a girl.”

Nothing felt as right as having Mattie. He had someone to think about wherever he was and someone to go home to.

“You know, what Amish Henry said is true,” Daniel added.

Sol hadn’t really thought about it but had noticed a few girls looking his way during singings and at church services. “I’ve never asked to take a girl home from a singing. Not even Mattie.”

“Plenty of older single guys were ready to fight over her,” Daniel said. “What’d you do different?”

“Nothing. When she came up to me after the singings, I
talked to her. She didn’t mind that I didn’t have much to say. I wanted to ask to take her home, but I couldn’t. Not then. I think I could now. Maybe it’s not having a girl to get a girl as much as having confidence.”

“Ya,” Daniel said. “You’re confident you’re not interested in anyone else, and suddenly other girls are looking your way.”

“Wait,” Amish Henry said. “You mean
she
asked
you
?”

“Hey,” Sol said, trying to change the subject, “Mattie packed five cupcakes.” As Sol rose to his feet, he noticed shafts of light splashing here and there. “I think I see flashlights coming toward us.” Sol strode that way. “Hello?”

“We’re looking for Sol Bender.”

A beam of light flashed in his face. “You found me.”

“We’ve been looking for you since four o’clock. Mattie’s brother sent us …”

Their voices muffled in his ears. The night air closed in around him, and everything that had seemed right about coming here became heavy.

After forty-five minutes of calling every driver he knew, Gideon found one. Twenty minutes later Gary arrived at the dry goods store, and they began the trek to the hospital in Berlin. Gary
flipped radio stations and tried to engage Gideon in conversation the whole way, but it was the longest, most miserable six-hour trip he’d ever made.

Thoughts of Mattie Lane tormented him. He didn’t care how cliché it sounded—there was not another woman like her.

She had a smile that all but swallowed her. When she was tickled about something, which happened often, her cheeks turned a color similar to her reddish-blond hair. It wasn’t a blush as much as her enthusiasm glowing from within.

She had a gentle side and would do anything for those she loved. Even as a little girl and teen, when she was given the slightest chance to get free of the heaviness and concerns over her mother’s chronic illness, Mattie Lane radiated joy—like sunlight streaming through storm clouds.

But when her mother had become seriously ill six years ago, Mattie Lane struggled. She’d deny it, but he knew the truth, had witnessed it time and again—the tragedies of others weighed more on her than on most folks. And he imagined that the destruction of her property would be crushing.

Gary yawned as he entered the hospital’s parking lot. It’d been dark for most of the trip here, but the clock on the dashboard said it was only eleven. He stopped the car near the front of the hospital. “I’ll park and then go to the waiting room on her floor.”

“Thanks.” Gideon jumped out and hurried through the automatic doors. He barely took note of anything as he rode the elevator to the third floor. He walked past the nurses’ station, found Mattie Lane’s room, and opened the door.

His chest physically hurt when he saw her. She didn’t look like herself at all. Her face was pale, and she wore no prayer Kapp. A large patch of gauze was taped to the side of her neck, and it continued down past the edge of her hospital gown. A small white tube hung from the side of her mouth, and a larger beige one was attached to her arm. A plastic apparatus on her right index finger glowed.

“Hello,” said a female voice, and he looked up. The woman, wearing a blue uniform, stood at the head of Mattie Lane’s bed, messing with a bag of liquid. She smiled. “Visiting hours are over. I sent the rest of her family home awhile ago.”

“I came as soon as I heard, and it took me hours to get here.”

“Ah, then I suppose you can stay for a little bit.”

“Is … she okay?”

“She will be.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” she said quietly. “Dr. Grady said she’s a lucky young woman. Emotionally traumatized, but she sustained relatively few physical injuries.”

Relief hit so hard it made his legs weak. A machine behind her head indicated that her heart rate was strong and steady. And other than the gauze traipsing down the right side of her neck and shoulder, she didn’t have many outward signs of wounds. But fresh fears began to surface.

“Any internal injuries?”

“I can’t give out that kind of information, but I can say that she’s had every necessary test run and is receiving the proper treatment.”

“Has she woken up?”

“Yes, for a few minutes here and there, but she’s groggy from being put to sleep for some of the tests. I imagine she’ll be released in a day or two.”

Gideon sank into a chair, whispering thanks to God as the woman left. He missed Mattie so much it hurt, but he’d done the right thing. He knew he had.

Her face reflected pain as she shifted. Her eyes opened for a brief second, then closed again. “You’re here,” she whispered hoarsely.

“I’m here, Mattie Lane.”

A faint smile crossed her lips, and she reached for him. His heart thudded wildly, latching on to these few moments. Desire for a life with her swept him away, and needlelike pinpricks ran over his skin from his head to his feet.

Just a few more moments with her—surely God would grant him that much.

