Miriam and the Stranger (43 page)

“Yes, it is. Do you know the place?”

“I think I’ve driven past it before, but I’ve never been inside,” Miriam dodged.

Tyler persisted. “Tell me, Miriam.” He had pulled the buggy to a stop beside the road.

Miriam squeezed her eyes shut. “Tyler, do you remember my telling you about Wayne? And how I had inherited the two million dollars I eventually donated to the relief fund?”

“Yes, I remember,” Tyler said.

“Tyler, this is the very place Wayne wanted me to use some of my money to buy. For us. For Wayne and me.”

Relief spread over Tyler’s face, and he smiled. “You had me scared there for a moment. I thought with your high standards about money you would object to living on such a nice farm. You have no objections then?”

“To what?” Miriam managed. “If anything, I thought
you
might, because it’s the place I was going to buy for Wayne and me to live on. But you know I have no money now, Tyler. This beautiful place can’t be cheap. Surely you don’t plan to take on that amount of debt?”

Tyler grinned. “Well, that certainly sounds more like the Miriam I know.”

“But what about Wayne? Do you mind that I was going to build a life with him here?”

“No, of course not. I’m sorry you lost Wayne, but the Lord has arranged for us to meet and fall in love. The life we build here will be our life together… not yours and Wayne’s.”

“But the debt! With this acreage, it must cost at least a million dollars! How can you buy it with your income? Surely what you’ve made as a freelance journalist couldn’t be much.”

“You’re right there, Miriam. But hasn’t it occurred to you that I could only survive as a freelance writer if I wasn’t dependent on the income from it?”

Miriam met his gaze. “You have a million dollars?”

Tyler looked away. “A bit more than that, I’m afraid. And I have a woman I love who doesn’t love my money. Now isn’t that something?”

Miriam was sure those were tears in Tyler’s eyes. Miriam took his free hand in both of hers to say, “I had no idea, Tyler, but I do love you. More than I should, I think. You make so much right in my life. I’m the one who should be crying now.”

He laughed and came closer and began to trace her face with his free hand. “You’re a wonderful woman, Miriam, and I love you,” he whispered. “Marry me this fall. Once I’ve been baptized. Move with me to this house, and we’ll raise a family together.”

“Tyler!” Miriam reached for him with both hands and pulled him close. The moments seemed golden as the wind gusts moved the buggy from side to side. Tyler’s horse peered over his shoulder as if to ask them why they had stopped for so long.

“What will it be?” Tyler finally asked. “Will you marry me? We can’t sit here all day. The Realtor is waiting.”

“You know I will,” Miriam managed.

His soft chuckle filled her ear. “We have a lot of plans to make, and I suppose the wedding has to be in your hometown of Possum Valley. But we have all summer to plan…” His voice drifted off and he took the reins and they drove in silence up the long driveway.

“I hope you like it,” Tyler said as he came to a stop. “They’ve lowered the price because it’s been on the market awhile, but the money isn’t a consideration. This place is for you, and…”

“Hush.” Miriam reached up to touch Tyler’s lips. “Let’s just look at it, and if you like it, I’ll be happy.”

“Thank God for Amish brides,” Tyler muttered as he climbed out of the buggy.

Miriam followed him down to the ground. The Realtor was out of her car and waiting for them at the front door.

“Hello, there, Mr. Johnson,” the Realtor greeted them. “This must be Miriam, the young lady you were telling me about.”

“Yes, it is,” Tyler replied, taking Miriam’s hand.

“I’m Ann Cavendish,” the woman said, introducing herself. “I
certainly hope you like this property. It’s been sitting vacant, just waiting for the right people who will love it as their home.”

Ann unlocked the front door and led the way inside. “The entryway opens to this large and beautiful living room. And it’s adjacent to the ranch-style kitchen, just perfect for someone who loves to cook.”

When the tour was over, Tyler whispered, “Do you like it, Miriam?”

“We could have church in the living room and have room to spare,” Miriam whispered back.

Tyler turned to Ann. “What is the asking price again?”

Ann glanced at her papers. “Eight hundred and fifty thousand.”

Tyler smiled. “Let’s offer seven hundred and fifty.”

Ann’s eyes grew large, and she sat down on the couch. “What bank will you use for the loan application? Because if you haven’t spoken to a banker yet…”

Tyler silenced her with a wave of his head. “No bank will be involved. This will be a cash offer. Maybe that will help things along. We can close in thirty days, I think.”

Ann gulped. “Okay.” She scribbled on the papers in front of her.

Miriam hid her smile. Tyler had enjoyed that moment way too much. Miriam reached over to squeeze his arm, and he winked at her.

This man she loved was to be her husband, Miriam told herself, and this was to be her new home as soon as this fall. It was all too much to comprehend.

“Will there be earnest money to accompany the offer?” Ann looked up to ask.

Tyler didn’t hesitate. “Yes, ten thousand should suffice.”

Ann’s look had changed from astonishment to giddiness. She was likely thinking of her commission, Miriam thought. Pulling
Tyler aside as Ann wrote the offer, Miriam asked in a low voice, “Where did you get your money, anyway?”

Tyler’s eyes twinkled. “Now you ask. You’ve already given your word to marry me, and you can’t back out just because I robbed a bank.”

Miriam playfully slapped Tyler’s arm. “You mean thing. Don’t tease me like that.”

They clung to each other in silent gales of laughter.

