Amish Sweethearts

by Amy Clipston

  The sadness he saw in Veronica’s eyes at church haunted him. His heart broke for both her and Seth’s family.

  As he continued to rock back and forth, his thoughts turned to Ellie. When he’d arrived at the Lapp farm today, he’d planned to muck out the stalls. Instead, he was surprised to find Ellie running after Daisy, their misbehaving cow. He’d heard Seth’s hilarious stories about that rogue cow. She frequently found a way to open the latch on the pasture fence and take a leisurely walk around the farm or, like today, head for the road. Today was the first day he’d seen Daisy in action.

  Lloyd was rushing after Ellie to help her catch the cow when she slipped and fell in the mud. His first reaction was to help her up. When Lloyd reached her, he had to fight back his amusement because she looked so adorable. He felt terrible that she had fallen, but she had the cutest expression on her face. Her clothes and shoes were all splattered with mud. She even had a smudge of mud on her face.

  Lloyd had to swallow a bark of laughter when he lifted Ellie to her feet. He could tell she was embarrassed. He was certain that would have embarrassed his sisters too. He hoped someday they could look back on that and laugh together. He was just thankful he was there to help her corral Daisy and then fix that latch. He recalled that Seth said he repaired it more than once. Daisy was one smart cow.

  He had spent the rest of the afternoon mucking the stalls and feeding the animals. When he spotted Ellie clad in a clean blue dress as she hung out the muddy clothes now washed, he hoped she wasn’t still humiliated by her fall.

  Lloyd crossed his arms over his chest as he contemplated Seth’s little sister. He was old enough to remember when Ellie was a newborn. Ellie and his sister Rebecca were the same age, and he recalled their playing together at church services. The two girls became close friends at school and remained best friends after they’d finished eighth grade. Ellie was always a sweet girl, and she was attached to Seth, especially after they’d lost their father.

  The back door opened and then clicked shut, interrupting Lloyd’s thoughts. Lloyd sat up straight and nodded a greeting as his father took a seat in the rocker beside the glider. Lloyd’s father was about thirty pounds heavier than him, and Lloyd heard the rocker creak a little as his dad settled in.

  “The animals are set for the night,” Lloyd said as he leaned back in the glider and crossed his long legs. “I was just enjoying the warm night.”

  “Danki for taking care of everything.” Dat turned toward him. His father was a few inches shorter than Lloyd, but sitting they looked at each other eye to eye. Unlike Lloyd’s blue eyes, however, his father’s were brown, the same color as their hair.

  “How was Margaret today?”

  Lloyd folded his arms over his chest. “I guess she was okay. She got emotional when she thanked me for helping.”

  “I can’t imagine losing a kind.” Dat’s voice was wistful, causing Lloyd to feel a pang of emotion too. He rarely saw his father’s emotional side. “I admire you for making time to help the Lapp family. You’re generous with your time.”

  “Well, that’s what we do, right?” Lloyd didn’t want to make it a big deal, but he was glad his father felt that way. He not only enjoyed helping the Lapp family, but he was sure Seth would have done the same for him if he had been the one killed in an accident—especially if Lloyd’s father wasn’t around. The Lapp family had had only one son, just like Lloyd’s family. If anything happened to his father, Lloyd knew he would be the one responsible for his mother and his sisters, Rebecca and Marie, who were only nineteen and sixteen. The burden of supporting family fell to the sons, and he wanted to do all he could for the Lapp family in place of his friend.

  “I was surprised to see you out here,” Dat said, interrupting Lloyd’s thoughts. “I expected to find you in your woodshop.”

  “Not tonight.” Lloyd wiped his hands down his trouser legs, knocking dust and hay onto the porch. He wasn’t in the mood for one of his father’s lectures about his woodworking hobby, so he quickly changed the subject. “I’m pretty worn out from all the chores I did today.”

  “I imagine you are.” After a few moments of silence, Dat stood. “Well, we’d better head inside. Work comes early in the morning.”

