“It’s settled then.” He eyed the empty bread plate. “Is there more bread in the kitchen?”
“Jah!” Lisa jumped up. “I’ll get it.”
“Will Ruth bring all her things with her when you marry? Such as furniture, I mean.”
Dat puckered his lips. “She doesn’t have much. Most of it belongs to her first husband’s family. I told her we have plenty here and not to worry.”
Sadie nodded. “Gut. But we will need one more bed for the littlest one.”
“Jah. I already arranged that.” He looked at her. “You and Lisa will be sharin’ a room and a bed.”
Sadie drew back. “We will? But why? We have two extra bedrooms.”
“I told Ruth that each girl would get her own room.”
Sadie was so shocked, she could hardly respond. Finally, she sputtered, “I don’t understand. They’re so young. Aren’t they sharing now?”
“Jah. But I done told Ruth, so there it is. And when we have more of our own, we’ll double the girls up quick enough.”
“Your own?” Sadie repeated stupidly.
Her dat gave her a strange look. In all these months, why had it never occurred to her that Dat and Ruth would have more children of their own? After all, Ruth was still in her child-bearing years, and it was only natural she would have more bopplis.
“Jah. Of course,” she mumbled hurriedly. “More children will be a blessing, for sure and for certain.”
Dat’s face flushed slightly, and he stood just as Lisa returned with more bread.
“I’m finished, Lisa.”
“But look, there’s more bread. Eat up, Dat.”
“Nee. I’m done.” He gazed down at Sadie. “When it happens, I’ll be lookin’ to you for more help around here.”
Sadie nodded obediently, shoving down her jumbled emotions at all the changes her family was about to go through. And right soon.
He left the room, his heavy footsteps creaking over the worn wood floors.
“What was that about?” Lisa asked.
“Dat’s future children.” Sadie’s voice was dull. She sank back against her chair and exhaled slowly.
“What?” Lisa asked and then her lips pouched out as she must have realized what Sadie meant. “You were talking about Ruth’s and Dat’s future bopplis?”
Sadie nodded.
Lisa’s face went red. “How embarrassing! I’m glad I was in the kitchen.
Three
Sadie was acutely aware of the time that afternoon. She must have glanced at the old round clock above the kitchen sink a hundred times. She was thoroughly disgusted with herself. Why she was even thinking about Joshua and his crazy invitation was beyond her. Plus his confidence doubly irked her because he seemed entirely too sure she would come.
She’d show him! She had no intention of meeting him in the woods just because he’d mentioned it. He could stand there under the trees for a decade waiting for her if he wanted, but she was not going. Besides, she’d planned to bake a couple of apple pies that afternoon and the peeling alone would take a big chunk of time.
Lisa pulled out the heavy green bowl from the cupboard. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, we’re running low on lard, and I know you planned to make some pies.”
Sadie pulled her gaze from the clock to stare at her sister. “Isn’t there enough?”
Lisa peered into the glass container that sat next to the cutting board. “Maybe. But you’ll be skimping.”
Sadie made a face. “Ach! I had no idea we were that low. Now I’ll have to run to the Feed and Supply for more.”
Lisa looked through the window, craning her neck toward the barn. “I think Dat already left or you could have asked him to pick you up some.”
Sadie took the container, looked inside, and squinted. “Hmmm. There might be enough. I can fill in with a bit of butter.”
“That would work.”
Sadie got out the flour and began putting the crusts together. Her hands were a greasy mess when there came a knock at the door.
“Who could that be?” Lisa asked. “Were you expecting anyone?”
“Nee. Run see, won’t you?”
Lisa scurried off to the front room. Sadie kneaded her dough gently and then grabbed the rolling pin.
“Sadie!” came Lisa’s voice. “It’s Lizzie Bontrager. Can I visit a bit?”
Lizzie often stopped by to chat with Lisa. She was a nice girl who lived not far down the road. She and Lizzie were close to the same age and had both recently begun attending the youth singings. Ever since then, Lizzie filled Lisa’s ears with talk about which boy had eyes for which girl.
