Matthew brushed the snow off his heavy woolen jacket and hung it on the closest wall peg. “Neither one.”
“Then why the long face?”
He shrugged and removed his black felt hat, hanging it over the top of his jacket.
Naomi skirted around the counter and stepped up beside him. “Come now, brother. I know something is bothering you, and I won’t stop asking ’til you tell me what it is.”
Matthew grunted and leaned against the front of the counter. “It’s Abby. She’s gone.”
“Gone?”
He nodded.
“What do you mean? Where’d she go? Not back to Ohio, I hope.”
“No, she left for Montana. Caught an early morning train with Fannie’s cousin, Edna.”
Naomi’s mouth fell open. “This is the first I’ve heard of it. Why would they go to Montana?”
“Yeah, why would they?” Caleb asked as he strolled across the room with Sarah toddling beside him and Susan snuggled in his arms.
“Guess Edna has a sister-in-law who lives near Rexford, and she’s decided to go visit her,” Matthew replied.
“In the dead of winter?” Caleb’s eyes were wide.
“Jah.”
“But why’d Abby go with her?” Naomi questioned. “Ever since Lester died, she hasn’t wanted to do much of anything except hang around my daed’s place and help Fannie.”
Matthew reached up to scratch the side of his head. “From what I gathered, Edna’s afraid to ride the train alone. She practically begged Abby to go along.”
Naomi smiled as a revelation came to her. “I believe Edna and Fannie might have cooked this up in order to get Abby off someplace where she could rest and allow her broken heart to mend.”
“Makes sense to me,” Caleb put in. He handed the baby to Naomi. “I think she’s wet.”
Naomi squinted at him. “Would it kill you to change a windel once in a while?”
“It might.” He wrinkled his nose. “Especially if it was a dirty one.”
She groaned. “You’re such a hatzkauer.”
“I ain’t no coward.”
“Prove it.”
“All right, I will.” Caleb took the baby from her. “Is it all right if I leave Sarah here with you?” he asked with a grin.
“Jah, sure. She can play with her doll while Matthew and I finish our discussion.”
Caleb headed for the back room, while Naomi found Sarah’s faceless doll and got her settled on the braided throw rug behind the counter. Then she called to Matthew, who had headed in the direction of the quilt shop. “Where are you going?”
“I’m workin’ here today.”
Naomi followed him into the next room and waited until he had all the gas lamps lit. “Are you planning to tell me why you’re so upset about Abby going to Montana?”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “Just don’t think it’s a good idea. What if she likes it there and decides to stay?”
“Ah, so that’s the problem. I’ve been suspicious for some time that you cared for her.”
Matthew moved to the window and lifted the dark shade. “Of course I care. She’s part of our family.”
Naomi studied her handsome brother.
“Why are you starin’ at me like that?” he asked, moving to the wooden counter in the center of the room.
“You’re in love with Abby, aren’t you?”
Matthew’s ears turned red, and the color quickly spread to his face. “Wouldn’t do me no good if I was.”
“Why do you say that?”
“She’s in love with Lester.”
Naomi shook her head. “Lester’s dead.”
“Don’t ya think I know that?” Deep creases formed above Matthew’s brows. “Abby doesn’t see me as anything more than a big brother. So even if her pain should heal, I doubt she could fall in love with me.”
Naomi’s heart went out to Matthew. She knew well the frustration of being in love with someone and thinking things would never work out. Yet God had worked a miracle in her life where Caleb was concerned, and He could do it for Matthew and Abby, too.
Naomi touched her brother’s arm. “My advice is to pray about a relationship with Abby and keep being her friend.”
He grabbed a stack of invoices from under the counter. “No problem there.”
Abby leaned her head against the back of the seat, a sense of relief washing over her. Edna had finally drifted off to sleep, after spending the last several hours talking nonstop and telling one joke after another. All Abby wanted to do was watch the passing scenery and be left alone with her private thoughts. Her mind spun with the details of Lester’s death and fueled her anxiety. Snippets of her last letter from him rolled around in her mind. He’d been anxious for her to return home—anxious for their wedding.
