Never Far From Home (The Miller Family 2) (28 page)

Some cultural differences were harder to bridge than others, but he knew with absolute certainty that he loved Emma. He would overcome any obstacle in his path, and he would marry her someday.

Moonlight reflected off the polished truck hood while stars sparkled high above the open sunroof. James drove slowly, as he was in no great hurry to get home. The longer it took, the longer he could remember and savor each special detail about Emma. She had kissed him goodnight while Sam had been walking Sarah to her door. James had smelled the fresh scent of peaches and tasted peppermint, like candy canes at Christmas. Her soft lips returned his kiss with innocence. Every time she pronounced his name, the sound of her accent made him believe all things were possible when two people fell in love.

James drove up their road and parked in front of an almost dark house. Only one light burned in the kitchen, like at the Miller house when he’d taken Emma home. Except this light was electric, not kerosene. James toed off his boots in the mudroom and then headed for the back stairs.

“Jamie?” A soft voice called from the kitchen. “Is that you?”

Apparently, Emma wasn’t the only one with a worrying mother. “Yeah, Mom, it’s me.” He stepped into the kitchen where Barbara sat with her Bible, Sunday school manual, and a cup of tea. She looked both tired and somehow anxious.

“You’re home early; that’s good. It’s not even ten thirty.” She peered at him over her half-moon glasses.

“I took Emma Miller to the Sugar Creek Swiss Cheese Festival. She had to be home by ten.”

His mom’s face dropped. “Emma the Amish girl? Oh, Jamie. She’s still a child! This is not a good idea. You’re eighteen now.” Creases across the bridge of her nose deepened, while her eyes narrowed into a pronounced squint. With her sudden change of mood, his mom looked very old.

James felt a surge of anger but tamped it down. “We shared only one little kiss goodnight. And that’s all it will be until I’m finished with school. I thought you trusted me better than that.” His righteous anger echoed off the oak-paneled walls.

But his mom offered no apology. “It’s not a question of trust, son. You’re both young and mistakes can be made—lapses of judgment. Remember, I was young once too.” Her brown eyes pleaded for understanding.

“Yeah, well, I intend to behave myself so she’ll still want to marry me when we’re older.” He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned on the door frame.

Barbara settled back in her chair. “You have no idea what you’re asking her to give up. If you care about this girl, you shouldn’t ask her to leave the only life she’s ever known. Encourage her to date her own kind, and you do the same.”

“Her own kind?”
He felt his face flush as his blood started to boil. “You make me sound like a chicken wanting to date a Canada goose. I assure you, Mom, she is my kind. We’re both human beings!”

“I realize that, son, but for Emma to seriously court you she would have to leave her faith and everything she loves behind.”

He wanted to say more. He wanted to accuse her of being control-ling—first demanding college, now telling him whom to date—but he couldn’t. His mom had sacrificed so much for her children and never asked for anything in return…until now.

He would go away to college. He planned to buckle down and finish his education. Tomorrow after church services, he would start packing.

But he would never give up Emma.

Julia rose from her bed and walked to the window, hugging her shawl together with a shiver. The wind had picked up and it had started to rain. Leaves and large drops pelted the glass as she looked out over her backyard. With difficulty, she pulled the window sash down. Earlier, when she had gone to bed, a full moon had bathed the bare fields with shadowy light. Now she peered into nothing but inky blackness.

“What are you gawking at?” Simon asked, concerned for his wife.

“Absolutely nothing,
ehemann
. A front has come in and brought the rain.”

“Come back to bed then. Emma is home safe and long asleep. She kept to her curfew. Despite the fact she’s courting an
Englischer
, at least we can rejoice in that.”

Julia turned from the window and smiled at her husband. How unlike him to make light of something she knew troubled him greatly. “
Jah
, she’s home safe and on time. Her young man is leaving for college. Perhaps their interest will wither on the vine like grapes after an early frost. But Emma is not the reason I can’t sleep.” Julia hated troubling him in the middle of the night, but she saw no alternative. She’d waited too long already.

“What is it, Julia?” Simon asked. He threw off the quilt and sprang up faster than she’d seen him move in years. In a moment, he was at her side by the window.

Julia began to weep, unable to keep her secret any longer. “
Ach
, Simon, the pain has become more than I can bear.” With the words came a deluge of emotion. She had remained quiet about her misery for weeks, but the time had come for honesty.

Simon enfolded her, drawing her close. “My dear Julia, I had such hope for those steroid injections,” he said, careful not to hug too hard.

“As did I,” she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder. “They helped at first, but now the pain is worse than before.” She cried harder, dampening his nightshirt with her tears.

“What about those pain relievers the doctor prescribed? Aren’t they doing anything for you?” He stroked the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her hair.

“They worked at first, but not anymore,” she answered in a strangled voice. “I dare not increase the dosage, since the doctor said too many or for too long could damage my kidneys or liver.”

