The Innkeeper's Bride

by Kathleen Fuller

  Dad stood up from the table and looked down at him. “I knew you were going to refuse,” he said. “That’s why I made a reservation for myself.”

  Jackson clutched his spoon. “You what?”

  “This weekend I’ll be staying at the Stoll Inn. I’ll get the information I’m looking for, one way or another.” He grabbed his keys off the kitchen bar and strolled out of the apartment.

  Jackson scrubbed his hand over his face. Now what was he supposed to do? Without a doubt his father would go through with his plan. When Dad set his mind to do something, good or bad, he always saw it through, and he was determined to bring the Amish owners down.

  He fell back into his chair and massaged his temples, his conscience kicking into high gear. After a few minutes, he grabbed his phone off the kitchen table and called his father.

  Dad answered right away. “Yeah?”

  “I’ll do it.” Jackson squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them again. “Cancel the reservation. I’ll set up another one for the near future.”

  “You don’t think I’d agree to that, do you? I know you’ll never make a reservation on your own. That’s why I made this one for you.”

  He could practically see his father smiling in triumph. “I don’t understand.”

  “The reservation I made isn’t in my name. It’s in yours. I knew you’d eventually see things my way, son. Oh, and clean the kitchen before you leave. Ashley says you’re a slob.” Click.

  Jackson clenched his teeth. His father had manipulated him again. Like he always does. He banged his fist on the table. Guess it didn’t matter that I might have had plans this weekend. That wouldn’t have stopped his father, either. Jackson’s plans were never a consideration. Dad was only focused on one thing—getting his way. And as usual when it came to Jackson lately, he’d gotten it.

  * * *

  On Thursday morning Selah walked to work again. The air temperature was a little colder than it had been yesterday, and at breakfast Christian had mentioned there was a possibility of snow this weekend. There wasn’t enough time for Delilah to train her on the inn’s laundry procedure before the taxi arrived to take her and Levi to Barton, so she went outside and swept the porch and steps, first placing her purse on the two-person swing at the end of the porch. When she finished, she sat down on the swing, breathing in the crisp air and looking at the trees. They’d lost the last of their fall leaves, so the landscape was stark. But it was also tranquil.

  Since she’d returned to Birch Creek, she hadn’t taken any time to sit in silence. She was always doing something—cooking or cleaning for Ruby and Christian or searching real estate ads. When she took walks, she took them with purpose—either walking to her new job or trying to exercise her worries away. Last night she’d been so tired from work that she’d fallen asleep without saying her nighttime prayers. This was the first moment she’d had to just sit in the stillness that was calming her mind. She closed her eyes, letting the peace wash over her—

  “Selah.”

  She jumped, her eyes flying open. Her hand went to her chest.

  Levi winced. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I didn’t realize you were asleep.”

  “I wasn’t.” She popped up from the swing so quickly that the seat banged into the back of her knees. “I was just sitting for a minute.” She grabbed the broom leaning against the porch railing and began to sweep again.

  “It’s okay to take a break once in a while.” He took the broom from her. Then he smiled and looked out at the parking lot. “I’ve come out here a few times myself to enjoy the peaceful mornings.”

  “You weren’t on the clock,” she said.

  His smile faded. “I’m always on the clock.” He turned to her. “The taxi should be here any minute.”

  She reached for the broom. “That’s enough time to finish the porch.”

  Levi held the broom out of her reach. “The porch looks fine. Like I said, you can take a break. Even two or three, if you want.”

  “I don’t think Delilah would like that.”

  “She’s not really a tyrant, Selah. Okay, sometimes she can be, but she doesn’t want you to work yer fingers down to nubs.” His expression turned stern, but there was a gleam in his eyes. “We’re also legally obligated to give you breaks and a lunch, and you’re obligated to take them.”

  She couldn’t help but smile a little. Despite his father’s broken leg and the inn’s upcoming opening, he seemed relaxed and lighthearted, which was having an even more calming effect on her. “I understand.” She picked up her purse and opened it. “I have something to give you.”

