“I’m sure we were. Anyway, she’s only three, aren’t you, Becca?” Tiny cooed.
Becca smiled and held up three fingers.
“Perhaps, though I don’t recall.” Their mamm picked up a dishrag. “Are you going to be checking out another one of your history books, Aaron?”
“Maybe. I don’t know.”
“I’ve never known a boy so interested in history and geography. I’m proud of you.”
“Danke, Mamm.” He felt vaguely guilty, since his parents had no idea he was studying for the high school equivalency test, but not guilty enough to spill his secret. There was no way they could find out, either. They were too afraid about anything that might pull him away from them, too afraid of anything that would take him down Timothy’s path of being permanently shunned from both their community and their conversation.
Just as he looked at the kitchen clock yet again, Jack came running down the stairs.
“Aaron, I found it!”
“Don’t yell, Jack!” Mamm called out.
“Sorry.” He held up his stack. “See?”
“I see.” Aaron opened up his backpack and stuffed them inside. “Am I supposed to pick any up?”
“Yep. Sarah Anne has two mysteries for me. Can’t recall the titles offhand, but they’re filled with murder and mayhem.” He grinned. “I’m sure of it.”
“I’ll get them for you. Bye now.”
“Hold on, Aaron. Are you working today?” Mamm called out.
“Jah. I’ll be at Zeiset’s until dark.”
She frowned. “He runs you ragged, he does. Remind him that you are needed here at home, too. With your family.”
That’s what she always said. It was another veiled reference to Tim, and how he’d gone out into the Englisch world in spite of their parents’ best efforts. “I’m fine, Mudder.”
“See you later,” Jack called out as he poured a large mug of hot coffee. “I’d best get back out to the barn.”
Aaron knew that Jack had already been in the barn since five that morning. For all his disorganized mess, Jack was a hard worker. He helped their father farm their land in the spring, summer, and fall, and did woodworking in the barn in the winter.
“Ready, Aaron?” Tiny asked. “As you can see, I have on my boots and cloak.”
He stuffed his feet into his heavy winter boots. “I am. Bye, everyone.”
Five minutes later, he and Tiny were on their way to the bookmobile. Tiny’s real name was Elizabeth, but Aaron couldn’t recall anyone ever calling her that. Their father started calling her “Tiny” soon after she was born, since she’d been born early and was so much smaller than he, Tim, and Jack had been. Though she was normal size, now, the name had stuck.
She was seventeen to Jack’s eighteen and his twenty-one. At one time, they’d all walked to school together, but now that they were older, their days were as different as the three of them were.
Tiny was the most dependable. She flitted around, helping them all with one thing or another. Lately, she spent much of her time helping their mother can and sell their jams and jellies.
Tim had been handsome and loud. He’d also always questioned everything: their parents’ rules, their church district’s customs, the adherence to tradition. For a time it had seemed that he’d settled down. He’d gotten baptized and was even courting Suzanne down the street. But then they’d broken up, and he’d declared he wanted to leave everything they were behind. Their parents had threated to shun him. It had all happened so quickly, and he was lost to them forever.
Jack was the most easygoing and helped their father around the farm. He’d also been the best student, much to Aaron’s dismay when they were younger. Jack had taken his good grades for granted, never thinking too much about school; he’d always preferred to be outside by their father’s side.
Aaron, though he was now the oldest, was in many ways the odd duck. He’d been a dreamer, always thinking about his studies late into the night. He’d been the one making up stories he would have loved to one day publish and the one with all the questions about history. He hadn’t just wanted to know about Lewis and Clark and their journey out west; he had wanted to know what everyone was wearing, what they ate, how they prepared for such an adventure, and even how they made their maps. Now, though? Well, now his dreams were of the more concrete nature. He wanted to be smart enough to manage Zeiset’s.
Rounding out their family was little Rebecca, his parents’ surprise babe. It had taken them all off guard when their parents had announced that their mother was with child. But little Rebecca had been a blessing. He had no idea what her gifts were going to be, though perhaps it was her sunny disposition. Becca had brought all of them so much joy.
Tiny was perhaps the closest to Aaron. In a lot of ways, they were like two peas in a pod. Well, that’s what their mother always said.
“Do you ever wonder how the five of us ever got into this family?” he mused, voicing his thoughts out loud. “We’re quite the varied lot.”
Tiny nodded. “It has crossed my mind a time or two. But I’m glad we’re different. I like our differences. I kind of like that our haus isn’t like everyone else’s.”
Aaron knew what she meant. Their family was anything but a stereotypical Amish household. They were loud, disorganized, and rather messy. Their mother took the mess in stride and never thought to complain about her inability to keep a clean house, often thanking the Lord instead for giving her a pair of good eyes and a love of reading, cooking, and sewing.
A few minutes later, they reached the crest of the hill, and Aaron could see the bookmobile parked in the empty lot, just like always. He breathed a sigh of relief. They were going to make it there on time after all.
“Are you ever going to tell me what is really going on with you?” Tiny blurted.
He was not, but he played dumb. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you do. Sarah Anne practically sneaks the books you order to you under a shelf. It’s obvious you’re studying something you don’t want the rest of us to know about.”
