Huckleberry Summer (30 page)

The propane lantern hissed to life, casting eerie shadows into every corner of the barn. Lily’s hand trembled as she blew out the match. She hoped her fingers wouldn’t be numb with cold before she could figure out how to hook up Floyd’s sleigh.

Dust motes and strands of hay swirled into the air as Lily flung the tarp off the sleigh, a brand new two-seater with blue vinyl upholstery and shiny black runners. She ignored the twinge of guilt as she guided Sandy from the stall. She had no choice but to steal Estee’s wedding present. She must go to Tyler’s, and the roads were heavy with layers of snow. She hadn’t dared ride in the saddle for years, so it had to be the sleigh. Besides, Floyd’s displeasure was the least of her worries tonight.

Sniffling away her still-falling tears, Lily held Sandy’s reins and examined the sleigh. She considered waking Estee to help her hitch it up. She would go with Lily to Tyler’s if Lily asked her to.

But she decided against that. She had to do this on her own. For Aden.

Urgency made her clumsy. Would Dat come out and discover her before she had a chance to escape? She fumbled with the buckles and stumbled over the runners as she hitched Sandy to the sleigh, which to her relief was much like hitching the horse to the buggy.

With some effort, she maneuvered the horse and sleigh out of the barn without knocking over any hay bales. The snow made down harder now, in chunks of ice that pelted her face as she guided the horse up the lane. She wished for a pair of goggles and hoped she could find her way to Tyler’s house even if she couldn’t see.

The sleigh glided across the snow. Lily didn’t know if the feeling of exhilaration or terror was stronger. It went so fast, she felt as if she were flying. She made a mental note to ask Floyd’s forgiveness and then thank him profusely. A buggy would have gotten stuck in the driveway.

The cold had numbed her face by the time she saw the shadowy outlines of Tyler’s house and silos against the dark sky. Lights burned inside. It might be late, but it seemed someone was up.

Lily stopped the horse in the snowy lane, jumped out of the sleigh, and tromped breathlessly to Tyler’s porch. How could she bear to do this?

Saying a prayer for courage, she rapped on the door. She wanted to be sure to be heard.

Tyler’s mother answered, and the sound of rowdy laughter attacked Lily’s ears. Of course. Relatives were here for the wedding tomorrow. A small propane lantern hung from a hook on the wall, dimly lighting the entry. Tyler’s mother smiled in delight before studying Lily’s face. Obviously troubled by what she saw, she lost her smile and a worry line appeared between her eyebrows. “Lily? I did not expect to see you tonight. Is everything all right?”

Breathless, Lily grabbed Tyler’s mother’s wrist, partly to keep herself from falling over. Her knees felt like rubber. “Please, may I talk to Tyler?”

His mother hesitated for a moment as the puzzlement on her face gave way to concern. “I will get him.”

Thankfully, the entryway in Tyler’s house was nothing but a landing. The kitchen and living room were up the stairs in front of Lily, and the bedrooms were down. The laughter came from upstairs. It sounded like they had a houseful of visitors, but Lily couldn’t see any of them and they couldn’t see her. Praise the Lord for small blessings. She would be able to avoid the awkward silence and curious looks from Tyler’s relatives. The bride showing up at the groom’s house with eyes red from crying would not bode well the night before the wedding.

Lily stood in wretched silence as the yelling and laughing continued. “One, two, three . . .”

They must have been playing a game. The counting stopped, and the laughing got louder.

Tyler appeared at the top step, smiling at whatever silliness went on in the kitchen. He saw who his visitor was and froze halfway down the stairs. His smile faded and apprehension immediately leaped into his eyes. Her heart sank to her toes. This was going to hurt both of them.

Hurt very badly.

He stood there staring at her, as if he didn’t know what to do next, as if taking one more step down those stairs would ruin everything.

Lily had no control over her trembling. “Tyler, is there somewhere we can talk?”

With worry saturating his features, he swallowed hard and nodded. Pointing down the stairs, he motioned for Lily to lead the way. “The cellar,” he said. “Turn right.”

The laughter faded as they descended, and the sound of their shoes clunking against the wooden steps thundered in Lily’s ears. And of course, the pounding of her heart created a cacophony inside her head.

They reached the cellar, and Tyler lit a lantern on a post. He scooted a barrel near the lantern and invited her to sit. Lily shook her head. If she sat still, she might explode. Tyler stayed standing as well. He wasn’t one to relax if he felt he needed to keep his wits about him.

