Page 2 of Unforgiven

There was no kidding herself now. Seth knew that she’d been watching him. Probably felt her eyes on him every time he’d come out. He knew she watched him but didn’t have the nerve to even say hello.

He probably thought she was the same woman he used to know. His teacher who had been barely three years older than him. The woman he used to tease about mice and bugs while she pretended to be too mature to tease him back.

Thinking of all the kindnesses he’d done, all the gifts and food he’d given her, Tabitha went to the kitchen and filled one of her baskets with homemade bread and a jar of the strawberry jam she’d put up at the beginning of summer.

She braced herself, then walked to the door. It was time to go outside and thank him in person. At last.

Yes, she knew a lot about fear now, and her heart and head weren’t in as good a shape as they used to be. But that didn’t mean she didn’t know right from wrong. Besides, even if something bad did happen between her and Seth Zimmerman, Tabitha knew she could take it.

She’d learned that there was an awful lot that she could take.

2

After depositing his ax in the back seat of his truck, Seth eyed the pile of wood he’d just chopped. Would it be enough for Tabitha? He wasn’t sure. Last night’s temperatures had hovered close to forty degrees, and the weather reports said that a cold front was on the way.

He hated the idea of her being cold.

Actually, he hated the thought of Tabitha suffering at all. She was such a tiny thing and had already been through too much. Leon Yoder had been a mean son of a gun. Just about everyone had given him a wide berth, Seth included. And everyone had been shocked when their new schoolteacher consented to marry him. She’d been only seventeen.

Back then, Seth was one of her students. He’d been fourteen, anxious to pass his graduation tests and get out of school. But he’d also had an awful crush on his teacher. She was so sweet and so pretty with her long brown hair tucked neatly under a crisp white kapp. He’d spent hours wondering what her hair looked like around her shoulders. He knew he wasn’t the only boy thinking about things like that, either. Why, the whole class had fallen in love with her. It had been a very dark day when Miss Tabitha announced that she was getting married and that her fiancé didn’t want her working anymore.

Eight months later, when Seth had spied her at the market, Tabitha looked like a different woman. Her plump cheeks had thinned, her perfect skin had grown pale, and most of the light in her brown eyes had faded. And a little more than a year after that, she’d worn a haunted expression as Leon announced that his wife was with child. Tabitha had stood so stiff by his side that Seth reckoned a strong wind could break her in two.

When his mother tried to hug her, Tabitha had flinched at being touched. Mamm had acted as if nothing was amiss, but Seth had known better. He’d been sure that Tabitha was hiding bruises under the long sleeves of her dress.

Back in those days, Seth had been full of righteous indignation. He’d hated that Leon was mistreating Tabitha and he’d yearned to put a stop to it. But no one had wanted to hear about it. His father had told him not to gossip and his mother had acted shocked that he would mention such a thing. She hadn’t looked him in the eye when she’d lectured him, though. Like she was going through the motions. Simply saying the words that should be said. Even when neither of them believed for certain that they were true.

A few months after that, right about the time Seth had come upon Peter Miller assaulting Bethanne Hostetler, accidentally killed him, and then landed in prison, Tabitha lost her baby. His sister, Melonie, had told him all about it. Well, she’d written letter after letter to him while he was in prison. In each one, she’d detailed all the gossip around their former teacher’s circumstances. And then Leon had beaten up Tabitha so badly that she’d had to go to the hospital. There, she’d lost a whole lot of blood and her baby too.

Next thing everyone knew, Tabitha had pressed charges and Sheriff Johnson arrested Leon. And then, maybe just a day or two later, Tabitha Yoder was gone and no one saw hide nor hair of her for almost an entire year. Rumor had it that she’d gotten herself a lawyer and divorced Leon.

Melonie wrote that everyone had an opinion about that. Some folks had acted shocked that she would do such a thing. Divorce was forbidden. Melonie had shared that though their mother didn’t participate in the gossip, even she had been surprised by Tabitha’s actions.

Tabitha hadn’t been shunned for filing charges against Leon. No one could find it in their heart to cast out a woman who’d been hurt so much in marriage. However, her decision to hire a lawyer and get a divorce had forced Tabitha to leave their faith. His sister had told him that more than a couple of folks thought Tabitha should’ve simply remained separated from Leon. After all, if he had apologized and had been arrested and even had to serve six months behind bars, shouldn’t she give him another chance?

She had not.

Sitting in a cold cell behind bars, Seth had been so proud of her that he’d written her a note and posted it. She’d never responded, though. He hadn’t been surprised. He was a convict, and she’d been a victim of violence. Of course she wouldn’t want to have anything to do with him.

Still, her silence hurt. Seth knew in his heart that he was not cut from the same cloth as Leon. He would never hurt a woman, and especially not a woman he cared deeply about. Then again, words didn’t mean all that much. Not anymore.

Shaking off the memories, Seth focused on the present. He needed to take care of Tabitha and then get on his way. He was working a construction job on the other side of Marion, and he’d told the foreman he’d put in five or six hours’ work in the afternoon. Figuring it was time to go, he picked up several pieces of wood and carried them to her front door.

Just in time for her to open it.

Seth didn’t know who was more shocked to realize that after all this time they were only a foot apart.

“Tabitha.”

Her brown eyes widened. “Jah. Um . . . Good day, Seth.”

She was talking as if they’d been chatting each time he’d come over. Well, he supposed he could play this game too. “Good day to you.” Realizing that he still held the wood in his arms, he walked over to where he usually stacked it. “It’s getting colder. I thought you might need more wood today.”

“It’s so kind of you to do that.” She watched him neatly stack the logs, then added, “I mean, I’m grateful for all the things you’ve done for me, Seth. I don’t know why you are, but it’s appreciated.”

“I have time.” He didn’t see the need to mention the obvious—that no one looked out for her anymore. Sometimes he wondered if anyone ever really had.

“Someone told me that you work at a construction company.”

---