9. Rebecca

9

Rebecca

It's been two weeks since I came home. I'm healthy and able to do everything I was doing before I was shot.

Maverick told me what the doctor said about the bullet that would have pierced my heart. We both know it was Mary who saved my life.

Someone knocked on the front door, and I answered it. "Mark, come in. What can I do for you?"

"I'm leaving with Maverick to get away for a while," Mark said. I told him about Mary blocking the bullet, and he wasn't surprised. "Mary had the heart of an angel. Now she is a real angel," he said.

"You'll love the mountains. The people there are so kind," I said. I turned when I heard Maverick coming down the stairs with his bag.

I knew I would cry, and there was no way I could stop myself. When he leaves, he will take my heart with him.

Maverick stopped and looked at Mark. "I'll meet you at the truck."

"Goodbye, Mark," I said.

"You take care of yourself, Rebecca," Mark replied.

I turned to Maverick. "I'm going to miss you so much. Will you send my puppy to me?"

"Yes, I'll send her with a big bow around her neck. Make sure you get her fixed before Chewy decides to do something."

I chuckled. "Chewy is fixed, so he can't have babies."

"Good. Train this puppy to guard you. Promise me."

"I promise. I made some food for you to take with you. Let me get it," I said, hurrying into the kitchen. Tears fell from my eyes like a hose turned on full blast.

I brought the food out, wrapped in my kitchen towel. Maverick took it and put it in his bag.

"Thank you. I'm going to miss you, Rebecca Cover. A lot. Can I have a goodbye hug?"

I flew into his arms, wrapping my arms around him. "One kiss?" he asked. I tilted my head, and he kissed me, and I kissed him back. "Do you think you could ever leave this place?"

"No, I could never do that to my family," I smiled. "I like kissing. We should have done it sooner."

He laughed and kissed me again. "Goodbye, Rebecca. Call me if you need anything."

"I will," I said as I walked out with him. As he drove away, I went inside and cried for a long time before finally standing up. I had too much work to do and no time to cry.

I worked from before sunrise until past sunset. Michael was once again our bishop. Randall had been shunned by most in the community since they believed he was involved in the barn fire and the attack on me.

Our bishop and Daniel's boys helped me as much as possible with the harvest. Time seemed to fly by so fast. Every day, I missed Maverick more. I thought it would ease some, but it didn't. The crying started again when my puppy was delivered with a big yellow bow.

I named her Rhonda because that was the song Maverick sang for me that I liked the most. She was growing fast, and she and Chewy were best friends, playing all the time. When our bishop came over to help me one day, his phone rang.

"Maverick, how are you doing?" he answered.

"Is that Maverick? Can I please say hello?" I asked.

"Let me put it on video. Okay, you're all set," the bishop said, handing me his phone.

I almost dropped it when I saw Maverick smiling at me. I smiled back. "Maverick, it's so good to see you. Maybe I'll get a phone so I can call you whenever I want. I miss you, Maverick. Rhonda is growing so fast."

"I miss you too. Who is Rhonda?"

"My puppy. I named her Rhonda so I could always remember you singing that song to me," I said, grinning. He laughed out loud.

"I can't believe you named her Rhonda. Are you training her to be a guard dog?"

"Yes, she is very smart and protective of me. Thank you for sending her. What have you been doing?" We talked for almost an hour before the phone died. I handed it back to our bishop. "I'm sorry your phone died."

"I'm sorry, too. Rebecca, are you in love with Maverick?"

"I would have to be crazy to love someone completely different from me. Someone I couldn't have, someone who is not Amish. I guess I'm crazy," I said, chuckling as my tears fell.

"It hurts being away from him, knowing he lives in a world where women give themselves to men because they want to. Do you think I'm crazy?"

"No, I don't think that at all. I think you are smart and fell in love with someone we both admire. But I have to say, I don't believe Maverick will ever become Amish. If you want a life with Maverick, you have to be the one to change."

"I don't know why we are even having this conversation. Just because I love Maverick doesn't mean he loves me. I have to make some bread. Come inside and have something to drink while I make bread."

"I wish I could, but Jonah will be here tomorrow; he said he would help you finish plowing."

"That's wonderful. I sure could use his help."

"Have you been eating good meals? You look like you're ready to drop. Why don't you get some rest? The elders are worried you won't be able to plant all your fields."

"I will get some help planting. I've been taking care of the household stuff by candlelight and working the fields in the daylight," I said.

"You're working too hard. You look like you are wilting away."

"A couple of girls help me in the garden twice a week for a few hours after school. All the boys are busy working in their family fields. I'm glad Jonah will be here tomorrow."

"I'm sure everything will work out. You have to start eating and working less. You don't have to clean your home every day. I know you did that when your Mamm was still here, but now it's just you. How dirty can it get?"

"I know, but it's hard to break a habit. Clean the entire house and make the bread. We've always been told to do this. But I'll start doing it once a week. It won't need it more than that."

"Good, now I have to go."

"Bishop, thank you for letting me talk to Maverick."