Rebecca Kertz - Her Amish Christmas Sweetheart

Peter stiffened. “What do you mean?”

“Not a gut time, bruder. Best if we talk later.” Her impish look reminded him of all of the times during their childhood when she’d teased him.

“Annie...” Peter warned.

Jacob narrowed his gaze on Peter, then looked for an explanation from his wife. “Are you taunting Peter again?”

“With love, Jacob. Only with love,” she murmured, her eyes soft as she regarded her husband, who tenderly shifted their young daughter on his lap, bringing her up to rest her sleepy head on his shoulder.

Peter felt restless. He turned to Agnes and touched her arm. “Want to go for a ride?”

Agnes faced him, her expression brightening. “We can if you’d like.” She stood and pushed back her chair.

Peter hurried to help her. They were outside before she said, “I have an idea.”

She headed toward the house, and he grinned with the thought of the desserts she’d pack for their buggy ride. But Agnes didn’t head toward where the pies, cake and other goodies had been laid out. She went to Meg instead, seated in her wheelchair, finishing the last bite of her meal.

“Meg,” Agnes said in greeting as he stood silently behind her. “We’re going for a ride. Would you like to come?”

Meg appeared stunned by the invitation. Peter studied her, recognizing her surprise and confusion. She looked tired, as if the day had already been too much for her. The bruises on her face were more pronounced than they’d been when she was in the hospital. He should offer to drive her home, but he didn’t think she’d appreciate it any more than she did Agnes’s invitation. He’d known her long enough to read the subtle changes in her gaze that told him when she was overwhelmed and uncomfortable.

“Danki, Agnes,” she said quietly. “It’s kind of you to ask, but I’m not feeling my best, so it would be better if I just stayed here.” Meg managed a smile. Peter couldn’t help but feel relieved.

Agnes frowned. “I don’t like seeing you sitting here alone.”

Meg’s expression made Peter ache. The last thing she wanted, he was sure, was for Agnes to try to change her mind while he watched. He touched Agnes’s arm. “She’s not feeling well, Agnes.”

Agnes shot him a look. “I know.” She turned a sympathetic gaze on Meg. “Rest now. I’m sorry I can’t do anything to help.”

“Danki.” Meg sounded suspiciously close to tears. Peter couldn’t tear his eyes away from her. Despite her bruises, she looked beautiful. The royal blue dress she wore intensified the bright azure of her eyes. Her white prayer kapp was slightly askew, revealing shiny dark hair pulled back in the Amish way. Her gaze fell on him, and he had to glance away before he did something ridiculous like reach over, pick her up and carry her to his buggy to take her home.

Instead he followed Agnes from the room. Once outside, she faced him. “Let’s not go for a ride. Why don’t we go for a walk instead? I’ll ask Alice to join us.”

“The weather is nice enough,” he agreed, as he followed her back toward the barn. Agnes went to talk with her sister. Unable to forget how tired Meg looked, Peter headed toward his sister Annie.

* * *

Meg was chatting with her mother and aunt when Jacob and Annie entered the kitchen from outside.

“Meg, we thought you might like to go home.” Jacob smiled as he approached, carrying his daughter. “’Tis been a long day for you.”

“We can take her,” Mam immediately said.

“No need,” Annie assured her. “Our little ones are ready to be home.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Meg asked, delighted by Jacob’s offer. She wanted nothing more than to rest.

“I don’t think you should be alone,” her mother murmured with concern.

“Mam, I’ll be fine. I’ll take a nap. Please stay here and enjoy yourself.”

“We can stay with her for a while.” Annie picked up EJ, who had been holding on to her hand.

Meg gazed at her cousin-in-law gratefully. “Mam, I’ll be fine. I’m not seriously injured. I have a broken leg.”

“I should check with your vadder.”

“Nay!” Meg exclaimed. “You know how Dat is. He’ll want to bring me home. He’s enjoying himself, Mam. I’ll be fine for a couple of hours. Honestly. I’ll just close my eyes and sleep.”

“Endie Missy, Meg will be fine,” Jacob assured her. “I’ll make certain of it.”

Her mother stood and retrieved Meg’s coat. “Oll recht. I’ll see you at home a little later.”

Feeling sore and highly emotional, Meg rolled her chair closer to her mother. “I love you,” she whispered with tears of gratitude.

Soon, she was riding in Jacob and Annie’s buggy, with EJ seated next to her and Susanna on her mother’s lap up front. Jacob had stowed her wheelchair behind Meg’s seat.

She was never so glad to see her home as when Jacob pulled into the barnyard and parked close to the house. She watched him take out her wheelchair first. She expected him to open it for her, but he placed it near the porch instead, then came back to carry her up the steps and on inside. “Danki.”

“You’re willkomm,” her cousin said with a grin. His good humor faded quickly, though. “I wish I’d thought to bring you home earlier. I should have suspected you weren’t ready to be visiting.”

Meg shook her head. “I didn’t want Dat and Mam to stay home because of me. They would have refused to go if I’d admitted I wasn’t feeling well.”

“Poor Meg,” Annie murmured with sympathy as she followed them into the great room.

Jacob placed Meg into a chair and went outside for her wheelchair.

“You look exhausted,” Annie said as she sat on the sofa not far from where Meg was seated. “Would you be more comfortable here?”

“Nay, I like it here,” Meg assured her. “I can look out the window.”

Jacob entered the room and set the wheelchair near the far wall. Meg smiled her thanks, then studied the children, who played on the floor near their mother. “I’ll be oll recht by myself.” She shifted her leg onto the stool her father recently had handmade for her. “I appreciate your help.”

Annie smiled. “You gave us a gut excuse to get these little ones settled at home.” She watched fondly as the two chatted quietly.

“EJ is a wonderful big bruder.”

The boy’s mother laughed. “Most of the time, but not always.”

Her husband agreed. “He’s a gut boy, though.”

“He looks like Elijah,” Meg said without thinking.

Jacob’s short bark of laughter startled her. “That’s what Eli says. Blond hair and blue eyes. But my bruder is not the only one with those features.” He fondly eyed his wife.

Meg couldn’t help the small smile that came to her lips. “Ja, he does look like his mam, but he looks like his dat, too.”

Her cousin beamed at her.

“Now, go home!” Meg ordered.

Jacob blinked at her vehemence. “I told your mam we’d stay for a while.”

“And you did. Now, take your little ones home.”

“Can we get you anything before we go?” Annie asked, her gaze sharp.

“I’ve had too much to eat and more than enough to drink today. I’ll be fine.”

Jacob picked up his son while Annie reached for their daughter.

“Thanks for noticing how tired I am,” Meg said.

Her cousin shook his head. “Don’t thank us. The credit goes to Peter. He’s the one who suggested you might like to go home.”

The young family left, leaving Meg with a lot to think about. It was as if Peter had read her mind again. The realization unsettled her.

Her parents and sisters came home an hour and a half later. Her father didn’t look happy as he entered the great room.

“I’m well, Dat,” she said, before he could speak. “Jacob and Annie made sure I was settled before they left.”