Allison's Journey Page 4

  Allison nodded. “I did get acquainted with Katie Esh after church today, as well as some of the fellows who were involved in the ball game.”

  Harvey chuckled. “I still can’t get over how well you played. I’ll bet Aaron Zook was glad I suggested you be on his team.”

  “I don’t know about that, but I did enjoy playing.”

  They rode in silence. The only sounds were the steady clippetyclop of the horse’s hooves and the whoosh of the wind whipping against their faces.

  “Seemed like you and Katie Esh hit it off pretty well today,” Harvey said, breaking the quiet.

  Allison nodded. “Katie seems real nice.”

  “Several of the guys would agree with you on that. Some I know of have been interested in Katie ever since they were in school.”

  “I can understand that. Katie’s very pretty.” Allison stared down at her hands. Her friend back home was being courted by Peter, and her new friend here had a boyfriend, too. If only some young man would take an interest in her, she might not feel like such a misfit.

  “Think you might get up the nerve to ask someone to ride home in your buggy tonight?” Joseph asked Aaron as the two of them entered the Kauffmans’ barn.

  Aaron shook his head.

  “If you were to ask someone, who would it be?”

  “I just said I wouldn’t be asking anyone.”

  “You never said that; only shook your head.”

  “Same difference.”

  “But if you were to ask someone, who would it be?”

  “That’s my business, don’t you think?”

  Joseph pulled off his straw hat. “Aren’t you the testy one tonight? I was only making sure you aren’t interested in the same girl I am.”

  “I’m not interested in Katie Esh, so don’t worry. You’ve got the green light to ask her yourself.”

  A wave of heat washed over Joseph’s cheeks. Could his older brother read his mind? Aaron had always been able to stay one up on him when they were boys. Maybe things weren’t so different now. “How’d you know I was interested in Katie?”

  “It doesn’t take a genius to see that you’re smitten with her. You act like a lovesick hund every time she’s around.”

  “I’m no puppy dog.”

  “But you are lovesick, right?”

  Joseph wrinkled his nose. “If you’re not willing to tell me who you’d like to take home tonight, I’m not willing to say how I feel about Katie.”

  “Suit yourself, because I’m not telling you a thing. Besides, I already know how you feel about Katie.” Aaron sauntered off toward the refreshment table, leaving Joseph alone.

  When Joseph glanced across the barn and saw Katie sitting on a bale of straw, he began rehearsing what he should say to her. Should I come right out and ask if I can give her a ride home tonight, or would it be better if I dropped a couple of hints to see what she might be thinking?

  Drawing in a deep breath for added courage, he made his way to Katie’s side. She looked up at him and smiled. “I’m glad to see you made it, Joseph. I saw Aaron over at the refreshment table, but I wasn’t sure if you were here.”

  He took a seat beside her and decided to plunge ahead before he lost his nerve. “I. . .uh, came in my own buggy tonight, and I was hoping—” A trickle of sweat rolled down Joseph’s nose, and he reached up to wipe it away.

  “You were hoping what?”

  He licked his lips and swallowed hard.

  “Do you need something to drink?”

  “No, no. I’m just feeling a little nervous, is all.”

  “How come?”

  You. You’re the reason I’ve got a passel of butterflies tromping around in my stomach. Joseph drew in a quick breath and plastered a smile on his face. His mother had always said a friendly smile was the best remedy for a case of nerves. “I. . .uh. . .was wondering. . .”

  Katie leaned a little closer to Joseph. “What were you wondering?”

  “Would you be willing to ride home with me in my buggy tonight?”

  Her eyes widened. “You want me to go to your house after the gathering?”

  “No, no,” he stammered. “I’d like to give you a ride home to your house. That is, if you’re willing.”

  Katie’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “Jah, Joseph. I’m more than willing.”

  Allison stepped into the Kauffmans’ barn, and the first person she spotted was Aaron Zook. He stood next to the refreshment table, holding a paper cup in one hand and a cookie in the other. She was tempted to go over and talk to him but thought that would seem too forward. Besides, Aaron could very well have a girlfriend, and Allison didn’t want to do anything that might cause trouble between them if he did.

