The Amish Buggy Horse BOXED SET Books 1-3 (Amish Romance Book Bundle: Faith, Hope, Charity) (Boxed Set: The Amish Buggy Horse)

by Ruth Hartzler

  "Go on." The bishop's tone was insistent.

  Victor grimaced. "Well, I finally realized that I'm still really Amish. It won’t work with an Englisch woman." Victor looked at the bishop, and realized that the bishop already knew.

  "Have you given more thought about returning to the community?"

  Victor nodded solemnly. "Yes, I have given it a lot of thought."

  The bishop nodded too. "Then you need to contact Nancy Esh."

  Romans 5: 3 - 5.

  More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

  Chapter 10.

  Melissa sighed and sank down into her chair. Thank goodness the working day was over. Irene had called at midday and had told Melissa that she was doing a good job, but Melissa herself felt as if she wasn't. Who was she, a Plain girl, to handle the dating issues of Englischers? At least she had spent a pleasant afternoon with her beloved filing, and, despite the fact that Milly had to leave early that day, Melissa had not come face to face with any disgruntled Englischers who were dissatisfied with their dates.

  Melissa was in the front room, and about to lock the front door of the agency, when a man burst through the door. He looked annoyed. "Is Irene Blackwell back yet?" he asked in an urgent tone.

  "No, she's not." It took Melissa a moment to recognize the man. "Oh, Mr. Pollard, isn’t it?

  The man looked Melissa up and down. "Yes, Anthony Pollard. You're the Amish girl who interviewed me, aren't you?"

  "Yes, Melissa Glick."

  "Oh yes. I’m sorry that I didn’t recognize you - I didn’t know how many Amish women are working here and you all look alike."

  Melissa gasped at the man's rudeness, but he continued. "I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I was in the area, and I just called in to see if you’d found me any suitable dates yet."

  Melissa was concerned. She had not found any suitable dates for Anthony Pollard as he was new to the agency, and Irene had not had time to screen him properly before she had been called overseas. Irene had, however, sent him on one date, but Anthony had complained that the lady was too old for him.

  "Mr. Pollard, I’ll make an appointment for you now. Just let me turn the computer back on. I was about to lock the office," Melissa added pointedly.

  Melissa made to move around Anthony Pollard to her desk but he blocked her way, jutting out his chin in a belligerent manner. "I don't want to waste any more time. Can’t you find me a date right now?"

  Melissa shook her head, worried at the man's insistence. If only Milly were here. "No, I'm sorry, Mr. Pollard," she said in the most decisive tone she could muster. "It's already after business hours. I'll make an appointment for you. I'm sure we can help you."

  "Why can’t you do it now?" Anthony Pollard's tone was petulant, and his face was progressively turning redder. Even his ears were now bright crimson. Gone was the charming smile that Melissa had previously found attractive. Why she'd ever thought him a nice person, Melissa did not know. Now she was faced with an angry Englisch mann and she had no idea what to do. She wiped her sweaty hands on her over-apron. This situation was getting out of control.

  Anthony Pollard took a step closer to her, looming over her. Melissa automatically took a step back but was unable to move more than a few inches, as the front desk was directly behind her.

  "What about you?" he demanded.

  "Me?" Melissa heard her voice come out as a squeak.

  "I've asked you once before, but you didn’t tell me. Do you have a boyfriend?"

  Melissa took a quick breath, and tried to force herself to stay calm. "We are not allowed to discuss our personal life with clients," she said slowly and clearly, pleased at least that she sounded somewhat confident this time.

  Anthony Pollard screwed up his face in a temper. His now bulging eyes were so close to hers that Melissa could see they were bloodshot. "Just dinner!" he all but yelled. "I just want you to go to dinner with me. What's a little dinner going to hurt?"

  Melissa grasped at her throat, fighting the rising panic.

  "What's going on here?" The loud, booming voice caused Anthony Pollard to spin around, and when he moved aside, Melissa saw with great relief that Victor Byler was standing in the doorway.

  "Nothing." Anthony Pollard spat the word rudely. "I quit this agency; they’re useless." With that, he pushed past Victor Byler and hurried out the door.

  Melissa sat on the desk, trembling.

  "Are you all right?" Victor at once crossed to her. Melissa found his proximity disturbing, but not at all in the way that she had found Anthony Pollard's proximity disturbing. "You’re as white as a sheet," he said, peering at her.

  Melissa was afraid she'd cry, and to her dismay, her hands were trembling. "I'll make you a cup of hot tea with sugar," he said, and then hurried to the office kitchen.

  That's what people from my community always do when someone's upset, Melissa thought, forgetting her emotional reaction to the unsavory behavior of Anthony Pollard for the moment.

