“SO MARK.” ETHAN LEANED OVER MARK’S BUGGY seat Sunday morning. “When you marry mei mamm, does that mean Mollie and Calvin will be my cousins?”
Mark tilted his head while keeping his eyes focused on the road ahead. “Ya, I guess they will be your cousins.”
“Awesome. I’ve never had cousins before.”
“Sit down,” Priscilla scolded him. “Stop hanging over the seat like that.”
Ethan sat back, but he kept his attention on Mark. “Mom says we’re going to live in the daadihaus until Daadi builds us a bigger haus, and you’ll be my stepdad.”
“Right.” Mark gave Priscilla a sideways grin.
“I’m sorry,” she muttered as her cheeks heated. “We talked about this again last night, and he has a lot of questions for you.”
“It’s fine. This is a big adjustment.” Mark looked over his shoulder at Ethan. “What do you want to ask me?”
“Can I call you Dat since you’ll be my Amish dad?” Ethan tapped his chin. “Or should I call you Mark since you’re not my dad yet?”
“You can call me whatever you want, but just don’t call me late for dinner.” Mark grinned, and Ethan hooted with laughter.
“Oh, Mark.” Priscilla shook her head, but she couldn’t stop herself from chuckling.
“In all seriousness,” Mark began with a sentimental smile, “you can call me Dat or Mark. It’s up to you.”
Ethan rubbed his chin. “I think I’ll go with Mark for now and then Dat after you marry mei mamm.”
“That sounds gut to me.” Mark glanced over at Priscilla and winked.
The gesture touched Priscilla’s heart.
Don’t allow him to lead you on. He’ll never truly love you!
The voice startled her and cooled the warmth.
When they arrived at the Yoders’ farm for the church service, Ethan hopped out of the back of the buggy.
“Daadi is here,” he announced as he ran around to Priscilla’s door. “He said I can sit with him again today.”
Priscilla nodded. “Okay.”
“See you later!” Ethan waved as he hurried off.
Priscilla climbed out of the buggy and watched Ethan meet her father near the barn. Then she turned to Mark as he sidled up to her. “I find it fascinating that mei dat isn’t froh to have me back, but he loves mei sohn.”
Mark nodded toward her father. “You know how he is. Just give God time to melt his heart.”
She turned toward him and studied his pleasant expression. “Are you sure you don’t want to change your mind about this?”
“About what?”
“About us.” She gestured between them. “This marriage. Becoming a stepfather and husband.”
His expression hardened. “No, I don’t want to change my mind. Do you?”
She hesitated and then said, “No.”
He pursed his lips, his blue eyes gleaming in the morning light. “What are you thinking right now?”
“The community is going to be shocked when they find out you’re marrying me.”
“So?” Mark shrugged. “Let them be shocked. It’s our business.”
She laughed. “No, that’s not how gossip works.”
“Gossip is a sin.”
“Ya, but it’s alive and well.”
He took a step toward her and lowered his voice. “Are you okay?”
The tenderness and concern she found in his face touched her deep in her soul. Was it genuine? No, it couldn’t be—at least not beyond being a friend. He was just trying to convince her this relationship would somehow last.
“Ya, I will be.”
“Gut.” He rubbed her arm, and the sudden, unexpected contact caused her to flinch. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I just wanted to tell you it will be fine. I’ll see you after the service.”
“Okay.” She drew in a deep breath and watched him saunter to the barn, where he greeted the men in his family.
“Priscilla!” Mamm waved as she walked over to her. “It’s a schee day, ya?” She pointed to the cloudless, bright-blue sky.
“Ya, it is.”
“Let’s go inside.” Mamm gestured toward the house.
Priscilla strode beside Mamm and entered the kitchen, where the women in the congregation were gathered in a circle greeting one another.
Her mother walked over to Florence, and when Priscilla’s gaze fell on Laura, Sarah Jane, Cindy, and Kayla, she waved and walked over to them.
“Gude mariye,” Priscilla said. “How are—”
“There she is!” Florence announced. “There’s Mark’s bride!”
All conversation around the kitchen ceased, and Priscilla saw every set of eyes focus on her. She felt as though their curiosity was burning into her skin. She tried to swallow against her suddenly arid throat as she hugged her arms around her waist.
Florence smiled and held her hand to her chest. “I’m just so grateful Mark is finally going to settle down.”
Priscilla stilled as a flush crawled up her neck to her face. Oh no, no. Please be quiet, Florence!
