The Amish Deacon's Daughter

by Samantha Price

  “Don’t laugh. These aren’t just any muffins. You’ll see when you taste one.”

  “Can’t wait.” Amy scanned down the menu. The ‘big breakfast’ was two pancakes, two eggs, hash browns, bacon and sausages. “Someone would have to be hungry to order the big breakfast.”

  “I usually have the steak.”

  “I think I’ll have a salad sandwich. Tuna.”

  Andrew’s mouth turned down. “Is that all?”

  Amy looked up from the menu. “What would you suggest?”

  “Corn-beef hash, ham and cheese omelet. Anything other than a boring salad sandwich.”

  “Okay, then I’ll have potato pancakes with applesauce.” Amy closed her menu.

  “Fine.”

  The waitress took their order, and then they were left staring at each other across the table.

  Nervousness caused Amy to break eye contact, and then she looked around the restaurant to find something to talk about. The walls were brightly colored and two walls were covered in brightly painted murals. When she looked back at him, he was still smiling. “Do you eat out much?”

  “Nee. When I do, though, I come here.”

  The waitress placed their coffees on the table.

  Amy warmed her hands around the cup. “This place reminds me a little of the coffee shop I meet my friends at every Saturday.”

  Andrew leaned his head to one side. “Is that right?”

  “Jah. Why do you look surprised?”

  “It’s just that your vadder is a deacon and I thought he wouldn’t allow you to go to such places. Unless, of course, you went there accompanied.”

  Amy screwed up her nose. “My friends are there.”

  “I see.” Andrew stared into his coffee. “I mean an older bruder or your vadder.”

  Amy sipped her coffee and then swallowed quickly. “I don’t have an older bruder. If Dat had to go with me, I wouldn’t go. It would make my friends uncomfortable.” When Andrew didn’t comment, she asked, “Has John told you anything about me or my familye?”

  Andrew laughed. “Only things that have come up in conversation. If I want to know about you, I’m quite capable of asking you myself.” He moved in his chair and his lips turned upward at the corners. “I would like to know more about you.” He took a sip of coffee while keeping his eyes fixed upon her.

  She placed an elbow on the table and placed her chin on her knuckles. “What would you like to know?”

  “I’m intrigued about your adventurousness. You’ve come all this way for no reason in particular. I admire that.”

  She had to change his line of thinking before she had to tell him that he was the reason she was there. “It took a long time to get here. Tell me about you.”

  “There’s not much to know. The mill keeps me busy. I’ve got a small home.” He leaned forward with a smirk hinting around his lips. “A home that needs a woman’s touch.”

  Embarrassment caused her to look away.

  He continued, “And I find peace in walking in the woods or driving my buggy down quiet roads. You can probably tell that I’ve grown used to my own company.”

  Amy studied his face. Was he telling her he wasn’t marriage material and was happy on his own? No, he had made that comment about his house needing a woman’s touch.

  He then shook his head. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want things to stay like this.”

  “How would you like your life to be?” Amy asked.

  The waitress placed their food on the table.

  “Ah, this looks wunderbaar.” Andrew picked up his knife and fork. “To answer your question, I’d like to have a familye. And have someone to share things with and have someone to talk to.”

  Amy nodded. She had her schweschder and her friends to confide in and ask advice of. It must be awful to have no one. “What about friends; can’t you talk to them?”

  “I’ve got friends and then there’s John, but they’re all busy with their own families.”

  “Why have you never been married?” Amy poured the applesauce over her pancakes.

  He stared at what she was doing, as though he’d never seen anyone have that combination. Then he looked up at her. “I could ask you the same question.”

  “I’m a little younger than you.”

  He chuckled. “That’s true enough.” Andrew breathed out heavily. “I can’t really say I’ve ever met a woman I’ve felt strongly enough about to share my life with. There have been some who were nice enough, but each time I felt that something was missing.”

  Amy looked back at her food and cut a portion of pancake. “That makes perfect sense.” She looked up at him and they smiled at each other.

  “And what’s important to you, Amy? What do you want?”

  “I’d like a familye too.”

  “Ah, we have something in common.” He cut a piece of steak and when he had swallowed it, he said, “Maybe Gott sent you here for a gut reason.”

  His smile sent shivers through Amy. She blinked rapidly and looked down into her coffee.

  “I do have to tell you that these last two days that I’ve waited to see you again have been hard for me.” Andrew rhythmically moved his fork through the air as he spoke, as though to emphasize the words.

  Amy frowned. “In what way?”

  “I wanted to see you Monday. It was all I could do to stop myself visiting you, but I don’t want you to get tired of seeing me.”

  Amy gave a little giggle.

  “I’m sorry, Amy. You don’t mind me saying these things, do you? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable if you’re not feeling the same things I am.”

  Chapter 8

  Amy’s heart pounded within her chest; she could barely draw a breath. She slipped her hands under the table and pushed a fingernail into the palm of one hand. She steadied her breathing, trying to take her mind off how handsome the man across from her was. Maybe her father had been right to send her here; perhaps he’d been following God’s plan and hearing His voice.

