Some of Fater's icy exterior melted, and he shook Levi's hand. "You have done much good for us, Levi. You could be working your own farm, but you choose to help Rebecca."

"I am glad to help her," Levi said.

"Do I know your parents?"

"I wonder if there is a private place we could go to talk," Levi said.

Fater looked surprised and puzzled at the same time.

"A place we could discuss a serious matter," Levi added.

Fater's eyes darted from Rebecca to Levi, and Rebecca could almost see the wheels turning in his head.

Had Levi come to ask for her hand in marriage? Her heart did a joyful somersault before she yanked it down to earth.

Of course not. What could be more absurd?

"The barn will be warm enough," Fater said.

Levi glanced at Rebecca and nodded. "Very gute."

Fater lifted his jacket from the hook by the front door. "Keep everyone from the barn until I come back."

"Jah," Rebecca said, resisting the urge to tackle Levi and demand an explanation.

She watched from the door as they trudged away side by side. She wished she were a fly on the wall of that bright red barn.

Chapter Twenty-Five.

Levi walked next to Rebecca's fater with his head lowered and his hands clasped behind his back, much like a prisoner going to his execution. Or perhaps his reprieve. He couldn't be sure how Rebecca's fater would react.

Who was he kidding? Levi knew exactly how he would react. From what he knew already, Rebecca's fater was not an understanding man.

They entered the barn and Rebecca's fater closed the door behind them, shutting out the bright light. They stood three feet from two milk cans, but her fater didn't sit down and didn't ask Levi to sit, either. Through the dimness, he scrutinized Levi with a frown on his face. With one look at that stern expression, Levi's throat constricted and he found it impossible to speak. He hadn't expected to be terrified out of his mind.

"What is the serious matter you wish to discuss?" her fater said.

Levi cleared his throat and wished he were sitting. It wouldn't be good to pass out right now. "I have come to ask for forgiveness."

"Forgiveness?"

"Jah, for the injury to Rebecca's head."

Her fater narrowed his eyes. "What happened?"

"We were riding in my car and got into a small accident."

Rebecca's fater took a step forward to study Levi more closely. "Your car? A good Amish boy does not own a car."

Levi took a deep breath. With the next words out of his mouth, he might destroy his own future and seal his doom. But it had to be done, come what may. "My name is Levi Cooper," he said. "My dat was Isaac Stutzman, and he died when I was seven years old. My mamm married an Englischer, who adopted me and gave me his name. I have been raised outside of the community ever since."

Rebecca's fater slowly folded his arms across his chest. "You are not Amish?"

"No."

Her fater's face darkened, and he shoved his finger into Levi's chest. "What do you want with my Rebecca?" Then, louder, "What do you want with my daughter?"

"It's not what you think."

"You think my daughter is an easy target for an Englisch boy?" He pointed to the door and yelled, "Get out and never come back!"

Levi lifted his hands in surrender. "Will you listen to what I have to say?"

"You mock us by coming on our farm in these Amish clothes, making us believe you are something you are not. How far have you pulled Rebecca down?"

"I do not mock anyone," Levi said, unable to keep the tears from sliding down his face. "And I would never harm Rebecca. I love her."

The lines in her fater's face deepened. "What have you done?"

Levi dared to take a step forward. "I want to explain everything to you. I mean no harm." He motioned to the two milk cans. "Can we sit?"

Rebecca's fater didn't budge. He stood with his fists clenched at his sides, a pillar of stone frowning at Levi.

Levi opted to sit-hopefully a less-threatening position than towering over Rebecca's dat. "I want to be baptized," he said.

"Is this a joke?" her fater said, scowling.

"My life changed when I met Rebecca, and now she is the only thing that matters to me. I want to join the church and marry her."

Her fater flinched. "Do not even suggest that."

"I'm more serious about this than I have ever been about anything in my life. I want to be baptized."

Her fater folded his arms. "You pretended to be Amish. Why should I believe anything you say?"

"Because I'm telling you the truth now. If she were my daughter, I would want to know. I met Rebecca in May, and we have been seeing each other ever since."

"So she has been deceiving me also."

"It is her rumschpringe. I didn't want you to know. I thought you would put a stop to it."

Her fater glared at Levi. "I would have."

"I convinced her that it would be okay during rumschpringe."

"Rumschpringe is no excuse for wickedness."

"Rebecca has done nothing to shame herself. She won't let me kiss her or hold hands in public."

