“Will you?”
* * *
Later that afternoon, all Rebecca could think about was Katie. What she'd done was bad. But the intentions behind her actions were good.
In the shop office, she told William what she'd learned. He frowned. As she went on, the concerned creases on his forehead became more pronounced. Rebecca noted the firm set of his jaw as she related the bizarre story of Katie's threats and the reason behind them.
William kept silent while he listened. She knew she talked a mile a minute, and the more she told him, the faster her words came out.
He motioned to the door. “Let's go outside.”
Slow steps took them down the hill behind the shop. The path behind the Conrad home had become their place for serious talks.
Rebecca continued telling him about Katie. When she finished, she stopped and caught her breath. William turned to her. She crossed her arms over her chest and glanced up at him, searching his perplexed face for answers.
They locked gazes. She barely heard the sound of hammering coming from the shop. Her mind was in a whirl.
A combination of surprise and bewilderment filled his eyes as he stared back at her.
Rebecca's heart pumped hard as the breeze caressed her face. Under normal circumstances, the soothing coolness against her skin would have prompted her to relax. Not today.
Her mind was in a state of chaos. As her thoughts flitted from fact to fact, she found it difficult to stay focused. Recalling pieces of her conversation with Katie, she wasn't sure if she wanted to cry or scream about the injustice she'd suffered.
She gazed into the sky as the sun made its way west. Usually, the warmth calmed Rebecca. But right now, her entire body shook.
William shook his head in disbelief. “I can't believe what you've told me, Rebecca. Katie must be nuts.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “All these days and nights, I've worried about how to protect you. I've tossed and turned in bed wondering what I'd do if something happened to you. We've even changed our plans, in order to keep you safe. All the while, we thought poor Natalie was jealous of you. And who was really behind all of this? Some innocent-looking Amish girl?”
He harrumphed.
At a loss for words, Rebecca remained still.
As William tapped his foot, he straightened his shoulders. “Who would've guessed that Katie was the source of those awful messages? Boy, did she have us fooled.”
“I know.”
William bit his lip. The pink in his cheeks turned to a shade of red. Rebecca tried to get a grip on her emotions as she watched him curl his hands into fists. William's knuckles turned white.
The pulse in his neck picked up speed. Suddenly, he waved a hand toward the house. “I'm not letting her get away with this.”
“What are you going to do?”
She stepped quickly behind him as he pulled her forward.
“We're going to pay Katie a visit. Right now. I'm going to warn her to never set foot on this property again. If she comes anywhere near you, she'll pay.”
Rebecca stopped and tugged at his arm. She tried to catch her breath. “No, William. That's not the solution.” She swallowed. “What good would that do? The damage is already done. There's no need to counter Katie with a warning.”
He threw her a confused look.
“We've got to look at the positive side. Thank goodness, I wasn't harmed. Really, I was never at risk of being hurt. I'm safe. And we're lucky to know the source of the threats.”
“Rebecca, you're downplaying this. What Katie did was unimaginable.”
“Yes. But in the scheme of things, it could have been much worse.”
William rolled his eyes. “I'm fully aware of that. But we can't let her get away with this.” He looked down at Rebecca. “You surely don't want to drop this.”
Rebecca thought a moment. The home was in view. She looked forward to sharing her story with Beth. William's step-mamma would be shocked at Katie's actions.
They proceeded to walk in silence. Rebecca wondered how the woods could seem so tranquil when her world was so chaotic.
Urgency edged William's voice. “Rebecca, we've got to do something. What she did wasn't just on the crazy side. It was mean. And whether or not she actually posed a threat, her actions affected all of our lives.”
Dried leaves crunched under their shoes. The smell of pine from the large trees filled Rebecca's nostrils. She breathed in the refreshing scent. But not even the woods could slow the fast, uncomfortable beat of her heart.
William blew out a low whistle. “You can decide for yourself, but I'm not letting this woman get away with scaring the daylights out of us. She could have caused Dad another heart attack. Furthermore, it kills me to think of how this scheme of hers was planned with the motive to get you away from here so you wouldn't be tempted to leave the Amish faith.”
Rebecca moaned in distress. “It's hard to believe. It was poor judgment on her part, at best. But William, at least she realizes she did wrong. That's a start. I don't think she comprehended how her actions would cause us to suffer. She apologized. And she's sincere. I know that.”
William kicked a dead branch out of the way. He bent to pick up an acorn and threw it. “I don't give a hoot. I need more than an apology.”
Rebecca shrugged. “I'm not sure what else she can do. She can't go back in time and undo her threats.”
William's voice was edged with anger. “That still doesn't make it right.”
“No. But what does? Is there a perfect solution? I know what happened is crazy, but really, the only way to deal with it is to put this behind me.”
“And you plan to do that?”
Rebecca nodded. “I have to.”
William raised an irritated brow. “How?”
“By forgiving her.”
When they stopped and turned to each other, William's gaze locked with Rebecca's. His eyes sparkled with a combination of anger and concern. He was upset, and she loved the way he tried to protect her.
When he spoke, his voice was barely more than a whisper. “What kind of man would I be if I just dropped this?”
Rebecca considered the question. “William, this has nothing to do with you. It's all about Katie and her lack of faith in me. Now it's over. I know you'd move the earth for me, but in this case, you can't.”
Impulsively, she lowered her voice. “And as far as you being a man?” She smiled a little. “You're definitely a man. And I love when you defend me. Knowing you're behind me is all I could ask for. What on earth would I do without you?”
“I'm still in shock that Katie would do such a thing.”
“And I'm ashamed to admit that I thought Natalie was the guilty person.”
The statement brought a sudden glow to William's cheeks. His lips curved up into a wide grin. “Poor Natalie. Katie makes Henry Kreggs's daughter look like a saint.”
