The Amish Midwife (The Amish Bachelors 2; Lancaster Courtships 3)

by Patricia Davids

  Cooking was a struggle after that. Fannie eventually grew up and learned enough to take over the kitchen, but she never found the joy in it his mother seemed to have. Maybe it was because his mother had a husband she wished to please and kinner to watch grow big and strong on the meals she gave them.

  Anne would be like that. He could see her making sure all her children ate their vegetables and drank their milk. She should have little ones.

  To do that, she would have to marry.

  “Anne, I’m surprised to see you here.”

  Joseph looked over his shoulder to see Micah Shetler approaching with a friendly grin on his handsome face. Joseph’s enjoyment of the evening started going downhill.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Anne was pleasantly surprised to see Micah Shetler approaching. She had wondered how he was doing now that his brother was about to marry the woman Micah had been courting only a few weeks ago.

  “Wee gayt’s, Micah. How have you been?”

  “Busy.”

  “I’m sure you are with your brother’s wedding approaching.” She gave him a sympathetic smile. Both Micah and his brother, Neziah, had been walking out with her friend Ellen Beachy. Their father and Ellen’s father had decided it was time Ellen married and she was expected to choose one of the brothers. At first it had looked as though Micah would be her husband, but then Neziah had won her heart. She’d fallen in love with him and they would marry in a few days.

  If Micah was suffering from a broken heart, it didn’t show, although there was something different about him now. She couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

  “I drove by the other day and saw your stand was closed for the season. I stopped in but you weren’t home.”

  “I’m sorry I missed you.”

  He gestured toward Leah. “Are you keeping the babies that you deliver now?”

  “Nay, this is Joseph’s niece.”

  “Anne is acting as her nanny until her mother returns.” Joseph’s annoyed tone made Anne glance at him sharply. Why was he upset?

  Micah noticed, too, but it seemed to amuse him. “You couldn’t find a more caring and capable woman than Anne to look after the child. I would let her take care of all my kinner. Of course, I don’t have any. But who knows? That may change one day.”

  “One day soon?” Anne teased.

  “You’ll be among the first to know. It was good seeing you, Anne. I may stop in again one of these days.”

  “I’m always happy to see you.” She wondered with dismay if he was going to ask her to walk out with him. He was a fine, good-looking man, but she wasn’t on the hunt for a husband. Why else would he want to speak to her?

  He walked away and stopped at another table where a young Amish woman sat with her parents. Anne didn’t recognize them. They weren’t from her church district. She noticed the way the girl pointedly avoided looking at Micah as he spoke to her father. What surprised Anne was the warm way Micah’s glance rested on the young woman. Was there a new romance blooming in his life?

  “Joseph, do you know the family Micah is speaking with?”

  “Henry Hochstetler. He owns a harness shop over in the next town. He’s done some work for me.”

  “Is that his wife and daughter?”

  “Ja. Why do you ask?”

  “No real reason.”

  “Micah is a friend of yours?”

  She glanced at Joseph and found him watching her intently. “I guess you could say that. He’s always been nice to me.”

  “He’s nice to all the women.” Joseph stabbed his slice of meat loaf with his fork.

  “True,” she admitted. Micah was known as something of a flirt, but the same could be said for his father, Simeon Shetler. Anne knew neither of them meant any harm. As Micah walked away from Henry Hochstetler and his family, the daughter finally looked up. When she did, her eyes followed Micah with poignant longing.

  “Why would he be coming to visit you?” Joseph asked.

  “I have no idea. His brother is marrying my friend, so perhaps it has something to do with the wedding plans.”

  “That’s not likely.”

  “Is there a reason you dislike Micah?” she asked, intrigued by the hostility she sensed.

  “I never said that.”

  “Sounds that way to me.”

  “You’re wrong. I’ve nothing against the man.”

  “I’m sorry I misunderstood.” She wasn’t wrong. He did dislike Micah. She decided to change the subject. “How’s that meat loaf? I might get a piece.”

  “It’s goot. How’s your salad?”

  “It’s okay, but I don’t care for the dressing.”

  “Try the pickled okra. It’s great.”

  “Yuck.”

  “You don’t like okra?” He looked stunned.

  She shook her head. “Not pickled. Fried is okay, but not pickled. I don’t care for pickled anything.”

  “Pickled beets?”

  “Nope.”

  “Sauerkraut? Everyone likes sauerkraut.”

  “Not everyone. What food do you dislike?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t tasted it yet.”

  “When you marry, your wife is going to find you very easy to cook for.”

  “What makes you think I’m going to marry?”

  “I just assumed you would when you met the right woman.”

  He grew somber. “I did meet her. A long time ago.”

  “I’m sorry. I heard about your loss.” He didn’t mention her name. The Amish rarely spoke about those who had passed away.

  “It was Gottes will,” he said.

  “All is the will of God,” Anne agreed, thinking of the baby whose name she never spoke aloud but would carry in her heart forever.