  “I’ll be there in a minute.” His thoughts were stuck on the Lapp family and their loss. He hoped his weekly visits were helpful. But for some inexplicable reason, he realized, he also couldn’t wait to return to their farm and do more.

  Ellie took a deep breath and ran her hand over her blue dress as she approached the Bird-in-Hand Gifts and Treasures shop the next morning. The glass in the large front window of the brick building was etched in script with the shop’s name. A variety of detailed metal ornaments, keepsake boxes, photograph frames, decorative plates, mirrors, trays, dishes, and figurines adorned the window display that was garnished with potted plants and wooden furniture.

  She had walked by the place dozens of times while shopping in town, but she had never ventured inside. Her hands trembled with a mixture of excitement and anxiety as she pulled the door open. A bell sounded above her, announcing her entry.

  She passed shelves filled with more beautiful metal decorations on her way to the desk in the center of the store. A young woman there, clad in jeans and a gray blouse, smiled at her.

  “Good morning. How may I help you?”

  “Hi. I heard Gene Rider is looking for someone to help since Katie Esh no longer works here.”

  “Oh, wonderful!” The young lady motioned for Ellie to follow her toward the back of the store. “I’m Phoebe. My uncle Gene owns this shop. I can only work here part time due to my school schedule, so he needs someone else a couple of days a week.”

  “That would be perfect for me.” Ellie hoped Gene would decide she was the best person for the job. She followed Phoebe into the back room, which was a large workshop cluttered with benches, tools, and machines.

  A tall man with graying brown hair and a matching full beard looked up from a bench where he was working on a small metal ornament. He smiled as he stood.

  Phoebe made a sweeping gesture toward Ellie. “Uncle Gene, this is Ellie Lapp. She’s here about the job.”

  “Hi. Katie Esh’s mother told me you’re looking for someone to work part time. I’d like to apply.” Ellie fingered her apron and her stomach tightened with apprehension. Was she ready to work in a busy store? She needed to be brave. She was counting on this job to keep her and her mother afloat. Despite her doubts, she forced herself to stand up straight.

  “It’s so nice to meet you.” Gene shook her hand. “Have you worked in a shop before?”

  “No, but I’ve helped out at my friend’s vegetable stand.” Ellie rattled off her experience working with a calculator and counting change. “I’m good with numbers, and I’m a fast learner. I know I’ll do a good job for you.”

  Gene nodded and crossed his arms over his blue button-down shirt. “I’m looking for someone who can work Mondays and Fridays. Phoebe handles all the other days I’m open, which is every day but Sunday.”

  “That schedule would work well for me.” Ellie grinned. This will be perfect! I can still help Mamm at home!

  “Great. I’ll need you to handle the front while I work back here to keep up inventory. That means helping customers, running the register, and keeping the showroom floor tidy. Let me show you around.”

  Gene gave her a tour of the shop and explained that each area was categorized by the type of item for sale, including home and accessories, jewelry, cities and sports memorabilia, and gifts for certain occasions.

  “All these items are lovely,” Ellie said as she examined an ornament featuring a horse and buggy in front of a farm scene. “You do incredible work.”

  “Thank you. That’s one of our most popular items. The tourists love anything with a horse and buggy on it.”

  “That’s the truth.” Phoebe pointed toward the back of the showroom. “I’m trying to convince Uncle Gene to allow me to find some more Amis
h-made gifts to sell over in that corner. We have the typical quilts, cloth dolls, potholders, key chains, and homemade jellies made by the Amish, but I think it would bring in even more business if we had some unique Amish-made things to sell. The tourists will go crazy for that.”

  Gene looked skeptical. “I don’t want to sell more quilts and potholders, even if they are unique patterns. Plenty of other shops sell those items.”

  “That’s not what I meant.” Phoebe sighed. “I’m talking about something completely different, unique.” She turned to Ellie. “Can you think of something we could sell that would be different from what the other shops around here have?”

  Ellie shrugged. “No, I really can’t.”

  “I promise I’ll find something, Uncle Gene.” Phoebe smiled. “Just trust me.”

