A lot of time? He’d eaten dinner with them and built a chicken coop. Something in the tone of Dinah’s voice and the pinch of her lips told him the facts didn’t matter. Dinah sensed some sort of threat, though for the life of him, he couldn’t begin to guess how she’d gotten the idea that there was anything between him and Poppy Christner.
Luke stuttered on his reply. “Your cookies are delicious. They’re made with so much love.”
Another fit of giggles from Dinah and Mandy. Luke bit his tongue. He sounded stupid and insincere, even to himself. He was already sick of being here. Maybe he could take Dinah home early and get together later with Dan and Josiah. He might be able to talk Josiah into doing something with him, but Dan was a worthless friend now that he was engaged. He’d rather spend every waking hour with Lily Christner.
Luke understood it, but tonight he wasn’t happy about it.
Maybe Dan and Josiah would come to the gathering. If Lily planned on coming, Dan would be here. If Lily came, she would bring Rose, and Josiah would be here.
Of course, Lily and Rose would bring Poppy.
Why did his heart clomp around his chest like a bull wearing boots at an Englischer’s square dance? Probably because Poppy made him so mad he could spit. Probably because she argued with him about everything.
Maybe Poppy wouldn’t come. She wouldn’t be able to play volleyball or croquet with one arm. Lord willing, she’d stay home and do something safe like bake bread or change all the batteries in her flashlights.
He most certainly didn’t want to see her. He already had enough guilt to last a lifetime.
Jah, he definitely wanted to leave early.
Luke and Dinah sat on a picnic bench under a big, shady tree. Three of Dinah’s best friends sat on the bench with them as well as a couple of boys from Luke’s district. They were all very nice people.
He wished they’d all go away.
He’d rather be miserable by himself.
The muscles of his neck and shoulders were as taut as baling wire. He needed to get away from Dinah and get rid of some of his tension. “I’m going to play volleyball,” he announced. Without waiting for Dinah’s approval, he stood and walked away.
“Wait for me,” Dinah chirped.
Groaning inwardly, Luke stopped long enough for Dinah to catch up to him. He didn’t want to babysit. He wanted to get Poppy out of his head.
They joined the game already going on. At least ten players stood on each side of the net. It wouldn’t be much of a game, but at least he’d be moving. Even in his pathetic mood, he smiled when he saw Josiah jog from the parking lot. Maybe Josiah could help him figure out a way to get rid of Dinah without hurting her feelings, and they could go night fishing or something.
Josiah waved, and Luke motioned for him to join the game.
“Hi, Josiah,” Dinah said, ducking out of the way of a ball that came too close.
“Hello, Dinah,” Joe said, “It’s gute to see you playing this time.”
“I love volleyball,” Dinah said.
Luke didn’t contradict her, even though he’d never seen her play in his life.
Josiah made a place for himself in the game between Luke and Dinah. “Is Rose here yet?” he said, out of breath and all smiles.
Luke grimaced as that bull in boots started stamping around in his chest again. “Rose? Is she coming?” Why was he reacting this way? For sure and certain, Poppy would stay home.
Josiah jumped up and hit a ball coming right at Luke’s head. “Jah. Dan is driving the three sisters over tonight.” He leaned close enough to whisper. “I might get a chance to talk to her.”
“You have to make your own chances, Joe.”
Josiah merely smiled. “I have a plan.”
Luke intercepted a very hard serve from Mahlon Zook, and it went straight up in the air. Unfortunately, Dinah wasn’t inclined to look up, and it hit her in the head and knocked her over.
She gave a little squeak as she tumbled to the ground and landed on her hinnerdale. The game halted as two girls rushed to Dinah’s side and clucked and worried themselves into a tizzy. “Are you all right, Dinah? Do you feel dizzy?”
“If you’re nauseated, it’s a concussion. Maybe you have a concussion.”
Moaning softly, Dinah cradled her head in her hands and closed her eyes. “It’s definitely a concussion.”
Luke felt obliged to kneel next to her and paste a worried look on his face. He was Dinah’s ride home, after all. He had to look concerned, even if he’d seen paper cuts more serious.
“Do you want some ice?” Josiah said.