Harmless, really.
“Fine. I’ll just get these pies into the oven.” Sadie busied herself finishing the crusts and poured in the apple mixture she’d already prepared.
Glancing up, she saw it was a few minutes till three. She placed the pies on the oven rack and shut the heavy door with a pronounced slam. It took a few minutes to tidy up her mess. She tossed the dishtowel on the counter and stared out the kitchen window. The sun streamed through the tall poplar tree in the front yard, making speckled patterns of light dance over the grass. A robin perched on the lowest thick branch. He seemed to stare directly at her as if daring her to do what she truly wanted to do. She swirled away from the window, leaning against the edge of the sink.
Five minutes after three.
He’d be gone by then anyway. Wouldn’t he?
With a sharp intake of breath, she pulled off her apron and ran out to the front porch. Lizzie and Lisa were sitting on the porch swing with their heads together, giggling. Lisa looked up as Sadie rushed out.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Sadie stopped and ran her hands down her dress. “Nothing. Pies are in the oven. I’m going to take a stroll while they bake. If I don’t return in forty-five minutes, will you take them out?”
Lisa nodded and turned back to Lizzie.
Sadie stepped down the stairs and walked through the yard. The grass tickled her bare feet. She knew there weren’t many more barefoot days left in the season. A fact strengthened by the cold knobby earth beneath her feet.
It took all her will to not tear off running for the woods, but if she did, Lisa would know something was up for sure.
When she reached the road, she walked as quickly as she dared over the asphalt. It wasn’t much of a walk to reach the woods, but she was already late. She didn’t allow herself to contemplate what she was doing. If she did, she’d have to turn back, and something was urging her on. Another aspect she didn’t want to ponder.
It wasn’t far now, and she met no one on the road. No buggies. No children out wandering in the low sunlight. No one going into town. Two butterflies swirled close to her face and she smiled at them, admiring their iridescent yellow and black wings. Lovely.
She reached the woods and gingerly picked her way through them. She should have slipped on her black shoes before leaving the house, but she’d been in such a rush. It was cooler in the trees, and she realized she had been sweating.
“Ah hah!” came a voice close to her ear.
She stopped. So he had waited.
“You came!” Joshua exclaimed. He circled around to stand before her, a big grin on his handsome face. His blue eyes twinkled, and he took off his straw hat and ran his hand through his longish brown hair.
Sadie noticed it curled gently against his neck and for a split second, she wanted to reach out and touch it. Shocked at herself, she stepped back.
“Don’t worry,” he said, his voice teasing and low. “I won’t bite you.”
She swallowed. “I know that.”
“I didn’t think you’d make it. You’re late, you know.”
“I wasn’t going to come.” She glanced at his broad shoulders and how he stood tall and straight like a towering elm.
He leaned toward her. “But you did.”
Sudden embarrassment grabbed hold of her, and she took another step back. “I don’t know w
hy. I need to leave.”
She turned to run away, but he grabbed her arm. She froze.
“I’d like to know you better,” he said.
She pulled her arm from his grasp and looked at him. “Not much to know.”
“Maybe. Maybe not. How about you let me decide?”
The smile in his eyes was irresistible.
“All right. I have a sister, Lisa Schwartz. She’s fourteen, nigh on fifteen. Our mamm died a long time ago. Dat is going to marry Widow Ruth, and she and her three kids will then live with us.” She took a deep breath. “Your turn.”
He clapped his hands and let out a great burst of laughter. “You’re wonderful, Sadie Schwartz. Has anyone ever told you that?”
She stared at him, dumbfounded. Of course, no one had ever told her that. Such words simply weren’t said to unmarried Amish girls. She felt her cheeks grow warm, and her insides begin to squirm.
His face grew sober. “Ach. I’ve shocked you. I’m sorry. It’s a problem of mine.”
She still didn’t speak, feeling completely disturbed by this good-looking man standing before her.
