“Jah. Sure.”
Realizing that usually their mother would have rushed in as soon as she heard new voices, he frowned. “Where is Mamm, anyway?”
“Upstairs sorting sheets.” Betty wrinkled her nose. “While you’ve been seeing friends, I’ve spent most of the day inspecting and matching twenty sets of sheets and making chili.”
“It smells good,” Kyle said.
“Danke,” Betty said.
Gabby was still gaping at his sister. “You really have twenty sets of sheets?”
“That’s a lot,” Lane added.
Turning to look at Gabby’s brother again, Betty blushed. “There’s a lot of us here. Seven, you know.”
“Oh.” Gabby smiled at Kyle. “I guess I never thought about all those beds.”
Lane frowned. “If there’s only seven of you, how come you have so many sheets?”
“Don’t you have more than one set per bed?” Betty asked.
Lane shook his head. “No.”
“It don’t matter,” Kyle said gruffly. How come they were even talking about beds and sheets anyway? “I was working all morning with Harley, and you know it, Betty. You should stop complaining.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
“I promise, she’s nicer than she seems,” he joked to Gabby and Lane.
Even though Betty was acting like it had never occurred to her that English teenagers had laundry to do, too, he knew she wouldn’t deliberately make them feel out of place. “I promise, I’ll be right back,” he said quietly to Gabby before tearing up the stairs to the second floor.
He found their mother in the extra bedroom right off the landing, doing exactly what Betty had said she was doing—sorting and matching old sheets. “Hiya, Mamm.”
“Hi, Kyle.” She smiled. “It’s gut to see you home so early. I thought you had plans for the day.”
“I did. I had planned to stop by and see Gabby.”
After a pause, she smiled again. “I see. Well, how is she?”
That pause made him a little worried. He might want to pretend that his parents were willing to accept Gabby in his life, but he was pretty sure that it was more of a case of them loving him enough to put up with what they thought was a passing attraction.
He really should have thought things through before inviting her over.
But, well, there wasn’t anything he could do now. “Actually, she’s here again and her brother is, too.”
She slowly got to her feet. “They both came over? Are they here for supper?” Before he could answer, she said hurriedly, “Kyle, you know we like Gabby, but you must at least give me some warning before you invite people over for meals. How old is her brother?”
“Lane is sixteen.”
She frowned, obviously already making mental lists. “So, he’ll be hungry. I suppose I could make another side dish. Do you think they like pasta salad? Does that even go with chili?”
Pasta salad? He wasn’t even sure if he liked that. “I don’t have any idea.”
“That’s all right. I’ll ask them. I can always make a broccoli cheese casserole if they’d rather have something hot.”
“Mamm, they didn’t come over to eat,” he blurted impatiently. “Lane and Gabby need to do laundry so I told them they could use our washing machine.”
Slowly, she blinked as this new bit of information sank in. “You invited them over here to wash their clothes?”
Her voice had risen. “Shh, Mamm! They’re still in the kitchen. They’ll hear you!” He held up a hand when her eyes narrowed. “And, I know I shouldn’t tell you what to do, but I’ve got to get back downstairs.”
“Right this second?”
“Mamm, they’re alone with Betty. I just wanted to let you know what was going on.”
Just as he turned to leave, she grabbed his shirtsleeve. “Oh, no you don’t. First you tell me why they need to do laundry here.”
“Because they have a ton of it and Gabby was going to have to take it down to the Laundromat. She was going to have to sit there for hours, paying the machines. That didn’t seem right. Plus, her brother was with her because all the clothes are heavy and I don’t think he wanted her to be alone there. There’s no telling who would be hanging around.”
“No telling who,” she repeated, looking worried now.
Imagining Gabby already regretting the visit, Kyle edged toward the door. “Mamm, I’ve really got to get downstairs now. Betty was acting like she was in charge of the washing machine. You know how she can get.”
