After Jayce put Poppy in the barn, he continued analyzing the evening as he walked back to the inn. With all the information he’d received from Lizzie, Esther, and Billy, Jayce hadn’t even planned to hug Evelyn. He’d wanted to kiss her all night, but more than that he didn’t want to do anything to offend her or make her uncomfortable. He reached up and touched his mouth, shaking his head as he neared the house. They didn’t even know each other.
Lights were on in the motor homes, and the generators were buzzing. Maybe the old guy, Gus, had gotten used to the noise. Or maybe he’d paid the sisters another visit and they managed to calm him down. He opened the front door and closed it quietly behind him, then tiptoed to the stairway, hoping he didn’t run into his father. When he reached the stairs, he felt eyes on him. Turning slowly, he was relieved to see Lizzie and Esther sitting at the kitchen table and went to join them.
“Apple and pecan.” Lizzie nodded to the pies as she spoke. She already had a plate and fork set out for him. “We want details.”
Esther glared at her sister. “Lizzie, must you always be so brazen?” She turned to Jayce. “We just wondered if you enjoyed the movie and where you went for supper.”
He was still focused on figuring out why Evelyn kissed him. But he wasn’t one to kiss and tell. He pulled out a chair and sat, then gave the women a brief rundown of the evening.
“That sounds like a nice time.” Esther sipped her coffee. Jayce would be up all night if he drank coffee this late.
“Yeah, she’s a nice girl.” He eyed the pies, trying to decide between the two. Finally, he sliced into the apple pie.
“You didn’t kiss her or do anything inappropriate, did you?” Lizzie drummed her fingers against the table. He looked up and paused. She looked different. It took him a few seconds to realize it was because she wasn’t wearing her dentures. They had also both replaced their white head coverings with scarves.
Smiling, he said, “No. I didn’t kiss her or do anything inappropriate.” But she sure laid one on me. He lifted the piece of pie onto his plate, pulled it toward him, and took a bite.
Lizzie yawned. “You seem like a nice young man, but I have a special talent for spotting a liar, so I had to ask. You’re not lying.”
Esther scowled at her sister.
“No, I’m not lying.” Jayce recalled the feel of Evelyn’s lips on his. It had happened and ended before he even knew. He suspected it was a bold move for her. She’d immediately hightailed it inside without looking back.
“However . . .” Jayce kept them in suspense as he ate another bite of pie. “She’s going to show me around tomorrow.”
“Really?” Esther took another sip of coffee. “That’s nice.”
Something about her tone seemed to ask for a response, but he was busy with the pie and not sure how to respond anyway.
“She’s Amish, you know?” Esther ran a finger around the rim of her coffee cup while keeping an eye on him.
He raised both hands to cover his mouth and gasped. “You’re kidding.”
Esther grinned. “Silly thing to say, I suppose.”
Lizzie yawned again. “Did you have any trouble with Poppy?”
Jayce shook his head. “Nope. I picked up Evelyn and delivered her home safely without a hitch.”
“Well, we just wanted to make sure you were a gentleman. I’m sure things are a lot different here than where you come from.” Lizzie rubbed her eyes.
“You could say that.” Jayce laughed, again recalling the kiss. He stood after finishing his pie and thanked the women. Temptation flowed through his veins like a rushing river, prodding him to tell the sisters that Evelyn had kissed him. Instead, he thought he’d better mention the vanilla. “Lizzie, did you spill something in your buggy?”
“Nee. Why?” She slouched in her chair and chewed a fingernail.
Jayce waved in front of his nose. “The smell of vanilla was so strong I worried we might throw up. I don’t mean to sound disrespectful at all. I appreciate you letting me borrow the buggy, and it was fun driving it. But . . .” He shook his head. “I’ve never smelled that much vanilla in my life. Even with the windows open, it was pretty overbearing.”
Lizzie shrugged. “I’ve never noticed that.”
Jayce found that impossible to believe, but maybe Lizzie had a medical condition that prevented her from smelling. He decided to let it go, excused himself, and went to bed.
* * *
Esther waited until Jayce was out of earshot before she turned to Lizzie. Her sister looked like a rag doll slumped in her chair as she avoided looking at Esther, still nibbling on her fingernail. “Vanilla?” She raised an eyebrow.
“What about it?” Lizzie continued to avoid Esther’s inquiring eyes.
“Why would your buggy smell like vanilla?” Esther leaned forward. “And enough to make those young people feel sick.”
Lizzie moaned as she straightened in the chair, then sighed. “Vanilla is an apple-desiac. It draws people together and makes them feel romantic.”