“Mark Riehl is getting married?” a voice asked.
“Really?” someone across the room said. “Mark is going to settle down?”
Priscilla longed to crawl under the kitchen table and hide from the inquisitive crowd of women.
“That’s right,” Florence continued. “They’re getting married in five weeks.”
“It’s fine.” Laura’s voice was close to Priscilla’s ear. “Once the announcement is out, it will get easier.”
Priscilla met her best friend’s kind eyes. “You think so?”
“Of course.” Laura rubbed her arm.
When Priscilla turned to her right, she found Franey’s eyes wide and glistening as she studied her. Then Franey turned and made a hasty exit out the back door.
Embarrassment spread through Priscilla as a group of women huddled around her.
“Congratulations,” Ruthann said as she hugged Priscilla. “I always hoped Mark would pick me, but I never really felt his heart was in our friendship.” She smiled, but her dark eyes were wet with unshed tears.
“Danki,” Priscilla said as shock surged through her.
“How did you get Mark Riehl to want to settle down?” a woman who looked to be her mother’s age asked.
“You must have stolen his heart quickly,” another quipped.
“Did you date when you were teenagers?” a third asked. “I don’t recall that he dated you.”
“Your wedding is coming quickly. You have to get started on your dresses soon,” a fourth said.
Priscilla took a deep breath and began trying to respond to the questions as quickly as they were thrown at her.
Mark nodded at a couple of friends as he made his way through the knot of people milling around the barn after the service. His mind had been swimming with thoughts of his upcoming wedding as he tried but failed to concentrate on the sermons.
His eyes had also kept gravitating to the unmarried women’s section, where Priscilla sat between Cindy and Sarah Jane. She looked radiant today in her pink dress, yet she also seemed lost in thought as she stared down at her lap. Had she been focused on their upcoming nuptials too?
He stepped out of the barn and walked the path toward the house while recalling their conversation in the buggy this morning. He’d enjoyed his conversation with Ethan. For the first time in his life, he looked forward to becoming a father. He hoped and prayed he’d be a good one—like his father and Jamie were.
Why was he changing so quickly? He felt like a new man, a different person since he’d decided to get married.
“Is it true?”
Mark spun and came face-to-face with Franey. Her pretty face featured a deep frown as her eyes trained on his.
“Is it true?” she repeated as she took a step toward him.
“Is what true?” Who was he kidding? He knew exactly what she wanted to know.
“You’re marrying her, aren’t you?” Her voice shook as her lower lip quivered.
Oh no. Please don’t cry. Not here.
He nodded. “Ya, I’ve asked Priscilla to marry me.”
“Why?” Her eyes glittered. “I’ve waited five years for you. Five years!” Her voice broke as tears spilled down her pink cheeks.
“Ach, no.” Guilt, hot and searing, sliced through Mark as he pointed to the far corner outside the barn, away from the curious crowd that turned toward them. “Why don’t we walk over there?”
“Why?” Franey’s voice grew louder. “You don’t want everyone to hear how you’ve hurt me?”
Mark’s shoulders hunched.
“Five years, Mark!” She nearly spat the words at him. “I’ve invited you over for hundreds of meals. I’ve sat on my father’s porch and talked to you for hours. I’ve welcomed you into my home. Yet she’s back barely two months, and you propose to her. What does she have that I don’t? Am I not schee enough? Am I not schmaert enough? What is it, Mark? What’s wrong with me?”
“It’s not that at all. There’s nothing wrong with you.” He reached for her arm, and she stepped away from him. “Franey. Kumm.” He took her arm and steered her away from the barn door as questioning eyes locked on them. “It’s not you. You’re a wunderbaar maedel, and you’ll make a husband very froh someday.”
She gave a cry. “Apparently not. I thought you cared about me. I was blind.”
“I do care about you—as a freind.”
She groaned and wiped at her tears.
“Franey, listen. I never meant to hurt you.” He tried to smile. “I’ll cherish the time we’ve had together. This wasn’t anything I planned. Love is just unpredictable sometimes. Priscilla and I have a deep connection I never expected.”
“I thought we had a connection.”
“Look, I’m sorry.”
“How could you?” Her eyes narrowed. “How could you lead me on like that for so long?”
“I didn’t lead you on.”
