Huckleberry Summer (Huckleberry Hill)

by Jennifer Beckstrand

  “That could be a real problem for you, seeing as it’s a long way back and we’ll freeze to death if we have to walk all the way. It would be better to flag down a ride.”

  “After tonight, I’m never riding in a car again.”

  “Said the Amish guy,” Jamal added.

  “How appropriate.”

  Chapter Three

  Lily Eicher held tightly to the reins and carefully guided the horse up the steep drive of Huckleberry Hill. Her family’s buggy wasn’t as new as it used to be, and she didn’t want to risk a mishap. She didn’t come up to Huckleberry Hill often, only on the few Sundays a year when the Helmuths hosted gmay, or church, at their house, but Lily thought that Huckleberry Hill was the most beautiful spot in Bonduel, especially this time of year. It was mid June, and thick stands of maples and a variety of other trees stood at attention on the hill sporting brilliant leaves of every imaginable shade of green. In autumn, the plentiful huckleberry bushes glowed flaming red, almost hurting Lily’s eyes to look at.

  She crested the hill and brought her buggy to a stop in front of Anna and Felty Helmuth’s house. The white railing that enclosed their porch had been painted recently, and a tidy row of purple petunias bordered the foundation. The dirt looked freshly turned. They must have planted this week.

  Lily set the brake and picked up the plate of sugar cookies for the Helmuths. She’d used a heart-shaped cutter and decorated them with pink frosting and red sprinkles. They looked quite charming on her white plate.

  Holding the plate with both hands, Lily tiptoed across the grass, which still felt a bit soggy from last night’s rain. She heard a dog bark and frowned at how her heart jumped into her throat. No need to panic. The Helmuths’ dog, Sparky, was a little white poodle that wouldn’t even nip at her heels.

  Hearing the barking again, she glanced behind her and thought she might faint. An enormous tan bear loped toward her, barking enthusiastically. She gasped and threw caution to the wind. Balancing her plate in one hand, she picked up her skirts and scaled the porch steps in a single bound.

  But it was too late. She turned to face her attacker as the bear jumped. Since she wasn’t tall, the animal easily planted his front paws on her shoulders, knocking the cookies out of her hand and pinning her back against the Helmuths’ front door. She cried out in alarm and tried to shield her face from those razor-sharp teeth as the beast opened his mouth. Her heart pounded in her throat.

  The animal licked her face and nudged her cheek with his moist nose. Not a bear. It wasn’t a bear.

  It was a dog. A big, humongous, slobbery dog.

  It might not be a bear, but she was still going to die.

  “Pilot, get down!” A young man jogged across the yard and stomped up the porch steps. He grabbed the animal firmly by the collar and yanked him away from Lily. Smiling as if he were about to burst into laughter, he vigorously scratched the dog’s head. “Sorry. He’s a real frisky dog. Wants to be friends with everybody.”

  Lily put her hand to her throat and tried to catch her breath. She swallowed hard, pushing the tears back with every breath. No need to cry.

  The young man seemed unconcerned about Lily’s distress even though she’d probably have nightmares for weeks. Not only did she have dog slobber all over her face, but wispy strands of her hair had escaped from her kapp and tickled the nape of her neck.

  To add to her embarrassment, the young man fell silent and stared at her as if she were a sweet roll in a bakery. What exactly did he think he was doing? Could he see the trembling she tried so hard to subdue?

  Lily lowered her eyes self-consciously. Her cookies lay in a pathetic heap on the porch floor.

  The dog lunged for a cookie, but the young man held him back. “No, Pilot. Those aren’t yours.” The young man pointed to the floor. “Sit. Sit.” The dog immediately sat on his haunches, cocked his head to one side, and studied Lily’s face as if waiting for her approval.

  Or deciding whether to give his.

  The young man bent down, gathered up Lily’s cookies, and arranged them on the plate. He stood and handed her the sorry-looking baked goods. The frosting was smashed every which way and most of the sprinkles had stayed behind on the porch. Bits of dirt and leaf fragments clung tenaciously to the frosting. She wanted to cry.

  “I’m really, really sorry about that. Sometimes Pilot doesn’t realize how big he is. He probably terrifies someone as petite as you.”