Esther gasped as she brought a hand to her chest.
“Why do you look so shocked? It was just a little nudge to help them feel comfortable on their first date.” Lizzie stiffened as she placed her palms on the table. “I read that in one of my romance books.”
Esther held her forehead in her hands before she looked at her sister. “First of all, you need to stop reading those books. Secondly, the word you misspoke has a different meaning from what you think.” She shook her head. “How did you get enough of the scent to stay in the buggy and overwhelm the kinner?”
Lizzie pressed her lips together, then let out a dramatic sigh. “I left some vanilla candles out in the sunlight behind the barn until they melted a little. Then I smeared the wax on the back seat and floorboards.” She paused, raised her chin. “I couldn’t smell it all that much so I mixed some vanilla extract and water together, put it in a spray bottle, then sprayed everything in the buggy.”
Esther wasn’t sure when her mouth fell open, but she forced it closed and thought for a few seconds. “I thought we were in agreement that we should not encourage anything between Evelyn and Jayce.” She shook her head. “Vanilla?” she asked again.
“I like that boy.” Lizzie pushed her lip into a pout, exaggerated by the fact she didn’t have her dentures in.
“You don’t know that boy.” Esther stared at her.
“Ach, well, I like him anyway.” She lifted her chin. “He might not be lying, but he’s not telling us something.” Lizzie pressed her lips together, moving them from side to side, the way she often did when she didn’t have her dentures in.
Esther’s sister had smoothly changed the subject, but Esther had to agree with her. “I had the same feeling.” It hadn’t been anything Esther could put her finger on, but Jayce had seemed to be evading the entire truth. “Maybe he just needs a friend. We can’t assume that every time a young man meets a young woman, they will become romantically involved.”
Lizzie huffed. “We always assume that. It’s what we do.”
“Not in this case.” Esther picked up one of the pies, walked to the counter, and began covering it. Lizzie followed with the other pie. “It’s not just that one of them is Amish and the other isn’t.” She glanced at her sister. “Jayce grew up with lots of money, in a place where movie stars live, and he enjoys a life far more luxurious than even the average Englischer.”
“That lifestyle must have a downside.” Lizzie ran her hands under the water, then reached for a kitchen towel. “It’s obvious he doesn’t have a gut relationship with his daed.”
“Downside or not, this time we are staying out of any matchmaking possibilities.” Esther had noticed a twinkle in Jayce’s eyes when he talked about Evelyn. That wasn’t surprising. Evelyn was beautiful, inside and out. She was also smart enough not to let anything romantic evolve over the next month.
“Well, there are still a bunch of sheets and towels that need to be run through the wringer.” Lizzie stretched an arm behind her. “But mei back has given out.”
Esther tightened the strap on her white robe. “We’re going to end up in an early grave if we don’t find some help.”
“I’ll keep asking around.” Lizzie shrugged. “I just can’t find anyone.”
They headed toward their bedrooms on the main floor, both yawning. “Sweet dreams, Lizzie.”
“You too, Esther.”
* * *
Evelyn couldn’t remember the last time she’d been up this late. It was nearing midnight. Rolling on her side, she pounded her pillow and closed her eyes.
After a few minutes she rolled onto her back and threw an arm across her forehead. How could she possibly spend the day with Jayce tomorrow after what she’d done? She kissed a man she didn’t know on a first date. And it wasn’t even a good kiss. She just smashed her mouth into his and retreated without a word.
She’d never allowed any man to kiss her on a first date. Usually she waited several dates before she even considered the idea. So why did I do that?
No amount of analyzing would change the outcome.
Forcing her eyes closed, she tried to will herself to sleep. But she continued wondering what Jayce must think of her, how forward she was.
* * *
Saturday morning, Esther and Lizzie served breakfast in the dining room before retreating to the kitchen to enjoy some downtime. Mr. Clarkson, Quinn, and the other men were all downstairs by nine o’clock, the time they’d requested breakfast be served. Everyone was in attendance except Jayce.
Esther and Lizzie could hear the conversation in the other room.
“Where’s Jayce?” Quinn asked as forks clinked against plates.
“Who knows,” Mr. Clarkson replied in an aggravated voice. “He’ll probably sleep all day. That’s what he does at home. He’s lazy.”
“Maybe you confuse lazy with depressed.” Quinn spoke firmly. “He hasn’t been happy in a long time, Brandon.”
“He’s ungrateful and spoiled. Jayce has been given everything he ever wanted,” Mr. Clarkson said. “And since I’m grossly overpaying him to be a roadie, he’ll have enough money at the end of this month to get his own place.”
