make any move to reach for them.
“Take them.”
Shanna did so without argument, sliding them into her pocket. She peered into the backseat, then turned to scan the road, maybe looking for more stray kittens.
“I don’t need you trying to cover my transgressions,” he told her. “I can talk for myself.”
Her mouth parted for a moment, and then she shut it with a curt nod. Glancing up the road, she walked around him to the driver’s side, opened the door, and slid inside. Without saying a word to him.
The engine roared to life. Did she plan to leave him there? Stranded? Matthew sucked in a breath of air and hustled around to the front passenger’s side. It would be the last straw if she left him standing on the highway.
He was only halfway inside when the tires started to roll. He pulled his other leg in, reached for the door handle, and slammed the door shut as she merged onto the highway.
“You’re dangerous!” He shifted his weight to sit correctly, pulled the seatbelt across his chest, and then glared at her. As if she could feel his eyes.
Her jaw tightened.
“Is that why you wanted to be a nurse? Job security from fixing up all the people you injure in traffic accidents?”
A lone tear made a trail down her cheek.
He instantly regretted the words. They’d been more than a bit harsh. But instead of apologizing, he turned away and looked out the window. He’d apologize later. If he made it home in one piece.
How could this woman have even one drop of Amish blood in her? He certainly couldn’t see it.
She didn’t attempt to avoid the washout on the dirt road when they came to it. She hit the gas and flew over it, seeming to ignore the racket when the car bottomed out.
Jah, Shanna was trouble with a capital T.
So, why did he feel so attracted to her?
***
Shanna dropped Matthew off in front of the shop door, then drove the car behind the barn, where it would be hidden from sight. Daed had always asked Onkel Micah to park his RV back there, as if he was ashamed to have an Englisch vehicle on the grounds. Few, if any, of the neighbors even knew that part of the barn had electricity, and Onkel Micah always kept the windows covered with cardboard at night, probably so the lights wouldn’t be seen.
She would do the same.
But that was as far as it would go. She didn’t claim to be Amish anymore, and while Daed may be permitting her to stay on his property, he treated her as an outsider. At least, he had so far today. So, she would respond in kind. She didn’t belong here, and she wouldn’t make any effort to seek out her family—make that her ex-family—or the handsome Matthew Yoder from Pennsylvania.
She’d done enough damage today, to much more than just the buggy. Her reputation, for one—she couldn’t imagine what Matthew must think of her. Dangerous, a bad driver, a flirt, too talkative…. The list probably went on and on.
Pretending she was about to drive off without him? She wouldn’t have, really. But the joke had belly flopped. She still felt the pain deep inside. College students pulled that trick on each other all the time. Matthew didn’t know that.
Frowning, she climbed out of the car, opened the back door, and lifted the box of mewing kittens. After using her hip to bump both doors closed, she carried the box around to the front of the barn. She hoped Daed wouldn’t peek out of the shop and see her. And that Matthew wouldn’t tell Daed about them.
Surely, Daed wouldn’t notice five extra kittens if no one mentioned them. After all, she’d spied kittens tumbling around in the grass when she’d arrived this morning. She didn’t see them now.
A rock settled in the pit of her stomach. Had Daed drowned the kittens while they’d been gone? If so, he would notice the new ones.
Entering the barn, Shanna scanned the shadows. There, in a corner, a kitten wrestled with a
“Take them.”
Shanna did so without argument, sliding them into her pocket. She peered into the backseat, then turned to scan the road, maybe looking for more stray kittens.
“I don’t need you trying to cover my transgressions,” he told her. “I can talk for myself.”
Her mouth parted for a moment, and then she shut it with a curt nod. Glancing up the road, she walked around him to the driver’s side, opened the door, and slid inside. Without saying a word to him.
The engine roared to life. Did she plan to leave him there? Stranded? Matthew sucked in a breath of air and hustled around to the front passenger’s side. It would be the last straw if she left him standing on the highway.
He was only halfway inside when the tires started to roll. He pulled his other leg in, reached for the door handle, and slammed the door shut as she merged onto the highway.
“You’re dangerous!” He shifted his weight to sit correctly, pulled the seatbelt across his chest, and then glared at her. As if she could feel his eyes.
Her jaw tightened.
“Is that why you wanted to be a nurse? Job security from fixing up all the people you injure in traffic accidents?”
A lone tear made a trail down her cheek.
He instantly regretted the words. They’d been more than a bit harsh. But instead of apologizing, he turned away and looked out the window. He’d apologize later. If he made it home in one piece.
How could this woman have even one drop of Amish blood in her? He certainly couldn’t see it.
She didn’t attempt to avoid the washout on the dirt road when they came to it. She hit the gas and flew over it, seeming to ignore the racket when the car bottomed out.
Jah, Shanna was trouble with a capital T.
So, why did he feel so attracted to her?
***
Shanna dropped Matthew off in front of the shop door, then drove the car behind the barn, where it would be hidden from sight. Daed had always asked Onkel Micah to park his RV back there, as if he was ashamed to have an Englisch vehicle on the grounds. Few, if any, of the neighbors even knew that part of the barn had electricity, and Onkel Micah always kept the windows covered with cardboard at night, probably so the lights wouldn’t be seen.
She would do the same.
But that was as far as it would go. She didn’t claim to be Amish anymore, and while Daed may be permitting her to stay on his property, he treated her as an outsider. At least, he had so far today. So, she would respond in kind. She didn’t belong here, and she wouldn’t make any effort to seek out her family—make that her ex-family—or the handsome Matthew Yoder from Pennsylvania.
She’d done enough damage today, to much more than just the buggy. Her reputation, for one—she couldn’t imagine what Matthew must think of her. Dangerous, a bad driver, a flirt, too talkative…. The list probably went on and on.
Pretending she was about to drive off without him? She wouldn’t have, really. But the joke had belly flopped. She still felt the pain deep inside. College students pulled that trick on each other all the time. Matthew didn’t know that.
Frowning, she climbed out of the car, opened the back door, and lifted the box of mewing kittens. After using her hip to bump both doors closed, she carried the box around to the front of the barn. She hoped Daed wouldn’t peek out of the shop and see her. And that Matthew wouldn’t tell Daed about them.
Surely, Daed wouldn’t notice five extra kittens if no one mentioned them. After all, she’d spied kittens tumbling around in the grass when she’d arrived this morning. She didn’t see them now.
A rock settled in the pit of her stomach. Had Daed drowned the kittens while they’d been gone? If so, he would notice the new ones.
Entering the barn, Shanna scanned the shadows. There, in a corner, a kitten wrestled with a
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