  She would not melt into a puddle of quivering nerves right there on the porch.

  Would not.

  Holding tightly to her plate, Lily willed her hands to stop shaking.

  The young man’s striking green eyes momentarily distracted her. They were the color of maple leaves at the height of summertime. Green eyes and a light dusting of freckles across his nose—a fascinating combination on his face. A jagged scar cut a path through his left eyebrow, succeeding in making him look more rugged. And handsome.

  Too handsome. How did he expect a girl to keep her wits about her?

  His imposing height didn’t help. He stood well over six feet. His height made him seem powerful, like a man in charge of his own life.

  Lily shook her head to clear her thoughts. Her near-death experience with that bear-dog must have addled her brain.

  How long had she been staring?

  The corners of the young man’s lips turned down. “I’m really sorry. But please don’t be mad at my dog. He’s just a puppy at heart, and he would never bite anyone.”

  Trying to salvage what was left of her pride, Lily cleared her throat and straightened her apron.

  The young man’s face relaxed into a smile. “Go ahead. You can pet him. He won’t bite.”

  The last thing Lily wanted to do was pet that beast, but the young man seemed so eager, she couldn’t refuse. She held her breath as the dog sniffed her hand and then licked it with his germy tongue. Where was the hand sanitizer when she needed it? Keeping her plate of ruined cookies out of reach of that mouth, she patted the dog exactly three times on the head before pulling her hand back to the safety of her apron pocket.

  The young man looked a little disappointed at her obvious lack of affection for his dog, but he soon returned to his good humor. He reached past Lily and opened the front door for her. “My name’s Aden. Don’t be mad, okay?” The dog twitched his ears. “Stay out here, Pilot.”

  The Helmuths’ front door opened into their kitchen and great room. The kitchen smelled of cinnamon and some exotic spice Lily couldn’t begin to identify. She stepped into the room with Aden right behind her. The dog stayed on the porch as if the thought of misbehaving was the furthest thing from his mind.

  Sparky, the Helmuths’ dog, rose from a rug in the great room and waddled to Aden. Aden cooed and scratched behind Sparky’s ears before Sparky padded out the door, sat down next to Pilot, and stared into the house. Lily cocked an eyebrow. It looked as if she were protesting Pilot’s banishment.

  Although she didn’t see him, Lily could hear Felty Helmuth’s booming singing voice floating in the air.

  “I need no mansions here below for Jesus said that I could go to a home beyond the sky not made with hands.”

  “Dawdi,” Aden called.

  Dawdi? Felty was Aden’s grandfather? That explained the height. The Helmuths had always been a tall family.

  The singing stopped, and Felty shuffled down the hall. He flashed Lily a bright smile. “Well, my goodness, Aden. What a beautiful young lady you have brought for us!”

  “I think she’s here to see Mammi, but I don’t know. She doesn’t say much.”

  To her dismay, Lily realized she hadn’t said a word since she had set foot on Huckleberry Hill.

  “Pilot scared her.”

  Her profound embarrassment gave her a voice. “Anna asked me to stop by.” Lily cringed when the words came out of her mouth. Squeaking was not her usual mode of communication.

  Aden seemed to want to help her out. “She brought cookies.”

/>   Felty took a good look at the smashed cookies, picked one off the plate, and bit into it.

  “Oh,” Lily managed to say before the entire cookie disappeared into Felty’s mouth. That one had a dead ant half-buried in the frosting.

  Felty licked his fingers and smacked his lips. “Delicious. The president of Hawaii never ate a cookie that good. And the ants give it extra protein.”

  He winked and teased a smile onto Lily’s lips.

  “Look who’s here.”

  Lily turned to see Anna Helmuth enter the kitchen like a fresh spring breeze. Anna, who moved like someone much younger than eighty-one, had a perpetual twinkle in her eye, as if she would burst into laughter at the slightest provocation. She threw out her arms and gave Lily a sort of sideways hug so that she didn’t disturb the plate of cookies still in Lily’s hand.

  “How nice of you to come today,” Anna said, looking at Aden and nodding. “Have you met our grandson?”

  “She’s only met Pilot,” Aden said. “He made an impression on her.”

