Loretta laughed. “Jah, sorry to say it, but the walls in here reminded me of something from the twins’ diapers. A couple coats of butter yellow are a big improvement.”
“And the fresh white on the cabinets makes the whole room look bigger, too,” Edith said with a satisfied sigh. “Asa said Adam Wagler—the guy with the big remodeling wagon—would take down that far wall, so we might as well move on upstairs to the bedrooms.”
“At the rate we’re going, we’ll be finished in a couple more days.” Loretta glanced up at a battery clock they’d hung on the wall. “I’ll head back to the house so Dat won’t think we’ve forgotten about his dinner.”
Edith slipped her arms around her sisters’ shoulders, chuckling at their paint-splattered old dresses and kerchiefs. “Denki so much for your help,” she murmured. “Doing all these rooms by myself would’ve overwhelmed me.”
“Many hands make light work,” Rosalyn quipped.
“It’s fun to work where you and Asa will soon be living,” Loretta put in. “And with the rooms being empty, it’s a lot easier than painting at home would be—even though we’ll have to tackle that chore one of these days.”
“I don’t see how Dat stands working downstairs, as dingy as those walls have gotten. But I shudder to think about moving his clocks and workbenches around to freshen up his shop.” Rosalyn slipped into a plastic rain poncho and then playfully lifted Leroy from the playpen. “Let’s get home, little man. You’ll be fussing for your bottle pretty soon.”
“I’ll be right behind you with Louisa,” Loretta said. “Won’t take us long to stir up some pancakes and eggs. We’ve got leftover ham, too.”
Edith nodded as she gathered their painting equipment. “I’ll wash these trim brushes and be right there. We’ve got a package of new roller covers for this afternoon, when we change to pale blue, so we’re all set.”
The house got very quiet after her sisters left with the twins. Edith enjoyed having this time at the kitchen sink, getting the feel of the room where she’d be spending so much of her time someday soon. Living in this house with Asa would be an adjustment, after having Rosalyn and Loretta for her constant companions—especially during the day, when Asa worked in his shop. But she would have the twins to occupy—
“Aha! Here you are, the queen of this kitchen!”
Edith jumped at the sound of an unexpected voice. “Asa! I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon after you spent the weekend here.”
Asa grinned mischievously. He shook the rain from his straw hat and draped his slicker over the screen door as he closed it. “Thought I’d surprise you while I was out delivering a set of furniture,” he replied. “We’ve got a buyer for our shop in Clifford. It’s just a matter of signing off on the paperwork once the money comes through, so we’re finishing our current orders before we have to move everything out.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful-gut news!” Edith returned his steady gaze, adoring the way he made her feel so pretty. When she realized she’d left the water running, she continued to rub the white paint from her brush. “I’d hug you, but I’ve got paint all over my hands.”
“You’ve been busy. The kitchen looks fabulous.” Asa slipped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as he bussed her temple. “I can’t wait until we’re living here, you and I. The day will be here before we know it—”
“It’s only four more days until Bishop Tom announces our intent to marry,” Edith interrupted with a happy sigh. “My life feels so much fuller, so much more blessed, now that you’re in it, Asa.”
“I know all about that, pretty girl,” he murmured.
When Edith turned her head Asa kissed her, as she’d hoped he would. Her cheeks went hot as she hurried to finish rinsing the paintbrushes. “How about if you join us for dinner? It’ll only be pancakes and eggs, because Loretta and Rosalyn have been helping me, but—”
“Can’t stay this time,” Asa murmured apologetically. “But I’ll return as soon as I can. This weekend, most likely.”
Edith nodded. “You’ve got a lot to do. And truth be told, Dat’s cranky today, so maybe it’s best you’ll not be surprising him.”
Asa plucked his slicker from the door. “He’ll have to get used to me sooner or later. But I’m glad we’ll have our own place, instead of living at your house the way a lot of newlyweds would,” he remarked. “Drew’s fixing up an apartment above the shop, so our home’ll be real cozy with just you and me, Edith. See you this weekend.”
She returned his smile, her whole body aglow. “I’ll be waiting.”
