Dear to Me (20 page)

Melinda had just stepped into the yard when she spotted Susie climbing down from her buggy.

 “Have you been in the woods again?” Susie asked as Melinda drew near.

 “Jah. I was drawing a picture of some deer. Until Gabe scared them off, that is.”

 Susie’s forehead wrinkled. “How’d he do that?”

 “He had a gun and was shooting at a target nailed to a tree.”

 “You’d better get used to hearing guns go off,” Susie said. “Soon it will be hunting season, you know.”

 “I do know, and it’s not me I’m worried about. My concern is for the deer.”

 “Many of our men hunt,” Susie reminded her. “It’s just the way of things.”

 “I know that, too. I also realize I can’t save every deer in the woods.” Melinda compressed her lips. “I can, however, protect those that do come onto our property.”

 “So if you know you can’t save every deer, then don’t be so hard on Gabe. I’m sure he loves you.”

 “Then he should prove it.”

 “I think he did that when he asked you to marry him.”

 Melinda’s mouth fell open. “You—you know about his proposal?”

 Susie nodded. “I heard it from Gabe’s mamm when I was working at Kaulp’s Store last week. She dropped by to get—”

 “Gabe must have told her,” Melinda interrupted with a shake of her head. “I can’t believe he’d do that after we agreed to keep it quiet until we had set a date.”

 “I don’t see what the big secret is.” Susie leaned against the buggy and folded her arms. “Even if you’re not officially published, your close friends and family members should know what you’re planning.”

 “I would have told them if things weren’t so
verhuddelt
.”

 “What things are mixed up?”

 “Things between me and Gabe.” Melinda drew in a shaky breath. “I’m beginning to wonder if I made a mistake in agreeing to marry him.”

 “You can’t mean that. I think you’re just upset about Gabe hunting. You’re not thinking straight right now, that’s all.”

 “You’re right, I am upset, but there’s more involved than just Gabe wanting to hunt. It’s a lot more than you realize.” Tears trickled down Melinda’s cheeks, and she swiped at them with the back of her hand.

 “I realize this,” Susie said in a snappish tone, “If Gabe were
my
boyfriend, I’d do everything I could to make him happy. He’s a good man and will make you a fine husband.”

 “I know he’s a good man, but he doesn’t love me enough to—” Melinda’s voice trailed off, and she looked away.

 “To what?”

 “To—to leave the Amish faith with me.” Melinda almost choked on her final words.

 Susie’s eyebrows shot up, and her eyes widened. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”

 Melinda shook her head. “I’m not kidding.”

 Susie grabbed Melinda’s arm and pulled her toward the buggy. “We’d better sit down so you can tell me about this crazy notion.”

 Melinda took a seat beside Susie in the front of her buggy and drew in a deep breath. This was going to be harder than she’d thought.

 “Now what’s all this about you wanting to leave the Amish faith?” Susie asked, nudging Melinda’s arm with her elbow.

 “I didn’t say I
wanted
to leave.”

 “But you said Gabe doesn’t love you enough to leave the faith with you.”

 Melinda swallowed hard and pulled in another quick breath. “As you know, I’ve been working at Dr. Franklin’s clinic for some time now.”

 Susie nodded.

 “He’s been telling me for quite a spell that I’ve got a special way with
gediere
.”

 “We all know that. You’ve been good with animals since you were a kinner.”

 Melinda moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. “Which is why Dr. Franklin thinks I would make a good vet.”

 Susie’s mouth dropped open. “But in order to become a vet, you’d need lots of schooling. A lot more than the eight years you’ve had, that’s for sure.”

 “I know, and in order to get the necessary schooling, I’d have to leave the Amish faith and go English.” Melinda paused and waited for Susie’s reaction, but Susie just sat with her arms folded, staring straight ahead.

 “I’ve made plans to take my GED test, which is the first step I’ll need in order to prepare for college,” Melinda continued.

 “And Gabe knows about this and doesn’t go for the idea?”

 “He hasn’t exactly said he doesn’t go for the idea of me becoming a vet, but in order for us to be together, he’d have to go English with me, and he says he’s not willing to do that.”

 Susie pursed her lips and squinted at Melinda. “And you are?”

 “Well, I—”

 “I know Gabe loves you, Melinda, but he’ll have to break up with you if you go English and he doesn’t.”

 Melinda grimaced. “At first Gabe said he would pray about things. But then we had an argument in the woods over him target practicing so he can hunt in the fall, and he ended up telling me that he won’t leave the Amish faith.”

 “I can’t believe this. I just can’t believe it,” Susie mumbled with a shake of her head.

 “Do you think I’m wrong for wanting to take care of animals?”

 “Not wrong for wanting to take care of animals. Just wrong for wanting to leave the only life you’ve ever known.”

 “That’s not true,” Melinda corrected. “I lived in the English world with my mamm and my real daed until I was six years old.”

 “You can’t tell me you remember much about that.”

 “I remember some things.”

 Susie groaned. “I can’t imagine how it would be not to have you in my life, Melinda. How can you even consider leaving your family and friends?”

 “This isn’t an easy decision for me, and I know the sacrifices I would have to make.” Melinda nibbled on the inside of her cheek. “I feel a need to care for animals, and Dr. Franklin says I can’t do it properly unless I have professional training.”

 “What do your folks have to say about this?”

 “They don’t know yet.”

 “You haven’t told them a thing?”

