Promised to Another (18 page)

Joshua tried to keep from smiling. “Ach, now, I don’t know. You said nein. Not sure I want a wishy-washy woman keeping me company.” He shook his head with mock seriousness. “Besides, you asking me is ever so bold. I’m not sure what my parents or yours would say if they heard that you’d asked me out.” He stood and lifted one of the candles. “I need to get some sleep. Let me think on it overnight. Sweet dreams, Annie.” He winked, hoping she would realize he was merely kidding with her. And, if she didn’t, he figured she could use a taste of her own medicine.

He went off to bed, still smiling.

When he awoke the next morning, his smile was still in place.

After helping with the chores, Joshua went back inside the haus to wash up, then sat down at his place at the table. Cathy slid a plate with an omelet in front of him. Next, she added to the table a platter of bacon, a bowl of fried potatoes, and a tray of buttered toast. “Gut morgen, Joshua.” She smiled sweetly.

Joshua raised his eyebrows. This was a switch. Cathy had been giving him the cold shoulder since his arrival, speaking to him only when necessary. Maybe his talk with Annie had cleared the air with all the Beilers, and there would be no more practical jokes at his expense. That would be a relief. “Gut morgen, Cathy. This omelet looks wunderbaar.”

Her smile widened. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. I made it especially for you, just the way you like it.” She proceeded to set a plated omelet at each place around the table.

Annie came into the room, smiling shyly at him, and then set several jars of homemade jam on the table near the toast.

After everyone had gathered and paused for the silent prayer, Joshua took a helping of potatoes and a slice of bacon before passing each serving dish to Aaron. Then, he took a bite of his omelet. Immediately, his mouth started burning. He grabbed his glass of orange juice and gulped it down, then jumped up, rushed to the refrigerator, and poured his cup full of cold milk, which he proceeded to chug, as well. As he did, he ignored the stares of confusion aimed at him from almost every person at the table.

But he didn’t fail to notice Cathy’s smirk.

After draining his glass of milk, Joshua met Cathy’s eyes. “Wow, Cathy. That is the spiciest omelet I’ve ever had. Is it a southwest version or something?”

“Do you like it?” Cathy’s voice was saccharine sweet. “David told me how much you loved jalapeños. You add them to everything, he said. I wanted you to feel at home.”

“He said that, did he?” Joshua wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “I’ll be sure to thank him next time I see him.”

“Catherine Grace.” Isaac lowered his fork and knife onto his plate with a noisy clatter. “Step into the other room for a moment.”

“What for, Daed? For trying to make Joshua feel welkum by fixing food the way he likes it? The hotter and spicier the better, I was told.”

Isaac stood, his eyes narrowing. “Are you talking back to me, daughter?” He strode toward the door.

Cathy shrugged and then, casting Joshua a look of pure venom, followed her daed into the living room.

Now, Joshua had no doubt that Cathy had been behind all of the pranks. The question was, why? Had David put her up to it? Or did she have reasons of her own? Sighing, he poured himself another glass of milk. Then, he picked up his plate, scraped his omelet into the trash can, and returned to the table to eat the rest of his breakfast.

Aaron patted him on the back. “Sorry about that. I thought she’d done something like that to your egg salad sandwiches on Saturday. She told me not to eat them.” Aaron bowed his head for another silent prayer, pushed away from the table, and went outside. Joshua was glad he and Annie had eaten at the Bass Pro Shop rather than sampling Cathy’s fare.

Lydia shook her head. “Hardly a harmless practical joke, to be sure. And it wasn’t very nice of this David to tell Cathy to do something like that.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Annie use her fork to lift the edge of her omelet and peek inside. Perhaps she wanted to make sure she hadn’t received one that had been spiked with hot pepper, as well.

Lydia turned to Annie. “So, who is this David? Do you know him?” She twisted to look back at Joshua. “And how does he know that you don’t like spicy foods?”

“He’s one of the buwe who came down in the last bunch,” Annie explained. “I think there were ten of you who came in June, right, Joshua?”

“Ten, jah. He’s David Lapp. He’s been seeing Cathy some, I think.” Maybe he shouldn’t have mentioned that, in case Lydia hadn’t known. With his fork, Joshua moved some potatoes around on his plate. “We went to school together. He and I didn’t get along so well.”

Lydia set her silverware down on the edge of her plate. “And so, this feud between you is continuing here? And he’s getting my daughter involved? Have you retaliated in any way?”

Joshua shook his head. “Nein. Only thing I’ve ever done was steal his bullfrog, back when we were just kinner. And I returned it with an apology.” When his daed had made him. But at least he’d said he was sorry, even if he didn’t mean it.

He’d also made fun of David for being a big baby multiple times over the years. He’d never apologized for that.

“Well, then. It is past time this thing gets settled, ain’t so?” Lydia pierced him with a look that almost made him want to hide.

“Jah. Jah, it is.” He lowered his head in shame. If only he hadn’t taken David’s bullfrog. Evidently, the prank had been far more serious in David’s eyes than he’d anticipated.

“Annie, you and Cathy take Joshua and David out, maybe fishing,” Lydia instructed her. “Today, if possible. Definitely the sooner, the better, I’m thinking. And, Joshua, you be the man here, if he won’t.”

Joshua nodded. Lydia’s firm approach made him miss his mamm. This time, he’d apologize with sincerity.

Just then, he almost laughed. Had Lydia really just set him and Annie up on a date? He glanced at Annie, who stared at her omelet, a blush staining her cheeks.

He smiled. She’d asked him out last night, and it seemed as if her request would be granted, with or without his specific consent.

