A Christmas Courtship by Shelley Shepard Gray

Author:Shelley Shepard Gray
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gallery Books
Published: 2021-10-19T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

When she walked through her front door almost an hour later, both of her parents were standing in the entryway.

“There you are!” Mamm exclaimed. “We’ve been worried sick. Where were you?”

“I went to the bookmobile.”

“You went to the library without asking for permission?”

That question was the last straw. “Mamm, Daed, we have to talk. You’re treating me like a child.” She took a deep breath. “I also am pretty upset with the way you treated Cale.”

Her father crossed his arms over his chest. “Cale Mast is none of your concern.”

“Oh, yes he is. Especially since I heard you not only fired him but also stole his money.”

“I didn’t steal anything.” But it was obvious that Daed looked uncomfortable.

“It’s true, though, isn’t it? You actually refused to pay Cale for last week’s work because I made a stupid choice at a party. That isn’t fair at all.”

“What did you do, Jeremiah?” her mother asked.

Now Hope was really shocked. “Daed didn’t even tell you about how terribly he treated Cale, Mamm?”

“I know Daed told Cale he should’ve looked after you better.”

That news made Hope even angrier. “You didn’t even have the nerve to share with Mamm that you both fired Cale and took his pay?” When her father continued to look embarrassed, Hope waved a hand in the air. “Daed, I think you owe Cale an apology.”

“You need to watch your tone, Daughter. I don’t like how you’re speaking to me.”

Hope placed a hand on her hip. “Well, I don’t like finding out from a practical stranger that you cheated a sixteen-year-old who is working here to support his mamm. I didn’t like discovering that because you fired Cale, he now can’t have the new bedroom Atle Petersheim was building for him because they can’t afford it.” She drew a deep breath. “Now Atle won’t get paid for his work.”

“Oh, dear,” Mamm murmured. “Jeremiah, I think we need to have a discussion.”

“Hmph,” Daed said. He folded his arms over his chest but there was a new, wary expression in his eyes.

Hope knew she should stop, but she was on a roll. “I especially don’t like that you both refused to listen to me when I said that Cale didn’t have anything to do with my drinking all that punch.” She pulled her shoulders back and stood up straight. “I know I made a lot of bad decisions and I know you two are disappointed in me. But at least I was with Cale. He is the one who got me out of there. He is the one who took me home. He is the one who even told you everything. If I hadn’t been with him, I don’t know what would have happened.”

“Hope, did you just go out to secretly meet Cale?”

“Nee. Cale is likely never going to want to speak to me ever again. And who can blame him?” Breathing hard, she said, “Mamm, Daed, you might be disappointed in me or wish I was a better person… but right now I’m pretty disappointed in the both of you, too.

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