If only Isaac was there. If only he hadn’t died. If only…
She squeezed her eyes shut. No. God was sovereign. He was not to be questioned. A sudden image of Zachariah on her barn roof filled her mind. She saw him on his haunches, nailing the new shingles into place. She saw him look down at her and smile.
Now, her barn wouldn’t leak, and the hay wouldn’t mold.
She turned to her side and drew her knees to her chest. What an odd thing to come to mind right then. What an odd thing, indeed.
****
The following week saw no guests at Byler’s Bed & Breakfast. Naomi walked out to the road each evening to make sure their sign was still in place.
“You have to advertise,” Mary admonished her one morning. “Customers don’t usually fall out of the sky.”
Naomi looked at her friend. “Do you advertise? For your road stand?”
Mary laughed. “Nee. Don’t have to.” She shook her head. “I guess customers do fall from the sky.”
Naomi sighed. Mary reached over and squeezed her arm. “Don’t fret. It will happen. Things take time, you know.”
“That I know,” Naomi answered. Her mind flitted to her children and how long it had taken them to smile again. She still wondered about Katy. The girl turned sour so easily these days.
“I’m glad you stopped by to visit. You do know about the quilting frolic this Saturday, don’t you?”
Naomi paced herself with Mary’s short legs as they returned from the chicken coop with Mary’s apron full of eggs.
“Nee, I didn’t know. Can I bring the children?”
“Naomi Byler! Of course, bring the children. There will be a flock of them. Lois Schrock is hosting, and she always has a table of goodies for them. My young ones love going to her house. Some of the older girls like caring for the young ones, too. Your Katy might like that.” She nudged Naomi. “The children are entertained so we women are left quite alone.”
Naomi grinned and knew the Amish grapevine would be in full swing that day.
“I’d better be getting back,” Naomi said. “Katy and Ben are weeding the garden, and they’ll be wanting a snack right soon.”
“Thank you again for taking the time to stop by,” Mary said. “I’ll see you Saturday around nine, then?”
“Jah, you’ll see me Saturday.”
Naomi hurried down Mary’s drive out to the road. She’d walked that morning, feeling the need to clear her head with the bright sun and a leisurely pace. She’d been stewing of late, more than usual. Trusting the Lord God with her finances was becoming more and more difficult. She’d thought she had found the answer with the Bed and Breakfast, but without guests, it was not helping at all. Thank goodness she hadn’t spent money on it yet. She’d been ready to get herself a cell phone, but she’d put it off. Now, she was glad she had.
Two sparrows chased each other in front of her, finally settling on a tree branch close to the road. She gazed at the two tiny creatures as they fluttered their wings and jerked their heads about.
“Looking for your next meal?” she asked them. “God speed to you.”
As she neared her house, she was surprised to see a red car parked in front of the house. She increased her pace. Guests? Katy was standing on the porch, talking with two women. When Katy spotted her mother, she waved her over even though Naomi was already on her way.
“Gut afternoon,” Naomi said with a wide smile. “Can we be helping you?”
The taller of the women turned to her. “We saw the sign. We’d like to stay the night.” She tipped her neatly coifed head toward Katy. “Your daughter here says you have a vacancy.”
Naomi gave Katy a grateful nod. “My daughter is correct. Will it just be the two of you? And how many nights would you like to stay?”
The short woman clapped her hands, and Naomi couldn’t help but notice how the flesh of her arms flapped when she did so. “This is marvelous!” the woman exclaimed, her voice high and animated. “I’ve told my husband for years that I wanted to know more about the Amish.” She leaned toward Naomi as if telling her a secret. “For years, mind you. He won’t believe our luck!”
“Neither will mine,” the tall woman said. “One night only. And yes, just the two of us. How much will this cost? And will we need to share a room?”
Naomi’s mind flitted to her old bedroom, the one where no one had stayed as of yet. “Nee,” she said, hiding her reluctance. “You can each have your own room. The cost is one hundred dollars, which includes meals if you choose. Please follow me.”
