CHAPTER 20
J onny’s father had been a lifesaver. In a panic, Jonny had called him at the hotel from the bike trail. His father’d answered immediately.
Then, after Jonny had explained what happened to Treva, it was obvious that his father had dropped everything and was listening intently. When Jonny had finally stopped to take a breath, his father had quietly asked Jonny for the closest cross streets, told him to relax, then assured him that he’d be there soon.
Feeling better now that he knew help was on the way, Jonny had called the coffee shop and spoke to Treva’s Aunt Ruth, who assured him that she would let the rest of their family know what happened.
Thirty minutes later, Jonny and Treva were in his father’s SUV and on the way to the hospital. The two bicycles were loaded in the back.
Through it all, Treva didn’t cry or appear mad at him. She simply sat quietly by his side. When he’d carefully held her uninjured arm, she’d leaned against him. Just knowing that he was able to comfort her in the smallest of ways had eased his conscience.
At the hospital, the health professionals had taken X-rays and determined that Treva’s left ulna was broken. Then the orthopedic doctor had put a temporary splint on it, saying he wanted to examine it again when the swelling went down. Only then—if she didn’t need surgery—would she get a cast.
Since her parents and her aunt had come with a driver and said they’d take her home, Jonny was stuck sitting on a plastic chair in the waiting room. After the stress of the last two hours, each minute felt like five as he impatiently waited until Treva appeared again. He needed to see her face when he told her good-bye.
He hoped and prayed she wasn’t angry with him.
After another ten minutes had passed, he’d told Treva’s aunt that he was going to step outside. The waiting room was hot and crowded. He needed some fresh air. When his father approached, his expression as stern as it had been when Jonny had gotten in trouble at school for fighting, his spirits plummeted, followed closely by a burst of annoyance. He didn’t need anyone to tell him that he should’ve taken better care of Treva, but his father looked like he was going to tell him all about that.
Gritting his teeth, Jonny knew he was going to have to take it, too. A stern lecture about taking care of the woman he was falling in love with was nothing less than he deserved. Not only was she in pain and possibly needing surgery, but this emergency room visit also was not going to be cheap.
When his dad finally stopped by his side, he exhaled.
“How are you doing?” his father asked.
“All right.”
“Really?”
Okay. Dad was going to make him say it. “Fine. I’m not feeling all that great. I mean, I feel horrible that I did such a bad job taking care of Treva.”
Matt stuffed his hands into his dark-green barn coat. “Oh?” His father was acting way different than he’d imagined. Maybe he was just waiting for Jonny to admit his mistakes? If that was the case, Jonny felt he could definitely do that. Anything to get the conversation over with.
“Look, Dad. I appreciate you picking up the phone, picking us up off the trail, and being so much help, but I don’t need a lecture right now. I know I shouldn’t have taken Treva so far the first time we rode bikes. I also shouldn’t have ridden in front of her.”
His father folded his arms over his chest. “So why did you?”
“I don’t know. I guess I took her out because these bikes are important to me.”
“Of course they are. Bicycles and running the shop is your job. You’re supposed to care about such things.”
Some of the tension Jonny’d been carrying in his shoulders eased. “Even though Treva acted a little nervous about riding, she seemed interested in it.” Half talking to himself, he waved a hand. “But . . . I kept thinking that until she actually tried riding one of those electric bikes, she wouldn’t completely understand what they were like. I mean, standing around in a bike shop without riding is like standing in a bakery without trying any of the stuff in the cases.”
“I would imagine so. Now, did you force her to get on that bike?”
“Force her?” Affronted, he glanced at his father. Met his blue eyes. When he didn’t see anything but curiosity, he replied. “Of course I didn’t.”
“And when she was riding, did she tell you that she wanted to go back? Did you ignore her wishes?”
“No.” Being completely honest, he added, “I mean, I know that riding the electric bikes wasn’t her favorite thing to do. When we stopped earlier, I even asked if she wanted to go back.”
“You gave her the choice again.”
He was feeling more frustrated by the second. “Dad, what do you want me to say?”
Matt’s eyes warmed. “Something along the lines that you realize that Treva is a grown woman who obviously knows how to make decisions, since she owns her own business. And that she simply had an accident. Nothing more.”
“I know all that.”
“Are you sure? Because you sound like you’re happily taking all the blame for something that was out of your control.”
“Dad, I—” Jonny stopped as he realized his father was right. Very right. “Okay, maybe I am.”
“There you go.”
As much as he appreciated his father’s support, he still resented it. “Knowing that I’m taking responsibility doesn’t help me one bit. I still feel guilty for her accident.”
“I understand. Feeling guilty is a natural reaction.”
“You think so?”
He nodded again. “Jonathan, you obviously care about her. I’d be surprised if you didn’t.”
Since he’d been expecting a long, drawn-out lecture, Jonny was taken aback. Sitting down on a bench, he stared up at his father. “That’s it?”
His father studied his face. “Sorry, but now I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Come on. You always have something to say about everything.” Often, his father’s lectures had also been critical and unhelpful. At least, it felt like it had been that way lately.
Exhaling, his father sat down on the barricade next to him. “Is that really how you think of our conversations? Like I’m just talking at you?”
