Her Forgiving Amish Heart

She scowled. Not that she would ever like Henry Yoder. The man couldn’t be trusted. She had forgiven him for what he’d done to Isaac. But forget? Never.

Leah wondered how long she should stay in the room. Was Henry upset enough to leave her there? To lock up the store and go home? And what would she do if he did? How would she get her horse and wagon? Were the pole-barn doors locked? Would she be able to slide them open if they weren’t? Panic set in and she had trouble catching her breath. She recognized her symptoms as hyperventilation, having suffered from it once before. Yet, she was powerless to help herself.

“Leah, the rain’s stopped.” Henry entered as she struggled to slow her breathing. She heard him utter an exclamation and saw him rush out of the room. He returned within minutes with a paper bag. “Leah,” he coaxed softly, “breathe into this.”

She looked up with relief as she took it and held it over her nose and mouth. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply into the bag until she was able to draw a normal breath. She could sense Henry’s presence, feel his concern. She was a terrible person. The man had been there for her twice, and she’d snapped at him like a shrew.

Slowly she opened her eyes and faced him. Henry studied her with concern, which eased when she pulled the bag from her mouth. He was taller than her by several inches. She looked up at him with remorse. “I’m sorry.”

He frowned. “What for?”

“My behavior.” For some reason, her voice was hoarse and she didn’t know why.

The grin that curved up his mouth lit up his face and sky blue eyes. “Leah,” he said, “I was trying to make you mad.”

She jerked. “What?”

His lips shifted into a gentle smile. “While you were livid, you forgot about the storm.”

Her anger left as quickly as it had come. “You knew I was terrified,” she said softly.

“Ja.”

She blushed. “I didn’t want you to see.”

The good humor left his expression. “I understand.”

Leah stared at him and wondered if he did understand, but she didn’t want to discuss her fear anymore, and she prayed and hoped that he would keep her weakness to himself. “You won’t tell anyone?”

He appeared confused. “About—”

“That I’m a coward and deathly afraid of thunderstorms.”

His eyes widened. “You’re no coward, Leah. A coward wouldn’t have run out into the storm to see her horse to safety.”

Leah blinked, pleased by his words.

“I’ll not say a word about today, Leah.” Henry looked sad, and Leah struggled with the urge to do something to make his sadness go away. “No one will know that you spent any time here with me in the store. Your secret is safe.”

And for some odd reason, Leah felt dejected as he preceded her out of the room, then out of the store...and as she watched him open the barn doors for her and waited for her to get into her wagon. As she steered her buggy home, the feeling intensified and tears stung her eyes. She had no idea why she was so emotional about taking shelter during a thunderstorm.

* * *

Henry stood near the barn and watched Leah leave. His thoughts were in turmoil. Everyone in the community had forgiven him for keeping silent except Leah Stoltzfus—and himself. Despite his hurt feelings, he liked being in Leah’s company. She was a mystery that he wanted to unravel. It was true that he hadn’t been back to her church community. His family had left after learning about Isaac’s involvement in the vandalism to Whittier’s Store. His father didn’t want Isaac to be a bad influence, which made him feel worse. After he’d come forward and confessed and told the truth about Isaac’s innocence before Leah’s church community, his parents had been so horrified by Henry’s involvement that they’d felt compelled to stay with their new church district. Despite the new people he’d met, he missed his friends. Isaac had been more than generous in his forgiveness of him. They were close friends again, and Henry could never repay Isaac enough for thinking to protect him by accepting blame.

He’d wanted for a long time to return to the church community he’d been a part of for most of his life. He wanted to see the Lapps every Sunday, to spend more time with Isaac and his siblings, and the Zooks and all of the other families he’d known and cared about. After this afternoon he wanted to see and spend time with Leah again. One way or another he’d find a way to make her forgive him—and like him. There was something about the woman that made his heart race. She made him feel alive. From the moment he’d seen her outside the door, he’d known who she was. He was glad that he’d been there to make sure she was all right. He’d liked helping her, wished he could have done more.

Henry went back inside. He peeked into the storage room, saw the damp quilt that he’d placed around her shoulders and felt the kick to his belly caused by her absence. He’d caught her stroking the stitches along the pattern as if she appreciated the quilt and all the work that had gone into it. There was something about her expression that got to him. He wanted to learn all of her secrets. “I’m going to make you like me, Leah Stoltzfus, if it’s the last thing I do.”

He draped the damp quilt over the counter to dry, then flipped off the light and went back into the rear room to finish the store’s bookkeeping. This building was the only one on the property with electricity. The church elders allowed it in certain businesses, although not in their homes and outbuildings. Cell phones were allowed for business use, but his parents were opposed to them so Yoder’s General Store didn’t have one. Henry knew that would have to change if they were ever to increase their business to include more of the English. Until then he’d keep his mouth shut and work in the store. He had a dream of his own and it wasn’t to take over the family business. But he stifled that dream because he owed it to his parents for all the trouble he’d caused them. Now, with his father suddenly in the hospital and his mother spending her days at his bedside, it was up to him to make sure Yoder’s General Store ran smoothly as usual.