***

Annie stole a glance at Joshua. Considering the vague response he’d given last night to her retraction, she didn’t know quite what to think about Mamm’s arranging an outing for them. Joshua had basically said, “Let me pray about it,” and everybody knew that was usually a nice way of saying “Nein.” But fishing together ought to be okay. And they didn’t have to go alone. She could ask Jacob and Becky to come with them, maybe. That way, she’d have someone to talk to.

She looked over at Mamm, regretting that she’d let her in on her crush. It had been clear enough, considering the way she’d described Joshua—and within earshot of him, no less.

And it hadn’t helped matters when Joshua had revealed that Annie had covered his bed with her wedding quilt. Mamm had kept quiet about that, even after Annie had switched out that quilt for a nine-patch.

Of course, the walls of the haus were mighty thin. Mamm and Daed probably heard every word of their conversation last night, including the part when she’d asked him out.

And his refusal. Evidently, Mamm had decided not to take “Nein” as his final answer.

“Jah, I can do that,” Joshua finally replied. “Annie, would you do me the honor of coming with me? If David says jah, that is?” Joshua nudged her foot with his. Touching her without Mamm knowing.

She nodded.

Mamm pushed her wheelchair away from the table. “I’ll go have a talk with your daed and Cathy.” She wheeled her way into the other room.

Joshua waited until Mamm was gone, and then he leaned toward her. “I’d love any chance to be out with you. But I’m sorry for the situation that’s causing it.”

Her heart nearly melted. Jah, she was in love with Joshua Esh, for sure and for certain. And he was acting as if he felt the same way about her. But, given the way she’d seen him act around every other girl in the district, how would she know for sure? He could merely be a master at sweet talk.

Annie really didn’t know how to act around him. Nor did she know how to respond. She lowered her head. Who knew falling in love tied a stomach up in so many knots? Her friends had made it seem easy. Did it stay this hard, or did it get better as the relationship progressed? She wished she knew. At least she knew who to ask.

Annie stood up and followed Mamm into the other room, leaving Joshua to finish his breakfast at the table alone.

When Annie entered the living room, Cathy glared at her. “Why did you put them up to this insane idea? I don’t want to spend any more time than necessary with Joshua. I want him out of our haus. He isn’t welkum.”

Annie sucked in a breath. She’d known how Cathy felt, but it hurt to hear her proclaim it out loud. But then, Cathy didn’t know how she felt about Joshua, did she?

Daed planted his fists on his hips. “Actually, this idea is not so insane. It is ser gut.” He glanced toward the door. Annie turned around and saw Joshua standing there, closer to her than she’d expected. Just a tiny step forward, and she’d be in his arms. The thought made her catch her breath. She stepped away from him, figuring it best to eliminate the temptation.

Daed studied Joshua. “I don’t know the situation between you and this David—”

“A bullfrog. I stole a bullfrog from him when we were kinner.”

Daed shook his head. “I am not going to have this situation grow to include the members of this haus. It needs to be straightened out as soon as possible. Today is not a church Sunday. You can go visit him and get this worked out.”

Joshua gave a single nod, his lips tight. He focused on Annie, and his gaze softened. “You’ll kum with me, ain’t so?” Then, he looked at Cathy. “And you, too, please? Since you and David are….” There was a long pause. Joshua probably didn’t know whether they were officially courting, and he didn’t want to expose Cathy to her parents. “Friends?”

Cathy huffed, considered him a moment, and then shrugged. “Fine. But I think it’s a waste of time. You two have too much to work out; a simple apology over a stupid bullfrog is not going to settle things.”

“What else do they have to work out?” Annie raised her eyebrows at Cathy. How could she say such a thing? And how dare she disrespect Mamm and Daed? Daed would have a private talk with her about this later, she was certain.

Joshua angled Cathy a look of surprise. “Excuse me?”

She spread her arms wide. “I’m just saying….”

Annie studied Joshua, wondering if he was hiding something else from them.

“What else could we possibly have to work out?” Joshua seemed as confused as Annie. Maybe he wasn’t hiding anything.

Cathy shrugged again and turned on her heel. “We’d best finish up breakfast so that we can go. I think David’s host family was expecting guests today. Aents, onkels, and cousins and such. David is missing his family. Might be gut for me to go. At least he’ll have someone there who cares.” She pushed her way past Joshua and returned to the kitchen.

Frowning, Daed glanced at Annie, then at Joshua, and shook his head. Then, he grasped the handles of Mamm’s wheelchair and pushed her into the kitchen.

Leaving Annie alone with Joshua again. She sucked in a breath of suddenly charged air and moved to pass Joshua. Not to shove rudely past, as Cathy had done, but to give him as wide a berth as possible, lest she be tempted to do something inappropriate. She didn’t want to even brush against him, as overwhelmed as she was by attraction to him.

But her efforts were in vain. As she walked by, Joshua reached out with both hands and pulled her gently into his arms. He held her against him for a long moment, his hands resting loosely on her waist, his chest rising and falling against hers as he inhaled and exhaled. She could have stepped away, but she didn’t want to. She looked up, opening her mouth to say…she didn’t know what.

He lowered his head, brushed her lips lightly with his, and then leaned back, his gaze searching hers. He must have sensed her desire, for his hands slid around to her back and drew her closer, his lips finding hers again. This time, he planted them there firmly, as though they belonged.

Joshua Esh, kissing her…Annie wondered if her heart could handle this delightful assault on her senses. She wanted to raise her arms and wrap them around his neck, but they made it only as far as his chest, stalling there, flattened against the roughness of his shirt. She heard his frantic intake of breath at her touch. She fingered the opening down the middle flap of the fabric, as well as the Velcro closure, and then gripped his suspenders and held on. She stood as still as she could, afraid to move, not wanting to destroy the moment.