As she walked, she considered the contest and her longtime plan for a four-year degree. The whinny of a horse interrupted her thoughts, and she turned to her left.
In the distance, she glimpsed four horses and Jesse. She recognized him immediately. And within the few moments she’d seen her daed last night, she recalled hearing him mention that the alfalfa was ready to cut.
Trying to get Jesse’s attention, she waved. She wasn’t sure why, but the thought of him prompted the corners of her lips to lift into a wide smile.
In her other hand, she carried her mini hope chest, which had been made especially for her by Old Sam. Jesse returned her wave. She let out a sigh of contentment and continued her walk to her preferred spot.
But her thoughts stayed with her confidant. That’s what he is, really. I confided in him. I trust him. And for some reason, I enjoy sharing my dream with him. That makes Jesse Beiler a very special person in my book.
As she continued walking in the fresh air, her worry about the contest repercussions seemed lighter. In fact, after seeing Jesse, and knowing he was close, her outlook had, amazingly, taken on a much more positive tone. And when she considered the life-changing blessings that had happened at Pebble Creek, her pulse picked up to a more confidant pace.
She considered the well-known story of Levi and Annie Miller. About what they had been up against before they married. If God helped Levi join the Amish church after his father had been shunned, surely He can help me pave the road for my dream to come true.
In fact, the more she contemplated what the former Annie Mast had been up against when she’d fallen in love with an Englischer, the more she was sure she could handle what followed the contest.
She recalled a verse from the book of Matthew and whispered the passage: And Jesus answered and said to them, Truly I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, even if you say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, it will happen.
She lifted her chin, straightened her shoulders, sucked in a deep breath, and smiled. Inspiration. Pebble Creek is my inspiration. And Jesse . . . he’s my sounding board. I can’t wait to talk to him again.
As she stared out at the postcardlike view, she considered what she was about to do. To even begin such an endeavor was daunting. Because even if she didn’t win the contest, huge challenges needed to be met. First and foremost was to perfect her sketch to fit its theme.
All the while, she would need to pay for round-trip transportation to St. Louis. All entrants were required to be present at the judging to explain the story behind each sketch and answer questions.
The mere thought of being there with her project forced a deep breath. She closed her eyes and smiled a little.
This weekend, she would see Jesse at the church cookout at William and Rebecca Conrad’s place. Hopefully, she would have an opportunity to talk to him. Most of the congregation would be there, and that was close to two hundred people.
Even though Jesse worked for her daed, it would be unlikely she’d get a lot of time to spend with him. Especially because he had so much work in the field.
With a new-filled spirit, she said a quick prayer out loud. “Dear Lord, the contest is August 25. Less than a month away. I know You have given me my talent for a reason. And I pray that You will help me to use everything I have to serve You and only You. Amen.”
* * *
The day was perfect for a church cookout. Anna drew in a grateful sigh for two reasons. One was that she loved picnics. The smell of grilled meat floating through the air. And it was fun to get together with her friends outside of church, especially Mary Conrad.
The second reason was that this was another opportunity to see Jesse. She’d make their interaction brief. She didn’t want others to believe he’d been privy to her plan. Especially because he was the bishop’s son.
In the house, a mélange of conversations morphed into one solid sound. Because there were so many bodies inside the two-story Conrad home, and the two large battery fans appeared to struggle to keep the place cool, Anna quickly stepped outside to enjoy the light breeze.
Holding a glass of lemonade, she blinked at the brightness of the late July sun. Amazingly, the ground had already dried from the recent downpour. In the distance, the Conrad fishing pond loomed. Anna could glimpse it in the far backyard. Green leaves of tall oak trees wrestled with light summer breezes. A honey bee hovered over a clover.
In the large front yard, tall evergreens scented the air with their fresh, woodsy aroma. Trees. The mouthwatering smell of grilled chicken.
She looked on as some children tried to befriend a goat, while others petted the new pony William Conrad had just adopted from Dr. Zimmerman’s horse shelter.
