by Amy Clipston
Eva stepped onto the porch at lunchtime and glanced around the property in search of her father and Junior. When she didn’t see them, she headed down the porch steps and toward the largest barn. Voices rang out, alerting her they were inside.
“Hello?” As she stepped into the barn, her shoes crunched on the dry hay, and the aroma of animals filled her senses. “Junior?”
“I’m back here, Mamm.” Junior waved as he stood outside a horse stall. “I’m helping Ian muck!” Grinning, he balanced a pitchfork taller than he was.
Alarm shot through her as she rushed to the stall and pointed a finger at Ian. “What are you doing?”
“What?” Ian turned toward her, his dark eyebrows careening toward his hairline. “Was iss letz?”
“Why are you allowing him to muck the stalls?” She gestured to Junior. “He’s not even four yet. He could get hurt.”
Ian leaned the pitchfork against the stall wall and then swiped the back of one hand over his forehead. “I suppose you’re right, but he was eager to help. I figured I’d let him give it a try.”
“I’m big enough.” Junior stood on his tiptoes. “See?”
Eva bit back a smile. “You are big, but I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“I won’t.” Junior pointed to Ian. “Ian said I’m a gut helper.”
“Ya, you are.” Ian took the pitchfork from him. “But your mamm is right. We should be careful.”
“Eva.” Dat stepped into the barn. “Is it lunchtime? My stomach is growling.”
“Mine is too.” Junior touched his abdomen, and Ian chuckled.
“Ya, it is time to eat.” Eva touched Junior’s straw hat. “After lunch you have to take a nap.”
Junior frowned.
“Don’t worry, buddy.” Ian leaned down to him. “You can help me later if your mamm says it’s okay.”
“Can I, Mamm?” Junior’s expression was hopeful.
Eva nodded. “Ya. Now, go inside and get washed up. Mammi put a stool in the downstairs bathroom for you. You’re covered in dirt.”
Junior rushed out of the barn.
“Don’t run!” Eva called after him. With a sigh, she started toward the exit with Ian in tow.
“We got through more than we’d planned this morning,” Dat said to Ian as he clapped him on the shoulder.
Ian shook his head. “You say that every day.”
Eva glanced at the two men as jealousy once again coiled tight in her belly. It seemed Ian really was like the son her parents never had. Perhaps Dat would have preferred a son to a daughter.
Stop feeling sorry for yourself! You’re the one who left!
Eva frowned as she continued to walk toward the house.
Junior stopped halfway up the path. “Daadi! What kind of bird is that?” He pointed to a tree where a bird sang.
“Which tree are you pointing to?” Dat quickened his steps to catch up with Junior.
“Wait a minute.” Ian’s voice was low and warm in her ear. “Are you all right?”
She halted and looked up at him, surprised by the genuine concern that seemed to emanate from his expression. Did Ian really care about her? Or was he counting the days until she and her son returned to Ronks so he could go back to being her parents’ favorite child?
He raised an eyebrow as his lips quirked. “Why are you staring at me?”
“I’m not staring at you.” She started walking toward the house. “And I’m just fine.”
“Hold on.” He grabbed her arm and gently turned her toward him. “I’ve known you since you were fourteen years old. We used to talk about everything. You can still trust me.”
“That was a long time ago.” She jammed her thumb toward the house. “I need to go help mei mamm serve lunch.”
Eva rushed down the path before Ian could stop her again.
Eva moved her dustcloth across the coffee table in the family room later that afternoon. After washing the lunch dishes, she’d put Junior down for a nap and started cleaning. Her mother was in the kitchen, making up menus for the following week.
When Eva shifted to one of the end tables, she spotted movement out the front window and heard the clip-clop of horse hooves.
Eva hurried to the kitchen. Her mother was sitting at the table, perusing a cookbook. “Someone just arrived in a buggy. Are you expecting company?”
“No.” Mamm’s smile seemed to contradict her response. “You should go see who it is.”
