The Promise of an Angel (A Heaven On Earth 1) (23 page)

“You’re beginning to worry me.” He turned it over again, then clenched it in his fist.

“Don’t—” She cringed.

“What?” His brows furrowed. “You’re placing a frightening amount of emphasis on a stone.” He plopped it back into the box and closed the lid. “The Bible warns about false idols. You said the angel gave you this?”

He was concerned about her putting too much emphasis on a rock, but he’d built a box to put it in? No one else had his woodworking precision, and he’d certainly left the box down by the river knowing she would find it.

His posture shifted, and the lines between his eyes took root. “Judith,” he said, “it says in the Bible to test all spirits.” His eyes glazed. “Satan was an angel too. He’s the Great Deceiver.”

She cleared her throat. “You think I’m being deceived?”

He closed his eyes, tipping his face toward the sky, and his Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Her voice grew louder. “I know what I saw.”

“So you say, but were you spellbound? You sound as though you’re worshipping a rock.”

She caught a glimpse of the fast-moving clouds. “It’s going to rain. We better get back.” Without waiting for him, she headed for the house.

He mumbled something under his breath, trekking behind her. Once they reached the back of the barn, he stopped her from continuing to the house.

“Promise me you’ll pray about this.”

She lowered her head, but he lifted her chin.

“Promise me you’ll read the passage in Second Corinthians about Satan masquerading as an angel of light . . . There are fallen angels who pretend to be angels of righteousness.” He brought her closer to him.

She closed her eyes, hearing the worried tone in his voice.

“Promise me,” he whispered.

She swallowed. His breath was warm against her face. What was she doing, allowing him this close? Of course she planned to pray.

“I will.” She expected him to move away once she’d agreed. He didn’t.

He stared at her mouth the same as he had the day he kissed her. Then he sucked in a breath and leaned back. “Did Tobias say why God sent him?”

Judith shrugged. She could tell him about the dream, but even she didn’t understand the three roads and why she was told to choose. Besides, with him moving closer again, it was hard to concentrate on any one thing in particular.

As Andrew leaned toward Judith to kiss her, thunder boomed and lightning flickered across the dark sky. He stepped away. “I have a confession.”

Judith glanced nervously at the sky.

He cleared his throat. “When I kissed you, I knew Levi had already gone. I shouldn’t have . . . I’m sorry.” He cocked his head sideways. “I didn’t intend—”

Another bolt of lightning ignited the sky. Pelted by marble-sized hail, he grabbed her hand, and they ran toward the house. Before they reached the porch shelter, sleet had saturated their clothing.

“You can come inside and sit by the woodstove.”

Andrew looked up at the sky. “I should go before it gets worse.” Besides, the longer he stayed, the more he would want to kiss her again.

She seemed to accept his apology, but deep down he’d hoped for more, an admission of her own as to why she had kissed him back. He stepped away from her.

“I forgot to tell you. Mrs. Stanly, the woman who bought my furniture, is interested in buying one of your quilts.”

“I’ve never sold one. I don’t know how much to charge. Surely a quilt made with a machine would be far superior to my hand-sewn blocks.”

Andrew shrugged. “She examined them closely. I know she liked them.” With his hair dripping beads of water down his neck, he wanted to shake himself dry like a wet dog. He removed his hat and shook the water from its brim instead.

Judith pulled a rag from her cape pocket and dabbed her face. Her wet hair looked darker, but he could still see the reddish streaks the summer sun had made. Her head covering lay flat against her hair, and now her teeth chattered behind purple lips.

“I see you’re cold. You need to go inside.” He reached for the doorknob and paused. “If you want, I’ll drive you to Mrs. Stanly’s house at the beginning of the week so you can show her your quilts.” He didn’t add that Samuel had told him about the one she was saving for her wedding bed.

Judith smiled. “
Jah
, that would be nice.”

Andrew looked at the gray clouds. As cold as it was, the sleet would turn into snow. He hoped it would hold off until after Judith’s singing. “I should go.” He turned his gaze to Judith. “Pray about what we talked about.” He waited until she nodded before he stepped off the porch. “I will pray too.”

Her expression was stiff. Maybe she didn’t like the idea that he would be praying. But how could he not? With so many of the community against her, the enemy was already involved in isolating her from others.

Andrew climbed onto the bench and looked back at the house. Judith had already gone inside. He shuddered. If they were not diligent to keep watch, Satan could deceive God’s elect.

Judith went straight to her bedroom. She gazed at the intricate details Andrew had put into the box. By worldly standards, the box would be considered plain, but to her, the dovetailed joints and the unstained birch wood were perfect in every way. But why hadn’t he said anything about making it for her? She ran her hand over the sanded bare wood as her thoughts drifted to Andrew’s confession.

He admitted he was sorry for kissing her. His regret made sense after he explained he could never fall in love again. Judith had known Levi was no longer standing there—she’d wanted to kiss Andrew, but not under those circumstances. Now thoughts of his firm lips pressing against hers would taunt her memory.