A friendly touch on Anna’s shoulder made her turn. “It’s so gut to see you!”
She hugged Mary before holding her at arm’s length. “You too! Isn’t this fun?”
Someone hollered for Mary, and she offered a reluctant hand in farewell. “I’m kitchen help, and it’s nearly time to eat. I’ll save you a seat next to me at the picnic table nearest the grill!”
“Gut!”
Quick steps took Mary down the dirt trail to the side of the house, while Anna moved aside to avoid two boys chasing each other in a game of tag. Laughter filled the air, and the bright sun created a nice, warm day. The pleasant, simple picture represented everything good in life as people she knew well said their hellos.
While Anna talked to churchgoers, loud, drawn-out whinnies from the horses tied to posts along the long Conrad drive chorused through the air. As she took in the queue of buggies, it reminded her of weddings. Only this was more fun, because it was informal.
For a moment, she took advantage of the calm and the love that emanated throughout the place and finally beamed a smile while she drew an affectionate hand to her chest and kept it there.
As she expelled a sigh of satisfaction, Mary rejoined her. In a breathless tone, she exclaimed, “I wish your parents could have come.”
Anna nodded. “Me too.” She lifted a concerned brow. “I really miss them. To be honest, with the expansion of the bakery, I don’t see them much. I’ve been doing the chores while they’ve worked at the family business.”
Mary raised the pitch of her voice as she caught one of the Glick nieces and ordered her to stay in the group she had obviously taken charge of.
“And I’ve got my hands full, too!” She motioned to a dozen youngsters who played around her. “These children need to get into the house to wash up for lunch.” She lifted a set of helpless palms to the sky. “You wanna help?”
“Of course!” One girl tugged at Anna’s dress before giving her a hug. Anna released her and smiled down at her. “Hannah, you must have grown six inches since church last Sunday!”
The petite child beamed before running to catch up with another girl. As Anna counted heads, she acknowledged all the children. And one especially: Reuben Schmucker. Despite his strict Amish upbringing, trouble always seemed to find him. And vice versa. His uncle, Israel, had gone to school with Anna and had been the one who had stolen her homework. He had recently passed from a heart attack, but she remembered him all too clearly. Unfortunately, Reuben’s daed was gone, too.
Mary held a hand over her mouth so only Anna could hear her. “Anna, as you know, Reuben’s maemm is going through chemo. So even though he’s a handful, don’t ya think he deserves a free pass?”
Anna offered a quick nod as Israel’s nephew sprinted to get ahead of everyone else. Mary cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and hollered for everyone to stay in the front.
While kids laughed and played, Mary talked more to Anna about the boy who was living up to being as ornery as his uncle had been. She spoke in a lowered tone. “I guess you could say he’s really reacting to his maemm’s health issues. Poor kid.”
Anna looked at Mary and used a very soft voice so as not to be heard. “I know. Cancer.
Thank goodness our church is helping with food and support. I signed up.”
“Me too.” Mary gave a sad shake of her head. “To be honest, Anna, there’s only so much everyone can do.”
The joyful expression on Mary’s face changed to a combination of disappointment and frustration. “I can’t imagine being a single maemm, Anna, and going through chemo. Or going through chemo under perfect conditions, for that matter. From what I hear, she’s having a rough go with the treatments and is bedridden. Thankfully, in a couple more weeks, she should finish her last round.”
Anna observed Reuben and lifted a brow. From church, she already knew that he was difficult to corral. He looked just like the other kids. Suspenders, short sleeves, and slacks that came up above his ankles. Some were barefoot.
But it was Reuben’s interaction with others that made him stand out. His behavior appeared to be more aggressive. When he tagged another friend, he pushed so hard, he nearly shoved them to the ground.
He was extremely quick on his feet. It was obvious that God had blessed him with the ability to run fast. As a result, the others had to do the chasing, and Reuben usually got away. For the most part, Amish kids in their church were well behaved. Of course, they weren’t perfect.
