personality—to which he was sure his Grandma Em was referring, but somehow he had this tremendous urge to change something about his looks.
He glanced down at the razor near his hand, still a little bemused at what might have compelled him to bring it along. It had been years since he’d used it. Once more he looked up into the mirror. “I’ll do it,” he thought. And having made up his mind, it was as good as done.
Amy was just turning away from the stove when Silas entered the kitchen. At least she thought it was Silas. The bowl of oatmeal dropped from her hands and landed hard on the table.
Silas stood completely still and watched Amy move toward him as though she were in a trance. Her beautiful blue eyes were wide as she surveyed his new face. His beard was gone. His upper lip still sported a full, dark mustache, but his beard was completely gone. Amy had always thought Silas nice-looking, but suddenly those words were a gross understatement. His jaw was strong and his chin had a tiny cleft in it. His cheeks were leaner than you would have expected to find under all that hair. Somehow the absence of his beard made his eyes stand out, and Amy noticed for the first time how blue they were. The skin of his lower face was several shades lighter than his upper cheeks and forehead, but it didn’t detract from his looks. One word came quickly to mind: beautiful.
Amy was unaware that she had spoken the word aloud until Silas smiled so wide the cleft in his chin disappeared. Amy blushed to her hairline. Silas, on the other hand, was pleased beyond words.
Amy turned away in confusion, realizing that until that moment she had never looked at Silas as being anything more than a big brother. Seeing him like this, as a woman sees an attractive man, was a bit disconcerting. Suddenly she felt rather childish and wondered if maybe this was the way Thomas had perceived her, as a little girl.
“Do I really look okay, Amy?”
Amy immediately picked up the hesitancy in his voice and turned to find she was right. This big, self-assured man was in need of a little encouragement. Amy doubted that Silas knew his insecurity was written all over his face. Suddenly he was her big brother again, and Amy answered with sincerity. “You look great, Silas. I’ve just never noticed what pretty eyes you have.” She grinned mischievously before she went on. “The girls at church will be begging for introductions. And Mrs.Anderson, before she recognizes you, will be sure I’ve got another suitor for her girls.”
Silas touched his bare face. “I wonder if I could stick the hair back on.”
Amy laughed at his chagrined tone and gave him no mercy. “Come now, Silas, you might find one of the Anderson girls very nice.”
“It isn’t the girls I object to. It’s the idea of Mrs. Anderson as a mother-in-law that has me doubting.”
Amy laughed again, but it sounded hollow to her own ears. She couldn’t understand the funny feeling coming over her at the thought of Silas interested in one of the girls at church. It was still on her mind when they pulled out of the yard in the buggy.
Amy would have been surprised to know that Silas’ thoughts were along the same vein. What was it that caused a man to become more attracted to one woman than an other? His brother Luke had known the women at church for years, and yet by his own admission he had had to fight his attraction for Christine almost from the moment he laid eyes on her. Had she been a Christian when they’d first met, Luke would no doubt have carried her off and married her within the first week. Silas missed them terribly, especially little Josh, but it was almost a relief to be away for a spell. Luke and Christine’s marriage was a warm and loving one, and even though they never made Silas uncomfortable with their shows of affection, they did make him long for a wife and child of his own.
Suddenly Silas’ thoughts turned to Amy. How was it for her after planning to be
He glanced down at the razor near his hand, still a little bemused at what might have compelled him to bring it along. It had been years since he’d used it. Once more he looked up into the mirror. “I’ll do it,” he thought. And having made up his mind, it was as good as done.
Amy was just turning away from the stove when Silas entered the kitchen. At least she thought it was Silas. The bowl of oatmeal dropped from her hands and landed hard on the table.
Silas stood completely still and watched Amy move toward him as though she were in a trance. Her beautiful blue eyes were wide as she surveyed his new face. His beard was gone. His upper lip still sported a full, dark mustache, but his beard was completely gone. Amy had always thought Silas nice-looking, but suddenly those words were a gross understatement. His jaw was strong and his chin had a tiny cleft in it. His cheeks were leaner than you would have expected to find under all that hair. Somehow the absence of his beard made his eyes stand out, and Amy noticed for the first time how blue they were. The skin of his lower face was several shades lighter than his upper cheeks and forehead, but it didn’t detract from his looks. One word came quickly to mind: beautiful.
Amy was unaware that she had spoken the word aloud until Silas smiled so wide the cleft in his chin disappeared. Amy blushed to her hairline. Silas, on the other hand, was pleased beyond words.
Amy turned away in confusion, realizing that until that moment she had never looked at Silas as being anything more than a big brother. Seeing him like this, as a woman sees an attractive man, was a bit disconcerting. Suddenly she felt rather childish and wondered if maybe this was the way Thomas had perceived her, as a little girl.
“Do I really look okay, Amy?”
Amy immediately picked up the hesitancy in his voice and turned to find she was right. This big, self-assured man was in need of a little encouragement. Amy doubted that Silas knew his insecurity was written all over his face. Suddenly he was her big brother again, and Amy answered with sincerity. “You look great, Silas. I’ve just never noticed what pretty eyes you have.” She grinned mischievously before she went on. “The girls at church will be begging for introductions. And Mrs.Anderson, before she recognizes you, will be sure I’ve got another suitor for her girls.”
Silas touched his bare face. “I wonder if I could stick the hair back on.”
Amy laughed at his chagrined tone and gave him no mercy. “Come now, Silas, you might find one of the Anderson girls very nice.”
“It isn’t the girls I object to. It’s the idea of Mrs. Anderson as a mother-in-law that has me doubting.”
Amy laughed again, but it sounded hollow to her own ears. She couldn’t understand the funny feeling coming over her at the thought of Silas interested in one of the girls at church. It was still on her mind when they pulled out of the yard in the buggy.
Amy would have been surprised to know that Silas’ thoughts were along the same vein. What was it that caused a man to become more attracted to one woman than an other? His brother Luke had known the women at church for years, and yet by his own admission he had had to fight his attraction for Christine almost from the moment he laid eyes on her. Had she been a Christian when they’d first met, Luke would no doubt have carried her off and married her within the first week. Silas missed them terribly, especially little Josh, but it was almost a relief to be away for a spell. Luke and Christine’s marriage was a warm and loving one, and even though they never made Silas uncomfortable with their shows of affection, they did make him long for a wife and child of his own.
Suddenly Silas’ thoughts turned to Amy. How was it for her after planning to be
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