  Gene rubbed his beard. “Keep thinking about it. We’ve been losing sales since that new gift shop opened up the road in Gordonville. Maybe offering some unique Amish-made items is the way to go.”

  Phoebe leaned against the end of a set of shelves. “I’m sure we can figure something out.”

  “So, Ellie,” Gene began, turning his eyes back to her, “what do you think? Do you want the job?”

  “Absolutely,” Ellie said, rubbing her hands together. “When would you like me to start?”

  Ellie burst through the back door and into the kitchen. She was so excited she thought she might explode as she started walking through the downstairs in search of her mother.

  “Mamm?” she called. “Where are you?”

  “I’m in the sewing room,” Mamm responded.

  Ellie rushed there to find her mother pinning a new apron. “Mamm! I got the job!” She clapped her hands together, but then her smile faded as her mother frowned. “Was iss letz?”

  “I didn’t really want you to get the job.” Mamm placed the apron on the table next to her treadle sewing machine.

  Ellie sank into the chair beside the table. “Mamm, we talked about this. We need the money.” She rested her hand on the surface of the table. “It won’t be as much as Seth made, but I’ll make enough money for groceries. We’ll still need to cut back on other things.”

  “Ach, Ellie.” Mamm shook her head, her green eyes full of concern. “You shouldn’t worry about things like that.”

  “Mamm, you’re wrong,” Ellie said gently. “I should be worrying about things because it’s just us now.” She took her mother’s hands in hers. “Like you said, we’ll take care of each other. I’m only working Mondays and Fridays, so I’ll still be here to help with the haus and the farm. I’m not leaving you to take care of everything. I’ll help with the cooking and baking and gardening and laundry just like I do now.”

  Mamm gave a reluctant nod. “All right.”

  Ellie hugged her mother as her excitement swelled again. She couldn’t wait to get started at her new job. This was the best way for her to take care of her mother, and she was certain Seth would be proud of her.

  Chapter Three

  Lloyd sat on a stool in front of a long workbench in his woodshop at the back of the barn. The soft yellow glow of two Coleman lanterns lit the room, and the aroma of pine filled his senses as he whittled the small block of wood in his hand. While his fingers and tools shaped the wood, the stress from the day left his body and his mind cleared.

  Woodworking was the only way he truly found peace after a long day of farm work. While his hands shaped a plain piece of wood, his mind found a perfect peace through relaxation and prayer.

  The workbench was cluttered with woodworking tools and a table was covered with his creations—small, detailed birds whittled intricately by his hand. The hobby was a surprise even to Lloyd. When he was fifteen, he found whittling tools in the back of his grandfather’s barn and asked what they were. His grandfather showed him how to turn a plain block of wood into something beautiful. Not only did Lloyd enjoy the time with his grandfather, but he found a new passion—whittling.

  His grandfather passed away when Lloyd was eighteen, and his grandmother gave him the tools. Now Lloyd whittled not only to keep his grandfather’s memory alive, but also to enjoy the relaxation of the hobby.

  The shop door opened with a whoosh, interrupting his thoughts. He glanced back over his shoulder and spotted his father in the doorway, an unreadable expression on his face.

  “Hi, Dat.” Lloyd spun on the stool to face him. “Is everything all right?”

  “I was wondering where you were.” Dat leaned against the doorway. “It’s late, and I thought you would be heading to bed by now.”

  “I just wanted to get started on another bird.” Lloyd nodded toward the block of wood in his hand. “You know I like to come in here and unwind at night.”

  “Ya, I know that, but you need your rest.” Dat’s expression hardened. “This farm is your obligation, Lloyd. The farm will go to you since you’re the only bu. It’s your responsibility.”

  Lloyd’s stomach tightened with resentment. “I know that.” Especially since you remind me all the time. “All my chores are done. I love this farm, and I will take gut care of it when it’s mine. I just needed some time to myself, and this is how I relax. You enjoy reading The Budget before you go to sleep, and I like to whittle. That’s all it is, Dat. It’s just a hobby.”