  Glancing around the barn, she discovered Katie sitting on a bale of straw talking to Joseph Zook. Since they both had blond hair and blue eyes, they made quite a striking pair. Allison remembered Katie had mentioned earlier that she had her eye on Joseph. From the looks of the smile she saw on Joseph’s face, she had a hunch he might be asking if he could give Katie a ride home.

  Katie looked over at Allison just then and motioned her to come over. Allison hesitated until Joseph headed over to the refreshment table. Then she scurried over and took a seat on the bale of straw next to Katie.

  “I’m glad you could make it tonight,” Katie said.

  Allison smiled. “Aunt Mary thought it would be good for me to come so I can get better acquainted with everyone.”

  Katie nodded and glanced over at Joseph. “Do you have a steady boyfriend back home?”

  “Oh, no,” Allison was quick to reply.

  “Someday you will, I’m sure.” Katie released a contented sigh. “Joseph Zook just asked if I’d like a ride home in his buggy tonight.”

  “What’d you say?”

  “I said I’d be willing, of course.” Katie nudged Allison’s arm. “From the way some of the fellows are watching you, I’d say you might have your pick of whose buggy you get to ride home in.”

  Allison’s eyebrows shot up. “What do you mean? I haven’t noticed anyone staring at me.”

  “If you keep your eyes open, you will.”

  With a quick glance around the room, Allison scanned the faces of the young men present. Katie was right—one man was watching her. She hadn’t seen him in church. The young man had shiny black hair worn a bit longer than any of the other fellows. When he caught her looking at him, he winked and lifted his hand.

  Allison looked away. “Who is that guy leaning against the wall over there?” she asked Katie.

  “Where?”

  Allison nodded with her head and said quietly, “Over there by the back wall. The one with the hair black as coal.”

  “Oh, that’s James Esh, my cousin. He’s kind of wild, but I think he’s harmless enough.” Katie leaned closer to Allison. “Was he staring at you?”

  “Jah. He winked at me.”

  Before Katie could respond, Joseph showed up with a plate of cookies and some pretzels, which he handed to Katie.

  “Danki, Joseph.” Katie scooted over, and he plunked down beside her.

  Joseph glanced over at Allison and smiled. “I was impressed with how well you played ball today.”

  Allison smiled. “Danki.”

  “My brother Aaron wasn’t too happy about being one player short at the beginning of the game, but after you joined, his team sure racked up the points.”

  “I was glad I could play. It was fun. We don’t usually play ball after church in my district back home.”

  Just then, James showed up, carrying a plate of cookies. “Since we haven’t been properly introduced, I thought I’d come over and say hello,” he said, offering Allison a crooked grin.

  “I’m Allison Troyer.”

  “And I’m—”

  “My pushy cousin James,” Katie cut in.

  James’s dark brows drew together as he scowled at her. “I can speak on my own behalf, you know.” He squeezed onto the bale of straw beside Alli
son and handed her the cookies. “I thought you might be hungry.”

  Allison took one with chocolate frosting. “Danki.”

  Allison, James, Katie, and Joseph visited until the song leader called out the first song—“Mocking Bird Hill.” James kept time to the music by tapping his finger on Allison’s arm. His attention made her feel nervous, but she felt flattered, too.

  When the singing ended, Allison decided to leave the stuffy barn and breathe some fresh air. Maybe she would join the group that had begun a game of volleyball.

  “Hey, where are you going?” James called.

  “Outside.”

  “Mind if I come with you?”

  “No.”

  James joined Allison under a maple tree, where she stood staring up at the moonlit sky. “Sure is pretty tonight,” he whispered against her ear. “Some of those stars are so bright they look like headlights in the sky.”

  Allison nodded. Being this close to James made her feel jittery as a june bug.

  “Say, I was wondering if you’d be willing to let me take you home tonight.”