As much as he really didn’t want to go down the emotional memory lane with his father, Jonny was tired of always holding his tongue. “Do you think of them as any different?” When his dad still looked taken aback, he added, “Dad, what was the first thing you told me when I said I was taking a break from college?”
He answered immediately. “I told you that I thought you were making a big mistake.”
Glad his dad wasn’t remembering the conversation differently, he nodded. “That’s right. You said that before you even gave me a chance to explain. Then, just seconds after that, you pointed out that you were paying for part of my tuition, so you were entitled to an opinion.”
“Was I wrong?” Matt swallowed. “I don’t want to argue, but your tuition wasn’t cheap. I felt like it was money wasted.”
“It wasn’t.”
“Okay . . .” It was obvious he was biting his tongue in order not to pass any more judgments.
“I don’t know if you were wrong as much as you talked over me. I barely got a word in edgewise.”
“I guess I did go overboard,” he murmured.
“And that’s not the only example. You did that with sports and with my choices during the summer and even with the way I get along with Kelsey, Martin, and Beth.”
Matt rubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t know what to say.”
“I don’t expect you to say anything. I’m just trying to tell you what I think and how I feel. You don’t have to agree with me.”
Lines of concern marred his father’s forehead. “You’ve been thinking these things about me for a while, haven’t you?”
As much as he and his father hadn’t been getting along, Jonny still didn’t want to intentionally hurt his feelings. “Kind of.”
“Jon, you might as well tell me the whole truth. I can take it.”
“All right. Then, yes, I have.”
“And the others? Martin and the girls . . . Do you think they feel the same way?”
No way was he going there. As far as he was concerned, his father could have this discussion with each of them. “I don’t think I’m the only one who feels that way.”
“I see.” He swallowed. “Jonny, I don’t know what to say other than I’m trying.”
“Yes, sir.”
Matt’s eyes turned shadowed before they lit up with a smile. “She’s out, bud.”
Jonny turned to the door and saw his father was right. Treva was walking toward him in her light-gray dress, the white kapp that somehow still looked fresh, and now with a white bandage covering her left arm to her elbow. What caught his eye, though, was her smile.
Relief filled him. Besides the bandage on her arm and a couple of scratches on her other arm and her hands, she didn’t look too worse for wear. Her parents were walking by her side, and her aunt was not too far behind. When they saw him, they looked apprehensive but not angry.
His father forgotten, Jonny strode to Treva’s side. “Look at you. Okay?”
“I am.”
“Are you sure?” Suddenly thinking about how her long dress covered her legs, he lowered her voice. “Are you okay to walk? Are your legs and knees bruised?”
“Beyond a couple of nasty bruises, they’re fine.”
He held out an arm. “Do you need help walking?”
She chuckled. “Jonny Schrock, calm down!”
“I’m calm.”
“Not very. You must stop worrying so much about me.”
“I’m not going to be able to do that.” Looking at her parents, he said, “I hope everyone treated you well back there? Do you have any questions?”
“We’re good, Jonny,” her father said. “Maybe a sight better than you, I reckon.”
“I was just telling him almost the same thing,” his daed said. “That’s not a surprise, though. I think Jonny was a born worrier.”
“Not usually.” He shifted uncomfortably.
“Perhaps you only worry about some things, hmm?” Treva’s mother said.
“I have my truck,” his daed said. “I’ll be pleased to give you all a ride back to Walden.”
“It will be a tight fit,” Jonny warned.
“We already have a driver waiting on us, but there’s no need for us all to ride home in it,” her mother said. “What do you want to do, Trev?”
“A ride with Matt and Jonny would be nice. Danke ,” she added shyly.
His father grinned. “Excellent. I’ll pull the truck up.”
“We can walk,” Treva said.
“No reason to do that,” his dad said before Jonny could. “Might was well give your body a rest.”
She shrugged but didn’t argue.
Feeling like he and his father had ended things on a bad note, Jonny said, “Hey, Dad, I’ll go with you.”
Meeting his gaze, his father seemed to convey a dozen thoughts his way—especially that he still loved him. “No reason, son,” he said in a gentle tone. “You stay with your girl, yeah?”
Luckily, his dad walked off before he could respond. It was just as well, anyway. All he wanted to do was be near Treva. “Are you in much pain?”
“They gave me some medicine but warned it would probably get worse when it wears off.”
“Do you have some pain reliever?”
“We have ibuprofen at home, plus the doctor gave me a prescription in case it feels worse.”
He nodded. There wasn’t anything to say about that except to apologize, and he’d felt like he was starting to sound like a broken record.
“Hey, Jonny?”
“Hmm?”
“Before I forget to ask . . . would you like to come over tomorrow for a bit? I won’t be able to work in the coffee shop.”
“I’d love that.”
“ Gut .” Chuckling, she said, “I promise my whole family won’t be hovering the whole time.”
“I wouldn’t care if they did.” Jonny leaned in, intending to kiss her cheek but then remembering that both of her parents and her aunt Ruth were standing nearby. Something about Treva was starting to make him forget about everything else.
He had a feeling his mother would call that love.