Linda filled one side of the sink with hot, soapy water for washing and the other side with plain hot water for rinsing. She placed the breakfast dishes into the frothy water and began to scrub them before rinsing them in the plain water. She heard a knock.
“Someone’s at the door!” Onkel Reuben yelled from his bedroom.
“I’ll get it.” Linda grabbed a dish towel and wiped her hands as she limped toward the door. She swung it open and found Aaron standing on the porch, holding up a red heart-shaped box. “Aaron?” she asked, and her posture immediately straightened at the sight of him.
“Happy Valentine’s Day!” He held out the box.
Linda stared at the box with her eyes wide in surprise.
“Take it.” He grinned at her. “It’s candy. For you.”
“Aaron, I-I . . .” She stammered while staring up at him. She had to be dreaming. She took the box of candy and looked up at his adorable grin. “Danki.”
“Gern gschehne, but that’s not all.” He jammed his thumb toward the truck. “We want to take you ice skating today for Valentine’s.”
“We?” She craned her neck to see the truck behind him, humming in the driveway.
“My bruderskinner are coming with us.”
“Oh.” She wasn’t sure what to do.
“Who’s at the door?” Reuben appeared behind her and scowled at Aaron.
“Onkel Reuben, this is my friend Aaron Ebersol,” Linda said, introducing them. “You remember. I told you he was visiting from Missouri.”
“Hi, Reuben.” Aaron held out his hand.
“You’re Jonas and Ruth’s son.” Reuben peered at Aaron over his half-glasses and gave his hand a halfhearted shake. “You left a long time ago. Why are you back now?”
“I told you he came back to see his mutter. She had a stroke,” Linda said as her cheeks heated with embarrassment and frustration. Why didn’t her uncle ever listen to her?
“That’s right. I want to take Linda ice skating,” Aaron said. “My nieces and nephews are coming with us too.”
Reuben looked at Linda. “Don’t you have chores to do today?”
“I can do them when I get home.” Linda held her breath with anticipation, hoping Reuben would let her go without a fuss. She suddenly realized she wanted to go with Aaron, even if she couldn’t skate. She wasn’t worried about her disability humiliating her or holding her back. In fact, she would go anywhere with him.
“I promise I’ll have her back at a decent time,” Aaron said, his expression pleading with Reuben to say yes. “You name the hour, and I will have her home on time.” Linda could tell that, even though she was a grown woman, Aaron knew her uncle expected to grant his permission.
Reuben gave him a curt nod. “Fine. No later than two.”
“Danki.” Linda smiled at her uncle despite his sour expression, and he disappeared back into the house.
She turned to Aaron, who was beaming. “I just need to grab my coat and purse.”
“You don’t need your purse,” Aaron said.
Linda looked down at the dish towel in her hand. “Well, I would like to get rid of this.”
Aaron chuckled. “That’s a good idea. We’ll be waiting in the truck.”
Linda hurried into the house and tossed the dish towel and pretty box of chocolates onto the kitchen counter. She then rushed to the bathroom, where she checked her appearance. She examined her face and then pinched her cheeks, hoping to give herself a little more color. She knew it was vain to worry about her appearance, but she wanted to look her best for this outing.
Is this a date?
She quickly pushed that thought away. Of course, it wasn’t a date. She lived in the community, and he kept his permanent residence in Missouri. Why was she torturing herself with such wild notions of any romance blooming between them? They were from two different worlds. She hurried out to the front of the house, where Reuben now sat in his favorite chair, reading the paper.
“I’ll see you later.” She grabbed her coat and pulled it on.
“Be careful,” Reuben said without looking up.
She paused for a moment, wondering why he would caution her to be careful. Then she rushed out the door to Aaron’s pickup truck, still purring in the driveway. As she approached the passenger side, she saw his niece Katie sitting in the middle of the front seat.
Katie leaned over and pushed the door open. “Hi, Linda! Come on up. You can sit next to me.”
Linda climbed up into the seat and said hello to Manny, Ruthie Joy, and Junior in the backseat before she buckled her seat belt. As Aaron drove toward the main road, Katie asked a question.
“Do you like to skate?”
“I’ve never skated,” Linda said.
“You’ve never skated?” Ruthie Joy sounded amazed.
“That’s okay,” Aaron chimed in. “We’ll teach her how to skate, right?”
“Oh, ya.” Katie waved off the question. “It’s easy as pie.”
“It depends on the pie. Some pies aren’t so easy to make,” Ruthie Joy joked, and everyone laughed.
