The Wonder of Your Love - By Beth Wiseman Page 0,40
your head.”
Katie Ann knew that she shouldn’t be thinking about the way Eli’s arm was draped around her shoulder, or the way that her arm was around his waist. She got him situated on the couch, checked on Jonas in his playpen, and hurried to the kitchen for a wet rag. When she got back, Eli was standing in the middle of the room.
“I was dripping blood on your couch.” He lost his footing, and Katie Ann was afraid he was going to fall over.
“I don’t care about that. Sit down.” She helped him back to the couch and began dabbing at the back of his head. “You must have hit a small rock or something. There’s a jagged little cut, and I really think you need some stitches.”
“Can’t you just put a butterfly bandage on it?”
Katie Ann smiled at his sad, puppy-dog eyes. “Eli Detweiler, are you afraid of a few stitches?”
“No. I’m hungry.” He drew in a long deep breath. “I’ve been dreaming about that stew the whole time I was working.”
“Well, all right. I’ll be right back with my first aid kit, and I’ll bandage you up as best I can.”
“Maybe some aspirin too?”
Katie Ann nodded as she headed down the hall to the bathroom. She quickly found some bandages, antibiotic ointment, and aspirin in the medicine cabinet. After getting a glass of water, she gave him the aspirin and got to work doctoring his head. It seemed much too intimate to be running her hands in his hair to clear the area for the bandage.
“I still think you need to have a doctor look at it.” Katie Ann stood up.
“Danki, Nurse Katie Ann. But I feel gut as new.” He rose from the couch. Slowly. He grabbed his back as he straightened. “Okay, maybe not exactly gut as new.” He grinned. “But still hungry.”
“Come, come.” She motioned with her hand for him to follow her to the kitchen.
After they both prayed silently, they ate with little conversation. Eli helped himself to some butter bread and finished three bowls of stew, commenting several times about how much he liked it. Katie Ann was pleased that he enjoyed her cooking. Ivan had rarely said anything about her meals, especially the last few years. It was nice to have a man enjoying her efforts.
Katie Ann brought coffee into the living room while Eli stoked the fire. As darkness set in, she lit the two lanterns in her living room and one by the front door. Jonas started to fuss in his playpen, but before she could go to him, Eli had picked up the baby and settled back on the couch with Jonas in his lap. Katie Ann sat down beside him.
Eli looked up at her. “How’s his tummy been?”
“Much better. If he doesn’t have a hearty burp after his feeding, I rub his tummy, and that seems to solve the problem.
He’s sleeping much better during the night.” She smiled. “And so am I.”
Eli let out a quiet moan.
“I bet you won’t sleep well tonight, though. I’m so sorry that happened, Eli.”
“Me too.” He chuckled. “I’m feeling a little stiff. But . . . all worth it to have that stew. Katie Ann, that was mighty gut. Some of the best I’ve had.”
Katie Ann tucked her chin, feeling her face heat up. “Danki. I was happy to cook it for you.” She looked back up to see him gazing into her eyes, and a faint alarm went off, but she knew she wasn’t going to ask him to leave. As much as she loved Martha’s company in the evenings, it was nice to have a man in her home, sharing a meal and conversation.
For the next four hours Katie Ann sat on one end of the couch, facing Eli who was at the other end. Jonas was in between them, sleeping soundly on a blanket. As the fire crackled and lit the room, Katie Ann watched the shadows dance across Eli’s face as he talked about his childhood, his teenage years, and how he met Sarah.
“I was with her when she took her last breath, and the last thing she said to me before she died was that I should find a new mudder for the kinner right away.” Eli blinked several times and avoided Katie Ann’s eyes. “I failed her.” After a few moments, he looked back up at her. “I know it’s our way to remarry as soon as a spouse passes, but I just couldn’t. Sarah