An Unlikely Match

the driveway, he tethered the horse to the fence post, the way Lizzie showed him, then he strolled across theyard and up the porch steps. He was usually pretty good with parents, but Lizzie said Evelyn’s parents would be a hard sell,especially her father. He tapped lightly on the screen door, and a few seconds later, Evelyn answered, pushing the screenopen so Jayce could enter.
“You came in a horse and buggy?” Her eyes widened in surprise as she peered past him at Poppy and their ride for the evening.
He chuckled. “Yeah, surprise. Lizzie taught me, and I thought you might be more comfortable riding in that instead of oneof the limos.” Although he was 100 percent sure she would have loved the limo. “Actually, Lizzie thought your parents mightprefer this mode of transportation.”
She nodded. “Danki . . . I mean, thank you.”
“Sure.”
As he entered Evelyn’s living room, he instantly thought of his grandparents. After they’d passed, within a year of each other, Jayce’s father had sold the place right away. This farmhouse brought up memories of visits with his grandparents. It smelled like something was baking, for starters, and the wonderful aroma filled his senses when he took a long, lingering breath. Atop the fireplace was a mahogany clock that could have been an exact replica of his grandmother’s. He wondered if this one chimed on the hour and half hour in the same way.
With the windows open, a cool breeze floated in through the screens. Even the tan, slightly worn couch looked familiar. Therewas nothing ornate in the room. No pictures, and the walls were white. But somehow there wasn’t anything sterile about theenvironment either, which was how he often described his father’s current home.
After his mother left them, his father sold the house Jayce had grown up in and purchased the most expensive thing on themarket at the time that didn’t require yard work. Granted, his mother’s decorating hadn’t exactly exuded warmth, but his father’sluxury condo reminded Jayce of some futuristic palace—and not in a good way. Evelyn’s home offered a warmth that was missingfrom any home Jayce had ever known. Only the time he’d spent with his grandparents had given him a similar cozy feeling.
He was still taking in his surroundings when two men about his age came walking barefoot into the living room, eyeing himup and down. Evelyn introduced them as her brothers—Lucas and David. Neither extended a hand, so Jayce didn’t either. He wasn’tsure what proper protocol was with these people.
When Evelyn’s parents stepped into the room, the brothers went upstairs.
Evelyn’s father, whom she introduced as Jonas, looked older than Jayce would have expected. He had a full head of gray hair, a long beard the same color, and eyebrows that almost met in the middle of his forehead. His eyes were hooded like a hawk’s, and he was frowning as Evelyn introduced him.
Her mother, Mae, was the opposite and appeared too young to have children in their twenties. Even though her hair was salt-and-peppercolored—visible only in a small area outside those things they wore on their heads—she had high cheekbones, bright-green eyes,and a face void of wrinkles. She was pretty in a natural sort of way. Like Evelyn, she wasn’t wearing any makeup, and as shesmiled, Jayce’s stomach settled a little.
“Evelyn’s curfew is ten o’clock.” Jonas spoke sternly as he raised his eyebrows, seeming to wait for Jayce to counter.
“Yes, sir.” Jayce forced a smile. He’d never dated a girl with a curfew. How would they eat, get to a movie in the buggy,and return by ten?
“What are your plans?” Mae folded her hands in front of her, still smiling.
“Uh . . . we’re going to supper,” Evelyn said before Jayce had a chance to respond. “I’ll be home by ten.”
Jayce followed her lead when she moved toward the door, stopping to pull a black cape from the rack nearby. He offered a quick,“Nice to meet you,” then rushed to keep up with Evelyn.
“Do you want me to drive the buggy?” she asked as they walked across the yard.
Jayce considered the idea since she was surely better at it than he was. He didn’t want to do anything to put her in danger, but he hadn’t had a single problem with Poppy, and his manhood seemed at stake. He didn’t want a girl driving him around.
“I’d like to drive, if that’s okay with you.” He opened the passenger door.
“Ya, fine with me.”
Before she stepped into the buggy, Jayce said, “Wait, I better warn you. There’s a really strong scent of vanilla in here.Really strong.” He didn’t remember smelling the vanilla when Lizzie was teaching him how to drive and handle the horse.
“It’s okay. I love vanilla.” She stepped into the buggy, and Jayce waited until her cape was all the way inside before heclosed the door.
He untethered the horse, climbed into the seat beside his date, then backed up Poppy as if he’d been doing it his entire life.Within a minute, he had them turned in the right direction and the horse settled into a steady trot.
When he finally looked at Evelyn, she was holding her nose.
“See? It’s bad, isn’t it? I’m really sorry. I didn’t notice it until I got on the road.”
She released her nose, blinked a few times, and said, “It is a bit strong.” Then she laughed. “I wonder why it smells likethat?”
“I don’t know.” Jayce shook his head, holding his breath for a few seconds, until he laughed too.
“I can handle it,” she said with a taut nod of her head.
“Then I can too.” He wanted to tell her again that she looked beautiful. He also wanted to ask her if all those clothes werereally necessary. Not that he wanted to see her figure, which he kind of did, but it seemed like overkill.
“I’m wondering how we’re going to have time to go eat, get to the movie, and get you back home in time.” He grinned as he turned to her. “And I’m guessing I’ll be in big trouble if we’re not on time.”
She shook