“Ya, you did.” She pointed at him. “You called me twice a week and you even invited yourself over some nights. Why would I not think someday you’d propose to me?” Then she turned her finger toward herself. “I knew you were seeing Ruthann too, but I thought you and I had something special.”
“I never made you any promises.” But Mark did a mental head slap. Laura was right. What he’d done was wrong.
“No, you didn’t make me any promises, but you kept me hanging on for years. You acted like you liked me.”
“You’re right, and I’m sorry.”
“No, I’m sorry I ever believed in you.” Franey shook her head. “I meant nothing to you. I was just someone to pass the time with until you met your true love.”
“No, you’re a freind, a gut freind.”
She shook her head, and then her expression darkened. “You know, I had a feeling something was going on between you and Priscilla the day you brought her to the fabric store.”
He blinked. “Why would you say that?”
“It was the way you acted when you purchased the fabric for her. I should have known then that you had fallen in love with her.”
Mark tried to hide his surprise at her comment.
“You were seeing her before her shunning was over?”
He shook his head. “No, of course not.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter now.” She lifted her chin. “I wish you many blessings in your marriage.” She pushed past him and headed back into the barn.
Mark leaned his back against the barn wall and rubbed his forehead. How could he have been so blind? Why had he allowed his relationship with Franey to get so complicated? Guilt was a snake slithering around his insides.
Closing his eyes, he blew out a deep breath.
Priscilla’s heart pounded as she stood on the back porch of the house. Mark and Franey were standing close together and talking by the corner of the barn. She couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it was obvious that the conversation was emotional and intense.
Mark reached for Franey’s arm and leaned in closer to her, and Priscilla tried to swallow back the jealousy that rolled through her. So he did still have feelings for Franey. Would he cheat on Priscilla with Franey after they were married?
Acid churned in her stomach. Priscilla wanted a marriage in name only, but she cared if he had feelings for Franey because she didn’t want any more humiliation than she’d already had to endure since she returned. How would it look to the community if they found out Mark was seeing Franey behind her back? They’d both be shunned.
Another thought gripped Priscilla. What if Mark told Franey the truth about their marriage? Surely Franey would tell her friends, and then the entire community would know Mark was marrying her not only to avoid being shunned, but to get half of her father’s business and some of his land. That was worse than his having an affair.
“Priscilla?”
“Ya?” Priscilla turned toward Cindy’s curious expression.
“Could you please help me serve the kaffi?” Cindy held up a carafe.
“Of course.” Priscilla plastered a smile on her face.
“Are you all right?” Cindy asked.
“Ya, I’m fine.” Priscilla stepped into the house. “Do you want me to take this carafe or fill a second one?” As she busied herself with the task of helping to serve the food, her worries about Mark and Franey taunted her.
“Have you thought about table decorations?” Mamm asked as she and Priscilla sat on the back porch later that evening.
“No, not really.” Priscilla pushed the glider to life with her toe as she looked toward the swing set where Ethan was going down the slide.
“What’s on your mind?”
“Nothing.” Priscilla shrugged and cradled her mug of warm tea in her hands.
“Priscilla, I can tell when you’re upset. It might help if you talk about it.”
“It’s gegisch, really.” Priscilla averted her eyes by studying her plain white mug.
“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that?”
Priscilla sighed. “I saw Mark talking to Franey today. They were having what looked like an intimate conversation outside the barn before we had lunch. And, well, it bothered me.”
“Why did it bother you? Mark is marrying you, not Franey.”
Priscilla pressed her lips together. “You know the truth of why he’s marrying me. He’s avoiding being shunned. And he’s also going to be well off, thanks to Dat’s business and land.”
Mamm looked unconvinced. “I think he cares about you.”
Priscilla gave a sardonic smile. “Mamm, I hope you realize nothing happened in the barn that day when Dat and John say they ‘found’ us doing ‘inappropriate’ things.” She made air quotes with her fingers. “We were talking. That’s it. Mark and I weren’t dating in secret. He doesn’t love me.”
“But you’re freinden.” Mamm patted her leg. “That’s a great foundation for a gut marriage.”
Priscilla clicked her tongue. “We’re not close freinden. We’re just acquaintances trapped together now.”
“That’s not what I see.” Mamm gave her a knowing smile. “He cares about you.”
“No, he doesn’t.” But if only he did . . .
“Just give it time. It will all work out. The Lord works in mysterious ways.”
As Priscilla took a sip of tea, she longed for her mother to be right. But instead, she was certain their marriage was headed for disaster.