  His father crossed the shop and peered down at the wooden birds. “I hope you realize this hobby is prideful.” He lifted a cardinal, regarded it as if it were pernicious, and placed it back on the table.

  “It’s prideful?” Lloyd crinkled his nose with confusion. “How is this hobby prideful?” And why hadn’t his father ever said this is what he thought?

  Dat met his expression with a frown. “You’re simply showing off your skill.”

  “I don’t understand how I’m showing it off if the birds don’t leave this shop.” Lloyd pointed toward the table. “I create the birds and then leave them here. It’s just something that makes me froh. Daadi did the same thing, and no one ever criticized him.”

  “You’re more skilled than your daadi ever was.” Dat started toward the door. “You need to get to bed, Lloyd. It’s late.” With a quick nod, he disappeared.

  Lloyd examined the piece of wood in his hand as frustration surged through him. When would his father ever accept that his whittling was a hobby and nothing more? How could a hobby that made him happy be a sin? He wasn’t hurting anyone and he wasn’t bragging. After all, Lloyd wasn’t a skilled woodworker. But he was a responsible adult who should be able to decide how to spend his free time.

  He set the wood and the whittling knife on the workbench and switched off one of the lanterns. As he lifted the other lantern, he started toward the door, still chafing at his father’s pronouncement. His father would never understand, but his grandfather had. Lloyd missed his grandfather more than ever on days like this.

  Ellie stood at the cash register at Bird-in-Hand Gifts and Treasures on Friday morning and smiled as a woman dressed in blue jeans and a white shirt decorated with a sparkling butterfly design approached.

  “Hi,” the woman said. “I was wondering if you had any other Amish gifts.” The woman pointed toward the back corner. “I see the quilts and dolls, but I’m looking for something I can’t find in every other store in Lancaster County.”

  “Oh.” Ellie pressed her finger to her chin while contemplating the question. “Did you see the metal ornament over there with the horse and buggy on it? That’s one of our popular sellers.”

  The woman frowned. “I was looking for something more . . . rare. I always take a gift home for my sister-in-law when I visit here, and she doesn’t like the run-of-the-mill gifts. She’s not interested in quilts or straw hats.”

  “I’m sorry.” Ellie forced a smile. “All we have are the metal ornaments over there and also the Amish items in the back corner.”

  “Oh well.” The woman was still frowning. “Thanks for your help.” She walked toward the exit without buying anything.

  Ellie was dusting shelves in
the back corner of the store later that afternoon when another woman came up to her.

  “Excuse me, miss.” The woman with short, graying hair and a round face gestured toward a display of cloth dolls. “Do you have any other Amish-made crafts?” She held up a doll. “These are cute, but I’m looking for something my grandson would like.”

  “We have the straw hats,” Ellie offered, but when this woman frowned, too, Ellie glanced across the store. “We have metal trucks over by the sports items. Does he like trucks?”

  The woman shrugged. “I suppose he might, but I was hoping to buy something Amish for him. I’ve been telling him about the Amish culture.”

  “Does he like quilts?”

  The woman shook her head. “No, he doesn’t.” She smiled. “Well, I tried. Thank you for your help.”

  As Ellie watched the woman walk away, she thought about the conversation she’d had with Phoebe. Maybe she did need to help her and Gene find something special to sell.

  After work, Ellie paid her driver and rushed up the rock driveway to the front door of her house.

  “Mamm! Where are you?”

  “I’m on the back porch,” her mother responded through the open windows.

  Ellie dropped her tote bag on a chair in the kitchen and hurried out to the back porch. Her mother was sitting on the glider and snapping string beans.

  “How was your first day on the job?” Mamm asked.

  “It was fantastic.” Ellie sank onto the glider beside her and picked up a bean. “Gene trained me to use the electric cash register in the morning, and I quickly learned how to use it. I was ringing up customers before noon. He also gave me another tour of the showroom, this time more thorough to ensure I knew where the different types of gifts are located. He has the store set up by categories of gifts. For example, I had to know where to find treasure boxes if someone came in looking for one.”