Dinah held out her hand to Luke, clearly expecting him to help her up. He did. “Luke is all the help I need,” she said. “Can you take me to the bench?”
Holding firmly onto Luke’s arm, she limped to the picnic table where her friends waited to make a fuss over her. He helped her sit down and got her a cup of lemonade. Mandy straightened Dinah’s kapp, and Treva King squeezed her hand sympathetically. Dinah had enough sympathy, didn’t she? He’d really like to get back to his game.
Dinah closed her eyes, as if the sun would make her concussion worse, and reached out blindly for Luke. “I think I’m going to faint. Could I rest my head on your shoulder, just for a second?”
Luke deflated. No more volleyball for him. Not when Dinah needed him so desperately.
Desperately.
Treva scooted over so Luke could sit next to Dinah. He sidled close and let her lay her head on his shoulder. He felt awkward with her leaning on him like this, but there was nothing to do but take it like a man. He stiffened and did his best not to move a muscle. He didn’t want Dinah’s head to slip off his shoulder and catapult her into the dirt.
She opened her eyes long enough to look at him. “Denki, Luke. You are a wunderbarr boy. My mamm always says so.”
Her praise didn’t give him any sort of thrill or even the mildest satisfaction. Her constant compliments made her admiration meaningless.
He did his best not to notice Poppy when she stepped out of the buggy with her sisters. Poppy Christner was just another girl at the gathering. They didn’t have to speak to each other. He had no trouble ignoring the royal-blue dress or the way it accented the color of her eyes. He could see the bandage that covered her cut, but from this far, he couldn’t clearly see the freckles that dotted her nose or the dimple on her cheek or the obstinate smile that took his breath away, but it was hard to miss the sling over her arm or forget why she had to wear it.
He cringed with self-condemnation. The shoulder injury was no one’s fault but his own. In his panic, he had yanked too hard when he pulled her out of the water. He’d been so angry and afraid, that he’d been reckless. No wonder she hated him.
He cleared his throat three times. He couldn’t swallow, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak. She didn’t hate him because he’d pulled her out of the ditch. It went much deeper than that.
Like Bitsy said, he acted too big for his britches.
His gaze followed her every move as she and her sisters and Dan left the parking lot and strolled into the park. She said hello to Mahlon and Moses Zook. Owen Zimmerman made her laugh. Ohio John Newswenger offered to take the plate of cookies she carried in her one good hand. Wallace Sensenig stared at her like an eager puppy waiting for a treat.
Luke clenched his teeth.
Poppy Christner hated him.
The thought made his bones ache.
Sensing Dinah’s gaze on him, he glanced down. She studied his face with wide eyes and a puzzled frown. Turning her gaze in the direction he’d been looking, she stiffened like a slab of cement. “What’s she doing here?”
“The whole district was invited.”
She lifted her head and patted Mandy on the leg. “Look at how she positions herself so she’s in the center of all the boys. She’s such a flirt.”
Luke and Dinah were obviously seeing two different things. The boys had sought Poppy out. She stood in a group with Dan and her
sisters and four or five boys who were quickly devouring the cookies on her plate. Josiah caught sight of Rose, left his volleyball game, and made a beeline for the Christner schwesters. He snatched a cookie off the plate as an excuse for creeping up on Rose. Luke felt personally offended every time one of those cookies disappeared. Dan knew how much Luke liked Poppy’s baking. If he were any kind of friend, he’d save at least three cookies for Luke.
Mandy, bless her, must have read his mind. “Look, Dinah. She brought chocolate chip cookies. We can prove to Luke that yours are better.”
Dinah thought about it for a little too long. Was she afraid of Poppy’s cookies? “Okay, I guess, if she’ll even let us taste one.”
Mandy jumped up from the bench, grabbed Dinah’s hand, and pulled her along. It looked like the concussion was cured.
“Luke, come on,” Dinah said as Mandy pulled her away. “You’re the one who has to do the tasting.”
Luke didn’t want to be anywhere near Poppy. She hated him. He didn’t see a conversation going well. Maybe he could snatch a cookie off the plate and walk away without having to say anything.