The two women scurried to get their bags and followed Naomi. She’d left the windows open in the daadi haus, and it smelled fresh and sweet when they entered.
“I do need to explain that we have no electricity. This is an authentic experience,” Naomi said, praying they wouldn’t change their minds.
“No electricity?” the short woman said, stopping. A doubtful look crept over her face.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Lynnette,” scolded the taller. “You can live without your precious television shows for one night!”
Lynnette scowled. “And what about you, Nadine? What are you going to do when your tablet battery goes dead?”
Nadine huffed. “I’m not going to complain, that’s what. Look, this is our chance. You going to spoil it because of no electricity?”
Naomi felt like an eavesdropper, standing there while they made up their minds.
Lynnette clucked her tongue and shook her head. “Of course, I’m not.” She looked at Naomi. “Please forgive me. I’m an old fool. This is perfect.”
The two women looked around the small house. Lynnette walked to the kitchen sink and peered out the window. “Is this one of those daddy houses?”
Naomi bit back her smile. “We call it a daadi haus. But, in a way, it is a daddy house.”
“Shouldn’t your elderly parents be living here?” she continued.
“Lynnette! You’re being nosy.” Nadine looked at Naomi. “You don’t have to answer that. Honestly, how rude!”
“It’s fine,” Naomi said, realizing that she’d better get used to prying questions if she was going to host outsiders. “My parents are both deceased. The rest of my kin live in Pennsylvania.”
“Then why’d you move to Indiana?”
“Lynnette! Stop harassing the poor woman.” Nadine’s small gray eyes settled on Naomi. “But really, why did you move here?”
Naomi swallowed. “My husband and father wanted to farm this land.”
“Of course,” Nadine responded. “Makes sense. How are they doing then? How does your father like it around here?”
“He was killed in a traffic accident.” Naomi moved to the bedrooms. Enough was enough.
“Oh, honey! I’m so sorry!” Nadine exclaimed after her.
“Now, you’ve done it,” Lynnette muttered under her breath, but Naomi clearly heard her.
“It was a while ago. Please don’t worry.” Naomi opened the door to the children’s old room. “One of you can stay in here. There is a lantern and matches on the table.” She walked past them to the other bedroom and opened the door but didn’t look inside. “The other of you can sleep here.”
A choking sensation was climbing up her throat. If she didn’t get out of there fast, she could suffocate. The air was becoming thinner by the second, and she grew heady.
“Supper will be at six o’clock. We’ll see you then,” she managed to choke out.
She hurried from the house, letting the screen door bang shut behind her. A thin layer of sweat broke out on her upper lip. She stopped at the side door of the big house, leaning against it, trying to compose herself.
“Naomi?”
She closed her eyes.
“Naomi, are you all right?” The concern in Zach’s deep voice was like another layer of heat covering her. Smothering her.
She slumped against the door, sliding down. Zach rushed to her side, grabbing her under her arms and pulling her back up. “Naomi!” he c
ried.
She leaned into him, and he managed to get the screen open to help her inside. He lowered her to a stool in the washroom. She dropped her head, closing her eyes.
How incredibly embarrassing. What was wrong with her? If this was going to happen when two old women asked her questions, she was going into the wrong business.
“Can you sit up by yourself?” Zach asked, bending over her as if trying to look into her eyes.
“Jah.” She straightened her shoulders, but she was too ashamed to raise her face to him.
“All right.” He left her and went into the kitchen. She heard him in the cupboard and heard the tap go on then off. He came back, holding a glass full of water. “Drink,” he said. “It will make you feel better.”
She took the glass and gratefully took a long drink. It did make her feel better. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me.”
“You have new guests?”
“Jah. Two women.”
Zach stepped back as if he wanted to get a better look at her. “Your face was white as cow’s milk,” he said. “It’s better now.”
“Thank you. For helping me, I mean.”
