LEVINA PACED THE FLOOR IN THE DEN FOR A LONG WHILE after her daughters left. She’d been fighting back tears from the minute Freda informed them that folks not only thought Namman was on the run for a crime he’d committed in Ohio but also suspected he had another woman there. Levina had never felt so humiliated in her life . . . and she couldn’t help but share some of their suspicions.
She thought about how things had been since Naaman’s return. So loving, so passionate. Levina hadn’t felt so alive and in love in years. To have a glimpse of what the rest of her life could be like, only to have it threatened by her own lack of trust, was not an option. She had to clear the air. Naaman had never told a lie in his life, that she knew about, so she tried to prepare herself for the truth—whatever that might be.
When he walked in about ten minutes later, Levina knew right away that something was wrong by the look on his face.
Naaman took off his hat and set it down on the coffee table, then he sat down on the couch. He put his head in his hands for a moment, then looked up at her and shook his head. “I don’t understand it. Last week Mr. Lyman was all excited about carrying some of my furniture in his store. Today when we sat down to talk, he couldn’t seem to look me in the eye, and then he told me that he already had too much inventory. I asked him about special orders, but he wasn’t interested.” Naaman rubbed his forehead. “He excused himself after our brief visit and said he had another appointment.”
Levina sat down beside him. Despite all her worries, her heart hurt for Naaman. “I’m sorry, Naaman. I know you were hopeful about working with Mr. Lyman. But our income is fine, and—”
“It’s not that. I know we’re all right financially. But that represented part of our new beginning, and . . .” He paused. “I had the strangest feeling that Jonathan knew Mr. Lyman’s reasons, but he wouldn’t share them.”
Levina couldn’t decide if this was the worst possible time or the best to have the much-needed conversation with Naaman. She wanted to wrap her arms around him, but darkness hung between them. For there to be peace, she knew, there had to be honesty.
“Naaman . . .”
He looked into her eyes, and Levina didn’t think she had ever dreaded having a conversation with her husband this much. She took a deep breath. “People are talking around town. Lots of people.”
Naaman furrowed his brow and sat up taller. “What people? What are they saying?”
Levina felt her heart beating way too fast. “They . . . they are saying you might have had a woman in Middlefield.”
Naaman latched onto her shoulders. “Levina, no. Levina, no, no, no.” He hung his head for a moment, then he looked back in her eyes, which were starting to tear up. “Never. I have no explanation for what I did, but I would never, ever betray our wedding vows. I’ve told you all this.”
Levina knew she needed to bring up the sheriff, but one crisis at a time was all she could handle. “But you did betray our wedding vows when you left, Naaman.” She pulled away from him and stood up. “And it’s hard for me to trust you.”
“Levina,” he pleaded as he stood up. “I thought we were past all this. And folks will stop with these silly rumors. Surely you don’t think I would—”
“I don’t know anything anymore, Naaman!” She stomped her foot and let the tears pour down her face. “I don’t know! I don’t understand! I’m confused about everything!”
“Levina,” he said tenderly as he tried to pull her to him. “Things have been so wonderful between us. This is the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. And I meant what I said. I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Please don’t let this set us back. I love you so much.”
She stepped back away from him and swiped at her eyes. “I love you, too, Naaman. And I’ve been happier than I can ever remember being.”
“Then, Levina, let’s don’t worry about anyone else. It’s just you and me, and I love you.”
She sniffled and held her chin up slightly. “There’s more, Naaman.”
“More what? What are you talking about?”
“There’s been a sheriff in town looking for you.”
Naaman hung his head. “I figured that out when I saw an article in the newspaper about his death.”
“What did you do, Naaman? Did you only come home because you were in trouble?”
“No! No, Levina.”
They heard a car coming and turned toward the window. The timing couldn’t have been worse.
Levina wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her dress and tried to gather herself. “Are you expecting anyone?”
“No.”
Naaman looked like a broken man, and part of her wanted to comfort him, but she just stood there. Then she shuffled to the door, feeling more than a little broken herself. She looked through the screen and watched a woman getting out of a white four-door car. As the woman shuffled through the grass, she kept her head down, and Levina couldn’t see her face. But when the woman reached up and dabbed at her eyes, Levina felt weak in the knees.
Now what? Why is an Englisch woman here crying?
When the woman reached the porch, Levina talked to her through the screen. “Can I help you?”
The woman was short and plump, with graying brown hair, and her eyes were heavy with sadness. “I’m looking for Naaman Lapp.”
Before Levina could answer, Naaman was at the door. He eased Levina out of the way, pulled the screen door open, and embraced the woman. “Patsy, I’m so sorry. I’m so very sorry.”
The woman cried harder as Naaman held her in his arms.
Levina didn’t move, didn’t speak. She felt like a stranger to her own husband at this moment.
Finally he pulled from the hug and motioned the woman inside. “Please sit down, Patsy.” Then he turned to Levina. “Levina, this is Patsy.”
As the woman sat down on the couch, Naaman continued. “And, Patsy, this is my wife, Levina.”