“Ahem.” Ann cleared her throat behind them. “I’ll need your signature on the offer and the check, of course.”

Tyler gave Miriam another wink before he joined Ann to sign the offer. Miriam drifted off for a solo tour of the house. She could already envision where the couch would go and how the bedroom furniture would fit in. She stood still and drank in the surroundings. In the distance she could imagine Tyler’s laughter and her aunt’s and uncle’s voices as they visited on Sunday afternoons. Bishop Mullet would preach in the living room at the Sunday services, and here her
kinner
would be born. She would…”

“Miriam,” Tyler called.

Miriam collected her thoughts and hurried back to say, “Just looking around.”

“Look around all you want.” Ann beamed, clutching Tyler’s check as if it might disappear.

Minutes later, Tyler helped Miriam into the buggy and untied the horse. He climbed in, and on the way out of the lane, Miriam asked, “So tell me. How did you come into so much money?”

“The same way you did,” Tyler said. “My father was a wise investor for many years. When he passed away five years ago, his money came to me. I’ve also been a wise investor, learning from Dad. The money has allowed me to pursue my own interests, which has included some travel, the ability to be a freelance writer, and now, best of all, the means to buy a home for the woman I love.”

Miriam squeezed his arm. “Where to now?”

“Well, we’d best head back to your aunt’s place for the rest of the day and start scribbling out some plans.”

“Aunt Fannie will be so excited,” Miriam sighed.

Tyler pulled Miriam close with his free arm. “But first we have to stop along some shady spot for something we missed, don’t you think? It’ll only take a few minutes.”

Miriam smiled with great contentment but said nothing, her heart overflowing.

Chapter Forty-Three

I
t was a beautiful fall evening. Dusk had fallen, and Miriam and Tyler were sitting in the corner of Mrs. Faulkner’s pole barn. In this exact spot a little less than a year earlier, Shirley had celebrated her wedding with Glen. Miriam had been with Mose that day and on pins and needles over his constant criticism. But Mose Stoll was only a memory now, while Tyler was more real than he had ever been to Miriam. She was now his
frau
, as Bishop Wagler had heard them say their vows to each other earlier in the morning.

“Whatever happened to that bishop of yours you once dated?” Tyler leaned closer to tease, as if he’d read Miriam’s thoughts.

“He’s married now,” Miriam whispered back.

“The poor woman,” Tyler said with a grin. “Married to an ogre.”

“Stop it,” Miriam ordered. “Someone will hear us.”

“Who cares?” Tyler said, louder this time.

Miriam’s cousin Lois, who was the witness for her side of the
family, smiled at them. “You two have been whispering together all day.”

“That’s because we have much to whisper about,” Tyler said, appearing quite satisfied with himself.

James, Lois’s partner, leaned closer. “My special blessing on your marriage, and thanks for making us a part of your special day.”

“You’re welcome,” Tyler said. James continued, “I live up in Wayne County, so maybe you can give me details of how you two came together. I don’t think I ever heard the story.”

Miriam blushed. She hoped James didn’t know too much about her engagement with Mose. She wasn’t going to jog his memory.

Tyler got a dreamy look on his face. “It’s a long story, really. I don’t think we can do it justice here.”

“I suppose not,” James chuckled.

“I’ve heard some of it from Shirley,” Lois said. “It sounds most interesting. But I doubt if she told me everything.”

“I hope not,” Tyler said, and they all laughed.

“I heard you came to the community in Oklahoma as a reporter,” Lois said.

“That I did, and I decided to stay after Miriam charmed my socks off.” Everyone laughed except Miriam.

“You know that’s not true,” she protested. “I’m not that much to get impressed over.”

“See. Isn’t she something?” Tyler said. “Modest and righteous the woman is.”

Miriam’s color deepened, producing more laughter.

“There’s got to be more to the story than that,” James probed.

“Well,” Tyler allowed, “I did finally get around to making up my mind about Miriam, and the community. I was baptized some two months ago, just before we traveled out here to prepare for the wedding. I insisted that Miriam come sooner, but she said baptisms were milestones in Amish life and she wouldn’t miss mine.
So here we are, after Miriam’s parents okayed me. That took a little doing.”

“Oh, it did not,” Miriam spoke up. “
Mamm
and
Daett
loved you the first time they laid eyes on you.”

“You
are
quite charming,” Lois said. “In a
gut
way, of course.”

“Hey,” James protested. “What about me?”

Lois had colored a little and quickly leaned over to squeeze James’s hand. “You have plenty of charm of your own.”

“To charm!” Tyler declared. “And to love, and to Miriam Yoder… er, Johnson, who is now my
frau
.”

James nodded and turned his attention to Lois. Miriam took Tyler’s hand under the table as they conversed in whispers.

Finally, as the crowd continued to thin in front of them, James got to his feet.

“Well!” he declared. “It’s been a long day, and we had best be going. I see only old people left around here.”

“Now don’t be calling us old,” Tyler warned.

James laughed and shook their hands. “You two make it good now.”

“Thanks so much for helping out,” Miriam said. “And you too, Lois.”

The other witnessing couple also stood and said much the same thing. Matthew and Rosy Lapp were friends of Deacon Phillips and Katie. Tyler had asked the deacon to pick a witness for him because he had no family among the Amish.

“Thanks to you too.” Miriam gave them both a big smile. “Tyler and I are very grateful.”

“I would have been up the creek without a paddle if you hadn’t helped out,” Tyler quipped.