Henry grinned. “Always did like the fall for that very reason.”
Eddie went back to chopping, while Henry stacked the wood into a pile under a lean-to near the shed. When they were halfway done, Henry removed the straw hat on his head and waved it in front of his face. “Don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. Let’s go inside and see if Norma has lunch ready yet.”
“Sounds good to me.” Eddie set his axe aside and followed Henry toward the house.
They found Norma in the kitchen, stirring a pot of soup. Eddie sniffed the air. “That sure smells good. What kind of soup did you make?”
“It’s lentil with chunks of ham, potatoes, carrots, and onions.” Norma smiled. “The vegetables are from Henry’s garden, of course.”
“Is the soup about ready to eat?” Henry asked, moving over to the sink to wash his hands.
“Yes it is, and as soon as you hang up your hat, we can eat.”
Eddie joined Henry at the sink and watched as the older man moved slowly across the room to hang his straw hat on a wall peg near the back door. Eddie had seen Henry wear that hat many times before, but for some reason, seeing it now made him think he might have seen a hat like that before.
Shaking the idea aside, he thought about how He and Henry had been working hard all morning and how Henry’s muscles were probably sore. Eddie, on the other hand, felt pretty good. He figured all the physical therapy, plus working around there, had built up his muscles. He’d noticed the other morning when he looked in the mirror that his arms were really toning up. If things kept going as well as they had, he’d be done with therapy in the next few weeks. Now if he could just get his memory back, he’d be good as new.
Guess I’d better accept the fact that my memory may never return, he thought as he finished washing his hands. And if that’s the case, then I’ll need to come up with some way to support myself. Can’t stay here with the Baileys forever.
“Come on, Eddie. Take a seat.” Henry pulled out a chair at the table.
After everyone was seated, Henry led in prayer. “Heavenly Father, we thank You for this good-smelling soup my wife prepared and for the beautiful fall weather. I also want to thank You for bringing Eddie into our home, and we appreciate all the help he’s given us. Be with Anne and Susan at the hospital today, and give them the strength they need to do their jobs. In Jesus’ name we ask, amen.”
A lump formed in Eddie’s throat. These kind people felt like family. Even with all that had happened to him, he was truly blessed.
“Here you go,” Norma said, handing Eddie a bowl of soup.
“Thanks. If it looks as good as it smells, then I’m in for a treat.”
“Oh, I can guarantee it’ll be good,” Henry said, smacking his lips. “My wife’s lentil soup is the best there is.”
Norma smiled and gave Eddie the basket of crackers, followed by a tray full of sliced turkey and cheddar cheese. “Oh, my, I forgot to get out the apples I had sliced. Those always go so well with cheese.” Going to the refrigerator, Norma laughed when she paused to glance out the kitchen window. “I see George out there. He’s hopping all over your stack of firewood, Henry. Why, I’ll bet that little critter is looking for something to eat.”
“You’re probably right,” Henry agreed.
“We’ll have to save him a treat from our lunch.” Eddie smiled. Even that little squirrel had become special to him.
As they ate they talked about the church social coming up, and Norma described some of the craft items she was making that would be auctioned off. “The money our women’s missionary society makes from the benefit auction will go to help some of our missionaries in Africa.”
“Maybe there’s something I could make to donate,” Eddie said. “I’m just not sure what it could be.”
“How about helpin’ me make some wooden birdhouses?” Henry suggested. “I usually make several whenever we have a benefit auction, and they’ve always gone for a pretty good price.”
“If you’ll show me what to do, I’ll be glad to help. Maybe if I get good enough, I can make a feeder for little George.”
Henry grinned. “Don’t think it’ll take much to show you. From what I’ve seen, you’ve caught on pretty fast to everything I’ve asked you to do since you moved here.”
“That’s right,” Norma chimed in. “You’re not only a hard worker, but you’re smart.”
Eddie’s face heated. It was nice to be appreciated, but it embarrassed him, too.