  What would Joseph say if he learned her story? Would he be forgiving? Or would he decide to find another woman to look after Leah? One without a blemished past. No one in Honeysuckle knew about her unwed pregnancy. That secret had remained in Ohio, known only to a few members of her family.

  Joseph would never learn about that part of her life unless she decided to share it with him and she had no reason to do so.

  * * *

  The following day was Church Sunday, which was held at the home of an Amish family who lived less than two miles from Anne. Her mare, Daisy, was still limping, but Anne was able to walk the distance easily. She would’ve walked much farther to avoid riding to the prayer meeting with Joseph. That would really set tongues wagging.

  Joseph arrived with Leah a short time after Anne reached the farmhouse. His arrival generated a number of comments from the women who were bringing food into the home and preparing to feed the congregation later. When questioned, Anne assured those who would listen that she was not romantically involved with Joseph. Some of her friends winked and smiled as if they didn’t believe her. She wasn’t surprised that she had to defend herself, but she was surprised by the number of older women who voiced their concerns about Leah being raised without a mother. By a man who wasn’t her father. That Joseph was her uncle seem to carry little weight with them.

  From her place among the unmarried women during the service, Anne could see Joseph and Leah from the corner of her eye. She didn’t dare turn her attention to him. Halfway through the three-hour-long prayer meeting, Leah’s patience evaporated and she began to fuss. Joseph took her outside. Anne followed as unobtrusively as she could. She found them at the rear of his buggy. “Do you want me to take her for a while?”

  “She needs to be changed and fed. I can manage.”

  “I know you can. But now that I have come outside, it might be best if I returned in the role of a nanny.”

  “I reckon you’re right. Has there been more talk?”

&
nbsp; “Not about us so much.” She wasn’t sure how to broach the subject the women had been discussing.

  “About Fannie?” He looked braced to hear the worst.

  “Nay, it’s nothing. Idle chatter. Go back and I’ll bring Leah in when she is finished with her bottle. I’ll keep her with me until after the preaching is done.” Maybe if the women saw Leah was getting adequate attention from Anne, they would be less critical of Joseph. She wasn’t Leah’s mother, but she would do her best to provide the child with a role model.

  She kept the baby with her for the rest of the morning. Once the service was over, she carried Leah outside, happy to show off the good-natured baby to those who admired her.

  It wasn’t long before Joseph approached. “I’m leaving now.”

  “You don’t intend to stay for the meal?” she asked, wishing he would make an effort to join in with the community.

  “I have two sick goats I need to tend. I’ll take Calvin Miller’s horse home for you.”

  Anne handed over Leah, and he left without another word. She glanced at the women around her and saw disapproval on several faces. Joseph needed to realize he wasn’t alone. He was part of a large and caring community. All he had to do was reach out to them to be accepted. The more he distanced himself, the less they were able to know and understand him.

  “He would be a good match for you, Anne,” Rhonda whispered in her ear. She and her husband had chosen to attend services with Anne’s church since they were staying with Naomi until Rhonda’s mother arrived to help the young couple with their newborn son.

  “I’m not looking for a match.”

  “I wasn’t either when I found Silas. Now look at us.”

  Dora joined their group. “I agree. The babe needs a mother. You should marry him.”

  “I can hardly marry a man who hasn’t proposed to me.” Anne reined in her irritation.

  “I think Micah has his eye on you,” Rebecca Yoder added. She was Rhonda’s sister-in-law and still single. She glanced across the way to where the young men were gathered in groups.

  Anne shook her head. “Micah can put his eyes back in his head. I’m not going to marry anyone!”

  She left the group to visit with Naomi for a while, then headed home. She was happy to have the long walk alone with her thoughts.

  * * *

  Joseph was working on his last section of fence posts when he saw Micah drive up to Anne’s home on Monday morning. Joseph didn’t pause in his work. He knew Anne was gone. She had been called out two hours ago to attend a delivery. He had Leah in the stroller at his side as he worked.

  “Good day, Joseph,” Micah called cheerfully as he approached after he realized Anne wasn’t home.

  “Good enough, I guess.” Joseph drove in the last stake.

  “Do you happen to know where Anne is?”

  “Gone to deliver a baby.”

  “So there is no telling when she will be back?”

  “Nope.”

  Micah looked disappointed. “I guess I can stick around for a while in case she comes back soon. Would you like some help?”

  “The stakes are all in.”

  “I can help stretch the wire. It’s a two-man job.”

  It was easier with two. Joseph shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

  Micah came into the pen and waded through the goats to Joseph’s side. “Friendly bunch, aren’t they?”

  “I think so.” Joseph pulled a roll of wire off his wagon and began unrolling it.

  Micah grabbed the loose end and pulled it to the corner post. “Do you mind if I ask you a question about Anne?”

  “What about her?” Joseph fastened the fencing to the post with small strips of wire that he tightened with a pair of pliers.

  “There’s some talk going around that you are walking out with her. I was wondering if that’s true.”

