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Promised To Another

By Laura V. Hilton

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Chapter 1



“May I take you home from Singing?”
Annie Beiler’s breath hitched and her gaze shot from the dusty tips of her powder blue tennis shoes to the drop-dead gorgeous man standing not three feet in front of her. Unfortunately, his tentative smile wasn’t aimed in her direction.
Nein, Joshua Esh’s hazel eyes were locked on Rachel Lapp. Though Annie had to admit Rachel was cute with her strawberry blond hair and the green dress that perfectly matched her green eyes.
He was what her Englisch friends called a player, for sure. Everyone talked about how he never took the same girl home from Singing twice. But maybe that meant he would eventually make his way to Annie.
Rachel’s face lit up. “Danki, Joshua. I’d love a ride.”
Annie scowled. And when he did get around to asking her, she’d reject him. Seems someone should have the willpower to. Even though Rachel had talked about him and his ways earlier that evening, it appeared that she had only been suffering from jealousy since Joshua hadn’t asked her first.
Okay, to be honest, Annie did feel a bit envious too. Make that more than a bit. Not mainly because of Joshua, although he played a huge part of it. But partially because none of the men swapped from Pennsylvania had ever offered to give her a ride. Not a single one.
She didn’t think she was that unfortunate looking.
Annie brushed past Joshua and Rachel and left the barn. Maybe she shouldn’t have gone outside, because she did need a way home unless she planned to ride with another couple. But she didn’t think she could stand there alone by the barn doors, hopeful, when all the buwe she noticed didn’t seem to know she was alive.
Like Joshua Esh.
Especially Joshua Esh.
Annie kicked at a rock and winced when it didn’t budge.
“Annie? Is that you?” A male voice came from the darkness in front of her.
She jumped. She recognized that voice. Just hadn’t expected to hear it. Not in a month of Singings. She frowned. “Luke?”
“Jah.” He moved enough to come into the circle of light from the lanterns hanging around the barn.
Annie planted her fists on her hips. She wouldn’t make the mistake of falling for Luke Schwartz twice. Not that she’d fallen for him the first time. It was just—he’d asked. And a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Right? Okay, he wasn’t what she wanted, wouldn’t make her top ten list of dreamy Amish men, but he was better than nothing. She pulled in a deep breath, steeling herself. “What are you doing here?”
“Ach, that’s a wonderful way to welcome me. I’m home.”
She stilled, hope building, despite her internal warnings. “For how long?” She didn’t want to spend her life alone. Didn’t want to rely on the kindness of other couples for rides. Didn’t want to be the only girl left unattached, unaccepted, unwanted.
Unloved.
But then again, she didn’t want to settle for just anyone either.
Luke didn’t quite meet her eyes. “You wound me.”
Ach. Not for gut, then. The pencil fell from behind her ear and she stooped to pick it up, careful not to glance at him as she rose.
“Never without that ever present pencil, I see.”
She winced, hating that he mocked her. Okay, she probably shouldn’t take a pencil to Singing, but what if she wanted to write something down? The name of a book she’d like to read, or something she wanted to mention to the scholars. Maybe even the initials of her number one dream guy. One who stood somewhere nearby, but didn’t pay any attention to her. One who didn’t know she was alive. She didn’t dare glance away from Luke. “Sarcasm doesn’t suit you.”
He sighed. “May I give you a ride home? Looks like things are breaking up.”
“I’m sorry, but I already have a ride. Maybe another time?”
Luke laughed. “Right. I heard how popular you are. Having to beat the buwe off with a stick, ain’t so?”
Annie stiffened. “So, you couldn’t pay rent on that run down trailer and ran home to your parents, jah?”
Someone moved up beside her, and she glanced that way. Whoever it was didn’t register. What she did notice was that everyone had gathered around her and Luke, watching their exchange.
She was in enough trouble, only allowed to continue teaching on probation. All she needed was for one of these eavesdroppers to go home and tell their folks. She’d be out of a job so fast a racing horse and buggy wouldn’t be able to keep pace. She searched for something to say, something to diffuse the situation.
Luke’s glance slid from her to whoever offered wordless support. He sneered, then backed up a space. “Well, since you have a ride, I’ll just see you later then. Good to see ya, Annie.”
She forced a smile. “Glad you’re back, Luke.”
He turned and disappeared into the darkness.
***
Joshua stood beside Annie for a moment. Silent. Wishing he could say something that would be a salve to her hurt. He felt the pain radiating from her as she watched the red-headed man walk away.