“Everything he’s ever wanted?” Quinn was on the edge of raising her voice. “I think all he’s ever wanted is love. Things weren’t easy for him during your divorce.”
“That was a long time ago. He’s an irresponsible adult now. And . . .”
Esther cringed when Mr. Clarkson rattled off a sentence filled with words that needn’t be spoken aloud. Lizzie had stopped eating and was also attuned to the conversation in the other room.
A chair scraped across the floor, followed by heels clicking against the wood. Quinn must have left the room. A few minutes later, Mr. Clarkson spoke up again.
“I don’t know why Quinn is always defending him. She doesn’t have kids. She doesn’t know what it’s like, especially related to Jayce. I spent almost twenty thousand dollars getting him out of jail and on legal fees. She overlooks things like that.”
Esther and Lizzie locked eyes.
“I wonder what he did,” Lizzie whispered.
One of the men cleared his throat. “Let’s just let it go. It’s our day off.”
Esther wasn’t sure which of the men had spoken up, but the room had gone silent.
“I thought someone named Veronica was Brandon Clarkson’s ex,” Lizzie said, her voice still low.
“Ya, but I think that woman is his ex-girlfriend. He must have had a wife he divorced when Jayce was younger.” Esther was still wondering what had landed Jayce in jail, especially since Evelyn would be spending the day with him. They really didn’t know him at all.
“It doesn’t sound like that woman, Quinn, cares for that Clarkson fellow too much either.” Lizzie took a sip of coffee, her head still turned toward the dining room.
“It isn’t our business,” Esther whispered.
“But Evelyn is our business. We’ve known her family since before she was born.” Lizzie shook her head. “Although I’m having a hard time picturing Jayce in jail. He seems like such a nice youngster.”
“We’ve known that youngster, who is a grown man, for only a few days.” Esther stopped buttering her biscuit and looked at Lizzie. “It concerns me that he’s spending time with Evelyn.”
“You worry too much.”
Esther didn’t have the energy to argue with Lizzie.
They were both quiet for a while, and the dining room remained hushed.
After the group had retreated upstairs, Esther and Lizzie began to clear the table. “Let’s save a plate for the boy.” Lizzie gathered bacon, biscuits, eggs, and fruit, piling an ample amount on a plate for Jayce.
Once the dishes were piled on the counter, Lizzie began to run warm water in the sink. “What was all that about yesterday? When I was showing Jayce how to handle Poppy and the buggy, I saw Gus talking to Mr. Clarkson. It looked like they were pretty friendly.” Lizzie cocked her head to one side, scowling. “And we both know Gus isn’t friendly to anyone.”
Esther grinned. “I suppose we should give Mr. Clarkson his due credit.”
“What does that mean?” Lizzie lowered a stack of plates into the soapy water.
“He offered Gus a role in his movie.” Esther chuckled.
Lizzie turned to face her, water dripping from her hands above the sink. “What in the world for? What kind of movie person would want Gus in their film?”
“I don’t know, but Gus is quite proud of the fact, flaunting it actually. And I bet it was Mr. Clarkson’s way of keeping the peace with him, instead of hearing constant complaints about how loud the generators are.” She winked at her sister. “Smart man, I’d say. Although Gus strutted around like a movie star, so I’m not sure which will be worse—grumpy Gus or Gus the movie star.”
“Ach, I know we’re not supposed to see movies, but I’m going undercover to see any movie Gus is in. I’d have to see it to believe it.” Lizzie flinched, shaking her head as if scrambling her brains. “Ick. Gus in a movie.”
Esther laughed. “I can’t picture it either.”
They’d almost finished the dishes when Esther asked, “How concerned do you think we should be about Jayce spending time with Evelyn? Since he’s been in jail.”
“You don’t think he murdered anyone, do you?’ Lizzie gasped. “Or maybe he robbed a bank?”
Esther groaned. “Lizzie, of course he didn’t do anything like that. He’d still be in jail.”
“Someone slipped me a file in a cake, and I escaped.”
Lizzie and Esther jumped and spun around to see Jayce standing in the kitchen, grinning at them.
“I guess I missed breakfast.” His eyes searched the room and landed on the plate on the counter. “Unless that’s for me?”
“Ya, ya.” Esther shuffled to the counter, picked up the plate, and set it on the table. “We saved you some.”
“Are you sure I’m worthy? I mean . . . I’m a criminal.”
Esther and Lizzie stood staring as Jayce lowered his head in prayer. A praying criminal. Esther was speechless, and for once in her life, Lizzie was quiet too.
