Miriam’s Little Gentleman (The Heart of the Amish)

David searched Miriam's face for a clue to what she was feeling. It was a face he'd held in his mind's eye for years now, regretting that he couldn't have a do-over on that last evening in town.

But David knew that Amish women generally didn't go around professing their feelings for men who hadn't given any indication they might be returned. Lizzie had told him, in some disgust, he recalled, that it was only the fact that she'd realized it was her last chance to say anything before he left that had given her courage to do so that evening. And he'd gracelessly muffed any chance he might have had with her by curtly responding that he didn't have anything to offer and running away.

Yet a second chance was exactly what he craved. It was why he was back in Willow Creek after living as a Mennonite in a small town outside of Indianapolis where he'd continued his early training as a carpenter. Since he'd never been baptized, he'd maintained contact with his family, mostly with his sister Fannie and his cousin Lizzie. He'd eagerly awaited each letter, anxiously reading them for news of family and friends, and praying each time one arrived that

it wouldn't contain the news that Miriam Zook had found a husband.

And miraculously—for him, anyway—she hadn't yet. So despite his shoddy treatment of her his last night in town, and the fact that he'd never attempted to mend fences with her by sending her letters or visiting, he's returned with an ember of hope burning in his heart that he might still stand chance with her.

And if that's what you want, you'd better get started mending those fences, boy. From the look in her eyes, it's not going to be easy. He closed his eyes a moment, recalling that he'd compounded the problem the night several weeks ago, shortly after returning to Ohio, when he'd unexpectedly run into Miriam at his cousin Lizzie's bakery, and basically lied to her when he told her he was back for his parents—what a laugh! He hadn't spoken to them in six years either! And he hadn't seen them since his return home, despite having told Miriam, Lizzie and Jane that evening that he was going to be staying with them to help out while his mother recovered from an illness. A glance at Lizzie let him know that she was probably very aware of his lies, yet, she didn't seem to have exposed him for a fraud to her good friend. Yet.

But recalling the misery he'd seen that evening in Miriam's eyes, he wondered whether she still held feelings for him.

David took a cautious step closer to Jane and Miriam, offering a hand first to Jane, who shook it while throwing a questioning look at Lizzie, and then to Miriam, whose good manners wouldn't allow her to simply ignore him.

"Evening, Jane, Miriam. Wie thets?"

"We're doing okay, David. How's your maem? Are you still staying with your folks?" Jane was making small talk to give Miriam time to recover from the shock of seeing him again, he supposed. He was happy to play along.

"Maem is doing well, denki. And actually, I bought a little place on the edge of town where I can keep a horse and maybe a cow or two. Possibly some chickens." He glanced at Miriam, who was staring at the sidewalk rather than meeting his eyes. But she hadn't turned and fled, so he went on. "It's got an old house on it, with three stories. Good bones. It needs work, but that's something I know how to do, thanks to my training as a carpenter."