Letters to Katie Read Online Free Page B

His mother and Katherine were taking care
     of Mary Beth and the baby.
    He found Chris in the barn, on his knees. A faint shrieking sound reached Johnny’s
     ears. Was that his sister?
    Johnny cleared his throat. Chris looked up. His Adam’s apple worked in his neck, as
     if he were trying to swallow and failing at the attempt. He closed his eyes and shook
     his head.

    Katherine wiped the tears away as she left the house and went to search for Chris.
     It was nearly dawn. During the hours and hours of excruciating labor, Katherine had
     kept up a steady stream of prayer, but her growing sense of helplessness did not abate.
     Now it was over, and she had to tell Chris what happened.
    In the grayish light of sunrise she could see a dim light burning in the barn. She
     walked toward it, breathing in the damp morning air. When she entered she saw Chris
     and Johnny, each of them sitting on a hay bale, their heads hung low, their lips moving
     in silent prayer.
    Her gaze drifted to Johnny, taking in the concentration on his face as he prayed for
     his twin sister. The familiar sting of unrequited love reared up inside her. She shoved
     it down.
    “Chris?”
    Both men stood, but Katherine kept her gaze on Mary Beth’s husband. Weariness and
     worry had left gray circles underneath his eyes. He moved to Katherine.
    “Mary Beth? The boppli ?”
    Katherine took his hand. Tears started to flow again. “Chris, they’re both fine. Geh meet your dochder .”
    Johnny let out a whoop while Chris’s hand went limp in Katherine’s. He nodded and
     ran out of the barn. Katherine started to follow him, ignoring Johnny as she had vowed
     to do.
    “Katie?”
    She stopped. He had never called her that before. She turned around. He looked as
     tired as she felt.
    “You stayed here all night?” he asked.
    Katherine nodded. “She’s mei best friend. Although I couldn’t do much but pray.”
    “That means a lot.” He glanced away. “To Mary Beth. To all of us. I mean, uh, I’m
     sure it will mean a lot when she finds out.”
    Katherine nodded. As always things were awkward between them, and it was mostly her
     fault. If she hadn’t chased him so incessantly, hadn’t been so pathetic in her yearning
     for him, he might not run the other way every time she was near. They might have been
     friends.
    But he wasn’t running now. He hadn’t moved. Instead he continued to stare at her.
    Katherine turned away. She couldn’t afford to overanalyze a simple look. Still he
     stared at her, the way . . .
    The way Isaac did .
    The thought dropped into her mind unbidden: There were other men in the world. Johnny
     Mullet wasn’t the only one.

    Johnny couldn’t stop staring at Katherine.
    In his weariness he’d slipped and called her Katie. It was how he referred to her
     in his mind. There were many Katherines in Middlefield, but only one Katie Yoder.
    “I better get home. I’m sure mei parents are worried about me,” she said, turning away.
    He didn’t want her to go. But he wasn’t ready to tell her the truth. Not yet. “Katherine?”
    “Ya?” she asked, not facing him.
    “ Danki . For staying with mei schweschder .”
    She nodded and hurried out of the barn. Away from him.
    He leaned against the thick barn post. The horses whinnied in their stalls, signaling
     their hunger. “Just a minute,” he said softly. He gathered his thoughts and his energy.
     If he was tired, he could only imagine what Mary Beth had gone through.
    Actually, he’d rather not imagine it.
    He said a prayer of thanks that his sister and niece were well, then turned to take
     care of the horses. Despite his exhaustion, he couldn’t quit grinning. He was an uncle
     now. Hard to believe. He couldn’t wait to meet his niece.
    As he fed the horses and cleaned up the barn, he said another prayer of thanks. Things
     were going well. He had his own place, and in a few months, the start of a horse farm.
     His sister and her baby were fine. And Katie—each day