“What did you do?” Eva asked with suspicion.
“Go on.” Mamm shooed her away with one hand. “Just trust me.”
With apprehension clamping down on her shoulders, Eva tossed the dustcloth onto the counter and hurried through the family room and out the front door.
When her feet hit the front porch steps, Eva gave a little squeal. Her best friend, Miriam Faye Stoltzfoos, was the driver exiting the buggy.
“Eva!” Miriam Faye held out her arms as she climbed the steps. “I’m so froh you’re here.”
Eva hugged her. “I’ve enjoyed your letters, but it’s so much better to see you in person. What a wunderbaar surprise!”
“Your mamm invited me to come over for tea this afternoon.”
Eva touched Miriam Faye’s protruding belly. “How are you feeling?”
“Great. I only have a few more months.”
“Where’s Hannah?” Eva asked about her two-year-old.
“She’s at mei mamm’s. I thought it would be best if she napped so we can talk.” Miriam Faye pointed toward the house. “Is Junior napping?”
Eva nodded. “Ya. He’s grumpy if he misses his nap.”
“Hannah is the same way.”
“Come inside.” Eva touched Miriam Faye’s slight shoulder. “I’ll make that tea mei mamm promised, and we can get caught up.”
As they started up the steps, Eva glanced toward her mother’s garden and spotted Ian. She paused, taking in the breadth of his shoulders as he stood on a ladder and tied the ropes from a swing to a branch of the large oak tree there. She suddenly recalled the compassion in his eyes earlier when he asked what was wrong and reminded her how close they’d been when they were younger.
Even though she’d snapped at him and hurried back to the house instead of answering his question, he’d been pleasant to her at lunch. They talked about the farm, and he made a point of including her son in the conversation. Although it had been six years since she left New Wilmington without saying good-bye to Ian, he was still the same kind and thoughtful man she remembered. Did she even deserve his friendship after the way she treated him?
But she’d allowed her pride and stubbornness to get in her way. Her mother had pressured her to date Ian, assuming Ian would ask her and hoping they’d one day marry. So instead of admitting Ian was a good choice for her, Eva had said no when he finally asked her to be more than a friend. She fled to visit her cousin Mim in Lititz to escape her mother’s constant suggestions for her life. Then she met Simeon there, shoving Ian out of her thoughts.
“Eva?” Miriam Faye stood by the front door. “Are you coming?”
Eva turned toward her friend. “Ya.” She pointed toward Ian. “It looks like Ian is putting up a swing for Junior. I didn’t know he was going to do that.”
Miriam Faye smiled. “Junior will love it.”
“Ya, he will.” Eva opened the front door and gestured for Miriam Faye to go inside. “Let’s have some tea.”
“I’m so glad you invited Miriam Faye over.” Eva smiled across the table at her mother as they drank tea and ate homemade oatmeal raisin cookies. “This has been so much fun.”
“I’m glad she did too.” Miriam Faye swiped another cookie from the platter at the center of the table. “I was excited to hear you’d finally come home. It’s been too long.”
For nearly two hours they had laughed and talked as they caught each other up on their lives. Miriam Faye had also shared news about their friends from school, church, and their youth group.
“I should ge
t going.” Miriam Faye stood and carried her mug and plate to the counter. “I’m sure Hannah will be awake soon, and I need to get started on supper.”
“Danki so much for coming over,” Eva said. “Let me walk you out.”
Eva followed Miriam Faye out to her buggy.
“I’ve really enjoyed your visit.” Eva hugged her.
Miriam Faye’s brown eyes sparkled in the afternoon sunlight. “How are you really doing since you lost Simeon?”
Eva held her breath as she considered her response. “I’m trying to move on, but it’s difficult. Even though I’m expected to remarry, I feel like I need to be with his family as I raise Junior.”
Miriam Faye tilted her head. “I know you miss Simeon, but why do you feel that way?”
“Junior is their only link to Simeon. They need him as much as he needs them.”