Clickety-clack, clickety-clack, the train rumbled over the tracks, taking them farther and farther away from all that was familiar to her. What would Montana be like? How long would Elizabeth expect them to stay? Would there be something for Abby to do there so she wouldn’t have to think about Lester or the quilt shop in Ohio that no longer existed? She swallowed around the perpetual lump in her throat and closed her eyes. I mustn’t allow myself to think about Lester or what might have been. Maybe a nap would be good for me, too. When I wake up, I hope my headache is gone.
Abby had just nodded off when someone bumped her shoulder. She opened her eyes and turned her head toward the aisle. A tall, dark-haired man, wearing blue jeans, a fancy red-and-white western shirt, and a black cowboy hat, smiled down at her. “Excuse me, ma’am,” he said in a slow, lazy drawl. “I was tryin’ to get something outta the overhead luggage rack, and I sure didn’t mean to wake ya.”
“I—I wasn’t sleeping,” she stammered.
He nodded toward Edna, who leaned against the window with her mouth slightly open. “Guess I didn’t wake your mama, either.”
“Oh, she’s not my mamm. Edna’s my mother’s cousin.”
He grinned. “Where ya headed?”
“Rexford, Montana.”
“What’s up there?”
“Edna and I are goin’ to visit a relative of hers.”
“Amish, like you?”
Abby nodded.
“Didn’t realize there were any Amish out west.”
“There aren’t that many, but—” Abby stopped in midsentence. She didn’t care for the way the cowboy was looking at her, with his dark eyes narrowed and his lips curled in a crooked smile. It made her feel like a feeble mouse about to be pounced on by a hungry cat. Truth was, she felt as out of place talking to this friendly cowboy as a prune in a basket of apples.
As the train rounded a curve, it rocked from side to side, and Abby gripped her armrest. “Maybe you should take a seat so you don’t topple over,” she told the man.
“Aw, I’m a professional bull rider; I’ve been up against worse than this.” He winked at her.
Abby squirmed in her seat, feeling more uncomfortable by the minute. She was tempted to wake Edna.
“Well, guess I’d best be gettin’ back to my seat. Nice jawin’ with ya, ma’am.” The man tipped his hat and shuffled across the aisle.
Abby’s only response was a brief nod as she breathed a sigh of relief.
Abraham entered the kitchen and found his wife sitting at the table, sobbing. He hurried across the room and touched her shoulder. “Fannie, what’s wrong? Are ya sick? Has somethin’ happened to one of the twins?”
She looked up at him, her cheeks flushed like ripe cherries. “The boys are fine, and I’m not sick.”
Abraham pulled out a chair and sat beside her. “What is it then?”
Fannie sniffed. “I’m missin’ Abby and wondering if we did the right thing by sending her away.”
“We? Who’s we, Fannie?”
“Me and Edna.”
He gave his beard a couple of quick pulls. “You and Edna set up this whole Montana trip to get Abby out of town?”
She lifted her sho
ulders in a quick shrug. “We thought it would be good for her to get away. To tell you the truth, I’d begun to resent the way she took over the bopplin’s care and so many of my chores around the house.”
Abraham let his wife’s words sink in before he said anything. He’d known she was worried about Abby’s depression, but he had no idea she’d felt so frustrated over her daughter’s help.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Fannie said, as though she could read his mind. “I’m not sayin’ I didn’t appreciate all the things Abby did around here. She was a big help, especially when the twins were first born.”
Abraham took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You don’t have to explain. I know you love Abby. It just never occurred to me that you might be feelin’ resentful about not bein’ in charge of your house anymore. You should have said something. I could have spoken to Abby about it.”
She shook her head. “That would have only made things worse, Abraham. Abby’s still going through troubled waters and needs to be handled with tender loving care.”
