Never Far From Home (The Miller Family 2) (42 page)

He would think twice before driving recklessly again. The twenty-five-year-old mechanic from Millersburg had visited her several times in the hospital until she had asked him not to come anymore. She harbored no ill will toward him, but after a while his downtrodden expression, hand-wringing, and endless apologies only made her feel worse. He kept looking at her as though she were horribly crippled or disfigured. She wasn’t. She would be fine, and she didn’t wish to think about the accident any more. She also didn’t like to consider the enormous medical bills from her surgeries and subsequent rehabilitation. Several attorneys had approached her father regarding a lawsuit against the young man’s insurance policy for pain and suffering.

That was not the Amish way.

The mechanic’s insurance had covered the medical bills. For the emotional trauma, Emma would trust in God and the comfort of her family to see her completely healed.

But poor, poor Maybelle
. The sweet pony that she had recently finished paying for was gone. That was the most heartbreaking part of the whole mess. It would be a long time before Emma would drive a buggy again or have further need for a pony.

Oddly enough, there was a bright spot. Her father had allowed James Davis to come calling again. Because he was home from college for the summer break,
daed
permitted James to visit each Wednesday evening and Saturday afternoon. Wednesdays they would sit on the porch swing under
mamm’s
watchful eye and read aloud to each other. Sometimes James would read Old Testament Scripture, stories of people who triumphed over adversity through their faith. Emma was heartened by these biblical heroes, and she knew a few broken bones were minor hardships by comparison. Sometimes he would read inspirational novels of modern people overcoming great challenges. Once in a while, they would sit quietly and listen to the night sounds—crickets, cicadas, nightjars, and tree frogs putting on a serenade.

If Julia excused herself for a few minutes, James would hold her hand and speak softly from his heart. He loved her. He always would. And with that knowledge, Emma would continue to endure walks to the park bench even if
daed
moved it all the way to Aunt Hannah’s beaver pond.

Her father made no mention of the inappropriateness of courting an
Englischer
. He no longer dropped hints about Joseph Kauffman or other Amish fellows that he favored. And he smiled often when he looked at her. Her
mamm
released her from any chores after the accident and had divided her work between Matthew, Leah, and Henry. Leah had waited on her hand and foot until Emma put a stop to it.

Emma, do you want some cookies?

Shall I get your shawl?

Would you like me to bring some lambs out of the pasture for you to see?

Leah, the girl who would start sneezing whenever she was within ten feet of a wooly critter.

Yes, Emma had much to be grateful for.

On Saturday afternoons, James arrived after chores with damp hair from the shower and unlimited enthusiasm. At first he pushed her in the wheelchair on warm sunny days to see her sheep, or into the barn where her spinning wheel and baskets of wool had been relocated to the first floor. Any work with the wool was comically impractical until her arm cast was removed, but Emma still loved to sit near her various projects. James even tried his hand at spinning under her tutelage and proved adequate for someone with large, calloused fingers. When weather permitted, James pushed her wheelchair down the path to the beaver pond or into the cool woods. Leah accompanied them on these sojourns, entertaining them with funny stories and feeding them from her hamper of snacks and cool drinks. The three watched the not-so-graceful landing of mallard ducks, the industrious hummingbirds among the shrubbery, and lazy box turtles sunning themselves on fallen logs. The damp swamp air smelled sweet to Emma after weeks of confinement in hospital beds and in
mamm
’s enclosed back porch.

Leah and Emma grew inseparable as sisters, and Leah bonded in friendship with James as they both fussed over the invalid. Despite her condition, Emma couldn’t remember summer days as lovely as those of June and July.

When the legs casts came off and the physical therapy began, her days turned from idyll to tortuous. James helped her to exercise lead-heavy limbs and cajoled her to continue when she wanted only to retreat back to her chair. He was present when she gingerly took her first two steps as
daed
and the therapist supported her on both sides. Now that she could ambulate on her own with the walker, James had become her slave driver, pushing her to overcome each difficult threshold to recovery. Despite the added pain, Emma’s heart swelled each time his green truck drove into the yard. Saturdays had become her favorite day of the week.

And as Emma finished her silent prayers of thanks, she smiled brightly. Today was Saturday.

James parked in the driveway under a shady tree and reached for the bouquet he had picked for Emma. He had no trouble finding her. She sat where she always waited for him on Saturdays, under the low-hanging willow tree. A book lay beside her, but her attention had been diverted toward the heavens. Perhaps she prayed for rain for the corn crop or maybe for relief from the pain in her legs and back. He had been praying too, that Emma would see his idea as the logical solution and not some crazy Yankee notion.

“Hi, Emma,” he called at the midway point. “Good afternoon, James. What are you hiding behind your back? Better not be a snake or a toad.”

He presented the flowers with a flourish when he reached her bench. “Flowers, and not an exotic bloom to be found. Picked by me in my mom’s garden just this morning. Every last one of them indigenous to Holmes County, Ohio.”

“Indigenous, hmm. At least they’re teaching you big, fancy words up in Wooster.” She accepted the bouquet but arched one eyebrow. “Did you
ask
before you went wild with your clippers?”

“I did. Ma said I should take all I wanted, and she sends her get-well wishes.” He sat down beside her under the sheltering willow.

