“Can I come in?” Her mother peeked her head inside the door. “I saw the light shining under the door. I thought we could talk.”
“If this is about Jayce, Mamm, please don’t worry. I know we can only be friends, and I won’t let things escalate to anything more.” Evelyn stowed herbrush in the drawer of her nightstand.
Her mother wore the same white robe she’d always worn. Her salt-and-pepper hair was knotted on top of her head, and her tentativesmile revealed her worries like a secret code mother and daughter had always shared. She sat on the bed.
“Mei maedel, the heart wants what the heart wants.” She cupped Evelyn’s cheek in her hand. “We can’t control our emotions. Even if you know a situation is dangerous, it can still be difficult to walk away. And you are spending a lot of time with this boy.”
Evelyn could only remember telling her mother one lie in her life. She once watched television at an English friend’s houseeven though her mother had asked her not to. Evelyn had denied watching the movie. She was about to tell her second lie.
“We are just friends, Mamm, and there is nothing to worry about.” She knew she was in over her head—she had an enormous crush on Jayce. The night hadended with a hug and no attempt at a kiss good night. But she’d longed for Jayce to kiss her.
Her mother’s expression grew tight with strain. “There is everything to worry about.” She kissed Evelyn on the cheek, rosefrom the bed, and shuffled toward the door, turning around before she left. “You can talk to me about anything. You know that,right?”
“Ya, I know, Mamm. I’m fine. I really am.”
Her mother blew her a kiss and closed the door. Evelyn had always been close to her mother. Maybe it was because she was heronly daughter. There was a part of Evelyn that wanted to tell her mother how much she liked Jayce, and not just because ofhis looks. There was something real and unpretentious about him. He spoke what was on his mind and didn’t filter anythingout.
Evelyn had never been one to discuss her personal business with her girlfriends. Montgomery’s Amish community was small, and no matter the good intentions of confidants, word always seemed to get out. Like it had about Jayce. It seemed that everywhere she went, someone questioned her about the English man she’d been seen with at the Bargain Center. Perhaps Widow Byler was partly to blame. But a lot of people saw Jayce leaving that day and telling her he’d see her later.
She pulled her damp hair to the top of her head and bobby-pinned it in place so it wouldn’t soak her pillowcase. After lyingdown she left the lantern’s flame on low and watched the shadows dancing on the ceiling the way she’d done for as long asshe could remember. It was her form of cloud watching, as images came and went, depending on which way the flame flickered.Tonight the movement reminded her of the twinkling stars overhead when she’d said good night to Jayce.
Her mother was right to be concerned and correct about not always being able to control your feelings. As Evelyn tossed thethoughts around in her mind, she reminded herself Jayce would be leaving in a few weeks. Would they remain friends? Wouldthey write letters? Or would he return to his world with only fond memories of an Amish woman he met in Montgomery, Indiana?
A crash against the window caused her to jump. A bat. It had happened before. One of the winged creatures had flown into her upstairs window. Lucas had found the dead bat onthe ground the next day. She squeezed her eyes closed. As much as she disliked anything that flew, she didn’t like to thinkabout any of God’s creatures dying.
Then it happened again—another crack against the window. Two bats hitting the glass pane in one night would be too much ofa coincidence, so she tiptoed to the window, which she’d closed earlier when the wind picked up.
Her chest felt like it might explode when she saw Jayce on the front lawn, shining a flashlight at his face. A thrill of frightenedanticipation wound its way up her spine as she lifted the window.
“What are you doing here?” He’d obviously thrown rocks at her window. She said a quick prayer that her parents and brothers wouldn’t see or hear him.
“Can you lower your ladder and come down?” He spoke in a loud whisper.
“Mei what?” Evelyn’s heart fluttered and pounded against her chest.
“You said you had a ladder you could drop down out of your window.” He still had the flashlight shining so she could see hiseager expression. “Can you come down?”
Evelyn’s jaw dropped as she leaned closer to the screen. “I was teasing. I don’t have a ladder.” She was a bit floored he’dtruly thought she did. It was an easy walk from the inn, but she never would have expected this.
He shined the flashlight at her window, and she blocked the bright light with her hand. Turning the light back on himself,he winked. “I didn’t think nice Amish girls lied.”
“It wasn’t a lie. I was teasing, and I thought you knew that.” Fear he’d get caught twisted her insides into knots. “You haveto go before mei parents or bruders catch you out there.”
He hung his head, the light at his feet.
“Is everything okay?”
As he lifted his head and grinned, Evelyn practically swooned in her bedroom, then realized she didn’t have her head covered,not even with a scarf. At least her hair was pinned up.
“Is everything okay?” she asked again.
“Yeah. I just found myself thinking about that kiss again.” He shrugged. “Next thing I knew, I was here.” He scratched his head, the light back where she could see his face. “I’m disappointed about that ladder story.”
Evelyn laughed, then quickly put a hand over her mouth. “Go back to the inn before you get us both in trouble.”
Smiling broadly, he saluted. “See
