The Bridesmaid (Home to Hickory Hollow)

The Bridesmaid (Home to Hickory Hollow)

I leaned back and stared at the evolving lightshow before me, letting my mind wander as I watched beachcombers and shell collectors. Certainly I hadn’t meant to be rude, ignoring Malinda’s request.
Yet, dare I accept?
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a tall Amish fellow walking barefoot in the foamy surf, snapping pictures of the sunset every few seconds. A curious sight, to be sure! His black pant legs were rolled up, and he was minus his straw hat. His light brown hair fell below his ears, longer than that of the young men in the Hickory Hollow church district back home. I could scarcely pry my gaze from him.
“What’s he doin’ here?” I whispered, observing his amble through the gentle breakers, his handsome face aglow with a rosy cast.
Then, surprisingly, he glanced over at me.
“Hullo there.” He smiled in the fading golden light.
I almost looked around to make sure his greeting was meant for me. “Hullo,” I managed to reply, quickly closing my notebook.
As the sun dipped into the ocean, forming a half sphere, he moved away from the water and walked right toward me. “Mind if I join ya?”
“Nee, not at all.”
He sat down beside me, pointing to the blazing sun on the water. “Just seconds to go now,” he said.
“Jah, awful perty.” I felt too shy to say more. We sat, not speaking, amidst the smell of popcorn and sea air while beams of red, pink, and gold sprayed the sky. And then, just that quick, the sun dropped completely out of sight. My heart pounded in my ears.
“No wonder people thought the earth was flat, back before Columbus,” he said quietly.
I nodded. “Sure looks that way from here.”
“Ever see anything like this?”
“My first ocean sunset,” I admitted.
He turned slowly, unexpectedly. “I’m Eben Troyer, from Indiana.” His smile was disarming.

From THE BRIDESMAID by Beverly Lewis. Bethany House a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Copyright © 2012 by Beverly Lewis. Used by permission. All rights to this material are reserved. Material is not to be reproduced, scanned, copied, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without written permission from Baker Publishing Group.
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