Read Online Reckless Heart (Kauffman Amish Bakery 5.5) by Amy Clipston - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Amy Clipston
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trouble.”
Lydia squelched the urge to roll her eyes. “I know that, Amanda. He’s just a friend. We’re allowed to have friends.”
“Don’t play with fire.” Amanda lifted the last cookie from her napkin, broke it in half, and handed a piece to Lydia. “You don’t want to be lured into the
English
life. It would break your
mamm’s
heart.”
Lydia did roll her eyes at that comment. “You’re only sixteen, like me. Why do you talk like you’re forty?”
Amanda laughed. “
Mammi
says I’m wise beyond my years too. I guess it’s a gift.”
“Or a curse.”
Amanda swatted her arm. “That’s not very nice.”
“You deserved it for misunderstanding me. I don’t like Tristan that way,” Lydia said. “Besides, Tristan has a girlfriend back in New Jersey. I just think he and his family are nice. That’s it. Nothing more.”
Amanda looked unconvinced. “You went on about him and his sister.”
Lydia stared across the pasture at Joshua and finished the cookie. “You know who I have my heart set on. There’s only one
bu
for me. I just wish he’d realize it.”
“He will,” Amanda said as she popped the last piece of cookie into her mouth. “It’ll happen in God’s time.”
“I know.” Lydia sighed, and leaned back on her hands.
7
L ydia,” her father called from the family room late Sunday evening a week later. “Please come back in and sit with us.”
Lydia sucked in a deep breath while placing a glass in the sink. She knew it wasn’t good news if her parents wanted to speak to her alone after her siblings were in bed. Then standing in the doorway to the family room, she saw her parents sitting next to each other on the sofa, while holding hands and frowning toward her.
“I know it’s bedtime,”
Dat
continued, “but we need to speak with you.”
She sank into a chair across from them and looked back and forth between their grim expressions. They seemed to be the only expressions they wore since Ruthie had visited various specialists last week. The dark circles under her eyes were a stark contrast to the powder blue of her mother’s eyes, and the crow’s feet outlining her father’s chocolate eyes seemed more prominent. It seemed as though her parents were aging right before her, and it scared her.
“Is this about Ruthie?” Lydia asked, her voice in the samestrangled whisper as when she first heard about Ruthie’s illness.
Her parents exchanged worried glances.
“How are things at the schoolhouse?” her mother asked with a forced smile.
“School is fine,” Lydia said, looking back and forth between them again. “You don’t have to sugar coat this,
Mamm
and Dat. I know things are bad. Please just tell me the truth. I promise I’ll be strong.”
Dat
blew out a sigh. “Your mother is leaving tomorrow to take Ruthie to the hospital to start her treatments. We knew this was coming, but we didn’t think it would come so soon. She’s going to stay there at least a few weeks.”
“She’s leaving tomorrow?” Lydia voice rose and her mother immediately gave a warning glance telling her to keep her voice down. “I thought we might have some time before this happened. She has to leave tomorrow?” Panic shot through her.
“The doctor said we have to go as soon as possible,”
Mamm
said. “He had to schedule the treatments, and they start this week. We have to stay in the hospital for a while. The treatments have many risks, but the risks are less if she is at the hospital instead of at home. Also, the drive back and forth can be expensive. It’s just better for us to be there.” She sniffed and dabbed her eyes with a tissue she fished from the pocket of her apron. “I’m going to stay with cousins who aren’t too far from the hospital. It will save us a little money.”
Lydia let the words soak in. Although she’d read about the treatments, she was still taken by surprise to hear this news. She had no idea her home life would face this upheaval so
Lydia squelched the urge to roll her eyes. “I know that, Amanda. He’s just a friend. We’re allowed to have friends.”
“Don’t play with fire.” Amanda lifted the last cookie from her napkin, broke it in half, and handed a piece to Lydia. “You don’t want to be lured into the
English
life. It would break your
mamm’s
heart.”
Lydia did roll her eyes at that comment. “You’re only sixteen, like me. Why do you talk like you’re forty?”
Amanda laughed. “
Mammi
says I’m wise beyond my years too. I guess it’s a gift.”
“Or a curse.”
Amanda swatted her arm. “That’s not very nice.”
“You deserved it for misunderstanding me. I don’t like Tristan that way,” Lydia said. “Besides, Tristan has a girlfriend back in New Jersey. I just think he and his family are nice. That’s it. Nothing more.”
Amanda looked unconvinced. “You went on about him and his sister.”
Lydia stared across the pasture at Joshua and finished the cookie. “You know who I have my heart set on. There’s only one
bu
for me. I just wish he’d realize it.”
“He will,” Amanda said as she popped the last piece of cookie into her mouth. “It’ll happen in God’s time.”
“I know.” Lydia sighed, and leaned back on her hands.
7
L ydia,” her father called from the family room late Sunday evening a week later. “Please come back in and sit with us.”
Lydia sucked in a deep breath while placing a glass in the sink. She knew it wasn’t good news if her parents wanted to speak to her alone after her siblings were in bed. Then standing in the doorway to the family room, she saw her parents sitting next to each other on the sofa, while holding hands and frowning toward her.
“I know it’s bedtime,”
Dat
continued, “but we need to speak with you.”
She sank into a chair across from them and looked back and forth between their grim expressions. They seemed to be the only expressions they wore since Ruthie had visited various specialists last week. The dark circles under her eyes were a stark contrast to the powder blue of her mother’s eyes, and the crow’s feet outlining her father’s chocolate eyes seemed more prominent. It seemed as though her parents were aging right before her, and it scared her.
“Is this about Ruthie?” Lydia asked, her voice in the samestrangled whisper as when she first heard about Ruthie’s illness.
Her parents exchanged worried glances.
“How are things at the schoolhouse?” her mother asked with a forced smile.
“School is fine,” Lydia said, looking back and forth between them again. “You don’t have to sugar coat this,
Mamm
and Dat. I know things are bad. Please just tell me the truth. I promise I’ll be strong.”
Dat
blew out a sigh. “Your mother is leaving tomorrow to take Ruthie to the hospital to start her treatments. We knew this was coming, but we didn’t think it would come so soon. She’s going to stay there at least a few weeks.”
“She’s leaving tomorrow?” Lydia voice rose and her mother immediately gave a warning glance telling her to keep her voice down. “I thought we might have some time before this happened. She has to leave tomorrow?” Panic shot through her.
“The doctor said we have to go as soon as possible,”
Mamm
said. “He had to schedule the treatments, and they start this week. We have to stay in the hospital for a while. The treatments have many risks, but the risks are less if she is at the hospital instead of at home. Also, the drive back and forth can be expensive. It’s just better for us to be there.” She sniffed and dabbed her eyes with a tissue she fished from the pocket of her apron. “I’m going to stay with cousins who aren’t too far from the hospital. It will save us a little money.”
Lydia let the words soak in. Although she’d read about the treatments, she was still taken by surprise to hear this news. She had no idea her home life would face this upheaval so
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