Free Where Love Grows by Jerry S. Eicher Page B

quite gut looking. It was surprising that some other boy, perhaps better situated than he was, hadn’t already made a move for her attention. They would have, he figured, if it hadn’t been for the ruckus surrounding Susan bringing home that Englisha girl, Teresa. Well, Teresa wasn’t exactly Englisha any longer. She was now almost like one of them. She could even talk the language decently, and his friend James sure was taken with her.
    With everyone in a wedding mood, now would be the perfect moment to get Susan’s promise of marriage.
    Pulling on the lines, Thomas turned Freddy down the Hostetler driveway. A few buggies still sat near the barn and horses were tied to the fence. He stopped and jumped out to tie his horse. He’d unhitch after he talked to Susan.
    Walking to the house, he knocked on the front door. It was answered moments later by Susan’s mamm . With a surprised look, she said, “Thomas! Hello. We were too busy to notice someone else driving in, I guess.”
    â€œThat’s okay,” Thomas said, pushing his hat back on his head. “Is Susan around? She said I could stop by and help.”
    â€œOf course.” Anna turned to holler toward the back of the house. “Susan! There’s someone here to see you!”
    Susan appeared moments later, her hair hanging in strings out of the back of her kapp . Thomas beamed. Susan was even better looking in this state, he thought, than she was all fixed up on Sundays.
    â€œAh, so you’ve come.” Susan pushed the stray hairs out of sight under her kapp . “I had almost forgotten.”
    Behind Susan two of her sisters’ faces appeared around the kitchen doorway. Betsy and Miriam, Thomas noted. So those must be who the two buggies tied out by the fence belonged to. They smiled and disappeared again.
    â€œI thought perhaps I was still in time to help out this evening. We had a job in the cabinet shop that ran late.”
    â€œMenno’s still out in the barn with Steve doing chores,” Anna said.
    Being in the barn with Steve wouldn’t be quite what he wanted to do, but Thomas found himself saying, “If that’s what needs doing, then I’ll help.”
    â€œThat can wait. Come with me!” Susan pulled on his arm. He followed her out the door to the swing hanging from the porch ceiling, where she plopped down. “I need a rest, and they have things under control with the chores.”
    â€œIt’s nicer out here with you anyway,” Thomas said.
    Susan ignored him. “We’ve been working hard all day. This afternoon we cleaned the barn beams and weeded the garden. You could have helped with that earlier.”
    â€œI would’ve been glad to, but things got busy at work, like I said.”
    â€œAnd earlier in the day I looked decent.”
    â€œYou look beautiful,” he said. “You really do.”
    â€œThat silver tongue of yours.” Susan sighed. “I hope you keep it to yourself around Eunice.”
    â€œNow please, Susan.” He lifted both hands in a sign of surrender. “You know that’s behind us. It’s been behind us for a long time. I’ve done everything possible to make things right. You know I have, Susan. I love you more than I love any girl...or ever loved any girl.”
    She looked sideways at him. “How do I know you won’t change your mind again? Perhaps even after you’ve said the vows? It’s not like a promise kept you from running after Eunice the last time.”
    â€œYou know I wouldn’t do that to you, Susan. Our people don’t do such things.”
    â€œI don’t think you’re being honest with me, Thomas.”
    Thomas took a deep breath. Should he or shouldn’t he? It would be a great risk, but he obviously wasn’t getting through to Susan now. “I’ll tell you something you don’t know and would never have found out. I know it might make me look