“I’m not sick,” she protested. “Tell her I am well, just my legs are still a little rusty. Shall we lumber on down to the pond? You can check if Leah’s ready to take a break from the hot kitchen. She’s been baking up a storm. I’m not sure if you come to visit me or eat my sister’s creations.”

James placed an arm on the back of the bench, careful not to touch her. The enormous bouquet sat between them. “Only you, sweet girl, but let’s sit a spell and not walk quite yet. I’ve got something on my mind, and I might as well come out with it. School is starting back up next week.” He could feel his palms start to sweat with nervous apprehension. Emma folded her hands primly in her lap, waiting.

He looked away from her innocent face. “Shucks, Emma. You know I love you, don’t you?” He glanced back from the corner of his eye.

She cocked her head to the side. “I suspected as much, considering how many times you visited me in the hospital and in the rehab unit. After I came back home, you haven’t missed a Wednesday evening or Saturday afternoon since my father said you could come calling.”

He met her gaze. “Do you love me, Emma? I need to know before I go any further with my big ideas for the rest of our lives.”

A sad expression flickered across her face. “I do love you, Jamie, but I know I wouldn’t be happy being English. And that leaves us in the same tight spot we were in before.”

He felt tremendously buoyed by her admission of love.
If she loves me, all things are possible, aren’t they?

“Well, not exactly.” He couldn’t stop grinning. “What if we met somewhere in the middle? I’ve been going to a New Order Amish church with Sam Yoder for the past nine months.”

“
Jah
, I heard as much from Sarah Hostetler. I’ve been wondering why since Sarah said their services are in German, same as Old Order. Did you learn a second language while you were studying hard at your fancy college?” Mischief sparkled in her pretty blue eyes.

“Nope, I have enough trouble with English. And I’ll admit, even though they throw in some English during the service, the language barrier still presents a challenge.” He winked and then glanced around. “But when I talked to one of their ministers, I learned their Christian beliefs are pretty much the same as my evangelical church. And they use tractors to farm instead of teams of draft horses and mules. Most districts have electricity in both their houses and barns. If you changed to New Order, you would find their style of dress basically the same, and their church services are held in folks’ homes like what you’re used to. They study the Bible more than Old Order, but that’s something we’re both doing already.” He couldn’t tamp down his growing enthusiasm. “I wouldn’t mind giving up blue jeans for Plain clothes and growing a beard after we get hitched. I’d planned to do that anyway. Shaving seems like a big waste of time for a farmer.”

Emma shook her head, but she smiled. “Aren’t you forgetting one little thing, James Davis?” She bobbed her head toward the drive.

“What’s that, Miss Miller? I bought some ‘Learn to Speak German’ CDs already,” he teased. “And I’ll bet the bishop will allow me to keep my English-language Bible.”

“I’m talking about something green and shiny and sitting right over there.”

“Yeah, you’re right. It won’t be easy to give up my truck and start driving a horse and buggy. But since I’ll still be managing my dad’s farm, he can take me when I need to travel a great distance. I know it’ll be a big adjustment for both of us. New Order is more vocal about their beliefs than what you’re used to, and they get involved with community outreach, but why don’t we at least give it some thought? Next year when I’m twenty and finished with college and you’re eighteen, we can become baptized in the New Order church.”

Emma looked happier and more relaxed than she had in a long time. “Why do you want to do this, Jamie? Why would you be willing to take up Amish ways and change your life so drastically?”

He didn’t answer right away so she wouldn’t think him impetuous or insincere. “I’ve had plenty of time to think while commuting back and forth to Wooster for the past year. And I’ve come to a few conclusions. I pretty much don’t like school. I plan to cram the rest of my agricultural courses into next year to finish my education in two years instead of four. Sort of a compromise with my folks.”

“No more research on growing bananas in Holmes County?” Emma teased, leaning back against the bench.

“Not for me, pretty girl. I’m willing to content myself with apples, peaches, and pears.” James grinned and then gazed toward the western hills. They were bathed with the golden light of a setting sun. “I realized I’ve only ever wanted two things in life—one is to be a farmer. And the other is to marry Emma Miller of Winesburg. Everything else that comes my way I can adjust to if you’ll be my wife. I plan to get baptized in New Order next summer, right after I finish my last semester. I’ll give up my truck and pick out the plainest buggy I can find. Horses I’ve got plenty of, and I’m sure Matthew could train one to pull a buggy.” He paused, giving her a chance to mull things over.

She appeared deep in thought and then she nodded her head as a smile turned her pretty face beautiful. “You really think you can give up zippers, buffalo plaid shirts, and your Cleveland Indians ball cap?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“All right, next summer I’ll be eighteen. If we both still feel the same, I’ll take the kneeling vow in a New Order church too. But I won’t marry you for another year after that.” She set her jaw with determination. “You must live Amish for a full year before we wed. Marriage is a sacrament, besides a lifetime commitment. Plain folk don’t believe in divorce, so you can’t just shave off your beard and go out and buy some Levis. I want you to be very sure, Jamie.”

James exhaled his pent-up breath. “Fair enough, Miss Miller, but I want one more thing before I go find your sister for that walk.” He leaned close and smelled the clean scent of Ivory soap. “Tell me again you love me.”

She arched her neck and met his eye. “I love you, James Davis, with my whole heart. And I have for a long time. I just didn’t want to admit it…even to myself.”