carried into the workshop, and Luke’s brothers appeared in the doorway. “Come—your brother’s sprained his ankle. Let’s move him inside the house, and then one of you can see Rose home.”
“Uh, I’ll walk,” Rose interjected, slipping down from the wagon seat. “Really. Please—just take care of Luke.” She was two steps away from the wagon when Luke’s voice stopped her.
“Rose? Come and visit later?” His tone was pleading.
His daed nodded his approval, and she could hardly decline. But first she needed some time alone to think through this strange turn of events.
Chapter Fourteen
“ D AED —I’ M FINE . R EALLY .”
Luke noticed that his father’s work-worn hands shook a bit as they smoothed the mounded quilt under the injured ankle, and his heart squeezed in his chest. He’d never given much thought to the fact that his father was getting older. Somehow he’d believed that Daed would always be healthy and strong.
“ Ya , surely you are,” his father murmured, straightening.
Luke swallowed. “ Daed . . . I know none of us has been sick or hurt since Mamm , but this is nothing to worry over.”
“ Ya , so they said about your mother.” The older man dropped into a nearby rocker and covered his face with his hand for a moment. “Perhaps I grow old in my concern.”
Remorse swelled in Luke’s throat when he thought of how his selfish behavior could bring more pain to his father. It had never been his desire to assume the role he had—that of a common thief—and what’s more, he knew that he’d enjoyed it. But no weight of purpose could outbalance what he’d done. He sighed softly and flexed his wrist in its white bandages.
“ Daed , we’re all a bunch of fool men in this house, who’ve done little to really talk about Mamm not being here. Rose—well, she likes to talk. I’ve come to learn through her that talking helps things. It’s when we don’t say—what we should, maybe—that things are worse.”
He waited, and after a moment his father drew a hoarse breath.
“Well, I miss your mamm , to be sure. I thought that if I—spoke too much of it, that it would hurt you boys . . . add to your grieving. I guess I’ve kept the secret of my hurt inside for too long, and you’re right—it’s not gut .” He took out a white hankie and blew his nose prodigiously. “ Ya , especially with a new bride coming to bring life to these walls again. Your Rosie’s got your mamm ’s spirit, her gentleness and love of life. You’re a lucky man, sohn— she’s perfect for you.”
Luke licked at a tear that slipped past his mouth and nodded. “ Ya, Daed . Perfect.”
T HE MORE SHE WALKED, THE MORE CONFUSED R OSE GOT . Luke had her coming and going, and she had him in nearly the same position—except for the fact that he seemed so . . . steamy in his behavior, despite his injuries. Yet she still could explain little to nothing about why he’d done what he had the last months. And he’d kept on as though nothing had happened—except for the day he’d suggested she’d like more freedom . . .
She stopped so abruptly on the dirt road that she nearly stumbled. He’d offered her freedom, and had she taken it, he’d been willing to let her go, without any guilt or condemnation. Remorse flooded her consciousness, and she felt tears sting the backs of her eyes. What she’d taken for granted—his love—was real. It was giving and patient and all of those other things she knew from church but couldn’t recall from her flustered mind.
Aenti Tabby’s words teased at her consciousness with sudden importance. What if there were more to Luke? More . More. More .
She sighed and resumed walking, swiping at her eyes with the backs of her hands. Luke still had a lot of explaining to do . . . but then, maybe she did too.
She arrived home slightly breathless with emotion to find that the family had returned from the fair. Aenti Tabby was in the backyard making unrefined sugar from
“Uh, I’ll walk,” Rose interjected, slipping down from the wagon seat. “Really. Please—just take care of Luke.” She was two steps away from the wagon when Luke’s voice stopped her.
“Rose? Come and visit later?” His tone was pleading.
His daed nodded his approval, and she could hardly decline. But first she needed some time alone to think through this strange turn of events.
Chapter Fourteen
“ D AED —I’ M FINE . R EALLY .”
Luke noticed that his father’s work-worn hands shook a bit as they smoothed the mounded quilt under the injured ankle, and his heart squeezed in his chest. He’d never given much thought to the fact that his father was getting older. Somehow he’d believed that Daed would always be healthy and strong.
“ Ya , surely you are,” his father murmured, straightening.
Luke swallowed. “ Daed . . . I know none of us has been sick or hurt since Mamm , but this is nothing to worry over.”
“ Ya , so they said about your mother.” The older man dropped into a nearby rocker and covered his face with his hand for a moment. “Perhaps I grow old in my concern.”
Remorse swelled in Luke’s throat when he thought of how his selfish behavior could bring more pain to his father. It had never been his desire to assume the role he had—that of a common thief—and what’s more, he knew that he’d enjoyed it. But no weight of purpose could outbalance what he’d done. He sighed softly and flexed his wrist in its white bandages.
“ Daed , we’re all a bunch of fool men in this house, who’ve done little to really talk about Mamm not being here. Rose—well, she likes to talk. I’ve come to learn through her that talking helps things. It’s when we don’t say—what we should, maybe—that things are worse.”
He waited, and after a moment his father drew a hoarse breath.
“Well, I miss your mamm , to be sure. I thought that if I—spoke too much of it, that it would hurt you boys . . . add to your grieving. I guess I’ve kept the secret of my hurt inside for too long, and you’re right—it’s not gut .” He took out a white hankie and blew his nose prodigiously. “ Ya , especially with a new bride coming to bring life to these walls again. Your Rosie’s got your mamm ’s spirit, her gentleness and love of life. You’re a lucky man, sohn— she’s perfect for you.”
Luke licked at a tear that slipped past his mouth and nodded. “ Ya, Daed . Perfect.”
T HE MORE SHE WALKED, THE MORE CONFUSED R OSE GOT . Luke had her coming and going, and she had him in nearly the same position—except for the fact that he seemed so . . . steamy in his behavior, despite his injuries. Yet she still could explain little to nothing about why he’d done what he had the last months. And he’d kept on as though nothing had happened—except for the day he’d suggested she’d like more freedom . . .
She stopped so abruptly on the dirt road that she nearly stumbled. He’d offered her freedom, and had she taken it, he’d been willing to let her go, without any guilt or condemnation. Remorse flooded her consciousness, and she felt tears sting the backs of her eyes. What she’d taken for granted—his love—was real. It was giving and patient and all of those other things she knew from church but couldn’t recall from her flustered mind.
Aenti Tabby’s words teased at her consciousness with sudden importance. What if there were more to Luke? More . More. More .
She sighed and resumed walking, swiping at her eyes with the backs of her hands. Luke still had a lot of explaining to do . . . but then, maybe she did too.
She arrived home slightly breathless with emotion to find that the family had returned from the fair. Aenti Tabby was in the backyard making unrefined sugar from
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