“That’s true.” Linda felt her stomach lurch at the thought of putting on skates in front of her friends. What if Aaron noticed her limp? What if she fell? What if she simply couldn’t skate? Would he still like her if he knew she wasn’t athletic? She hoped she would be able to at least make one lap around the rink. Then she could tell Aaron she was tired and preferred to watch from the sidelines, which is what she’d done her whole life. She believed she belonged on the sidelines, not in the midst of the flurry of activity happening around her. She was more comfortable watching from afar and enjoying everyone else’s joy and accomplishments.
Aaron’s nieces and nephews chattered with excitement about going to the rink and skating. When they arrived, they all rushed through the parking lot to the front door before Aaron and Linda had even left the truck.
“You seem naerfich,” Aaron said as he held the door open for Linda. “You don’t need to be nervous. It will be fun.”
Linda forced a smile as worry drenched her. They joined the children at the front desk inside, where Aaron paid the entry fee and rented the skates. Linda marveled at how quickly the children laced up their skates and hurried out onto the ice. The four of them were skating as if they were walking across the floor in their shoes. They raced around, chasing each other and laughing as they moved among the other skaters in the rink.
Linda turned her attention to her own skates and slowly began to remove her shoes. She loosened the laces on the first skate and then eased her right foot into it.
“Do you need help?” Aaron offered from beside her.
“Oh, no, danki.” Leaning down, she began to lace the skate, trying to get used to the feel of the blade under the boot.
“How is it?” He turned toward her. “Too tight? Too loose?”
“It’s okay.” She shrugged, not having any idea if it was too tight or too loose. She’d never been on skates before, so she didn’t know how it was supposed to feel.
“You sure?” His eyes were full of concern.
“Ya, I’m sure.” She tied the excess length of the laces in a bow and then slipped her left foot into the other boot. “Just promise me you won’t laugh at me when I fall.”
“I would never laugh at you.” The serious expression in his face caused her skin to prickle with delight.
Linda finished tying the second skate and then looked up at him. “I guess this is it.”
“You say that so unenthusiastically.” Aaron stood and held out his hand. “I’ll be by your side every step of the way.”
Linda gnawed her bottom lip and stared at his hand.
“I promise I won’t let you fall, Linda. You have my word.” His eyes were encouraging.
“Okay.” Her stomach clenched as she took his hand. His skin was warm, and his grip was strong and reassuring. At first she felt unbalanced, as if one of her legs were longer than the other. She steadied herself and held tight to his hand.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Do you want to try the ice?” he asked. “I won’t pressure you. You can sit on the bench by the ice and watch us if you’re not comfortable.”
Confidence surged through her and she felt herself stand a little taller. “I’m tired of sitting on the sidelines. I want to go on the ice.”
Aaron grinned. “Fantastic. Let’s go.”
Aaron loved the feel of Linda’s small hand clamped to his as he led her to the ice. He could feel her body shaking, and he worried that this had been a bad idea. Yet her statement about not wanting to be on the sidelines any longer had confirmed what he was thinking—that she wanted to try something new. He’d been contemplating her confession that she’d never dated, and it sounded as if she’d never had much of a social life beyond her job at the hotel. She just might have felt as lonely as he’d felt during the past seventeen years.
“All right,” he began as they stood by the rink, “I’m going to step onto the ice. You take your time coming out, okay? I’ll hold you up.”
Linda’s eyebrows drew down as she concentrated. She looked adorable. She moved one foot slowly onto the ice and then started to slip. She grabbed his arm with both hands and gasped.
“I’ve got you,” he said softly. “You’re not going to fall. I promise. Just trust me, okay?”
She blew out a sigh and smiled. “That was close.”
“No, it wasn’t.” Aaron shook his head. “I told you, I won’t let you go.”
“Linda!” Katie skated over and slowed to a stop. “You’re doing great. Want me to show you how to skate?”
Ruthie Joy appeared next to her. “I’ll help too.”
Linda hesitated and looked up at Aaron, as if pleading for him to encourage her again.
“You’ll be fine,” he insisted.
“All right.” Linda gave his nieces a tentative smile.
“Just move your feet like this.” Katie moved in long, slow strides as she slipped away. She looked back over her shoulder. “Just go easy. You’ll glide.”
“Ya, that’s right. Do what she did.” Ruthie Joy moved to the other side of Linda and took her free hand. “Onkel Aaron and I will hold you up.”
Linda moved her feet slowly, and her body teetered. Aaron held on to her hand and looked over at Ruthie Joy, who smiled. Together, he and his niece guided Linda slowly around the rink once. Each time she started to teeter and slip, he and Ruthie steadied her.
Soon, they were laughing as Linda became more and more comfortable on the ice. After nearly two hours, she skated one whole lap by herself and then moved to the wall.
“I think I’m ready to sit.” She steadied herself on the wall with her hands. “My feet and legs are sore.”