  Anna waved her hand in the direction of the open door. Pilot still sat on the front porch, twitching his tail, probably hoping to be invited in. “Oh, that dog. He is a bit of a handful, but I know you will fall in love with him, by and by.” Anna grinned as if she weren’t saying what she truly meant.

  It seemed Aden felt bad about the cookies after all. “She brought cookies.”

  Lily held out the plate for Anna to see. “I dropped them.”

  “Pilot knocked them out of her hand,” Aden said.

  Anna shook her finger at Pilot in mock scolding. “That dog is a troublemaker, to be sure, but he has a heart of gold. You’ll never, ever know a better dog.”

  “Uh-huh,” Lily murmured, unconvinced. The Helmuths could adore that dog if they wanted to, but Lily would be perfectly content to never lay eyes on it again.

  Anna took the plate from Lily and set it on the table. “Cum, sit down,” she said, motioning to a chair at the table. “Let’s have a talk.” Anna closed the door. Lily felt almost sorry for the dogs. They looked so lonely.

  Aden leaned over and kissed his mammi on the cheek. “I’d better get busy on those poles or you won’t have any beans this year.”

  “Nae, Aden, sit down. You work too hard, and we won’t be but a minute. Cum, Felty. You can sit next to me.”

  Aden shrugged good-naturedly and sauntered around the table.

  Felty pulled the chair out for Anna to sit. Lily was surprised when Aden did the same for her. Amish men weren’t usually so accommodating. It appeared Aden had learned a few things from his grandfather.

  After Felty sat down, he took Anna’s hand and squeezed it. Lily glanced at Aden and folded her arms tightly around her waist. She wasn’t taking any chances.

  Anna leaned forward and smiled sweetly. “Now, dear, as you might have guessed, Felty and I are not getting any younger. We need a girl like you to help us around the house and pick tomatoes and such. I can’t tend to vegetables like I used to. Would you like to work for us this summer? Three days a week.”

  Lily gave Anna a half smile. She knew she should be grateful for such an offer, but her nerves always seemed to get the better of her. She wasn’t used to venturing out of her comfort zone, even in something so small as a job away from home. Of course it was a good thing. Of course Dat would want her to be brave. She sat up straight and tried to look plucky.

  “Oh, I think that would be nice,” Lily said. “But I don’t know how you like things done. What if I don’t do a gute job?”

  Anna didn’t seem discouraged. “You will do fine. Your mother says you are a hard worker, and I remember the day of Bielers’ barn raising. You stuck with the dishes after everyone else had done, and you picked up nails and construction trash until it got too dark to see.”

  Lily shook her head. “I didn’t want anyone who drove by to get a flat tire, and garbage should never be left on the ground.”

  Aden hadn’t taken his gaze from her face since they sat down at the table. His staring proved the most uncomfortable thing of all.

  “And you’ve befriended Schrock’s special daughter too. Such a thoughtful girl,” Anna said, reaching over the table and taking Lily’s hand. “I know you are the best girl for this job, and I’m never mistaken about such things.”

  Lily’s uneasiness grew as she worried that Anna’s expectations were too high. “I don’t know if I can be the best girl for the job, but I promise to do my best.”

  “You will do just fine, dear.”

  “I do need money for my wedding.”

  Anna’s eyes danced with amusement. “Your wedding? Any boy in particular?”

  Lily felt herself blush. “Oh, I mean, in general. Every girl should have money saved up for her wedding, don’t you think?”

  “Jah,” Anna said. “You will want to save up for your wedding, and Aden will be here the rest of the summer. You will both be a big help to us.”

  Lily cleared her throat. The question had to be asked. “Will the . . . will the dog be staying too?”

  Aden leaned back, crossed his arms over his chest, and glanced at Anna. “I’ll do my best to keep him away from you.”

  “And there will be lots of fancy cooking to do,” Anna said.

  “You’re the best cook in the world, Banannie,” Felty said.

  “Now, Felty.”

  “Fancy cooking?” Lily said. “For the dog?”

  Anna giggled, reached over, and patted Aden’s arm. “Aden is a vegetarian.”

  “Mammi, you don’t need to make anything special for me,” Aden said. “Mamm doesn’t cook vegetarian at home.”

