A few minutes later, Jocelyn arrived with their plates of pie. “Here ya go. Enjoy!”
“Thank you,” Charles said. “It looks delicious.”
Ruthie appreciated how polite Charles always was. He’d treated her with the utmost respect all day.
After Jocelyn left to check on Peter, silence fell between Ruthie and Charles. If Ruthie had any idea what to say, she would have spoken, but most of the time words didn’t come easily to her.
“I had a great time today,” Charles finally said, breaking the silence.
Ruthie nodded. “Ya, it was very nice. How long will the circus be here?”
“Not long. They have two sets of performances every year—one in February and the other during the summer.”
“Do you always go?”
“I try to see them at least once per season. The man who spent the most time with me at clown camp still works with the troupe.”
Ruthie sat up straight. “Was he there?”
“He’s a behind-the-scenes guy. He used to perform as a clown, but something happened and now he helps produce the show.” Charles paused before adding, “So I didn’t see him.”
“Oh.” Ruthie didn’t know what to talk about next, so she sat back.
Jocelyn stopped by their booth to check on them. “Anything else I can get you two?”
“I think we’re fine,” Charles said. He gestured toward Ruthie. “Unless you want something else.”
“No thank you. I’m fine.”
Jocelyn’s eyes twinkled as she smiled. “I hope both of you have a wonderful day.”
She turned toward Peter and hesitated before taking a step. Ruthie watched, waiting for Peter to act out.
“Would you like more tea?” Jocelyn asked, her voice slightly deeper than it had been seconds earlier.
Peter opened his mouth but closed it as he shook his head. Ruthie had never seen Peter hold back. He obviously realized Jocelyn wasn’t easily bullied.
“Sometimes I wish I could be more like Jocelyn,” Ruthie said after Jocelyn left.
“Why?”
Ruthie thought about what to say and decided she might as well be open with Charles. He’d find out eventually anyway. “It’s very hard for me to speak my mind sometimes.”
“Some people speak their minds too much,” Charles said. “I find it refreshing to see self-restraint.”
“You do?” She couldn’t keep the surprise out of her voice.
“Absolutely. Have you noticed that most people in their early twenties try to copy some of the crazy celebrities they see on TV?”
Ruthie looked down at the table, cleared her throat, and looked back at Charles. “I wouldn’t know. I don’t watch TV.”
Charles slapped his palm on his forehead. “That’s right. I forgot. I am so sorry.”
“What is there to be sorry about? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“There are a few things I’ll need to get used to about living a simple life. I’ve been watching TV for as long as I can remember, so that’s one habit that’ll be hard to break.”
After they finished their pie, Charles left a tip on the table and went to the counter to pay. Ruthie stood nearby, waiting and not knowing what to do, so she looked around the dining room. She felt awkward. Mr. Penner called out and asked if they were in a hurry because he needed to get something out of the oven. Charles said that was okay, he would wait.
When her gaze met Peter’s, he smiled. Ruthie didn’t trust Peter enough to think his smile was friendly, so she quickly looked away.
“Whatsamatter, Ruthie?” Peter called out. “Embarrassed to be seen in public with your new boyfriend?”
Enraged, Ruthie walked straight toward Peter and glared down at him. “You are the meanest person I know, Peter. Why don’t you try to be nice at least once in your life?”
Peter burst into laughter. “Don’t be so serious all the time, cousin.”
“I don’t like all your insults.” Ruthie took a couple of deep breaths and tried to tamp back her anger. Even she was surprised by her action.
“It’s hard to hear the truth, isn’t it?”
“Are you this condescending to everyone?” Jocelyn said, startling Ruthie. She hadn’t seen Jocelyn coming.
“What are you talking about?” Peter said. “This is a family conversation, in case you didn’t notice, and last time I checked, you weren’t in my family.”
Jocelyn placed her hand on Ruthie’s arm. “Want me to get Mr. Penner?”
Ruthie shook her head. “No thanks. Peter may be my cousin, but he’s not worth the effort of pulling Mr. Penner away from whatever he’s doing.”
Peter yanked his napkin from his lap and stood, causing the chair to screech across the floor behind him. “You women are crazy. I don’t have to put up with this.”
“Sit back down, Peter,” Ruthie said, her voice low and deeper than usual. “You’re making a spectacle of yourself. I’d hate word to get back to your mother.”
He glared at her for several seconds, causing Ruthie’s pulse to accelerate. She had no idea what to do next. Charles had left the counter and walked toward them. “What’s going on?”
Peter grabbed his napkin and sat back down. “Your girlfriend is acting crazy.”
Jocelyn placed her hand on the table and leaned toward Peter. “Who’s acting crazy?”
“You heard me,” Peter said. “And she’s not the only one.”
As Peter and Jocelyn bantered, Ruthie saw something she hadn’t noticed before. Sparks of attraction flew with the words. Ruthie turned to Charles, who had clearly noticed as well.
He placed his hand on hers and tugged her back toward the counter. “Stick with me, okay? I think they need to work through this on their own. Interference from us will just complicate things even more.”
