Chapter 6

Chapter 6

O n the Wednesday before the upcoming weekend wedding and the Myer family reunion, Kayla and Lucas met down by the lake. The snow had softened and stopped, but the whole countryside was covered in a brilliant white coating that looked like quilt batting, all fluffy and heavy. The fresh sunshine beamed against the stark white, highlighting each gentle snowflake with a shimmer, as if someone had scattered tiny crystals all over the earth.

"Beautiful," she said, taking the cup of strong kaffe with cream he'd brought for her.

"Very beautiful," he replied, his own paper cup cradled in his hands.

But he wasn't looking at the choppy lake or the blanket of snow.

Lucas watched Kayla with bright hope in his eyes. For a moment they stood silent, letting the earth talk for them. Birds flew by, cawing and chirping. A beautiful red cardinal perched on a snow-covered limb, its keen gaze taking in its surroundings. The lake waves hit the shore and then fell back in the same age-old pattern, breaking icy water as they shifted.

Kayla tried to read his face, tried to find a hint of regret or remorse. "Are we really here, alone, without anyone shouting at us?"

" Ja , here we are together and alone," Lucas said, his voice husky and low. "Day three of the Lucas and Kayla adventure, and this is one special moment. But we have much to do still. The sisters have scheduled cookie decorating next."

"I know," she replied, sighing as reality burst their little snow globe bubble. "We have a few minutes before chaos breaks out again." Then she smiled and shrugged. "They seem to have backed off a bit."

She told him about her conversation with Becky. "She's being nice to me, and she likes you, Lucas. That's a win right there."

"She should be nice to her sister," he replied. "I'm glad you were honest with her."

"I'm learning to speak my mind," she admitted. "I couldn't have done that without your encouragement, without meeting you."

"Gott's will, I hope," he replied before sipping his black kaffe .

"Or maybe two people being willful for the first time?"

"That too, but he led us here, ain't so?"

" Gut point."

She shivered and took a sip of her creamy brew. "Mamm seems okay with us, and Daed is staying out of things. He's longed for some sort of reconciliation with your family, and it's been a bone of contention between him and my grossdaddi for years."

"So many emotions between us, like a river that runs deep with ebbs and currents we can't contain. But we can control what happens in our own lives, with Gott watching over us."

"So we follow his path, not the one everyone else thinks we should follow?"

"I believe so," he replied. Then he finished his kaffe. "Meeting you has been the highlight of this week, maybe the highlight of my life. Would Gott lead us here to each other only to force us to give up these feelings we have in our hearts?"

"I sure hope and pray not," she replied, amazed at how well he understood her and the attraction between them. "If we keep forcing our families together, they will have to find a way to forgive, ja ?"

"It's worth a try." He glanced up at the inn looming off in the distance. "We should get back since we're the ones who asked for these competitions."

"And we are to blame if our grossdaddis keep competing in a bad way."

"I hope today will be better. At least my mamm got to know you a bit more. She really enjoyed visiting with you even if the snowman competition didn't work out the way we'd planned."

"Your mamm is very nice, Lucas." They started walking back up the stone path. "And my brother Billy couldn't stop talking about you last night at supper. Daed frowned and Mamm smiled, but she will win Daed over because she knows you and I are friends. I was firm on that."

"You, firm." He laughed. "Show me your firm expression."

She pursed her lips together and made an exaggerated frown.

Then they both burst out laughing.

Kayla laughed so hard she almost slipped on one of the stones, but Lucas caught her and tugged her into his arms.

They stopped laughing and stared at each other for a brief second. Then he drew close and kissed her gently on the lips. Gently, but a spark was lit, and soft warmth glowed in her heart, then took off in a sizzling dance down her spine.

The kiss was sweet and simple and quick, but it told her what her heart knew already. She was beginning to care deeply for this man she'd only just met.

He drew back, his gaze moving over her face. "Should I be sorry?"

"For what?" she asked, breathless and still stunned.

"I kissed you, or did you miss that entirely?"

"I didn't miss a thing. I was fully aware of that kiss."

"In a gut way?"

"In the best way, Lucas. I like you and I liked that kiss."

"But?"

"But we just met and I'm so afraid this fragile longing will break apart like that ice out on the water, and we'll go our separate ways, and our families will never approve, and—"

He kissed her again, putting a definite stop to all her worries.

Then he leaned back, held her chin with his gloved fingers and grinned at her. "We are going to get through this. We might have to go our separate ways for a while, but, Kayla, I'm not letting you go. I want you in my life, so we will tolerate our families and they will have to accept that you and I are not part of their feud. We are two adults who have decided to be friends and . . . maybe more, understand?"

"I do understand, but you know it's not that simple."

"Our kiss was simple and easy and gut , right?"

"Oh, ja ," she said with a sigh. "So easy. So gut ."

"Then we take things step-by-step, slowly and surely. We both have level heads, and we are rule-followers. We don't rebel and make a fuss. We won't do anything to dishonor our families or our faith."