“I’ll take it back if it makes you feel more comfortable,” he suggested, his right eyebrow cocked.
She sucked in her lips, her mind racing over how to respond.
“But I hate to take back things that are true,” he continued. He walked to a tree and hung his hat on a broken branch.
“Do you have time to sit awhile?” he asked.
“I’ve got pies in the oven.”
“So how long does that give us?”
“About a half hour, I think.”
“Please, let’s sit over here.”
He indicated a fallen tree whose mossy trunk gently sloped against another tree. Truth be told, it looked to be a lovely place to sit. She took a few hesitant steps toward it, wondering whether she should be there at all. What would her dat think? Her back stiffened. He wouldn’t like it. But then, he didn’t like anything.
She sat. Joshua sat also, but quite a space away from her. She breathed a bit easier.
“You never told me anything about you,” she said.
He kicked aside a chunk of rotted wood and picked up a twig which he snapped into tiny pieces, letting them fall between his legs.
“I came as a trade.”
“I assume to help with the intermarrying in your district.” Sadie knew this was often done to lessen the risk of birth defects within communities. Sometimes, it was hard to find a suitable mate who wasn’t somehow related. Districts would trade their young men so the men could look for a bride where there wasn’t as much risk of blood ties.
“Jah. Funny thing, though, they sent me alone. Usually the trades go in groups.”
She nodded, knowing that was true.
“The way I figure it, they wanted me to leave for other reasons.”
Her interest piqued, she watched his face.
“I had a … shall we say … lively rumspringa.” He chuckled.
“That could mean a lot of things.”
He picked up another twig and tossed it against a tree. “I was a bit crazy.”
She held back a smile. “You’re still crazy.”
She meant it as a joke, but he didn’t laugh. Instead, he gave her a long look. She frowned. “Ach. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you.”
He laughed then, shaking his head. “I’m not insulted.” He shifted on the log, turning so he would face her more squarely. “I have a rebellious streak.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“Rebellion and the ordnung don’t go together.”
She gave a quick laugh. “Hmm. Rebellion and our book of rules. No, they don’t go together.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I love my faith. In fact, my folks would be shocked to hear it, but inside, I feel very Amish and I like it.”
She raised both brows, surprised he would share so freely with a virtual stranger.
“Anyway, it’s all for the good. Me being here, I mean. I’m gaining a lot more wood-working skill with the Millers. And I’ve met you.” He looked into her eyes.
She was caught off guard by the sudden intensity of his voice and his gaze. The shock of his words created a wedge in her throat, and she couldn’t speak.
He laughed. “I see I’ve surprised you again.”
She clasped and unclasped her hands in her lap.
He ran his palm over his clean shaven chin. And then he hooked his thumbs under his suspenders. “How do you like my red suspenders?”
Stunned by such a bizarre change of subject, she gaped at him.
He reached over and touched her shoulder. “I could see I was scaring you. I thought suspenders were a safe topic.”
She stared at him, wondering how she could feel so close to someone she’d only just met. She marveled at how she found herself there in the first place, sitting with this man on a dead tree, enjoying his company and wishing there were no pies in the oven to rush home for.
“I’d like to know more of your story.”
She jerked back. “What?”
“Oh. I’ve done it again. Shocked you.” He put both hands on his knees. “I’m sorry.”
She shuddered slightly. “I’m not shocked.”
“Of course you are. You don’t want to tell me about your broken engagement.”
Her forehead creased, and her brows drew low over her eyes. “Is that what everyone is saying? That my engagement was broken? It hadn’t even been made public yet. Most folks didn’t even know I was seeing Ezra.”
“Bessie Miller knew, and she told me.”
Bessie was two years older than Sadie and the biggest busybody in the district. Sadie should have known the girl would have ferreted out her business.
Joshua chuckled. “I see you’re not surprised about Bessie. Truth be told, I’ve noticed the girl has more information than most.”
Sadie looked down at her hands. “But she’s right.”
