Cousin's Challenge (26 page)

Ella knew that Jake wanted her to wait until next Monday to see him, but by Friday, she couldn't wait any longer. She needed to know if he was all right; she needed to let him know how much she cared.

So she packaged up a loaf of friendship bread, climbed into her buggy, and guided her horse down the driveway. She'd left Charlene in charge of the bakeshop; Amelia, Helen, and Larry were still in school; and Mama and Sue Ann were both taking a nap, so this was a good time for her to go.

It was a beautiful spring afternoon, and Ella enjoyed the ride, absorbing the sweet smell of someone's newly mown grass, the beauty of budding trees and flowers in bloom. It was a perfect day to take a ride with Jake, and if he felt up to it, maybe they could.

Ella smiled as she thought about the way Jake had looked at her the other day—as though he only had eyes for her.

Is that the way he used to look at Loraine?
Ella had cared so much for Jake, even back then, that she'd tried not to notice how he'd looked at Loraine.

Ella was sure that Jake was over Loraine and that he had no interest in Jolene. But one question remained: Was Jake ready to make a commitment to her?

A short time later, with a sense of anticipation, Ella pulled her horse and buggy up to the hitching rail by the Beechys' barn. After she'd climbed down and secured her horse, she reached into the buggy for the friendship bread and sprinted to the house.

Jake's mother answered soon after Ella knocked on the back door. “I came over to see how Jake's doing.” Ella held out the bread. “And I brought this for him.”

Lydia pursed her lips. “Didn't Jake tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“He's not here.”

“Where is he?”

“He left for Montana four days ago. Went by plane, despite his daed's protests.”

Ella felt as if her heart had stopped beating. Despite what Jake had said about staying in Indiana, he'd left again.

“What a fool I was for trusting him,” Ella mumbled.

Lydia tipped her head. “What was that?”

“Jake told me he was staying in Indiana, and I was foolish enough to believe him.”

Lydia opened the door wider and motioned Ella inside. “I think we need to talk.”

Ella reluctantly followed Lydia into the kitchen. She didn't see that they had much to talk about, unless Lydia planned to make excuses for her son's bad behavior.

“Are you sure Jake didn't tell you he was making a trip to Montana?” Lydia asked after they'd taken seats at the table.

Ella shook her head. “He never said a word.”

“Maybe he wanted to surprise you.”

“Oh, I'm surprised all right.”

“Do you think Jake plans to stay in Montana? Is that why you're wearing such a long face?”

“Well, isn't he planning to stay there?”

“Nee. Jake has every intention of coming back here as soon as he—”

The back door flew open. Jake's dad stumbled into the room. His face was white, and his eyes were rimmed with tears.

“Joe, what's wrong?” Lydia hurried over to him.

He opened his mouth, but the only sound that came out was a strangled sob.

Lydia grabbed hold of his arm and gave it a shake. “Tell me what's wrong!”

“I was in the phone shed checkin' messages, and there—there was one from Jake's boss in Montana.”

“What'd it say?”

Joe drew in a couple of shaky breaths and then dropped to his knees. “Jake's dead!”

Ella stared at Jake's dad, trying to let his words register. As their meaning sunk in, a shaft of pain stabbed her heart. Jake was dead. But how? When? Where? A dozen questions filled Ella's head.

Lydia dropped to her knees beside her husband. “What happened? Tell me exactly what the message on our answering machine said.”

Joe lifted his ravaged face and drew in a shuddering breath. “Jake borrowed his boss's truck to pick up some horses, but he never made it back to the ranch because he—he was in an accident.” Joe sniffed deeply and swiped at the tears running down his cheeks. “Our son's body was burned beyond recognition.”

Lydia gasped, and Ella grabbed the back of the nearest chair for support.

“This is all my fault,” Joe lamented as he rose to his feet. He began to pace. “If I'd only been nicer to Jake, he'd never have left home in the first place.”

Lydia ambled across the room as though in a daze and dropped into a chair at the table. Her whole body trembled as she clutched the folds in her dress. “Ach, my son, Jake!”

