Evelyn took a deep breath. “I counted eight,” she said as she squeezed her eyes closed.
“I wondered if you saw them.” Adam took his hat off, then wiped a sleeve across his moist forehead. “I wasn’t about to pointthem out.”
“Eight what?” Jayce glanced back and forth between them.
“Ach, you must not have seen them.” Adam counted on his fingers. “There were eight bats. Two of them were low hanging when wewere all the way in the back. I was waiting for Evelyn to come unhinged, but you had her.” He paused. “And I guess she hadyou too.”
Evelyn latched onto Jayce’s hand when he offered to help her out of the boat. “You thought I was trembling like that becauseI was afraid I might see a bat?”
“Um, yeah.”
She laughed. “I just assumed you saw them too.”
Adam waved. “I’ve got to go check on things inside. Just make the hike up whenever you’re ready.”
“Danki, Adam. Danki so much.” Evelyn might have hugged him if he wasn’t on the other side of Jayce.
“Yeah, thanks a lot.” Jayce extended his hand to Adam.
After Adam was out of earshot, Jayce smiled. “I need to take back something I said.”
“Uh-oh. What’s that? Were you not truthful? Was it worse than you said?” She felt horrible that she hadn’t done more to helphim with the experience, but he hadn’t seemed to need it.
“Earlier, when I said I wouldn’t want to do this every day . . .” He cupped her cheeks in his hands. “I think I would enjoydoing this every day.”
He kissed her, and the ground shifted beneath her. Not a bat or any other winged creature could have pulled her out of themoment as she kissed him back with all the passion and emotion she could feel coming from him.
“Just like in the dark, that was a much better kiss than the first one I offered you,” she said, grinning.
“I don’t know. Let’s see.” He leaned in again, but when she heard footsteps, Evelyn knew a guide with a group was coming,so they separated and started the trek back up to daylight.
“Wow,” Jayce said when they emerged from the cave. “I’m proud of us, but I’m even more proud of you. I had no idea you sawbats. Maybe butterflies won’t seem so scary now.”
She smiled as he opened her car door. “It all goes back to the fluttering,” she said as she wagged a finger at him.
Before they left the parking lot, Jayce looked at her for a long time, then refocused on the road. “I enjoyed today, and that’s not something I thought I’d be saying.”
Evelyn had enjoyed certain aspects of their day, too, but she just nodded. Her thoughts were flying all over the place.
He glanced her way. “You know, we don’t dress alike, and our lifestyles aren’t anywhere close to the same, but are we reallyso different?”
Evelyn knew people who had gotten involved with outsiders, and it usually didn’t go well. She was tempted to tell him, “Oh, Jayce, you have no idea how truly different we are.” She calculated a list in her mind—the electricity issue, driving a car, detachment from outsiders as much as possible, aneighth-grade education on her end, the clothing . . . She could have gone on, but those were not the important things. Jaycehad a good relationship with God. He was still finding his way, but so was she. And the fact that they could have healthydiscussions about it meant more to Evelyn than the tangible differences. For her, that understanding of each other was moreimportant than all the passion in the world. She’d loved her heavenly Father her entire life. She’d only met Jayce recently,but she smiled as she reconsidered her earlier thought.
“Nee, I guess we’re not really so different,” she said.
He wouldn’t be here much longer. She would feel a sense of loss when he was gone, but she planned to soak up every momentshe could with Jayce before that time came. She’d worry about the aftermath later.
Nineteen
That night as they readied for slumber, Esther broached the idea of Jayce and Evelyn as a couple to Lizzie, listing the waysshe and Lizzie might be able to encourage them.
“Remember when we arranged a private dinner for Marianne and Paul? We both saw how smitten they were. They would stare ateach other all through worship service and the meals afterward, but they were both so incredibly shy. They just needed a gentlepush.” She tapped a finger to her chin.
“But Jayce and Evelyn are already spending time together. This isn’t the same. And he isn’t Amish,” Lizzie replied.
Esther looked over at Lizzie, who was quietly tucked under the covers, her eyes open but staring at the ceiling. Esther wassitting up combing her wet hair. It had gotten so thin over the years. She remembered being Evelyn’s age and having thicktresses of hair. “But Jayce will be leaving soon.”
Lizzie remained unusually quiet.
“Are you hearing me?” Esther asked as she fluffed her pillows.
“Ya, I’m hearing you. But I don’t think those two need a push from us. They’re well on their way to an unhappy ending.”
The negative statement was so unlike Lizzie, the eternal optimist, especially when it came to matters of the heart. “I knowit seems that way since Jayce will be leaving, but sometimes we’ve intervened, and things worked out well. Just like withNaomi and Amos. We offered him a job so he would stay long enough for him and Naomi to realize they belonged together.” Shepaused, searching her sister’s expression, but Lizzie just kept staring at the ceiling as shadows danced overhead from thedimly lit lanterns.
When Lizzie didn’t respond, Esther nudged her. “What’s wrong with you? You haven’t been yourself all day. Are you feelingunwell?”
“Ya, I guess you could say that.” Lizzie pinched her lips together. She’d already removed her dentures.
“What’s wrong? Are your teeth bothering you again?”
“Nee.”
Esther sighed. “Then what is it?”
Lizzie slowly looked at Esther, pushing her lip into a pout. “I did a bad thing.”
“Ach, Lizzie, what did you do?” She let out another