“I figured.” Joshua grew silent and the two of them continued to sit together, neither moving nor speaking. Sadie’s shoulders relaxed, and she felt her heart slow its rapid beating and her breath become calmer. Peace seeped into her, and oddly enough, she felt better than she had for weeks.
Was it because she’d openly admitted her break with Ezra?
She glanced at Joshua and saw he was looking at her, but she felt no discomfort, no edginess.
“I don’t know why he broke it off,” she whispered, surprised her tears weren’t flowing. “He didn’t tell me. All I know is he found another girl within minutes. Or so it seemed.”
“Someone named Bethanee, right?”
She nodded. “Bethanee was my friend. Not a close friend, but still. She doesn’t speak to me now. Not really. But then, I haven’t been in the mood to speak with her, either.”
“So your heart is broken.”
Sadie drew in her breath and took a long moment before answering. “I guess it is.”
“You guess?” His burning eyes held hers.
She flinched and blinked rapidly. Her thoughts spun. Why had she answered with I guess? Of course, her heart was broken. Hadn’t she cried a million tears in the last month? Hadn’t her stomach burned with unanswered questions? Didn’t the very sight of Ezra send her into a tailspin?
I guess?
Her eyes widened as she returned his stare. She watched a satisfied light come into his eyes, and she instinctively leaned toward him before realizing what she was doing. His head lowered until he was on eye-level with her.
“Jah,” she finally whispered. “I guess.”
An easy smile played at the corners of his mouth. “So,” he began, “when is the next youth singing?”
“After the next Sunday service. Two weeks.”
“Do you attend?”
“I haven’t since Ezra … well, not recently.”
“The Millers have a buggy I can use, you know.”
She raised a brow. “Do they, now?”
“
Jah, that they do.” He grinned at her. “Will you let me escort you home?”
Her breath burned up her throat. She knew what he was really asking her. He was asking to court her. She sucked in her lips and gazed at him. There was an eager light in his eye and a playful smile on his face.
But hadn’t Ezra looked exactly as charming when he had courted her? Hadn’t there been a gleam in his eyes, too? Didn’t he smile at her in a way that lit up the whole sky?
And where had that landed her?
She stood quickly, stubbing her toe on a half-buried root, and pain shot up her leg. She gasped and moved away. “My pies will be burning,” she said.
And with that, she swirled from Joshua and ran through the woods toward the street. Her toe pulsed as if a hot poking stick was roaring through her flesh. Her gait grew crooked as she favored her hurting foot. When she got to the road, she glanced down and saw a smear of blood. She ignored it and kept running.
What had she been thinking?
Hadn’t she suffered enough heartbreak for one season?
It was well past time for her pies to come out of the oven. She prayed that Lisa had remembered them.
****
That evening, Sadie wandered outside to sit on the porch swing. She pushed gently with her feet, being careful to avoid pressure on her bandaged toe, and set the swing in motion. The rhythmic rocking lulled her mind. The sharp chirping of crickets filled the darkening night air, and she saw a couple of fireflies flit about, reminders of the passing summer. The air was cooler these evenings, and she enjoyed the crisp feel of it on her skin.
Lisa had taken out the apple pies in time, and they were delicious. So much so, that as a sort of thanks, Lisa volunteered to do all the clean-up and red the kitchen for breakfast. Sadie had let her, grateful for the quiet moments outside.
Her mind wandered to Joshua, and no matter how she scolded herself for thinking of him, the image of his handsome, fun-loving face wouldn’t leave her thoughts. She liked him. There was no denying it. And he seemed to like her.
But still…
She heard a low whistle from the end of her drive and went stiff. She knew that whistle. It was Ezra’s secret whistle to her when they were courting. She clutched the arm of the swing and listened intently.
There it was again. Low and steady. Just as he used to whistle all those months they’d been together. But this time there was an insistent almost frantic note in the whistle. She stood and attempted to peer through the trees in the front yard out to the road. It was too dark, and she could see nothing.
Amish Days: A Loving Stranger: An Amish Romance Short Story (Hollybrook Amish Romance) Page 3