"Hired you?"
She nodded. "Just for ten hours a week. Until you come back."
"Did you lose your job?"
Jamie shook her head. "Remember, they cut back my hours. So I was thinking about finding something, and before I could, it just happened."
"That's wonderful!"
"You're sure? You're okay with it? Really?"
Mary Katherine's heart went out to her friend. "You were worried? Why? I know you aren't trying to take my job."
Jamie threw her arms around her. "No! Never! I just love hanging there. It's such a cool place. I feel so creative when I'm there."
Standing back, Mary Katherine considered her words. "Why didn't we ever think of that?"
"Of what?" Jamie flung herself into a chair.
Going to the sink, she filled the teakettle, thinking hard. "You should talk to my grandmother—"
"Talk to your grandmother about what?"
She spun around to look at Leah, who'd walked into the kitchen. "You should have Jamie show you her portfolio from her classes. I think some of her things would be perfect for the shop."
"Didn't I tell you that she'd be fine with your helping at the shop?" Leah smiled at Jamie. "And yes, I'd love to see your portfolio."
The teakettle whistled. Mary Katherine took it off the flame and started filling cups.
"What's taking so long?" Anna, impatient as always, demanded. "We've been waiting and waiting!"
"It's been less than five minutes," Naomi pointed out dryly. "Here, let me carry those out to the living room. We're insisting on Aenti Miriam staying on the sofa."
"Longest time I've ever seen her sit down in her own home," Leah muttered. "Where is Isaac?"
"He went into town for supplies." Mary Katherine loaded the cups onto a tray and carried it out into the living room.
Her mother must have heard her. "They haven't had a single fight," she told Leah. "I'm proud of her."
Mary Katherine was carrying a bottle of Pepto-Bismol in the pocket of her dress . . . But she wasn't going to tell her mother that. She served her a cup of tea with a dollop of cream, just the way she liked it, and exchanged a look with her grandmother that said, "As if I'd fight with him around her."
Anna opened the bakery box and took out cream horns.
"You remembered my favorite from that little bakery near the shop!" Miriam exclaimed, taking the horn Anna placed on a plate and handed her. "This is worth getting sick for."
Leah looked over the tops of her glasses.
"Well, maybe not quite," Miriam admitted with a twinkle in her eyes. "But it's worth it to have Mary Katherine here."
She smiled at her mother but found herself dreading her father's return.
"So, tell me all the latest news," Miriam said, wiping the whipped cream from her lips with a napkin.
"You mean the gossip," Anna said mischievously. She leaned forward. "Naomi is seeing someone."
"Anna!"
Leah gave Anna a stern look. "Now, don't tease. You know that's private."
"Why's dating so secret?" Jamie asked, debating one of the little tea cakes Leah offered from another box. "I never understood that."
Mary Katherine lifted her shoulders and let them fall. "It's just our way." As much as she wanted to know, she tried to repress her questions.
Naomi shook her head. "If I don't tell you, Anna will drive me crazy," she said.
Anna sniffed, then laughed. "You're right."
"John has been coming around the shop," she told them. "John Zook." She smiled shyly. "Things have really been moving fast. We've seen each other every day for the past two weeks."
"Well, I'm away for just a little while and look how things change," Mary Katherine said. She looked—really looked—at her cousin. She'd never seen her so happy.
But every day?
She glanced at Anna and saw that her expression had sobered. Their eyes met. Anna nodded and frowned slightly.
Naomi was telling her aunt how John had brought her a carved wooden keepsake box for her birthday.
"That sounds expensive," Miriam told her. "Are you sure you should be accepting such expensive gifts from someone you're not even engaged to?"
Naomi bit her lip, glanced at her grandmother, then blurted out, "I don't think it'll be much longer. Before we're engaged, I mean. John said he got a crush on me the minute he came to the community six months ago. Now that we're seeing each other, well, he doesn't see any point in delaying."
