Chapter 23
Marigold
November
Perry stood several yards away as the wedding guests mingled around the Hershbergers’ backyard. Yesterday he’d volunteered
to help Howard, Kyle, and their friends set up the tables and chairs for today’s wedding feast. Fortunately, for the next
few days, the weather was supposed to be mild and sunny, so they decided to hold everything outside. This afternoon there
wasn’t a cloud in sight and there was plenty of sunshine. A perfect fall day. So far everything had gone smoothly, thanks
in no small part to Daisy’s exceptional organizational skills.
The bridal party was already seated at their table. As Grace’s maid of honor, Daisy was sitting near her, talking animatedly
to other guests since the bride and groom only had eyes for each other. No surprise there.
As for him, he was finding it difficult to look away from his Daisy.
She’d arrived with her parents a week ago, staying at the Hershbergers’ and helping with the final wedding tasks before the big day. She wasn’t the only one who’d been busy. Ferman was still recovering from his hip surgery he’d had in July, and Perry’s schedule was full. Until Ferman had taken time off, he hadn’t realized how much help he’d been, even in a limited capacity.
Like Daisy, the old man was busy chatting and making the rounds. Currently he was leaning on his custom-made cane, having
returned the other one back to Howard, and talking to Micah Wagler and his wife, Priscilla. Perry had given him the rest of
the year off, but he was eager for Ferman to rejoin him in January.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted his gaze to the other guests, which included Jesse, Nelson, and their families.
He would join them shortly. Right now, he needed some separation from the large group of wedding guests. Thanks to Daisy and
Ferman’s encouragement for him to get out more often, it was a little easier to be in a crowd than it had been a few months
ago. Still, he had to have his alone time too, even if that was detaching himself for a little while before rejoining everyone.
When he looked at Daisy again, she was listening to Kyle’s older sister, Rachel, who was talking and sitting next to her.
She glanced in Perry’s direction, as if she sensed his gaze was on her. She smiled.
His knees nearly buckled. While they couldn’t be together this past week, the last few months they had been in contact almost
every day. After their extraordinary kiss at Ferman’s, Perry took her back to the Hershbergers’ and they talked for hours.
Not just about their relationship, which had skyrocketed out of the friendship zone, but about everything. When he went back
home, he’d never been happier.
She ended up staying in Marigold for another week, then went back home to Dover after they decided to slow things down. “I moved too fast with Maynard,” she’d said. He’d done the same with Ruby. Neither one of them wanted to repeat their prior mistakes. During May and June, they had mostly written letters to each other, but every evening they alternated phone calls to tell each other good night. She returned in July to help plan the wedding, and he visited her in September and met her parents.
But he was getting tired of the long-distance relationship. He returned her smile, ready for the wedding celebration to end
so they could finally be alone.
“She’s quite schee , isn’t she?”
Ferman’s words jerked him out of his thoughts, and he turned to see the old man behind him. “ Ya ,” Perry said, glancing at Daisy again, who had gone back to conversing with Rachel. “Very schee ,” he murmured.
“Ah, young love.” His limp barely noticeable, he moved to stand by Perry. “Grace and Kyle, you and Daisy—”
“You and Wanda Yoder.” Perry winked at him.
“Pshaw. Where did you get that idea?” But Ferman’s wizened cheeks were turning rosy red. “She’s just—”
“A friend ?” Everyone in Marigold was aware that Ferman and Wanda, a widow who had moved to their district back in June, were smitten
with each other.
“Never you mind,” Ferman groused.
Perry chuckled. After Ferman’s hip surgery, he moved in with Junior and Polly Ann, who had their baby in August. When Ferman
was able to move back to his home in Marigold, he’d been on the receiving end of more than a few casseroles and friendly visits from Wanda. Both Perry and Daisy were happy that he wasn’t spending so much time alone. “How’s little Ferman doing?”
Ferman’s eyes grew shiny. “Growing. Can’t believe he’s almost four months old. Junior and Polly Ann brought him over the other
day. That boppli sure can babble.”
“Takes after his namesake, ya ?”
“Humph.” But Ferman was grinning. “Looks like everyone’s settling in for the meal. I’m going to get my seat.” He glanced at
Perry. “You coming?”
He was about to say yes when he saw Daisy heading toward him. “In a minute.”
“Take your time.” With a knowing twinkle in his eye, he went to sit down with the rest of the men.
“Hi,” Daisy said when she reached Perry. She looked up at him, her gaze soft.
“Hey.” He wished he could take her in his arms right here, in front of everyone, and whisk her away. But she still had her
maid of honor duties to perform, and he didn’t want to draw attention away from the bride and groom. Still, he was oh so tempted...
“You seem a little uncomfortable,” she said.
“I’m not.” At her dubious look he relented. “Okay. Somewhat. Nelson and Jesse are here. I was going to sit with them.”
“Or you could geh back home and relax.”
That sounded wonderful. “Would Grace and Kyle mind?”
“Not at all. I’ll meet you there later, after we’re finished up here.”
He briefly squeezed her hand. “ Danki , Daisy.”
Her gorgeous hazel eyes sparkled as she smiled. She let go of his hand and went back to the bridal table.
Perry shoved his hands in his dress pants pockets and walked home, grateful for the social reprieve. He would spend time in
the butterfly room until she arrived after the wedding was over. Then he would tell her the idea that had been brewing in
his mind and heart for the past several months.
Things were about to change for him and Daisy. It was about time they did.
