Courtney doing the do-si-do with her own Amish partner. Too funny! Who would’ve thought?
When it was time to meet Sam, lined up across from her with the other guys, she smiled freely, wondering if he might hold her hand again tonight, and not just during the barn dance.
Shaking off the thought, she realized what a fool she was. What am I thinking?
After learning many new square dance moves, Louisa and Sam sat side by side in his enclosed carriage. Sam did much of the talking, for some reason wanting to explain that many of the more settled, baptized young men were no longer buying open buggies for courting. They were purchasing the enclosed gray buggies, skipping over the reckless time of youth, planning for their future as husbands and fathers. But he made it clear to her that he had no plans to join the church.
It was as if her reluctance to say much encouraged him to fill in the gaps. And talk he did. So much so that Louisa wondered if he talked the ears off other girls. Well, other Amish girls.
But there was a side to him she found incredibly appealing. The way he drew her into his private circle, his sphere of reality. And when she talked of her family living in Colorado, he wanted to know as much about them as she would share. Unlike Trey Douglas, who, though he continued to send email, did not seem to take much pleasure in her family-related remarks. As for Michael, the only one of her relatives he’d shown much interest in, besides her, of course, was her father.
But Sam’s focus was nearly entirely on family—his ancestry, the present family tree, and the all-important future one. Yet she wasn’t put off by his attempts to woo her, as she clearly knew he was doing. Or trying to.
Would Annie be freaked if she knew?
Maybe Annie did know. And maybe she wasn’t saying much because she was crossing her fingers . . . as Sam might be, as well.
‘‘That’s one fancy friend you’ve got,’’ he said, sitting on the driver’s side. ‘‘Courtney sure doesn’t look as Plain as you do.’’
She hoped that was a compliment.
‘‘ Auslenner , she is,’’ he continued, ‘‘decidedly so.’’
‘‘Uh, back up, Sam.’’
‘‘Ach, there I go forgettin’ you don’t know Dutch.’’ He took off his hat. ‘‘Your friend’s a foreigner. Doesn’t much fit in here.’’
And I do? Now, that’s scary .
‘‘Well, about now, I think Courtney might be really ticked off at me,’’ she admitted.
‘‘Courtney’s upset ’cause I brought you home?’’ Sam asked. ‘‘She and Annie got stuck riding back to Zooks’ with Omar and his girl? Is that it?’’
She laughed, breathing in the cold air. That and more . ‘‘Yeah, I’ll catch it tomorrow.’’
‘‘Why’s she visiting, anyway?’’ he asked.
I wonder, too .
He smiled. ‘‘She’s not comin’ to talk you into returnin’ home, is she?’’
Louisa thought she noticed a worried look flicker across his face. ‘‘She wants to connect. We haven’t stayed in touch much since I came here.’’
He leaned back in the seat, reins in only one hand. ‘‘Why’d you come to Amish country?’’ he asked.
She hadn’t told anyone how close she had always felt to Annie, having been pen pals for so many years. She wondered if she ought to tell Sam—test his loyalty. ‘‘If I told you something, would you keep it quiet?’’ She felt suddenly compelled to step out of her comfort zone.
‘‘You’ve got a secret, I take it?’’ Sam looked at her curiously.
‘‘Annie and I both do.’’ She forged ahead, explaining their letter-writing relationship. ‘‘I’d always wondered what it might be like to spend time with my good friend.’’ There’s so much more to it, but I won’t bore him .
‘‘You weren’t runnin’ away from anything, then? Just wanted to see Annie in person?’’
Well, not entirely true. . . .
‘‘I craved a simpler life.’’
He was silent for a moment. Then he said, ‘‘A love gone
When it was time to meet Sam, lined up across from her with the other guys, she smiled freely, wondering if he might hold her hand again tonight, and not just during the barn dance.
Shaking off the thought, she realized what a fool she was. What am I thinking?
After learning many new square dance moves, Louisa and Sam sat side by side in his enclosed carriage. Sam did much of the talking, for some reason wanting to explain that many of the more settled, baptized young men were no longer buying open buggies for courting. They were purchasing the enclosed gray buggies, skipping over the reckless time of youth, planning for their future as husbands and fathers. But he made it clear to her that he had no plans to join the church.
It was as if her reluctance to say much encouraged him to fill in the gaps. And talk he did. So much so that Louisa wondered if he talked the ears off other girls. Well, other Amish girls.
But there was a side to him she found incredibly appealing. The way he drew her into his private circle, his sphere of reality. And when she talked of her family living in Colorado, he wanted to know as much about them as she would share. Unlike Trey Douglas, who, though he continued to send email, did not seem to take much pleasure in her family-related remarks. As for Michael, the only one of her relatives he’d shown much interest in, besides her, of course, was her father.
But Sam’s focus was nearly entirely on family—his ancestry, the present family tree, and the all-important future one. Yet she wasn’t put off by his attempts to woo her, as she clearly knew he was doing. Or trying to.
Would Annie be freaked if she knew?
Maybe Annie did know. And maybe she wasn’t saying much because she was crossing her fingers . . . as Sam might be, as well.
‘‘That’s one fancy friend you’ve got,’’ he said, sitting on the driver’s side. ‘‘Courtney sure doesn’t look as Plain as you do.’’
She hoped that was a compliment.
‘‘ Auslenner , she is,’’ he continued, ‘‘decidedly so.’’
‘‘Uh, back up, Sam.’’
‘‘Ach, there I go forgettin’ you don’t know Dutch.’’ He took off his hat. ‘‘Your friend’s a foreigner. Doesn’t much fit in here.’’
And I do? Now, that’s scary .
‘‘Well, about now, I think Courtney might be really ticked off at me,’’ she admitted.
‘‘Courtney’s upset ’cause I brought you home?’’ Sam asked. ‘‘She and Annie got stuck riding back to Zooks’ with Omar and his girl? Is that it?’’
She laughed, breathing in the cold air. That and more . ‘‘Yeah, I’ll catch it tomorrow.’’
‘‘Why’s she visiting, anyway?’’ he asked.
I wonder, too .
He smiled. ‘‘She’s not comin’ to talk you into returnin’ home, is she?’’
Louisa thought she noticed a worried look flicker across his face. ‘‘She wants to connect. We haven’t stayed in touch much since I came here.’’
He leaned back in the seat, reins in only one hand. ‘‘Why’d you come to Amish country?’’ he asked.
She hadn’t told anyone how close she had always felt to Annie, having been pen pals for so many years. She wondered if she ought to tell Sam—test his loyalty. ‘‘If I told you something, would you keep it quiet?’’ She felt suddenly compelled to step out of her comfort zone.
‘‘You’ve got a secret, I take it?’’ Sam looked at her curiously.
‘‘Annie and I both do.’’ She forged ahead, explaining their letter-writing relationship. ‘‘I’d always wondered what it might be like to spend time with my good friend.’’ There’s so much more to it, but I won’t bore him .
‘‘You weren’t runnin’ away from anything, then? Just wanted to see Annie in person?’’
Well, not entirely true. . . .
‘‘I craved a simpler life.’’
He was silent for a moment. Then he said, ‘‘A love gone
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