  “Oh?” His brow lifted.

  Selah took out the handkerchief and two one-dollar bills and then handed them to him. “I washed the handkerchief,” she said. “Danki for letting me borrow it. I’m sorry it took me so long to return it to you.”

  He frowned as he looked at the items in his hand. “I said you could keep it.” He glanced up at her. “What are the two dollars for?”

  “The cinnamon candies. Danki for those too.”

  His frown deepened. “I didn’t expect you to pay me back.”

  “I want to.” She gripped the handle of her purse. His disturbed expression bothered her. He seemed almost offended.

  A silver four-door car pulled into the driveway. Levi turned around. “Taxi’s here.” He stuffed the handkerchief and money into his pocket and went down the porch steps.

  Selah let out a sigh. She didn’t have that small debt hanging over her anymore. But why didn’t she feel relieved?

  “Front or back?” he said in a curt tone when she met him at the car.

  “Back.”

  He held the door open for her but didn’t say anything. Maybe he really was upset because she gave him back the handkerchief and money. But why would he be?

  “Where do you want to go in Barton?” the dour driver asked, her gray hair tightly wrapped into a small bun at the nape of her neck, her pale lips wrinkled around the edges.

  “The craft store. Noelle’s something,” she said as Levi got into the passenger seat. “I can’t remember the exact name. I’ve only been there once.”

  “I know where it is.” She threw the car in reverse, and they were on their way.

  Selah stayed quiet as Levi tried to engage the driver in the smallest of small talk, but the woman wasn’t having any of it. Finally he gave up. At least one person was immune to his charms. The rest of the ride to Barton was completely silent.

  The driver, who, Levi managed to find out, was named Marge, pulled up in front of Noelle’s. “Be back in an hour. Unless you need longer than that.”

  “Could you make it an hour and a half? I need to stop by the bank down the street. You can just pick us up there.” He told her the name of the bank, and she nodded. Levi shut the passenger door, and before Selah could fully open hers, he opened it.

  When the driver took off, Selah turned to go into the store, but Levi stopped her. “We have some extra time,” he said. “Before we do anything else, we need to talk.”

  * * *

  Levi led Selah to the parking lot on the side of the store. It was empty except for two cars, and he was thankful for a little privacy. He shoved his hands into his coat pockets. When he felt the handkerchief, his irritation started all over again.

  “Is something wrong?” she asked.

  He was about to speak, but the worried look in her pretty blue eyes caught him off guard. He hadn’t meant to scare her. He just knew they couldn’t spend the rest of the morning together without setting things straight. “Not exactly.”

  “Did I do something?”

  The vulnerability in her voice made him want to reach out to her, to reassure her that she didn’t need to worry. “Nee. You haven’t. I just want to clear things up between us.”

  A strong, cold wind kicked up, and she shivered. He needed to hurry this along. It wasn’t fair to make her stand out in the cold while he tried to find the right words—and tried no
t to stare at her red cheeks so he wouldn’t be tempted to warm them with the palms of his hands.

  He froze. Where did that thought come from?

  “Whatever I did, I promise not to do it again.” The words came out in a flurry. “I really need this job, Levi. Please don’t fire me.”

  Her statement brought him out of his stupor. “Fire you? This has nix to do with the job. Don’t worry, yer job is safe.”

  She let out a deep breath.

  “We need to talk about us.” That was the wrong thing to say. Panicked, he added, “I mean, there’s nee us, of course.”

  “Because you’re not interested.”

  His stomach seemed to sink to his knees. As he feared, she had heard what he said in the kitchen that day. “I can explain that. Mei grossmammi is an annoying romantic when it comes to Nina and me. She tries to fix us up with every single person she meets. I wanted to set the record straight with her before she started meddling. That’s all.”

  Selah glanced at the ground and then up at him again. She huddled further into her coat. “That makes sense,” she said.

