An Unlikely Match

complaints about how loud the generators are.” She winked at her sister. “Smartman, I’d say. Although Gus strutted around like a movie star, so I’m not sure which will be worse—grumpy Gus or Gus the moviestar.”
“Ach, I know we’re not supposed to see movies, but I’m going undercover to see any movie Gus is in. I’d have to see it to believeit.” Lizzie flinched, shaking her head as if scrambling her brains. “Ick. Gus in a movie.”
Esther laughed. “I can’t picture it either.”
They’d almost finished the dishes when Esther asked, “How concerned do you think we should be about Jayce spending time withEvelyn? Since he’s been in jail.”
“You don’t think he murdered anyone, do you?’ Lizzie gasped. “Or maybe he robbed a bank?”
Esther groaned. “Lizzie, of course he didn’t do anything like that. He’d still be in jail.”
“Someone slipped me a file in a cake, and I escaped.”
Lizzie and Esther jumped and spun around to see Jayce standing in the kitchen, grinning at them.
“I guess I missed breakfast.” His eyes searched the room and landed on the plate on the counter. “Unless that’s for me?”
“Ya, ya.” Esther shuffled to the counter, picked up the plate, and set it on the table. “We saved you some.”
“Are you sure I’m worthy? I mean . . . I’m a criminal.”
Esther and Lizzie stood staring as Jayce lowered his head in prayer. A praying criminal. Esther was speechless, and for once in her life, Lizzie was quiet too.
Jayce finished a slice of bacon, wiped his mouth with his napkin, then looked up at Esther and Lizzie, the smile gone. “I’mnot proud of what I did, but I assure you, I’m no murderer or burglar. You don’t really think that, do you?”
Esther and Lizzie exchanged glances, but neither said anything.
“I got in a fight.” Jayce picked up his biscuit and began slathering it with butter. “I don’t really think the guy had issueswith me. He hated my father for firing him. But stuff was said, and I punched him. The guy filed assault charges, and my dadwanted to plea bargain to avoid the press. So he spent a bunch of money to keep things on the lowdown.” He paused as he lookedsomewhere past them, seemingly lost in thought.
After a few long seconds, Jayce went on. “Like I said, I’m not proud of it. But when he started saying things about my mom . . .I guess he hit a nerve.”
Esther had never been in such unfamiliar territory. She and Lizzie remained quiet.
“I was mad at my mom when she left. In hindsight, I don’t know how she stayed with him as long as she did.” Pausing again, he lowered his eyes to his plate, but mostly just moved his eggs around with his fork. “No matter what happened, I love my mom, and I couldn’t let that guy stand there and say such awful things about her.” He lifted his eyes to Esther’s. “Right?”
She could see the longing for approval, for someone to agree with him. But she shook her head. “I don’t fully understand thingsin your world, sohn. But we don’t believe in violence, no matter what situation might present itself.”
“Maybe it’s just different for women.” He continued to push his eggs around. “Men are expected to stand up for the peoplethey love—to protect them.”
Jayce was only going to be here a month. Esther wasn’t going to change his beliefs within that time frame, nor was it herplace to do so.
“Can I just say this?” He set his fork down and looked them both in the eyes. “Evelyn is a nice person. I can see that. Iknow we live differently, but she will always be safe in my presence. If we become friends, well, that’s great. Maybe we’llwrite letters or something after I leave. I’ve never known anyone like her, so maybe we’ll learn things from each other. ButI don’t want you to worry for one moment that she isn’t safe or that I won’t behave like a gentleman.”
Esther’s heart warmed. It was such a sincere and seemingly truthful statement. Lizzie was back to batting her eyes at him.
“We are in no place to judge you for what you did, Jayce. Only Gott can do that. And as long as you’re remorseful about your actions, you should put it in the past,” Esther said.
“I’m remorseful.” He lowered his eyes to his plate again. “I probably shouldn’t have hit him so hard. But if you’d heard whathe said . . .”
Esther was glad he didn’t finish his sentence. She wanted to tell him that he shouldn’t have hit the man at all, but she didn’twant to fuel a situation they already didn’t agree on. Jayce seemed like such a gentle soul, but he was also a young man fiercelyprotective of those he loved. But did it end there? Would he have hit Gus during their confrontation? How often did he usehis fists in anger?
She reminded herself again that he’d only be here a month. She glanced at Lizzie. Her sister wasn’t batting her eyes anymore,but she also wasn’t glaring at Jayce. Esther recognized her expression, one of pained tolerance. Lizzie liked the boy, soshe’d likely try to change him, even though ministering to outsiders wasn’t their way. Lizzie didn’t always follow the rules.
“Thank you for the breakfast.” Jayce stood and laid his napkin across his plate, still half filled with food.
After he left the room and was out of earshot, Lizzie looked at Esther. “I think he’s more remorseful than he lets on.”
Esther nodded. “I think you’re right.”
*  *  *
Jayce slipped into his jeans, then pulled on a blue T-shirt with short sleeves. Half his tattoo showed, but he didn’t care.If Evelyn hated the artistry, then so be it. He wasn’t going to change himself for an Amish woman he didn’t even know.
He lay on the bed and threw his arms behind him. How did Esther and Lizzie find out about his stint in jail? They would be shocked to know it hadn’t been his first rodeo. He’d been arrested twice before for similar outbursts. Both