“Hopefully, supper will be better. I got slightly distracted,” Mammi said.
That was an understatement.
“Good thing Grace Lynn came in when she did. It might’ve been charred instead of burnt,” Mammi added.
The men chuckled.
Grace felt good to be vindicated in their eyes. In Zeke’s eyes. And amazingly, by waiting instead of leaping in impulsively, she’d ended up with a good result anyway.
“I’ll pack lunches for you to take to Luke’s.” Grace stood.
“Thanks. We’ll need directions, too,” Vernon said.
“I’ll give you boys a ride, go in and pay my respects to the deceased, and come back here after I do my chores at home. I’ll be by Luke’s at fiveish to pick you up.” Daadi Cliff drained his coffee. He bowed his head for a moment, then stood. At the door, he paused to put his boots on, then stood stock-still. “Well, I’ll be.”
Grace peeked out the window, then did a double take. One of their two missing horses—Ben Gay—limped up to the closed barn door.
“I’ll check him over for injuries before we go and make sure he’s fed and watered,” Daadi Cliff said. “You boys go on upstairs and make sure your beds are made and the room picked up.”
They needed to, based on the appearance of the room yesterday.
“Wow. One of your horses returned.” Vernon moved to stand beside Grace.
“Which one is he?” Zeke glanced outside. “Author Itis or Ben Gay?”
“Ben Gay. You, straighten your room. Go on, now.” Daadi Cliff headed outside.
Zeke and Vernon headed upstairs, and Grace got out the lunch pails. Two of them. One was pink with PATIENCE stenciled on it, and the other was blue with JON stenciled on it. Grace’s yellow pail had long since gone missing somewhere. She’d used Jon’s the last two years she was in school.
Grace traced her fingers over her brother’s name. Lord, please heal Jon. Let him live.
If their old barn hadn’t gone missing in the tornado, she’d run out and check the phone for messages. But there wasn’t a phone in the new barn yet.
Mammi washed breakfast dishes while Grace packed two lunches and filled two thermoses with black coffee. It’d be easy enough for them to add milk and sugar at Luke’s if they desired.
Vernon and Zeke both came downstairs, and Grace held out the two lunch pails. “Pick one.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Vernon glanced at Zeke, who motioned for him to go first. Vernon chose Jon’s. “I’ll pray for Jon.”
Zeke quirked a brow and reached for Patience’s, letting his fingers graze against Grace’s. He held up the pail. “This will be a reminder for me to pray for Patience. Pun intended. Of course, I’ll pray for Jon, too.”
Grace managed a fleeting smile. Patience was probably enjoying being with her nieces and nephews at Reuben’s haus.
After Vernon took a thermos and went out the door, Zeke glanced toward Mammi, then leaned close to Grace. “I’ll pray for you, too. Pun intended there, too.” And with a gentle smile, he followed Vernon outside.
Grace watched him go. Pun intended there, too? What did he mean by that?
And then it hit. When you pray for rain, you pray that you’d get rain. Did he also mean that he would pray that he’d get her?
As in, she would be his girl?
She couldn’t keep her smile contained.
Lord, I pray for Zeke. Please, Lord, let it be so.
* * *
Zeke followed Luke around his neatly organized workshop as he explained where everything was kept and showed him the list of orders. There were a couple of almost-finished chairs waiting that Zeke would take the time to study, just as a visual aid.
“I asked for you specifically since someone mentioned to me that you’re experienced in construction. That know-how will come in handy here,” Luke said. “I’m also having you do the more simple chairs, not the fancier, pricy furniture. I’m not sure how familiar you are with some of the fancier equipment.”
“I’ll do my best.” Zeke glanced around for Vernon. He stood still, arms crossed over his chest, as if he planned to step into the shift manager position here and oversee Zeke’s work. Like he was when Zeke worked at the factory. In fact, Vernon had been the one who fired him.
He shook off the bad memories. The bad vibes. This was a different kind of work, and he was asked for by name. Here, Zeke would be the one to issue orders and delegate.
