by Beth Wiseman
After she dumped the somewhat wilted blooms in the garbage outside, she went back to the living room toting the empty vase.
Lizzie was on the couch reading. She stared at Esther with questioning eyes, and Esther raised her chin, waiting for her sister to say something that was going to start an argument. Esther was in the mood to give her one.
But her sister closed the book, took off her reading glasses, then slid her feet up on the coffee table and shrugged. “Well, the flowers were looking pretty sad anyway. Probably time for them to go.” She shuffled her dentures from side to side. “I guess we’re done investigating who your secret admirer is. Although I’m not sure what you’re more upset about—that Gus disappointed you with his deceitful hospital antics, or that we never figured out who sent the flowers.”
Esther set the empty vase on the floor, then sat beside Lizzie and eased her bare feet up on the coffee table. “I’m not upset about either one. I’m putting both issues out of mei mind. Gus is a grown man, and if he wants to pretend he’s sick just to get air-conditioning and food, he has to live with that. As for the flowers and note, either someone will come forward, or it will just remain an unsolved mystery. I can’t control either one of those things.” Anxious to change the subject, she said, “I hope things are going well for Rose and Benjamin.”
Lizzie nodded to the clock on the mantel. “I’m thinking it must be. They’ve already been gone twice as long as their last date.”
Esther smiled, happy to have something else to focus on. “Benjamin seemed nervous, but did you catch the way he looked at Rose?”
Lizzie slapped a hand to her knee. “Best thing I ever did, busting that pipe.” She nudged Esther as she chuckled.
“I’m not entirely sure it’s the best thing you’ve ever done, but God intervened, and Benjamin heard enough of Rose’s comments to be intrigued.” Esther leaned her head back against the back of the couch. She wasn’t sure if she could stay awake until Rose got home.
“Has she ever talked to you much about her past?” Lizzie asked. “Every time I bring it up, she wiggles out of an answer.”
“Ya, she’s the same way with me. All we really know is that she has a lot of siblings.” Esther looked at Lizzie. “I don’t suppose it really matters. She’s a lovely person.”
They were quiet for a while, with the only sounds being those of the faint tick of the clock on the mantel and the hum of the fans.
Lizzie yawned. “It’s too quiet. I think we’re insashable.”
Esther scowled as she fought not to yawn also. “That’s not a word, insashable.”
“See, this is why you should read books more.” Lizzie rolled her eyes. “It means we’re never satisfied. We moan and groan when there is too much noise, and we whine when it’s too quiet.”
Esther grinned. “I think the word you’re looking for is insatiable.”
“Ya, that’s it.” Lizzie sighed. “I’ve been wishing the date would go well. Now I’m wishing Rose would get home so I can go to bed.” After she yawned, she said, “I guess we don’t have to wait up for her. She’s a grown woman.” Smiling, she turned to Esther. “But a good nighttime story about their date would be nice.”
“Remember when Mamm used to wait up for us like this when we went on dates?” Esther couldn’t recall a time their mother hadn’t stayed up to make sure she and Lizzie arrived home safely—and on time. When they were late, they were assigned extra chores the next day.
“Ya, I remember. And just like Naomi, Rose feels like a daughter or granddaughter.”
Esther nodded, then she closed her eyes and, thinking back to earlier, asked God to forgive her lies. She was angry with Gus, and she would wonder, probably forever, who gave her the arrangement of flowers.
* * *
Benjamin was on the best date of his life, which was bizarrely ironic since his worst date had been with this same woman. He could watch and listen to her forever. Most of what she said was somehow meaningful. The fact that she didn’t always put topics in the right order or slow down enough for him to completely catch up was just part of her quirky, yet adorable personality.
“So, some of my favorite things are”—she grinned—“to go fast, obviously. I’ve never been on an airplane, but even though they go fast, it wouldn’t be the same as feeling the wind in your face. Cars aren’t allowed, and motorcycles are out as well. But, do you know what is at the top of my list?” She took a deep breath. “I’d like to ride in a boat, the kind that goes really fast. Or at least faster than the small bass boats mei bruders had for fishing. Have you ever been in a fast boat?”
