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Authors: Amy Clipston
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situation was.”
“I imagine you didn’t.” He handed her the journal and started for the door to the shop. “I’ll be sure to write you notes now. You don’t need to come see me again.” He stopped in front of the door. “And if I want to talk to a teacher, I’ll call Malinda. Or maybe I should call the school board chairman and tell him about our little chat today.”
Rachel’s stomach pitched. “Mike, please don’t do that,” she said, but he had already disappeared through the door to the shop, and the door slammed shut in her face. She squared her shoulders and cleared her throat again before stepping into the showroom. She gave the young man at the counter a half wave and then marched out to the van. She wondered if Mike would call the school board chairman. And if he did call, would she lose her job after only one short week of teaching?
Rachel climbed into the passenger seat of the van as worry and regret weighed heavily on her shoulders. She’d made a terrible mistake.
“Is everything all right?” Charlotte asked as she looked over from the driver’s seat.
“Everything is fine. Danki .” Rachel forced a smile as she sagged into the worn, gray cloth seat and hugged her sweater over her chest. “I’m just ready to go home.”
As the van motored out onto Old Philadelphia Pike, Rachel reflected on Mike’s sad story about his parents. She had no right to confront him and accuse him of not properly caring for his brother. She yearned to take back her thoughtless words and tell him how sorry she was to hear he had so many burdens to overcome. She never should have allowed her stubbornness to overrule her good judgment. Now she’d managed to hurt Mike Lantz’s feelings and possibly lose her job.
His angry words and his threat to call the school chairman echoed through her mind as she gripped the journal in her sweaty hands.
She had made a mess of things, and now she had to face the consequences.
CHAPTER 5
A NGER PUNCHED MI KE IN THE GUT AS HE MADE HIS WAY BACK to his work stall, where the two wooden lighthouses sat awaiting the final coat of clear stain. He approached a can of stain and kicked it with all his might, sending searing pain radiating through his right foot. He grumbled under his breath and hopped over to a stool, where he sat down and closed his eyes. The pain subsided to a dull throb as he pondered the thoughtless and insensitive accusations Rachel had fabricated about him and how he was raising John. How dare she judge him when she knew nothing about his situation?
“Mike?” His cousin Samuel appeared beside him. “Are you all right?”
“ Ya .” Mike opened his eyes and nodded. “I hurt my foot.”
“Oh.” Sam grinned and jammed a thumb toward the front of the store. “Who was that maedel ?”
“John’s teacher.” Mike frowned.
“Really? She’s his teacher?” Sam rubbed his beard. “Are you seeing her?”
“Am I seeing her? Do you mean dating her?” Mike asked, and Sam nodded. “No. I’ve told you a million times I don’t have time to date. Even if I had the time, I certainly wouldn’t date her.”
“Why not?” Sam looked incredulous. “She’s schee .”
“She may be schee , but she’s not my type at all.” Mike stood and limped over to the lighthouses. “I need to get back to work.”
“Are you limping?” Sam asked. “Did you get angry and kick something again? Is that why that can has a dent in it?”
“No.” Mike grumbled as he picked up the can of stain and placed it on his workbench.
“What’s going on?” Sam asked, raising a curious eyebrow. “Did something happen when you talked to Rachel?”
Mike sighed. Since he and Sam had grown up together, they’d always been best friends. No one knew Mike as well as Sam did. “I suppose you could say Rachel and I had an argument.”
“What did you and John’s teacher argue about?” Sam asked with surprise. “Did John do something and get in trouble? You’ve mentioned
“I imagine you didn’t.” He handed her the journal and started for the door to the shop. “I’ll be sure to write you notes now. You don’t need to come see me again.” He stopped in front of the door. “And if I want to talk to a teacher, I’ll call Malinda. Or maybe I should call the school board chairman and tell him about our little chat today.”
Rachel’s stomach pitched. “Mike, please don’t do that,” she said, but he had already disappeared through the door to the shop, and the door slammed shut in her face. She squared her shoulders and cleared her throat again before stepping into the showroom. She gave the young man at the counter a half wave and then marched out to the van. She wondered if Mike would call the school board chairman. And if he did call, would she lose her job after only one short week of teaching?
Rachel climbed into the passenger seat of the van as worry and regret weighed heavily on her shoulders. She’d made a terrible mistake.
“Is everything all right?” Charlotte asked as she looked over from the driver’s seat.
“Everything is fine. Danki .” Rachel forced a smile as she sagged into the worn, gray cloth seat and hugged her sweater over her chest. “I’m just ready to go home.”
As the van motored out onto Old Philadelphia Pike, Rachel reflected on Mike’s sad story about his parents. She had no right to confront him and accuse him of not properly caring for his brother. She yearned to take back her thoughtless words and tell him how sorry she was to hear he had so many burdens to overcome. She never should have allowed her stubbornness to overrule her good judgment. Now she’d managed to hurt Mike Lantz’s feelings and possibly lose her job.
His angry words and his threat to call the school chairman echoed through her mind as she gripped the journal in her sweaty hands.
She had made a mess of things, and now she had to face the consequences.
CHAPTER 5
A NGER PUNCHED MI KE IN THE GUT AS HE MADE HIS WAY BACK to his work stall, where the two wooden lighthouses sat awaiting the final coat of clear stain. He approached a can of stain and kicked it with all his might, sending searing pain radiating through his right foot. He grumbled under his breath and hopped over to a stool, where he sat down and closed his eyes. The pain subsided to a dull throb as he pondered the thoughtless and insensitive accusations Rachel had fabricated about him and how he was raising John. How dare she judge him when she knew nothing about his situation?
“Mike?” His cousin Samuel appeared beside him. “Are you all right?”
“ Ya .” Mike opened his eyes and nodded. “I hurt my foot.”
“Oh.” Sam grinned and jammed a thumb toward the front of the store. “Who was that maedel ?”
“John’s teacher.” Mike frowned.
“Really? She’s his teacher?” Sam rubbed his beard. “Are you seeing her?”
“Am I seeing her? Do you mean dating her?” Mike asked, and Sam nodded. “No. I’ve told you a million times I don’t have time to date. Even if I had the time, I certainly wouldn’t date her.”
“Why not?” Sam looked incredulous. “She’s schee .”
“She may be schee , but she’s not my type at all.” Mike stood and limped over to the lighthouses. “I need to get back to work.”
“Are you limping?” Sam asked. “Did you get angry and kick something again? Is that why that can has a dent in it?”
“No.” Mike grumbled as he picked up the can of stain and placed it on his workbench.
“What’s going on?” Sam asked, raising a curious eyebrow. “Did something happen when you talked to Rachel?”
Mike sighed. Since he and Sam had grown up together, they’d always been best friends. No one knew Mike as well as Sam did. “I suppose you could say Rachel and I had an argument.”
“What did you and John’s teacher argue about?” Sam asked with surprise. “Did John do something and get in trouble? You’ve mentioned
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