She pressed a hand to her face with a laugh. “Oh, boy. Jah, you had better go check. I’ll be right there in a moment, too.”
“There’s no need. We’ll be fine.”
“Oh, nonsense. Maybe I just want to say hello, dear. Don’t worry.”
He smiled weakly before descending the stairs again. But with every step he took, he had an even bigger feeling that his mother was going to do something far more than “just say hello.”
Every time she told them to “not worry” it always meant she had something in mind—and that was never a good thing.
• • •
Gabby thought it was pretty obvious that Betty didn’t know what to think about her being there. It was also extremely clear that she only had eyes for Lane.
He was smiling at Betty like he’d never been alone with a girl before, or maybe he’d never seen a girl so pretty as she was.
If that was the case, Gabby wouldn’t blame her brother. Betty really was beautiful. If she were English and at their high school, she’d have more dates than she could count. And though she was kind of mouthy, Gabby liked her spunk. It was so normal, like just about every teenaged girl she knew. And it seemed to catch Lane off guard, which was kind of cute.
Though there was a part of her that was pretty worried about what their mom would say if Lane ever told her about Betty, Gabby quickly pushed the worry away. Lane wouldn’t tell her that they were over here.
And if Mom found out?
Well, Lane wouldn’t pay much attention to what she said, anyway. Unlike Gabby, he had a dad and they spent time together every couple of weeks. Rick sent their mom a check once a month, too.
All that seemed to give Lane more confidence than Gabby had ever had. He’d told Gabby more than once not to worry about him when she graduated.
“Sorry it took me so long,” Kyle said as he strode into the kitchen. “Let’s go start that laundry.”
“I’ll go down to the basement, too,” Betty said. “I don’t remember the last time you worked the washer.”
Altogether, the four of them went downstairs. Betty leading, Kyle right behind, then Lane, lugging their laundry bag. She brought up the rear.
There were three large windows in the basement, which allowed plenty of sunlight in. It was also mostly finished, though there was still a small unfinished section. That was where a large white washing machine stood. Surrounding it were white cabinets and shelves, and hanging from the ceiling were three or four lines of cords, which were obviously used to hang laundry.
The clotheslines reminded her of something. “If you don’t use electricity, how come you have a washing machine?”
“We run it on a gas generator,” Betty said.
Just as Kyle bent down to help Lane pull out clothes, Gabby rushed forward. The last thing she wanted him to see was a bunch of her underwear. “We’ve got this, Kyle. Thanks.”
“Uniforms first?” Lane asked.
“Yeah. Let’s get those over with.” While Betty and Kyle stood by, Lane started pulling out jerseys and his uniform pants and passed them to her. She popped them in the machine.
When it was full, Betty started it. “Are you a football player, Lane?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
“I’ve never met a football player before. What do you do?”
Gabby could have sworn Betty batted her eyes. Not that Lane noticed. His chest was all puffed up and he was talking about tackles and the defen
sive line like Betty was trying to learn the game.
“Gabby, come on,” Kyle said under his breath. “They’re going to be here for a while.”
Sure he was right, Gabby followed him back upstairs. She wasn’t sure what was going to happen between their siblings, but chances were looking good that neither of them was going to be complaining about doing laundry.
“Want to get something to drink and go sit outside on the back patio?”
Really glad to have a few minutes alone with him, she nodded. “Sure. That sounds great.”
THIRTY−TWO
“We ended up sleeping there in the Warner’s living room after Andy got everyone else to leave and we cleaned the whole place up,” Harley said. “But before we went to sleep, we all made a couple of promises.”
WEDNESDAY
Katie was fairly sure that her house had never been so noisy. Plumbers, electricians, and carpenters occupied almost every room. All day they worked, sawing, hammering, tiling, and painting, moving up and down the steps like dutiful ants. They also were a chatty bunch. From morning until night they talked to one another, called out answers and questions to Harley, and continually joked or ordered things on their phones.