  He blew out a breath. “I’m glad you understand. She can be manipulative sometimes. I wanted to spare you—I mean both of us—her shenanigans.”

  She nodded, looking a little less tense. “I appreciate that.”

  “And as far as the handkerchief and money go, you didn’t have to do that. I have plenty of handkerchiefs, and the candy . . .” How was he supposed to explain the candy when he didn’t fully understand why he’d bought it for her? “Early Christmas present,” he said. Not the best explanation, but that was all he could come up with.

  “Oh. That was very nice of you.”

  “I’m a nice guy.” He grinned. “At least I try to be.”

  She smiled and looked at him from beneath her lashes. “I don’t think you have to try too hard.”

  Her compliment warmed him so much that he barely felt the cold. But she was still shivering, and he couldn’t let that go on. “Let’s get inside and get you warm.”

  They headed for Noelle’s front door. “You’re not cold?” she asked. “It’s freezing out here.”

  Levi just smiled. Nee. I’m not cold at all.

  Chapter 7

  Every bit of Noelle’s store was filled with Christmas decorations, some for sale, some for show. The scents of cinnamon and pine filled the air, and Selah breathed it in. But she had to force herself to focus on the task at hand—purchasing Christmas decorations for the inn. She was finding that difficult after her talk with Levi. She’d been afraid he was going to fire her, although she had no idea what she could have possibly done wrong yesterday. She hadn’t meant to beg him for her job, but she’d been so anxious that the words just flew out of her mouth. Thankfully he reassured her, but then he shocked her when he alluded to what he’d said the day she’d been hired.

  Now that she knew the real reason behind his words, the sting she’d felt was gone. His explanation made sense. She knew from Martha how Cevilla had meddled when it came to her and Seth. They had fallen in love on their own, which had proven Cevilla right that they belonged together, but that still didn’t make Martha appreciate Cevilla’s intrusion. Selah wouldn’t want that for herself, either. She was grateful Levi had nipped that idea right away.

  She considered apologizing to him about returning the handkerchief, but she stopped herself. Sometimes she overthought a situation, and this was probably one of those times. She felt more at ease around him now, and he seemed relaxed as they walked through the store. There was no need to give an apology and make things between them weird again.

  The decorations and crafts Noelle, the store’s English owner, had stocked seemed more rustic and in line with Amish décor than typical English glitter and sparkle, so they had plenty of options to choose from.

  “If you can make the inn smell like this place, I’ll make you employee of the month,” Levi said as they walked down an aisle filled with scented pine cones and boughs, as well as cinnamon sticks.

  Selah grinned. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  They spent almost an hour choosing decorations. Rather, Selah chose the decorations while Levi tried to be interested, at least in the beginning. When she heard him sigh for the fifth time, she turned to him. “I think I can take care of the rest of this. You don’t have to keep shopping with me.”

  He picked up a cranberry-scented candle. “And miss out on all this excitement?”

  She took the candle from him and set it back down. “I’ll put you out of yer misery.”

  He looked relieved. “I’ll be in the hardware store next door.”

  When he dashed off, she chuckled. Apparently shopping at a hardware store wasn’t as much of a hardship for him. She continued to look at the array of ribbons, candles, and other decorations, picking out what she thought would look good in the inn while being mindful of price. By the time Levi returned, the clerk was ringing up the last of her purchases.

  The clerk gave her the final amount, and Selah bit her lip. Was she spending too much?

  But Levi didn’t bat an eye as he pulled out his checkbook and paid for the purchases. After they left laden with bags, they walked down the street to the bank.

  “If I chose too much, I can return some of it,” she said. Several cars drove past them as they traveled on the sidewalk.

  “We’ll use them every year, so no worries.” He paused, looking down at her. “I appreciate you taking the cost into consideration.” He tilted his head. “You really are angling for employee of the month, aren’t you?”

  “It’s a worthy goal. The competition is fierce.”

  Levi chuckled, and Selah laughed with him. It was nice to feel comfortable around him like this. Then again, he made it easy. But she still had to remind herself that she didn’t want to feel too comfortable with him. He was her boss, not her friend.

