A Secret Sacrifice (Amish Secrets--Book 5) Read online

  “Do you mind if we sit here?”

  Rosanna looked to the possessor of the feminine voice and smiled. “That’s fine.”

  “Hi, I’m Lizzie and this is my sister, Patricia. Seems we’re about the same age, ain’t so?”

  “I’m seventeen,” Rosanna volunteered.

  “Nineteen,” Frances said. “And Margaret’s twenty-one.”

  “I’m eighteen,” Lizzie said. “Patricia’s twenty.”

  Patricia grinned. “Are y’all comin’ to the gathering tonight?”

  “It’ll be here, jah?” Rosanna asked.

  Lizzie nodded. “At six.”

  “Of course, we will!” Frances answered for everyone.

  <><><>

  The quiet room, aside from Margaret’s soft snore, should have been conducive for a good nap. But Rosanna couldn’t sleep even if her life depended on it. She really should get some rest before the young folks’ gathering tonight. She turned over, squeezed her eyes shut, and attempted to force herself to sleep.

  It was no use.

  She lifted herself from the bed, removed her prayer kapp from the hook on the wall, and tiptoed out of her shared room. Maybe a nice walk would do her some good. If it didn’t tire her out enough for a nap, hopefully it would at least calm her nerves for the evening ahead.

  As she walked toward the barn, she noticed an unfamiliar buggy parked at the Zooks’ hitching post. Did the Zooks have company? She glanced back toward the house but saw no one. She took a few more steps and heard two voices, male voices. One was Zachariah’s.

  Should she continue on her planned path past the barn and into the woods? What if she interrupted an important conversation? She listened closer. Zach and whoever it was must’ve been in the barn.

  Rosanna ignored them and began to walk toward the woods – that’s when she heard her name. She stopped cold.

  “Do you think she’ll ride home with me tonight?” An unfamiliar voice asked.

  “I don’t know, John. Rosanna’s pretty, but she seems kind of stuck on herself to me,” Zach said.

  Rosanna gasped. How dare he!

  “Will you ask her for me?” John asked.

  “Are you kidding? She won’t give me the time of day. I’m afraid you’ll have to ask her yourself.”

  “Never mind. I’ll have my sister ask for me.”

  “Hey, I’m sorry, man. I really wouldn’t mind, but I don’t think her father cares for me much.”

  “Why not? You’re a nice enough guy.”

  “I tried to talk to her the other day, but before I could even say anything, her daed ran me off.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “Who knows?”

  “You don’t think he’d be against me driving her home from the singing, do you? I mean, why would he allow her to go in the first place if she’s not allowed to date?”

  “Well, maybe it’s just because she’s the youngest of the three sisters. I don’t know. I can’t figure them out.”

  Rosanna rolled her eyes. Zach knew good and well why she avoided him.

  She determined then and there that whoever this John guy was, she would ride with him tonight. If for no other reason than to put Zachariah in his place. And she’d do her utmost to prove Zachariah wrong. How could he say she was stuck up when he didn’t even know her? She’d show him. If anyone was stuck on himself, it was surely Zachariah Zook.

  <><><>

  Zachariah knew this would happen. As soon as his friends laid their eyes on Rosanna, they’d want to court her. Of course, he had too. But he wasn’t about to tell John that. His attempts at changing his friend’s mind didn’t work. He knew John didn’t care for maed that thought they were all that, so he tried to use that angle. But John didn’t even seem to care when it came to Rosanna.

  If it had been anyone other than his best friend, he would have told them to back off. But since it was John, he gave in. They’d been best friends since the first day of school when they sat next to each other in class. He’d barely known John’s family from seeing them at meeting every other week. The boys would play together sometimes, but John had mostly stayed close to his older brothers. John had been more timid than Zachariah, probably because Zach had been an older sibling. But that first day of school, they’d hit it off and the rest, as they would say, was history.

  Good friends were hard to come by and Zach was determined not to let anything come between them. Not even beautiful Rosanna.

  <><><>

  Angst filled Rosanna as she walked toward the barn where she was to meet John. If her sisters hadn’t been there tonight, she probably would have stayed home. Just knowing that she was going to be riding home with a young man – a stranger, at that – caused her nerves to jumble.

  John’s sister had pointed him out to Rosanna, so at least she knew what he looked like. He’d been one of the handsome young men eyeing her during the meeting. She’d already kind of figured which one he might be because he and Zachariah spoke often throughout the evening. She briefly wondered how well he and Zach knew each other.

  She now waited for John’s buggy to emerge from the barn.

  “Ready?”

  She turned at John’s voice and paused in surprise. Though she hadn't noticed at a distance, up close John had a remarkable resemblance to Zach. They shared dark hair, blue eyes, and a medium build, though John seemed to be a little less stocky and had a softer, more pleasant face, as though he was always ready to laugh.

  “Uh, jah.” She stepped up onto the side of the buggy and hoisted herself onto the cushioned seat.

  John made a kissing sound and gently slapped the reins to get the driving horse moving.