" Neh ," she replied, wishing they could get back to the kisses.

"But we will be the ones to decide what happens next," he told her. "We have to stand firm or we'll be swept up in this awful feud and it will never end. Or worse, I'll be fighting with my own family."

She shook her head. "I won't let that happen."

"What do you mean?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

"I mean, if staying apart means keeping the peace, then we'll have to walk away. I won't kumm between you and your family, Lucas."

"Nor would I do that to you. But we shouldn't let them keep us apart either. If we stand firm, they should see that we care for each other and be happy about that. Their grudges shouldn't stop us from being together."

"But you and I being together could make things even worse," she pointed out. "I will not let that happen."

They realized the complications and the impact of their declarations.

Kayla looked out at the water and then back at him. "So either they allow us to be friends, or we end it here and now."

He shook his head. "I don't like that idea, but we could use that premise to our advantage. In fact, our ending it in a big ol' fight might just get their attention and bring about the peace we all want."

Kayla thought about that, then frowned. "You mean, fake it?"

He glanced up at the house. "If it comes to that, it would be our last resort."

Kayla had to agree. "Seems we have a new plan. A sneaky, conniving plan, but sometimes you have to fight fire with fire."

He pulled her close for one more quick kiss. "And sometimes you have to play dirty to get what you really want, what Gott has planned for you. And I know now that I want you in my life for a long, long time."

She grinned and touched his long bangs. "I want the same. As my deceased grossmammi used to say, ‘You can mess up now and ask for forgiveness later.' We might need to do that, for certain sure."

"I just wonder if either of our grossdaddis have ever thought to ask for forgiveness," he replied. "That would be the best solution for all of us."

By the time they made it to the café where the cookie decorating would be held, they had a solid plan in mind.

But when they entered the doors and saw all the people gathered and ready for this next competition, they could only look at each other and shake their heads.

Everyone was shouting at everyone else as the two families confronted each other. Tobias and Claude were pointing fingers and talking over each other, while Grossmammi Berneta was almost in tears. And both their mamms were standing there glaring at their elders while the kinner and teens looked on in embarrassment.

"Maybe we should sneak out," Lucas whispered to Kayla.

Before she could answer, Tobias spotted them. "Well, here are the two lovebirds now. Don't try to deny it, Lucas Myer. We all saw you kissing this girl out there in the light of day." Moving his pointed finger from Kayla's grandfather to Lucas, he shouted, "And after I told you this must stop, you defied me."

Lucas tried to speak, but Claude jumped right in. "Kayla, you can find better friends when you get home. Why are you latching on to a Myer? What is it about him?"

Kayla was about to speak when a loud whistle shrilled through the air, stopping the fuss and causing everyone to turn toward the kitchen.

A well-rounded older woman stood with a large kitchen spoon, her dark eyes filled with a fire of her own. "I am Aenti Miriam—Sarah's sister—and along with my friend Edith, we are working extra hours here, helping the King sisters keep things in order. You are all adults but look at you, fussing like kinner while the kinner are watching. You will reap what you sow. So I suggest you stop fussing and get on with decorating these cookies. With smiles on your faces."

Kayla glanced at Lucas. Lucas glanced back at Miriam. Then they both nodded toward their families.

"We agree with that," Kayla shouted before she could change her mind. Then she took a bold breath and said, " Ja , we kissed each other and look—we're okay. We're all okay here because we are all blessed. Can we have peace for one hour, please?"

"Just one hour," Lucas echoed, glaring at all of them. "Then you can fuss at me privately for kissing Kayla. But I do not regret kissing her, not at all. Just to make that clear."

The room quieted and Miriam stood still, her spoon at the ready, a twinkle in her assertive eyes. Then two more older women came bustling out of the kitchen, their aprons crisp and tied tight.

"I'm Gayle, and this is my sister Gloria," the elder one with gray hair explained. "We moved here last Christmas and joined the kitchen staff. We oversee the desserts."

She stopped smiling and held up a large rolling pin. "We can't do our work amidst fussing and fighting. If we wanted that, we'd go home to our sons and their families."

Gloria looked troubled, but she held up her hand for quiet. "So for one hour we want you to work peaceably together."

Miriam stood with the two other women. "Any questions?"

No one said a word. Wives glared at husbands and husbands glared across the room at each other. But they all finally nodded their approval and acceptance on this matter.

"That's more like it." Miriam approved the quiet. "Let the cookie decorating begin." She whipped around to the kitchen, the two employees following, thus leaving the families stunned and afraid to say anything.

"Peace," Kayla whispered to Lucas. "Let's make the best of it."

Lucas whispered in her ear. "We can't cause a scene now with our own fight. It has to look real to convince all of them."

"I understand," she said. "I don't feel like fighting anyway."

They parted and each took their place with their families, the tension between them fizzling down like a dying ember in a fireplace.

For now, all was quiet. And then everyone starting laughing and grabbing at cookie dough.