Someday, if the Lord deemed it, he would have his choice of making a living—as a cabinetmaker. Not in competition with Noah Lapp, who had a good business crafting quality furniture. But similar to what Ethan Bontrager did for a living in New Holland, making kitchen cabinets, vanities and bookcases. He and Isaac had spent some time in Noah’s furniture shop. He’d loved feeling the texture of the wood, instinctively knowing that he’d be good at cabinetry.

Henry grinned as he recalled Leah’s reaction to his comment about her and Mary Bontrager. Isaac and he had never discussed Leah’s friendship with Mary. He knew because he’d seen them together often enough when he’d attended church service or Visiting Sunday gatherings. Isaac and he had talked about Henry’s secret desire for his future, and Isaac had mentioned that Mary Hershberger Bontrager’s husband, Ethan, made cabinets for a living. His friend had suggested that Henry talk with Ethan about the business. Henry had planned to visit Ethan the next day, but then his father’s recent heart attack had changed everything. He’d visited Dat in the hospital, where his parents had made him promise to run the store. Henry had agreed. Being a dutiful son was the least he could do for the parents who’d raised and loved him.

Unable to be or do what he wanted didn’t mean he couldn’t make the best out of a difficult situation. He’d keep the store open. And I’ll convince Leah to forgive me. He smiled as he looked forward to the challenge.

Chapter Two (#u85e5ee56-92fd-55b6-bf90-f9f1d609e6d3)

Her family was relieved to see Leah as she steered the wagon into the yard and parked it near the barn. They were all outside, as if hoping that the buggy sound they’d heard was her. She climbed down from the vehicle and faced them.

“Leah!” Mam said as she hurried forward, quickly followed by Ellie and Charlie. “I was worried that you’d been caught in the storm.” Her eyes widened as she took in Leah’s appearance—the damp state of her clothes, her missing prayer kapp and wet hair.

“Ja, I was caught at first but managed to find shelter.” Leah smiled to reassure her and her sisters as she watched her father descend the front porch and approach more slowly. He looked more concerned than her mother. “As you can see, I’m fine.” She met her father’s gaze as he drew close. “Dat.”

“Leah.” He studied her as if gauging whether or not she was all right, then he seemed to let go of his worry. “I’m glad you’re home.”

“I am, too, Dat.” She moved toward the house and everyone fell into step with her. “I’m hungry, though. ’Tis been a long time since lunch.”

“Supper is nearly ready,” her mother said, moving ahead, apparently eager to get the meal on the table.

“We’re having fried chicken,” Charlie added with delight. She hurried to help her mother.

Leah turned to Ellie. “Were you caught in it?” she asked her sister.

“Nay. Got home just in the nick of time.” Ellie eyed her carefully. “’Twas a bad one.”

“Ja,” she agreed.

“Ellie, you should help your mudder.”

“Ja, Dat.” Leah watched her sister run into the house. She turned toward her father.

“Dochter,” he said.

“Ja?”

“Was it awful?”

She knew what he meant. He was asking how well she’d coped with her fear. He was the only one who knew of her phobia. He was the one who’d found her during a raging storm curled up in a ball in an open field, sobbing with terror as thunder crashed overhead and lightning flashed while it threatened to strike her. He’d picked her up and carried her to safety. Despite the fact they were walking through the storm to the nearest shelter in their barn, she’d felt safe and secure within his arms. She was three years old at the time. Her mother hadn’t been home. Mam and her older sister, Nell, were at her grandparents’ house. As young as she’d been, Leah had begged her father that no one learn of what happened. Her father had agreed readily. Her mother was with Meg, and he hadn’t wanted to upset her. And so they’d both kept the knowledge—and Leah’s subsequent fear of thunderstorms—to themselves. As far as she knew, she hid her fear well and her family still didn’t know.

“Nay,” she said and realized that she spoke the truth. “I did gut.” Despite her initial terror, she’d weathered the storm better than usual—because of Henry Yoder. She felt worse than ever before for treating him badly.

Her father’s expression cleared. “That’s wonderful, Leah.” His smile reached his eyes. “Let’s go eat supper.”

Surrounded by her parents and sisters at the dinner table, Leah felt the stress of being caught in the storm and her time spent with Henry dissipate. She smiled as she listened idly to her youngest sister Charlotte’s conversation with Ellie.

“Visiting Day is at Aunt Katie and Uncle Samuel’s,” Charlie said. “Can we bring chowchow and apple pie?”