  She waited in the bank lobby while Levi took care of his business, and then they walked outside to find that the lemon-faced driver had showed up right on time. When they got back to the inn, Selah started decorating and Levi disappeared into the office.

  Nina helped for a little while, tying red and green ribbon around plain white candles. “Daed’s taking a nap, and I need a break,” she’d said. Her thick brows pinched over her eyes. “He’s getting crabby.” She helped for almost an hour and then went back to the house to make Loren’s lunch.

  Soon Delilah came into the lobby carrying a basket of food. “The decorations are perfect,” she said with a wide grin. She put the basket on one of the tables in the lobby and drew in a deep breath. “They smell wonderful too. I’m sure our guests will be pleased.”

  Selah smiled, a bit pleased herself. She helped Delilah set out the food, a delicious-looking lunch of swiss cheese, bread and butter pickles, trail bologna sandwiches, apple slices, and homemade seasoned crackers.

  “Selah,” Delilah said as she closed the basket and set it on the floor, “will you please tell Levi lunch is ready?”

  She paused, remembering what Levi had said about Delilah’s matchmaking. But she didn’t detect anything underlying in Delilah’s request. His grandmother must have gotten the message. “Sure,” she said. “Be right back.” She stepped to the office door and knocked.

  “Come in,” Levi said.

  “Lunchtime,” she said, opening the door a crack.

  He looked up from the ledger book on his desk, his brow furrowed a bit. Then he brightened. “Be right there.”

  She nodded and closed the door, pausing before heading back to the table. Although he tried to conceal it with his usual smile, she hadn’t missed the concern in his eyes. It hit her what an important responsibility he had while his father was healing, and he was probably dealing with challenges she had no idea about. She determined that she was going to make things as easy for him and the rest of the Stolls as she could by doing the best job she could. She didn’t want Levi worrying about the maid service on top of everything else.

&n
bsp; As she sat down at the table with Delilah, Levi came out of the office. Instead of looking concerned, he appeared cheery. “I’m starving,” he said, lowering himself into the chair opposite his grandmother. “Everything looks gut.”

  After they prayed, Delilah’s eyes widened. “I forgot the tea,” she said. “I made some earlier in the prep kitchen.”

  “I’ll get it.” Levi started to get up, but Delilah stopped him.

  “Selah, you geh get it. You can also serve it. This will be gut practice for you, for when our first guest arrives tomorrow.”

  She had forgotten all about the temporary serving job. “Of course.” She went to the kitchen, where she placed the pitcher of tea and three glasses on a tray. Then she served the tea to Delilah and Levi with ease.

  “Excellent service,” Levi said, picking up his glass. He gave her a sly look.

  “Pouring tea isn’t that difficult.” She had to smile at his expression. When she looked at Delilah, the woman seemed confused, her perplexed gaze dashing back and forth between Levi and her. Then she shook her head and picked up the small jar of pickles.

  “Trail bologna. Mei favorite sandwich.” Levi took a large bite.

  “Selah, after we see to stocking all the rooms this afternoon, we’ll need to geh over the particulars of the hostess job,” Delilah said. “You’ll need to learn how to greet the guests, make sure they feel comfortable, show them to their rooms, ask them about food allergies—”

  “Food allergies?” Her stomach started to churn. She thought all she’d have to do was serve them breakfast.

  “Here’s the list.” Delilah reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “All the duties are there. You’ll need to memorize them before tomorrow.”

  Selah scanned the paper. The list was lengthy. The tasks weren’t too difficult, but there was room for error. If she messed up on the allergies, she would be in big trouble.

  “Don’t worry,” Levi said, his voice low and encouraging. “It’ll be a piece of cake for you.”

  She put the list in her apron pocket. Cleaning she could do. Pouring tea was a no-brainer. But the hostess job sounded like a lot of responsibility. She hadn’t been the best at being responsible of late.