“Wait until tomorrow,” Katie said as she stopped beside Linda. “You’re not going to be able to move when you wake up in the morning.”
“Oh no.” Linda scrunched her nose as if she smelled something bad, and Aaron laughed. She eyed him. “What’s so funny?”
“Your expression is priceless.” He stepped off the ice and held out his hand. “Let me help you.”
Linda took his hand and he supported her as she stepped onto the carpet. “Wow.” She beamed up at him. “I didn’t think I could do it. I actually skated!”
He studied her. “Why didn’t you think you could do it?”
She shrugged as she sank onto the bench. “I just didn’t think I could.”
“You can do anything you set your mind to.” He sat down beside her. “Don’t limit yourself.”
She stared into his eyes as if searching for something and then turned her attention to her shoes.
Junior walked over to them. “I’m hungry. Can we have lunch?”
“Sure.” He glanced at Linda. “Are you hungry?”
“Ya.” Linda nodded while pulling off a skate. “I am hungry. I think I worked up an appetite.”
Aaron turned back to Junior. “Would you go get your siblings? We can eat at the snack bar if you want.”
“Can we have pizza?” Junior’s expression was hopeful.
Aaron shrugged. “Why not?”
“Great!” Junior clapped his hands together and then hurried back onto the ice.
“Kinner love pizza, ya?” Linda asked.
“They do love pizza. Englisher kinner love it too.” He unlaced his skates.
“Do you miss Missouri?” Linda asked.
“No.” He gave her the answer without hesitation. At that very moment, he didn’t want to go back to Missouri. Instead, he wanted to spend more time getting to know Linda and his brother’s children.
“You don’t miss it at all?” She looked surprised as she unlaced the second skate.
“No, I don’t.” Aaron removed his skates and pulled on his shoes. He knew she was watching him, and he longed to read her thoughts. Was she enjoying their time together as much as he was?
The children returned from the rink and put on their shoes. After taking back their skates, they all made their way to the snack bar for pizza and sodas. Aaron sat across from Linda and enjoyed watching her while she talked to his nieces and nephews. He couldn’t help but think this had been the best Valentine’s Day he’d ever had.
Disappointment surged through Linda as Aaron steered the truck into her cousin’s driveway later that afternoon. The hours had flown by too fast. As soon as the truck came to a stop, Aaron’s nieces and nephews said good-bye to her.
“I’ll walk you to the door,” Aaron offered.
Linda climbed out of the truck and met Aaron at the front bumper. “I had a lovely time,” she said as they walked to the porch together.
“I did too.” He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans as they walked to the front door.
“This was the best Valentine’s Day I’ve ever had.” She smiled up at him. “Actually, it’s the only one I’ve ever celebrated, other than the parties we had in school when we were kids.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it. I had a fantastic time.” His eyes probed hers, and she felt the air around them spark with intensity.
“Linda!” Reuben’s voice boomed from inside the house. “It’s ten minutes after two!”
Linda felt her shoulders hunch at the sound of his voice. “I have to go.”
“I understand.” Aaron touched her arm. “I’ll see you at the bed-and-breakfast.”
“I look forward to it.” She watched him lope down the steps and hop into the truck.
The truck’s horn tooted as Aaron backed out of the driveway. Linda waved and then stepped into the house, where she found her uncle in his chair, reading a newspaper. She wondered if he’d moved from the spot even once the whole time she was gone.
“You’re late,” he barked as she hung up her coat.
“I’m only ten minutes late, Onkel,” she muttered. “I don’t think that’s unreasonable.”
“You have chores to do and supper to make.”
“I know.” Linda stood in the doorway to the kitchen and found the breakfast dishes still sitting in the now brown water. A new pile, including a dirty dish, a dirty glass, and utensils, sat on the counter, which she presumed was from her uncle’s lunch. Most days she felt like his servant instead of his niece since he never acknowledged how hard she worked to take care of their home. Reuben never treated her the way Aaron treated his nieces and nephews. Aaron smiled at them with more love in his eyes today than she’d ever seen her uncle bestow upon her. She wondered what it would feel like to be loved that way.
“What are you doing with that man?” His question broke through her thoughts.
She turned and faced him. “What do you mean?”
Reuben closed the newspaper and folded it in his lap. “You spent most of the day with a man who isn’t Amish. What are you thinking?”
“He’s my freind.” She enunciated the word. “And I wasn’t alone with him. His two nephews and two nieces were with us. We went ice skating in a public place. After we finished skating, we had pizza in the snack bar and then went out for ice cream before they brought me home. That’s it. It was just a friendly outing for Valentine’s Day.”
Her uncle shot her a piercing glare over his half-glasses. “You need to be careful. He’s not a baptized member of the church. Not only is the perception people of our community could have of you risky, but you’re also risking your heart.”
