Amish Joy (The Amish Bonnet Sisters Book 4)

by Samantha Price

  “Gut mayrie, Florence,” Bliss said. "How are you?"

  “I’m fine denke, and I’m looking forward to a good day.”

  “It should be.”

  By this time, Levi and Mamm were already halfway down the driveway.

  “Quick, catch up with them,” Hope said leaning forward.

  “Yeah,” Bliss agreed. “Don’t let them get away.”

  Florence giggled. “I’ll do my best.”

  To keep the girls happy, Florence caught up with them and followed along behind them.

  “Pass them, pass them,” Hope said.

  “In a minute, I’ll see if I can.”

  When she passed Carter’s house she noticed his car was there, but all she could do was look out of the corner of her eye. She didn’t want to let the girls see her interest in their neighbor.

  Florence urged her horse faster and pulled out and passed Levi’s buggy. The girls were screeching with laughter as they passed and waved to Mamm and Levi. Normally, Florence wouldn’t have bothered, but it didn’t hurt for the girls to have some fun. Her mood was much brighter now—she had seen Carter was home. She knew in her heart she’d see him soon.

  She knew the apple goods they were selling at the store were already packed in the buggy in an organized manner. Even though they were arriving later than she'd hoped, they should have enough time to set up the stall before people would start arriving.

  Chapter 14

  Without Isaac at the auction, Joy was doing her best to enjoy it. She and Favor had taken the first shift on the stall selling their apple produce, and then Bliss and Hope were doing the second shift after they ate an early lunch.

  Late in the morning, Hope ran toward Joy.

  “Did you see Isaac?"

  “He’s working.”

  "Nee! I saw him. Mark donated a saddle to the auction and he’s here. He’s here!”

  “Where?”

  Hope looked around. “I don’t know. I can’t see him now but he’s here somewhere.”

  Her day was saved from being horrible. Unless it was all a joke. “I’ll find him if he’s here. Swap with me?”

  “No way! It’s half an hour before I have to start.”

  “Just do it for me and I’ll do something nice for you sometime.”

  Hope rolled her eyes. “Okay. I guess I can.”

  “Denke.”

  She wasted no time in hunting him down. If he was donating something, he’d be in the auction tent. She saw him in the distance coming out of the tent. He looked up and saw her and they rushed toward one another.

  “You came after all.”

  He laughed. “I know. I wanted to give you a surprise.”

  “I’m so pleased you’re here. I didn’t know if Hope was tricking me. I’m so happy now.”

  “Me too.”

  They stared at each other for a while and she desperately wanted to hold his hand but she knew he wouldn’t do that. Not in front of this many people.

  “How was the stall?”

  “Good. We sold out of apple pies, and we’ve sold a lot of other things too. We'll have to bring more next time.”

  “The auction is going to start soon. Will you sit with me?”

  “Of course I will.”

  “I saw your mudder with Levi.”

  “I know. They came here together.”

  “Really?”

  “He came to collect Mamm and then Bliss rode with us girls. I told you what was happening.”

  He shook his head. “You might have told me when I wasn’t listening.” He scratched the side of his face. “It seems they’re getting close. You might have a new Dat soon.”

  “Yeah, I’ve thought about that and a step-schweschder.”

  “How would you feel about that?”

  “It would be different. We all get along with Bliss. She’s a bit noisy, though, kind of like Favor.”

  “That might not be a good combination, two of them like that in the same haus.”

  “Cherish was a lot worse.”

  “Poor Cherish. I kind of feel sorry for her. Don’t tell your mudder I said so.”

  “I do too, a bit, but I’m sure she’s having fun at the farm. She’s learning to make baskets and all sorts of things. Aunt Dagmar is a nice lady.”

  “She is your vadder’s schweschder, right?”

  “That’s right.” Then she said, “I do miss Cherish’s dog, though.”

  “Do you?”

  “Jah. It’s nice to have a pet around the haus. Makes it feel more like a home.”

  “What about your cats?”

  “They’re barn cats. They don’t like to be inside and they don’t like to be touched. They’re hunters. They like being outside.”

  “I know how they feel. I like being outdoors too.”

  She laughed and slapped him playfully on the shoulder. “It’s not really the same thing.”

  He laughed along with her. Then he touched her arm and guided her to the auction tent.

  “Who’s working in the shop?”

  “Christina volunteered to help so I could bring the saddle here and surprise you.”

  Joy was shocked. “That was nice of her.”

  “All my family is nice.”

  She smiled at him. She couldn’t tell him that Christina wasn’t always that friendly—she was surprised that he didn’t see that for himself. It was probably hard for him to see it, though, since Christina acted so differently around him and Mark.

  Now she thought she knew what the problem was. Christina was upset that she didn’t have a baby and they had been married for a while. It couldn't have been easy for her, if she wanted one so badly and hadn't become pregnant yet. That was Joy's best guess as to why Christina was odd. When she and Mark first got married, she was odd because she thought Mamm didn’t approve of her. Mamm wasn’t too happy about the marriage but only because they had gotten together on rumspringa and she had her doubts that Christina was a match for her stepson.