“What time will Susan be home today?” he asked, needing to change the subject.
“She left at the crack of dawn,” Norma said. “So she’ll probably be here around three.”
“Susan mentioned the two of us going over to the park so we could walk through the fallen leaves,” Eddie said.
“That’s my Susan.” Norma smiled. “Always did like to tromp around in the leaves during the fall.”
Henry reached for a piece of cheese and put it between two crackers. “I remember one year, Susan and Anne raked up a big pile of leaves in our backyard just so they could jump in the middle of ’em. Susan said she liked to hear the crackle of the dried leaves.”
Eddie nodded. “She told me the same thing last week when we were raking up some leaves. It almost seemed like she was making a game of it.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case,” Norma interjected. “She was probably pretending she was a young girl again. I can still hear both girls giggling way back then. They’d come up out of the pile with leaves stuck in their hair. Yes, it was good ole plain, simple fun.”
“Whelp, I love to reminisce, and maybe we can do more of that this evening,” Henry said, pulling a gold pocket watch from his pants pocket. “But I think we oughta get back outside and finish chopping the rest of that wood, don’t you, Eddie? We can take a few of these crackers out for George, too.”
Eddie stayed sitting, staring at the pocket watch. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest. There was something about Henry’s watch that seemed familiar to him. Could he have had a watch like that at some time? If so, was the watch somehow special to him?
Norma touched Eddie’s arm. “Are you all right? You’ve had a very strange look on your face ever since Henry took the watch out of his pocket.”
“I Think I may have had a watch like that sometime in my past,” Eddie murmured.
“Really?” Henry leaned closer. “Think hard, Eddie. Think about the pocket watch you used to have and where it came from.”
Eddie sat quietly, eyes riveted on the watch, trying to recall having had one of his own. Suddenly he jumped out of his seat and shouted, “I think I know my name. It’s Luke!”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
New York Times bestselling author Wanda E. Brunstetter became fascinated with the Amish way of life when she first visited her husband’s Mennonite relatives living in Pennsylvania. Wanda and her husband, Richard, live in Washington State but take every opportunity to visit Amish settlements throughout the States, where they have many Amish friends. Wanda and her husband have two grown children and six grandchildren. In her spare time, Wanda enjoys photography, ventriloquism, gardening, beachcombing, and having fun with her family.
Visit Wanda’s website at www.wandabrunstetter.com, where you can learn more about her books and contact her.
OTHER BOOKS BY WANDA E. BRUNSTETTER
Adult Fiction
The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club
KENTUCKY BROTHERS SERIES
The Journey
The Healing
The Struggle
BRIDES OF LEHIGH CANAL SERIES
Kelly’s Chance
Betsy’s Return
Sarah’s Choice
INDIANA COUSINS SERIES
A Cousin’s Promise
A Cousin’s Prayer
A Cousin’s Challenge
SISTERS OF HOLMES COUNTY SERIES
A Sister’s Secret
A Sister’s Test
A Sister’s Hope
BRIDES OF WEBSTER COUNTY SERIES
Going Home
Dear to Me
On Her Own
Allison’s Journey
DAUGHTERS OF LANCASTER COUNTY SERIES
The Storekeeper’s Daughter
The Quilter’s Daughter
The Bishop’s Daughter
BRIDES OF LANCASTER COUNTY SERIES
A Merry Heart
Looking for a Miracle
Plain and Fancy
The Hope Chest
Amish White Christmas Pie
Lydia’s Charm
Love Finds a Home
Love Finds a Way
Children’s Fiction
DOUBLE TROUBLE
What a Pair!
Bumpy Ride Ahead
Bubble Troubles
RACHEL YODER—ALWAYS TROUBLE SOMEWHERE 8-BOOK SERIES
The Wisdom of Solomon
Nonfiction
Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Cookbook
Wanda E. Brunstetter’s Amish Friends Cookbook Vol. 2
The Simple Life
A Celebration of the Simple Life
A REVELATION in AUTUMN Page 7