Even with her coat on, Lily shivered. Tyler thought of everything. He couldn’t very well be alone with her in one of the bedrooms on the night before the wedding. The only other private place in the house was the dark cellar with cold cement walls and low, oppressive ceilings.

Even in the basement, they could hear the muted counting upstairs followed by uproarious laughter.

Tyler glanced up the stairs. “My uncles and cousins from Albany. They’re having a push-up contest.” He smiled weakly, but there was no joy in it.

He fell silent, and they stared at each other as the unspoken words between them lodged in Lily’s throat.

She hadn’t been able to come up with one comforting thing, not one thing to say to Tyler that might soften the blow. The brutal truth served plain and ungarnished would be poison to him, but Lily could see no other way.

Tyler turned his back on her, placed his hand on the wall above his head, and leaned against it. Bowing his head, he let out a long, slow breath. “Something is wrong, isn’t it?”

“Jah.”

His voice shook with emotion. “Are you calling it off?”

“Jah,” she whispered, so softly that she almost didn’t hear herself.

“Oy anyhow, you’re brave.”

She didn’t miss the astonishment in his voice. Her heart beat wildly. Not very brave. Fear and uncertainty were an icy hand around her throat.

He still had his back to her, maybe so she wouldn’t see what was on his face. “I’m sorry, Lily. I knew you weren’t ready. I think . . . I wanted to marry you so bad. It hurt so much when I thought of you not being in my life.”

Lily closed her eyes and pushed down the tears that threatened to spill onto the cold cement floor. “Don’t apologize. I encouraged you. I wanted you to ask me.”

He lifted his head and looked at her. “Jah, you did. I know you did.”

“Because you are the best kind of man.”

He shook his head. “I know you think of me that way, and I have always been humbled by your opinion. It’s why I dared to even hope you might say yes.” He relinquished his wall and gently clasped her upper arms. “But you don’t love me.”

She couldn’t meet his gaze, not with that fire burning in his eyes. “No.”

He dropped his hands and shoved his fingers through his hair. “Then it doesn’t matter how many times I’ve read the Bible or how often I help my mamm with the dishes or how much your fater likes me. I cannot be your husband if I am not the best man for you.” The intensity in his gaze could have melted a meadow of ice. “There are other men out there, Lily, gute men who get beat up by life because they think with their hearts instead of their heads. Gute men who always try to do the right thing even when it’s messy or turns out bad. Men who love big, hairy dogs.”

Lily’s legs wobbled, and she sat down hard on the barrel.

He took her hand and enfolded it in both of his. “It’s my own fault because I wanted to believe you loved me. I ignored the way you look at Aden, like every delight in the world lives in his face.” The corner of Tyler’s mouth quirked upward. “He’s not even that handsome.”

“Yes, he is.”

“Well, don’t tell me about it. I’m sick of Aden Helmuth already.”

Relieved laughter escaped Lily’s lips.

Tyler knit his brows in concern. “Was your dat angry?”

Lily’s heart resumed galloping. “He has thrown me out of the house.”

She saw a fierce emotion in Tyler’s face she’d never seen before. “How could he treat his daughter that way?”

“He hoped his harshness would force me to reconsider. He says I am blind to Aden’s faults.”

“Aden’s only fault is caring too much.” His lips twitched. “I can’t believe I’m defending him when he’s ruined all my happiness.”

Lily didn’t know whether to laugh or weep.

Tyler directed a steely gaze up the stairs. “I will go to your fater. He will know how I feel about what he has done.”

“Nae. You have no argument with him. I have never opposed him before, and he did not know what to do. But he needs to see that I am strong enough to do what I feel is right. I won’t have you fighting my battles for me.”

Tyler frowned. “It took a lot of courage to tell your fater. And me. I’m proud of you.”

“I am anything but brave. I thought I might faint.”

“That’s what courage is. If it weren’t scary, it would take no bravery to see it through.”

A warm glow filled Lily’s chest. She wished she had a sister for Tyler. He deserved an angel to be his wife.

Another blast of laughter sounded from upstairs. Lily lowered her eyes and studied her hands. “I suppose we should tell your family.”

“Why spoil their evening just yet?” He took her hand and pulled her up the steps. “There is an errand we need to run.”

“Where are we going?” she said, as they climbed.

“To Huckleberry Hill, because Aden’s got the stupid idea that he’s leaving tomorrow. I think you should talk him out of it.”