Miriam Faye nodded, but she didn’t seem convinced. “Will you be at church tomorrow?”
“Ya.”
“Gut. I want to meet Junior, and you can see Joel and Hannah.” Miriam Faye opened her buggy door. “See you tomorrow.”
Eva waved as the horse and buggy moved down the driveway. Once they were out of sight, she turned and almost walked right into Ian. She jumped with a start and clasped her hand to her chest.
“I’m sorry.” Ian held up his hands. “I thought you heard me walk up behind you.”
“I didn’t.” She took a step back.
His handsome face lit up with a grin, and his eyes reminded her of melted chocolate. He seemed to be just slightly shorter than Simeon’s six feet. He raised his eyebrows, and she cleared her throat, hoping her thoughts weren’t playing out on her face.
“Did you have a nice visit with Miriam Faye?”
“Ya, I did. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her.” She folded her arms over her black apron. “I still can’t believe she married Joel Stoltzfoos. It seems like only yesterday we were all in school together.”
He rubbed his clean-shaven chin. “Ya, it does seem like yesterday.” Then he grinned. “Do you remember that time the four of us went on a picnic?”
She laughed. “How could I forget? We found the perfect place to enjoy the food Miriam Faye and I made for us—ham sandwiches, potato salad, and brownies. And then it started raining, and we were all wet by the time we got back to your buggy.”
“Wet? We were completely soaked.”
They both laughed, and then an awkward silence fell between them. She struggled to think of something to say as she looked up into his kind eyes.
“I was wondering if Junior was awake.” Ian pointed toward the swing. “I want him to see what I built for him while he was sleeping.”
Eva looked toward the swing and admired what Ian had done for her son. “He’ll love it.”
“Gut.” Ian folded his arms over his wide chest. “I’ll build him a complete swing set if you and Junior stay.”
She pivoted back toward him. “If we stay?”
“Ya, if you stay here permanently, I’ll build him a wooden set with a fort and a slide.”
Eva studied Ian’s expression. Was he using a swing set as some sort of bait to convince her to move back in with her parents? Did Ian truly think all her problems with her parents could be ironed out by a wooden swing set? The notion sent exasperation tumbling through her.
“I’ll go get Junior and tell him to come see you.”
As Eva marched into the house, she wondered what her parents had told Ian about her. Did they also believe their issues could be worked out by building something as simple as a wooden swing set? If so, their relationship could never be repaired.
CHAPTER 5
Gude mariye.”
Ian looked up from his hymnal and echoed the greeting as Will Peachey sat down beside him on a bench. They were seated in the unmarried men’s section of the congregation, ready for the service in the Yoder family’s largest barn.
“How was your week?” Will picked up the hymnal beside him.
“Gut. Busy as usual. How was your week at your harness shop?”
“Very busy.” Will set the hymnal on his lap. “An Englisher came in and placed an order for two dozen saddles.”
“Two dozen? What does he plan to do with so many?”
“Apparently he’s opening up a day camp and will offer horseback riding.” Will shrugged. “All I know is that it’s gut for my business.”
“It certainly is.” Ian glanced across the barn to where the married women were filing in to sit in their section. His eyes focused on Eva as she sat between her mother and Miriam Faye. When Miriam Faye leaned over to say something to Eva, Eva’s beautiful face lit up with happiness, and Ian’s insides warmed.
“So Eva is finally back.”
Ian swiveled toward his friend. “Ya, she arrived on Friday.”
“How long is she staying?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where’s her sohn?”
“Mary has him.” Ian nodded toward where Junior sat on the bench beside his grandmother. He smiled as he recalled how Junior played on the swing nearly all afternoon and evening yesterday. He protested when Eva told him it was time for bed. It seemed the swing meant the world to him, and Ian was overwhelmed by the joy in Mary’s and Harvey’s eyes as they watched him play.
“She looks gut.” Will’s observation yanked Ian back to the present.