  Andrew stared at her waiting for an answer. He’d said he couldn’t wait to see her and wanted to know how she felt. Slowly she inhaled and then exhaled. “I feel the same.”

  His face relaxed into a smile. “That makes me a very happy man.”

  Amy put her hand to her mouth and giggled.

  He nodded toward her food. “Keep eating. We’ve lots to see when we finish here.”

  When they had eaten their meal, Andrew ordered a dozen assorted muffins to take with them. When they walked out the door, Andrew handed her the paper bag of muffins. “Try one.”

  Amy took the bag in one hand and her other hand flew to her tummy. “Ach, I couldn’t possibly find the room.”

  He smiled. “Maybe later.” Once they were seated in the buggy, he said, “I could take you to the farmers markets or to look at the stores, but they don't seem very special. I’m taking you to my favorite place.”

  “Where’s that?”

  “Hiking.”

  Amy looked up at the gray sky. “In this cold?”

  “We can’t let a little frost stop us.”

  “It’s too cold for the horse, isn’t it? He’ll be standing while we walk.”

  “I’ve got a decent blanket for him, but you’re most likely right. I’ll drive you down past the road where the walking trail begins. We’ll walk there when the weather is warmer. How’s that?”

  “Okay. Tell me what it’s like.” Amy didn’t do any walking for pleasure at home. The only walking she did was for the purpose of going somewhere, but she could get used to it and accompany him on his walks.

  He glanced over at her. “You’ll love it. There are butterflies, all kinds of birds ... and the trail winds up and down, over old wooden bridges and around steep rocks. The views are spectacular.”

  Amy smiled at the thought of a grown man taking pleasure in watching butterflies. “I like to watch birds. At home, I leave a bird feeder in a tree to distract them away from my vegetables. I often sit and watch
them.”

  “Isn’t it insects that eat the vegetables?”

  “Birds do too and I keep my vegetables almost insect free. I plant flowers, marigolds and other plants that the insects don't like, in between the vegetables. I also make a garlic spray to keep them away.”

  Andrew stopped the buggy in the middle of the deserted road. “See.” He pointed to a dirt trail that led downhill. “That’s my favorite place to walk, down there. This is where the trail begins.”

  “I’d like to walk it sometime.”

  “You will. The weather will improve in a few weeks. Since you’re too scared of the cold, I could show you around the mill and show you my workshop.”

  “I’d love to see where you work. What do you do in the workshop?”

  “I try my hand at making furniture.”

  Amy sat up straight. “Jah, I’d like to see that.”

  “Let’s go then.” Andrew clicked his horse forward.

  Fifteen minutes later, they were at the sawmill and Andrew showed Amy through to a workshop at the back of the mill. She walked into the huge barn of a room and looked at rows of furniture. “Is this all yours?”

  “Jah.” He chuckled.

  “I was expecting to see one or two pieces of half-made furniture.”

  “I’ve had a fair amount of time on my hands. I’ve never sold any. This is my way to pass the time.” He beckoned to her and pointed out one of the dressers. “This is a traditional style dresser with the four small drawers at the top and the four large drawers below.”

  “The wood is beautiful.” Amy ran her fingertips over the grain.

  Andrew placed his hat on the top of the dresser. “It is beautiful. It’s high-grade red maple. It’s softer than other maples and it’s a little more difficult to work with.”

  “It’s so nice.”

  “It’s my favorite wood. I like the color and how the grain’s so close.”

  He opened one of the drawers and she stepped closer to look. “The insides of the drawers are made from pine. Using pine on the inside has two advantages. Pine is less costly, and it’s lighter. If it were all made from maple, it’d be hard to lift.”

  “How long would it take to make one of these?”

  “It takes me many weeks; I don’t know how long it would take anyone else.” Andrew pointed to the sides of the drawer. “You see here?”

  She leaned over and looked.

  “I use the old half-blind dovetails, which is the traditional method.”

  “Ah.” Amy straightened up and nodded.

  “I’m sorry; I’m sure you can’t be interested.”

  “Nee, I am. I’m interested. Please, keep telling me about them all. I’m impressed that you’ve made all these and made them so well.”

  Andrew looked surprised.

  Amy continued, “It must have taken a long time to learn how to do it.”

  “It did, and many failed attempts.” He smiled as he rubbed his jaw.

  The next hour flew by with him showing her his furniture.

  When he was down to the last piece, she said, “How did you get interested in making furniture?”

  “My vadder was a cabinetmaker.” He sat on one of his small chests and she sat beside him.

  Amy’s eyes traveled around the warehouse. Which vadder was he speaking about?

  “I don’t know if you’re aware, but John and I had different vadders. Nee, I believe I told you that.”

  “Jah, you mentioned it to me.”

  “My mother was unmarried when she had me.” He looked at the floor.

  Amy raised her eyebrows as if she were unaware of such a thing. “You were innocent of anything that happened … like that.”

  “I know, but I’m sad for the hard times my mudder went through before she married my vadder. It wasn’t easy for her to return to the community and repent in front of the congregation, so she’d be allowed back in.”

  “Nee, that would be difficult for anyone.”