“I expect you’re right about that.”
“When I shared my concerns with Edna, she came up with the idea of taking Abby with her to Montana. She said her sister-in-law has been through the fire herself, so she’s hoping Elizabeth might be able to help Abby through this difficult time.” Fannie groaned. “I sure have failed in that regard.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, my love. You’ve done your best by Abby.”
“You think so?”
Abraham nodded. “However, Edna might be right about Abby needin’ some time away.” He gave his beard another good tug. “Got any idea how long they’ll be gone?”
Fannie offered him a sheepish grin. “Edna plans to come back in a few weeks, but she’s not told my daughter that. She hopes to fix it so Abby will stay on through the rest of winter and into the spring awhile.”
He frowned. “How come so long?”
“In June there’s to be a big auction in the Rexford Amish community, and one of the main things they auction off is quilts. So Edna figures—”
“But Abby’s been sayin’ she wants nothing to do with quilts,” Abraham interrupted.
She sighed. “I know, but if she’s ever to move on with her life, then she’s got to work through her grief. I’m hoping someday she’ll enjoy quilting again, too.”
“What if that doesn’t happen?”
“Then I’ll keep praying for her.” Fannie’s voice broke. “Oh, Abraham, I can’t bear the thought of my daughter spending the rest of her life in such grief.”
Abraham’s mind drifted back in time. Back to when his first wife had been killed, and then on to when his baby boy was kidnapped. If he hadn’t finally let go of his pain, he wondered where he might be today. Certainly not sitting here with his sweet Fannie Mae. He’d probably still be a cranky old storekeeper who felt sorry for himself and yelled at his kinner when he should have been loving on them.
He leaned over and kissed Fannie’s cheek. “We need to put Abby’s future in our heavenly Father’s hands.”
Fannie smiled through her tears. “How’d ya get to be so smart, husband?”
He chucked her under the chin. “Guess bein’ around you so much has caused some of your wisdom to rub off on me.”
She swatted him playfully on the arm. “Go on with ya now.”
A piercing wail drifted down the stairs, and Abraham tipped his head. “Sounds like the boys are awake.”
“I’d best go see to them.” Fannie started to stand, but Abraham beat her to it. “Let me get ’em while you fix yourself a cup of tea.”
She lifted her shoulders in an exaggerated shrug. “What are you tryin’ to do, Abraham, take over where Abby left off?”
He winced as though she’d wounded him, but then followed it with a quick wink. “You’re right, Fannie Mae. Far be it from me to take over your chores.”
She gave him a quick hug, then rushed out of the room. Abraham decided he would head back to the barn, because that’s where he did his best praying.
Linda tried to relax, curling her legs underneath her and pushing against the sofa cushions. It was Saturday, and she was alone. Jimmy had gone over to Allen’s to spend the day, and as usual, Jim was working. She’d decided this was a good time to reread the verses of Scripture Rev. Deming had given her earlier in the week.
Linda opened her Bible and turned to 2 Timothy 1:7. “ ‘For God did not give us a spirit of timidity; but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline,’” she read aloud.
The reverend must have realized that I’m full of fears. Fear that Jim will leave me. Fear that I won’t be able to love him as I should. Fear that he will never find the Lord as his personal Savior.
Linda turned to the next verse of scripture, which was found in Galatians 5:22.
“ ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.’” She squeezed her eyes shut. Lord, I need the fruits of the Spirit—especially peace and patience. In my frustration over our relationship, I’ve often become impatient and said things to Jim out of anger. Help me become the kind of wife he needs, and help him see You living in me.
The telephone rang, and Linda jumped. She hurried across the room and grabbed the receiver, hoping it might be Jim. “Hello, Scott residence.”
“Linda, this is Marian. Is my son at home? I need to speak with him.”
Linda frowned. Couldn’t Jim’s mother have asked how she and Jimmy were doing before demanding to speak with her son? “Jim’s working today, Marian. May I take a message?”
