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There was no sign of anyone in the front or side yard as James turned off the engine and climbed out of his car. He paused a moment with the door open to stare at the house that had once been his home.
It had been hard moving into this house after his father had died and his mother had married Adam. It wasn’t that he didn’t want his mother to be happy. But he’d missed his dad. Grief-stricken, he’d been a terrible son, bitter and angry and difficult to control. But Adam was a kind man, who seemed to understand what James was going through. Because of Adam’s understanding, patience and love, James had grown to love and respect his stepfather.
James shut the car door. He was here, and he would wait for everyone’s return, not run like the frightened teenage boy he’d been when he’d first moved into Adam Troyer’s house. He wandered toward the backyard and saw a woman taking laundry down from the clothesline.
“Mom?” He hurried in her direction.
She stiffened, then with a garment in her hand turned slowly. She was too young to be his mother although the resemblance to her was striking. His eyes widened. “Maggie?”
“Ja, bruder.” Her mouth firmed. “You finally decided to pay us a visit.”
It had been too long since he’d seen his younger sister. He felt a rush of gladness that quickly turned to hard-hitting guilt.
“You weren’t home when I last visited.” He regarded her with affection. “It’s good to see you, Mags.”
“Nobody calls me that but you.” She dropped a garment into a wicker clothes basket.
He grinned. “Yes, I know.”
Warmth entered her expression. “So you really did move back to Happiness.”
“I did—close to two months ago.” He held up his hand. “I know. I should have come again sooner. I’ve been struggling to grow my veterinary practice but...” He sighed. “It’s no excuse.”
He gazed at his little sister who was now a woman. He regretted missing her teenage years. He hadn’t been here for her while she was growing up. He’d left home, driven to follow in his late father’s footsteps. He’d attended college in Ohio, then went to Penn Vet for veterinary school. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you.”
She dismissed it with a wave of her hand. “I have a gut life. Mam and Dat are wonderful and Abby—” Her eyes widened. “Have you seen our little sister yet? You won’t recognize Abigail, James. She’s eighteen now.”
Regret overwhelmed him, and James closed his eyes. “I missed too much.”
“You’re here now,” she reminded him softly. She was quiet a moment as she studied him. “You’ll have time to see her now.”
“And Matt and Rosie?” he asked of his stepsiblings.
Maggie smiled. “They are doing well. You wouldn’t recognize them either.” She studied him silently. “Matt is nineteen and Rosie’s sixteen.” She eyed him with curiosity. “Are you happy, James?”
Was he? No one had thought to ask whether or not he was content with his life—not even himself. He should be more than pleased with what he’d accomplished, but was he? He honestly didn’t know.
“I enjoy helping animals, and my work reminds me of the time I spent with Dad. But happy? I’m working on it. What about you?”
A tiny smile came to her lips, and her green eyes sparkled. “Ja, I’m happy.”
He stared at her, intrigued. He grinned. “You’re being courted!”
She looked surprised and pleased that after all these years he still could read her so well. “Ja,” she confessed. “His name is Joshua Fisher. He’s a kind man.”
“How old is Joshua Fisher?”
His sister narrowed her gaze at him. “Why?”
He didn’t answer her.
She sighed. “He’s twenty-one.”
“I’m pleased for you, Maggie.” Warmth filled him as he studied her. “You like the Amish way of life.” Like him, she was raised English until their father died and their mother had brought them from Ohio to live in his grandparents’ home in Lancaster County.
Her gaze slid over him. “You didn’t seem to mind our Amish life,” she reminded him. “Once you’d adjusted.”
It was true. He had learned to appreciate the life he’d once rebelled against. The quiet peace that came from working on the farm when he was a boy eventually had soothed his inner turmoil over losing the father whom he’d loved, admired and always wanted to emulate.
“Where’s Mam?” he said, slipping easily back into Pennsylvania Deitsch, considering how long he’d been away.
Maggie eyed him shrewdly. “In the haus.” She paused. “Dat’s there, too.”
“He’s done working for the day?” His stepfather was a hardworking man, just like his own father had been. Would Adam scold him for staying away?
James experienced a sudden onset of uneasiness. The man who’d married his mother had been a good father to him, and he’d repaid him by being difficult and mean during those first months...and then he must have hurt Adam, leaving home when he did to follow the path he’d set out for himself away from their Amish village.
“Ja, you came at the right time. Mam and Abigail are making supper. Will you stay?”
He felt his tension leave him as he acknowledged the truth. “Ja.” He knew this was an open invitation. It was the Amish way to be hospitable and never turn a single soul away. “Will they be glad to see me?” he murmured. He studied the house. “I guess I’ll head inside.”
“James!” his sister called as he started toward the house. He stopped and faced her.
Maggie’s gaze was filled with warmth and understanding. “’Tis gut to see you. Our eldre will be happy that you’ve come. Please, James, don’t stay away too long again.” She pretended to scowl. “I’ve missed your ugly face.”
James couldn’t stop the grin that came with the lightening of his spirit. “You’ll be eager to get rid of me now that I’m living close and can visit frequently.”
She shook her head. “Nay, I won’t.” She regarded him with affection. “I’ll always be happy to see you, big bruder.”
They eyed each other with warmth. “I’d better go,” he said. “You’ll be in soon?”
“A few moments more and I’ll be done here.”
“I’ll see you inside then.”
Despite anticipating a warm welcome, James felt his stomach burn as he crossed the yard toward the back door leading into his mother’s kitchen. СКАЧАТЬ