"Delaying what?" Miriam asked, looking at her expectantly. "Delaying what?" she asked again when Naomi just blushed.
Mary Katherine stood. "I'm going to go boil some more water." She looked at Anna. "Maybe you can help me."
Anna laughed. "Like you need help boiling water?"
"You can bring the dishes into the kitchen," she told her, giving Anna a meaningful look.
Anna started to say something and then caught the drift. "Oh, okay." She picked up the dishes and followed Mary Katherine into the kitchen.
"Now," Mary Katherine said. "We barely know John. What do you think of him?"
Mary Katherine was beginning to feel like taking care of someone meant that you wore a path in the floor going to answer the front door.
"I could get that," her mother said as Mary Katherine rushed to the front door to keep her from doing just that.
When she opened it, all she could see was a big bunch of cut flowers. Then it lowered, and she saw Jacob smiling. "Guder mariye. These are for you."
"Me? You mean my mother."
He thrust them at her. "No, you."
"But we're just friends."
"Friends can give friends flowers."
She put a hand on her hip. "Who said?"
"Me." He continued to hold them out to her. "They're to celebrate spring. It's been a long winter, and the last couple of weeks haven't been easy for you."
"Mary Katherine? Who is it? Invite them in, it's cold outside."
Jacob stepped inside. "Guder mariye, Miriam. Good to see you again."
"Kumm, have some kaffe."
He shook his head. "I have something to do first."
With that, he ducked out the door, and Mary Katherine shut it behind him. She looked out the window and watched him walk to his buggy. He reached in and withdrew a flowering bush and set it on the ground, then pulled out another and another. Mystified, she watched him carry them up to the house.
"What's he doing?"
She jumped. "You scared me!"
Miriam smiled. "What's he doing?" she repeated.
"I don't know."
They heard the clump of boots behind them. Mary Katherine turned and saw her father approaching. Her glance fell, and she saw that he'd tracked in mud from the back door. Honestly, couldn't the man wipe his feet? She couldn't believe how much extra work he made for her mother . . . well, for her the past couple of weeks, as she wouldn't let her mother do anything.
But she wasn't going to say anything if she had to bite holes in her tongue.
"What's he doing here?"
"I don't know."
"Is he courting you?" he asked her bluntly.
"Isaac! You know that's not our business."
He grunted and left the room.
Miriam watched him go, then turned to Mary Katherine. "Is he courting you?"
"Mamm!"
She laughed, and Mary Katherine felt a shaft of happiness shoot through her. It was the first time her mother had done so since she'd gotten sick . . . really, the first time Mary Katherine could remember in a very long time.
Maybe it hadn't been such a bad thing to come back here in spite of the way her father treated her.
"I'm going to go find out what he's up to." Mary Katherine went to the kitchen, got her shawl, then marched outside.
"What are you doing?"
"Figured I'd bring these for your mother and cheer her up. Might be hard for her to do her spring garden planting in the shape she's in."
Mary Katherine could only stare.
"I'm sorry," she said, walking down the stairs. "I'm just surprised. It's very nice of you."
"It'll do her good," he said quietly. "And the sooner she's better, the sooner you'll be out of there."
"I—" She didn't know what to say.
"But it's going to snow again, so we'll leave them on the porch for her until we can plant them."
"You're sure it's going to snow again?"
He lifted his head in the way so many of the farmers she knew did, taking in the sky and clouds and the smells on the air. "Ya."
"Did you consult that weather site, too?"
Grinning, he nodded. "And some of the other farmers I know. Always best to consider all the sources. Why, I hear some people even pay attention to a groundhog. When I was in town one day, I saw a news show on television and everyone was watching a show about it. Name was Phil."
"Whose name?"
"The groundhog. He's from Punxsutawney."
"Did it talk?"
He laughed. "No, although the television surely had a lot of make-believe on it." He scooted a potted plant over a few feet.
"Does this look good?"
