“If she made you feel better, she’s my new best friend, too.” He winked as he walked down the front steps to meet her.
She stepped to his side, happy to have the twenty-minute walk home, just long enough to stretch their legs.
After they’d gone about halfway, he spoke. “Judith, I think we could use a little vacation. Why don’t you do some thinking about where you’d like to go?”
“We don’t need a vacation.”
“I know, but it might be nice to get away.” He brightened. “We could go out west. Colorado might be fun. Remember how we always talked about seeing Pikes Peak? We could do one of those Pioneer Bus trips.”
“All right. I’ll look into that.” But Judith already knew she wouldn’t. She didn’t want to go away; she wanted to reclaim herself and her life. And she could only do that right there in Sugarcreek.
“Well, even if we don’t take a vacation, I think we should go spend a few days at your parents’ haus.”
Judith frowned. “I already told Mamm I didn’t want to leave you.”
“I said we, Judith.”
“You want to stay there, too?”
“Uh-huh.” Looking sheepish, he said, “I’m sorry, but I could use a little bit of your family’s craziness right about now.”
“Anson will drive you crazy. Probably within ten minutes of our arrival.”
He chuckled. “Maybe. But my little Maggie will make up for his peskiness.”
“My little sister has you wrapped around her pinky.”
Ben smiled. “That’s no secret.”
Judith pondered the idea of going to her parents’ house while they walked another block. Looked at the terra-cotta pots filled with bright purple mums in front of one person’s bungalow.
And watched a trio of schoolchildren chasing one another in their front yard. They were Englischers, but their antics were as familiar as some of her memories from growing up.
By the time they’d stepped onto their front porch, Judith knew that Ben’s idea was the right one. “All right, then. Tomorrow at work, tell Daed that we’re going to come stay for a while.”
He smiled. “I’m glad you changed your mind. I’ll tell him that we’ll head over tomorrow evening. Okay?”
“Okay.”
“Gut. Now come here and hug me, frau. I love you.”
Stepping into his embrace, Judith closed her eyes and gave thanks once again for her husband. Ben knew her so well. He spoiled her and always put her first.
And . . . sometimes he even knew when to ignore everything she said and take charge.
“I love you, too, Ben.”
“I know,” he whispered, pressed his lips to her neck. “I promise, I know.”
chapter fourteen
No matter what might be going on in her personal life, Miriam was eager to lend her help to Kaylene Beiler.
From the moment Mary Kate had told her about Kaylene’s struggles, Miriam knew that she would be willing to do anything to help the little girl. She had never had a difficult time in school, but she could only imagine how difficult it would be for a tenderhearted young girl.
She knew from experience what it felt like to be teased mercilessly when one was a little different, after all.
When Miriam walked inside the old whitewashed schoolhouse, the smells of glue and crayons and pencils surrounded her . . . as did the stuffy scent of kids and tennis shoes and grass and snacks.
It felt like taking a giant step back in time.
Even if she’d been led into the building blindfolded, she knew she would recognize the place in an instant. Childhood memories were very strong, she supposed.
A glance at the chalkboard brought back memories of standing at the front of the class, solving sums. The rag rug by the windows reminded her of the stories Miss Hannah used to tell. The rows of neatly lined desks? Sitting behind Judith Graber . . . and mooning over Junior Beiler, who sat one row up and two rows over.
Mary Kate was chatting with Kaylene at the front of the room. And since they looked to be deep in conversation, Miriam took her time walking to the front of the room. With a smile, she read the bulletin board, filled with all kinds of information about assignments and activities that were planned.
Oh, but it all sounded so familiar!
Picking up a few dropped pencils, she noticed an overflowing pencil sharpener. Pencil shavings littered the counter and the floor around it. Unable to help herself, she carefully emptied it and then set it back in place.
Then straightened a stack of books. And gathered up a pile of papers, neatly fastening them with a paper clip she found next to a pile of chalk.
“Miriam, you shouldn’t be cleaning the classroom,” Mary Kate called out.
“I don’t mind. It’s giving me something to do.” Meeting Kaylene’s gaze, she said, “I don’t want to disturb you two.”
“You didn’t disturb us; you’re the reason Kaylene is here, right, Kaylene?”
Looking at Miriam warily, the little girl gave a little nod.
Mary Kate smiled. “I was anxious for you to meet Kaylene. Or have you met?”
“Well, we haven’t spent much time together, but we do know each other, don’t we?” Miriam said gently. “Kaylene, I want you to know that I’m looking forward to helping you as much as I can. I love to read.”
Kaylene bit her lip, looking a bit embarrassed.
Mary Kate placed a comforting hand on the girl’s shoulder. “All we’re doing is trying to help you read better.”
“Jah. I’m going to try my best to catch you up to speed.”
“I don’t know why I can’t read good.”
“Remember what we talked about?” Mary Kate said gently. “Everyone in the class has something they’re good at and something that they need to work on. You simply need a bit of help reading.”
The little girl nodded, but she looked sadder than ever.
Miriam decided to take things into her own hands. Picking up the two books Mary Kate had put aside, she said, “Let’s go sit outside.”