“It was nothing serious. We only went ice skating. That’s it.”
“It’s not a gut idea for you to see him,” he barked, his voice growing louder. “I think you should stop working at that bed-and-breakfast and only keep your job at the hotel. You spend too much time away from the haus, and you haven’t been keeping up with your chores. I need you at home more, and you need to stay away from that young man. He’s a bad influence. People will talk if they see you with him, and I will not allow you to dishonor the family that way. You are to stay away from him and that bed-and-breakfast. If you want to earn extra money, you can take on more hours at the hotel.”
Linda’s face burned with frustration. “No, I will not quit the bed-and-breakfast.”
Her uncle’s eyes widened. “Are you deliberately defying me?”
“No, I’m not defying you. I’m allowed to make decisions when it comes to where I work, and I refuse to quit working at the bed-and-breakfast. Hannah needs me, and I won’t let her down.” She had to stand her ground. Working for Hannah meant too much to her.
Onkel Reuben regarded her with disgust. “I’ve never seen you be so disrespectful, Linda. That Aaron has changed you.”
“This has nothing to do with Aaron. I like working with Hannah, and she depends on me. I can’t give that up.” She turned toward the kitchen. “I have work to do.”
Her hands shook as she limped into the kitchen. Linda had never stood up to her uncle before, and she felt a mixture of guilt and relief. She felt guilty for talking back to him, but she felt a sense of relief at finally standing up for something she truly believed in. She enjoyed her job at the bed-and-breakfast and didn’t want to let it go so easily. Not only did she want to help Hannah, but she also couldn’t let go of her opportunity to see Aaron.
She walked over to the counter, picked up the heart-shaped box of chocolates, and smiled as she ran her fingers over the embossed lid. She knew her uncle was right when he said she should stay away from Aaron, but she couldn’t stop that twinge of excitement deep in her soul every time she thought of his gorgeous smile.
Linda unpacked her lunch bag as she sat in the hotel break room with Madeleine on Tuesday afternoon. Her thoughts had been stuck on Aaron since their skating outing. She’d seen him briefly on Monday during breakfast, and he was just as friendly and sweet to her as he had been on Saturday. While she was thrilled that their friendship was blossoming, her uncle’s warning still echoed in her mind.
“Did you have a nice weekend, Linda?” Madeleine asked while unwrapping her sandwich.
“Ya.” Linda picked up an apple. “I actually did something really fun on Saturday.”
“Oh?” Madeleine asked. “What did you do?”
“Aaron Ebersol surprised me.” Linda smiled. “He came to my haus unexpectedly and took me ice skating with his nieces and nephews. I’d never been ice skating before. It was wunderbaar.”
Madeleine’s eyebrows shot up with surprise. “Aaron Ebersol took you ice skating?” She smiled. “That’s so nice.”
Linda examined her apple. “He gave me a box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day, and he was so nice and kind to me. He even held my hand to teach me how to skate. It was wunderbaar.” She paused. “But I’m worried.”
“You like him,” Madeleine said slowly.
Linda nodded. “I don’t know what to do. I’m so confused. I’ve never dated, and he’s not Amish. It’s just a mess.” She set down her apple and hid her face in her hands.
“You’ve never dated?” Madeleine asked gently.
“No, I haven’t.” Linda looked at her friend through her splayed fingers. “I never went to a youth group meeting, and I never knew how to even talk to buwe. I was usually by myself or with my aenti and onkel.” She shook her head and unwrapped her own sandwich. “But that doesn’t even matter. Aaron isn’t a member of the church, and he hasn’t said that he’s going to stay here. He may go back to Missouri, and I’ll never see him again. I don’t know how I’ll get over it if he leaves. I know I’m going to have a broken heart.”
“Don’t give up on him,” Madeleine said. “I saw how happy he was at his mother’s house. He seemed really pleased to be working on the porch with his nephew. And we both know how overjoyed he has made Ruth by coming home. Maybe he’ll decide to stay here and join the church.”
“I don’t know. He’s been away from the church for so long. Why would he want to come back?”
“Just think about it.” Madeleine nodded. “Family and community are so important to us all. He may realize how much he wants to be with his family again. And maybe you’ll show him that.”
Linda shook her head. “I don’t know. I have a bad feeling this won’t end well. But, at the same time, I’m enjoying every minute with him.”
“Pray for him,” Madeleine said. “Ask God to guide his heart.”
Linda nodded. “I will.” She hoped Madeleine was right and Aaron would decide to stay. She’d waited so long to find someone like Aaron—even as a friend. The notion of losing his friendship forever caused her heart to ache. She couldn’t face the thought of losing him, not when he meant so much to her.