His comment prompted Rebecca to giggle. William joined her in laughter.
“It's not easy to forgive, is it?”
Enjoying their closeness, Rebecca whispered, “No. But it's the only way to get past what happened. And I certainly can't expect you to forgive Daniel and Beth if I don't do the same with Katie.”
William's eyes glistened with moisture. As she looked into his deep, turbulent eyes, she trembled. At that moment, she knew in her heart that William Conrad was the only man she could ever love. He was her soul mate. She couldn't exist without him.
“Rebecca, I don't deserve you.”
She stepped closer. His warm breath fanned her lips. The sensation made Rebecca's heart skip a beat. She'd never felt such a bond with anyone in her entire life. “Why do you say that?”
“There are a number of reasons. Your thoughts are so much purer than mine, Rebecca. Your heart is genuine and forgiving. This unstable woman has threatened your life and scared the living daylights out of both of us. Anyone else would be pounding at her door right now. But you? Your solution is to forgive her. You amaze me.”
When he whispered in her ear, a shiver of delight zoomed up her arms. “I still want to be your protector. I intend to keep you safe the rest of my life. I really want to confront her, Rebecca. I need to get my anger off of my chest. Are you sure . . .”
Rebecca gave a firm, decisive nod. “Let it go, William. Let's just be thankful that we know the source of the warnings and that there's nothing to worry about. Talking about this has really helped to ease my mind. To be honest, I'm relieved it's over. And I'm happy I no longer have to worry about someone harming me. It's a huge weight lifted from my shoulders.”
“Mine, too.” He paused. “Look, I'll refrain from going to her home, if that's what you want . . . but if I see her again?”
Rebecca raised an inquisitive brow.
“I won't hesitate one minute to let her know how she betrayed us all. That what she did caused us tremendous worry and that her actions were cruel, at best.”
“Fair enough.” Rebecca sighed. “In my heart, I truly believe she thought she was doing what was right for me.”
“It doesn't matter. That wasn't her decision to make.”
“I know. I think she realizes that, too.”
A mélange of clouds swept across the sky and blocked the sun. For a moment, the light dimmed. The eerie appearance above matched the strange sensation that swept through Rebecca's body as she considered what Katie had put her through.
A cool breeze rustled the leaves on the oak trees before the setting sun finally appeared again.
“Thanks for being here for me, William. I feel better now that we've talked.”
Reluctantly, Rebecca made her way to the house. There was something so comforting about the outdoors. Fresh air helped her think clearly. Being close to nature gave her an added feeling of security.
She squared her chin and hooked her arm in William's. She darted him a glance.
“We've both been put to the test, haven't we?”
“What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I just said. We face huge challenges. I have to deal with Katie's betrayal. And you've got to forgive your father and Beth. Those aren't easy things to do.”
“When I was little, I heard the word âforgiveness' a lot in church. At the time, I really didn't give it much thought. Because it's used so often, a person doesn't realize what a gigantic word it is.” He shook his head. “Forgiving isn't easy.”
“No.”
“Helping in my dad's shop isn't difficult because it's a physical task. In fact, I can do anything I set out to do with my hands. Lifting a heavy bale of hay isn't even that hard. Things that don't involve the mind can be done without much effort. But forgiveness is a different issue. Because it has to come from the heart.”
He stopped a moment. “But I think I'm getting there.”
He flexed his fingers while he related his recent conversations with his dad and Beth.
“Oh, William.” Inside, her heart warmed. She closed her eyes a moment and said a silent prayer of thanks. Her third goal was coming true. She could leave Indiana guilt-free. Even though there was no need to go home now, Rebecca knew it was time. She'd done her best. And her parents needed her.
“William, you don't know how happy that makes me.”
“Honestly, I want to forgive my dad for leaving me, Rebecca. I'm really trying hard to understand the turmoil he went through.”
“We've talked before about life not being perfect.”
“To be honest, I'm ready to let go of the huge weight I've carried on my shoulders. For years, I've been miserable inside, trying to figure out why he deserted me. After we came here, my feelings grew stronger. But things are slowly starting to work out.”
He related parts of his conversation with Beth. He went on to tell her about the car ride and how it felt to be behind the wheel. At the end, he related what Beth had said about his folks wanting William and Rebecca to build on the land by the lake.
“Even though I don't agree with what Dad did, she helped me understand what was going through his mind. At least, it puts me more at ease.”
“William, sometimes we don't get answers. We just have to realize that things are the way they are and move on. Forgiveness will happen. Because you've asked God to help you do it. Never doubt yourself. And don't doubt Him.”
She let out a small sigh. “There's no rule that says you have to do it overnight. Just like we didn't get the Kreggses' order out right away. But eventually, you must forgive because you can't have a happy future harboring resentment.”
When he glanced at her in understanding, she raised a thoughtful brow. “Just think of forgiving as removing roadblocks so your horse can get you to where you're going.”
“What?”
Rebecca let out a pleased laugh at her analogy. “Your horse can't get you home if the road is covered with barricades. And when you think about it, the same goes with living a happy life. Mental roadblocks, like grudges, will stop you from moving forward unless you push them out of the way by forgiving.” She giggled. “Old Sam would be proud of me, wouldn't he?”
William nodded. “I think you're inheriting his wisdom. And that's not a bad thing.”
He stopped. When their gazes locked, he grinned. “You have an interesting way of looking at things, soon-to-be Mrs. Conrad.”
She took a deep, excited breath as she thought about becoming William's wife. She yearned to go back to Arthur. To marry William. To have a family.
But a barricade was in their way. One that could stop Rebecca's dream from materializing. If William decided to run Daniel's business, he would be here permanently. Away from Rebecca's family. And Rebecca hadn't yet determined if she could leave her family to be with him.