he’d replied with a chuckle of his own. Sean was anything but simple. He was a brilliant carpenter and a great salesman, finding client after client, so they never were idle. However, the name was perfect for what they did. Simple, green solutions to help Englischers cut their power bills and to enable plain households to get electricity that didn’t come from the grid.
One after another, his brothers prayed silently before they rose from the table and went to their various jobs. Leah and her niece disappeared down cellar, probably to get canned vegetables and meat for the evening meal.
Micah barely noticed them leaving as he wondered if Katie Kay would keep her side of the bargain, even if he’d kept his. He wished he could trust her, but he couldn’t.
For the past year, his brothers had teased him for not asking if he could take her home. They believed he was too shy to talk to her. None of them had any idea of the truth. He’d asked her, driven her home several times and then she’d told him to go bother some other girl and waved him away as if he were as annoying as a gnat.
He had collected the pieces of his broken heart and prayed God would help her see she’d made a mistake. If God had, she hadn’t listened to Him. Last weekend, he’d taken Isaiah’s late wife’s sister Tillie Mast, home from a youth event...to get his brothers off his back. She was sweet and well-known as a great cook. He’d learned, however, contrary to the old adage, that the way to his heart was not through his stomach. He doubted he was giving her a chance, but he’d promised himself he wouldn’t make a fool of himself over a woman again.
“Micah?”
He looked up from his scrambled eggs and fried potatoes when Mamm said his name in a tone that suggested she’d already repeated it more than once. “Ja?”
“Is there someone special you’d like to sit with at the wedding supper?”
The old tradition of pairing off the singles for the evening meal to give them a chance to get to know each other better was one he wished Mamm and Reuben would skip. Forcing a smile, he said, “No one in particular.”
“Not Tillie Mast?”
“You’d do her a big favor by matching her with someone else.” He wasn’t surprised his mamm knew about him taking Tillie home. Eager eyes at the end of an evening noted who left with whom. Because he and Katie Kay had been careful, at her insistence, nobody had noticed them together.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Micah.” She patted his cheek. “You’re a gut boy, and you deserve someone special in your life.”
“I trust God will send her along eventually.”
Mamm picked up her empty cup and carried it to the stove to refill it with kaffi. Holding the cup to let the fragrant steam rise into her face, she said, “Reuben had hoped you and Katie Kay might sit together.”
“What?” He sat straighter and berated himself for not leaving at the same time as his brothers had.
“I hear how Daniel teases you, and I’ve learned there’s a nugget of truth in the jests you two throw at each other.” She took a sip and lowered her cup. “Ach, it’s impossible anyhow, but I keep hoping that girl will come to her senses and return home. It would mean the world to Reuben.”
“I know.” Guilt stabbed him. As soon as he reached Sean’s house, he was going to get Katie Kay and drive her home, whether she agreed or not. He didn’t want to be caught in the middle of this mess any longer.
“Do you know where she might be, Micah?” His mamm went on as he tried not to choke out the truth. “Listen to me. Why would you know where she is? Though the two of you were gut friends when you were younger, things changed.” Sorrow dimmed her eyes. “If you know someone who might know where she is, pass the word along that she is missed.”
“I will.” He intended to tell Katie Kay himself. Bowing his head and saying words of gratitude for the meal while he hoped the Lord would forgive him for his haste, he got up, gave his mamm a hug and hurried out before she could say more.
By the time he had Rascal hitched to his buggy and was on his way to the Donnellys’ house, the sun was turning the eastern sky from black to layers of gray clouds. He practiced over and over what he’d say to Katie Kay. Last night, asking her to be sensible hadn’t worked. In fact, he’d probably insulted her by suggesting she wasn’t acting rationally.
“She isn’t,” he mumbled to himself as he turned onto the road leading toward Ronks. “Why would she return if she didn’t intend to mend the fences she’s jumped over?”
He was missing something important, but what?
The Donnellys’ house was dark except for a light in the kitchen. Micah parked his buggy behind the lime-green antique Volkswagen van that Gemma drove. He stepped out and around the more modern van Sean had painted with their company’s name and phone number, which Gemma answered in the house. Having her help had been a big step toward getting the company going, but Micah wondered if they should hire an answering service. Gemma would be overwhelmed with three young kinder, a boppli and handling the calls. He’d have to talk to Sean about it. His friend was hesitant to make changes that didn’t have an impact on Micah, too. For once, Sean needed to be a bit selfish and think of himself and his family.
Especially after Micah had selfishly left his problem with Sean and Gemma last night. While Gemma had settled Katie Kay, Micah had given his partner an overview of the situation and realized how little he knew about what had brought Katie Kay to Paradise Springs. He planned to get answers today.
“Come in, Micah,” said Gemma, meeting him at the door.
She didn’t usually do that, so he asked, “Is everything okay? Has Katie Kay been—?”
“Sit down, Micah.”
“What’s wrong?” He couldn’t miss the underlying tension in her voice. He’d been about to ask what Katie Kay had done to upset the household, but he restrained himself. Bringing her to the Donnellys’ house had been wrong. He’d transferred his problem to his best friends.
“You should sit down, Micah.”
“Just tell me.” How much trouble had Katie Kay caused?
Gemma took a deep breath and then let it out with a sigh. “I think your friend is pregnant.”
“Pregnant?” He groped for a chair and sat as he stared at her. “That can’t be true!”
“Because her father is a bishop?” She shook her head with a grimace. “Don’t fool yourself, Micah. Her running away was already aimed at hurting him and tossing aside everything she’d been taught. Getting involved with some man wasn’t much of a step further.”
He couldn’t help thinking of Katie Kay saying someone had taken her money along with her cell phone. Was it the man who was the daed of her boppli? He felt his temper rise but pushed it down. Getting angry wouldn’t solve anything. In fact, it might make things worse.
“Where is she?” he asked, relieved his voice sounded close to normal.
“Throwing up.” She looked behind her as Sean came into the kitchen.
For once, his friend wasn’t complaining about the early hour and how work should begin at noon.
