A Simple Song (24 page)
It was a long and wonderful embrace, but suddenly feeling conspicuous as well as curious, she stepped away, smoothing her apron. “Where is Cal? Bekka said he would be here to fetch me today.” She assumed it was just a happy coincidence that Cooper was here right now. Maybe he was running an errand for his uncle.
“I suppose Cal is at work on the farm.” Cooper picked up the bag she'd dropped on the ground, dusted it off, and placed it into the back of the buggy. “Let me give you a hand.”
“You're driving me home then?”
“Ja.”
He nodded as he helped her up into the buggy. “Unless you have another plan.”
“No,” she said quickly. “No other plan.”
Soon they were driving out of town, and the clip-clop of the horse's hooves seemed like the happiest sound she'd ever heard. Sitting there right next to Cooper was like a dream come true. Or maybe it was like finally waking up after a long, horrible nightmare. Anyway, she was so thrilled she could barely string the words together to speak.
“How did this happen?” she finally asked him. “That you came for me instead of Cal?”
“Bekka.”
“Ah . . .” She nodded.
“I used my uncle's business phone to call the Lehmans' the other day. I wanted to find out how you were doing, and when Bekka said you would be coming home soon, I asked her if she could help me arrange to pick you up. And she did.”
Katrina grinned and thought,
God bless Bekka!
“Are you all done with the singing competition now?”
“I am all done. Completely done. Never want to go back again,
done
.”
He let out a relieved sigh. “That is good news.”
She told him what she'd found out about Mammi. “It was hard to hear that,” she admitted.
“
Ja
. My Aunt Martha told me something like that too. I never would've thought your mammi had been through so much.” He frowned. “It made me worry about you, Katrina.”
“Oh?”
“I didn't want you to go away and get hurt and not come back. But then my uncle reminded me that instead of worrying, I should be praying. So that's what I did.”
“Thank you.”
“I put you in God's hands.” He smiled. “And God carried you back home.”
“It was sad to hear Mammi's story, but it was good too. I think it helped to solidify what I already knew.”
“What's that?”
“That I am Amish. And that I am happy with my simple life.” She took in a deep breath. “I plan to go through baptism.”
He nodded with his eyes fixed straight forward. “I do too.”
She felt a warm rush surge through her. “That's good.”
“Ja.”
They rode together in a companionable silence for a while. Katrina's eyes hungrily swept over the landscape that was slowly becoming more pastoral, with red barns and white houses popping up. “How is your apprenticeship going?” she asked.
“Good. Very good. I've learned all kinds of skills already. I love working with wood, Katrina. I love watching how wood goes from being a rough board to something useful and handsome. I think I might love woodworking as much as you love singing.”
“I'm not sure I love singing so much anymore.” She sighed. “I feel like I'm all sung out, Cooper.”
“You mean you won't sing anymore?” He sounded severely disappointed.
“I suppose I might be coaxed to sing if it was for the right reason . . . for the right person . . . not just for vainglory.”
“Oh . . . good. That is good.” He looked hopefully at her. “Do you happen to
know
the right person? The one you would sing for?”
“Oh,
ja
. I think I do. I have known him for quite some time.”
“Anyone I know?”
She playfully punched him in the arm. “I think you know who I mean, Cooper.”
He nodded. “
Ja
. I hope so. I hope I do.” Then he pulled back on the reins, calling out “whoa” to stop the horse.
“What's wrong?” She looked up and down the road but didn't see anything unusual coming in either direction. In fact, there was no traffic whatsoever.
Cooper climbed down from the buggy and walked around the front, but instead of checking the harness or the horse like she expected him to, he came around and offered her a hand. “Come on, Katrina. Get down from there,” he somberly told her.
Holding on to his hand, she climbed down, and once her feet were on the ground, Cooper took her other hand into his. He looked directly into her eyes, gazing at her with such tenderness that a shiver of joy ran from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.
“Katrina Yoder, I am asking you if you will become my wife. Will you marry me?”
“I will gladly become your wife, Cooper Miller.” Her heart was pounding and her eyes were filling with tears. “I will happily marry you.”
Right there on the side of the road, Cooper leaned down and kissed her, and of course she kissed him back! They both began to laugh joyfully. As he helped her back up into the buggy, she knew there were still some obstacles and challenges ahead for both of them. But she felt confident that with God's help, they would manage just fine.
Melody Carlson
is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, including
The Jerk Magnet
,
The Best Friend
,
The Prom Queen
,
Double Take
, and the Diary of a Teenage Girl series. Melody recently received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books. She and her husband live in central Oregon. For more information about Melody, visit her website at
www.melodycarlson.com
.
Double Take
Just Another Girl
Anything but Normal
Never Been Kissed
Allison O'Brian on Her OwnâVolume 1
Allison O'Brian on Her OwnâVolume 2
L
IFE
AT
K
INGSTON
H
IGH
The Jerk Magnet
The Best Friend
The Prom Queen