Asa blew her a kiss and slipped out the door. A few moments later, Edith watched his two black horses pull an enclosed delivery van down the lane toward the road. It tickled her that he’d gone out of his way to see her again, if only for a few moments. How had he driven in without her being aware of it?
You were lost in your pretty thoughts. Focused on the future . . . But maybe he came the back way, on a path between the fields.
Through the window above the sink, Edith saw the van stop at the new metal building beside the road, where the Brennemans were working inside on this rainy day. The three brothers and Asa had spent most of Monday erecting the building, with the help of several local men, so now the putty-colored structure with its pumpkin metal roof stood as the most recent testament to Willow Ridge’s growth. By the time Bishop Tom announced Asa and Edith’s plans to marry on Sunday, the shop’s interior would probably be finished enough that Asa and his brother could move their equipment and furniture into the new Detweiler Furniture Works.
This is happening so quickly and efficiently—and it’s happening to me! Edith mused as she rinsed paint from the last brush. When she saw the van take off down the road, she blew Asa a kiss. She washed her hands and headed home to help with the noon meal, feeling so happy she didn’t mind the rain or the puddles that soaked her old tennis shoes.
“Hello, Will!” she called out as she approached the house. “Too wet to do any planting today, jah?”
“Sure is,” he replied as he rose from the porch swing. He was holding Louisa, feeding her a bottle. “Your sisters assigned me to the twins while they fix dinner. I believe the kids’ve put on another pound or two since I last saw them.”
“They slurp down their goat milk, that’s for sure,” Edith said with a nod. She crossed the porch to lift Leroy from the playpen, and picked up the bottle that rested on the swing. “They’ve been gut supervisors while we were painting today.”
“I saw Asa stop by the house, as well. I waved when he came out of his new shop, but I guess he didn’t see me.” Will held Edith’s gaze as he swayed gently from side to side with the baby. “Seemed like he was in a hurry. I’m surprised he didn’t come over to see the twins.”
Edith considered this—and laughed at Leroy when he grabbed hold of the bottle to begin drinking. “Could be Asa had a certain time he was expected to deliver his furniture, and he knew he’d run late if he played with the babies. He was excited because they’ve sold their shop in Clifford.”
“Wow, that happened faster than he’d figured on. Things are moving along.”
“This Sunday Bishop Tom’s publishing our plans to marry, too,” she said. “So, see there? Lots of gut things have come from that confrontation you had with him on the roadside.”
Will’s eyes widened. “Please tell me you’re planning on a long courtship, Edith,” he pleaded. “Take it from me, marriage requires a lot of patience and adjusting even when it’s just the two of you, let alone adding twins to the picture. I—I’ve wondered lately if I leaped before I looked when I hitched up with Molly, you know?”
Edith blinked. Was Will another naysayer, suggesting that she and Asa were rushing their relationship? “We haven’t set the date,” she hedged, hoping to avoid a troublesome conversation.
“Don’t get me wrong. I loved Molly dearly,” Will murmured. “But a couple more months of courting her would’ve revealed a big secret that would’ve cha
nged everything. Just saying.”
Edith didn’t reply. She focused on Leroy’s little fingers gripping his bottle . . . on his wispy hair, which was getting darker now, and on his deep blue eyes. The baby gazed up at her with so much love and trust; Edith’s heart swelled at the thought of being his mamm.
For a fleeting moment, Leroy’s forehead puckered, and his tiny eyebrows tilted down toward his nose. Edith held her breath. Asa looks exactly that way when he’s puzzled—or bothered by something.
When the wee boy resumed sucking on his bottle, however, Edith’s doubts disappeared. She’d been thinking about Asa so often lately that she’d momentarily superimposed his features over Leroy’s. As often as her sisters tended the babies, neither of them had ever mentioned a resemblance to Asa, so she wouldn’t go looking for one, either.
“Shall we help your aunts with the pancakes?” Edith murmured. “I’m thinking it’s time for you and your sister to try some of the applesauce we’ll be serving, too.”
Leroy’s laughter made Edith laugh, as well. His plump, happy face looked nothing like Asa’s.