She glanced over at the window and saw that her mother was still standing there looking out. "I think this is something Mamm should decide."
"True. Is she up to it?"
"I think it'll do her good," Mary Katherine told him. "She loves her garden."
"I know. I've often seen her working in it when I ride past."
"Be right back."
"What's going on?" her mother wanted to know when Mary Katherine came inside.
"You'll see." Mary Katherine fetched her mother's coat and scarf.
"Well, so I'm actually being allowed outside?"
Mary Katherine rolled her eyes. "I haven't held you prisoner." She helped her mother into her coat.
"You keep telling me to rest."
"Because you need to."
"You just buttoned me into my coat like I'm a little girl."
She stared at her mother for a long moment, and then she laughed. "I did, didn't I?" She hugged her. "I'm just glad that you're better. It was a scary time when you got sick."
Miriam patted her back. "I'm fine. I intend on being around for a long time."
"Good."
"Your dat, too."
Mary Katherine shivered. "Come on, let's go tell Jacob what you think of his gift."
Miriam oohed and aahed over the bushes as she walked around the porch. She pointed out that the pots of daffodils would look pretty nearer the door, and then she went inside, saying she'd make coffee.
"You lie down!" Mary Katherine called after her. She turned and found Jacob grinning at her. "What?"
"You don't think she's going to listen to you, do you?"
"Probably not," she grumbled.
"I see where you got your stubbornness."
"I'm nothing like her."
"No?"
"No," she said with conviction. "We're nothing alike. She won't speak up to my father about anything."
He looked at her for a long moment.
"What?"
He just continued to look at her.
"Go ahead and say it."
"Say what?"
"You obviously want to say something, and you won't." She folded her arms across her chest as much from feeling defensive as to keep warm.
Jacob stopped. "Look, I understand that you want to keep the peace while you're here so you don't upset your mother. And I'm all for being respectful of your parents. But that night I had supper with the three of you . . ." he trailed off, then he looked directly at her. "It wasn't right the way he was treating you, that's all. I'm sorry."
"You don't have to feel sorry for me," she told him stiffly, feeling her cheeks redden with embarrassment.
"I didn't say I felt sorry for you," he said, his tone sharp. "I was sorry that I didn't tell your father that it was wrong to treat you that way. I didn't want to upset your mother or make things worse. But it was wrong of me not to speak up. When we witness such an action, we have a responsibility to speak up."
Mary Katherine sat down on the stairs and wrapped her arms around her knees. "Mamm never spoke up," she said, staring at the ground. She lifted her gaze. "I know she loves me, but she never spoke up when he was treating me badly."
He came to sit on the stair beside her. "Did he ever hit you?"
She shook her head.
"But sometimes words hurt more than hands," he said quietly.
"I remember when I was a girl I thought you had the most wonderful parents." Realizing what she'd blurted out, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure her mother wasn't behind her, listening. "I've grown closer to Mamm since I've been here, and I'm grateful for that. But I wish things had been different."
"Then maybe things might have been different for us as well."
Surprised, she jerked her head up to stare at him. "How?"
"Think about it, Mary Katherine. Think about it."
He got up to walk to his buggy, leaving her to stare after him.
"Is she sleeping?"
"Shh!"
"Don't shush me."
"Well, be quiet then!"
"I'm awake," Mary Katherine said without opening her eyes.
"You were snoring."
She opened her eyes and glared at Anna. "I don't snore."
Anna giggled. "You do."
"Don't tease," Naomi said.
"Stop acting like the older sister, Naomi."
"Stop acting like the younger one, Anna."
Mary Katherine groaned. "Stop acting like—like bickering kinner." She yawned and stretched. "Thanks for letting me sleep, you two." She frowned when she saw the time. "But you shouldn't have let me sleep so long."
"The shop was quiet." Naomi opened the refrigerator, took out a plastic container, and opened it to reveal sandwiches. She set it on the table. "You looked tired."