“Is that okay, Teacher?”
“Of course.”
The moment they got outside, Miriam smiled. “This is better, don’tcha think? It’s nice to be out in the fresh air. I don’t know about you, but I would be ready to get out of that stuffy classroom by three o’clock every day.”
Kaylene’s eyes widened and she giggled a bit.
Feeling encouraged, Miriam pointed to a picnic table off to the side, near a pair of teeter-totters. “Want to go sit over there?”
Kaylene nodded.
When they got settled, Miriam looked at the two readers Mary Kate had picked out for them to work on. Both looked like beginning reader books. And both would probably help Kaylene.
But Miriam thought they also might embarrass her, too. She remembered reading the same stories when she first started school. They were a bit childish for an eight-year-old.
Instinctively, she knew that Kaylene was going to have to feel good about what she was reading in order to give it her best effort. With that in mind, she made a quick decision. She set the two books to one side, opened up her tote bag, and pulled out the book she’d picked up on a whim at the library right before she came to the school.
“Kaylene, have you ever heard of this book? It’s called Little Women.” Miriam had always loved the story. She’d loved Jo and the setting, and, of course, she’d liked the idea of being one of four sisters. She’d always wanted to have siblings her age.
Kaylene looked at the book with obvious skepticism. “What’s it about?”
“It’s all about four sisters who live in the 1800s during the Civil War.”
Kaylene wrinkled her nose.
Miriam laughed. “I promise, it’s a gut book. A mighty gut buch. The girls have all sorts of adventures. Since you have a lot of siblings, I have a feeling you might be able to relate to them.”
“I do have a mighty big family.”
“Well, I’m only one of three, an
d my brother and sister are much older.”
Kaylene blinked, a new interest appearing in her eyes. “That’s like me!. I’m the baby of the family.”
“Even Levi is much older than you, ain’t so?”
“Uh-huh. He’s eight years older. Levi is sixteen.”
“I’m glad we have something in common then.” Fingering the book cover, she looked at Kaylene. “So, would you like to give this a try? Or, we can read one of the books your teacher gave us. I promise, either is fine with me.”
Kaylene glanced at the two readers, then at Little Women. “Let’s read this, Miriam. I mean, if I can.”
Miriam’s heart went out to her. Instead of sounding excited about the story, she sounded almost as if she were getting punished.
Remembering that Mary Kate said Kaylene needed to work on both comprehension and her reading, Miriam said, “How about I read a paragraph, then you read one? Then, after we each read, we’ll talk about what happened.” After Kaylene nodded, Miriam opened up the book. “I’ll begin.” She took a breath and started reading about a Christmas long ago, the coldest and snowiest one in memory.
After she read a few short paragraphs, she patiently helped Kaylene read out loud her section. After a few stumbles, Kaylene began to read more fluidly, and Miriam started to wonder if the little girl had simply needed a bit more confidence.
When Kaylene finished reading, they talked about what they’d read, Kaylene understanding far more than Miriam had expected her to.
When they went back to the story, Kaylene leaned a little closer to Miriam and the book. After they read five pages, she glanced at Miriam shyly. “I like this story.”
“That makes me verra happy. Let’s read a little bit more.”
They’d just finished their tenth page when Kaylene looked up and burst into a bright smile. “We’re reading!”
Miriam wrapped an arm around Kaylene’s shoulders and gave her a little squeeze. “Indeed we are. I’m mighty proud of you!”
Kaylene looked like she was going to add something but then her eyes widened. “Oh! My bruder is here.”
“Which one?” she teased, glancing around behind her.
Her heart sank. Well, of course it had to be Junior. Kaylene might have been one of eight kids, but there seemed to be only one of them that Miriam was destined to see. The very man who reminded her of everything she had always longed for.
When he caught her eye, he looked just as taken aback. “Hi, Miriam.”
“Hello, Junior.”
“You two look like you’ve been working hard.”
“We surely have.” Miriam smiled at Kaylene. “And we’ve been getting to know each other, too. I’ve enjoyed it verra much.”
Junior met her eyes for a long moment, his own gaze warm and filled with gratitude. Then he crouched down so he was almost eye level with his sister. “How are you, Kay?”
“I’m gut.”
“I’m glad about that.”
“I didn’t know you were going to come get me, though. I thought Micah was.”
“Yeah, well, Micah got busy so I said I’d come.” He turned to Miriam. “So, am I too early? I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“You didn’t. We were finished.”
“Oh! Oh, well, that’s gut.” Looking uneasy for the first time, he said, “Would you mind if I went inside to speak with Mary Kate for a moment?”
Though she knew she shouldn’t be surprised, Miriam felt a flash of disappointment. She’d never tell Kaylene, but she suspected that there was only one reason Junior had come to the schoolhouse instead of one of his brothers or sisters. “I don’t mind.”
“Why do you want to see her?” Kaylene asked with a little frown. “I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“I know that, Chipmunk. I wanted to talk to her about something else.”
“What?”
He looked at Miriam in a silent plea for help.
She, however, wasn’t about to get in the middle of this conversation. She smiled sweetly, content to watch him dig his way out.