There you have it. Don’t let your imagination run away with you.
* * *
As the courting buggy rounded the last curve and headed toward Willow Ridge on Saturday afternoon, Asa couldn’t stop smiling. After a day of painting the new shop’s interior, with help from the Riehl girls and Will, he and his brother could begin moving their furniture from Clifford. He’d just ordered a sturdy wooden sign from a fellow in Morning Star, and his hopes were flying high. Detweiler Furniture Works would reopen sooner than he’d ever thought possible.
“I’m glad we rode over to order the shop’s roadside sign from that fellow Luke told me about,” he said to Edith. “Now that I’ve seen Morning Star, New Haven, and Higher Ground, I’m even more certain we’ll have several places to sell our refurbished furniture. I was glad to see that poster about the upcoming flea market, too.”
“Jah, this was my first visit to Morning Star,” Edith remarked. “I liked the consignment shop there—in case I find time to make more baskets than Nora wants to carry.”
Asa slowed the horse, hoping to enjoy this ride for as long as possible. “Seeing the refinished kitchen table and chairs there made me wonder about your preferences in furniture,” he began softly. “We have a lot of rooms to fill, Edith. It would be more economical for me to refinish the bigger pieces myself, but . . . maybe you’d rather have a new kitchen or bedroom set. I really like what the Brennemans make—”
“Jah, I’ve been eyeballing their pretty pieces at Nora’s,” she cut in, “but their prices nearly stop my heart.”
“You get what you pay for, sweetie.” On a hunch, Asa steered the horse up the next hill. “They dovetail the joints and drawers, and they take extra pains selecting just the right wood for each set they make. Their finishing work is top-notch, too.”
He smiled at Edith, determined to keep her brown eyes sparkling forever, just the way they were now. “In the long run, you save money by buying gut furniture one time, instead of having to replace it after a few years,” he went on. “Let’s stop at Simple Gifts before Nora closes for the day, and we’ll browse in the Brennemans’ shop sometime soon. I want you to pick out a roomful of furniture—without looking at the price tags—and that’ll be your wedding present.”
Edith’s stunned expression startled him.
“Did I say something wrong?” Asa murmured as he urged the horse up Nora’s lane.
She let out a nervous laugh. “Oh, no, I—well, I’ve never gotten to pick out furniture,” she admitted in a rush. “We’ve had everything in our house since before I can remember.”
“Perfect. I want this to be the most special gift you’ve ever received, Edith.”
As she grabbed his hands and squeezed them, Asa thanked God for giving him such a fine idea. He worked on furniture nearly every day, so Edith’s sudden joy over getting to select the pieces for their new home was a gift in itself. After he hitched the horse to the railing and helped her down from the buggy, Asa took her hand to enter Simple Gifts.
Just outside the door, Edith hesitated. “If I see something here I like, wouldn’t it be better to ask Seth if he could make us something like it?” she asked in a tiny voice. “Nora tacks a considerable percentage onto the items she carries.”
Asa was so in love with her, he couldn’t speak for a moment. “I admire your frugality, Edith,” he murmured. “But it might be a while before Seth and his brothers could get a roomful of furniture made for us—and after the way they set aside their other work to build my shop so quickly, I couldn’t expect them to do that for me again. If you see what you want, say the word, and it’s yours.”
“Oh, Asa,” she murmured. “You’re so gut to me.”
Asa’s body thrummed as they entered the store. A few other customers strolled the aisles toward the back and upstairs, but no one else was looking at the furniture display. Asa couldn’t miss the enchantment on Edith’s face as she slowly walked the length of a beautiful oak table that was extended far enough to have ten matching chairs around it. A small printed card said there were two more leaves that went with the table, and four more chairs.
“Gut afternoon, Asa and Edith!” Nora called from the upstairs loft. “If you have questions, just holler. I’ll be down in a bit.”
Asa waved at her, grateful that Edith could shop uninterrupted. The expression on her dear face made him glad he’d spoken for her before some other man had caught her fancy. Edith was so easy to please—and so eager to please him. He could search the Plain world forever and not find another woman who made him feel so happy. So complete.