  “What difference does it make to you?”

  “If you aren’t seeing Anne, then I’d like to ask her to walk out with me.”

  “She is my niece’s nanny. That’s all. She watches the baby while I work and I help her with her garden and fix things around the farm.”

  “That’s good to know. I didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes.”

  They finished stretching the fence and securing it by early afternoon. Joseph was grateful for the help, but he was happier when Micah finally gave up and left without seeing Anne.

  Would she walk out with him? There was no reason she shouldn’t. Micah was a well-liked member of the community. Joseph had no reason to dislike the man, but he did.

  And in a moment of honesty, he realized it was because Micah was interested in Anne. Not as a nanny or as a midwife but as a woman and a potential wife.

  Why did the thought of Micah and Anne together irritate him so? Joseph never imagined himself as the dog in a manger, but apparently, he was. He wasn’t interested in her as a wife. He enjoyed her friendship. He liked her smile. He wanted to see her happy.

  He took the handles of Leah’s stroller and began pushing her toward his house. Just because he was happy being single, didn’t mean Anne was happy being single. Women were different. They wanted different things in life. If she wanted Micah, then he would be happy for her.

  Maybe.

  Matilda came to his side. The rest of the herd followed along. She looked up at him with wise brown eyes. Joseph had to admit the truth. “Maybe I wouldn’t be happy about it.”

  It didn’t seem right. He couldn’t imagine Anne and Micah as a couple. Being married. Matilda bleated softly.

  Joseph nodded. “Ja, I know. They don’t fit together.”

  The more he thought about it, the more upset he became. Anne would be a wonderful mother and wife, but she deserved someone who loved her. Not someone who decided to take a wife because his brother was marrying the woman he truly wanted. Anne wasn’t second best. She deserved better.

  Matilda paused to scratch her ankle with her nose. He paused and looked down at her. “I know. It’s none of my business what she wants.”

  “What who wants?”

  His gaze shot from Matilda to the new gate, where Anne stood waiting for his reply. “Nothing.”

  “Joseph, were you talking to the goat?”

  “I was. What of it?”

  Anne’s eyebrow rose a fraction. “Did she answer you?”

  “Nay, she was no help at all.”

  Anne pushed open the gate. “That’s a relief. Hallo, Leah. Are you ready to come to my house while your onkel gets the milking done?”

  He pushed the stroller out of his pen and up to Anne. “Micah dropped by to see you.”

  “He said he might.” She began walking toward her house.

  Joseph glanced at her as he fell into step beside her. She didn’t look particularly excited by the news. “He waited for several hours.”

  “That’s too bad. Did you tell him what I was doing?”

  “I did. He wanted to wait, anyway. He helped me finish my fence. We spent a lot of time talking.”

  “I noticed you had the fence up. Alvin and Mary King had a healthy baby girl.”

  She didn’t act like a woman smitten with a fellow. Joseph stopped walking. “That’s good to hear. Don’t you want to know what Micah and I talked about?”

  She kept walking. “Not really.”

  “We talked about you.”

  “That wouldn’t take up several hours.”

  “You underestimate your attraction, Anne.”

  She rounded on him. “What are you talking about?”

  “Micah is interested in walking out with you.”

  She planted her hands on her hips. “Did he ask you to be his go-between?”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Anne
knew it was common practice for a young Amish man to have a member of the girl’s family or one of her friends find out if she would be receptive to his courting. She considered it something bashful teenage boys engaged in. Not grown men.

  Joseph stared at his feet. “Not exactly.”

  “Then what exactly did he say?”

  “He wanted to know if you and I were walking out.”

  “I’m getting very tired of answering that question. I hope you set him straight.”

  Joseph held up both hands. “I told him you were Leah’s nanny. Nothing else.”

  That didn’t exactly flatter her. “Goot. What else did he say?”

  “I reckon I should let him tell you.”

  She closed her eyes. “I knew it. He wants to ask me out again, doesn’t he?”

  “You don’t sound very happy about it.”

  “I’m not happy about it. I’m not interested in walking out with Micah. He’s a nice man, but he isn’t the one for me.”

  Joseph sighed in relief. “I’m glad to hear you say that.”

  “What does that mean?”

  He looked taken aback. “Just that he doesn’t seem right for you.”

  She planted her hands on her hips again. “Since when do you get to decide who is the right man for me?”

  He dropped his gaze to his boots. “That’s not what I meant.”

  She took Leah’s stroller from him. “I am in charge of my own life. If I wish to walk out with Micah, I will do that.”

  “I only said that he didn’t seem right for you. You are free to choose. You would make any man a fine wife.”

  He looked so contrite that she began to feel she had overreacted. “I’m sorry. It’s not you. My friends are all telling me who to go out with and who I should wed. No one is asking me what I want.”

  “What do you want, Anne?” he asked quietly.

  Anne met his gaze. There was genuine concern in his beautiful stormy-gray eyes.