Benjamin shook his head. “Nee, I haven’t. But I’d like to. Maybe we’ll do that one day.” He pictured being in a speedboat with Rose, but in his vision, her hair was long and blowing in the wind. She had her eyes closed as the wind nipped at her cheeks and, of course, she was smiling. This was the happiest woman he’d ever met. Most of the time. Every now and then she seemed to retreat somewhere. She’d become quiet and seemingly lost in thought. But it never lasted.
“I would lieb that.” She took a bite of banana pudding. Like their last date, she was having her third dessert. Benjamin had kept up with her this time, eating multiple desserts, not anxious to leave.
She eyed the plate he’d used for his main meal, frowning.
“Did the carrots do something wrong?” he asked. That was the only thing left on his plate, a couple of carrots.
She grimaced even more. “I don’t like carrots. At all. I had to eat them when I was growing up, and I did, but I despised them. When I turned sixteen, mei mamm quit making me eat them.” Her eyebrows knitted into a frown as she seemed to be staring somewhere over his shoulder again. Then she was back, smiling. “Are there any foods you don’t like?”
Benjamin finished chewing a bite of apple pie. “Hmm . . .” He strummed his fingers on the table. “I can only think of one thing. Bananas.” He nodded at her bowl of banana pudding. “I can’t get past the texture, and I don’t like the taste.”
She gasped as she brought a hand to her chest. “I lieb bananas.”
“I’ve noticed.” He grinned, something he’d been doing a lot of. Her exuberance was intoxicating, like a teenager who had just been set free out in the world, discovering it all for the first time. “The rest of mei family loves bananas, and mei mamm makes banana pudding all the time. As much as you lieb it, did your mudder make it a lot?”
Her expression fell a little. “Nee,” she said softly.
They’d covered a lot of territory this evening. But there was one thing Benjamin picked up on. Rose’s mood shifted at the mention of her family. He knew she’d been here for over a year, but he wasn’t sure why she left her family in Ohio. It seemed like a huge step, to leave your loved ones and move so far away, and to do it alone. Benjamin’s family might not be a buggy ride away anymore, but Bedford was less than an hour drive by car. His mother planned to visit his siblings weekly, and Benjamin thought he would see them at least every couple of weeks.
Instead of beating around the bush, the way he had been all night, he decided to be more direct. “It must be hard to be so far away from your family. Was there a reason you chose to move to Montgomery?”
She cast her eyes down, and Benjamin immediately wished he hadn’t brought up the subject. The Rose he had been slowly getting to know this evening was gone, replaced by a woman with a trembling bottom lip, who reached for the string on her prayer covering, twisting it around her finger.
Maybe she didn’t choose to leave at all? Perhaps she’d had a falling out with members of her family?
Without looking up, she blinked her eyes a few times. “Um . . . mei bruders and schweschdere had all married and moved out. It was just me and mei mamm.” She looked up and seemed to force a smile as she let go of the string on her prayer covering.
It wasn’t really an answer. Benjamin wasn’t sure what to say. He was afraid if he ever moved out, his mother would be lonely. Rose had left her mothe
r alone, which made him think more than ever that they’d had some sort of disagreement. Family could be a touchy subject, so he decided not to push her about hers, but waited, giving her time to elaborate if she wanted to.
“I have family here,” she finally said after taking a deep breath. “Cousins. Big Roy and Katie Marie Kaufman. I don’t know if you’ve met them yet.”
Benjamin shook his head. “Nee, I haven’t.”
“They really didn’t have room for me, so when the opportunity to work for Esther and Lizzie came up, I jumped on it. I have mei own room, and the sisters are like family to me now.”
She still hadn’t answered his question, so he waited again.
“I’ve had a lovely time this evening.” Her smile returned, and Benjamin decided not bring up her family again unless she did.
“Ya, I have too.” He was tempted to tell her it was the best date he’d ever had, but that might be too much too soon.
She tapped a finger to her chin. “Something unusual happened yesterday.”
