A VOW for ALWAYS (2 page)

Hearing the steady
clip-clop
of a horse’s hooves, Meredith glanced out the kitchen window the following morning
and spotted Jonah’s rig pulling in. She noticed the bounce to his step as he hurried
across the yard after securing his horse to the hitching rail. A cool, comfortable
day such as this would put pep in anyone’s step.

Autumn was in its finest glory now that October was in full swing. After the long,
hot days of summer, the cooler weather was like a breath of fresh air. The smell of
wood smoke wafting from chimney tops meant warmth inside from stoves being stoked,
and Meredith could see her breath when she stepped outside each morning.

“Wie geht’s?”
Jonah asked when Meredith opened the door.

She smiled. “I’m fine. How are you this beautiful day?”

“I’m doin’ good, but I can’t say the same for my
daed.”

“What’s wrong?” Meredith asked, noticing the troubled look on Jonah’s face.

“He got bit by a black widow spider. Happened while we were working in the buggy shop
yesterday.”

Meredith gasped.
“Ach
, my! Is he okay?”

“He showed no signs of being allergic to the venom, but his hand’s pretty sore, so
I’ll be working in the shop by myself for a couple of days.” Jonah glanced back at
his horse, pawing at the ground as though anxious to go. “I’d wanted to take you and
Levi for a ride to look at the colorful leaves today, but there’s so much work at
the shop that needs to be done, I’m afraid our little outing’s gonna have to wait
a few days. Maybe this Sunday after church we can go—that is, if you’re free.”

“Sunday afternoon would work fine for us. The leaves are just peaking, and it’ll give
me something to look forward to.” Meredith’s gaze dropped to the porch.

“Is everything all right?” Jonah asked, lightly touching her arm.

She didn’t want to hurt his feelings but felt he had the right to know about Sadie’s
reaction to the news that they would be courting.

She lifted her gaze to meet his. “I went over to see Luke’s parents yesterday afternoon
and told them you’d asked to court me.”

“How’d it go?”

“Elam didn’t say much, but Sadie thinks it’s too soon for me to be seeing anyone.
She reminded me that Luke hasn’t been gone a year yet.”

“What do you think, Meredith?” Jonah questioned. “Are you comfortable with me courting
you right now, or would you rather wait a few more months?”

Meredith shook her head. “I don’t want to wait. I think once Sadie sees how good you
are with Levi and realizes you’re not trying to take Luke’s place she’ll accept the
idea.”

Jonah’s eyebrows pulled together. “Maybe I should have a talk with her—try to make
her see how much I care about you and Levi and that I only want what’s best for you.
I’d like to assure her that even though we’ll be courting, I have no intention of
changing how often they can see their grandson. I would never come between them and
Levi.”

“I’m sure Sadie will be relieved to hear that, but I think we should give her some
time. If she doesn’t warm up to the idea soon, then you might try talking to her about
it.”

“You’re right, that’s probably best.” Jonah grinned. “You’re not only pretty but
schmaert
too.”

Meredith felt her cheeks blush. “It’s nice of you to say, Jonah, but I don’t always
feel so smart. I’m still struggling to decide whether to rent out my house. I don’t
like the idea of leaving my own place and moving in with my folks.”

“Would you like my opinion?” he asked.

“Jah
, please.”

“If you put your place up for rent and move in with your folks, that would take a
financial burden off your shoulders. Plus, it will generate some extra income for
you, and you can concentrate on taking care of Levi.”

“You’re right,” Meredith agreed, “but things are always so hectic at my folks,’ and
sometimes my younger siblings get on my nerves.”

“Well, I wish—” Jonah’s words were cut off by the sounds of a horse and buggy arriving.
When he saw Alma Beechy, he turned and started down the steps. “I’d better go now,
Meredith, but I’ll see you and Levi on Sunday afternoon.”

Meredith smiled. “I’m looking forward to it, Jonah.”

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“What are we going to do about Eddie—I mean Luke?” Susan asked as her sister, Anne,
pulled her car into the hospital parking lot.

Anne’s eyebrows arched. “What do you mean?”

“Ever since he remembered his name, he’s been depressed—more so than before.” Susan
frowned. “I’m really worried about him.”

“He’ll be fine,” Anne said, turning off the ignition. “Grandpa’s keeping Luke busy
with projects around the house, so that should help with his depression. I’m sure
that remembering his name has left Luke starving to recall everything else about his
life before he came to know us, and that’ll happen in time.”

“I can’t imagine what it’s like for him, struggling to grasp details that seem to
be just beyond his reach.” Susan sighed. “I hope Luke gets his memory back, but I’m
also scared.”

“Of what?” Anne asked.

“That he might be married.”

Anne touched Susan’s arm. “You’ve fallen in love with him, haven’t you?”

Tears sprang to Susan’s eyes as she nodded slowly. “I’ve tried not to, but Luke’s
so sweet. I feel so happy when I’m with him. I never thought there would be someone
out there for me like Luke. Even though I don’t know anything about his past, what
I do know of him…well, he’s everything I’ve ever dreamed a man could be.” She sniffed.
“Maybe we made a mistake inviting Luke to move into Grandma and Grandpa’s house.”