***
Daisy’s pulse thrummed as she knocked on Perry’s door. Since she knew he was home, she could have walked on in. But she had
invaded his privacy once too often, and after spending so much time apart over the past several months, particularly this
week, the last thing she needed was to see him in a state of undress. She missed him enough as it was.
Seeing him at the wedding, dressed in his church clothes and looking not only incredibly handsome but also pitching in to
help her family, had filled her heart to bursting. She loved Perry Bontrager, deeply and fully. She was sure of it, and she
was positive he felt the same way. He’d told her so many times in their letters and during their phone calls and visits. He’d
even said it on their very first actual date when he surprised her by borrowing one of his brother’s open carriages and took
her for a ride. He was a very, very romantic man, and she wanted more than anything to be his wife.
There was just one problem. He hadn’t asked her to be. And she wasn’t going to push a proposal or try to force one. She’d
prayed for patience, and God gave it to her, not just where she and Perry were concerned. She was becoming less impulsive
and more prudent, asking for advice when needed and taking it under consideration, even if she didn’t initially agree with
it. That also included spending more time in prayer.
She’d even cross-stitched a scripture for herself—Ephesians 4:2: “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” She was acquiring patience and humility, something she should have done a long time ago. Dating Perry had helped too. He was
more deliberate in his thinking and actions, something she appreciated.
Still, she was getting antsy for her and Perry’s relationship to move forward. Seeing Grace get married was lovely, but it didn’t help.
When he didn’t answer the door, she assumed he was in his butterfly room. Sometimes when he was involved in his hobby, he
wasn’t aware of his surroundings, just the butterflies. After a pause, she decided to turn the doorknob. It was unlocked,
the knob firmly in place.
Here goes nothing.
Daisy walked inside and sure enough, he wasn’t there. “Perry?” she called out.
“In here.”
She headed to the back of the house and saw the door open to his butterfly room. Smiling, she walked inside. Before she went
back to Dover near the end of April and during her visit in July, she’d spent a lot of time here with Perry when he wasn’t
working and she wasn’t helping with the wedding. She knew every square inch of his private sanctuary, and she loved being
in here almost as much as he did.
He was sitting at a small desk in the back corner of the room, a sketch pad in his hands. He put it face down on the desk
and went to her.
At last, she would be in his arms.
Instead, he guided her out of the room and shut the door behind them, then took her hand and led her back to the living room.
While she wasn’t mad that they were holding hands, she was a little perplexed. And exceptionally disappointed. She’d been
waiting weeks to hold him again, and now he was going to the couch, the same one he’d slept on when Ferman stayed here. “What’s
going on?” Daisy said, sitting next to him.
He let go of her hand. He was still dressed in his black pants and white shirt, but he’d taken off his black church vest and hat and had rolled up his sleeves. “I’ve been thinking,” he said, leaning back on the couch and crossing his ankle over his knee.
She didn’t know if that was good or bad. And she didn’t like that there was so much space between them. Now he was stretching
out his arms on the back of the couch, as casual as can be, as if he were ready to talk to her about the weather, the wedding,
the butterflies... She almost frowned. Didn’t he know how much she wanted to kiss him? Wasn’t he dying to kiss her?
“We need a new pact,” he said, his expression matter-of-fact.
Uh-oh. The last time they talked about pacts, they both had problems to solve. Daisy only had one problem right now—stopping
herself from launching at him. Her cheeks heated. She needed some self-control too. “Is there something wrong?”
“ Ya .” He changed positions so he was facing her, looking serious now. “I have a big problem. And you’re the only one who can
help me.”
Alarm shot through her. “Just tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll do it.”
“But you don’t know what it is yet.”
“It doesn’t matter.” They weren’t married or even engaged, but she was committed to him. “I love you. It’s that simple.”
His gaze filled with tenderness. “What I propose is this.” He took her hand, then slid off the couch onto one knee.
She gasped. Finally, finally, finally , he was asking her to marry him. “Yes!” She dropped his hand and hurled herself against him. They toppled over, his back
hitting the floor as she landed on top of him. “I’ll marry you!”
His eyes grew wide. He winced. Then frowned.
She regained her senses. Oh no. All her thoughts about patience and self-control had gone out the window. And he hadn’t actually proposed either. For all she knew he could have wanted her to organize his butterfly room. It did need a little tidying up. But why would he ask her that on one knee?
It didn’t matter. She’d been impulsive again. “I’m sorry,” she said, scrambling off him.
He drew her back, looking less stunned. “For what?”
“Assuming you were proposing.”
Perry chuckled, his arms tightening around her. “I was. At least I was going to until—”
“I tackled you.” She brushed a wavy lock of hair from his forehead. “Are you okay?”
“ Ya . Just got a little wind knocked out of me.”
She reluctantly moved off him. They sat up, still on the floor, and leaned against the couch. “I’m sorry I messed up your
proposal.”
“We could try it again. Hopefully your answer is the same.”
Daisy turned to him and smiled. “Of course it is. I can’t wait to be your wife.”
He held out his hand. “Then we have a deal? A new pact?”
She shook it, loving the teasing glint in his blue eyes. “ Ya ,” she said. “A marriage pact.”
Perry pulled her onto his lap, and she leaned her head against his shoulder as his strong arms went around her.
“By the way,” he said, “you can tackle me anytime, Daisy from Dover.”
“Deal.” She lifted her head and kissed him. Sigh.