  Allison shivered even though the evening air was quite warm and muggy. Should she allow James to escort her back to Aunt Mary’s? She’d only met him and didn’t know anything about him other than the little bit Katie had shared. Still, if she accepted the ride, it would leave Cousin Harvey free to escort someone home without her tagging along.

  “What’s your answer?” James prompted.

  “I. . .I guess it would be okay, but I need to speak with my cousin first.”

  “What for?”

  “I can’t take off without telling him. He’d probably be worried.”

  James pointed to a buggy parked near the end of the barn. “That’s my rig—the one with the fancy silver trim. If Harvey’s okay with me taking you home, then meet me over there.”

  Allison hurried off to look for her cousin. She found him talking to a young woman he introduced as Clara Weaver. From the affectionate looks the young couple gave each other, Allison figured Clara must be Harvey’s girlfriend.

  “Someone has asked to give me a ride home,” Allison said to Harvey. “If you don’t mind me going, then you won’t have to bother taking me back home.”

  Harvey quirked an eyebrow. “Whose buggy are you riding in?”

  “James Esh. He’s Katie’s cousin.”

  “I know who he is, and I’d rather you didn’t ride in his buggy.”

  “Why not?”

  Harvey leaned closer to Allison. “James is kind of wild; I’m not sure he can be trusted. I can’t stop you from riding home in his buggy, but I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  “He seems nice enough to me,” Allison said. “Besides, I think I’m old enough to take care of myself.”

  Harvey shrugged. “Suit yourself. I’ll see you at home then.”

  Aaron stood in the shadows watching James help Allison into his buggy. A feeling of frustration welled up in him. He’d spent most of the evening watching Allison and James as they sat together on a bale of straw, and now the fellow was obviously taking her home. He scuffed the toe of his boot in the dirt. James isn’t right for Allison. He’s a big flirt, and he’s way too wild.

  Aaron knew that James, who had recently turned twenty-one, was still going through his rumschpringe. The unruly fellow had a mind of his own and liked to show off with his fancy buggy and unmanageable horse.

  He shouldn’t be using that spirited gelding for a buggy horse, Aaron fumed. And he shouldn’t be escorting a woman home in a buggy pulled by that crazy critter.

  When James backed his buggy away from the barn, Aaron slunk back into the shadows and ambled toward his buggy. Don’t know why I care what Allison does. It’s none of my business if she’s interested in James or any other fellow.

  “I hope things are going well at the young people’s gathering this evening,” Mary said to Ben as the two of them sat at the kitchen table drinking lemonade.

  “I’m sure everyone’s having a good time.” Ben reached across the table and patted her hand. “Remember how much fun we used to have when we attended young people’s functions?”

  Mary smiled at the memory of the evening when Ben had asked for the first time if he could give her a ride home in his buggy. She’d known from that moment that they would one day get married. “I wonder how Harvey will work things out if he wants to give some young woman a ride home tonight,” she said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Since he escorted Allison to the gathering, he’ll have to bring her home.”

  Ben shrugged his broad shoulders. “Maybe Allison will catch some young fellow’s eye, and he’ll ask to give her a ride home.”

  Mary took a sip of lemonade. “I hope it’s someone nice and not one of those fellows like James Esh or Brian Stutzman who likes to show off.”

  “I’m sure if someone like that were to offer Allison a ride home, her answer would be no.”

  On the ride home, Harvey’s words of warning echoed in Allison’s head. She’d chosen to ignore her cousin’s advice, not wishing to judge James without getting to know him. After all, it wasn’t as if he was asking to court her. It was a ride home in his buggy—nothing more.

  “You don’t talk much, do you?” James asked, breaking into Allison’s thoughts.

  She shrugged. “I do when there’s something to say.”

  He chuckled and reached for her hand. “A pretty girl like you doesn’t need to say anything as far as I’m concerned.”

  She eased her hand away and tucked a wayward strand of hair back under her kapp. She wasn’t used to receiving such compliments and wasn’t sure how to respond. “Your horse is nice looking, and he trots very well,” she said, for lack of anything better to say.