Poppy’s smile could have lit up the whole sky. That is, until she glanced up and made eye contact with Luke as he, Dinah, and Mandy approached her little group. Her smile disappeared like a July snowman, and something painful flashed in her green eyes. She immediately turned her face away as if she hadn’t seen him.
“Can we have a cookie?” Mandy asked. Without waiting for permission, she grabbed three off the plate.
Dan slapped Luke on the shoulder. “Luke, wie gehts? I thought you might stay buried in that workshop until winter.”
“I have an order for a table and some chairs.”
Poppy wouldn’t look at him, but she pursed her lips and lifted her chin like she was preparing for Luke to yell at her. Was that really what she expected of him? Talk about a punch to the gut.
Lily folded her arms and raised her eyebrows in Luke’s direction, as if she sorely wanted to scold him. Rose frowned at him as if he’d thrown Billy Idol in the ditch. They’d been talking to Poppy. He’d never be invited over again.
Not that he wanted to be invited over.
Mandy handed him a cookie, and he bit into it before realizing how foolish it was to do so. How would he break the news to Dinah that everything Poppy made was better than Dinah’s baking? Just as he expected, Poppy’s cookie was soft and sweet and practically melted in his mouth. He could have eaten the entire plateful. He finished it off before Poppy could tell him he couldn’t have it.
Dinah took a bite and pinched her lips together in indignation. It was hard even for her to go on pretending that her cookie tasted anywhere near as gute. “Why, Poppy Christner, I believe you have stolen my cookie recipe,” she said, in a sickly sweet tone she usually saved to scold her little sister.
Rose put her hand over her mouth and giggled softly. Lily disguised her smirk with a smile.
It was clear Poppy didn’t want a fight, even if Dinah had just accused her of stealing. The light in her eyes dimmed, and she breathed out a weary sigh. “It’s a high compliment that you think my cookies taste like yours. Yours are delicious.”
Dinah wasn’t appeased. She propped a hand on her hip. “Who gave you my recipe? No one has permission to use it but me.”
That wasn’t such a bad thing. The fewer bad cookies in the world, the better.
Poppy looked more resigned than angry, but she cocked an eyebrow and stared at Dinah as if to silence her for good. “If you don’t want me to use your recipe, you shouldn’t put it on the back of the chocolate chip bag.”
Dan threw back his head and laughed. Owen and Wallace were too polite to laugh, but they both widened their eyes and tried not to smile. Dinah’s jaw dropped to the ground. No one won a battle with Poppy.
Not even Luke.
His heart pounded an uneven rhythm. He didn’t mind so much.
Dinah glanced resentfully at the faces in the circle. Dan, Owen, and Wallace grinned like cats. The Honeybee Sisters were poised for Dinah to pounce. “How did you hurt your arm? Were you acting like a boy again?” Dinah said, sprinkling her overly sweet voice with a little nastiness.
Luke tensed at the insult behind the question. Dinah shouldn’t treat Poppy that way. She’d been very brave.
His own stupidity punched him in the mouth and knocked the wind out of him. He’d given Poppy a lot worse.
Lily lifted her chin. “She saved four kittens, Dinah. Griff Simons tried to drown them in the ditch, and Poppy fished them out.”
Poppy glanced at Luke and frowned. “Luke told me not to.”
Dan grinned. “But you didn’t listen. Smart girl.”
Luke wanted to smack his best friend upside the head.
Wallace took another cookie from the plate. Hadn’t he had his share already? “I heard Griff was back. Did he hurt you, Poppy?”
“Nae. Luke pulled my shoulder out of place when he helped me out of the ditch.”
The boys hovering around Poppy eyed Luke as if he’d broken all the rules of the Ordnung. “Luke,” Owen said. “What were you trying to do? Drag her halfway to Iowa?”
Luke stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I feared she might drown. That’s why I told her not to go in.”
Dinah nodded, her lips puckered in a smug pout. “There, you see? If Poppy hadn’t been such a silly goose but done what Luke told her, she wouldn’t have hurt her shoulder.”
Poppy’s eyes danced with defiance. “I never do what Luke tells me.”
She’d never looked prettier. He forgot how to breathe.
“You saved those kittens,” Ohio John said. “No one can fault you for that.”