Lily’s heart soared to the sky. She threw her arms around Tyler’s neck and squeezed with all the joy of affectionate friendship. He truly was the best of men. Him and Aden. “Why would you do that for me?”

Sadness flitted across Tyler’s face. “I want you to be happy.”

A tear escaped her eye even as she grinned.

“But don’t act too happy,” Tyler said wryly. “I’m still heartbroken over losing you. Can you muster a little respect for my feelings?”

Lily kissed him soundly on the cheek. “I have more respect for you than ever.”

Aden lay staring at the ceiling even though it was too dark to actually see the ceiling. He didn’t fight the insomnia. Since the puppy mill, he felt blessed if he got three or four solid hours a night.

Tomorrow all hope of happiness would die for him. Lily would get married, and Aden would go home. He wondered if Mamm had moved one of his little brothers into his old room yet. Or maybe she had turned it into a quilting space where she could spread her fabric all over his bed and design squares to her heart’s content. Maybe Mamm and Dat wouldn’t want him back. He’d given them enough to worry about when he lived there.

Because of the pain, he’d trained himself to put Lily out of his mind, to accept a sort of numbness about his daily life so he wouldn’t walk around in perpetual despair. But tonight, Aden surrendered and pictured Lily as he had seen her earlier today, her cheeks rosy with the cold, the brilliance of the snow reflecting in her eyes. This would be the last time he let himself dream about her. If such thoughts seized him back in Ohio, he’d drive himself crazy.

A loud tap on his window startled him, and he bolted upright, suddenly alert. Another insistent tap got him to his feet. Aden lifted the blinds and peeked into the dark night. Would he be able to see who harassed him?

Someone held a flashlight beneath his chin and shined it onto his own face. From the odd angle of the light, it took Aden a few seconds to realize Tyler Yoder was the one haunting his house.

The sight of Tyler assaulted him with a fresh wave of longing. What did Tyler want, tonight of all nights? Didn’t he have better things to do than come and remind Aden of his loss?

“Come out,” was Tyler’s muffled plea.

Come out?
It’s freezing cold in the middle of the night, and I’m leaving for Ohio tomorrow. I’m not in the mood to say good-bye or to wish you well on your wedding day or whatever it is you’re expecting from me.
Had he come all this way in the middle of the night in the freezing cold to gloat?

Aden was tempted to crawl back into bed and let Tyler freeze.

Instead, he fumbled around in the dark for his clothes and tried not to make any noise when he tromped down the hall in his clunky boots. Mammi and Dawdi needed their sleep even if Tyler didn’t think Aden did.

Pilot and Sparky sprawled on the rag rug in front of the sofa, but Pilot lifted his head and twitched an ear when Aden passed. “Go back to sleep, Pilot.”

Pilot rose and stepped lightly across the kitchen floor to stand by Aden. Aden patted him on the head. “Not a bad idea, boy. You can protect me from predators.”

Aden lit a lantern before stepping out onto the porch. He’d rather not converse while Tyler pointed that flashlight in his face.

Tyler stood in the middle of the yard, but the flashlight had disappeared. At the edges of the lantern’s light, Aden could see a dark horse and a sleigh standing in the lane. The snow, which had been falling all day, drifted lazily to the ground as if ready to give up falling altogether. Aden clomped down the steps and crunched through the snow. Pilot contented himself on the porch, sitting on his haunches, peering at Aden and Tyler like a curious scholar.

The lantern illuminated Tyler’s features. He wore his normal somber expression, but Aden could tell by the hard line of his mouth and the intensity of his gaze that he wasn’t happy.

Aden wanted to growl. What did Tyler have to be unhappy about? He was about to marry Lily Eicher, the most wonderful girl in the world.

“Could you put the lantern down?” Tyler said.

Reaching back, Aden suppressed his confusion and set the lantern on the porch next to Pilot.

Tyler nodded, stepped closer, and without warning, punched Aden squarely in the mouth.

Aden stumbled backward and fell to the ground out of sheer surprise. Tyler’s fist struck hard, as if packed with every bit of anger Tyler had ever buried. Aden groaned as the taste of salty blood filled his mouth and his ears rang with the blow. He really should have stayed in bed. Aden glanced at his sorry excuse for a guard dog who sat on the porch, oblivious to the fact that someone had attacked his master. He’d get no help from Pilot.