  “She was shunned for a time. That was hard, she said, and after that things got better. John’s vadder and my mudder were happy together.” Andrew smiled and dug her in the ribs lightly. “I know that Gabbie would’ve mentioned something to you. Whatever’s in her head comes straight out her mouth.”

  “Just a little. And your mudder told you your vadder was a cabinetmaker — or was it your step-vadder who was the cabinetmaker?”

  “My real one, biologically speaking.”

  “Is it in your genes then?”

  “It could be. It’s calming and a bit like your gardening. You like to see something grow from a small seed, and with this, it’s seeing something grow out of the rough timber. Something that’s practical and looks nice.”

  “I understand.” Amy was glad he opened up to her about his vadder and his past. “What was it like growing up with a step-vadder?”

  “I couldn’t ask for a better familye. I was loved and cared for and both my parents were kind and understanding. You asked me something earlier today.”

  “Jah, what?”

  “You asked me why I’ve never married.” He took a deep breath and laughed. “Why am I telling you all these things?” Shaking his head, he said, “I’m hesitant when it comes to committing myself to someone and I think it stems from what happened to my mudder.”

  Amy sat on her hands. “You mean how you came to be — your biological father and everything?”

  Andrew nodded.

  “Did your mudder tell you much about what happened?”

  Andrew ran a hand through his hair. “A little information here and there. She never sat me down and had a long talk with me and told me what her situation was or how I came to be. The only thing I know was that he was a cabinetmaker and she only told me that after I got interested in wood.” Andrew stood up and beckoned for her to follow. Soon they were in the lunchroom. “It’s small, but we don’t need much. Just a place to sit and eat when it’s too cold out.”

  Amy sat on one of the four chairs.

  “Tea or kaffe” he asked.

  “Tea, please. Do you want me to get it?”

  “Nee. You relax; you’re my guest.”

  Amy smiled at him before he turned around to make the tea. She peeked out the door and into the mill. “I thought it would be noisier than this.”

  “It’s deafening at times.” He looked at the clock on the wall. “We’ve about twenty minutes before the noise starts.”

  After he placed two cups of tea on the table, he sat opposite. They looked at each other and smiled again. They’d barely finished their tea when the noise started.

  “Told you,” he yelled.

  She covered her ears.

  “C’mon, let’s go.”

  They hurried out of the work area and when she was about to get into the buggy, she paused; she didn’t want the day to end. She looked over at him. “Denke for today. I enjoyed it.”

  “Me too. We have to do this again soon.”

  “I’d like that.”

  He reached for her hand and held it firmly. Her body warmed in response to his touch; she looked down to see her hand concealed in his.

  “Your hand’s cold.”

  Happiness filled her and she had to stop herself from giggling like a young girl. “My hands are always cold.”

  They looked into each other’s eyes some more and smiled again.

  * * *

  As they traveled back to Bishop John’s, Andrew said, “I’m happy you decided to come for a visit. It was meant to be.”

  “I was thinking the very same thing.”

  After a while of peacefully listening to the horse clip-clop down the road, Andrew eventually spoke. “And, you haven’t told me why you’ve never married.”

  “Oh, there’s no one around for me. At least, that’s what I thought.”

  He glanced over at her. “You thought that before you arrived here?”

  She beamed a smile at him. He knew exactly what she meant and she was letting him know she li
ked him. “That’s right.”

  “Maybe we both won’t be single for much longer.”

  Their eyes met. “Maybe.”

  * * *

  She was disappointed when they got back to John and Jane’s house. She wanted their time together to continue into the night. “Are you coming inside?” Amy was aware that someone from the house might be spying from the window if they weren’t quick to get out of the buggy.”

  “I will, but I won’t stay for dinner. I’ve taken up enough of your time.”

  “Please stay,” Amy said.

  “Nee, I won’t. I’m forewarning you because Jane and John will do their best to persuade me to stay.”

  When they stepped through the front door, the aroma of a baked dinner wafted under their noses.

  “Andrew, stay for dinner?” Jane asked. “It’s nearly ready and it’s your favorite, roasted rosemary lamb.”

  “Nee denke. I must go and see to some things at the mill. It smells delicious.”

  “Come and warm yourself with some hot tea with me then,” John called out from the couch.

  “Okay, just a quick cup then.”

  “Sit with us too, Amy,” John said.

  Amy sat down with the two men, and Gabbie, who had been playing with the boys in the sunroom, came into the living room. She looked at Andrew then Amy. “Are you two getting married?” she asked as she flopped onto the couch.

  “Gabbie!” John’s head swiveled to his daughter.

  Gabbie leaned back. “Well, that’s why she’s here.”

  Andrew looked at John and when John looked away, he frowned. Andrew asked Gabbie, “What are you talking about?”

  Gabbie rolled her eyes. “Is it that hard for you to see? Amy’s been sent here to be married off and not to just anyone, married to you.”

  Andrew’s jaw dropped and he looked at Amy. Knowing he’d feel betrayed, she didn’t know what to do or say. “Amy?”

  All Amy could do was shrug her shoulders. She should’ve told him the truth as soon as she found out he didn’t know.

  Andrew turned to John. “Is this true?”

  Chapter 9