Chapter 22
Knock. Knock.
Perry waited for Ferman to answer the door. The old man might be moving better and faster, but his house was larger than Perry’s
and he didn’t want Ferman to rush, even though he was the one who had asked him to come over. Perry figured he was probably
wanting to talk about going back to work—something he needed to do himself. After Daisy left with Maynard two days ago, he
had rescheduled his jobs. He told himself it was because he needed a vacation, but he knew the reason, and it was one he didn’t
want to think about.
He’d spent his time off doing next to nothing, other than eating PB&Js and moping around. He couldn’t bring himself to go
into the butterfly room. It had been a refuge after his breakup with Ruby. Now all it did was remind him of Daisy.
After a minute or two, Ferman opened the door. “Howdy, stranger,” he said in English and grinned. “Come on in.”
Perry followed him to a large living room. Last time he was inside this house, it was before sunrise, and he didn’t get a good look at it. Now he could see Ferman had a very nice place. Much cozier and more welcoming than Perry’s sparse house, with two comfortable-looking recliners, several muted yet colorful quilts on the couch and backs of the chairs, and some flower pictures hanging on the walls. Definitely a woman’s influence that was due to Lovina, he guessed, and probably Polly Ann when she lived here.
“Have a seat.” Ferman gestured to the full-size couch across from him.
Perry handed him two puzzle books first. “You left these behind.”
“They belong to Rosella Hershberger.” He took them from him. “I doubt she’ll want them back. There’s only one crossword and
two sudokus left.” He set them on the small table between the recliners. “Thanks for coming over.”
“Are you ready to come back to work?” Perry sat down, astounded by how unenthusiastic he sounded. He loved his job, and now
that Ferman was feeling better, he would make a great assistant.
“ Ya , whenever you’re ready. “
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ferman tapped his two forefingers together. “Oh, I’m sure you’re missing Daisy.”
He scowled, unsurprised that Ferman already knew that Daisy had gone back to Dover. There wasn’t any need to feign ignorance
with him. Ferman was the only one who knew how he felt, and he regretted ever letting him know.
“Have you thought about going after her?”
Only a hundred times or so. He wasn’t proud of how he’d acted when she came over. After she left, he had time to calm down and realize he’d been a heel. She had every right to kiss the man she loved. He’d acted like a baby about it, so much so that, other than telling her to leave, he couldn’t remember anything else he’d said, he’d been that furious and hurt. But she hadn’t betrayed him, and she didn’t know how he felt about her. Thank goodness he never told her, like Ferman wanted him to. That would have been disastrous.
Still, it didn’t make him feel any better. And going to Dover wouldn’t make any difference. She was with Maynard now. In his arms. He gripped the edge of the sofa.
“You okay?”
“Sure,” he said, releasing his hands and putting them in his lap. He mustered a smile. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“It’s not every day a man loses his maedel .”
Perry jumped up from the couch. He wasn’t going to listen to Ferman’s nonsense anymore. “I’ll pick you up on Monday,” he said,
walking to the door. “We’ve got a job in Ash Valley, although I’m not sure with who. The client is supposed to call back and
give me his name and address.”
“I know.”
He spun around. “How?”
“We’re going to Junior’s place.” Ferman rose from the recliner, a little slowly, and grabbed his cane. “I called him after
I moved back home. You were right, Perry. I should have told him about my hip. Then I could have moved in with him and Polly
Ann and not troubled you.”
“You were nee trouble, Ferman.” He clasped the man’s shoulder. “I mean that. I even miss the company, believe it or not.”
“Living alone can be a lonely business,” he said. “I haven’t always gotten along with my sohn and daughter-in-law, and I’m mostly responsible for that. When I lost Lovina, I kind of lost my mind. And my humanity. Polly
Ann is pregnant, by the way.” A proud look appeared on his grizzled face. “I’m going to be a grossdaadi .”
“Congratulations.” He shook Ferman’s hand. “Does this mean you’re moving in with them?”
“Just when I have my hip replacement and during the recovery. Then I’ll come back to Marigold. I plan to stay here as long as I can. It’s home and always will be. But if the time comes that I have to geh , I’ll leave.” His mouth quivered a little. “ Danki for taking care of me. I’m so stubborn, and if it weren’t for you and Daisy, I would still be in this house, crawling on
the floor.”
“That’s a little dramatic,” Perry said, half smiling.
“You know what I mean.” Ferman grinned. “Hey, before you geh , I need to get something. Won’t take me but a minute. Well, maybe a little more than that. I’ll be right back.”
Perry nodded while Ferman disappeared to the back of the house. He moved away from the door and looked around the living room
again. Seeing all the feminine touches reminded him of Daisy. He glanced away, telling himself again that time heals all wounds,
but the clichéd words weren’t encouraging. Daisy was gone, and although she didn’t know it, she took a piece of his heart
with her. That wasn’t going to be easy, or quick, to get over.
He meandered around the living room for a few more minutes, then frowned. He’d expected Ferman to be back by now. He headed
in the direction Ferman had left. “Ferman?” he called out when he arrived in the kitchen. This room had even more feminine
flair. He had his back toward the hall as he looked out the window. Ferman Eash had a nice spread back here. Perry was starting
to understand why he didn’t want to leave.
“Perry?”
He stilled, knowing that sweet voice anywhere. He spun around to see her standing behind him, her hands tightly clasped in
front of her, wearing that butter-yellow dress that she looked so adorable in. Daisy.