The pain of losing Lily left no room for anger, not even for Tyler Yoder. If Tyler felt the need to hit him, Aden must have deserved it.

Still frowning fiercely, Tyler reached out his hand. Aden hesitated to take it. Did Tyler want to help him up so he could hit him again?

He reluctantly took the proffered hand, stood with a grunt, and rubbed his tender jaw. “What was that for?”

“So that tomorrow you won’t feel so bad about ruining my life. I want you to remember that I fought back. It will help soothe your guilty conscience.”

“What do I have to feel guilty about?”

That was a stupid question. He had a lot to feel guilty about: Lily’s arrest, Eicher’s mailbox, loving Tyler’s fiancée. A long list.

Tyler pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Aden. “Your lip’s bleeding.”

“No kidding.”

“I’m going in the house so I don’t freeze to death,” Tyler said as he walked up the porch steps. Pilot didn’t move a muscle, not even to growl.

This visit got stranger and stranger. “You came all this way to sock me in the mouth and take over my house?”

Tyler turned back, and one corner of his mouth curled slightly. “Did I break a tooth? I hope I broke a tooth.”

Aden was about to follow his crazy friend up the steps and demand some answers when a glint of light appeared from around the corner of the house. Someone walked his way holding the shining flashlight.

She stepped into the light of the lantern, and Aden held his breath. Was this what it felt like to see a vision?

His surprise was nothing compared to the sharp yearning he experienced when he laid eyes on her. How could he bear to let her go, this bright, beautiful girl who never left his thoughts and held his heart in her hands? His love burned like a forest fire, irrational, fierce, and completely out of control.

Pilot thawed instantaneously and jumped off the porch. Lily held up her hand. “Stay, Pilot. Stay there.”

Pilot whined and wagged his tail, but he sat down in the snow and came no closer.

She’d been crying. Even in the dim light of the lantern, Aden could see the red, swollen eyes and the weariness in her expression. Her violent trembling tempted Aden to wrap her in an embrace.

He couldn’t help himself. He reached out and tenderly grasped her arms. “What’s wrong? Did Tyler do something to upset you?”

“Aden, I’m so sorry. I’ve been unforgivably unkind to you.”

He let his hands fall to his side. Was this some sort of pre-wedding ritual? Tyler and Lily visiting all the people they’d offended and making apologies before the big day? Didn’t they know such a gesture only made him feel like dirt?

Hurt flashed in her eyes. “Am I too late?”

He cleared his throat and tried to appear apathetic. She couldn’t know how her presence stabbed through his heart. “You don’t need to apologize for anything, Lily. Ever.”

Her expression brimmed with tenderness, and she seemed to gravitate closer to him. Or did Aden involuntarily gravitate closer to her? He didn’t know, but he found his face within inches of hers.

“You’re hurt,” she said, retrieving a handkerchief from her coat pocket. Aden didn’t dare move a muscle as she reached up and dabbed at his lip, maddeningly brushing her fingers against his jaw, sending his pulse racing. He clenched his fists in an attempt to gain some control. Didn’t she understand the torture he experienced just being near her?

Slowly, deliberately, she rose to her tippy-toes and brushed her lips across his. He thought his heart might escape his chest and gallop down the road. He stood perfectly still in case any movement from him would make her come to her senses, because she had certainly lost them.

She pulled away from him and searched his face for something. He didn’t know what. “Is there any possibility you could love me?” she said, in a whisper soft voice.

He must not have heard her correctly. In bewilderment, he pointed to the house. “Do you . . . do you know that Tyler is in there?”

“I called it off with Tyler.”

Aden’s head reeled like the time Mahlon Byler beaned him with a softball. “You . . . you mean you . . . are you getting married tomorrow?”

“Nae.”

Aden didn’t think he’d ever heard a sweeter word in his life. If he were a bird, he could have soared to the sun. Weeks of the deepest despair gave way to happiness so exquisite it almost blinded him. It certainly took his breath away.

She visibly trembled again. “Tyler is heartbroken, I stole Floyd’s sleigh, and my dat kicked me out of the house, but I finally found someone I’m willing to risk everything for.” She placed a hand on his chest. “It’s you, Aden.”

Not caring whom he woke, Aden whooped at the top of his lungs, picked Lily up, and whirled her around. Pilot lost all control. He barked cheerfully and leaped like a rabbit in the snow-covered yard.