Benjamin raised an eyebrow when she smiled, glad to see her exuberance slowly returning. “What’s that?”
“Chickens usually lay one egg per day. Sometimes they will skip a day, but that doesn’t happen very often. But this morning . . .” A grin spread across her face. “One of the chickens laid two eggs. I gathered the eggs yesterday morning, the way I always do, and when I went back this morning, Millie—that’s the name of the chicken”—she giggled and waved a hand in the air—“I named them all, which Lizzie said wasn’t necessary since we’d probably eat them some day.” She briefly cringed. “Anyway, Millie had two eggs this morning, meaning she laid a second one yesterday. That’s very uncommon.”
Benjamin couldn’t shed the smile on his face. “Is that so?”
She nodded with the enthusiasm of a child, and Benjamin listened with true interest as she began to tell him things he didn’t know about chickens. He even asked questions and told her a few things she didn’t know about horses. She had a way of drawing him out of the shell he’d been living in, and there was a level of comfort he’d never known before. He wished the evening didn’t have to end, but the check had been on the table for almost a half hour.
After Benjamin paid for the meal and they were on the road again, they talked all the way back to the inn. He couldn’t remember having this much conversation with anyone outside his family. She had a way of steering him into conversation with a natural precision. Nothing felt forced or awkward.
When they pulled into The Peony Inn, Benjamin’s chest tightened. He wanted to kiss her good night, but he recalled their conversation about holding off on anything physical for now.
Benjamin got down from the buggy and came around to meet Rose and walk her to the bottom of her front porch steps.
“Danki again for a lovely evening.” She folded her hands in front of her and smiled.
Benjamin wasn’t about to tell this woman goodbye again. “Do you want to spend the day with me on Saturday?” He forced his eyes to lock with hers so he wouldn’t keep focusing on her lips.
“I’d like that.”
He gently touched her arms, then leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, wanting her to know that he sincerely liked her, but still respecting the boundaries they’d set.
Grinning, he said, “I’ll see you Saturday.”
Chapter 10
Esther walked into the kitchen fully dressed Thursday morning. Lizzie was still in her robe and sipping coffee at the table while Rose flipped pancakes.
“Wie bischt,” Esther said as she stifled a yawn and sat down across from Lizzie. She’d had another night without enough sleep. “Rose, I’m so sorry Lizzie and I fell asleep before you returned from your date. But it must have gone well since you were out for a gut while.”
Rose spun around, and the young woman was glowing. “Ya, I think it went very well.” She leaned up on her toes. “I was just telling Lizzie that we are spending the day together on Saturday. I don’t know what we’ll do, but I suppose it doesn’t matter.”
Esther pressed her palms together and brought them to her lips, offering a quick prayer to the Lord for His blessings. “I am so happy for you.”
“We want all the juicy details,” Lizzie said with a slight lisp. No dentures this morning. “Did he kiss you at the end of the date?”
“Nee. Not on the lips anyway.” She smiled, so Esther assumed that must not have been a bad thing. “We agreed to get to know each other better before we let that happen again. But I think he wanted to kiss me. There was a twinkle in his eyes.” She turned to take a pancake from the griddle. “And I sure wanted him to kiss me, but I think getting to know each other better is more appropriate, and any kissing will mean more if there are real feelings behind it.” She carried the platter of pancakes to the table and placed it next to the sausage and homemade bread.
Lizzie rolled her lip under. “Well, give us something—any details. We live for this kind of thing.”
“Speak for yourself.” Esther rolled her eyes. One day she was going to take a good look at the type of books Lizzie read.
Rose pulled out her chair at the end of the table. They prayed quietly but quickly. “Tell us about him.” Lizzie straightened as she flashed a toothless grin.
“You said he was shy. I guess he was, a little.” Rose slathered butter on her pancakes. She never used syrup, only lots of butter. “At first, he didn’t say a lot, but . . . let’s be honest . . .” She laughed. “My nervous chatter probably didn’t give him much of an opportunity. But I tried to ease him into conversations to learn more about him, and it didn’t take long before he seemed comfortable. He doesn’t talk as much as I do.” She rolled her eyes. “Most people don’t, I suppose. But he smiled a lot, and I like that. We like a lot of the same things, except he doesn’t like bananas.” She held her fork halfway between her mouth and the plate, frowning a little. “I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like bananas.”