 Melinda shook her head.

 “But they know Gabe’s asked you to marry him, right?”

 “No. I figured I’d wait until after I passed my GED test to tell them that, too. But since Gabe’s not going to leave the Amish faith, there’s really no point in telling them about his marriage proposal.” Melinda clasped Susie’s hand. “You’ve got to promise you won’t say anything about this to anyone. Do I have your word?”

 “I still think you should tell them, but until you’re ready, I’ll keep quiet.”

Chapter 18

O
n Monday morning, Melinda stopped at the birdhouse out front before she headed for work. There she discovered a note from Gabe.

Dear Melinda,

I’m sorry about our disagreement yesterday, and I hope we can figure out some way to resolve our differences. I was wondering if you would be free to go on a picnic supper with me this evening. I’ll bring the food, and I’ll check the birdhouse for an answer before I pick you up. If you’re willing, we can leave around six o’clock.

Always yours,

Gabe

 Melinda smiled. Gabe had said he was sorry. Did that mean he’d changed his mind about leaving the Amish faith with her? Did he finally understand her need to become a vet?

 She removed the pencil and tablet from the birdhouse and scrawled a note in return.

Dear Gabe,

I accept your apology, and I hope we can settle things between us. A picnic supper sounds nice. I’ll be waiting for you at six, and I’ll bring a loaf of homemade bread and some of Grandpa’s rhubarb-strawberry jam.

Yours fawnly,

Melinda

 With a feeling of anticipation, Melinda slipped the note into the birdhouse and climbed back into her buggy.

 Things would be better now that Gabe had apologized, and she looked forward to their date tonight. For now, though, she needed to hurry or she would be late for work.

“Melinda, can you come here a minute?” Dr. Franklin called from examining room one.

 Melinda set the mop aside that she’d been using to clean another examining room. “What do you need, Dr. Franklin?” she asked when she entered the other room and found him clipping the toenails of a little black Scottie.

 “Would you mind holding Sparky while I finish cutting his toenails? He’s as jittery as a june bug this morning.”

 “I’d be happy to help.” Melinda stood on the left side of the examining table and gripped the little dog around the middle with one hand. With her other hand, she held his front paw so the doctor’s hands were free to do the clipping. She had assisted Dr. Franklin several times when he had a dog’s nails to trim, and the animals always seemed relaxed and calm in her presence.

 “Say, Dr. Franklin, I’ve been wondering about something.”

 “What’s that, Melinda?”

 “Well, actually, it’s more Isaiah who wants to know the answer to a question.”

 He glanced up at her. “What does your little brother want to know?”

 “Isaiah told me one day that he’d heard that if a dog has a dark mouth, it means he’s smart. But if the inside of his mouth is light, then he’ll likely be dumb.” She giggled, feeling self-conscious for having asked such a silly question. “I told him it was probably just an old wives’ tale, but he said I should ask you about it.”

 The doctor continued to clip Sparky’s nails. “Actually, there’s some truth in what your brother told you. It’s not documented that I know of, but many animal breeders take stock in the color of a dog’s mouth. I’ve heard it said that a dark mouth means a smart dog.”

 “Hmm…that’s interesting.”

 “Sparky’s sure doing well,” Dr. Franklin commented. “He’s a lot more relaxed with you holding him than he was when I tried working on him alone.”

 Melinda smiled in response. It made her feel good to assist the doctor, and if she could help an animal relax, it was an added bonus.

 “If you were a certified vet’s assistant, I’d have you helping with many other things here in the clinic,” the doctor said.

 “I’d like that.”

 “And if you ever do become a veterinarian, I might consider taking you on as my partner.”

 “Really?” Melinda’s heart swelled with joy. How wonderful it would be to work side by side with Dr. Franklin as his partner, not just as someone who cleaned up the clinic, helped with toenail clipping, or gave flea baths to the dogs and cats that were brought in.

 “I really mean it. In fact, I’ve been thinking that I’d like to help with your schooling.”

 “Help?”

 “Yes. Financially.”

 Her mouth fell open. “You—you’d really do that for me?”

 He nodded. “As you know, my wife and I have no children of our own. It would give me pleasure to help someone who has such a special way with animals. You’ve got real potential, Melinda, and I’d like to see you use your talents to the best of your abilities.”

 “And you think in order to do that I’d need to go to school and become a vet?”

 “Let me just say this. If you were my daughter, I would do everything in my power to make it happen.” He set the clippers aside. “There you go, Sparky. All done until next time.”

 “Do you want me to put him in one of the cages in the back room until his owner comes to pick him up?”

 “Yes, if you don’t mind.”

 “I don’t mind at all.” Melinda scooped the terrier into her arms and started for the door.

 “Oh, Melinda…one more thing,” Dr. Franklin called.

 She turned back around.

 “I know my wife said she would drive you to Springfield next Friday to take your GED test, but her mother, who lives in Mansfield, fell and broke her hip last week. So Ellen will be helping her mother for the next couple of weeks, which means she won’t be available to drive you to Springfield after all.”

 Melinda forced a smile to her lips in order to hide the disappointment she felt. “That’s all right. I’m sure I can find someone else to drive me that day. I’ll also need to give my folks a legitimate reason for me going to Springfield.”

 “You’re still planning to wait and tell them after you’ve taken the test?”

 She nodded.

 “I hope it works out for you.”

 “Me, too, Dr. Franklin. Me, too.”