“I hope you’re right, but at the moment, my youngest daughter doesn’t have time to think about children. She has only one thought on her mind: getting her kennel business going.”
“Guess you and your oldest daughter must be busy getting things ready for her upcoming marriage to Cleon Schrock, jah?”
Judith nodded. “We’ll be shopping for the material for Grace’s dress soon.”
“She must be excited.”
“I believe so, but I think she’s also kind of naerfich about things. The last couple of days, she hasn’t been acting quite right.”
“Ach, she’ll be fine once they tie the knot.”
“I’m sure you’re right. She and Cleon are so much in love, things are bound to work well for them once they’re married.”
Betty reached over and snatched an oatmeal cookie from the plate in the center of the table. “Say, did you hear about the outhouses that got overturned at a couple of schoolhouses up near Kidron?”
“Can’t say that I did.”
Betty ate the cookie and washed it down with some tea, then leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “My Elam told me about it. Said he read it in the newspaper this morning.”
“Did your husband give you any details?”
“Said it must have happened sometime during the night because the teachers discovered the damage when they got to their schoolhouses the next morning.” Betty shook her head. “It was probably some rowdy English fellows out for a good time.”
“Or it could have been Amish boys kicking up their heels during their rumschpringe.”
“Maybe so, but they should know better.”
Judith took a cookie and dipped it into her cup of tea, then popped it into her mouth, savoring the sweetness. “Seems like there’s always something going on, either with English kids playing pranks or Amish fellows sowing their wild oats.”
“Sure am glad none of my kinner ever got involved in anything like that.”
Judith bit back a reply. If Betty wanted to believe none of her eight boys had ever pulled any pranks, that was her right. Judith was just thankful the good Lord had given her only girls. Grace had been the only one of her daughters to really experience rumschpringe, but thankfully, she’d come back home after living a couple of years in the English world and had settled right down.
Martha stepped into the barn and drew in a deep breath. Dad must have cleaned the horse stalls that morning, because they smelled of clean, sweet hay.
She hurried to the back of the building where she’d made a bed from a wooden crate for her female sheltie and the pups she would give birth to soon. Fritz, the male sheltie she’d bought for breeding purposes, was kept in an empty stall on the other side of the barn during the night and outside on a rope during the day. Eventually, Dad would get around to building a kennel with separate sections for her to house each of her dogs, but in the meantime, the empty barn stalls would have to do.
“Here, Heidi. Where are you, girl?” Martha called when she discovered that the dog wasn’t in the crate. Since the sheltie wasn’t due to have her pups for a few more days, Martha figured she was probably outside somewhere or had found herself another place to take a nap. If the animal had been nearby, surely she would have answered Martha’s call.
Martha headed to the other side of the barn and had just touched the door handle when it swished open. Luke stepped in.
“Whoa! Didn’t think anyone would be standing inside the door. We could’ve bumped heads.”
She took a step back. “I—I didn’t expect to find you standing there, either.”
“Just came to get a couple of cardboard boxes your daed needs. He said I’d find some stacked inside one of the empty horse stalls.”
“I can show you the place if you like,” Martha offered.
He jiggled his eyebrows playfully. “Might be a good idea. I could get lost in this old barn.”
“Puh! You’re such a tease. I don’t know how my sister puts up with you.” She turned on her heels and led the way to the horse stalls.
“Ruth tends to be a little more serious than I am,” Luke said. “I make her laugh, and she helps me remember that life isn’t a dish full of strawberry ice cream. That gives us a healthy balance, wouldn’t ya say?”
“I guess it does.”
“Last Saturday when Ruth and I met Toby and Sadie for a picnic at the pond, I had them all laughing with my new fishing pole trick.”
“What trick was that?” she asked over her shoulder.
“I wasn’t paying close enough attention to what I was doing and ended up snagging the top of Ruth’s kapp while I was trying to cast my line into the water. Sure got razzed about that little mistake from Toby and Sadie.”
Martha chuckled as she stepped into the unused horse stall and lit the gas lamp hanging from the rafters. “All kinds of things are stashed in here, including what you came for.” She motioned to the cardboard boxes stacked against one wall.
“Looks like a couple of ’em are just the size I’m needing.” Luke reached for the boxes, then halted. “Hey! What’s this?”
“What’s what?” Martha peered around his outstretched arm and gasped. “Heidi! Why she’s gone and had her hundlin inside that old box.”
Luke nodded. “That’s what it looks like all right.”
“I guess she didn’t care much for the wooden crate I fixed up for her on the other side of the barn.”
“Dogs are like humans in some ways,” he said in a tone too serious for someone like Luke. “They’re as picky about their birthing boxes as we are about choosin’ our mates.”
Martha wasn’t sure how to respond since she hadn’t given much thought to choosing a mate. Truth was, she didn’t have a whole lot on her mind these days except getting her kennel business going. “I suppose it would be best to just leave her be since she’s picked this place and seems nicely settled in.”
He nodded and stared into the box. “How many pups does she have in there, can ya tell?”
Knowing it wouldn’t be a good idea to touch any of the puppies yet, Martha squinted and tried to count each little blob. That’s what she thought they looked like, too—squirming, squealing blobs with tiny pink noses. “I think there are five,” she announced. “Could be more scrunched in there, though.”