“It is private, but it’s nothing bad.”
“I didn’t think it would be.” She gave him a curious look. “Aaron, if you ever want to talk about it, I can keep a secret, you know.”
“I know.”
“But?”
He smiled. “But I’m afraid I don’t want to share right now.”
She groaned. “Fine. But you’re going to have to tell us all what you’re really up to sooner or later.”
“I understand.” He just hoped it would be far later than sooner. “Just give me time, okay?”
“Jah. Sure.” She smiled at him before waving to her friend Virginia.
Aaron breathed a sigh of relief. Virginia would distract Tiny from thinking about him for a while. Which was perfect because Sarah Anne said she was going to have some news for him today.
He just hoped it was the news he’d been praying for.
two
• RULE #2 •
Be friendly and helpful. Also, never offer an opinion if you can help it. Take it from me, lots of advice eventually comes back to haunt you.
Sarah Anne had known it was going to be a good day the moment she spied the likable Coblentz kids through the window. “Aaron and Tiny! It’s good to see you,” she said as she walked to the door to meet them. “I was beginning to worry that you wouldn’t be in today.”
While Tiny laughed and went to join her friend near the stack of new releases, the handsome, quiet boy nodded. “I was a little worried myself. At first, my brother couldn’t find his books for you.” He handed over two popular mysteries.
She took them with a grin. She’d come to appreciate all the members of the Coblentz household, and indeed they were a varied lot. Aaron’s brother particularly amused her, often reminding her of a human pinball, constantly zipping from one activity to another. “At least Jack found them. That’s something.”
He smiled back. �
�Jah.” After looking out the open doorway, he lowered his voice. “Did you have any luck finding me some help?”
After making sure no one was around, she replied, “I did. I found you a tutor.”
He couldn’t believe she’d found him one so fast. “Really? When can I meet him?”
“First of all, she is a woman, and I took the liberty of setting something up for you tomorrow at four in the afternoon. If memory serves, that’s when you get off work, yes?”
“Yes.” He nodded, but he didn’t look nearly as excited as she’d hoped. “Sarah Anne, I appreciate your help, but I don’t know how I’m going to be able to meet this woman right after work. The furniture store is downtown, you know.”
“I know. But guess what? Kayla just happens to work at the little sewing shop across the street from Zeiset’s. You won’t have to worry about not getting along with her, either. She confided in me that she almost left the faith, and while she was making her decision, she took the GED.”
“Really?” He’d honestly thought he was the only Amish person around who wanted to take the notoriously difficult test.
“That’s what she told me.” Sarah Anne shrugged. “You’ll have to ask her more about that, if you’re curious.”
“How old is Kayla?”
“Hmm. Twenty-five or twenty-six, perhaps?”
So she was a little older. “What’s her last name?”
“Kauffman. Kayla Kauffman. That has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”
“I suppose.”
“Well? What do you say?”
He was desperate, and though he was a little uneasy to share his secret with a woman close to his age, he knew he was being silly. “I guess we could meet to see how it goes.”
“I think you could, indeed, Aaron. I think it was meant to be. I feel like the Lord has helped us set everything in the right direction. You need the help, and she needs the extra money. And her aunt is willing to let her tutor you in the back room of her shop.”
“There?”
“Her aunt runs the place and has a real good work area in the back. You two will be able to work in relative privacy.” Feeling awfully good about her efforts, Sarah Anne patted him on the shoulder. “That’s why I’ve been so excited to see you today, Aaron. If you didn’t show up, I was going to have to tell Kayla that the job wasn’t going to happen after all.”
“Thank you for helping me.”
“I’m happy to help you.” Deciding to comment on the worry lines she noticed, Sarah Anne added, “Aaron, sorry, but you don’t seem very pleased.”
“I guess I just realized that this is really going to happen. If my parents find out, I don’t know what I’m going to tell them. They’re going to be mighty upset with me.”
Sarah Anne had met his parents, and they’d seemed nice enough. Rather easygoing, too. But perhaps they weren’t always that way, or maybe not that way when it came to their oldest son. She’d certainly met more than a few people who had expectations for their children that caused nothing but pain and eventually failure for all of them.
“It’s up to you, but I’ve always been fond of the truth myself.”
“I reckon you’re right, but this time I know what the truth will get me.”
He still looked like he was about to meet the guillotine, but since more people had just walked inside, Sarah Anne decided to give Aaron some space.
“When you’re ready to leave, I have the book you ordered and all of Kayla’s information paper clipped to the inside of the front cover.”
“Sounds gut. I am going to look around a bit.”
“I’m glad.” She pointed to a display of books just to the right of them. “Go check out the newest arrivals. There’s a couple of good ones there.”
“I will, danke.”
“Of course, Aaron. That’s why I’m here.”
He smiled and, watching him turn away, Sarah Anne made a mental note to pray extra hard for him that afternoon. She’d begun to pray for eight or ten of her customers every day that she worked. She’d soon realized it was impossible to remain detached from the patrons she served. Almost immediately, she’d begun to notice all sorts of little things about them. They were slowly becoming her extended family.