As Anna and Mary helped two girls who had tripped over each other, Reuben and a couple of boys ventured out of the front yard, heading toward the back, and Mary held her fingers around her mouth and hollered, “Hey, come back! Reuben! Amos! Get back here! Right now!”
What came next happened quickly. As a jet left a trail of white in the sky, Anna realized the two had ventured behind the house. Mary turned and motioned urgently with her hands. As she did so, Anna doubted that she and Mary, in long dresses and sturdy shoes, could catch the boys if they didn’t stop.
Mary ordered the rest of the group to stay put while Anna took quick steps to reach Reuben and Amos, who’d gone out-of-bounds. She shouted, “Boys! Come back! Don’t go near the pond!” Mary turned in the other direction and hollered as loudly as she could, “Someone, help us get the boys!”
But as Anna also shouted for help and quickened her pace, her lungs pumped hard while she fully realized the danger the boys were in. It was common knowledge that the Conrad pond was quite deep and only used for fishing.
Instinctively, she went after the kids, hiking up her dress to keep from tripping. Behind her, Mary followed. Anna knew because she could hear her holler. But the low sound of her voice told Anna that her friend was now quite a distance away. Anna shouted, “Reuben! Amos! Come back right now!”
She nearly lost her balance while avoiding a rut. By now, they were far ahead of her. Hopefully, an adult had heard the pleas for help. They were far from the church party in the large backyard that eventually met farmland. As Anna ordered her lungs to keep pumping, she watched in horror as the nightmare she’d anticipated unfolded in front of her.
Running with his back to the pond, Reuben hit the water. Anna watched the large splash that was immediately followed by a second one as Amos also fell into the pond.
Panic swept through her chest as she finally got to where the boys had fallen in, ripped off her apron, yanked off her shoes, and jumped into the large body of dark water to save them.
Fortunately, as she landed, her feet touched bottom. As soon as her head bobbed above the water, she coughed. Automatically, she made a circular motion with her arms to move toward the boys.
To her right was another big splash. From Anna’s peripheral view, she glimpsed Mary jump in and grab onto tree roots that stuck up out of the pond. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for Mary to grab Amos with her free hand.
Reuben’s head bobbed above the water and went back under. Anna couldn’t swim, but she was tall enough that the water stayed below her mouth.
Without wasting time, she grabbed his arm, kicked her feet to stay afloat, and pushed off the muddy bottom when her feet touched it.
Reuben coughed. While Anna walked on the pond’s bottom, her mouth barely above water, clutching the boy’s arm and holding up his neck.
I’ll save you. If it’s the last thing I do. Dear Lord, please help me. And please let him live.
Just when she couldn’t go on, a welcome arm came around her waist and pulled them the rest of the way to the shore.
Jesse’s voice was firm but reassuring. “I’ve got you, Anna. You and the boys will be okay.”
She recognized the soft, low timbre with full clarity. She tried to talk. She couldn’t. She coughed. But she would be okay. The boys, too. Jesse had said so.
Thank you, Lord. “Hang in there. Help’s on the way.”
Commotion stirred all around her. She felt two hands laying her on the ground.
When she opened her eyes, she was on her side. Someone was hitting her back, and she expelled a little water. Afterwards, she enjoyed the warmth of the blanket someone threw over her shoulders.
An odd combination of reassurance and fear edged Jesse’s voice as he scolded her. “What am I going to do with you, Anna King?”
“She’s okay,” someone hollered.
She could hear children sobbing. A male voice she didn’t recognize ordered everyone to step back.
Finally, she got a clear vision of the crowd watching her as she lay on the ground. A paramedic was beside her. He shouted, “No one needs CPR.”
Annie Miller came to her and squeezed her hand. “God put you here today to save Reuben. You and Mary are heroes! Heroines,” Annie corrected with a laugh.
She could hear Amos screaming as his maemm tugged at his arm. A rescue worker asked Anna how she felt. Surprisingly, she felt okay, considering what she’d gone through.