***
Daisy clutched her hands, trying to keep her shaking at bay. She’d been the one to set this plan in motion, with the support
of Aenti Rosella, Grace, Mamm from a distance, and of course, Ferman. It wasn’t exactly a complicated strategy, and Ferman was the only one directly involved.
The rest of her family was just moral support. After she explained everything—and by everything, she meant everything—to Grace,
her cousin agreed that she should talk to Perry and tell him how she felt. Aenti Rosella and Mamm concurred, her phone conversation with her mother surprising her.
“You’re what?” Mamm said when Daisy called her right after Maynard left.
“I’m in love with Perry Bontrager.”
“Oh, Daisy.” Mamm ’s voice was filled with weariness. “Not again.”
But when she explained her feelings for Perry and how she’d been mistaken about Maynard—including letting Mamm know that she had been right all along—her mother was a little relieved. “Are you sure he said he loved you?”
“ Ya . I’m just not sure he realized he said it.”
Mamm sighed. “Daisy, don’t you think you should...”
When Mamm didn’t continue, Daisy asked, “I should what?”
“ Nee . It’s not what you should do. It’s what I need to do and should have done in the first place. You’re a grown woman and you
know your heart.”
Considering Daisy’s track record, her mother was giving her too much credit and not taking enough of her own. If it weren’t
for her parents sending her to Marigold, she and Maynard would have had “the talk,” they would have kissed, and while it may
have been over anyway, she could see herself still trying to force the relationship and Maynard going with the flow. All he
needed was a little peach pie to motivate him.
Instead, she’d met the most wonderful man in the world and had experienced what it was like to have someone listen to her, help her, encourage her, and if she was remembering his words right, love her. Even if she was wrong about Perry and they parted ways, she was a better person for having known him.
But the only way she would find out for sure was if they talked. Which they were going to do right now, here in Ferman’s kitchen,
where a rooster pitcher sat in the center of the table. Hmm, she wouldn’t have guessed that was his style. Now Perry was looking
at her like she was seltsam , and she didn’t blame him, considering she hadn’t said anything except his name. Oh boy, her nerves were going haywire.
He broke the silence. “You came back?”
She nodded. “I never left.”
His eyes widened. “Huh? I thought you went back to Dover with Maynard.”
“ Nee .”
“So you’ve been in Grace’s house for the past two days?”
Except when she had snuck out yesterday and visited Ferman and asked for his help. That hadn’t been easy, since she noticed
Perry’s buggy was in the driveway during that time. She guessed he’d had a couple of days off, and she called a taxi to take
her back and forth to Ferman’s. The man had been glad to help her out, telling her he was always happy to see love conquer
all.
“I’ve had a lot of thinking to do,” she said to Perry, “and even more praying. Then there was the listening, the confessing,
the journaling, and oh, I finished another cross-stitch. Now I have to start on Grace’s for her wedding.”
Perry gaped at her. “Why aren’t you with Maynard?”
Daisy pulled out a chair. It would be easier to talk if they were sitting down, face-to-face.
Without a word they both sat. She smoothed her dress, ready to tell him he was right to be mad at her for coming over to his house after she kissed Maynard. That had been not only uncouth, but also inconsiderate to both him and Maynard. Yes, she owed him an apology, and then an explanation about her and Maynard, and after that they could talk about their feelings. She had the conversation all mapped out.
Taking a deep breath, she looked into his gorgeous blue eyes and said, “I love you.”
***
Perry blinked. Then blinked two more times. Did he hear her right? He wasn’t sure, since he was still reeling from finding
out that she wasn’t in Dover, wasn’t with Maynard, and had been only several yards away from him all this time. Part of him
was irritated by that last fact, as if she were playing some kind of game with him. But he pulled back on his thoughts. Daisy
didn’t play games. She didn’t have it in her. And when she explained how she had spent that time in prayer and cross-stitching,
he couldn’t be upset with her. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t mistaken about what she’d just said.
Daisy’s head fell into her hands. “Oh boy,” she murmured.
As was always the case when he was with Daisy, his common sense took a hike. He reached over and gently moved her hands, then
tilted up her chin. “Hey,” he said, smiling at her sheepish expression. “Did you just say—”
“I love you?” She sat up and met his gaze. “I had this whole conversation planned where I was going to apologize and explain
everything.”
“Never mind about that.” He scooted his chair closer. “You love me?”
Daisy nodded, her smile sweet beguiling and a little sultry, although he doubted she realized it.
“And you don’t love Maynard.”
“I never did. I’m pretty clueless, I’m discovering. I thought I loved Maynard, but I didn’t know what real love was.” She
took his hand. “Not until I met you.”
His heart filled. This woman...
“And when you told me first—”
“Whoa.” He straightened. “When was that?”
“After I came to your house, when you were so angry at me.”
“I said I loved you?” He thought back, but that entire episode was just a haze of hot fury.
“Is it true?”
The wistful tenderness in her eyes was his undoing. Without letting go of her hand, he stood and brought her to her feet,
then put her arms around his waist. Her eyes widened in delight as he drew her close. “ Ya . It’s true. I love you, Daisy from Dover.”
Her eyes grew shiny. “Then I was right.”
“About what?”
She touched his cheek, her thumb gliding across his chin. “That God brought us together.”
“For Pete’s sake, would you two kiss already? I’ve got a cheese sandwich to make.” They both turned to see Ferman grinning
in the hallway, only to walk away. “Five minutes of privacy,” he hollered. “Then I want my kitchen back.”
Perry and Daisy laughed. Five minutes was enough... for now. He kissed her, refusing to ever let her go.