It had taken some getting used to, but Katie had learned to decipher most of the conversations. Now she knew when there were problems, when everyone was simply shooting the breeze, and when projects were done and they were ready to leave for the day.
It wasn’t like she had all that much extra time to worry about the workers, anyway. She had a house to transform into a bed-and-breakfast. That meant that every room needed to be reorganized with guests in mind. Quilts needed to be inspected and mended, digital clocks, lamps, and throw pillows bought, and lots of fresh towels and linens ordered.
It was surely a blessing to have her girlfriends. Marie, Tricia, E.A., and Kendra often stopped by and lent a hand. Each was so helpful in her own way. Marie had an eye for what Englischers wanted when they went on vacation and how to arrange things in a pleasing manner.
Tricia put her big brain to good use and was reading books for prospective inn owners and shared with Katie some of the best things she learned. Tricia also helped Katie set up her own business plan. E.A. was wonderful at getting Katie organized and developing lists and task sheets . . . and keeping all of them on track. She also had the distinction of being able to sweet-talk the workers into doing all sorts of little things, such as hanging towel bars and hooks in each of the bathrooms.
Finally, Kendra was the hardest worker of them all. No job was too dirty, aggravating, or even boring. She simply got to work and didn’t stop until the task was finished.
Katie’s only problem with their help was that she usually didn’t know when any of her girlfriends would stop by. They all had their own lives, jobs, and obligations. Because she was worried about inadvertently taking advantage of them, she never asked them to come over, only said their help would be welcome when they could spare the time.
All that is why when Katie heard the front door open at four o’clock one afternoon, she didn’t think anything of it. She continued to sort through her grandmother’s and great-grandmother’s recipe cards. She’d had an idea to display them in frames and hang them on the walls in the breakfast area.
“Hello?” the voice called out.
“I’m in the kitchen,” she murmured, only paying half attention to the voice.
She was attempting to decipher her great-grandmother’s handwriting when footsteps approached.
“Mamm, what is going on?”
Stunned, she looked up into her sister’s face, and dropped all the cards in a flustered gasp. “June?”
June looked just as surprised as Katie felt. Still staring at her like she was a ghost, June shook her head. “Katie. Boy, for a moment, I thought you were Mamm. You look just like the way I remembered her.”
“Truly?” Katie stood up, thinking as she did that June looked hardly anything like she used to. Her blond hair was cut short, almost as short as a boy’s. It was also a lighter shade than it used to be. She was wearing faded jeans, leather flip-flops, and a white collared shirt, much like a man’s. She was slim and had her ears pierced. And, she had on a gold toe ring. It was simply the strangest thing to see and Katie couldn’t help but stare at it. How did one get a toe ring on? And why would they want such a thing?
“I might look like Mamm, but you look so different.”
“I know.” Fingering a fold in her jeans, June murmured, “I guess it’s hard to see me dressed like this. It’s been so long, I didn’t even think about how I might look to you.”
June had left two years after their father had died. Though it had been a long time ago, Katie did remember that June had been restless and unhappy for years. Caleb had once told Katie that he thought June had only stayed with them so long because their father had gotten sick and then they’d all been mourning.
But even though she’d never seen June dressed English, June’s blue eyes were just as piercing and her high cheekbones were just as prominent.
“Nee. Not hard.” No, instead of the dark shadows under her eyes—which had one time matched the thick dark eyeliner around them—she had on very little makeup, and her skin looked rosy and pretty. “You look happy. Are you?”
Visibly relaxing, her sister nodded. “Jah.” She shook her head impatiently. “I mean, yes. I haven’t spoken Pennsylvania Dutch in ages.”
“Luckily, I still understand both.”
June gave her a startled glance, then grinned. “Some things never change. You still say exactly what’s on your mind.”
“And you still wait to see how you will be received,” Katie replied softly.
“Does this mean you’re now ready to give me a hug?”