  “As far as I’m concerned, he’s one of the finest. He can get pretty feisty when he wants to, though.”

  “I’ve ridden bareback a time a two, though never on a spirited horse.”

  James glanced over at her, and his dark eyebrows drew together. “You like to ride horses?”

  She nodded. Does he think I’m a tomboy? Should I have kept that information to myself?

  “Besides owning a high-spirited horse, I also own a car,” James said.

  “You do?”

  He nodded. “I was thinking maybe sometime you’d like to ride to Springfield with me, and we can do something fun. There’s not much to do around here.”

  “Oh, I don’t know.”

  “You haven’t joined the church yet, have you?”

  “No, I. . .I don’t feel quite ready.”

  “That means you’re still going through rumschpringe, so you ought to be able to go most anywhere with me.” He reached across the seat and touched her arm. “Think about it, okay?”

  Allison gave a quick nod. Being with James made her feel nervous, yet she felt an attraction to him.

  They rode in silence. The only sounds were the steady clop-clop of the horse’s hooves and the creaking of the crickets coming from the woods along the road. When they turned up the driveway leading to Aunt Mary and Uncle Ben’s place, James pulled back on the reins. The horse and buggy came to a halt, and he slipped one arm around Allison’s shoulders. “I’d really like to see you again. If you’re not interested in going to Springfield, maybe we could go on a picnic sometime.” He smiled.

  Allison swallowed hard. “That sounds nice, but my aunt mentioned last night that she’ll need help with her garden this summer. I’ll probably be kept pretty busy.”

  “You can’t work every minute.”

  “That’s true. I guess I’ll just have to see how it goes.”

  James leaned toward her suddenly and bent his head. Before Allison knew what had happened, his lips touched hers with a kiss that took her breath away. Except for her father’s occasional pecks on the cheek, she’d never been kissed and hadn’t known quite what to expect.

  He tickled her under the chin. “I hope to see you again, Allison.”

  No
words would come, so Allison merely nodded and hopped down from the buggy. Then she sprinted up the driveway toward the house without looking back. Her heart pounded so hard, she feared it might explode. As she reached the porch, she heard James call to his horse, “Giddyup there, boy!”

  A slight breezed swept under the eaves of the porch and pushed the mugginess away. “That was my first kiss,” she murmured.

  Chapter 5

  Allison pulled the log-cabin-patterned quilt up over her bed and straightened the pillows. She picked up her faceless doll, placed it at the foot of the bed, and took a seat. Tears gathered in her eyes as she stroked the small kapp perched on the doll’s head. Looking at it reminded her of home.

  After the pleasant welcome Allison had received last Saturday, she thought she might do okay here. Yet now she found herself missing Papa, Peter, and Sally—everyone but Aunt Catherine. It was actually a relief to be out from under her aunt’s scrutinizing eyes and sharp tongue.

  Allison’s thoughts shifted to the evening before and how James Esh had brought her home from the singing and then stolen a kiss. She was flattered by his attention and wondered if he’d offer to give her a ride home from the next young people’s gathering. If he did, what should her response be? Despite the fact that she found James attractive and exciting, his boldness frightened her.

  A vision of Aaron Zook flashed across Allison’s mind—brunette hair, dark eyes, square jaw, and a shy-looking smile. It seemed odd that Aaron hadn’t said more than a quick hello to her last night, since after church he’d asked if she’d be attending. Maybe he had only asked out of politeness.

  Allison hadn’t seen Aaron with any young woman last night, so if he had a girlfriend, she must not have been at the gathering.

  A knock on the bedroom door startled Allison, and she jumped up. “Come in.”

  The door opened and Aunt Mary stepped into the room. “I was wondering if you were up yet.”

  “Jah, I’m up. I was just getting ready to do up my hair.” Allison moved over to the small mirror hanging above her dresser. She picked up her comb, made a part down the middle of her hair, rolled it back on the sides, and secured it into a bun.