Rebecca's fater rubbed his chin, and the frown seemed to soften a bit.

"She always behaves like the virtuous woman she is," Levi said. "Believe me, she has done nothing wrong." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I want to marry your daughter, but things must be right between us first. How can I make all things right?"

Rebecca's fater folded his arms and looked away. "I do not for one minute believe your sincerity."

"Try me."

He pinned Levi with an icy gaze. "You will not work on the farm or see Rebecca until you are baptized. Then we will see if you truly mean what you say."

Even though he was expecting it, Levi felt as if his heart might crumble into a million pieces. How could he bear the thought of not seeing Rebecca? "I will agree to that," Levi said, keeping his voice steady. "But I have two requests for you. I ask that you not tell Rebecca that I plan on being baptized. I want it to be a surprise."

Her fater snorted in bitter laughter. "A surprise? I will be surprised if it comes to pass."

"Will you keep it a secret?"

"Why the secrecy?"

"I want to have all my plans in place before I tell her. It must be the perfect time."

"As you wish. It won't amount to anything anyway," said her fater.

Levi's heart beat harder. "There is one more thing. Rebecca wants to go skiing. More than anything else in the world before she is baptized. And she wants me to take her."

"Nae," said her fater. "I have already said no."

Levi stood and held out his hands. "You must understand. To her, it is almost a matter of life and death."

"Why?"

He had said too much already. Rebecca would not want her fater to know about the list. "I am a good skier. I can keep her safe. If I'm not allowed, I promise she'll find a way to go by herself. And she could get badly hurt."

Her fater shook his head. "She will not go if I forbid it."

Levi took a breath and chose his words carefully. "You are gone from home every week. Rebecca is a gute girl, obedient and strong. But in this one thing, she will defy you. Are you willing to take that risk with her life?"

Anger flashed in Rebecca's fater's eyes. "She would not dare."

Levi's eyes stung with tears of frustration. "Mr. Miller, I made Rebecca a solemn promise that I would take her skiing, and I intend to keep it. Please don't ask me to break one promise to keep another."

Rebecca's fater had no immediate argument. He sat down on one of the milk cans and rubbed his forehead with the tips of his fingers.

He was silent for nearly five minutes.

Levi felt sick to his stomach. He couldn't do anything but pray.

"She wants to go skiing," her fater said.

Not an argument or an accusation. Levi saw a ray of hope. "Jah, it is the last thing she wants to do before she is baptized, and she says she will not let Jacob Glick take her."

"Jacob Glick is thirty years old and unbaptized. I will not let Jacob Glick take her either."

Levi dared a half smile. "Just for one day. I will watch out for her and bring her safely back. And I will keep my promise about not seeing her otherwise."

Rebecca's fater grunted. "When she sets her mind to something, she cannot be talked out of it. It would be just like her to break her neck in stubbornness." He shook his head. "I will find someone else to take her."

Levi stood and squared his shoulders. "I will take her. I would appreciate your approval."

Rebecca's fater lifted his chin and folded his arms across his chest. His eyes bored into Levi's skull as if hoping to extract the secrets there. They stared at each other in breathless suspense until her fater turned away. "See that she is safe," he said.

Levi grabbed her fater's hand and shook it vigorously even though her fater didn't return his enthusiasm. "Denki. I will never forget your kindness," he said, elated that he ranked slightly higher than Jacob Glick in Rebecca's fater's opinion.

It was a start.

Chapter Twenty-Six.

After practically slamming the front door on Fater and Levi, Rebecca swept and mopped with unusual speed. If she didn't work herself to death, the curiosity would kill her.

She had just hung the mop in the closet when she heard another knock. What? Had her house suddenly become more popular than the bus station?

She must be a very wicked girl for God to punish her so.

With hat in hand, Marvin Yutzy stood staring at her with a mixture of determination and stubbornness on his face. His eyes widened when he saw the bandage. "What happened to your head?"

Again her hand instinctively went to the cut. "I had an accident," she said, hoping to put an end to the questions with her tone of voice. She certainly wasn't going to bare her soul to Marvin Yutzy.

Marvin cleared his throat and hung that determined look on his face again. "Is your dat home?" he said. "I came to speak with him."

Rebecca took a deep breath. Had Levi and Marvin conspired to humiliate her today? "He is in the barn," she said.

"I will go find him."

"Nae, Marvin, he is...someone else is talking to him. You had best wait your turn."