good-bye.” Samuel grimaced. “Unfortunately, that’s probably too late to help at the meeting. But I’m hoping to find him. If I can’t, I know Jacob’s calm reasoning will go a long way in clearing the air.”
She hated the idea of Jacob seeing what all would take place tonight. But Samuel was right. He’d be a good one to have there—calm, friendly, and able to help others see his points.
“That’s it? I tell you that you’ve put wedges between us at every turn, and you simply move on to a different subject?”
His brown eyes held an apology. “Our relationship isn’t the important one. I haven’t interfered with you and Jacob, so rather than looking at what I’ve caused between us, look at what you have with Jacob. I want that for you. And for him.” He squashed a large brown spider under his boot. “Trust me on that.”
“I wasn’t questioning that .” Clearly she’d struck a nerve, although an active volcano would freeze over before she could figure out why. “My point is that I need to know what’s happening between us . I deserve for you to dig deep and explain some tiny part of it.”
Could he see that he’d removed something she treasured—her ability to rely on him as a friend? Even though he’d divulged a secret to her church leaders, she longed to be able to trust him again. She wanted a sincere apology and a promise that he would never again break her confidence. Why was that so hard?
He removed his hat. “Tonight’s meeting is likely to ensure we’ll be up all night packing. You should try to eat a little something and rest a bit beforehand.I’ll tell Landon he needs to drive us to the meeting, and I’ll meet you at his truck at six this evening.”
She’d hoped their argument would bring understanding and clear the air, but that apparently wasn’t going to happen. “What’s the plan if the church leaders take away my right to go to Maine?”
“They won’t. I’m sure of it.” He left, and the door banged against its frame.
She closed her eyes as fear seeped through her. Having Samuel at the meeting would be bad enough, but would Jacob ever look at her the same way after he saw her as her district did?
SIX
Leah’s heart defied her, pounding at the very sight of Michael. How could she still care a whit for him? She didn’t. Did she?
He stopped cold when he spotted her.
Her palms sweating and her knees quaking, she turned and went into the summer kitchen. Maybe her reaction had nothing to do with caring about him. He had used her. Humiliated her. Then gone on his happy way. That would be enough to make any girl react like she did. For the first time in weeks, her stomach ached again.
Michael stepped through the open door, his dark eyes studying her.
Don’t look at him!
“Hey, Leah?” Arlan came in behind Michael. “I have to go for a bit. I didn’t realize it was this late. But I’ll be back in about an hour or so.”
She forced her attention to Arlan. “Swing by the house and get something to eat first.”
“Ya, maybe I’ll do that.” He waved his thumb toward the moving van. “Landon’s going to reorganize the boxes. If you need anything, holler.”
“Denki.”
Arlan disappeared, closing the door behind him.
Leah grabbed a flat box and unfolded it, slipping the flaps in place so they intertwined.
Michael came closer. “I’ve never figured out how to do that. I always give up and use a bunch of tape to keep the bottom secure.”
She turned the box right side up and carried it to a shelf filled with plastic bowls. “What do you want, Michael?”
“After your last visit to my place, I thought you’d come back. But I hear you’re leaving Harvest Mills tomorrow.”
Had it taken him months to figure out she wasn’t coming back?
“If you wanted to talk to me, you knew where I was.”
She kept her back to him. It was easier that way. Why, oh, why had she not seen him for who he was before?
“Does your family know you’re
She hated the idea of Jacob seeing what all would take place tonight. But Samuel was right. He’d be a good one to have there—calm, friendly, and able to help others see his points.
“That’s it? I tell you that you’ve put wedges between us at every turn, and you simply move on to a different subject?”
His brown eyes held an apology. “Our relationship isn’t the important one. I haven’t interfered with you and Jacob, so rather than looking at what I’ve caused between us, look at what you have with Jacob. I want that for you. And for him.” He squashed a large brown spider under his boot. “Trust me on that.”
“I wasn’t questioning that .” Clearly she’d struck a nerve, although an active volcano would freeze over before she could figure out why. “My point is that I need to know what’s happening between us . I deserve for you to dig deep and explain some tiny part of it.”
Could he see that he’d removed something she treasured—her ability to rely on him as a friend? Even though he’d divulged a secret to her church leaders, she longed to be able to trust him again. She wanted a sincere apology and a promise that he would never again break her confidence. Why was that so hard?
He removed his hat. “Tonight’s meeting is likely to ensure we’ll be up all night packing. You should try to eat a little something and rest a bit beforehand.I’ll tell Landon he needs to drive us to the meeting, and I’ll meet you at his truck at six this evening.”
She’d hoped their argument would bring understanding and clear the air, but that apparently wasn’t going to happen. “What’s the plan if the church leaders take away my right to go to Maine?”
“They won’t. I’m sure of it.” He left, and the door banged against its frame.
She closed her eyes as fear seeped through her. Having Samuel at the meeting would be bad enough, but would Jacob ever look at her the same way after he saw her as her district did?
SIX
Leah’s heart defied her, pounding at the very sight of Michael. How could she still care a whit for him? She didn’t. Did she?
He stopped cold when he spotted her.
Her palms sweating and her knees quaking, she turned and went into the summer kitchen. Maybe her reaction had nothing to do with caring about him. He had used her. Humiliated her. Then gone on his happy way. That would be enough to make any girl react like she did. For the first time in weeks, her stomach ached again.
Michael stepped through the open door, his dark eyes studying her.
Don’t look at him!
“Hey, Leah?” Arlan came in behind Michael. “I have to go for a bit. I didn’t realize it was this late. But I’ll be back in about an hour or so.”
She forced her attention to Arlan. “Swing by the house and get something to eat first.”
“Ya, maybe I’ll do that.” He waved his thumb toward the moving van. “Landon’s going to reorganize the boxes. If you need anything, holler.”
“Denki.”
Arlan disappeared, closing the door behind him.
Leah grabbed a flat box and unfolded it, slipping the flaps in place so they intertwined.
Michael came closer. “I’ve never figured out how to do that. I always give up and use a bunch of tape to keep the bottom secure.”
She turned the box right side up and carried it to a shelf filled with plastic bowls. “What do you want, Michael?”
“After your last visit to my place, I thought you’d come back. But I hear you’re leaving Harvest Mills tomorrow.”
Had it taken him months to figure out she wasn’t coming back?
“If you wanted to talk to me, you knew where I was.”
She kept her back to him. It was easier that way. Why, oh, why had she not seen him for who he was before?
“Does your family know you’re
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