Simon released a weary sigh. “Oh, my. We must do something. We can’t let you suffer like this.”

She pushed against his chest. “Let’s go sit down. I’m tired of pacing the floor or staring out the window at nothing. I’m glad you finally know.”

Simon helped her into bed, settling her against the headboard. He cushioned her back with their pillows and then gently tucked the quilt around her legs. “You should have said something before,” he chided softly.

Even his admonishment soothed her spirit. She regretted not being forthright sooner. “You’ve had so much on your mind with the harvest and with Emma starting to court, I didn’t want to burden you.”

“You are my life, besides my wife. You could never be a burden.”

Julia let her tears fall freely, starting to feel better already. And she was charmed by Simon’s tenderness. His years of devotion had never included such romantic declarations, but hearing them warmed her heart. She reached for the top sheet. “And I love you, husband.”

“Should I talk to the Lees about another trip to the Canton specialist?”

“No, there’s no reason for another office visit.” Julia breathed easier as the reality of what she must do became apparent. “The doctor explained six weeks ago that if the effects of the injections wear off quickly, or the medications can’t control the pain, I will need replacement surgery on both knees. There are no other options. Perhaps he’ll repair the joints in my feet at the same time, or maybe he’ll wait till the knees recover. But at this point, the only thing to do is schedule the operation. If you take me to Mrs. Lee’s tomorrow, I’ll call his office.”

Simon patted her leg gently atop the covers. “I won’t have you suffering. You should have told me sooner. We’ll call from the Lees’ as soon as the doctor’s office opens.”

Julia pulled up the quilt. “Get under the covers. The first chill of fall is in the air.”

Simon snuggled next to his wife of many years. “
Jah
, I can feel it in my back tonight. My, aren’t we becoming a pair of old crows?”

“This operation will be expensive, husband. The surgeon understands we have no insurance. He’ll minimize the length of time I’m in the hospital and send me to the rehab unit as quickly as possible, but I’ll have to stay there at least a week before I continue my recovery at home.” She inhaled a breath that caught in her throat. “The hospital requires a thousand dollars up front and then will set up a payment plan. The surgeon will accept whatever we can afford for down payment, and he too will wait for the balance.”

Simon drew her head to his chest. “This will be a long, painful road,
fraa
. Don’t worry about the bill. I heard that the early corn received a good price. By the time everyone has harvested and delivered to the grain elevator, the medical fund should be bulging at the seams. We’ll use it for the hospital bill and pay the doctor off on our own. That’s what a rainy day account is for.” He cocked his head to one side. “Listen to that downpour on the roof. Even the weather coincides with our plan.”

They both laughed. What else could they do? Julia felt a weight lift from her shoulders. “I hate depleting our savings when it took so long to set that sum aside.”

“It’s only money. It’s not as important as you are to this family…or to me.” His words trailed soft and low, but Julia heard him clearly.

“Simon Miller, you are becoming passionate in middle age.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Julia. Let’s go to sleep. I have plenty to do in the morning before I take you to the Lees.’ And you need your rest.”

His tone had changed back to the familiar, but Julia smiled as she struggled to find a comfortable sleeping position.

Her Simon really was romantic after all.

If Emma thought things would get easier now that her folks had agreed to let her court James, she was mistaken. She felt more confused than ever. All his talk about building a fancy house on his parents’ farm with five bedrooms and taking her to Paris or Rome had only distressed her. Why would they need a mansion for the two of them? And going to Europe sounded unappealing and a little scary. She had heard that people who lived there ate fish eggs, pigs’ feet, and a strange cheese made from cow brains.

Oh, good grief. Just thinking about such things turned her stomach queasy. It was still rebelling after yesterday’s conglomeration of greasy sausage, funnel cakes, and candied apples. The drive home in James’ truck hadn’t helped matters.
Did all
Englischers
drive so fast?

She didn’t need a big fancy house and didn’t want to get on an airplane to fly halfway across the world. But she did want to marry James. His proposal had left her stunned, with a heart pounding so loud all Sugar Creek could have heard it.

She loved him, plain and simple. English or not, he was a gentle man who shared her goals and dreams of raising crops and animals and, if God was willing, children someday. She would be content with a cottage in the woods and a honeymoon trip to Cleveland, or maybe to one of those Lake Erie islands.
If only we didn’t have to wait so long…

“What in the world are you doing, Emma?” Leah’s sharp tone startled Emma from her reverie.

“Nothing,” Emma said, moving to fill the coffeepot at the sink.

“I can see that. Breakfast isn’t even started?” Leah sounded a bit cross. “Couldn’t you have at least put the coffee on? What was the point of getting up so early?”

Emma shot her sister a warning look. “I had things to sort out, and I couldn’t think straight with you snoring so loudly in bed.”