Second Chance Proposal by Anna Schmidt

Author:Anna Schmidt
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2013-09-11T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

The shadows lengthened as the sun turned to a fiery orange low on the horizon. As they walked along, they were both focused on the water.

“Let’s stop here and watch the last of it,” John said, and gently turned her attention to the sun half-gone already. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her as they watched in silence. “Here,” he said, handing her a perfect but tiny Florida conch shell that was the exact color that the sun had been. “To remember.”

She turned to face him and cradled his cheek with her hand. She removed his hat and ran her fingers through his thick hair.

“Next week it will be a month, Liddy.” His voice was raspy with emotion.

“I know.” And although she knew he wanted his answer, she also knew that she could trust him not to press her.

She could trust him.

Not only had John shown no recent signs of wanderlust, he seemed perfectly satisfied to give her the time she might need. He was content. He worked every day at the hardware store and in the evenings and on Saturdays he worked at establishing his carpentry business. He had even gone so far as to make needed repairs and renovations for members of the congregation at no charge. He had especially endeared himself to those women in Celery Fields who were widowed and perhaps reluctant to become too dependent on their neighbors, although that was the Amish way of things. John had a way of just showing up as if he had simply been passing by and noticed a loose hurricane shutter or a wall with some rotted boards. He would assure the women that they were the ones helping him to make amends for his past.

Everyone in town knew that he was courting Lydia, but it was not their habit to speak of such matters. Courtship was private and that was a good thing as far as Lydia was concerned. For if things did not work out for them she could be sure that others would not speak of it—at least openly.

But things were working out. These days she could hardly get through an hour without some thought of John that brought a smile to her lips. He was wonderful with Luke and Greta’s children, and sometimes he even came by the school during classes on some pretext or another. Her students looked forward to these impromptu visits. Even Pleasant seemed to be working hard to accept the idea that John was back to stay and that he intended to marry Lydia if she would have him.

If she would have him.

It was up to her. In so many ways it had always been up to her. “John,” she said now as she wrapped her arms around him and rested her cheek against his chest. “Is there a reason that we need to wait out the entire month?”

She actually felt his heart beat a little faster. “I cannot think of one.”

“Neither can I,” she whispered, and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.

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