  Chapter 15

  The girls, including Bliss, had told Florence they would look after the stall—two would be on duty in the morning and the other two in the afternoon. That left Florence free to wander about and to watch the auction.

  Florence would’ve rather been kept busy because she had no one to wander around with. Liza wasn’t going to be there, and Florence really wasn’t that close with anyone else in the community. Once she and her childhood friends had grown up, they had all gotten married and had babies. Naturally, they’d grown closer bonds with the other married women in the community. It was only normal, as they had so much more in common with each other, but Florence couldn't help seeing it as another rejection in her life. Only her very best friend, Liza, had remained close.

  Florence had helped the girls set up the stall and then they all told her to stay away and they’d handle it all. "You go and enjoy a day off," Hope had said. That showed her they were acknowledging how hard she always worked.

  As Florence walked past one of the small refreshment tents, she noticed her stepmother and Levi had teamed up with Ada and Samuel to have a bite to eat. The last thing she wanted to do was join them, so she filled in her time looking at the stalls and talking to the stallholders.

  She was grateful when midday arrived and the main auction started. She sat down on a chair, feeling painfully alone in the crowd, and watched as all the donated items were auctioned.

  At two o’clock everyone started to go home, and Florence couldn’t have been more ready to pack up the stall and go home, too. At a suitable time, she’d steal away and see Carter to thank him for the flowers.

  Then she saw a familiar figure. She stared again, to make sure. There was no mistake.

  It was Carter and he was walking toward her.

  Her legs were suddenly heavy and refused to move even though her head was willing them. Their eyes were locked onto one another's.

  “Carter! What are you doing here?” He was as handsome as ever in faded jeans and a white long
-sleeved shirt.

  “I heard there was an auction. It’s for charity, so I thought I’d come along and see if I could donate some money—make a donation or buy something. What are you doing here?”

  She stared at him. “You knew I’d be here, didn’t you?”

  He smirked. “I was hoping. I can’t knock on your door, or call you."

  She stared at him awkwardly hoping no one would see them together, resisting the urge to look around to see if anyone had noticed them.

  He pulled lightly at his collar. “Florence, you can’t deny what happened between us.”

  Even there, in plain sight at the fairground, she wanted to hug him, touch him, be close with him. It was like the rest of the world stopped when they were together. Nothing else mattered. “I have no intention of denying it.”

  “I think you have every intention of doing so. You don’t think we fit together but we do.”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “You think your life is complicated but my life is not?”

  “I don’t know anything about you or your life because you still haven’t told me anything about it. I barely know anything about you.” She shook her head.

  “Is that the problem?”

  “Problem?” She put her hand to her head hoping she wouldn’t faint again like the last time she’d seen him.

  “Is that what’s keeping us apart?”

  “I think it’s obvious, the biggest thing keeping us apart, don’t you?”

  “Whatever it is it’s nothing that can’t be overcome. You can leave the Amish to be with me.” He flashed her a smile and she couldn’t help but giggle.

  “If only it were that easy.” He was so carefree and relaxed and she wanted a piece of that.

  “It’s easy! You take off your bonnet and the rest of your costume, wear normal clothes and come live with me.”

  She shook her head. “I’d never live with—”

  “Marry me, then? There, I’ve never asked anyone to marry me. What do you say?”

  “I have a whole life, a whole other different life compared to you. You can be free and not give anything else a second thought, but I have a family to take care of. An orchard.”

  “And, so do I. Well, not the orchard part. People usually do have their lives full and mapped out for them, but if they’re lucky enough to meet someone special they adapt and make changes to fit that person in. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to have you in my life, Florence.”

  She stared into his eyes. Did that mean he might be willing to join the community? Probably not, but it wasn’t something that they could discuss standing here in the middle of the fairground while she was worried about who might see them talking. What a scandal could arise!

  “Can we talk about this later?”

  “We could. I’ve been waiting for you to come and see me since I can’t make contact with you. Something tells me you’d be a little upset if I came to your house.”

  She nodded emphatically. “That wouldn’t be a good idea.”

  “I figured as much.”

  “I’ll come and see you soon.”

  “Do you promise?”

  “I said I would, so that’s as good as a promise.”

  “Okay, Florence Baker, I will hold you to your word even though you said you’d come visit me the last time I saw you and you didn’t.”

  “Didn’t I?”

  “No. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have allowed you to leave.”

  His words pleased her and she tried to hide her smile. She had to change the subject or she’d burst with happiness.

  “Did you end up buying anything at the auction?”

  “I bought a couple of small things.”

  “Thank you for your contribution.”

  “That’s the least I could do to help the firefighters. They do a wonderful job.”

  “Yes, they do. Thank you for the beautiful flowers. They were spectacular.”

  He smiled and stared into her eyes. “What do they say, 'a rose for a rose?' Bye, Florence.”

  “Bye.” She didn’t want him to go and wanted to tell him so, but right there in the middle of the fairground surrounded by members of the community, she couldn’t.

  He turned and walked away from her. What would happen if she threw caution to the wind and left everything to be with him? Biting down hard on her lip, she resisted the urge.