The worry lines etched across his forehead softened. “I want to help you,” he uttered, and then as if realizing what he’d just said, his cheeks colored. He took off his straw hat and ran his hand over his mouth and chin. “I’m done with my field work for the day.”
A sudden sensation that the washroom was too small for the both of them came over her. She stood, feeling steadier now.
“That’s gut.”
“Jah.” He fingered the brim of his hat. “The fencing around your pigpen needs fixing. That critter is going to escape before long.”
Naomi frowned. She hadn’t paid much mind to the hog lately. Ben was in charge of feeding him. “I’ll get on it.”
Zach reached out and touched her arm, and a deep surge of heat zapped through her. He jerked his hand back, as if he’d felt it, too. “I’ll fix it. That’s why I was mentioning it. So you wouldn’t worry.”
“But Zach, you mustn’t. You lease the land. You’re not responsible for fixing things around here. I can do it. You already fixed the roof.”
“Naomi.” His voice was firm. He pressed his hat back on his head, and stepped toward the door. “I said I’ll do it. So, I’ll do it.”
And with that, he walked out of the house shutting the door behind him.
She stared at the closed door. Taking a step across the room, she watched him through the thin cotton curtains at the small window. His stride was long and determined. Angry-looking, almost. She shivered. Why would he be angry? There was no reason.
Was there?
Five
At ten minutes after six, when Katy was tapping her bare foot against the floor of the kitchen, there was noise at the front door.
“Finally!” Katy cried. “I’ll get the food on the table.”
“Thank you, daughter.” Naomi went to the front door to let the two guests in. She wondered at herself when she didn’t tell them that they could use the side door from then on. Was she trying to keep her distance from them?
“We’re mighty hungry,” said Nadine with a wide smile.
“Been itching for some Amish-cooked food,” said Lynnette.
“Please come through and take a seat,” Naomi directed. The women followed her to the dining area, and Naomi smiled as they both perched on the bench next to Ben.
“Hello there, young fella,” Nadine said. She reached out to tussle Ben’s hair, but Ben made a slight movement back and her hand dropped to her lap.
“This is my son, Ben,” Naomi said quickly. “And helping with supper is my daughter, Katy.”
“Nice to know you,” Lynnette said, nodding. She glanced around the table, looking at the place settings.
Naomi could practically hear her counting them.
“And your husband?” the woman asked, her brows raised.
Naomi’s gaze darted to both her children before answering. “He was in the accident with my father. My mother, too,” she said, her voice soft. “They’re all deceased.”
Lynnette’s eyes widened, and her cheeks turned pink. “Oh. Uh. I’m real sorry to hear that.”
“Then who was the young man out in the fields earlier?” Nadine asked.
Katy blinked and turned on her heel back to the kitchen.
“That’s Mr. Zach,” Ben said.
Naomi put her hand on Ben’s shoulder. “Zachariah King. He leases our land to farm.”
“I see,” Nadine said.
Katy returned with a basket of bread, but Naomi could see that her eyes were moist and her lips were pressed tightly together.
“Thank you, Katy.” Naomi sat and nodded to Katy’s spot. Katy sat, staring down at her plate. “Shall we say the blessing?”
During the meal, the two women kept up a constant stream of chatter. Naomi was thankful that it wasn’t all questions she had to answer. She was also grateful that she didn’t have to say much. Katy was completely silent, and Ben began to look sleepy enough to fall right off the bench.
Finally, after an hour of non-stop talk, the two got up and moved from the table.
“What time is breakfast?” Nadine asked.
“We can serve it at seven-thirty, unless you have a different preference,” Naomi said.
“How about eight-thirty?” Lynnette asked. “Even that’s a bit early.”
“Now you know, Lynnette,” interjected Nadine, “we need to be getting on the road.”
“True. But there’s time enough, I would think.”
“Then, we’ll say good night,” Naomi said and stood. “Breakfast will be at eight-thirty.”