Jayce finished a slice of bacon, wiped his mouth with his napkin, then looked up at Esther and Lizzie, the smile gone. “I’m not proud of what I did, but I assure you, I’m no murderer or burglar. You don’t really think that, do you?”
Esther and Lizzie exchanged glances, but neither said anything.
“I got in a fight.” Jayce picked up his biscuit and began slathering it with butter. “I don’t really think the guy had issues with me. He hated my father for firing him. But stuff was said, and I punched him. The guy filed assault charges, and my dad wanted to plea bargain to avoid the press. So he spent a bunch of money to keep things on the lowdown.” He paused as he looked somewhere past them, seemingly lost in thought.
After a few long seconds, Jayce went on. “Like I said, I’m not proud of it. But when he started saying things about my mom . . . I guess he hit a nerve.”
Esther had never been in such unfamiliar territory. She and Lizzie remained quiet.
“I was mad at my mom when she left. In hindsight, I don’t know how she stayed with him as long as she did.” Pausing again, he lowered his eyes to his plate, but mostly just moved his eggs around with his fork. “No matter what happened, I love my mom, and I couldn’t let that guy stand there and say such awful things about her.” He lifted his eyes to Esther’s. “Right?”
She could see the longing for approval, for someone to agree with him. But she shook her head. “I don’t fully understand things in your world, sohn. But we don’t believe in violence, no matter what situation might present itself.”
“Maybe it’s just different for women.” He continued to push his eggs around. “Men are expected to stand up for the people they love—to protect them.”
Jayce was only going to be here a month. Esther wasn’t going to change his beliefs within that time frame, nor was it her place to do so.
“Can I just say this?” He set his fork down and looked them both in the eyes. “Evelyn is a nice person. I can see that. I know we live differently, but she will always be safe in my presence. If we become friends, well, that’s great. Maybe we’ll write letters or something after I leave. I’ve never known anyone like her, so maybe we’ll learn things from each other. But I don’t want you to worry for one moment that she isn’t safe or that I won’t behave like a gentleman.”
Esther’s heart warmed. It was such a sincere and seemingly truthful statement. Lizzie was back to batting her eyes at him.
“We are in no place to judge you for what you did, Jayce. Only Gott can do that. And as long as you’re remorseful about your actions, you should put it in the past,” Esther said.
“I’m remorseful.” He lowered his eyes to his plate again. “I probably shouldn’t have hit him so hard. But if you’d heard what he said . . .”
Esther was glad he didn’t finish his sentence. She wanted to tell him that he shouldn’t have hit the man at all, but she didn’t want to fuel a situation they already didn’t agree on. Jayce seemed like such a gentle soul, but he was also a young man fiercely protective of those he loved. But did it end there? Would he have hit Gus during their confrontation? How often did he use his fists in anger?
She reminded herself again that he’d only be here a month. She glanced at Lizzie. Her sister wasn’t batting her eyes anymore, but she also wasn’t glaring at Jayce. Esther recognized her expression, one of pained tolerance. Lizzie liked the boy, so she’d likely try to change him, even though ministering to outsiders wasn’t their way. Lizzie didn’t always follow the rules.
“Thank you for the breakfast.” Jayce stood and laid his napkin across his plate, still half filled with food.
After he left the room and was out of earshot, Lizzie looked at Esther. “I think he’s more remorseful than he lets on.”
Esther nodded. “I think you’re right.”
* * *
Jayce slipped into his jeans, then pulled on a blue T-shirt with short sleeves. Half his tattoo showed, but he didn’t care. If Evelyn hated the artistry, then so be it. He wasn’t going to change himself for an Amish woman he didn’t even know.
He lay on the bed and threw his arms behind him. How did Esther and Lizzie find out about his stint in jail? They would be shocked to know it hadn’t been his first rodeo. He’d been arrested twice before for similar outbursts. Both of those events felt justified at the time. Looking back, he should have avoided the fights.
But for the sisters to question Evelyn’s safety left Jayce feeling sour, and a bad attitude had snuck into his psyche. He liked Lizzie and Esther, and he wanted them to respect him for the man he wanted to be. It made sense they would worry about Evelyn, but it stung to hear them voice their concerns. He almost wished he could cancel the outing, but the alternative would be worse. Spending the day totally alone, or being forced to be around his father and some of the other crew members he could do without.
He almost dozed off but jumped when he heard horse hooves coming up the driveway. He pushed his feet into a pair of flip-flops and headed downstairs, thankful the living room was empty. He wasn’t in the mood for conversation with anyone, and he was already feeling sorry for Evelyn because of it.
He crossed through the front yard and waited for her to pull up. This buggy didn’t have a top on it.