  “Hi.” John glanced her way and smiled.

  “Hi.”

  “I’m John Christner.”

  “Rosanna Keim.” She nodded. This was the first time she’d ever ridden with a complete stranger, so meeting this way seemed a bit odd.

  “So, tell me about yourself, Rosie. You don’t mind if I call ya Rosie, do you?”

  Rosanna smiled. “Nee. My vatter sometimes calls me that.” She turned toward him. “What do you want to know?”

  “How old are you?”

  “Seventeen. And you?”

  “Twenty-one.”

  “How many siblings do you have?”

  “Hey, I thought I was the one asking the questions.” His laugh came easy.

  “We both are.”

  “A question thief she is. So that’s how the game’s played?” He offered her the reins. “Would you like to take these too?”

  She could tell by his tone that he was teasing her, so she teased right back. “I think I will.” She reached for the reins and he shook his head.

  “I don’t think so, Rosie. I don’t know you well enough to let you drive just yet.”

  Rosanna laughed.

  “Five,” John said.

  “Five, what?”

  “So you have a bad memory too? Seems like a guy could use that to his advantage.” He chuckled. “I have five siblings. Two sisters and three brothers.”

  “Older or younger?”

  “Both. I’m the youngest of the boys. One older sister and one younger.”

  “I’m the youngest of three girls.”

  “The baby, huh?”

  “I guess.”

  “So, that means you’re spoiled then. I don’t know how I feel about that.”

  “I should slap you for that.”

  “Oh, so you’re violent too? Man, Zach really should’ve warned me.”

  “Have you ever considered becoming a comedian?”

  He shook his head and tsked. “Rosie, Rosie, Rosie. You should know that a comedian is not a bishop-approved occupation.”

  “You know what? You’re right. No one would come to your shows anyway.”

  “Ow. Now that wasn’t nice.”

  “Who’s the baby now?”

  “Leave me alone. I’m still licking my wounds.”

  “Oh, boy.”<
br />
  He laughed, and then glanced her way. “On the serious side, where do think we should go? If someone is bringing your sisters home, the Zooks’ living room might be occupied.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not from around here so I don’t what you hillbillies usually do for fun.”

  John hooted. “Well, I reckon yer right. Us’ns here in the sticks be havin’ a hoedown somedays, unless yer aginit.”

  “Okay. You’re either going to have to speak Deitsch or English because I have no idea what you just said.” Rosanna laughed. “That accent was pretty good though. You sounded just like the older man at the gas station. I couldn’t really understand him either.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.” He chuckled. “You do know what a hoedown is, right?”

  Rosanna’s lips twisted. “Dancing?”

  “I guess it could include dancing. We just usually play instruments, though.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And that’s allowed?”

  John shrugged. “Ah, not really but we do it anyway.”

  “So you’re a rebel?”

  “And you’re a Yankee?”

  “Not exactly. And you know that’s not what I meant.”

  “What did you mean, Rosie?”

  “What happens if the bishop finds out? Or your folks? I would think that playing music wouldn’t be an easy thing to hide.”

  “They already know. I suspect they did it too when they were our age. It’s all in fun. Ain’t nothin’ wrong with havin’ a little fun, is there?”

  “I reckon there ain’t iffen yer folks know and don’t do nothin’ about it.” She realized she probably sounded foolish trying out her accent but it was fun nonetheless.

  “Hey, you sound kinda cute with a southern drawl. I think you northern folk might just make it out here in the sticks after all.”

  “So, where’s this hoedown you’ve been talking about?”

  “Ain’t one planned for tonight. But I do have my harp.”

  “You play the harp?” She tried to reconcile the words harp and hoedown, but they didn’t seem to mesh in her mind. For the life of her, she couldn’t picture John playing a harp.

  He reached into his pocket and handed her a rectangular box.

  She opened it up. “It’s a harmonica.”

  He nodded. “My mouth harp.”

  Now it made sense. He’d been referring to a harmonica. Now, that she could picture. “Can you play something?”

  He handed her the reins and she held them steady while he played. The tune sounded a little familiar, but she couldn’t tell what it was. When he finished the song, she handed the reins back.

  “That was really nice.”

  “Did you like it?”

  “I did. What was it?”

  “It’s called O’ Susanna, but I was imagining the words to say O’ Rosanna.”

  “I hope it has good words.”

  “It’s just an old folk song. Mostly just for fun.” He slipped the harmonica back into his pocket. “We can just drive around tonight. Or we can drive by the Zooks’ and see if there are any extra buggies there.”

  “That’s fine.”

  “You don’t mind going back to the Zooks’ place, do you?”

  “You don’t think they’ll be up still?”

  “Probably not. If someone is there, we can just hang out in the buggy and talk.”

  “That sounds gut.”

  “Any idea when your folks’ place will be ready?”

  She grimaced. “Between you and me, I don’t know if we’ll ever move out of the Zooks’ place.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  “I think it would probably be better to tear the place down and build a new house.”

  “Well, I’d be willing to help out with whatever’s needed. I enjoy construction. Things are beginning to slow down on the farm and I’ll have extra time.”