Esther ate quickly, although once again she wasn’t very hungry. “I’m so happy that things went well. He must have thought so, too, since he asked to spend the day with you on Saturday.”
Lizzie cleared her throat, and when Esther looked at her, she raised an eyebrow. “You’re dressed as if you’re going somewhere.”
Esther wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Ya, I am. I’m going to see Gus. His vacations are about to come to an end. I’m going to make sure he knows how I feel about this. I thought he felt remorse for his actions, but now he’s gone and done it again. At daybreak, I’m going to call a driver to take me to Bedford. I’ve already called the hospital, and the woman who answered confirmed he was there.” She shook her head. “I was tempted to tell her over the phone about Gus’s fake illness, but I want Gus to be accountable for his actions and to know how I feel.”
Lizzie slapped a hand to her forehead. “Just let him live there! It’s peaceful without him around.”
“What he’s doing isn’t right.” Esther lifted her chin.
Lizzie stared at her long and hard, then slouched into her chair and folded her arms across her chest. “Esther.” She narrowed her eyebrows inward. “I don’t like all this. You care too much about that horrid man. And I’m pretty sure he gave you flowers, and”—she growled under her breath—“I don’t like any of this.”
Esther sighed. “Please don’t insinuate that there is anything more than friendship between me and Gus.” She shook her head. “And right now, that friendship is on the line.”
“You’re too gut for that man, to even be friends with him.” Lizzie sat taller and forcefully stabbed a bite of sausage.
Esther glanced at Rose, and the girl only shrugged. For once, she didn’t have anything to say.
After a few more bites of food, Esther excused herself and went to her room. She didn’t want to talk about Gus anymore.
* * *
Rose finished her pancakes, then started clearing the dishes. Usually, Lizzie or Esther helped, but Lizzie w
as slumped in her chair, her arms back across her chest again.
“Do you think Esther cares more for Gus than she’s letting on?” Rose spoke in a whisper, even though the door to Esther’s bedroom was closed.
“I think Esther is a gut woman who cares about everyone.” Lizzie dropped her arms to her sides as she shook her head. “But I know mei schweschder, and Esther’s thoughts about Gus and whoever sent those flowers are wearing on her.”
Rose placed a stack of plates in the soapy dishwater before she turned to Lizzie, leaning against the counter. “Maybe after she tells Gus how disappointed she is, she’ll feel better. But she might not ever find out who had the flower arrangement delivered. I know you think it was Gus, that he’s lying about it”—she reached for a dish towel, dried her hands, and draped it over her shoulder—“but that doesn’t really make sense. If Gus sent the flowers, he wouldn’t have been concerned about a stalker and been found sitting on the porch claiming to protect us.” She grinned. “Ach, well . . . claiming to protect me and Esther anyway.”
Lizzie rolled her eyes. “I don’t need Grumpy Gus Owens to protect me from anything. And neither does Esther . . . or you. We need to detach ourselves from his life. He only rents the cottage due to the promise we made to our mudder.”
Rose knew the story of how Gus came to rent the cottage. Gus’s mother had been best friends with Esther and Lizzie’s mother. After Gus’s mother had been killed in a buggy accident, he’d been sent away to live with relatives. Amish by birth, Gus chose not to return to the faith, and according to him, he hadn’t lived a very good life. When he returned home fourteen years ago, decades had gone by. Esther and Lizzie’s mother was still alive, and Gus had asked her not to reveal his true identity out of respect for his mother and the fact that he wasn’t proud of the man he was. Esther and Lizzie had held true to their mother’s dying wish—to let Gus live in the cottage for the rest of his life. No one in the community knew Gus used to be Amish when he was a young boy. Rose had only recently learned this information from Lizzie. Apparently Lizzie wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, so Rose agreed not to share about Gus’s history.