“Sure are noisy little critters. Are you planning to keep any?”
She nodded. “I might keep one for breeding purposes, but I’ll sell the rest because I need the money.”
He tipped his head as though studying her. “You’re quite the businesswoman, aren’t you?”
“I’m trying to be.” Martha moved away from the box. “Guess I’ll head back inside and see if Mom needs my help getting lunch on the table. Heidi would probably like to be left alone with her brood, anyway.”
Luke reached for two of the empty boxes. “I’d better get back to your daed’s shop before the impatient fellow comes looking for me.”
With no comment on her father’s impatience, Martha turned down the gas lantern and followed Luke out the door. She felt good knowing that Heidi had given birth to a litter of pups. At last, she was well on her way to what she hoped would be a successful business venture.
Roman looked up from the paperwork he was doing when Luke stepped into the shop carrying two cardboard boxes. “Took ya long enough,” he grumbled. “Couldn’t you find the stall I told you about?”
“Found it just fine.” Luke set the boxes on the floor. “Martha and I discovered that her sheltie had given birth to five hundlin in a cardboard box inside the stall.”
“I’ll bet my daughter was happy about that. She didn’t think the pups would be born for a couple more days.” Roman nodded toward a stack of finished cabinets sitting along one wall. “The set of cabinets Steven Bates ordered for his wife’s birthday are ready to go, so I’d like you to deliver them today.”
“Sure, I can do that. Want me to go now or wait ’til after lunch?”
“Now would be b
etter. You can eat lunch when you get back.”
“Okay.”
Roman pushed his chair away from the desk. “I’ll help you get them loaded and tied onto the wagon, and then I need to get busy and finish up the paperwork I started this morning.”
“I’m sure I can manage to tie ’em in place on my own,” Luke said, moving toward the cabinets.
“Okay, but you’d better be certain they’re tied on good and tight. Steven’s a picky customer, and he won’t stand for any scratches or dents.”
“I’ll make sure everything’s firmly in place.”
They soon had the cabinets set in the back of the wagon Roman used for hauling, and as Luke began to tie them in place, Roman headed back to the shop. A short time later, he heard the buggy wheels rolling and Luke calling for the horse to “get-a-moving.”
“Sure hope he doesn’t get that horse moving too fast,” Roman mumbled as he reached for his ledger to begin making entries again. “That kid is either running late or moving too fast. No happy medium where Luke’s concerned.”
For the next hour and a half, Roman worked on the books. Every now and then, he glanced up at the clock on the far wall to check the time. He figured Luke should have been back by now—unless he stopped somewhere to eat his lunch.
The sound of a car door slamming brought Roman to his feet. A few seconds later, Steven Bates entered the shop, looking madder than a bull chasing a dog around the pasture.
“What’s wrong? Didn’t you like the cabinets Luke delivered? He did deliver them, I hope.”
“Oh, yeah. He got ’em a few feet from my driveway, and they slid off the back of your wagon and landed in the street—in several pieces.”
Roman’s face heated up. “How’d that happen?”
“Guess you didn’t get ’em tied on good enough.” Steven grunted. “Tomorrow’s my wife’s birthday, and now I’m in big trouble because our kitchen remodel isn’t done.”
Roman struggled to keep his temper from flaring. He should have insisted he help Luke tie on those cabinets, and he shouldn’t have trusted the kid to do them alone. “It’ll take me a few weeks, but I’ll make good on the cabinets,” he promised.
Steven shook his head. “Don’t bother; I’m done.”
“Done? What do you mean?”
Steven squinted his beady brown eyes as he rubbed the top of his balding head. “You’ve been late with work I’ve contracted you to do before, your work’s not the quality I expect, and now this! I’ll be taking my business down the road from now on.” He turned on his heels and marched out the door, slamming it with such force that the windows rattled.
Roman rushed to the door, but by the time he got there, Steven’s car had peeled out of the driveway, sending gravel flying in all directions.
A short time later, Luke showed up, looking more than a little sheepish. “Sorry to be telling you this, but—”
Roman held up his hand. “I already know. Thanks to you, I won’t be getting any more of Steven’s business.”
“I—I thought I had those ropes tied real good, and I can’t figure out how it happened.”
“Jah, well, what’s done is done, but now I’m out the money Steven owed me, so I’ll be takin’ it out of your pay to make up for what I lost today.”
Luke’s face turned bright red. “But those cabinets weren’t cheap. It’ll take me several weeks to pay you back.”
Roman gave a curt nod. “And you’ll work twice as hard as you’ve been workin’, too.”
Luke opened his mouth as if to say something more, but then he closed it with an audible click. “What have you got for me to do now?” he asked, turning toward the workbench.
“You can start by sweeping the floor in the back room, and when you’re done with that, I’d like you to clean the front windows.”
A muscle on the side of Luke’s neck quivered, but he just grabbed the broom from the closet and headed for the other room.
“Always trouble somewhere,” Roman muttered under his breath. “I knew I shouldn’t have hired that irresponsible fellow.”