"I tried to get everything done so Grossmudder wouldn't have much to do today. Mamm's getting better, but she still needs a lot of help."
"I brought in a casserole so you could take it home with you," Naomi told her as she carried a pitcher of iced tea to the table. "It's in the refrigerator."
"Danki, it'll be nice not to cook tonight."
Someone knocked on the front door.
"Did you put the 'Closed' sign on the door?"
"Yes. People don't read. Maybe if we ignore them, they'll go away."
But the knocking not only continued, it became more insistent.
Naomi started to rise, but Anna stopped her. "I'll go."
Mary Katherine chose a sandwich and placed it on her plate. "Thanks for bringing this in."
"It's the least I can do." She bit into an egg salad sandwich. "When do you think you'll be back for good?"
"Next week, I hope. After Mamm goes to see the doctor."
Anna returned, frowning. A young man followed her into the room.
"Who was—oh, it's you! What are you doing here?"
Mary Katherine watched Naomi's face light up. This must be John, she realized.
"Brought you a little gift," he said, bringing a bouquet of roses from behind his back with a great flourish.
"Oh, you shouldn't have," Naomi said, burying her face in the blooms. "But they smell wonderful." She gazed at him adoringly.
Anna cleared her throat, and Naomi blinked and shook her head.
"Oh, sorry," she said to Mary Katherine, and she blushed. "This is John. He used to live over in Franklin County. John, this is my cousin, Mary Katherine."
"Hello." He immediately turned back to Naomi.
Naomi found a vase in a cupboard, filled it with water, and arranged the roses in it.
Mary Katherine surreptitiously studied John. He was handsome, but she didn't think that he seemed as warm as Jacob.
"Would you like a sandwich?" Naomi asked him. She held out the plastic box to
him.
"Thanks," he said, and took two.
She placed a plate before him and got up to get another for herself.
Anna picked up the box and handed it to Mary Katherine. "Quick, get yours before he gets his hands on it," she whispered.
Mary Katherine elbowed her, but there was no need to worry—Naomi and John appeared engrossed in each other. "You want tuna or peanut butter and jelly?"
"I know you love PB & J. You take it."
They took their sandwiches and began eating.
"So, John, what do you do?"
"Do?" He pulled his attention away from Naomi.
"For a living."
"Oh, I'm a carpenter."
"What are you doing in town today?" Naomi asked him.
"We finished the job early," he said, swallowing the last bite of his sandwich. He looked into the plastic box and appeared disappointed when he found it empty.
Naomi placed half of her sandwich on his plate, and he took it eagerly.
"I thought I'd see if you could take the afternoon off," he said, reaching over to pick up her glass and take a drink of her tea.
"Oh, sorry, I should have gotten a glass for you," she said.
"This one's fine," he said, taking another sip.
Anna glanced at Mary Katherine. She gave her a warning glance. It was obvious that Anna didn't like John, but she needed to be polite. Later, they could talk about whatever was Anna's problem with the man.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I can't do that," Naomi told him.
"Why not? You said last night it's been slow the last few days."
"Yes, but—"
"You don't mind, do you?" he asked Anna and Mary Katherine.
"It's not up to us," Anna told him. "It's up to our grandmother."
"So ask her," he said, wiping his mouth on a paper napkin. "Got anything else to eat?"
"Some cookies." Naomi brought the cookie jar to the table and spread some on a plate. "Grandmother's not here today. She's helping Aenti Miriam."
"Well, an hour can't hurt." He took a handful of cookies and stood, grasping Naomi's hand and drawing her to her feet. "You two can hold down the fort, can't you?"
"Sure," Anna said sarcastically. "You two just go on."
"You're sure?" Naomi hesitated.
Mary Katherine glanced at Anna, and then she nodded. "We're sure."
John was already pulling Naomi out of the room, she laughing and protesting that she needed her jacket. She managed to grab it, and a few seconds later, they heard the sound of the bell over the front door as they left.
Her Restless Heart Page 15