Zeke knew how to delegate. He taught construction at the boys’ ranch when he was there. How well would straight-A Vernon do taking orders from Zeke?
“The bishop said there’d be a couple more boys coming to help out. They should be here soon, and you can get them started on what to do.” Luke backed toward the door. “If you need me, I’ll be at the visitation.” His voice broke.
Zeke’s vision blurred. He aimed a hopefully sympathetic smile toward Luke. “I’m praying.”
Luke pulled in a deep breath and leveled his gaze on Zeke. “I’m keeping my eyes on Jesus to keep from being washed under the waves.”
Huh. Zeke’s words had somehow reached the heart of this hurting man. Only Gott could have orchestrated such a thing. Could it be that despite Zeke’s lack of prayers, planning, and prep, Gott was somehow involved in the details of this whole trip?
But then Zeke had told Patience yesterday on their walk that Gott was working behind the scenes.
A chill worked through him.
Was Gott somehow using Zeke to work His will in this hurting community?
That was so humbling.
Zeke walked over to one of the almost-finished chairs to study it. The padding part wasn’t done yet, but that was out of his level of expertise. He supposed Luke’s wife did the upholstery or it was outsourced.
Vernon still stood like a statue, watching Zeke.
And this standing and watching was what Vernon got paid the big bucks for? This was what Daed wanted for Zeke? Unbelievable. He’d go stark raving mad.
Zeke nodded toward the other worktable. “You can start measuring wood to match the sample. Measure twice, cut once.” He turned his back to Vernon and went to work sanding the cut boards on another table.
Another moment of silence. And then a board thumped onto the table considerably harder than necessary.
Zeke suppressed a grin. Perfect Vernon had a temper.
Fifteen minutes later, the door to the shop opened. Zeke glanced up as two men entered the room. One was Kiah; the other was a Mennonite named Henry that he knew from back home. Zeke put the sander down and went to welcome his best friend and Henry.
He couldn’t wait to talk to Kiah at lunch and get caught up on his news—and maybe, if Vernon and Henry weren’t near, tell Kiah about Gracie.
And about how Gott was working behind the scenes in this whole storm.
* * *
Grace cleaned and reorganized the refrigerator while Mammi went downstairs to the basement to sort laundry and start a load in their gas washing machine. They had it ever so much easier than some of their cousins who had to use wringer washers. Judging by thumps and bumps, Mammi did other cleaning, too.
She’d just finished sweeping and scrubbing the kitchen floor when Mammi came upstairs, removing her apron.
“When this laundry load is finished, I thought we’d go to the visitation for a little bit. Why don’t you get cleaned up?”
Grace frowned. “Daed told me not to go since I went yesterday.”
Mammi shook her head. “Pishposh. I need you to drive me since your daadi hasn’t returned yet. Hurry now and get ready to go.”
Grace grinned and ran upstairs. She removed her soiled apron and checked her dress to make sure it was still clean. Then she repinned her hair, replaced her kapp, and returned downstairs.
Maybe she’d have a chance to see Zeke.
Though unless he poked his head out of the shop, she didn’t see how.
Daadi Cliff would say, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
> She definitely had the will.
She’d find a way.
Chapter 24
Zeke showed Kiah and Henry around Luke’s workshop, and after learning Henry had construction experience, he assigned him to work with Vernon. Not that Vernon had done much working. Mostly he’d slammed things around and watched Zeke sand and join seams, as if he didn’t know how to do anything except supervise and make noise.
Kiah’s job in Shipshewana was raising and training buggy horses, but he did have some barn-raising experience. With him helping Zeke, it was a good chance for them to catch up with each other while getting some serious work done.
“Where are you staying? Do you like it there?” Zeke asked as he measured the board on the workbench a second time, then sawed a needed angle.
Kiah took the cut board and handed Zeke another. “They placed Henry and me with the semiretired buggy repairman and his wife. They’re older, and no children, I guess. They live in town in a tiny one-bedroom haus, and so we’re sleeping in sleeping bags tossed on the living room floor. The kitchen is overrun by tiny, little ants. And we’re fed bean soup and corn bread for every meal except breakfast. So far, breakfast is exactly two poached eggs and a bowl of oatmeal. I’m going to be skin and bones by the time we leave here.” On cue, his stomach rumbled.