“Forgive me, God, for putting him in that situation.” She placed the box on the dresser. “I shouldn’t have been so forward with a man not my husband.” Judith sighed.

Her legs were icy to the touch and her knees knocked to a different cadence than her chattering teeth as she changed into a dry dress. She brought the wet garments out to the sitting room and spread them over a wooden rack in front of the woodstove, then proceeded into the kitchen.

Mamm
poured steaming water from the kettle into a cup. “Would you like some tea?”

“
Jah
, please.”

Her mother placed the drink on the table, and Judith forced the floating tea bag to the bottom of the cup with a spoon.

“How did Samuel do with his exercises?” Judith sipped the hot liquid, feeling the warmth make its way to her stomach.

“He was so tired after his morning with Andrew and then his therapy, that he fell asleep as soon as the man left.” Her mother dunked a tea bag into her cup of hot water.

Judith blew gentle ripples over the steaming tea. “A man? I thought a woman came the last time.”

“He said he was filling in today.”
Mamm
shrugged. “I hope the exercises help. I’m sure they will cost plenty.”

This was the first time Judith had heard anything mentioned about the medical expenses. She studied
Mamm’s
expression. Mulling over the hospital costs in her mind, no doubt. Samuel’s accident had taken its toll on her too.

Martha entered the kitchen then, with a basket of eggs. Teeth chattering, she placed the basket on the counter, then tugged at her wet dress. “I suppose I should eat more so the wind doesn’t blow me away.” She swept the fallen strands of hair away from her face and eyed Judith. “I should think you’d want to fast a few meals.”

Judith glanced at her mother, expecting to hear
Mamm
rebuke Martha for such a worldly, not to mention unkind, comment. But her mother continued to stare into her cup, oblivious. Judith stood. That her sister was far prettier than she was easy to see by anyone’s standards—but she didn’t have to sit here and listen to her jabs. She placed her cup in the sink. “I’m going to look in on Samuel.”

The door creaked. Not wanting to awaken him, Judith eased it open just wide enough to squeeze inside.

Samuel’s lids fluttered. He brought his hand from under the blankets and rubbed his eyes. “Is it morning?”

Judith tiptoed to the bedside. “You can sleep longer.” She sat in the chair next to his bed and combed her fingers through his hair.

He stirred again. “I’m not tired. The man told me to close my eyes and dream that I was running.”

Judith ran her hand along his cheek. “And how fast were you running?”

He yawned. “First I couldn’t stand, but a bright light made me try harder, and before long I could.” He stretched his arms over his head. “I heard singing, but I couldn’t understand the words.”

Judith gulped. “Tell me what the man said.”

“He told me to believe I was running.” He frowned. “My legs wouldn’t move, so how could I believe?”

Judith stood, went to the foot of the bed, and lifted the covers. She touched his feet, and heat rose off the surface of his legs and penetrated her skin. “Did your legs feel warm when he touched you?” She eyed him closely. “Do you feel how hot they are
nau
?”

He shook his head slightly, and his mouth turned down into a frown.

Judith pulled the covers back over his feet. “What did the man look like?”

“Like a
doktah
in a white coat.”

“Is that all you remember? Could you look into his eyes? What color were they?”

He shrugged. “
Bloh
, I guess.”

She scooted the chair closer and leaned toward him. “How tall was he?”

Samuel’s face crinkled. “Big, like David.” His lips trembled. “Why?”

“No reason.” She leaned back into the chair. “I was just curious.” She waited until he settled. “Did he say if he planned to
kumm
back?”

“
Nay
.”

Judith tapped his hand. “
Drauwa
God, Samuel.”

“That’s what he said too.”

Judith tilted her head to the side. “Really, the man said that?”

“He also told me about Samuel in the Bible. How God called to him when he was young. But I told him I knew that.”

She stood and kissed his forehead. “You close your eyes and see yourself run some more. I will bring you supper when it’s ready.” She turned to leave.

“Judith.”

She turned back.
“Jah?”

“I want to be like Andrew when I grow up. Do you like the furniture he builds?”

She smiled. “Very much.”

He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say more, but then he snapped it shut.

“Is there something else?” She returned to his bedside.

“Do you think that I’ll walk again?”

“
Jah
,
Ich
do.” She stroked his cheek with the back of her hand. “Remember when I told you in the hospital that I saw an angel?”

His eyes widened. “
Jah
.”

“I think if you close your eyes, you’ll see one too.”

Samuel snapped his lids shut.

She tiptoed to the door and looked back. “I think you already have,” she whispered.

Chapter Twenty-One

T
he freezing rain left a thin icy coating over the puddles in the furrows of the muddy field. Judith sidestepped what wet areas she could avoid on her way to the orchard. After Samuel woke and the two of them shared a cup of hot cider, she decided to pick more apples to make a batch of cider for Sunday’s singing.