Anna leaped out of her skin at the sound of a man’s voice. She whirled around and came face to chest with a gray-green, perfectly pressed military uniform and what looked like an impressive collection of medals. She tilted her head back, way back, to get a look at the owner of the medals. He was tall, and she, unfortunately, was barely five feet, and that was only when she squared her shoulders and stood up perfectly straight.
Anna’s heart skipped seven whole beats. Backing away from him as if he was a ghost, she caught her heel on the edge of the curb and fell ungracefully on her hinnerdale into the snow on the sidewalk.
The soldier’s all-too-familiar and very attractive smile disappeared immediately, and he rushed to Anna’s aid, holding out his hand and pulling her up before Elmer or Isaac even had a chance to react. Of course, Isaac wouldn’t have helped Anna out of the deep well, but Elmer was a little more thoughtful. “Are you all right?” the soldier said, his hand lingering in Anna’s for a second too long.
Anna pulled her hand from his, brushed off her cape, then discreetly tapped the snow off her backside while the soldier gazed at her in concern. “I’m fine,” she said. “You just startled me, that’s all. I sort of thought you were dead.” She felt her face get warm. Felty Helmuth was obviously not dead, and it was impolite of her to mention it. She clamped her mouth shut. She most certainly wasn’t going to mention the missing leg.
He didn’t seem to take offense that she thought he had died. His smile came back full force and nearly knocked her down again with its brilliance. “You meet with the most unexpected surprises in Bonduel.” His face seemed to glow with happiness. “Your eyes are still as blue as Lake Shawano on a clear fall morning.”
Anna couldn’t swallow. Was that normal when a boy looked at someone like he was looking at her?
“You’ve grown taller,” he said, as if it was the most impressive accomplishment in the world.
Laughter escaped her lips in an unladylike explosion. “I’ve been this tall since sixth grade.”
Felty grinned and shrugged, never taking his gaze from her face. “Then maybe you’ve just grown prettier, if that is possible.”
She made a real effort to swallow. It wouldn’t be seemly if she drooled all over herself in public. “I…I haven’t grown taller, but you have.”
He smiled wryly. “For sure and certain. I didn’t mean to, but I put on three inches in Korea.”
Anna glanced at Elmer. He and the other boys were frozen where they stood, staring at Felty as if he was a two-headed goat. She couldn’t blame them. Felty was probably the most magnificent sight she had seen in all her nineteen years, except for maybe the first time she saw her cousin’s baby who was born with two thumbs on her right hand. Felty was dressed in a smart, dull green Army uniform with not a wrinkle in sight. There were four pockets on the front of his jacket and no shortage of shiny gold buttons. He wore a lighter green shirt with a darker green Englisch tie, and his hair was cut so short on the sides, she could see his scalp underneath it. He held his hat in one hand and an olive green duffel bag in the other. Anna couldn’t see a gun anywhere. Didn’t soldiers carrying guns?
And then there was the scar, two full inches long down the left side of his face. Whatever had happened to him must have hurt, but the scar did nothing to mar his features. If anything, it made his face more interesting and mysterious, like Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice.
Before she let her mind get carried away with Felty’s magnificence, Anna took a deep breath and pulled her thoughts back to earth. Felty was tall, imposing, and very handsome. He was also the Helmuths’ wayward son who had left home more than two years ago to fight in the Korean War. He had shamed his parents and embarrassed the entire community. The Amish were against violence of any kind, even during wartime when other men left home to fight for their country. It was better to let yourself be killed than to raise a hand or gun against anyone, even an enemy—even an enemy who would not hesitate to kill you.
Anna certainly couldn’t forget the stain that Felty had put on the entire district with his decision. She would be wise not to have anything to do with him. Should she climb into the wagon and ride away as quickly as possible, putting needed space between her impressionable bruderen and someone as wicked as Felty Helmuth?
She willed herself to stop staring and cleared her throat. “Ach, vell, Felty. It is nice to see you again, but we have to be going.”
His bright smile faded slightly, but he looked at her as if she was the kindest person in the world. “It is wunderbarr to see you too. You are more beautiful than I remember.”
Anna felt her face get warm. It was probably a sin to talk to a soldier. She didn’t want a visit from the Aumah Deanuh, the head deacon. “We just came into town to buy bread.” Felty didn’t need to know that the reason they bought bread was because Anna had yet to make a loaf that wasn’t as hard as a rock. Even Elmer complained when Anna made bread.
Felty stared at Anna for a second while she squirmed under his gaze. Did he think she was being rude? She was only nineteen. How was she supposed to know the proper and church-approved way to treat a wayward and wild member? She studied Felty out of the corner of her eye. He didn’t seem particularly wild, although his haircut concerned her and his buttons were scandalous. But he was wayward, and Anna sensed that she should keep him at arm’s length. Isn’t that what the bishop would want her to do?