“I don’t want to leave Jocelyn.” Ruthie looked back at Jocelyn who remained in the same position, her face about a foot from Peter’s, both of them showing off and trying to get the upper hand. “On second thought, I’m sure she’ll be fine.”
Mr. Penner approached the counter. “Sorry it took so long. I had to move a few things off the counter before I could …” He looked past Charles and Ruthie at Jocelyn and Peter. “What’s going on over there?”
“Just a little spat of attraction,” Charles said.
Ruthie gasped. She didn’t think Mr. Penner needed to be concerned with this.
Mr. Penner laughed. “That has been going on for weeks. Peter comes in here with a chip on his shoulder, and Jocelyn keeps trying to knock it off. When he leaves, he says he’s never coming back, and Jocelyn says that’s a good thing because she doesn’t want to see him again.” He rubbed the back of his neck, still grinning. “But he always comes back to do it all over again. And Jocelyn is right there to argue with him. I don’t understand why, but they both seem to enjoy arguing.”
Charles paid, thanked Mr. Penner for the pie, and led Ruthie to the car. “I’ve known couples who thrive on conflict. It might sound like arguing to most people, but it’s how some people show their affection.”
“I don’t think I’d like that,” Ruthie said, hoping Charles wasn’t one of those who did. She didn’t think he was, but she still didn’t know him all that well.
“I know I wouldn’t,” he said, putting her mind at ease a bit.
“Peter has always been rather strong willed,” Ruthie explained. “He knows what he wants, and he stops at nothing to get it, even if it hurts other people.”
“Yeah, I figured as much after he dumped Shelley when she thought he was going to propose.” Charles pursed his lips and looked at her. “Sorry. I shouldn’t talk about your cousin like that. It’s bad form.”
“That’s okay,” Ruthie said. “You didn’t say anything I didn’t already know. The whole family likes Shelley, and they were appalled by what happened. We all assumed she’d eventually be part of our family, but then Jeremiah came along.”
“Jeremiah seems like a good guy.”
“I think he is.” Ruthie wasn’t sure what all Charles knew about Jeremiah’s past—leaving the church and living a wild life before coming back. And she wasn’t about to be the one to tell him.
They pulled out of the restaurant parking lot and headed toward Ruthie’s house. She was content sitting in silence, watching the scenery as they rode.
Charles let go of the steering wheel with his right hand and placed it on top of hers. “Would you like to go out with me again sometime?”
She had to resist the urge to shout with joy, so she swallowed hard and nodded. “That would be very nice.”
“Good. I’ll need to figure out my schedule and see when I have some free time. Between school and work, I stay pretty busy. At least I know I’ll see you at church.”
“Have you decided to join?”
“My whole family is leaning in that direction. I have to admit I’m a little surprised. Pop wasn’t much of a churchgoer. Even though Mom was, she enjoyed all the finer things money could buy. When Pop lost his job, I thought she might go ballistic and do something crazy like some of her friends did, but she didn’t. In fact, she seems more at peace now than ever, even though we can barely make ends meet.”
“When you said your mother’s friends went crazy, what were you talking about?”
“One of them left her husband for another man, and another stopped talking to all her friends.”
“That’s terrible!”
Charles nodded. “I agree. It’s a strong reminder that people can’t control every aspect of their lives, and when they refuse to give God the reins, things go from bad to worse.”
“Sounds like your parents have a solid marriage,” Ruthie said softly.
“Yes, and I eventually hope to have what they have.” He pulled up in front of Ruthie’s house. “Wait right here. I’ll get your door.”
Ruthie’s family rented the small house in Pinecraft, and since it was already wired for electricity, they used it, although sparingly. The front drapes were open, so she could see a tiny spark of light coming from the back of the house.
“Would you like to come in?” Ruthie asked when they reached the front door.
“I better get home. This is the only car we have, and I suspect Mom is itching to get it back.”
Ruthie didn’t understand, but she nodded. “Thank you for everything, Charles. I’ll see you at church tomorrow.”
Charles felt a combination of elation and peace as he drove home. Mom and Pop would no doubt fire nonstop questions at him, and he was glad to have some time to gather his wits. He created some quick answers to satisfy them without having to explain some of the feelings he’d never experienced before.
Ruthie’s shyness had obviously prevented her from quite a bit in her past, including getting into romantic relationships, which was just fine with him. He hadn’t exactly been Mr. Smooth Guy. He chuckled to himself as he thought about how awkward he felt with girls in the past, yet with Ruthie he had more confidence than ever. That brought back something Pop had said about when he and Mom started dating. “Your mother brought out something in me that I never even knew I possessed. That’s one of the ways you’ll know you’re in love.”
Although Charles didn’t know Ruthie well enough to say he was in love with her, he knew he loved being with her, and he wanted to get to know her better. What blew him away was that she said she’d like to go out with him again. The day couldn’t have been better.
Mom and Pop didn’t disappoint him. The second he walked into the house, they were both right there grinning, ready to pounce. He pretended not to notice as he walked by and hung the keys on the Peg-Board and headed to the living room, where he stopped and waited.
“Well?” Mom walked up right behind him, so when he turned around, they were face-to-face. “We want details.”