The door to Roman’s shop opened again, and this time Martin Gingerich stepped into the room.
“Can I help you?” Roman asked as he turned to face the young man with light brown hair.
Martin nodded and glanced around the room as if he might be looking for something. “I … uh … came by to see if you’d have the time to make something for me.”
“All depends on what it is.”
Martin removed his straw hat and fanned his face with it a couple of times. “My folks’ anniversary is coming up soon, and I was hoping to give them something nice.”
“Did you have anything particular in mind?” Roman asked as he headed for his desk and took a seat in the chair behind it.
Martin followed and continued to fan his face while he stood on the other side of the desk, facing Roman. “Thought maybe they might like a new rocking chair.”
Roman leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk. “I’m not braggin’, mind you, but I think the rocking chairs I make are pretty nice—real comfortable, too.”
“Can you have it ready in three weeks?” Martin asked.
Roman nodded. “Jah, sure. Shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Danki.” Martin’s gaze dropped to the floor, and he twisted the brim of his hat in his hands.
“Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“Uh … no, not really.”
Roman pushed his chair aside and stood. “Okay then, I’ll put a card in the mail to let you know when the chair’s ready.”
Martin’s head came up. “Oh, no! Better not do that, or my folks will know about my surprise gift.” He shuffled his feet a few times. “I’ll just plan on dropping by here once a week to check on it.”
“Sounds good to me. I’m sure I’ll have it done in plenty of time for their anniversary.”
Thinking the young man would head out, Roman moved toward the front door. Martin followed, but when he got to the door, he halted and turned to face Roman again. “I … uh … heard that Ruth got a job in Berlin working at the bakeshop.” His voice sounded raspy, almost a whisper.
“Jah, she sure did.”
“Does she like it there?”
“I guess so.” Roman grinned. “Who wouldn’t like working around all those sweet-tasting pastries and pies?”
Martin nodded and glanced around the room again. “Heard you hired Luke Friesen a few months back, but I don’t see him anywhere. Does that mean he’s not workin’ for you anymore?”
Roman nodded toward the back room. “He’s doing some cleanup.”
“I see. Well, I’d best be on my way, I expect. See you soon.”
Roman shook his head as Martin headed out the door. That fellow was sure the nervous type. Nothing like Luke, who never seemed to think twice about what he said or did.
Chapter 7
Cleon pulled into the Hostettlers’ place, halted his buggy in front of the hitching rail, and climbed down. As soon as he had his horse put in the corral, he skirted around to the back of the buggy and lifted his bicycle out. Today was another beautiful Saturday with clear blue skies and plenty of sunshine, despite the drop in the temperature that typically came with fall weather. Even though he knew Grace had worked until three this afternoon, Cleon figured they had time to go for a bicycle ride before the sun went down.
He parked his bike near the barn and hurried around the house to the back door, where he found Judith sitting on the porch with a pan of plump, golden apples in her lap and a paring knife in one hand.
“It’s good to see you, Cleon,” she said, smiling up at him as he stepped onto the porch.
“Good to see you, too.” He glanced toward the door. “I’m here to take Grace for a bike ride. Do you know if she’s ready to go?”
“She’s upstairs changing her clothes, so if you’d like to have a seat and keep me company for a while, that’d be real nice.” Judith nodded toward the wicker ch
air that sat beside her own.
“I believe I will.” Cleon liked the way Grace’s mother always took time out to visit with him. Not like his mother, who stayed busy from sunup to sunset. But then, Judith didn’t have a home-based business where she had to feed several groups of hungry, curious tourists several times a week. Mom also had her candle-making business, and even though she had the help of Cleon’s sister with both jobs, she had very little time to sit and visit.
“It’s a fine day for a bike ride, jah?”
Cleon nodded. “What are your other two daughters up to this afternoon?”
“Martha’s out in the barn hovering over her dogs, like usual, and Ruth went for a walk with her friend Sadie.” Judith’s lips puckered as she lifted her knife and began to peel one of the apples in the bowl. “Ruth was supposed to go somewhere with Luke this afternoon, but Roman asked him to work today, so she made other plans, which might be a good thing in the long run.”
“What makes you say that?”
She shrugged. “If Luke’s giving Roman a hard time in the shop, then he might not be the best choice as a suitor for Ruth. She tends to be quite sensitive, and I’m not sure a headstrong man like Luke is what she needs.”
The back door swung open, and Grace stepped onto the porch, saving Cleon from having to respond.
“Ready to go?” he asked, feeling a sense of excitement at the prospect of being alone with her again.
Grace nodded and smiled. “Just don’t expect me to go speeding down the road. My legs are tired from work, and I’m not sure how far I can go without my strength giving out.”
“Would you rather we not ride our bikes? We could go for a buggy ride instead.”
She shook her head. “That’s okay. I need the fresh air, and the exercise my legs will be getting is different from walking or standing.”
“Okay then.” Cleon smiled at Judith. “I’ll have your daughter home in plenty of time for supper.”
Judith’s eyes twinkled. “You’re welcome to stay and eat with us if you like.”
“I might take you up on that offer.” Cleon lifted his hand in a wave and hurried down the steps after Grace.
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