Not a bad thing at all, especially considering that she’d been worried about taking the job in the first place. Besides, it was always easier to focus on all of them instead of her own troubles and worries.
The fact was, she was lonely. She was glad she’d accepted the early retirement her boss had offered at her accounting job, but when she’d left, she had also left behind a big network of friends and acquaintances there. Throughout the day, she’d have any number of conversations, even if just around the coffeepot in the morning or the watercooler in the afternoon.
Now, when she wasn’t out in the community, much of her work was done alone.
When she got home, it was worse. Her three-bedroom, two-story house was too big for one person, especially one person with memories of a husband who’d loved her dearly and had always looked out for her. Now, there were so many special items that evoked memories from vacations or holidays that they felt like traps at times.
But what else could she do? She was sixty-one. She wasn’t supposed to need excitement anymore. But it was hard to tell that to her heart.
“I think we’re ready, Miss Miller,” Tiny said, interrupting her thoughts. “Can we check out our books now?”
“Hmm? Oh. But of course.” Smiling at Tiny and Virginia, she held out her hands for the books. “Let’s get you checked out so you two can be on your way.”
“Danke,” Virginia said. “Tiny and me are going to stop by mei haus before we begin our chores for the day.”
“That sounds like an excellent plan. There’s nothing like a good visit with a good friend, is there?”
When the girls just giggled, Sarah Anne grinned. Yes, she just needed to concentrate on the good things in her life. Good things like books and Aaron needing her help and the sweet teenage girls who giggled.
Those were all good things. Very good indeed.
three
• RULE #3 •
Don’t tell a patron you’ll find something if you have no idea where to look.
“I know you’re a grown woman, but I’m going to stick around during your lesson, Kayla,” Aunt Pat announced. “Something doesn’t feel quite right about this student of yours. All this secrecy never did anyone much good.”
Kayla smiled fondly at her aunt. Even though her aunt was as worldly and English as she could be, they’d always been thick as thieves. Kayla’s mother used to say that she was the daughter her sister had never been blessed to have. All Kayla knew was that ever since her life had fallen apart three years ago, she would have been lost without Pat. Her aunt had bent over backward to help her time and again—especially after her mother died and her father had ceased to care about much beyond his overwhelming grief.
“Thanks, Pat. I’ll feel better knowing you are around.” Kayla didn’t feel good about this secret meeting, either. Even though she knew Aaron Coblentz was Amish, she didn’t know him personally since she was New Order and he was Old Order. And though it was doubtful that he was going to be anything but polite, she also knew that some people did bad things. This man could be a secret ax murderer or something.
Immediately embarrassed that she was jumping to such conclusions, Kayla amended her fears.
Or, maybe not something as awful as that. There was a good chance he could just be plain odd. She did have experience with that.
Even though Sarah Anne had said Aaron was really nice and not at all weird, she was holding her judgment. She’d never heard of anyone wanting a secret tutor, and Levi, her former suitor, had made sure she’d never trust easily ever again.
Her aunt’s reassuring smile faltered. “Uh-oh. Now I’m really getting worried. Usually you tell me to stop fussing when I spout my opinions.”
Though she was pretty sure Aunt Pat was se
eing right through her, Kayla lifted her chin. “I have a feeling that we’re both letting our imaginations get the best of us. Hopefully I’ll be able to tell you not to fuss at five o’clock.”
“Fingers crossed.” She held up two bejeweled fingers, crossed for emphasis.
Kayla was just about to tease Pat about her bright purple nails when the door to the shop opened and a serious-looking Amish man entered. She straightened. “Hello. May I help you find anything?”
After a second’s pause, he nodded. “I hope so. Are you Kayla?”
This was her student.
Oh my. He had a deep voice, a mop of dark blond hair, and hazel eyes. He was lanky but had wide shoulders and impressive muscles showing through the thin cotton of his gray shirt. He looked strong enough to lift the heaviest boxes that came in off the UPS truck on Monday mornings. In short, he was strikingly handsome, and she hated that she even noticed.
“Kay!” Aunt Pat whispered. “Say something.”
Looking back at the man, she spit out a reply. “Sorry. Jah. That’s me.”
“You’re Kayla? Kayla Kauffman?”
“I am. And I’m guessing you’re Aaron Coblentz.”
“Jah. I came here to be tutored,” he explained. As if he still wasn’t sure her mind was clicking along correctly, he said, “I assume that is still all right with you?”
“It is. I haven’t forgotten.”
Still staring at her intently, he nodded before glancing at her aunt. “I hope I’m not too late? It took me a little longer than I imagined to get off work.”
It was only five minutes past the hour. “You’re not late at all. We were just standing around talking. This is my aunt, Pat Rivers.”
“Hello,” he said before meeting her gaze again.
Pat smiled. “I’m pleased to meet you, Aaron.”
He nodded, then turned to face Kayla again.
That was her signal to get started, she supposed. After giving Aunt Pat a look that said a silent “wish me luck,” she walked toward the door of Pat’s office. “We’re going to meet in here. It will give us more privacy.”
A Perfect Amish Romance Page 2