Read Online Gay Amish 03 - A Way Home by Keira Andrews - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Keira Andrews
Ads: Link
Isaac’s voice came from inside the house.
With a weary sigh, Mr. Byler stepped back, and Isaac edged around him, his face alight. He took a shuddering breath. “David. I’m so glad you came.”
David could only nod for fear that he’d sob if he spoke.
“Let me tell you what’s happening with Nathan.” He reached back inside to grab his coat off a hook. “Please go ahead and have dinner without me, Father.”
Mr. Byler opened his mouth, but Isaac rushed past him and tugged on David’s sleeve. David could feel Mr. Byler’s gaze boring into him as he and Isaac retreated some feet away. “Isaac,” Mr. Byler intoned.
Isaac turned. “Yes, Father?”
He reached behind him, disappearing for a moment before holding out a black felt hat. “You forgot this.”
After scurrying back, Isaac put on the hat and rejoined David. Then the door closed, and they were alone under the rising moon. They faced each other, and David reached for him before he could stop himself.
Isaac jammed his hands in his coat pockets. “You know they’re watching,” he murmured.
David nodded and clasped his hands behind him again. “Sorry.” He swallowed forcefully and made sure to keep his voice low. “There’s so much I want to say…”
“Me too.”
“I’m sorry, Isaac.” David wanted to hang his head, but he met Isaac’s gaze. “I’m so sorry. For what happened between us, and for Nathan. For everything.”
“I don’t care.”
Inhaling sharply, David almost staggered in the muck. Would Isaac really not forgive him? “I…please, Isaac.” His voice was barely audible.
“No, no—wait. That didn’t sound right.” Eyes glistening, Isaac shook his head. “I do care. Of course I do. I mean that it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m upset about what happened, and there are important things we have to talk about, but right now I’m just so glad you’re here. I want…” He glanced over his shoulder at the house. A curtain flickered. “But we can’t. They’ll see.” He whispered, “I missed you so much the last few days.”
“I did too.” David surged with relief. “I tried to get here as soon as I could.”
“I know. I’m sorry I left without you. I just had to get back. If Nathan…” He shuddered. “But I talked to him today, at least. He seems all right. As much as he can be, I guess.”
“That’s good. I’m glad.”
“Have you gone home yet?”
David shook his head. “I needed to see you first. I…Isaac…”
“I know,” Isaac murmured. “I know.”
He dug his fingernails into his hands behind his back. “I want to hold you again,” David whispered.
“I know. We will. We just have to be careful.” He smiled sadly. “We’ve had lots of practice, at least.”
“I can’t believe we’re here again.” David waved a hand over them, indicated their Amish clothes. “I keep thinking I’ll wake up and hear the bus down the street, and that you’ll be beside me in our bed.”
Isaac closed his eyes for a moment. “I want that. But I need to be here, at least for now. How’s Aaron?”
“I don’t know. Quiet. I think this is very hard for him.”
Isaac sighed. “I hated leaving him behind today. But I had to. You understand, don’t you? I had to see the kids.”
“I understand. Aaron does too.”
“Are you staying at June’s, or are you going home?”
“I don’t know.” Despite his reaction when he saw the Byler’s house, he knew that home wasn’t in Zebulon anymore. “I don’t know how my mother will react.”
“She loves you. She’ll be glad to see you. Just like I am.” Isaac smiled softly. Then he stood up straighter. “I could take you over there in the buggy. We could be alone for a bit.”
Excitement whipped through him, and David nodded vigorously. “Will they let you?”
“Come on.” In the darkness, Isaac squeezed David’s fingers for a fleeting moment.
David followed Isaac inside, lingering by the front door. Down the short hallway he could
With a weary sigh, Mr. Byler stepped back, and Isaac edged around him, his face alight. He took a shuddering breath. “David. I’m so glad you came.”
David could only nod for fear that he’d sob if he spoke.
“Let me tell you what’s happening with Nathan.” He reached back inside to grab his coat off a hook. “Please go ahead and have dinner without me, Father.”
Mr. Byler opened his mouth, but Isaac rushed past him and tugged on David’s sleeve. David could feel Mr. Byler’s gaze boring into him as he and Isaac retreated some feet away. “Isaac,” Mr. Byler intoned.
Isaac turned. “Yes, Father?”
He reached behind him, disappearing for a moment before holding out a black felt hat. “You forgot this.”
After scurrying back, Isaac put on the hat and rejoined David. Then the door closed, and they were alone under the rising moon. They faced each other, and David reached for him before he could stop himself.
Isaac jammed his hands in his coat pockets. “You know they’re watching,” he murmured.
David nodded and clasped his hands behind him again. “Sorry.” He swallowed forcefully and made sure to keep his voice low. “There’s so much I want to say…”
“Me too.”
“I’m sorry, Isaac.” David wanted to hang his head, but he met Isaac’s gaze. “I’m so sorry. For what happened between us, and for Nathan. For everything.”
“I don’t care.”
Inhaling sharply, David almost staggered in the muck. Would Isaac really not forgive him? “I…please, Isaac.” His voice was barely audible.
“No, no—wait. That didn’t sound right.” Eyes glistening, Isaac shook his head. “I do care. Of course I do. I mean that it doesn’t matter anymore. I’m upset about what happened, and there are important things we have to talk about, but right now I’m just so glad you’re here. I want…” He glanced over his shoulder at the house. A curtain flickered. “But we can’t. They’ll see.” He whispered, “I missed you so much the last few days.”
“I did too.” David surged with relief. “I tried to get here as soon as I could.”
“I know. I’m sorry I left without you. I just had to get back. If Nathan…” He shuddered. “But I talked to him today, at least. He seems all right. As much as he can be, I guess.”
“That’s good. I’m glad.”
“Have you gone home yet?”
David shook his head. “I needed to see you first. I…Isaac…”
“I know,” Isaac murmured. “I know.”
He dug his fingernails into his hands behind his back. “I want to hold you again,” David whispered.
“I know. We will. We just have to be careful.” He smiled sadly. “We’ve had lots of practice, at least.”
“I can’t believe we’re here again.” David waved a hand over them, indicated their Amish clothes. “I keep thinking I’ll wake up and hear the bus down the street, and that you’ll be beside me in our bed.”
Isaac closed his eyes for a moment. “I want that. But I need to be here, at least for now. How’s Aaron?”
“I don’t know. Quiet. I think this is very hard for him.”
Isaac sighed. “I hated leaving him behind today. But I had to. You understand, don’t you? I had to see the kids.”
“I understand. Aaron does too.”
“Are you staying at June’s, or are you going home?”
“I don’t know.” Despite his reaction when he saw the Byler’s house, he knew that home wasn’t in Zebulon anymore. “I don’t know how my mother will react.”
“She loves you. She’ll be glad to see you. Just like I am.” Isaac smiled softly. Then he stood up straighter. “I could take you over there in the buggy. We could be alone for a bit.”
Excitement whipped through him, and David nodded vigorously. “Will they let you?”
“Come on.” In the darkness, Isaac squeezed David’s fingers for a fleeting moment.
David followed Isaac inside, lingering by the front door. Down the short hallway he could
Similar Books