“It’s such a beautiful day, I thought I’d bring the spring buggy.” She smiled before she glanced at her horse. “Millie seemed to like you the other day. Do you want to drive?”
“Nah, that’s okay.” He walked around to the other side and climbed in beside her, hoping his bad mood would take a hike.
They rode mostly in silence with a few more comments about the weather. The night before hadn’t felt awkward. Today did.
Evelyn turned on the next road, a dirt road not much wider than a walking path. She pulled back on the reins and the horse came to an abrupt stop. Then she twisted to face him. “You’re not acting normal.”
“You don’t know me, so how do you know what normal is?” It was a mean response, and he regretted it right away. He opened his mouth to apologize, but horror gripped him when her eyes filled with tears.
“I’m so sorry!” she said. “I have no idea what came over me. I’ve never been that forward with a man.” She covered her face and shook her head, sniffling. “I’m so embarrassed, and I won’t blame you if you want me to take you back to the inn.” She finally uncovered her face and met his stupefied gaze. “You must think I’m . . . trampy.”
Jayce covered his mouth to stifle a grin. He felt awful that she was crying, but if she thought a quick kiss was trampy . . . Wow. She’d think some of the women he knew were downright ladies of the night.
He uncovered his mouth, still struggling not to show his amusement. “Evelyn.” He stared into her eyes. “I do not think you are trampy.” It was an odd word, and he laughed. “Not at all.”
“But I kissed you!” she shrieked. “And it wasn’t even a gut kiss.” Throwing her arms up, she shook her head. “I don’t even know you.”
“Nope. You don’t.” More tears pooled in her eyes. “Evelyn, listen.” He reached over and clutched her hand, a little surprised she didn’t pull away. “Are you attracted to me?”
She didn’t move. Jayce wasn’t sure she was breathing. He took a deep breath. “I’m attracted to you. Very much. And you seem like a nice person. I can tell you all of that because once you find out who I really am, you’re never going to want to hang out with me again. So don’t give the kiss a second thought.” He paused, smiling. “Although, that kiss is pretty much all I thought about last night.” He was happy to see a small smile from her, but it was going to fade quickly. “I was in jail recently. I beat up a guy because he talked bad about my mother. And that wasn’t the only time I’ve lost my temper or been in jail.”
Her mouth hung open.
“So there’s no need to worry about a spontaneous kiss. You’re not . . . trampy.” He still fought a smile when he said the word. “Your reputation is fully intact. Unless you keep hanging out with the visiting bad boy. Then there might be talk among your people.”
He waited for her to let all that soak in. Millie kicked at the dirt like she was ready to go again.
A slow smile spread across her face. “You thought about the kiss all night?”
Jayce laughed. “I just told you that you’re hanging out with the visiting bad boy, but you want to know about the kiss?”
She continued to smile as she nodded.
“It was unexpected. It was nice. And you shouldn’t feel bad about it.” He paused as her expression shifted to a more serious one he couldn’t read.
“It wasn’t a gut kiss. I know that. I practically slammed my mouth into yours, then ran to hide like a young girl.” She chewed her bottom lip.
Jayce’s sour mood had fled. This woman amused him. “What are you saying? You want to try again?”
She shook her head, eyes wide. “Nee. Nee. It was inappropriate the first time. I’m just saying that’s not how I would normally kiss a man. Or how he would kiss me. Not that I would let a man kiss me on a first date. I’m not like that. I’ve never—”
“Evelyn.”
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Jayce pushed his hair out of his face. “Do you want to take me back to the inn now that you know I’m tarnished?”
She shook her head. “Nee.”
“Like you said, it’s a beautiful day. I’d like to spend it with you, but when Lizzie and Esther heard I’d been in jail, they showed some concern about your well-being, and it left me feeling weird. So if you want to take me back, I’ll totally understand.” At that moment, he realized how disappointed he would be if she chose to take him back to the inn. And she seemed to be taking a long time to answer.
“I’d like to spend the day with you too.” Her eyes gleamed with interest. “There’s just this one thing.”
Jayce waited.
“Can you maybe not beat up anyone today?” She pressed her lips together as she narrowed her eyes. The expression was so serious and cute all at the same time. She wasn’t just gorgeous. She was witty too.
“I don’t just go around beating up people. But if it’ll make you feel better, we can avoid the general population today.”
She nodded, the hint of a smile playing on her beautiful lips. “Ya. That might be best.” Then she flicked the reins, and Millie bolted into action.
Jayce clutched the side of the buggy. He held on tight, his mood having shifted from cranky to hopeful. This might not turn out to be such a bad day after all.