That whole situation confused him. He’d been attracted to Annie since the moment he met her, but when he fished for more information about her, he’d been told she was taken. Off limits. All but engaged to Luke Schwartz. And that Luke had vowed to return for her again someday. Apparently that day was now.
Annie hadn’t been waiting with baited breath.
Joshua didn’t know exactly what that meant.
He only knew what he wanted it to mean.
The crowd around them thinned as the pairs began to make their way to their buggies. Joshua became conscious of Rachel standing on the other side of him, twisting her hand in her apron while she waited on him to do… something. He wasn’t sure what.
He swallowed the lump in this throat and turned to face the brunette school teacher. “Um, Annie. I’m going right past your haus. I can give you a ride, if you’d like.”
The glance she gave from her dark eyes could have withered a lesser man. “I wouldn’t impose on a courting couple.”
“Ach, you know gut and well Rachel and I aren’t courting.” He couldn’t commit to anyone. Not when his attention had been caught and held by one certain Amish school teacher. But he wouldn’t approach her. Not until he knew for sure what was happening between Annie and Luke. Or seeing if he could somehow catch her eye. Choosing a future frau was a serious thing. After all, he’d be spending the rest of his life with her—whoever she would be.
It wasn’t like God pointed her out with a bright neon light, one that he’d be sure to notice in this quiet, rural Amish community. Though, then again, maybe He had. Joshua had certainly sat up and taken notice of Annie.
“I’m going right past your haus,” he repeated, tucking his thumbs into his suspenders to keep from reaching out and touching her arm, grasping her hand, or otherwise physically imploring her to just hush up and come.
The gut Lord certainly hadn’t made Annie Beiler into a submissive maidel. Not like Rachel Lapp who still stood, silent, on his other side, waiting for him to finish. She’d turn out to be a gut, submissive future Amish frau. Unfortunately, he liked a bit of spunk.
Something that Annie Beiler possessed in abundance, if what he overheard during the school board meetings were true.
Annie stubbornly ignored him, swinging around and going back into the barn. He watched her go, torn whether to follow or not. Rachel stood quietly by his side, waiting for him to stop daydreaming and snap to life. Joshua straightened and turned to her. “Shall we?”
She looked up, her green eyes wide. “Maybe we should wait to see if Annie needs a ride first. Her sister left with a beau and her brother isn’t here.” She looked around. “And neither is her best friend.”
“Jah.” Joshua swallowed, then glanced back at the barn. “I’ll ask again.”
“Has Luke returned home, for gut?” Rachel asked before he took even a step.
Joshua shrugged. “He was there when we came home from church this afternoon and said he’d kum home.”
“Ach, his parents must be so happy.”
Joshua nodded, but the truth was, he didn’t know. They’d both seemed rather skeptical when Luke showed up with his few belongings after church this morning. And the news had already spread through the community. Who needed a phone when the gossip line was at work? Although, Annie had seemed surprised to see him.
“I’ll see if I can find Annie. Be right back.”
“Jah. I’ll wait at your buggy.”
Joshua heard her, but didn’t reply, other than a nod. He headed back into the lantern-lit barn and breathed in the scent of animals, dust, and hay. He skirted the table still laden with cookies and sandwiches and vegetables from the singing, and headed toward the far corner where he thought he saw a brown dress in the shadows. Annie always wore brown, as if she wanted to go unnoticed. Hidden from view. Invisible.
Of course, with the problems with the school board, maybe flying low was the best thing for her.
With a sigh, Joshua paused, backtracked, and grabbed a couple peanut butter cookies off the table. Taking a bite out of one of the crumbly cookies, he headed back over to the corner he had seen Annie hiding in. He swallowed. “Annie?”
No answer.
He rounded a pile of hay bales and saw her, scrunched in the corner. “Hey. You’ll never find a ride hiding back here.”
She straightened her shoulders. “I wasn’t hiding. I was…” She looked around and picked up a piece of straw, shoving it back into the bale. “Cleaning. They missed this corner.”
Joshua’s eyes widened, and he silently watched her pick up more straw for several minutes. Fighting a grin, he raised his eyebrows and leaned against the bale.
She balled her fists and planted them on her hips. “Aren’t you going to go? Take Rachel home?”
“It’s more fun watching you pick up straw. And I’m sure the Stultzfus’ will love knowing you spent additional time cleaning this part of their barn. By hand, no less. I’ll be sure to tell Shanna.”
“You’re insufferable. Nein wonder your community swapped you out.”
That was far from the truth. His community hadn’t swapped him out. That was just what he wanted others to believe. For now. But it didn’t matter. The grin won. “Jah. I’ll just be the thorn in your side here. Now quit being so stubborn and admit you need a ride home.”
“I’ll admit nein such thing.”

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