She clasped her hands together. “So you are going to walk out with me?”
He rubbed his damp palms on his pants. “I want you to know that I’ll be playing ball a lot this summer. You might miss some parties and such because I won’t be able to take you.”
“That’s okay. I’m not much of a party person. Besides, I’ll be busy with my equestrian team. But we will have to see each other often enough to convince my parents we are dating.”
“Okay. I guess I’m in.”
She jumped at him and gave him a quick hug before he could stop her. Then she flew out of the stall calling back, “I have to tell Connie.”
What had he gotten himself into? Would a summer of being paraded before unknown and hopeful women be worse than a summer of Fannie?
It would, because his parents would make sure he stopped playing ball. He couldn’t let that happen. His friends were depending on him and he needed to know if he was good enough to become a professional player. God would decide, but Noah knew he’d have to do the work.
Fannie rushed back into the stall a few seconds later. “Danki, Noah. You have no idea how much this means to me.”
“We are helping each other. I think.”
Moving to stand in front of him, she gazed into his eyes. “If you truly feel this is wrong, Noah, you shouldn’t do it. I’ll find another way.”
“It isn’t exactly honest, but we aren’t hurting anyone. I’ve walked out with a few girls and it never led to marriage. There’s no reason I can’t take you home from church a few times or to a party to see if we would suit.”
She drew back. “We won’t. I’m sure of it. You are not the man I want to marry.”
“Goot to know. I was worried.”
“Don’t be. By the end of August, I’ll be ready to take Betsy’s place in Florida if she wants to come home. You’re right, we aren’t hurting anyone. Betsy wants to go in my place. She is much better at caring for the elderly than I am, and our grandparents deserve the best.”
“I see your point there.”
“Do you? Connie does need my help, too. You can see that for yourself. This place will soon be on its last legs.”
“That’s no lie,” George Milton said from the doorway. A handsome man with dark hair and dark eyes, George was an English fellow a couple of years younger than Noah. Noah knew him only slightly.
“This is a private conversation, George.” Fannie leveled a sour look at him.
“Excuse me!” He rolled his eyes and walked on.
“You don’t care for him?” Noah asked. He didn’t, either.
“He is sloppy in his work. As I was saying, I’ll enjoy riding on the drill team enormously, I won’t lie about that, but I can and will be as much help to my mother as Betsy would be. Plus, I can still help my father with his horses. I’m willing to work hard and see that no one suffers because of this decision.”
Noah’s conscience pricked him. Fannie’s reasons for this pretend courtship were more selfless than his. He simply wanted to keep playing ball.
Her face brightened. “I won’t make demands on your time, Noah. If you happen to like one of the women coming to visit, I’ll step aside and give you free rein.”
He managed a half smile. “A fella isn’t likely to get such a generous offer from a normal girlfriend.”
She slapped his shoulder. “Well, you are a fortunate fellow, Noah Bowman. I’m not an ordinary girlfriend.”
With a toss of her pretty head that reminded him of her spirited mare, Fannie walked out of the stall with a sassy stride that drew his attention to her trim figure. Among the earthy and familiar smells of the stable, he caught a whiff of something flowery.
Nope, there was nothing ordinary about Fannie.
Realizing he’d forgotten to give her the kapp she had dropped, he pulled it from his pocket and lifted it to his nose. A scent that reminded him of his mother’s flower garden in summer clung to the fabric. Since Amish women didn’t use perfume, he knew the smell must be from the shampoo Fannie used.
Flowery and sweet. Not what he expected from a girl who spent most of her time with horses.
He walked out into the arena and saw her with a half-dozen other Amish girls. They were saddling Connie’s horses. All of the girls eyed him intently as Fannie left them to speak to him. “The rest of my team is here. Do you want to watch us practice?”
“Another time. Walter is waiting outside to drive us to our game in Berlin. Do they all know about us?” He jerked his head toward the girls.
“Only Connie knows.”
He squared his shoulders and held out Fannie’s kapp. “That’s a relief. I guess I should get this over with. Fannie, may I take you home after church tomorrow?”
She glanced over her shoulder and then leaned close. “If you have to grit your teeth to ask me out, Noah, no one will believe we like each other.”
His mouth fell open. He snapped it shut and glared at her. “That is exactly what I said. Ja or nee, Fannie. Can I take you home after church or not? I don’t have all day.”
Her sweet smile didn’t reach her eyes. “As much as I would like to refuse your kind offer, I won’t. I will almost be happy to go out with you.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “And I will be sincerely happy when this charade is over.”
She took a step closer and whispered, “Not nearly as happy as I will be.”
“You ungrateful minx. Enjoy your time in Florida.” He turned away.
She caught his arm before he had taken a single step. “I’m sorry, Noah. Really. Please don’t go away mad. I will do better.”
“I must be ab en kopp, off in the head. Otherwise, why would I be here?”
She looked over her shoulder and then turned to him with resignation written across her face. “You’re right. No one will believe we are a couple. I’m not as pretty as the girls you’ve gone out with in the past. I’m much too horsey for most men to look my way. I don’t know how to act around a fella who shows some interest, so I act as if I don’t care. You’ve been a friend to me in the past and I hope that we can be friends again in the future. I’m sorry I put you in an awkward situation.”
If she had been a motherless kitten, she couldn’t have looked more forlorn. It was too bad he had a soft spot for kittens. He looked toward the group of young women watching them and sighed heavily. “Fannie, we might not be friends after this, but your teammates are gonna believe we’re a couple.”
Calling himself every kind of fool, he took her by the shoulders, pulled her close and kissed her cheek. Then he beat a hasty retreat before she had time to react.
* * *
Fannie pressed a hand to her tingling face. Had Noah wanted to kiss her, or had he done it purely for effect?
For the effect, the sensible part of her insisted. The less sensible part of her wondered if he liked her—just a little. She stared at the door where he’d disappeared until the sound of giggling and a wolf whistle penetrated the fog in her mind.
She turned to face her teammates, ignoring George’s leering stare from across the arena. “We have a lot of work to do and only a short time to do it. Mount up. Zoe, start the music.”
Connie came over and handed Fannie Trinket’s reins as the strains of “She’ll Be Coming ’Round the Mountain” blared from a speaker on the arena railing. The group had decided on