Ella sat beside Lydia and held the other woman's hands as she fought for control. She couldn't be sure whether the tears that splashed onto their hands were hers or Lydia's. She just knew they both loved Jake and would miss him terribly.

Ella could certainly relate to Joe's cries, for she, too, felt as if she were to blame for Jake's death.
If I hadn't been so mean to him after Papa died, he might have joined the church by now and never left Indiana. Why did Jake leave again?
she wondered.
Was he really planning to come back here, or had he changed his mind and decided that he liked Montana better?

If there was only some way to undo the past. If Ella could just see Jake's face again and say that she loved him. If there'd ever been any doubt about that, it had been erased the day Jake had fallen and hit his head. Seeing him passed out on the ground had almost been Ella's undoing. Hearing that he was dead had broken her heart. Ella felt like she'd waited her whole life to find a man she could love, and just when she'd found him, he'd been snatched away.

Ella knew Jake's parents needed time alone to grieve for their son, and she needed to be alone as well. So as Joe reached for Lydia and they clung to one another, Ella slipped silently out the back door.

She stood on the porch, gazing at the Beechys' yard and losing herself in the memory of the way Jake had looked at her the last time she'd seen him. She knew now that Jake could be trusted, but he wouldn't be coming home.

When Jake's horse stuck his head over the corral fence and whinnied, she blinked hard and couldn't stop the flow of tears. Jake was dead. It was too late for them. Collapsing onto the porch step, she sobbed.

Ella heard the roar of an engine drawing closer, so she quickly dried her eyes with her apron, trying to pull herself together. An oversized truck was coming up the driveway, pulling an equally large horse trailer. Someone was probably bringing Joe some horses to shoe.

I don't think Joe's in any shape to speak with anyone right now. Maybe I should tell the customer what happened and ask him to come back some other time.
Ella grimaced.
I hope I can explain things without breaking down.

Ella stepped off the porch and started walking across the lawn. She'd only made it halfway there when the truck door opened. Jake stepped out. Her heart stopped midbeat. It couldn't be Jake. Jake was dead.

Ella blinked a couple of times, thinking she must be imagining things. But she wasn't, for Jake was strolling across the lawn with a huge grin on his face. As he drew closer, he opened his arms to Ella, and she ran into his embrace.

“Have you missed me as much as I've missed you?” Jake murmured, nuzzling the top of her head.

“Oh, Jake, we thought you were dead.”

Jake pulled back and looked at her strangely. “As you can see, I'm very much alive. What gave you the idea I was dead?”

Ella quickly explained.

Jake's eyes widened, and he shook his head. “Oh, no! That wasn't me in my boss's truck. Andy, one of the fellows who works at the ranch, said he needed the truck, so I caught a ride with one of the other guys into town so I could pick up the truck and trailer I needed to rent in order to come back here.” Jake paused and reached for Ella's hand. “That was three days ago. I've been on the road ever since.”

Ella was so overcome with joy that all she could do was stare up at Jake and squeeze his hand.

Finally, as if coming out of a daze, she motioned to the house and said, “You've got to go inside and see your folks. They're in shock and grieving for you.”

Jake bounded up the porch steps, pulling Ella along. When they stepped into the kitchen, Lydia looked at Jake as if she were seeing a ghost. Ella heard the poor woman's breath catch in quick, ragged gasps. “Jake! Is ... is it really you?”

“Jah, Mom, it's me.”

Jake's dad, who'd been standing in front of the sink, whirled around quickly, dropping a glass. “Jake! I ... I can't believe it's you! We were told you'd been killed—that you'd been burned up in your boss's truck.”

“It wasn't me, Dad.” Jake moaned. “Andy must be the person who died. He borrowed our boss's rig, not me.”

Lydia leaped out of her chair and threw her arms around Jake. “I'm sorry to hear about your friend, but I thank the Lord that you're alive!”

Joe joined Jake and his mother in a three-way hug. “Same goes for me, son. I can't tell you how glad I am.”

