Their Unpredictable Path by Jocelyn McClay

Author:Jocelyn McClay
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2021-11-25T23:29:23+00:00

* * *

Later that afternoon, as he and Bishop Weaver stood at the end of the lane, absorbing the scattered debris, Jethro was almost tempted to wrap his arms around his daed in a tight embrace. The moment the impulse arose, he suppressed it. His daed would be shocked and annoyed by the display of affection. Jethro had learned that years ago at the age of six when his father had been gone for a week, having traveled to Ohio for a gathering of church leadership.

Thrilled to see his daed after spending a week being alternatively ignored or chastised by his mother, Jethro had run to him as soon as the bishop had climbed off the bus with a gathering of other Amish men. Throwing his arms around his daed’s lean waist, Jethro had hugged him, his more approachable parent, with all his strength. A gruff, “Stop that, boy,” had been followed by a grip prying his stick-thin arms from his father’s torso. Hanging his head, Jethro had shuffled to the side as the bishop said his farewells to the men he’d traveled with and greeted his wife and younger son. Jethro had never attempted to hug either of his parents again.

“I’ll confirm what caused it after I get it p-pulled out. From the way the whole shaft came away, it had t-to b-be intentional. I saw the Schlabach b-boy racing from the farm on his scooter. Susannah has had some issues with him earlier.” Jethro stroked his beard as he turned to his father. “Any reason he m-might t-turn his attention t-to you as well and wreck your b-buggy?”

The bishop’s mouth compressed into a lipless line as he studied the carcass of the buggy. But Jethro had an impression the wreck wasn’t what the man was seeing. With a shrug, he pivoted to retrieve the team of Belgians he’d brought over to pull the damaged rig out. At his father’s abrupt, “Wait!” he paused. Expecting to hear a comment about the Schlabach boy or even the damaged buggy, Jethro stiffened at the bishop’s choice of topic.

“You need to stop seeing Susannah Mast.”

“What?” Jethro cocked his head, unsure that he’d heard right. For sure and certain, he’d been expecting the subject to come up at some point. He’d even made himself scarce just to evade the conversation. But he hardly expected it to be now, when there seemed other much more pressing issues for the bishop than directing his adult son’s private life.

“She will wreck your life, surely as this buggy is wrecked.”

Jethro turned around to face his father. “Susannah is a gut woman.”

“Ja. But not for you. You need someone who can give you children. A family. Susannah can’t do that. She is better matched with an older man who wouldn’t be looking for that in a wife. You’d do better to look to her daughter. She’s not that much younger than you. You could build a life, a large family, with her.”

“I know what I need.” Jethro hardly recognized his voice as he ground out the words.

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