Read Online The Revealing by Suzanne Woods Fisher - Free Book Online Page B

Jimmy was one of Bethany’s favorite things to do, so she didn’t object when he stopped the horse and reached out to pull her close to him. But she also had something else to discuss.
    “Jimmy,” she said, pushing him back slightly. “Kissing is fun and all that, but it’s time we started making plans.”
    Jimmy put an arm around her and wiggled his eyebrows. “I do have plans.” He gave her one of his persuasive grins and cupped her jaw to kiss her with a tender consideration. As his lips joined hers, she swayed toward him, her fingertips grazing his chin. When at length he lifted his head, they were both breathing harder as they gazed into each other’s eyes.
    “Jimmy, don’t you want more than that?”
    His blue eyes widened in innocence. “Why, Bethany Schrock. I’m shocked!”
    “Shootfire!” She snapped forward, cheeks flaming, and smoothed out her apron. “You know what I mean.”
    He took his arm back and sighed. “Bethany—we’ve been through this before. I’m trying to get all my ducks in a row.” He wiggled his eyebrows again. “And you know how ducks can be.”
    “Jimmy, be serious, for once in your life. Are you or are you not planning on marrying me?”
    “Well, sure. Of course. It’s just that I’m not ready yet. I’ve got a few things I need to do first.”
    “That’s what you told me months ago. It’s that horse, isn’t it? Lodestar.” She crossed her arms against her chest. “You love that horse more than you love me.”
    “Now, sweetheart, that’s not true.”
    She rolled her eyes. “You’re going to keep pining over that horse and using it as an excuse not to get serious.”
    “I’m not pining for Lodestar. Not much.” His smile faded. “I only think about him a few times a day now.”
    She huffed. “That’s a few times more each day than you spend thinking of me.”
    “I think of you every other minute of every day. Especially how to get you up to the pond for some serious kissing.” He leaned toward her to kiss her, but she lunged for the door handle. He reached out to grab her arm before she could slip out of the buggy. “Bethany, hold on a minute. Simmer down.”
    She closed the door and glared at him. “You just want to kiss so you don’t have to talk.”
    He held his head to one side and smiled at her. “What kind of faith have you in me, that you give me such bad motives?” She ignored him. “Look, I don’t want to be a chicken farmer for the rest of my life and I haven’t figured a way out of it.”
    “Can’t you get Hank Lapp to propose to your mother?”
    “That wouldn’t solve anything. Hank Lapp is not a chicken man.” He relaxed his grip on her arm. “I wish my brother Paul would return to Stoney Ridge and take over for me.”
    “Ask Paul to come back.”
    “I can’t. He’s settled in at his in-laws, up in Canada. Besides, there were fireworks between my mother and Paul’s new wife. I can’t ask him to move home just because I prefer horses over poultry.”
    “But what you really want to do is work with horses.”
    “I know. But it would take a request from the bishop himself to convince my mother that horses are more important than her chickens.” He picked up the reins and gave them a little shake to get the horse moving. “Give me a little time, Bethany.” He turned toward her and wiggled his eyebrows in that way that made her smile. “What’s the rush, anyway? We’ve got our whole lives ahead of us.” He grasped her hand and wove his fingers through hers.
    Later, as Bethany was getting ready for bed, she thought about Jimmy’s dilemma and knew he was right, as much asshe hated to admit it. He had done a good and noble thing to give up horse training with Galen to help his mother with the chicken and egg business.
    But the facts remained: Jimmy loved horses and hated chickens. He had a dream to become a breeder for well-bred, well-trained buggy horses, filling an important need for their church and other districts.