Zeke chuckled. “You exaggerate.”
“Not by much,” Henry said from nearby. “He didn’t mention the innumerable cats, either. They’re everywhere.”
Kiah rolled his eyes. “For sure and certain.”
“We’ve had fried chicken or sandwiches every meal so far. Except breakfast,” Vernon grumbled. “And our noon meal today is more of the same. I peeked.”
“I’ll trade you cold bean soup and dry corn bread for your fried chicken.” There was a note of teasing in Henry’s voice.
“I accept,” Vernon said.
Henry’s eyes widened.
A strained silence fell.
“They’re serving us leftover wedding food that is being used up before it goes to waste,” Zeke clarified. He struggled to process Vernon’s attitude. Zeke was raised to eat what was set in front of him without complaint. And the food at the Lantzes’ haus was good, though the reason behind it had to be painful. Especially for Gracie.
Or maybe not, if it meant she didn’t have to marry Timothy.
“How about you? Any unmarried daughters?” Kiah finally broke the silence.
“With twelve brothers, ain’t it a wonder?” Zeke said, quoting Cliff.
“Eleven,” Vernon corrected.
Zeke caught his breath, turned, and glared.
Vernon spread his arms wide. “What? He fell from the roof of the barn. There’s only one possible outcome.”
“As of last night, he was in surgery and still alive. Besides, with Gott all things are possible,” Zeke said quietly.
“In the perfect world.” Vernon turned away. “One daughter is as good as married, and the other is special-needs.”
Zeke clenched his fist and then released it with a prayer for patience.
“So no romance for you, either.” Kiah smirked.
“Not supposed to date while we’re here, anyway.” Zeke shrugged. But he struggled to keep a straight face and block out the memories of the kisses and flirting he’d shared with Gracie.
Thankfully, Vernon had nothing to say to that. Vernon might not have realized what nearly happened on the steps right before Gracie’s fall. But if he missed their frequent glances at each other, the man was blind.
“Zeke’s been taking the special-needs girl on walks.” Vernon’s voice was filled with thinly veiled contempt. “Guess there’s someone for everyone.”
Kiah gave him an irritated look.
“She’s fourteen, Vernon,” Zeke snapped. What had gotten into calm, easygoing, perfect Vernon?
And then he knew.
Zeke had been put in charge, making him feel less like a loser, and Vernon didn’t know how to handle it. And Zeke’s prior feelings toward Vernon, the perfect supervisor at the RV factory, were like Vernon’s now toward him. Resentment and maybe jealousy.
Zeke really did need to pray for patience and grace in order to work with Vernon.
Because out of the two men, Zeke handled the upheaval from the storm better.
* * *
Grace went out to the barn to hitch Charlie Horse to their one remaining buggy, but both the horse and the buggy were gone. Of course. Daadi Cliff needed transportation for his errands today since he’d sent his wagon home with Reuben to return his tool chest. And with no phone, they had no way of calling for a driver.
Despite her will, there was no way to get there. Guess she had to stay home and obey Daed, after all.
She didn’t want to go inside and tell Mammi she’d have to walk to the visitation. To postpone the inevitable, she stopped by the stall to check on Ben Gay. She fed the gelding the piece of carrot she’d carried to give to Charlie Horse. She gave Ben Gay a final pat on his nose and was turning to leave the stall when gravel crunched in the driveway. A vehicle door slammed. And a few seconds later, the vet walked into the barn.
“Hi, Miss Gracie. Your grandfather wanted me to come out and check the horse’s leg.”
Daadi Cliff must have called from his own barn. And therefore might be back somewhat soon after his chores and could drive Mammi to the visitation, after all. Maybe? Or no. He’d be a while because he would’ve called the vet first thing.