When Edith wandered over to a maple sleigh bed with a mirrored dresser and chest of drawers, Asa continued watching her. If this was the set she wanted, he might ask Seth to fashion them a matching bed in a larger size. Maybe the crowded shop was affecting his perception, but he suspected his feet would bump the tall, curved footboard.
Edith looked up at him. “This seems short, ain’t so? It’s a beautiful piece, but an open-ended bed might work better for you, Asa.”
When her cheeks turned a modest pink, Asa chuckled. “You’ve been reading my thoughts again. When I was at the Brennemans’ shop, I saw lots of other beds in progress, so—”
“I want you to find our bedroom set,” she said earnestly. “It would be really special to know you’d refinished the wood and chosen the pieces especially for our room.”
“I’ll be happy to do that,” he replied. “Next time we’re at the house, we’ll choose which room will be ours, and I’ll get its dimensions.”
“Oh, it’s the one in the back corner, overlooking the pastureland.” Edith grinned at him. “I painted that room myself—a clear blue that’s a few shades lighter than your eyes.”
Asa was too awestruck to think. She could have asked him for every piece of furniture in the store, and he would’ve bought it, just to keep the dazzling smile on her face.
“May I have this oak table and chairs, along with the hutch?” Edith asked after a few more moments of contemplation. “To my way of thinking, the kitchen table’s the soul of a home. It’s where folks gather each and every day to be nourished and to share their lives. It’s where individual people become a family.”
Asa felt such a welling up of emotion, he wasn’t aware of Nora’s coming over to join them.
“What a wonderful sentiment,” the storekeeper murmured. “If you want this table set—or anything else in my store—for your new home, I’ll deduct my consignment fees. As your wedding gift.”
“But on a table and fourteen chairs—and the hutch,” Asa protested, “you’d be cutting yourself out of hundreds of dollars, Nora. I wouldn’t feel right if you did that for us.”
“I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t.” Nora glanced toward the customers at the cash register. “I can have Seth deliver it whenever you’re ready—no charge for that, either. I’m happy you’ll be making your
home with us in Willow Ridge, Asa.”
Half an hour later, Asa left Simple Gifts feeling jubilant. The furniture Edith had chosen had cost more than he’d figured on paying for her wedding gift, but what more worthy person could he spend his money on? Edith was grinning, clasping her hands like a delighted little girl as she sat beside him in the buggy. It was a moment he knew he’d always recall—and in his excitement, he couldn’t hold back.
“What if we set our wedding date for a week from this Thursday?” he blurted. “It’s not as though my family will be coming from far away—”
“Nor mine. The ones who don’t live in Roseville aren’t able to travel anymore,” Edith said in a tight, excited voice. Then she frowned. “But if that’s the fourteenth of May, I’m pretty sure it’s Ascension Day. I’m not sure how they celebrate here in Willow Ridge, but ordinarily folks are holding big family reunion picnics, playing games together, and—”
“So the day after that will be perfect,” he insisted. “We can invite our family and friends to be here for Ascension Day and to stay for our wedding—we don’t have to marry on a Thursday, after all,” Asa pointed out. “And why not ask the Witmers to do our wedding meal at the Grill N Skillet? You and your sisters wouldn’t have to worry about all that cooking, or serving the meal in your house.”
“Oh, my. Hosting a dinner at our place would take more redding up and cooking than we could possibly do on such a short notice,” Edith mused aloud. A giggle escaped her. “I like it! Let’s do it! We’ve already got the house, and your shop, and my wedding dress, and—”
“And we’ll be able to adopt the twins sooner that way, as well,” Asa said as he stroked her cheek. “Will believes that, at this point, their father will never step forward. He’s told me he wants us to raise Louisa and Leroy, with his blessings. He’ll sign the papers once we start the adoption process.”
“And then they’ll be ours. We’ll be a family,” Edith murmured prayerfully. “That’s the best reason of all for marrying sooner rather than later, don’t you think? It sets their future. Folks will stop speculating about Molly—and Will can put the past behind him.”
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