“I’ve always been ready, June.” Katie walked right into her sister’s arms and breathed in deep. They were older and practically strangers, but some things couldn’t be denied. June still felt comfortable and soft, just like the big sister she remembered. Her hair even still smelled faintly of vanilla.
“You are still so tiny.”
“I can’t help it. I prayed to grow, but I guess the Lord didn’t care to listen.”
June chuckled. “That’s because He knew you were already perfect.” She squeezed her tight once more before stepping away, though they kept their hands on each other’s arms. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too, sister.” It was almost impossible to choke out the words, so many tears were threatening to fall.
June’s eyes were filled with unshed tears as well. Smiling softly, she whispered, “Goodness. Look at us.”
“It’s hard to believe I’m holding on to you. I think part of me fears that if I let you go, you’ll disappear from my life again.”
“I shouldn’t have stayed away so long.”
No, she shouldn’t have. Katie wanted to ask her why she had. No, she wanted to yell at her, make June feel guilty, make her ask for forgiveness . . .
And then she remembered that she was the one who could forgive without needing anything in return. Releasing an exhale, she murmured, “I’m glad you are here now. Will you be staying long?”
“Only a couple of days.”
Katie silently looked at her, trying to be patient and hear what she had to say. But as each second passed, she realized that wasn’t going to happen. At least not right then.
“Katie?” Harley called out as he walked down the corner. “Are you okay? Craig thought he saw a strange woman . . .” His voice drifted off. “Ah. You found her.”
“Harley, this is my sister, June.”
He blinked as a reluctant smile formed. “June. Look at you.”
June was eyeing him, too. “I’m trying to place you but I can’t remember. Are you one of the Eight?”
“Jah.” He looked toward Katie and smiled. “Your sister can’t seem to get rid of me.”
And, like it always seemed to now, that smile filled her with a happy warmth.
<
br /> June noticed. Looking from Katie to Harley, her eyes widened. “Oh my word. Are you two married now?”
“Nee!” Katie blurted as she darted a look at Harley. His cheeks were red. “He’s my friend, but . . . well, we’ve also become close.”
“Close?”
Harley nodded. “Very close.”
“I see,” June said.
Beyond embarrassed, Katie inhaled. “Harley is here working on the house. I’m remodeling it.”
June looked around. “It looks like you’re doing a lot. Why?”
“I’m going to turn it into a bed-and-breakfast.”
“But what about Mamm? And Caleb and his family?”
“Caleb wanted to farm and bought some land in Kentucky. He and Vanessa have two kinner now and another on the way so he convinced Mamm to go.”
“And she did?”
“Jah. It wasn’t easy, but I think Caleb’s needing her helped Mamm be willing to leave everything.” She shrugged. “She hasn’t said this, but sometimes I think it must have been a relief for her to leave all her stacks and debris.”
June still looked to be trying to put all the pieces together. “How did you get the house?”
“Mamm gave it to me with Caleb’s blessing.”
June blinked as she stiffened. “Well. That’s good to know.”
Katie felt like sinking into the ground. It was obvious that June felt forgotten. “I don’t know what else to say.”
“I do,” Harley said as he lightly pressed one hand on her shoulder. “It’s going to be the prettiest B and B in Walnut Creek, Ohio.” Turning to June, he said, “Will you be staying here? If so, I can tell the workers to cut out early.”
“Here? Oh, no. I got a room at the Wallhouse Hotel.”
“Definitely not. You can stay here, June.” When June’s expression tightened and it was obvious she was about to refuse, Katie rushed to explain. “You can have my room. I promise, it’s clean and orderly.”
“It’s not the accommodations, Katie. It’s the memories. Daed dying, Mamm gathering odds and ends like they would fill his void . . .” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t deal with them.”
Katie could feel Harley’s gaze on her, could practically feel the questions in his eyes. She swallowed. “I understand. But could you stay a while? Maybe stay for supper? I was going to make some chicken and rice. Do you want some?”
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