CHAPTER 13
R euben wanted her back. While she gaped at him, the shop’s front door opened wide and no less than three different groups of people wandered in. Worse, half of them she knew.
Which meant that half of the people knew whom she was sitting down with—and that they were finding it shocking.
She did, too.
“I’ve got to go. I have customers to see to.”
He stopped her before she could completely get to her feet. “Treva, don’t leave me hanging. What do you think?”
What did she think?
“I don’t know what to think.” After all, it wasn’t every day a girl got a bombshell like that plopped in her lap. It currently felt far too heavy. She wished she could toss his declaration out of her life and hurry home. Hide under the covers for a couple of hours.
But because that wasn’t possible, she simply hurried behind the counter, took a customer’s order, and breathed a sigh of relief when all he wanted was to buy a bottle of water. The next two only wanted plain coffees and baked goods. She smiled at them gratefully, hoping the easy tasks would give her the boost she needed to do her job while Reuben continued to stare at her.
“May I help ya, Mary?” she asked a woman from her church district.
“We want three coffees and three scones, please.”
“Coming right up.” She flashed what she hoped was a smile before she turned around to fill the cups.
It was too bad that she could barely remember what they asked for when she stared at the stack of paper cups. Yep, her mind had almost gone completely blank.
But how could it not? Reuben had just said the words she used to pray she would hear. To make matters worse, he’d looked so sincere that she was sure he’d meant every word.
At least, she wanted to believe he did.
But what did that mean to her? She just wasn’t sure.
“Treva? The coffee and scones, please.”
“Oh! Of course.” Like a robot, she filled the cups, secured the lids, bagged the scones, and handled the payments. And then she waited on the next set of customers. And the next.
Reuben leaned on the side of the counter. “Should we discuss this later?”
“ Jah . I mean, I don’t know.” Honestly, why was he asking? She had coffee drinks to make!
He laughed softly. “Do you really not have anything to say?”
“I don’t know if I do or not.”
“I think I’ll wait another few minutes, then.”
She gritted her teeth. She did not appreciate him pressing her for words. By the looks of things, a couple of the remaining customers—some of whom she’d never met before in her life—didn’t seem too impressed by his pushiness, either.
“You okay?” an elderly man asked, when she handed him a cappuccino.
“Yes.”
“Don’t let him push you around.”
His advice made her smile. “I won’t. Thanks.”
And then, there was another lull. Walking out from behind the counter, Treva said, “Reuben, I’m not sure what you’re thinking, but I’m in shock. I . . . well, I never thought I’d see you again.”
“Never’s a long time.”
Yes, that was true, but it didn’t give her a bit of explanation about why he’d returned or what had happened in his life to bring forward such a declaration.
When someone behind her cleared their throat, her head finally cleared. “We can’t do this here.”
His gaze warmed. “You’re right. We should go speak somewhere privately. Where do you want to go? I have my car.”
There it was again. Statements that were so confusing and contradictory that she wasn’t sure how to respond. Here, he’d just commented about how he knew her shop was busy, but he was acting as if she could simply walk out because he’d walked through the door. Then there was this car of his. Had he forgotten that the last time she’d seen him he’d been Amish?
She needed time to think about this. About him.
“I can’t just leave.”
“Why not? It’s your place.”
“I can’t leave because it is my place.”
“Okay. When, then?”
“I don’t know.” Next week? Next month? Tomorrow?
“Trev, you don’t have a single hour to spare for me today?” Reuben smiled at her in that boyish way she used to find so adorable. “What if I came back here early this afternoon?”
And there it went again. Her traitorous insides did a little excited lurch, letting her know that Reuben might have broken her heart, but it was still intact and working. This heart of hers might be bandaged and bruised, but it was still beating and there was something about Reuben that still made her excited.
Was it love? She doubted it, but she knew she couldn’t ignore her body’s response. Plus, perhaps it would be best to get this meeting over with. “Four is good. Do you want to come to the house?”
He glanced behind her. A muscle in his jaw tightened before he shook his head. “I’m not sure if that’s a good idea,” he said quietly. “I’d rather face you instead of your entire family.”