The women looked a bit abashed, as if they didn’t expect to be dismissed. Naomi supposed they’d planned to sit in the front room and talk the rest of the evening away, but Naomi knew she wouldn’t be able to bear it. She hated to be ungrateful, but she wondered whether their one hundred dollars was worth the inquisition.
Justin Moore had been so much more fun as a guest.
She felt her cheeks grow warm, as she ushered the women to the front door. They said good night, and Naomi watched them go down the porch steps.
“Let me know if you need anything,” she called after them, feeling almost guilty—as if she needed to offer something in return for not wanting to spend the whole evening together. But then she realized she was being silly. Surely, it wasn’t necessary to entertain guests every moment of their stay.
She went to the kitchen where Katy was busy washing dishes. She walked up to her and put her arm around the young girl’s shoulders. “I’m sorry, daughter. They are quite the talkers, aren’t they?”
Katy nodded.
“They meant no harm.”
“I know,” Katy said.
“Leave these dishes. Why don’t you go outside for a bit before bedtime?”
Katy pulled her hands from the water, and Naomi handed her a towel. “It’ll get better, you know. Every month that passes. It’ll get better.”
Again, Katy nodded. Then she threw her arms around Naomi is a crushing hug. Naomi held her close for a long while. Katy didn’t cry, nor did she make a sound, which was a welcome change. Used to be the girl couldn’t stop weeping.
Naomi sent up a prayer of gratitude. What she’d said was true. Things were getting better, whether they were consciously aware of it or not. Her mind jolted back to her episode earlier when Zach had intervened. She took a slow breath and kissed the top of Katy’s kapp. Despite what had happened that afternoon, she was getting better, too.
But she was grateful that Zach had been there. She hadn’t liked him seeing her like that, but his strong hands helping her inside had been a comfort. He was a good man.
How often she thought so.
****
Naomi braced herself the next morning for the onslaught of the women at breakfast. Surprisingly, they were quiet. Both of them looked tired, and Naomi worried that they hadn’t
slept well or been comfortable in the daadi haus.
As they were checking out and paying, Naomi decided to ask them. “Did you sleep all right?”
“Neither of us ever sleep well the first night in a new place,” Nadine said. She put her hand on Naomi’s arm. “Now, don’t you get upset about it. It had nothing to do with the accommodations. Everything was real comfortable.”
“I’ll put the bags in the car,” Lynnette called through the door.
Nadine went on. “We want to thank you for everything. Actually, we’re sorry we can’t stay another night. We’ll be sharing all about your place with our friends, though. So be expecting more guests.” Nadine leaned close as if making an important announcement. “My book club has read quite a few Amish romances. They’re going to be plum jealous of me and Lynnette. I imagine a few of them will book a stay immediately.” She glanced around the top of the expansive oak desk as if searching for something. “Do you have a phone?”
Naomi shook her head. “Not yet. I will get one soon.” And she realized it was true. She would get one soon; although, she didn’t have a clue about what was involved in buying a cell phone.
“Wonderful! Why don’t I give you my number and when you get a phone, you give me a call. I’ll spread the word to my Book Club. My relatives, too. They’d fancy a night with the Amish.”
Naomi took down Nadine’s number.
“I guess that’s it, then.” Nadine gave her a smile. “Don’t be too surprised if you see us again next year. We pass through this way every year on our way up to Chicago. We have a conference there. It’s a church retreat of sorts. Why, you might be interested. It’s quite—”
“Nadine!” Lynnette called from the porch. “Are you coming? We’re going to be late. And you know the Chicago traffic. We’ll be lucky to arrive at all!”
Nadine laughed. “Okay. I’m off. Good-bye, Naomi.”
Naomi hurried with her to the door and waved them off. As the billows of dust followed them out of the drive, she couldn’t help but smile. For all their nosy ways, they really were nice women. Truth be told, they weren’t so different from many of her own people. After all, didn’t her fellow women friends want to know everything about everyone, too?
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