Chapter Twenty-Three

Despite the sloppy mess of melted snow and softened earth, the day warmed well above freezing and everyone in the community gathered to fill the bishop’s house in celebration as Caleb and Mirim became one. Cullen hung his long coat along with the other men on one of the walls Bishop Mast used for such occasions and scanned the happy faces of the people he had known all his life. Christmas always brought out more smiles than any other time of year. Even in the Plain world, glimmers of the season sparkled in young eyes. But today a wedding was the center of all the excitement.

Tess Miller brushed past, taking her place in the back of the women’s seating area, without so much as a gruff hello. Still, Tessie Miller’s face, etched with the lines of her years, rarely smiled, but today even she carried one with her. There was something about watching two people come together as one that lifted spirits.

Next, he met Elisha’s gaze, and the two shared a small smile. He was not nearly the carpenter Elisha was, but under Elisha’s watchful eye, the cradle for Grace had turned out moderately decent. Cullen had considered at length what his gift would mean to Grace. He wanted her to have it, she needed to have it, but he could not decide if he had the right to give it.

Grace declined coming and he didn’t press, despite how he wished she was at his side. He hadn’t talked about Marty with anyone before, his parents either for that matter, yet, under moonlight and frigid temps, Cullen talked about both. Seeing tears when he spoke of his mutter only made him care for her more.

Timing was everything, but when she smiled at him, he fought the urge to claim her lips right then. He was becoming a weak man. Planting a kiss on her forehead hadn’t been the most romantic gesture, but she had seemed pretty pleased.

Spotting Caleb, Cullen joined the men in the front of the room. “This is the day, my freind,” Cullen greeted.

“That it is.” Caleb and Mirim had courted only two years before they found themselves here in front of Gott and community. Cullen reached for Elisha’s hand next, congratulating him as well. Elisha Schwartz and Emma Bontrager had courted six years, if no one counted that, they had been the best of friends since childhood. Double weddings weren’t so rare in Pleasants, and Cullen mentally counted how many he had been a part of in his years.

“If you weren’t so stubborn you would be finding yourself enjoying such a day,” Elisha teased, poking Cullen in the rib.

“I am not stubborn, my friend. I am content in accepting Gott’s timing.” But was he? He had thought he was. He had been for ten years in that regard. Then everything changed. In just ten short weeks, everything changed.

The bishop and deacon came together at the front of the room, and Cullen settled into a front-row seat, trying hard to put out of his mind what a day such as today would be like for him.

…

“Cullen, would you be a dear and do something for me?” Betty stepped beside him as Cullen dropped his empty paper plate into the trash.

“Jah. What do you need?”

“If I were to make up a plate, would you see that Grace gets it?” He nodded; he would relish any chance to see her. “She is such a little thing. Not half the size of what she should be.”

“I am certain she will be glad for it. She eats more than you know, but I think she is tired of wild game and eggs.”

“Then I am sure you can find something else that’s pleasing.” Betty grinned, challenging.

Cullen eyed the bishop and, along with him, Freeman Hilty and his father at a table behind where Betty stood. Both of the Hilty men were like hawks, eyeing him now like they had during the ceremony and the whole wedding meal. Betty turned to follow his gaze, only to turn back to him and let out a laugh.

“I think those two like to bend ears more than lend hands,” she said.

He chuckled and knew she was not wrong in that observation. “Make sure to add a huge slice of cake, will ya?” He winked.

“I knew we women could count on you.” Betty nodded and took up a plate as Cullen aimed for the main door. “I want to speak to the newly wedded and will be back to fetch that plate.”

Outside, the sun felt like a warm blanket on a cold morning. Spotting the group of men clustered together by the barn, he went to join them. Cullen slowed when he heard Freeman’s voice in the center of the lot and would have returned back inside if not for Caleb catching his approach and waving him over. Freeman must have sprinted to get here so quickly. Like a gossip on a mission, Freeman stood front-and-center to hold all their attentions.

“First thing kumm spring, I will have my own fraa keeping me warm.” His laugh was slimy, and Cullen stopped short of walking through him. “Full of vinegar, that one. But have you seen those eyes? Prettiest thing in the whole county, and she is mine.”

The collar around Cullen’s neck tightened. He took a calming breath.

“Cullen.” Freeman’s eyes narrowed, and Cullen looked down on the little man with a distaste everyone could feel. “I was just telling the boys here about my Grace.”

“Your Grace?” Crossing his arms, he hoped to intimidate the boastful Freeman Hilty, but the man didn’t budge. Intimidation was a game only the Hiltys played. Real men never had time for such foolishness.

“Jah. My Grace.” Freeman reminded one of a puffed-up rooster, boasting and swelling until he grew into something besides a scrawny bird. “We are courting. Taking her as my fraa is only the next step.”

Freeman’s lips gathered into a grin at winning a game Cullen was not playing. The thoughts of this man taking Grace anywhere sent a flush of anger throughout his body and his fist clenched tightly.

“Putting the cart before the horse again, I see. She has already said she isn’t interested. It would be best you look elsewhere and leave Grace be.”

“Cullen, how has work been?” Caleb stepped between the two and Cullen wished he hadn’t. Someone needed to put this puffed-up rooster into a stew pot and close the lid tightly.

“Gut,” he answered, but his focus never shifted from Freeman.

“The sooner you get your head wrapped around it, the better. Grace cannot say no to me.” Freeman blurted out.

“She has said no, more than once.” Need Cullen remind him again?

“Wait, Grace said no to courting you?” Caleb stepped forward. “Freeman, you should leave Grace be, like Cullen says.” It appeared no man, other than Freeman, would stand there listening to such nonsense. “Tess will not be having you trying to bully her niece into courting.”

Freeman huffed loudly before turning on his heel and stalking away. Cullen wanted to reach out and pull the little man back into the group. A squeeze of his arm steadied his wrath.

“Do not let anger fill you, my friend. Freeman will be Freeman. Grace isn’t the first maedel he tried that on, but Tessie Miller will tend to him once she gets word and put him in his place all and good.” Elisha chuckled and Cullen had to agree with the logic. Tessie Miller would indeed see Freeman’s behavior tended to if she had to drag him by one ear to the bishop’s door herself. Freeman wore off on one quicker than new paint on a hitching post.

Then Freeman’s words hit him again. She cannot say no to me. Cullen put the pieces together. The Hiltys were using Grace’s circumstances, her living arrangement, to acquire Freeman a fraa.

“Elmo owns the land and cabin.” Wasn’t it a farfetched thought to think an Amish man to be capable of turning generosity into leverage? And if Elmo crossed such a moral line, he would pack her up himself and deliver her to her aenti, regardless.

“Well if I know you, and I do—” Elisha grinned. “You will have seen to it that Grace is taken care of. Don’t think we all don’t know how often you climb that hillside.”

“She is lucky to have you.” Caleb added. Cullen thought he was the lucky one but kept that to himself.

“I heard she was going back to Indiana, you know, after the boppli kumms.”

“She might do that yet.” But he was determined to change her mind; he had only a week to do it.

“Does it bother you that she is carrying another man’s child?”

“I am one who would never judge another by their past. Made a few mistakes myself.” He rubbed his chin. “A child needs a daed.” If they asked him the question months ago, Cullen might have given a different answer.

“And a man gains strength from kinner. Best be changing her mind,” Elisha added. Cullen nodded and turned to leave.

“Where are ya heading?” Caleb asked in a worried tone.

“I have got a neighbor to see to.”

“Before you do, kumm to the barn, I got something for ya. Emma made me save the best for last.” Elisha motioned him to follow.