  She still didn’t know if that kiss had been a big mistake or the cornerstone of a new beginning.

  If what they had was real, it would wait. Wouldn’t it?

  She couldn’t leave it to chance. Her feet started moving and her mouth opened to call for him, but just then …

  “Florence, who was that?”

  She turned to see Wilma and stopped still. “Ah, that's our nextdoor neighbor.” She hung on to the strings of her prayer kapp to stop her hands from fidgeting. Her whole body buzzed with nervous energy.

  Mamm looked over at Carter as he walked toward the parking area. “Oh! I would’ve thanked him for what he did for us, if I’d known. Why didn’t you introduce me?”

  What was Mamm going to thank him for? All Florence was focused on was the kiss Carter and she had shared. “Thank him for …?”

  “For what he did for Honor, bringing her home that time.”

  “Oh jah, that. I've already thanked him. I didn't see you coming or I'd have made the introductions.”

  “I’m inviting a few people back for dinner. Do we have enough food to go around?”

  “Jah, of course.”

  Mamm smiled.

  “I guess that means Levi and Bliss are coming?”

  Mamm nodded. “And a few others besides our usual guests.”

  Chapter 16

  When they came home from the auction, Florence tended to organizing food for the dinner. All she wanted to do was be with Carter, but she couldn’t leave when they had guests for dinner. As well as Bliss and Levi, there were several other people Mamm had invited. Joy was helping her in the kitchen while Mamm talked with everyone in the living room.

  While Joy mashed the potatoes, she said, “I didn’t know he was going to be there today. He surprised me.”

  Florence froze. “Who?”

  “Isaac of course. Who else would I be talking about? He said he wasn’t going to be there deliberately to surprise me. Wasn’t that nice of him?”

  For a moment, Florence had thought she’d somehow meant Carter. “It was. It must’ve been a lovely surprise for you.”

  “He’s so thoughtful like that. You like him, don’t you, Florence?”

  Hmm. She was talking about Isaac again. “Of course I do. I like him very much.”

  Since Christina was one of their guests, Joy whispered, “He’s so friendly—nothing like Christina.”

  “I’m sure Christina does her best,” Florence said, not liking to say anything bad about someone.

  Joy wrinkled her nose. “I guess so. She’s improving a little. What are we having besides potatoes?”

  “I’m making a stew with what we’ve got.”

  “They call that pot luck stew.”

  Florence giggled. “We also have some leftover fried chicken I can heat up.”

  “Wunderbaar! And I have loads of green dessert jelly.”

  Florence grimaced at the strange dessert Joy had concocted. “I guess we could offer that as an option and also cut up some fruit, and we’ve also got cake.”

  “Good idea. Green jelly is Isaac’s favorite.” Joy giggled.

  Nearly every second word that came out of Joy’s mouth was about Isaac, but Florence couldn’t blame her. She was thinking about Carter just as much. The good thing for Joy was that she didn’t have to worry about being in love with an outsider or the burden of making a difficult decision.

  Favor walked into the kitchen. “Can I help in here? They’re talking about boring stuff out there.”

  “Sure. Joy will give you something to do.”

  “I don’t want to peel potatoes. I alw
ays end up cutting myself.”

  “Well you’re not helping if you only want to do what you want to do,” Joy told her.

  “I offered to help. I thought you’d be pleased.”

  “Thank you. It was nice of you since it’s not your night to cook.”

  Favor grunted. “I thought you could use more hands.”

  “That was very kind of you,” Florence said, “and Joy has finished the potatoes and she's already mashing them."

  Joy giggled at Favor.

  Favor put her hands on her hips and glared at both of them. “How did I know what she was doing?”

  “There’s really nothing much, but you can help me set the table soon.”

  “Okay.”

  As her younger sisters talked amongst themselves, Florence couldn’t help thinking about Wilma and Levi. Tonight, she’d keep a close eye on them to gauge how close they were.

  If Mamm married Levi, she’d move to Levi’s house with all the girls and she’d be left in peace to run the orchard.

  That was a perfect scenario for her.

  Peace and quiet.

  She’d never lived by herself, but she knew she’d love it. Without the constant distractions of her family, it would be too easy to see more of Carter.

  That night they had dinner at the larger dining table rather than the smaller one in the kitchen.

  From where Florence sat, she had a good view of her mother and Levi who were sitting beside one another.

  The dinner conversation centered around the day’s events, which was only natural. The auction had raised over $15,000 toward the firefighters. That was a lot more than last year and everyone was excited about that.

  Bliss said, “Dat was a volunteer firefighter years ago.”

  “Were you, Levi?" Mamm asked.

  “I didn’t know you were,” said Samuel.

  “I was, for a few years until I hurt my leg. I fell off a ladder in the barn and did something to my leg.”

  “What did you do to it?” Ada asked.

  “I don’t know. But it’s given me a limp.”

  “You didn’t go to the hospital?” Florence asked.

  “Nee. I’ve never gone to them. I don’t like the places. Gott looks after me, and it wasn’t his will I be a firefighter any longer.”