“I think we can say there are lessons to be learned here,” one of the rescue workers said to the boys and to the adults, as well. “I’m aware that this was an accident, but never go near water where there’s no life guard. This time we were lucky. But next time, we might not be. And take swimming lessons. You never know when you might need them.”
A long silence ensued while Anna enjoyed the warmth of the blanket around her. Then the rescue worker continued. “I think we should take the boys to the hospital just as a precautionary measure. If water’s still in their lungs, there’s a risk of secondary drowning.”
Hearing that warning made Anna yearn to hear Jesse’s soothing voice and to know that he was here with her. Her heart fluttered as she realized what that yearning meant. That her feelings for Jesse Beiler were definitely stronger than those of mere friendship.
She’d come to know him better so quickly, she considered him a new friend. She’d never been courted by anyone, but common sense told her that her reaction to him was more of the reaction a woman would have to a man she liked that way.
As the paramedics wrapped blankets around the boys, Anna sat up and took in the crowd from left to right. She glimpsed different expressions. Most were looks of approval. But she quickly caught the expression of disapproval on Mrs. Graber’s face.
Her left eye twitched, like it always had when she’d looked at Anna in class. The corners of her lips turned down. Automatically, a sense of shame swept over Anna until tuned into Annie Miller’s voice as she thanked her over and over for her courage. Anna nodded her head in acknowledgment.
In the background, adults argued. “The kid’s bad news. Just like his father. And his uncle.”
Anna started regaining her strength. Automatically, she wondered why Jesse had been the only one who’d jumped in to help. Perhaps it was because he had been the first on the scene. She would find out.
According to facial expressions, there were numerous reactions to what had just taken place. And by the glances coming her way, what she’d just done hadn’t won her universal approval.
Automatically, her gaze drifted back to her former teacher. The woman’s obvious disgust sent a shiver up Anna’s spine. She was the woman that Anna had once overheard call her “only Amish because she’d been adopted.” Anna tried to forgive her. As she alwa
ys had.
Mary Conrad joined Anna. She was drenched from head to toe. Anna tried to stifle a laugh and realized she must look as soaked as her friend.
Mary’s voice shook as she spoke. “The boys are safe. Anna, if it hadn’t been for you . . .” After a slight pause, she went on. “Are you okay?”
Anna stood. The moment she did so, the paramedics stopped her. “Should we take you to the hospital?”
Anna shook her head. “No, thank you. I’m fine. What I need is a hot shower. I’m freezing.” Her entire body shook. Mary was shaking, too. To her relief, she saw that both boys seemed all right.
Mary took Anna’s hand and, together, they started toward the house. Anna immediately forgot about the crowd until others quickly joined the two women, offering to help. Mary’s mother, Rebecca, and Annie Miller insisted on taking care of her until she was fully recovered.
Annie’s tone had been an odd combination of concern and relief. “My, my, Anna, what you did . . . It was so brave.” Rebecca’s voice cracked with emotion. “Do you even know how to swim?”
The realization of what had truly happened finally sank in and Anna smiled a little. “No.” After a brief hesitation, she went on. “Just so the boys are all right.” She shuddered. “I was afraid they would . . .” Her voice broke.
Mary’s voice was edged with optimism. “They’re okay, Anna. That’s all that counts. God was with us today.”
Annie and Rebecca, off to the side, offered firm nods at the same time. Rebecca stepped closer to pull Anna’s wet hair back over her shoulder, out of her face.
Annie spoke next. “They’ll be fine. Reuben’s maemm will be most grateful to you, Anna. She’s going through so much, and poor little Reuben is expressing his insecurities in ways that challenge us all. And that’s why we’re trying to help.” She gave a sad shake of her head.
“Pray for Reuben, Anna. Because what we’re offering . . .” She offered a helpless shrug. “I’m just not sure God has given us that special tool to help him. We can offer him love and make sure he’s fed and clothed, but pray for his maemm to recover. As hard as we try, all of us girls in church can’t replace the one person he loves and needs most. Of course, his daed’s with the Lord.”
Love At Pebble Creek (Hope Chest of Dreams Book 5) Page 6