Throaty laughter burst from Lily’s lips, and her smile set his heart ablaze. Aden laughed at the sheer delight of it all. He spun her until he got dizzy, then set her on her feet and kissed her as if he had every right to. She melted into his arms, and he lifted her off her feet again to bring her closer to his heart.

After a few blissful seconds that could have filled eternity, she pulled away from him. He made sure she stood firmly on the ground when he let go. “So, you forgive me?” she said.

He chuckled before he slid his arms around her and kissed her tenderly. She wrapped her fingers around his suspenders and pulled herself closer.

He was so happy, he thought he might burst if he didn’t voice what he carried in his heart. With his lips within inches of hers, he said, “I love you, Lily.”

She sighed as if to release whatever emotions she’d bottled up. Tears brimmed in her eyes before overflowing. She giggled. “You don’t know how I have longed to hear you say those words.”

He kissed her again and tasted not only her sweet lips, but her salty tears as well.

Oh, how he loved her!

Kissing Lily always sent him reeling, so he didn’t know how he finally managed to make some sense of everything she’d said. He stiffened as her earlier words came back and indignation seized him. “Your dat kicked you out?”

She lowered her eyes. “He was frantic. And desperate. I’ve always been so easily persuaded. He thought he could change my mind.”

Aden wished he could make the pain go away by holding her close. “My darling, adorable Lily. I can only imagine how you felt and what horrible things your dat must have said.” Horrible things about Aden, no doubt.

“I was shaking and ill and so terrified I was like to pass out. But I promise, from now on, you will not regret loving me. You’ll see I’ve changed.”

He brushed his thumb across her bottom lip. She fell silent. “Don’t change a thing. I fell in love with the girl who scolded me every time I waded knee-deep into a puddle of water and sprouted that adorably anxious pout when I wouldn’t heed her. I fell in love with the girl who wouldn’t stop worrying about me and commanded my dog better than I ever could. You are my treasure, Lily. I would not have you any different.”

She curled her lips. “All right. If you take care of the puppies and the horses and the ponds, I will take care of you.”

They stood holding each other until Lily started to shiver. “What am I thinking, keeping you out in the cold like this? This would be more romantic inside where it’s warm.”

Lily laughed and traced her fingers along his jawline. “I came so close to losing you. I don’t want to let you go even long enough to walk into the house.”

“I’ll hold tight.”

Lily frowned suddenly and slumped her shoulders. “Tyler’s in there.”

Aden’s happiness deflated a bit. “Oh, jah, I forgot.” They couldn’t go inside. Aden didn’t want to rub it in, but he didn’t think it would be possible to keep a smile from his face.

“He drove me over here. He didn’t have one bitter word for me, and I have treated him so poorly.” Lily closed her eyes and shook her head. “It is a wonder either of you can stand to be near me.”

“Not a wonder at all. You are worth every risk, you know.” He emphasized his sincerity with a swift kiss. “I’m glad Tyler hit me. I don’t feel so guilty about stealing his fiancée.”

Aden took Lily’s hand in his. There could never be a better fit. He tugged her to the house with Pilot trotting close behind. Aden snatched up the lantern before opening the door.

Pilot barged into the room ahead of them. The floor lantern had been lit, and Tyler sat on the sofa with Mammi and Dawdi on either side of him. Mammi clutched one of Tyler’s hands in hers and her eyes twinkled with delight and sympathy. She wore her petal-pink nightgown with that strange puffy nightcap that looked like a purple cat had made a bed on the top of her head. Dawdi wore an undershirt with his trousers and suspenders, and his horseshoe beard stuck out from his face like the roots of a tree. Tyler looked as if he had swallowed a toad. Tyler and his grandparents must have been having a very awkward time of it.

Pilot loped to the sofa and propped his paws on Tyler’s lap as if Tyler were his best friend.

“Pilot, get down,” Lily commanded.

Tyler stood, offered an arm to each of the grandparents, and pulled them up.

Mammi beckoned for Aden to come closer. Unable to bear the thought of letting go of Lily’s hand, he took her along with him, and Mammi’s arms went around them both.

“Tyler told us all about it,” Mammi said. “I knew how it would be.” She patted Lily on the cheek. “I kept telling Felty and Aden, but neither of them would believe me. Men don’t understand these things.”

Mammi went to the kitchen and shoved two logs into the cookstove. “I’ve got cocoa. Would anyone like cocoa? Aden’s dat sent me a can of Mint Chocolate Swirl.”