Patsy raised her hand to Levina as she sniffled. “I’ve heard so much about you, dear. So many wonderful things.”
Levina smiled and shook her hand, knowing she couldn’t return the sentiment. She had no clue who this woman was.
Naaman sat down on the couch beside Patsy, and Levina slowly backed into a rocker in the corner and watched the scene unfold.
“Larry was a gut man, Patsy. He will be greatly missed.”
Levina held her breath for a moment. Larry?
“He was indebted to you, Naaman.” Patsy dabbed her eyes with a wrinkled tissue she had in her left hand. “He might not have known how to say it, but he loved you like a brother.”
Naaman hung his head, then Patsy put her hand on his cheek.
“You are a good man, too, Naaman.” She looked across the room at Levina. “I can’t tell you how grateful we are that Naaman showed up in Middlefield.” She shook her head.
Levina could barely force a smile as she struggled to put the pieces of this strange puzzle together.
“Of course he belonged here with you, Levina,” the woman added. “And I knew the Lord would guide him back to his home.” She smiled a bit. “But I’m so glad we met him first. Naaman introduced Larry to the Lord. I’d tried for our entire married life, but he had so many doubts.” She turned back to Naaman. “I don’t know what you said to him, Naaman, to make him turn his life over to God, but it gives me great peace to know that when Larry left this world he went to be with God.”
Levina swallowed hard and thought about all the times she’d questioned God’s plan.
Naaman’s head was down as he spoke. “And we know that all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Naaman looked up, smiling slightly. “It’s not our way to minister, but from the time I met Larry, I felt the Lord guiding me to share my faith with him.”
Patsy turned to Levina and eased into a smile. “We’ve been friends with Levi and Mary for years, and we were at their house having supper the evening that Naaman arrived. He and my Larry hit it off right away.” Her expression grew somber. “They were both lost souls, each with his own problems. But I believe that sometimes the good Lord introduces people who can guide each other onto the path God has planned for them.” Her face brightened a bit as she continued. “In the months that followed, Larry would drop by their house, and he and Naaman would talk for hours out in the barn while doing various projects. I don’t know what those men talked about, but I do know this . . . Naaman is home where he belongs. And my Larry is with our Lord in heaven.”
She took a deep breath, then she reached into the small black purse in her lap. “This is why Larry was looking for you.” She pushed a small box in Naaman’s direction. “You left before Larry had a chance to tell you good-bye, and it was important to him for you to have this.”
Naaman eyed the small container, not bigger than a pillbox, and Levina watched him remove the small lid. His eyes watered almost instantly as he pulled out a man’s gold ring.
Patsy put her hand on Namaan’s. “I know you folks don’t wear jewelry, but I believe you know why Larry got this ring?”
Levina watched her husband blink back tears. “Ya. His police department gave it to him because he saved a life.”
Patsy patted Namaan’s hand. “And Larry said you saved his life. He wanted you to have this as a remembrance.” She pulled her hand back and placed it in her lap. “And I think, Naaman, that Larry just wanted to thank you in person. You left so quickly and all.”
Naaman glanced at Levina, then back at Patsy. “When I knew it was right in my heart to come home, I just wanted to leave right then.”
“I understand.” Patsy stood up. “I need to go now.”
Naaman and Levina both walked her to the door. Levina wondered how different life would have been for everyone if Naaman hadn’t left. For starters, she and Naaman might have spent the rest of their lives the way they were before, instead of falling in love all over again and sharing a new honesty and intimacy that they’d never had. Would their oldest son have made a terrible mistake by leaving his own family at some point, if not for Naaman sharing his experience? And what about Larry Dozier? What if Mr. Dozier had never met Naaman Lapp?
“A man’s heart deviseth his way; but the Lord directeth his steps.”
Levina smiled as the Scripture came into her head. The Lord always had a plan, and Levina felt more grounded in her faith than she had been in a long time. She’d been raised not to question the will of God, yet she had recently. But as the door closed behind Patsy, Levina felt a sense of calm that she hadn’t felt the past few days.
She and Naaman waved as Patsy got into her car and pulled out of the driveway.
“I love you, Naaman.” Levina touched her husband’s cheek. “And Patsy is right. You are a gut man.”
Naaman put his hand on top of hers and pressed her palm closer to his face. “I should have never left you.”
Levina smiled. “It wonders me how differently things might have turned out if you hadn’t.” She pulled her hand from his face, intertwined her fingers with his. “I’m sorry I doubted you, Naaman.”
He gave her hand a squeeze as he smiled back at her. “I don’t blame you, Levina. My actions—”
“No, Naaman.” She put a silencing finger to his lips. “My doubts drove a wedge between us.” She cupped his cheek in her hand. “There must always be trust. From now on.”
Naaman nodded as she pulled her hand away, then he gently kissed her on the lips.
After he slowly eased out of the kiss, Levina gently led him across the den, toward the stairs. “I think it’s time for a nap.” She winked at him as they headed upstairs.