“Ya.” Ian hated the niggling of jealousy that teased him. He had no right to feel any sort of ownership over Eva.
The service began with a hymn, and Ian redirected his thoughts to the present. A young man sitting a few rows behind Ian served as the song leader. He began the first syllable of each line, and then the rest of the congregation joined in to finish the verse.
The ministers met in another room for thirty minutes to choose who would preach that day while the congregation continued to sing. During the last verse of the second hymn, Ian’s gaze moved across the barn just as the ministers returned. They placed their hats on two hay bales, indicating the service was about to begin.
When the chosen minister began the first sermon, Ian folded his hands in his lap and studied him, but his thoughts turned to Eva. He tried his best to keep his focus on the message, but his stare shifted to the married women’s section across the barn aisle. When his gaze found Eva, she seemed to be concentrating on her lap as if it held all the answers to her deepest questions. Was she praying? Was she thinking of Simeon and drowning in grief?
He longed to help her through whatever emotions she’d struggled with since returning home. If only he could convince her to talk to him, but he didn’t want to push her. After all, she’d been home less than forty-eight hours. But although he’d dated other women in the community, his heart had been stuck on Eva since they were teenagers. Not only was she beautiful, but she had a great sense of humor. They’d had fun when they were together. They could always talk to each other, as if they enjoyed a deep connection. Well, at least he’d felt the connection. Perhaps he’d only imagined it since she turned him down when he asked to date her, and then she left the community and married someone else.
While the minister continued to talk in German, Ian lost himself in memories of their youth. Some afternoons Eva would eat lunch on the porch with him while they discussed everything from mutual friends to their plans for the future. She talked of getting married and raising several children, and he told her he dreamed of one day owning a farm. What he didn’t share was that he’d dreamt of owning that farm with her by his side as his wife.
When she left town six years ago, Ian had been crushed. Not only had she broken his heart by marrying another man, but she also hadn’t told him she was leaving. He learned she was gone when her parents told him.
The first sermon ended, and Ian knelt in silent prayer beside Will. He closed his eyes and thanked God for bringing Eva and Junior home to see Mary and Harvey. He asked him to heal whatever had gone wrong between Eva and her parents, and to help her trust him again
as a dear friend.
After the prayers, the deacon read from the Scriptures, and then the hour-long main sermon began. Ian willed himself to concentrate on it, listening to the discussion on the book of Acts. But Ian snuck glances at Eva, taking in her attractive face as she looked at the deacon. As he admired her, he wondered how life could have been if Eva had agreed to date him. Would they have been married? If so, would they have lived on her parents’ farm or bought some land of their own? Would they have had children?
More than once, Miriam Faye caught Ian looking at Eva, and she smiled. Ian nodded at her and returned his gaze where it belonged.
After the sermon came the fifteen-minute kneeling prayer. Then the congregation stood for the benediction and sang the closing hymn. Ian’s eyes again moved to Eva. He hoped to speak with her when the service ended. Even better, he hoped he could give her a ride back to the farm. Maybe she would finally open up to him so they could rebuild the friendship that had once meant the world to him.
Eva smiled as she made her way down the long tables, filling coffee cups for the men. She was thankful a group of teenage girls in the church district had offered to take care of the children so the women could serve the meal. Junior happily went off with the girls when they said they’d feed him in the Yoders’ kitchen.
When she came to Ian, she asked, “Would you like some kaffi?”
“Ya, danki.” Ian smiled up at her as he handed her his cup.
She filled it and then handed it back to him. When her fingers brushed his, electricity zipped up her arm and she swallowed a gasp. Had she imagined it, or had he felt it too?
When his intense eyes locked with hers, her breath stalled in her lungs. She was certain to the depth of her bones that Ian had felt it. The attraction that pulled her to him like an invisible magnet years ago was back. Or maybe it had never died. Her mouth dried.
“Could I have some kaffi?”
His friend Will’s question shook Eva from her daze.