Read Online A Love Made New by Kathleen Fuller - Free Book Online
Authors: Kathleen Fuller
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disappeared and shut the door to keep out the frigid cold. On the way over he had promised himself he wouldn’t be affected by her. Since Andrew’s wedding, he’d forced himself to leave her alone. God had been silent on the matter and Asa figured he must have misinterpreted his feelings for Abigail, especially since nothing bad had happened when he didn’t seek her out. Unlike when he’d been disobedient in Indiana, his life hadn’t fallen apart.
Keeping his distance had also given him perspective. There wasn’t a deep, connecting attraction between them. He had merely sympathized with her—she had experienced a lot of disappointment lately and he knew what that was like. Of course, none of that changed the fact that he still thought she was cute.
He continued to look at her, his heart hammering in his chest. He was such a liar. He felt deeply for Abigail, and that was never more acute until this moment when he was in close proximity to her after keeping so much distance between them.
He was also filled with dread. He hadn’t wanted to see her, not under these circumstances. He thought she’d be at the store, and he’d stopped there first. When Sadie said Abigail was home and to not bother knocking when he went inside, he hadn’t known Abigail would be in the kitchen. He thought he’d have a few more minutes to prepare himself, to think of what to say to her. Because that morning when he’d overheard Joel talking to a mutual friend at work about what he planned to do tomorrow at church, Asa knew he had to talk to her.
Her wide eyes narrowed, but she kept her gaze on him. It took him a second, but he recognized the emotion in her eyes and it surprised him. Defiance. She went back to chewing her candy bar, slowly and with a lift of her chin. When she finished that one, she unwrapped a second one, broke off a piece, and put it into her mouth.
There wasn’t anything intimate in the way she was eating or how she was looking at him. But there was some sort of challenge going on that he didn’t understand, as if she was daring him to say something about her eating two chocolate bars in succession. He didn’t care if she ate a whole box. What he did care about was her reaction to Joel’s news.
He took off his hat. “Hi, Abigail,” he said, unable to think of a better way to start the conversation.
She finished chewing, still staring at him. Then she paused before tossing the rest of the candy bar in the trash. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Hi.”
He noticed she had a smudge of chocolate on the corner of her lip. His arm lifted and he realized he was about to walk over and wipe it off her mouth with his thumb. He forced his hand to his side. He was back to losing all common sense when he was around her—something he’d never had to deal with before.
“Do you need something, Asa?”
He gripped the rim of his hat. Maybe he shouldn’t say anything. The situation wasn’t his business. But then he imagined Abigail’s face in church tomorrow when she heard about Joel and Rebecca, and he couldn’t walk away even though he wanted to. “I need to talk to you.” He glanced at the chairs around the table. “We should probably sit down.”
He saw a spark of worry in her eyes. “Why?”
He pulled out a chair for her. “I’ll tell you once you sit down.”
“Asa, just tell me what’s wrong.”
“I’ll tell you when you sit down.” He parked himself in a second chair and looked up at her.
“Now you’ve got me worried.” She sat down next to him, and he wondered if she noticed she was so close he could touch her hand if he wanted to. And I want to. He bent the brim of his hat until he thought he’d crease it permanently. Which was hard to do with a stiff Amish hat. He pulled in a breath. “Abigail . . . I heard something at work today.”
Her face paled. “What?” Then she frowned. “Is it about Joel?”
Now he really wished he hadn’t come here. He kept a grip on his hat as he
Keeping his distance had also given him perspective. There wasn’t a deep, connecting attraction between them. He had merely sympathized with her—she had experienced a lot of disappointment lately and he knew what that was like. Of course, none of that changed the fact that he still thought she was cute.
He continued to look at her, his heart hammering in his chest. He was such a liar. He felt deeply for Abigail, and that was never more acute until this moment when he was in close proximity to her after keeping so much distance between them.
He was also filled with dread. He hadn’t wanted to see her, not under these circumstances. He thought she’d be at the store, and he’d stopped there first. When Sadie said Abigail was home and to not bother knocking when he went inside, he hadn’t known Abigail would be in the kitchen. He thought he’d have a few more minutes to prepare himself, to think of what to say to her. Because that morning when he’d overheard Joel talking to a mutual friend at work about what he planned to do tomorrow at church, Asa knew he had to talk to her.
Her wide eyes narrowed, but she kept her gaze on him. It took him a second, but he recognized the emotion in her eyes and it surprised him. Defiance. She went back to chewing her candy bar, slowly and with a lift of her chin. When she finished that one, she unwrapped a second one, broke off a piece, and put it into her mouth.
There wasn’t anything intimate in the way she was eating or how she was looking at him. But there was some sort of challenge going on that he didn’t understand, as if she was daring him to say something about her eating two chocolate bars in succession. He didn’t care if she ate a whole box. What he did care about was her reaction to Joel’s news.
He took off his hat. “Hi, Abigail,” he said, unable to think of a better way to start the conversation.
She finished chewing, still staring at him. Then she paused before tossing the rest of the candy bar in the trash. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Hi.”
He noticed she had a smudge of chocolate on the corner of her lip. His arm lifted and he realized he was about to walk over and wipe it off her mouth with his thumb. He forced his hand to his side. He was back to losing all common sense when he was around her—something he’d never had to deal with before.
“Do you need something, Asa?”
He gripped the rim of his hat. Maybe he shouldn’t say anything. The situation wasn’t his business. But then he imagined Abigail’s face in church tomorrow when she heard about Joel and Rebecca, and he couldn’t walk away even though he wanted to. “I need to talk to you.” He glanced at the chairs around the table. “We should probably sit down.”
He saw a spark of worry in her eyes. “Why?”
He pulled out a chair for her. “I’ll tell you once you sit down.”
“Asa, just tell me what’s wrong.”
“I’ll tell you when you sit down.” He parked himself in a second chair and looked up at her.
“Now you’ve got me worried.” She sat down next to him, and he wondered if she noticed she was so close he could touch her hand if he wanted to. And I want to. He bent the brim of his hat until he thought he’d crease it permanently. Which was hard to do with a stiff Amish hat. He pulled in a breath. “Abigail . . . I heard something at work today.”
Her face paled. “What?” Then she frowned. “Is it about Joel?”
Now he really wished he hadn’t come here. He kept a grip on his hat as he
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