After a moment, he said, “Mary Kate and I are becoming friends, that’s why. And friends say hello to each other whenever they can.”
“Oh.” Kaylene nodded, but it was obvious to all three of them that no one believed his silly explanation.
Hoping to ease Kaylene’s confusion, Miriam made a shooing motion with her hands. “If you’re going to say hello to her, you had best go do that.”
“Danke.” He smiled, then turned quickly toward the door of the schoolhouse.
Their book temporarily forgotten, Miriam watched him go inside with a frown. She didn’t know what made her more uncomfortable, the fact that Junior liked her best friend and there was nothing she could do about it, or that here she was, still trying to do something nice for Junior when it was more than obvious he was never going to do anything like that for her.
“Miriam, you’re frowning. Are you sad?” Kaylene asked.
Fearing there were now two bright splotches of color formed on her cheeks, she shook her head. “Not at all. I am just fine.” She snuggled a little closer to Kaylene and pointed to the paragraph they’d been about to read. “Your turn, Chipmunk,” she teased.
Kaylene giggled as she began to read again.
chapter fifteen
Mary Kate glanced up from the novel she was reading when Junior entered the room. An expression of dismay flashed through her features before she smiled. “Hi, Junior.”
“Hi.” She looked so . . . so unexcited to see him, he hovered near the door. “I’m sorry. I thought you knew I was picking up Kaylene.”
“I did. It’s just that you’re a little early. That’s all.”
“I thought, perhaps, we could talk a little bit before I took her home. Unless you’re too busy, of course.”
With a snap, she closed the book and shoved it into a drawer. “I’m not too busy to talk about Kaylene. Come on in.”
As usual, he was struck by her beauty. Today she wore a purple dress. The dark color set off her green eyes and auburn highlights. Worried she might notice he was staring, he averted his eyes.
She moved to a long table with two rather small chairs next to it. “Please, sit down.”
He sat. After she did, too, he said, “I visited with Kaylene and Miriam outside before I came in here. They seem to be getting along.”
“I watched them out the window myself. Kaylene’s been all smiles and giggles. But that’s no surprise to me. Pretty much everyone is like that around Miriam.”
Her reference made him think about just how easy it had been for him to open up to Miriam. And the revelations she’d shared about Mary Kate. He decided to tread carefully. “Mary Kate, I really did come in to . . . to talk with you. But not about my sister.”
She stared at him blankly.
It wasn’t often that he felt at a complete loss for words, but that’s how he was feeling, and it seemed to be what happened when he was around Mary Kate. Perhaps this was what it was like to be in love? You wanted to impress the other person so much you hardly knew what to say? It was too bad he didn’t enjoy it much.
He ached to ask her about her ex-boyfriend. Yearned to understand more about her, about what made her tick. But there was no way he would betray Miriam’s confidence.
So, he cleared his throat. “So, Mary Kate. Um, what do you do when you’re not working?”
“Nothing much. I don’t know too many people yet.”
“Maybe after church on Sunday we could go to Anderson’s Apple Farm.”
A line formed between her brows, marring her almost perfect face. “What is there?”
The answer was perfectly obvious. Apples. With his sisters, he would have teased them something awful. Even with Miriam, he would have joked about the question.
He tempered his response with Mary Kate, though. After all, she was new to Sugarcreek. “You can pick apples there.”
Her eyes brightened, then it was firmly tamped down. “Oh. I d
on’t really cook.”
“Do you eat?” he teased.
“I’m not fond of apples, so I don’t think it would be a gut idea.”
“Oh.” Finally, he decided to be straightforward. Now that he understood her reticence, he yearned for it to be out in the open. He felt sure that if she understood how he was used to looking out for others, how he was used to being leaned on, she would finally turn toward him.
“Mary Kate, have I offended you in some way I don’t know about? It must be obvious that I’ve been trying to get to know you better.”
She looked down at her folded hands before meeting his eyes. “Junior, I am sorry. I should have told you this some time ago. The truth is that I don’t want to date anyone right now.”
“Why is that?” He held his breath, waiting for her to finally tell him the truth.
“Well, I used to see someone in Millersburg. Things didn’t end well between me and him.”
“What happened?”
After a brief pause, she shook her head. “I’d rather not say. But please know that it’s because of him that I don’t want to date anyone anytime soon. He, uh, left me feeling a bit wary when it comes to men.”
“Have you ever considered that you don’t need to be wary around all men?”
“Yes. But you need to realize that I’m not being coy. At the moment I just don’t have it in me to even ponder a new relationship.”
“Maybe, sometime soon, you should give someone else a try.”
“Junior, have you listened to a single word I said?”
“Oh, jah. But I’m hoping you’ll come around to my way of thinking soon.”
“It might be a while.”
“That’s okay. See, I’ve got time.”
For some reason, his confident statement didn’t sit well with her. “Junior . . .”
“How about we have kaffi or tay one afternoon? That’s pretty harmless.”
“Junior—”
“Or pie. We could go to the Sugarcreek Inn and have a slice of pie? Miriam will probably be there.” He held up a hand. “And we won’t even think about anything other than possibly becoming friends. Surely you could use another friend, right?”
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