“I have something important to tell him, and I’d rather he hear it from me.”
“I suppose you could call his cell phone. Do you have that number?”
“I thought Jim had given it to me, but I can’t seem to find it.”
Linda gave her mother-in-law the phone number slowly, then repeated it.
“All right, thanks. Be sure to give Jimmy a hug from his grandma and grandpa Scott.”
“Yes, I will. Good-bye, Marian.”
Linda hung up the phone, wondering what Jim’s mother wanted to tell him that she couldn’t have said to her. She hoped it wasn’t bad news, but if it was anything serious, she felt sure Jim would call and let her know.
“Fannie is really missing Abby,” Naomi told Caleb as the two of them set out some rubber stamps that had been delivered to the store a short time ago. “I hope she and Edna won’t be gone too long.”
Caleb grunted. “I would think Fannie might be glad to have her house back. Abby pretty much took over after the twins were born.”
Naomi nodded. “That’s true, but she was only trying to help. After Lester died, the poor thing needed something to keep herself busy.”
“Let’s hope that when Abby returns to Pennsylvania she’ll feel better about things and will be willing to work at the quilt shop again.” Caleb motioned toward the adjoining store. “We can’t keep buying quilts from the Amish and Mennonite ladies in our community to sell in the shop and expect Matthew to work there. He’s trying to get his woodworking shop going, you know.”
“I’ve not heard him complain.”
“Men don’t complain, Naomi.”
She slapped him playfully on the arm. “Is that so?”
“Hey, quit that!”
She snickered. “See, you’re complaining now.”
He chuckled and pushed the last box of stamps over to her. “Here you go. Someone just came into the store, so I’d better go see who it is.”
“Okay, you wait on the customer, and when I get done with these stamps, I’ll go to the back room and check on our sleeping girls.”
Caleb gave her a peck on the cheek and headed up front.
As Naomi set the last of the stamps in place, she thought about Ginny Meyers and how she used to come into the store to buy rubber stamps for her scrapbooking projects. It had been some time since Naomi
had heard anything from Ginny, and she wondered how her old friend was doing. Ginny had only come home once since she’d headed west with Naomi, and that was just for a short visit with her folks one Christmas. To Naomi’s knowledge, Ginny’s family had never even met Ginny’s husband.
How sad, she thought, that some families rarely see each other and live so far away. If I had stayed out west, I would have surely missed my family.
“Got any new stamps?”
Naomi jumped at the sound of a woman’s voice. She turned her head while rising to her feet. “Ginny?”
“Yep, it’s me.”
“Ach, I was just thinkin’ about you.” Naomi gave her friend a hug. “How are you? What brings you to town? How long are you here for?”
Ginny laughed. “Slow down, Naomi. I’m only good for one question at a time.”
“Jah, okay. I’m just so surprised to see you. Did your folks know you were coming?”
“No. Today’s Mom’s fiftieth birthday, so Chad and I flew in for the surprise party my brother and his wife are putting on.” Ginny smiled. “I decided to stop by and see you first. Thought maybe there might be something in your store I could buy for Mom.”
Naomi nodded toward the adjoining room. “How about a nice quilt from my stepmother’s quilt shop?”
Ginny shook her head. “That won’t work. Mom already has an Amish quilt.”
“Maybe a wall hanging or pillow then?”
“She might like a couple of throw pillows.”
“Follow me and I’ll see what’s available.”
A few seconds later, they were inside the quilt shop. Ginny wandered around the room, commenting on how beautiful the quilted pieces were, as Naomi pointed out various pillows she thought Ginny’s mother might like.
“You mentioned your stepmother’s shop in one of your letters, but I had no idea it was so big,” Ginny commented.
“Papa added onto the store shortly after he and Fannie were married.”
“So where is Fannie? Doesn’t she work here?”
“She does all her quilting at home these days, because she’s got her hands full takin’ care of the babies.”
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