“He was walking with a limp when he returned home this morning.” Grace led the way back to the horse’s new stall. “If you aren’t too busy when you finish, could you drive my grandma and me to a visitation?”
She wasn’t exactly disobeying Daed if Mammi asked her to go, right? Well, actually, Mammi asked her to drive her there. So maybe she would be. She needed to do the right thing and obey Daed.
She sighed. “Or just Grandma.”
The vet chuckled. “I’ll be glad to take both of you, Miss Gracie. Just give me a moment to check over the horse.”
“I’ll go tell Grandma.” Grace hurried toward the haus. She found Mammi fixing a cup of coffee. “Mammi, Daadi Cliff took the buggy, but the vet is here, and he’ll be glad to take you to the visitation.”
Mammi raised a brow. “And you?”
“That’s up to you. Daed told me to stay home,” Grace reminded her. And as tempted as she was to peek at Zeke, she would do the right thing. And somehow just saying what Daed wanted out loud made her feel more courageous.
“You’re a good girl, Grace Lynn. However, I’d prefer you go, especially with all the rumors floating around about you.”
“Rumors? Plural?”
Mammi nodded. “You need to be seen and let them know it’s pure foolishness.”
Grace knew about the pregnancy rumor, which Mamm said she’d end, but…“What are they saying, Mammi?” Her stomach churned.
“That your groom took an opportunity to jilt you. That and you were cheating on him. No idea who you were cheating with. I think the person who started that rumor has knots for brains.”
Grace wrinkled her nose. The only person she’d been seen with was Zeke…And that hadn’t started until after her groom jilted her.
“How would my showing up disprove rumors? They’ll just whisper behind their cupped hands and stare at me.”
Mammi frowned at her. “No matter. You and I both know the rumors are untrue. In fact, the bishop told me yesterday evening right before your daadi brought me over here that Timothy went to Toby’s visitation, and his parents said the families want the wedding to happen next Thursday, and the bishop agreed! Isn’t that wonderful? We could share that news!”
Grace just stared. Wonderful wasn’t how she’d describe it. Instead, it felt like a noose tightening around her neck. But…that was a plural families and her parents had said nothing of the kind to her and, as far as she knew, hadn’t had a chance to talk to the bishop.
But…she’d promised Mamm.
And no o
ne said no to the bishop.
Her inner resolve crumpled in the face of the ultimate authority she was supposed to obey.
* * *
Furniture making was not something Zeke wanted to do for a living. Not at all. In fact, it was slow, painstaking work, mainly because he didn’t know what he was doing and had to keep going over to study the chairs so he could decide what the next step would be, making notes of measurements and talking it over with Henry for his opinion.
And joking with his best friend seemed inappropriate with the visitation happening at the haus, so they’d all fallen into silence. A dark, brooding silence.
One made darker by Vernon’s increasingly bad temper. He didn’t take instructions from Henry well, either. Probably because Henry was asking Zeke for advice. Talk about the blind leading the blind. Hopefully they wouldn’t put Luke out of business.
Henry murmured something about wrong measurements to Vernon—who’d written down the length and width needed.
Vernon said something that sounded like a curse.
Zeke’s head whipped up.
Vernon glared, grabbed the board from the worktable so fast he almost smacked Henry in the face. He swung it around and stomped across the room. He threw the board down, then froze, staring at an almost-finished casket waiting at the side of the room. “There…there’s something in there.”
“I shut the lid to keep sawdust off the not-quite-finished upholstery.” Zeke might not know what he was doing, but he didn’t want to sabotage Luke’s business. Zeke frowned at Vernon, but in the following quiet, there were definite scratching sounds coming from the casket.
He wouldn’t put it past Kiah to play a practical joke, but a glance at his friend revealed wide eyes and mouth gaped.
“Probably a mouse.” Henry turned his back and returned to work, remeasuring what Vernon should’ve measured twice. “Open the lid and let it out.”
Vernon reached out a shaking hand and flung the lid open.
With an angry “yeow” and a hiss, a black cat flew from the casket.
The Amish Wedding Promise Page 21