  “That’s kind of you to offer. I’ll let my father know. He’s been out there every day. Except for today, of course.”

  “I enjoy working with wood and building things. Someday soon, I’d like to start on my own place. I already have money saved up for a piece of property.”

  “That’s gut.”

  John guided the driving horse into the Zooks’ long tree-lined lane. “I’ve always loved this driveway. This place is somewhat like a hideaway, ain’t so?”

  “Jah. I think that’s why my vatter was so excited to move out here. All the hills and trees and such. I’ve read about the caves they have out here. Have you ever been to any of them?”

  “Not the famous ones. But the Millers have one on their property. It’s not very big, but amazing nonetheless.”

  Rosanna didn’t try to tamper her enthusiasm. “Really? I’ve always wanted to see a cave.”

  “I could take you.”

  “You would?”

  “Yeah, sure.” He smiled, then turned to her. “You’re not afraid of bats, are you?”

  “Bats?” She swallowed.

  “Jah. They pretty much mind their own business as long as they don’t get riled up. One time, Zach and I made the mistake of disturbing them. It’s a lesson I won’t forget too soon, that’s for sure and certain.” He laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever run so fast in my life. I could have sworn one of them bit my neck, but we couldn’t find any evidence of it afterward.”

  “That’s scary.”

  “I don’t think you have to worry, though. They’re usually just sleeping in there. And if they were to get riled up for some reason, I’d protect you.”

  “You would?”

  “Of course.”

  “Denki.”

  He nodded, and silence briefly filled the buggy.

  “Well, it’s getting late. I should probably let you go now. I forgot. You start school tomorrow, right?”

  “Jah. It’s just going to be an orientation. I’ll actually begin teaching on Tuesday.”

  “Rosie?”

  “Jah?”

  “I had a gut time getting to know you tonight.”

  “Me too.”

  “Would you…I mean, it’s probably too soon to ask you to court me only. Will you ride home with me at the next gathering?”

  “I’d like that.” Rosanna smiled.

  “You would?” His brow shot up in apparent surprise.

  “Very much.”

  “Wunderbar! Okay, then. I’ll see you then if not sooner.”

  “Guten nacht, John.” Her eyes met his and he held her gaze several seconds.

  A smile danced on his lips. “Good night, Rosanna.”

  Rosanna could hear John’s contented whistle as he traveled down the Zooks’ majestic lane. She couldn’t wipe the silly schoolgirl smile off her lips. Jah, this was a gut evening. She couldn’t help but wonder if John might be the one. Only time would tell.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The day had finally arrived. This was the day Rosanna had been looking forward to since moving. Her first day of school in Honey Ridge. She’d only be observing today as the resigning teacher, a young woman who’d recently married and was now expecting, showed her the ropes. She wondered how different teaching school in Honey Ridge would be compared to the school she taught at in her former district.

  The memories of her former scholars were bittersweet. She’d loved teaching, but a few of the students proved to be a handful at times. Hopefully, the children in Honey Ridge would be more respectful. Teaching was a joy when children desired learning, but when they had no interest whatsoever was when it became difficult. She’d done her best to be positive about it, but still the difficulties remained.

  After church yesterday, she’d met with the leaders briefly. Because she was to be the new teacher, and therefore a mentor to her scholars, they’d asked her to conform to the district’s dress mandates already. Since she hadn’t had time to sew her own dresses, she’d be borrowing a couple from the deacon’s daughter. Elnora Zook had been generous to offe
r the use of one of her kapps until Rosanna had time to make her own. Fortunately, Mamm said she’d be sewing a couple of dresses and kapps for Rosanna this week, since she’d be busy with school.

  Although it had only been her first day, it was easy to see which students enjoyed school and which ones simply endured it. Julia and Loretta, Zachariah’s sisters, seemed to do well and abided by the rules. She’d expected them to since they usually behaved well at home – at least, when their older brothers weren’t teasing them. And that made Rosanna wonder what Zach had been like in school. A handful, most likely. And there was no doubt in her mind that John Christner had probably been quite the mischief maker too. Partners in crime, those two must’ve been.

  <><><>

  Rosanna’s cheery countenance over the last few days had nearly driven Zach crazy. She’d seemed almost blissful since Monday morning and he wondered if her date with John had anything to do with it. Who was he kidding? It had everything to do with it.

  If he’d been smart, he would have told his best friend that he sought to court her. He should have known that they’d hit it off. Who could resist John’s quick wit and charm? He could kick himself for being such a dummkopp. How on earth was he going to keep himself away from his best friend’s girl – if that was indeed what she was?

  Perhaps he should pay John a visit to see if he’d share anything about their date. What on earth had his friend said or done to make Rosanna fall for him so quickly?

  Or maybe Rosanna’s demeanor had nothing to do with John whatsoever. Could she be this excited because she’d started teaching school? Females had always been a peculiar mystery to him and that was something he didn’t think he’d ever understand. Nevertheless, a visit to John was in order.