He took her limp hand in his and was rendered powerless by the connection. It’d been so long since he’d felt the soft, delicate skin of her fingers. Confusion enclosed his thoughts. What was he doing? He’d broken up with her for good reasons, ones that stood almost as insurmountable today as they were then.

Almost.

She squeezed his hand. His mind went crazy with longing. But a clear vision of what little he had to offer her splashed icy water on his hopes.

“S … s …” Her eyes fluttered but didn’t open.

His mouth went dry. She wanted Sol Bender. Of course she did, and that’s how it should be. Maybe her feathery light smile moments ago hadn’t been because she’d seen or heard him. Who knew what she was aware of or thinking as she drifted in and out of consciousness? No matter who she called for, Gideon had to get out before she opened her eyes and saw him. Easing her hand onto the bed, he stood.

“Gideon?” she whispered.

Finding it hard to breathe, he turned to leave. A man wearing camouflage gear stood in the doorway. He swallowed hard. Gideon had opened the door for Sol to walk into Mattie’s life, yet jealousy clawed at him.

Had Sol heard Mattie whisper his name?

Gideon shifted. “The reports were vague, so I came to check on her.”

Faint recognition of some sort went through Sol’s eyes. “Have we met?”

He forced himself to hold out his hand—this man was Mattie’s future, after all. “Gideon Beiler.”

The expression on Sol’s face showed disbelief. “You’re kidding me.”

Embarrassment smothered Gideon. How could he possibly justify being here?

“Sol Bender.” He finally shook his hand. “She and I are together now, have been for a while.”

Gideon swallowed hard. He racked his brain, trying to think of the right thing to say. “I know it may not seem like it, but I’m glad for her.”

Skepticism entered Sol’s eyes before he went to the far side of the bed and touched the back of her hand. “Mattie?”

She didn’t respond. But her smooth face and rhythmic breathing indicated she was sleeping peacefully … obviously soothed by her boyfriend’s presence.

“Mattie?” Sol repeated as he cradled her hand, but she didn’t rouse.

Gideon felt like an intruder, but he couldn’t make himself leave.

Sol peeled out of his hunting jacket. “You can stay if you want to,” he mumbled. “But she’s not going to like that you’re here. It’ll just add more stress.” Sol gently brushed hair off her forehead.

Gideon steadied the ache inside his chest. He’d done the right thing to end their relationship. He was sure of it, and if given a chance to do that time over, he’d set her free again. But that didn’t make seeing her in love with someone else any easier.

M
attie stood in front of her brother’s home, her mood as dark and cold as the night surrounding her. The street lamps peered through the fog as Sol loaded her bags into the rig. She’d shared Thanksgiving earlier today at her brother’s place. Dorothy had made quite a feast, but Mattie had barely stomached eating. All she could see in her mind’s eye was the ruins of Mattie Cakes.

Her brother put a fresh car battery in the floorboard and attached wires to it so the headlights worked. “I know you don’t want to go back to Pennsylvania right now, but there’s nothing you can do here until we get the issues settled with the insurance company, and that’s going to take about four weeks. Then we can look for a place to rent and convert it into a usable bakeshop until we can rebuild this spring.” James put his hand on her shoulder. “Besides, Mamm wants her only daughter to come home for a while after all that’s happened. And I think maybe you could use a little time away from here.”

She gazed at where Mattie Cakes had stood only a week earlier. Through the foggy night air, she could see the jagged, charred remnants of her shop two hundred feet away. She was grateful the flames and sparks hadn’t set any other buildings on fire. But the old wood Mattie Cakes was built with had ignited like a box of kitchen matches, and her ovens, pans, utensils, and supplies had melted or been damaged beyond repair. The worst loss was her scrapbook with all her notes, pictures, and magazine cutouts of specialty cakes.

Dorothy hugged her. “As soon as we get the insurance straightened out, we’ll buy the materials to rebuild. Then in the spring we’ll have a shop raising to rival any barn raising you’ve ever witnessed.”

“Denki.” Mattie held her tight, not wanting to leave the place she now called home. But she released her and climbed into the rig.

Her parents had made the trip here last week, visiting her in the hospital every day until she was released. Then Mamm had returned to Pennsylvania a couple of days ago, needing to get ready for the traditional Thanksgiving meal at her home with her six other sons and their wives and children. But once Mamm got home, she couldn’t rest with Mattie elsewhere, so she beckoned her daughter to return to Apple Ridge. Mattie’s siblings were concerned about Mamm and were also urging
Mattie to come—without any further delay for Mamm’s sake. So here she was, at the end of Thanksgiving Day, miserable, and yet packed and headed to Pennsylvania.

No one expected to be able to rebuild the shop in the dead of winter, but she wasn’t staying in Pennsylvania until warmer weather arrived. She’d managed to talk Mamm into letting her return to Ohio in time for Christmas so she and Sol could attend the Christmas singing together.