Ella was so overcome with emotion that she could hardly speak, when Jake pulled her to his side and whispered, “Can I talk to you outside for a minute?”

“I guess so. If your folks don't mind.”

Lydia grabbed a napkin from the center of the table and dabbed at her eyes. “Go right ahead.”

Jake looked at his dad.

Joe gave Jake another hug. “It's fine with me, but I'd like to say something first.”

“What's that?” Jake asked.

“I'm sorry for the way I've treated you. I've griped and complained and badgered you about joining the church.” Joe reached for a napkin and blew his nose. “Will you forgive me, Jake? Can we start over? I'll see if I can make it better between us.”

Jake nodded as tears coursed down his cheeks. “If you forgive me. I know I haven't been the ideal son.”

“But you're
my
son, and That's what counts.” Joe sniffed deeply. “I love you very much.”

“I love you, too, Dad.” Jake looked around. “Where are my little brothers and sisters?”

“They're not home right now,” Lydia answered. “Fern and Jolene were taking their scholars on a field trip to celebrate the last day of school.”

“So they don't think I'm dead?”

Joe shook his head. “They know nothing about the message.”

“Hopefully, by now, my boss knows it wasn't me in his truck, but I'll need to give him a call, just the same.” Jake glanced down at Ella and smiled. “As soon as I'm done talking to my aldi, that is.”

Ella basked in the warmth of Jake's smile. It felt wonderful to hear him call her his girlfriend.

When they stepped onto the porch, Jake motioned to the truck and horse trailer parked in the driveway. “See that rig?”

Ella nodded.

“I've got some horses in there, and That's going to be the beginning of our future together.”

“What are you saying, Jake?”

He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her to his side. “I'm saying that I love you, and as soon as I join the church, I want you to become my wife.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but he spoke again. “And I want you to know that even if you say you won't marry me, I'll love you until the day I die.”

“Oh, Jake, don't even speak of it.”

“You don't want me to speak of marrying you?”

“No, not that. I don't want to hear anything about you dying.”

“The Bible says that it's appointed that everyone must die.” He bent his head and nuzzled her ear. “Will you marry me and grow old with me until death takes one of us away?”

Ella's vision clouded as tears squeezed between her lashes. She cleared her throat so she could speak clearly. “Jah, Jake, I'll marry you—until death do we part.”

Jake took Ella in his arms and kissed her tenderly. All the challenges she'd faced in the last several months faded. She could think only about her future as Mrs. Jake Beechy.

As Jolene watched her husband and two little girls ride the carousel at Hershey Park, her heart swelled with love. Lonnie smiled at her, and she basked in its glow. Today, she and Lonnie had come here with their extended family, including Jolene's cousins Ella, Katie, and Loraine along with their husbands and children. Jolene's brother Andrew and his wife, Eunice, had been invited, too, but they'd stayed home because Eunice was due to have their second baby soon and wasn't feeling up to the trip.

Jolene thought about Fern. Last year, the schoolteacher had married Devon Bontrager, a widower. Fern, who'd been so sure she would never marry and have children, was now happily caring for Devon's six rambunctious boys.

Jolene chuckled as she looked at Ella and Jake's little boy, Joe. A chunk of cotton candy hung off his chin. He swiped it away with the back of his hand and grinned up at his mother. Wayne and Loraine stood watching their three children, two boys and a girl, as they scrambled onto a ride. Then there were Katie and Freeman, happily watching their two little towheaded boys holding stuffed tigers in their arms.

When Lonnie and the girls got off their ride, Lonnie signed,
“Hasn't this been a fun day?”

Jolene nodded.
“Making a trip to Hershey Park was worth the wait.”

“Marrying you, now that was worth the wait.”
He reached for her hand and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze.

She smiled and closed her eyes as she sent up a prayer.
Heavenly Father, I'm thankful that the van accident, which nearly destroyed our lives, has somehow brought us all closer to each other—and to You. You used the tragic accident for Your good, and each of us cousins has learned that, despite the challenges we've had to face, trusting in You is the only way.