Anne gave Susan’s shoulder a tender squeeze. “You need to stop worrying about this.
When Luke’s memory returns in full, you might discover that he’s not only single,
but rich.”

Susan snickered, despite her tears, knowing that a man’s wealth didn’t matter to her
at all. “I doubt he’s rich. If he were, he wouldn’t have been wearing tattered-looking
clothes when he was found unconscious at the bus station all those months ago.”

Darby

“You okay, Luke?” Henry asked as the two men worked on some birdhouses in the garage.
“You look a little down-in-the-mouth this morning.”

Luke shrugged and blew on his cold hands. “I didn’t sleep very well last night. Had
a weird dream about seeing people with no faces. I’ve had that dream a few other times,
too.”

Henry set his hammer aside. “I have a hunch those faces you couldn’t make out might
be people from your past.”

“Then why can’t I remember who they are?”

“I don’t know, but I think if you give it more time it’ll come back to you.”

“That’s what Susan and Anne keep saying, but I have my doubts. If I was gonna remember,
don’t you think it would have happened by now?”

Henry scratched his head. “That all depends.”

“On what?”

“From what Susan’s told me about her work, some folks in your position get their memory
back in pieces, a little bit at a time.”

Luke groaned. “And some never get it back at all. The doctors have warned me about
that possibility.”

“Maybe for some that’s true, but you’ve remembered your first name now. I think that’s
a sign you’ll be able to put the rest of the pieces together soon.” He thumped Luke’s
back. “In the meantime, we have some birdhouses to build, ’cause the annual church
bazaar is just a few weeks away.”

Luke picked up a piece of sandpaper. Despite his frustration, he would try to focus
on the job before him and not get pulled back into the black hole of sadness that
seemed determined to overwhelm him. Living with Susan and Anne’s grandparents had
given him a sense of family—of belonging somewhere and doing something meaningful.
Even so, he longed to know if he had a family of his own. If so, where did they live?
Were they looking for him, or had they forgotten he’d ever existed?

A
s Meredith guided her horse and buggy down the road toward Elam and Sadie’s house,
a chill raced down her back. She was plagued with doubts. It had been two weeks since
she’d told her in-laws about letting Jonah court her. In those two weeks, she’d only
seen them at church, so she hadn’t been able to speak to them privately. Meredith
loved Sadie and Elam and wanted their approval.

Well, at least Mom and Dad don’t object to me being courted by Jonah
. Meredith glanced at Levi, asleep in his carrier on the seat beside her.
It’s nice to have someone’s support
.

Meredith thought about how Mom and Dad had objected when her sister Laurie had first
decided to marry Kevin, who was a Mennonite. It wasn’t merely the fact that Laurie
wouldn’t be joining the Amish faith that bothered them. It was the idea of her moving
away and becoming a missionary. The Kings were a close-knit family, and it would be
hard to see Laurie go.

But things didn’t always turn out the way a person wanted. Losing Luke had been one
of the hardest things Meredith had ever dealt with. Yet as Grandma Smucker had reminded
her several times, life didn’t stop because a loved one died. Meredith had made up
her mind to make the best of her situation and keep her focus on raising Levi.

Meredith’s thoughts came to a halt when Elam and Sadie’s house came into view. She
hoped they were home and would be willing to watch Levi for a few hours.

Hearing a horse and buggy come into the yard, Sadie set aside her mending and went
to the door. Meredith was hitching the horse to the rail, and when she reached into
the buggy and brought Levi out, Sadie smiled in anticipation.

She added a piece of wood to the slow-dying embers in the woodstove before grabbing
a shawl and going out to greet her daughter-in-law and grandson.

“It’s good to see you,” Sadie said when Meredith joined her on the porch. “It’s been
awhile since we visited.” She reached out and stroked the top of Levi’s head. “He’s
growing so much.”

Meredith smiled. “I know. He’s doing all sorts of new things.”

“Like what?” Sadie asked, motioning for Meredith to come inside.

Meredith took a seat on the sofa and pulled Levi’s blanket aside. “Well, let’s see…He’s
kicking and pushing with his feet; grabs for anything within his reach; smiles, laughs,
gurgles, and coos. Oh, and he’s sleeping through the night now.”

“I’m sure that’s a relief,” Sadie said, taking a seat in the rocking chair across
from Meredith.

“Jah. I’m finally getting caught up on my rest.” Meredith smiled. “Of course, taking
care of Levi and trying to get some sewing done keeps me busy. Not to mention all
of the household chores that need attention.”

“Is your sister Laurie still coming over to help you?” Sadie questioned.

Meredith shook her head. “She’s busy getting ready for her wedding.”

“What about Alma Beechy?”

“She’s not helping me now, either,” Meredith said. “But I’m managing to keep up with
things inside, and between Jonah and my daed, the outside chores are getting done.”