Read Online A Love Made New by Kathleen Fuller - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kathleen Fuller
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to eat. He wouldn’t see her hidden shame, at least not reflected on her face.
“Abigail.” He came up behind her and she felt his coat across her shoulders. Typical Asa. He was kind enough to warn her about Joel and Rebecca. Why wouldn’t he be just as kind dealing with her reaction to the news?
“Come inside,” he said, his hands on her shoulders, as if he was making sure she wouldn’t whip off his coat and throw it back at him again. His coat didn’t fit her any better than it had weeks ago. Yet she seemed to be enveloped with warmth.
She turned toward him and looked up into his eyes. Snowflakes speckled his blue-black hair. He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. She knew he had to be freezing. Yet neither of them moved as their gazes locked. Then he brushed his thumb over the corner of her mouth.
“Chocolate,” he whispered, drawing his thumb away.
That one word was the equivalent of an ice bucket sloshing over her. She had chocolate on her mouth from her candy binge. She stepped away from him and went back inside. A moment later she heard the door shut behind her.
She leaned against the counter, trying to slow her heartbeat, her lips still tingling from where he had touched her. Then her stomach rebelled and she put her hand over it. She shouldn’t have eaten that much chocolate at once. She shouldn’t have gone outside in the cold. She shouldn’t be so affected by Joel’s engagement news.
She shouldn’t want Asa Bontrager to touch her again.
She heard him come up behind her and she took in a deep breath. It was time for her to be practical. To not let her emotions and impulses take over like they normally did. To not read anything into Asa’s kindness. Fortifying herself, she removed his coat, turned, and smiled. “ Danki ,” she said, handing it to him. “That was dumm of me, to forget mei coat.” Her voice sounded like a cross between a bullfrog and one of Homer’s squeaky dog toys, so she cleared her throat. “I appreciate you letting me know about Joel.”
He took the coat and peered down at her with a concerned gaze that reached clear to her cold toes. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Of course!” She laughed to show him she was fine. It came out like a strained garble, but it was the best she could do. Then she managed part of a real smile. “Honestly, Asa, I’ll be okay. I’ve been through worse.” She hadn’t meant to say that last part.
“I know.” His voice and gaze were steady. “That’s why I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t be.” She moved past him and pushed the kitchen chairs back under the table. Then she smiled at him again. “Everything is okay.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.” Her smile widened, and it even reached a little bit of her heart. “I appreciate yer thoughtfulness,” she said.
Something flickered in his eyes before he took his hat. He put it on his head. “If you need to talk, let me know.”
“I will.”
“I mean it.” The intensity in his eyes nearly undid her. “I’m here for you, Abigail.” He put on his coat, gave her one last look, and left.
Somehow, deep in her heart, she knew he meant it.
CHAPTER 7
N aomi finished polishing the coffee table in Rhoda Troyer’s living room. Tomorrow would be the first time Rhoda had hosted church since her husband, Emmanuel, left. Rhoda could have refused to host and no one would have questioned her about it. Naomi was surprised she had agreed; this had to be hard for her. That was why she was here helping her friend get ready for tomorrow’s service and fellowship.
Sol was out positioning the benches for morning worship in the barn with a couple of other men. Naomi also wondered what he thought about hosting the service, but she wouldn’t ask. She knew what it was like to want to keep feelings close to the heart.
“What’s next?” she asked Rhoda as she stood, feeling a bit of a pinch in her back from bending over. Getting older wasn’t for the faint of heart.
“Abigail.” He came up behind her and she felt his coat across her shoulders. Typical Asa. He was kind enough to warn her about Joel and Rebecca. Why wouldn’t he be just as kind dealing with her reaction to the news?
“Come inside,” he said, his hands on her shoulders, as if he was making sure she wouldn’t whip off his coat and throw it back at him again. His coat didn’t fit her any better than it had weeks ago. Yet she seemed to be enveloped with warmth.
She turned toward him and looked up into his eyes. Snowflakes speckled his blue-black hair. He was wearing a short-sleeved shirt. She knew he had to be freezing. Yet neither of them moved as their gazes locked. Then he brushed his thumb over the corner of her mouth.
“Chocolate,” he whispered, drawing his thumb away.
That one word was the equivalent of an ice bucket sloshing over her. She had chocolate on her mouth from her candy binge. She stepped away from him and went back inside. A moment later she heard the door shut behind her.
She leaned against the counter, trying to slow her heartbeat, her lips still tingling from where he had touched her. Then her stomach rebelled and she put her hand over it. She shouldn’t have eaten that much chocolate at once. She shouldn’t have gone outside in the cold. She shouldn’t be so affected by Joel’s engagement news.
She shouldn’t want Asa Bontrager to touch her again.
She heard him come up behind her and she took in a deep breath. It was time for her to be practical. To not let her emotions and impulses take over like they normally did. To not read anything into Asa’s kindness. Fortifying herself, she removed his coat, turned, and smiled. “ Danki ,” she said, handing it to him. “That was dumm of me, to forget mei coat.” Her voice sounded like a cross between a bullfrog and one of Homer’s squeaky dog toys, so she cleared her throat. “I appreciate you letting me know about Joel.”
He took the coat and peered down at her with a concerned gaze that reached clear to her cold toes. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Of course!” She laughed to show him she was fine. It came out like a strained garble, but it was the best she could do. Then she managed part of a real smile. “Honestly, Asa, I’ll be okay. I’ve been through worse.” She hadn’t meant to say that last part.
“I know.” His voice and gaze were steady. “That’s why I’m worried about you.”
“Don’t be.” She moved past him and pushed the kitchen chairs back under the table. Then she smiled at him again. “Everything is okay.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive.” Her smile widened, and it even reached a little bit of her heart. “I appreciate yer thoughtfulness,” she said.
Something flickered in his eyes before he took his hat. He put it on his head. “If you need to talk, let me know.”
“I will.”
“I mean it.” The intensity in his eyes nearly undid her. “I’m here for you, Abigail.” He put on his coat, gave her one last look, and left.
Somehow, deep in her heart, she knew he meant it.
CHAPTER 7
N aomi finished polishing the coffee table in Rhoda Troyer’s living room. Tomorrow would be the first time Rhoda had hosted church since her husband, Emmanuel, left. Rhoda could have refused to host and no one would have questioned her about it. Naomi was surprised she had agreed; this had to be hard for her. That was why she was here helping her friend get ready for tomorrow’s service and fellowship.
Sol was out positioning the benches for morning worship in the barn with a couple of other men. Naomi also wondered what he thought about hosting the service, but she wouldn’t ask. She knew what it was like to want to keep feelings close to the heart.
“What’s next?” she asked Rhoda as she stood, feeling a bit of a pinch in her back from bending over. Getting older wasn’t for the faint of heart.
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