“It was fun.”
Mom made a growling sound, and Pop laughed as he approached. “You know what your mother is asking, Charles. Out with it.”
“Let’s see. We went to the circus and sat in the nosebleed section.”
“Did that bother her?” Pop asked.
“Not at all. In fact, she said she thought we had the best seats because we could see everything.”
“I told you.” Pop appeared mighty pleased with himself. “So what else happened?”
“We watched the circus, and I explained some of what was happening when the clowns came out. After that we went to Penner’s and had pie.” He lifted his hands and let them fall to his sides. “That’s about it.”
“Charles.” Mom tilted her head toward him and glared at him from beneath her eyebrows. “I know better than that.”
“What else do you want to know?”
“Are you going out with her again?” Pop asked.
“I asked her if she wanted to, and she said that would be nice.”
Mom and Pop exchanged a glance before both of them turned back to face Charles. “That’s all?” Mom said.
Before he had a chance to answer, Pop winked. “Did you kiss her?”
Charles felt his face grow hot. “I didn’t think it was appropriate. It seems awkward, ya know? I mean, she’s been a Mennonite all her life, and … well, do Mennonite girls do that?”
Both of his parents burst into laughter. “Of course they do, Charles. They’re still human.”
“I just don’t want to make any mistakes. I like Ruthie, and I think she likes me, too.”
“Trust me, Son,” Pop said. “Ruthie is just as human as you are. If you make mistakes, she’ll understand.”
“Do you two need anything else?” Charles asked as he backed away from Mom and Pop.
Mom stood on tiptoe and gave him a hug. “We’ll let you off the hook for now.”
“Then I think I’ll go to my room.”
After he left his parents, Charles wandered slowly back to his room, unbuttoning his shirt on the way down the hall. He paused for a moment when he heard Mom’s hushed voice; then he took a few steps back so he could hear her better.
“Do you think we should say something to him about our visitors this afternoon?” she asked.
“Nah, let’s let him enjoy the aftermath of his date. I’m sure he’ll find out soon enough that not everyone thinks he’s good enough for Ruthie.”
“I can’t believe what they said.”
Charles strained to hear the rest of the conversation, but they’d taken it into the kitchen, out of hearing range of the hallway to the bedrooms. Whatever the visitors said must have been bad for Pop to think it would ruin his date.
Ruthie stood staring at Mother, her mouth hanging open in shock. Papa’s rage was evident in his bulging eyes and reddened face, but she knew he wasn’t about to act on it.
“They actually said that?” Ruthie managed to ask in a squeaky voice. “Why do they think Charles is trying to use me? He’s not that way. Besides, what about me would he use?”
“That’s exactly what we thought,” Mother said. “I expected as much from the first group, but when the Atzingers and Conrads stopped by, your papa and I were at a loss for words.”
“Speechless,” Papa agreed. “I had no idea there would be so many concerns about outsiders wanting to join our church.”
Ruthie felt an uncommon rage welling in her chest. “They didn’t seem to mind them joining the church until now. Why would the fact that Charles and I are friends affect their opinions?”
Papa’s scowl turned to contemplation. “They said they’re trying to protect you, but I think there’s more to it than that.”
“What else could it be?” Mother asked.
“No telling. I think we should just tell people to mind their own business.”
“No,” Mother said, “that would only anger them. Why don’t we invite the Polks over and perhaps get one or two of the other families to join us? That way we can show an example of Christian love.”
Papa nodded. “We can do that, but you know we can’t control what anyone says. The Polks might hear something upsetting.”
“Then so be it. I’m sure they’ve heard upsetting words before.”
Ruthie was still perplexed, and she felt an intense desire to keep anyone from hurting Charles’s feelings. “I think that might be a huge mistake. What if they decide not to join the church just because some people are mean spirited?”
Mother and Papa looked at each other. “She has a point,” Papa said.
“It’s better for them to change their minds before they join than to join and become disenchanted.”
Ruthie thought about that and agreed deep down, but now she had her feelings for Charles to consider. “Why don’t we just invite the Polks over first and let them see how our family is? After they know that some of us are nice, we can include others.”
Mother smiled. “Ya, that might be good.”
“Why don’t you talk to Lori tomorrow at church?” he said. “Ask if they’d like to come over for supper.”
Ruthie didn’t expect him to want to invite the Polks over so soon, but she thought that sounded good. She looked at Mother, who nodded. “Okay, I’ll do that if it’s okay with Ruthie.”
“Ya, that’s just fine with me.”
Mother and Papa smiled. “Then that’s what I’ll do,” Mother said. “Ruthie, why don’t you and I bake some cookies right now so we’ll have something to serve for dessert?”
They didn’t discuss the visitors, but Ruthie couldn’t stop thinking about them. When she saw them at church the next morning, she felt their disapproving gazes as they said their good mornings.
Mother spoke to Mrs. Polk, who said she needed to consult her husband. By the time everyone left the church, arrangements had been made for the Polks to stop by for a light supper. Charles grinned at Ruthie. She knew her cheeks were flushed as she smiled back.