That was probably for the best. Her aunt Ruth and mother were likely shooting daggers at him from across the shop. “Where should we meet, then?”
“May I pick you up here? We can go get a sandwich together. Or, if you’d rather, head over to Charm to visit the animals at Hershberger’s.”
“Would you really do that?”
“I just offered, didn’t I?”
“But you hate all that touristy stuff.”
“It’s not my favorite, but I’m feeling a little touristy myself. I’m almost missing everything in Holmes County. Besides, I’d do just about anything to make you smile like that. Even be around a herd of goats.”
“All right, then. I’d like that.”
“See you then.” He leaned a little closer. “Don’t change your mind, okay? Give me a chance.”
Give him a chance after he’d broken up with her and jumped the fence? After he’d stomped on her heart and made her feel like she wasn’t worthy? It was unlikely that she’d ever return to his side.
But if she refused to take the time to hear what he had to say, she worried that she’d always regret it. “I already made too many mistakes with you,” she said slowly. “I’m not going to do that again. I’ll be there.”
“ Danke , Treva.”
She stood still as he turned and walked out the door.
When the door closed behind him, a collective sigh echoed through the space.
Emma Jane hurried over to her side and curved an arm around Treva’s shoulders. “Treva, I walked in just as he was begging you to see him again. Are you all right?”
“I don’t know.”
“I can’t believe he came back.” Her voice was the perfect combination of shock and incredulousness.
Leaning into her friend for support, she whispered, “I can’t believe it, either.”
“Did you really say you’d see him again?”
“ Jah .”
“Treva, he broke your heart.”
“That’s what I’d thought. But it seems to still be beating. Now lower your voice, Emma Jane. And, please, try not to gossip about this. If my family finds out, it’s going to be horrible.” Of course, the way news spreads through their community, someone was probably already sitting in her parents’ living room.
“What about Jonny Schrock? I could’ve sworn there was something brewing between the two of you.”
“There might be, I don’t know. I . . . I need to do this, Emma Jane. I was so hurt when he left I prayed and prayed for a moment like this. I need to listen to what he has to say.”
“But he was so bad.” Giving her shoulder a squeeze, Emma Jane added, “You were upset for months, Treva.”
“I know. He did things that weren’t right, but that doesn’t mean I can’t forgive him. Plus, he might have had a good reason for his actions.” She was trying really hard to act like it was a possibility, but she knew she was failing given the way Emma Jane was staring at her.
“Come now, Treva, you know that is doubtful.”
“One never knows the miles the other has walked.”
She rolled her eyes. “First, I don’t think that’s quite how the saying goes. Secondly, I can’t think of anything that Reuben could say that would excuse his actions toward you.”
It made no sense, but she was a little hurt that Emma Jane was making no effort to temper even a little bit of her opinions. “I guess it’s good he didn’t come to see you, then,” she joked as she approached the counter.
“Treva, wait.” She tugged on her sleeve.
“What?”
“Trev, just please remember what he did. He knew you loved him. He knew you were planning to marry him. He’d told you he was going to get baptized. He’d promised.” She lowered her voice. “But while he was saying all those things to you, he was learning how to drive, dating an English woman, and making plans for a future. He didn’t make a mistake, Treva. He played you for a fool.”
“I think you should go. More customers are here.”
Without waiting for Emma Jane to say another word, Treva washed her hands and stood in front of the expresso machine. “May I help who’s next?”
“I’d like a vanilla latte.”
“Great. I’ll take care of it.” Turning to the espresso machine, she measured out the grounds, tamped them twice, and set the cup underneath. As a slow, thin stream of espresso made its way into the cup, she watched it intently.
Pretending such a thing needed her full and undivided attention.
After topping off the milk and giving the drink a stir, she turned to the customer at the counter. “Here is your latte. Would you like anything else?”
“An apricot bar. I’d love one.”
“You got it.” Sure, both she and the customer knew she was putting on a show. But there was nothing wrong with that, was there? After all, sometimes putting on a show was all that one could do.
Especially because it was either put on a show or cry.