  Lily furrowed her brow. “What is a vegetarian?”

  “Aden doesn’t eat meat,” Felty said.

  Dumbfounded, Lily stared at Aden. He didn’t seem like an odd young man, but maybe she had misjudged him. “Why don’t you eat meat?” She tried not to sound distrustful.

  He gave her a crooked smile, as if he’d been forced to explain himself a thousand times already. “Save the planet,” he said.

  Save the planet? She had no idea what he was talking about.

  “Um, I don’t know if I can cook vegetarian,” Lily stuttered.

  “We can learn together,” Anna said. “I just bought a new cookbook called The Happy Herbivore. Doesn’t it sound fun?”

  Aden shifted in his chair. “Mammi, I hate to be a nuisance. I’ll get by. Really.”

  Anna pursed her lips and shook her head. “I won’t allow anyone to go hungry in this house. Right, Felty?”

  “I’ve never gone hungry for one day since I married you, Annie.”

  “What could go wrong when we’ve got The Happy Herbivore as our guide?”

  Felty shook his head and smiled affectionately at his wife. “Nothing. It’s a wonderful plan, Annie.”

  “I will have to ask my dat’s permission,” Lily said, “but I think I should be able to start next week.”

  “Okay, then. Tell your dat he won’t regret it,” Anna said.

  “I will tell him.”

  They stood in unison. Anna came around to Lily’s side of the table. She hooked one arm around Lily’s waist and the other around Aden’s and pulled both of them close to her.

  Lily’s heart thumped in her chest. She stood within two feet of Anna’s good-looking grandson. He was tall and muscular, and up this close, he smelled really good. Could this moment be any more awkward?

  Neither Aden nor Anna seemed uncomfortable at all. Aden swung his arm around his mammi’s shoulders.

  “Aden, this is Lily Eicher, one of our closest neighbors. Lily, this is Aden Helmuth, one of our favorite grandsons.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Lily said breathlessly. Fresh-cut grass. He smelled like fresh-cut grass and cedar.

  Aden flashed a smile that brightened the whole kitchen. “Nice to know you have a name.”

  They stood like that for a few uneasy moments until Lily pulled away. “I will see you on Monday, then.”
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  “Okay,” Anna said. “You can help Aden grow vegetables. We are going to need a lot of vegetables. And he tells me he’s got some grand plans for our farm.”

  Aden nodded.

  A vegetarian? She hoped they didn’t chop down all the trees to plant something awful like parsnips. Lily hated parsnips.

  “Wait,” Anna said as she opened a tall closet. She handed Lily three knitted pot holders, one green, one sunny yellow, and one with brown and blue stripes. “Give these to your mother and tell her I send my love.”

  “Denki,” Lily said. Anna handed out pot holders like most mammis handed out cookies. “These are so nice.”

  Lily opened the front door. Pilot and Sparky waited patiently for someone to release them from exile. She hesitated, not relishing the thought of a repeat of her earlier ordeal.

  “I’ll walk you to the buggy,” Aden said.

  Lily quickly weighed her options. She’d rather not spend more uncomfortable moments with Anna’s handsome-but-strange grandson. What other weird habits did he have? “No need,” she said. “Will you just make sure the dog doesn’t follow me?”

  “Jah. I’m sorry about your cookies. Pilot wouldn’t hurt a fly.”

  Aden watched from the porch as Lily drove her buggy down the hill. “Go play, you two rascals,” he said. Pilot and Sparky came to life, bounded off the porch, and chased each other around the yard. “And don’t bother the chickens,” he added. Pilot still didn’t comprehend why the chickens should not be eaten. Aden had to keep a sharp eye on them.

  He walked into the house where Mammi and Dawdi waited for a report. They’d told him yesterday what they were up to. They wanted to match him up with a girl in the district and see him “happily settled”—meaning they thought it was time he stopped getting arrested. Well, maybe a change of location would help. Mammi’s letter had been the chance for a new start, or a way to hit the reset button, as Jamal would say. Since Mammi’s invitation had come three days after the accident at the lake, Aden had taken it as a sign that this was the door Heavenly Father wanted him to walk through.