Poppy gave Ohio John a beautiful, knock-your-hat-off smile. Why was John hanging around Poppy’s cookies? Everybody knew he had a wheat allergy.
“I think it’s very selfish of her to jump in the water and expect Luke to risk his own life to save her,” Mandy said. She and Dinah nodded to each other.
Luke cleared his throat. “I didn’t risk my life. I just got wet.”
Poppy’s eyes darted to his face. He’d surprised her. She’d been expecting an attack.
“Dinah,” Dan said, grinning as if it were Christmas morning, “I know you’re very protective of Luke, and I’m sorry you’re offended, but are you saying you would have let the kittens drown?”
Every eye zeroed in on Dinah. A blush traveled up her neck. “If Luke had told me to stay out of the ditch . . .”
“Would you have pushed Dorothy in and made her swim for the kittens?” Lily said.
Dinah pulled herself up to her full, indignant height of five feet two inches. “For sure and certain not.”
Poppy almost knocked Luke over with her gaze. “Even if you think I behaved poorly, I can’t regret doing it.”
At that moment, Poppy looked so fierce and loyal and beautiful, he didn’t regret her doing it either.
He held his breath as the world spun like a dust devil around him. What had he done? What if Poppy had not been there that day? Joann or even little Dorothy would have jumped in. Neither of them was anywhere near as strong as Poppy. They would have gotten hurt, or worse.
Dorothy and Joann were home safe, playing with their new kittens because of Poppy Christner. And he’d yelled at her for being brave enough to act instead of panic. If Poppy hadn’t been there, Luke would have let those kittens die to keep his sisters safe, and they’d probably cry and sulk and give him the silent treatment for weeks.
His heart throbbed with regret. Why, oh why had he gotten so mad?
Because headstrong, independent Poppy Christner had wounded his pride. She hadn’t cared for his opinion, and he’d been offended, pure and simple. He’d been mad that she put herself in danger, but Poppy never thought about the danger if someone needed her help. Even someone like the little Englisch boy in town.
From across the street, Luke had watched that mother become increasingly agitated with her son. He couldn’t
have done anything about it. It wouldn’t have been appropriate for an Amish man to accost a woman in the street, even if she did need help.
And then Poppy had appeared like an angel from heaven and got a slap in the face for her trouble. That’s how Poppy was. If she thought she could help, she charged in, regardless of the consequences. Luke had to hold himself back from marching across the street and pulling Poppy into his protective embrace. Seeing her sitting on that bench with the Englisch woman had nearly cracked his hard heart. Poppy might be foolhardy, but she was also good and strong and unafraid.
He winced as his own words came back to him. You’re a girl, Poppy. You’re weaker and softer, and you’re never going to be as good as the boys at anything. Ach. He’d taken back the drill. That must have felt like a slap in the face.
To his horror, he realized he had meant it to hurt her.
He felt thoroughly, nose-in-the-dirt ashamed of himself. He, who prided himself on protecting women and treating them with respect and kindness, had yelled things at Poppy that he wouldn’t say to his worst enemy. His emotions reeled as if he’d been hit in the head with a shovel.
Oh, sis yuscht. He’d told her he hated her.
He knew one thing for certain.
He didn’t hate Poppy Christner.
He wanted to get down on one knee right there and beg for her forgiveness, but studying the determined set of her jaw and the fire that burned hot in her eyes, he despaired of ever getting another crumb of kindness from her. He’d never be able to make up for how cruel he’d been.
Sweat beaded on Dinah’s lip as she realized that only Mandy and Luke agreed with her. That is, she believed Luke agreed with her, but he had very recently changed his mind. She huffed out her indignation. “Poppy wants to be like the boys when she should be content with the place Gotte has put her.”
Josiah kept his eyes glued to Rose. “No one is as brave as Poppy. Gotte put her here to bless our lives.”
Rose practically burst out of her skin smiling at Josiah.
Dinah folded her arms. “There’s a difference between being brave and being foolish. Isn’t there, Luke?”
He glued his gaze to Poppy’s face and prayed she’d see the remorse in his eyes. “Jah,” he said. “I’m the fool.”