  Victor returned and insisted that Melissa sit down. "Here, drink this."

  After a few sips of the sugary drink, Melissa did indeed feel a little better. "I hope he doesn't come back to the agency," she said. "He was so rude." Before Victor could respond, Melissa continued. "What are you doing here, Victor? You're not here to complain about your last date, are you?" Melissa was secretly hoping that Victor was, in fact, there to complain about his latest date; even the thought of it made her feel unreasonably jealous.

  "No, it was your horse."

  "My horse?"

  Victor smiled. "Yes, Blessing turned up at my store just then. You can imagine everyone's shock." Victor chuckled. "Anyway, I brought him back and tied him up very well, and then came up here to tell you."

  "How awfully strange. I always make sure he's hitched well, but my brother and his wife have mentioned that he can open gates. This is the first time that he's done anything like this, though, as far as I know."

  "Well, thank goodness he did," Victor said, "as if I hadn't come here when I did, you would have had to deal with that unpleasant client."

  Melissa clutched at her throat. Yes, whatever would have happened if Victor had not shown up when he did? She did not want to think about it.

  "When you've finished your tea, I’ll walk you to your buggy." Victor smiled at her.

  Melissa liked the way that his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled, but then she brought herself up short. He's an Englischer. No good can come of it, so stop thinking that way, she silently scolded herself.

  Psalm 71: 5 - 6.

  For you, O Lord, are my hope,

  my trust, O Lord, from my youth.

  Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;

  you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.

  My praise is continually of you.

  Chapter 11.

  As Melissa approached Blessing, she turned to Victor. "I see he's still tied to the rail. And look at the innocent expression on his face," she added, as Blessing turned to her and whinnied softly.

  Victor chuckled. "You might have to get some sort of clip and chain to clip between his headstall and the rail, if he can undo ropes."

  "Denki, that's a gut idea." Melissa realized she had lapsed into Pennsylvania Dutch again, but Victor simply nodded.

  Melissa reached up to stroke Blessing's neck.

  "Why, you're still trembling." Victor's voice was full of concern.

  "It’s probably as I didn’t have time to eat lunch today, and I'm just a little light headed." Melissa hoped she sounded convincing. Her words were true, but she doubted that was the whole reason why she was shaking.

  "I'll drive you home," Victor said.

  Melissa gasped. "You? But, you can drive a buggy? And how will you get back?" Mel
issa had forgotten for a moment that Victor was said to be a former Amish mann.

  Victor took his cell phone out of his pocket and waved it at her. "I'll call a taxi; it's no problem at all."

  Melissa shook her head. "Oh no, really; I’ll be fine."

  "I insist."

  Melissa looked at Victor. It was that clear his mind was made up, and she did feel quite shaken after her encounter with the unsavory Anthony Pollard. Besides, she would have the opportunity to spend time with Victor, and despite the fact he was an Englischer, she wanted nothing more.

  Victor took up the reins and guided Blessing onto the road. Melissa watched him carefully. He was clearly an experienced buggy driver. Could her aenti's haus guest, Raymond, be right? Was it true that Victor Byler had once been Amish?

  Melissa was somewhat unnerved by the ensuing silence, so said the first thing that came into her head. "How was your date with Linda?'

  Victor turned to her and gave her a long, searching look. "Linda is a nice lady, but it won't work between us."

  Melissa's heart soared with relief, but she tried to look business-like. "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." Her tone was measured.

  "You are?" Victor flashed her another look.

  What did he mean by that? Melissa wondered. Aloud, she said, "Perhaps it’s better if you wait until Irene returns; she can find you another match." There was no way that Melissa could send Victor on yet another date with another woman; the very thought made her too sad.

  "Oh, next turn left," Melissa said, suddenly realizing where they were.

  Victor turned Blessing down a winding lane. "I'm leaving the agency."

  "You are?" The words were out before Melissa could stop them. She hoped that her pleasure was not too obvious. She should instead be disappointed; after all, the agency was losing a client.

  "I've realized that I don’t want someone to matchmake me any more."

  "You don’t?" Melissa asked, and then rebuked herself for sounding so silly.

  "Nee, I don't."

  Melissa jumped in her seat. "Did you just say, 'Nee?' Did you just speak Pennsylvania Dutch?"

  Victor squirmed in his seat, and did not answer. Melissa also remained silent. Finally, Victor said, "I have an Amish man newly working for me."

  Melissa bit her lip. He's avoiding the question, she thought. Melissa thought things over for a minute. I might as well come straight out and ask him. Turning to Victor, she said, "Kannscht du Pennsilfaanisch Deitsch schwetzer?" Do you speak Pennsylvania Dutch?

  Victor was silent for a moment, and then said, "Jah," before sighing loudly. He added, "I owe you an explanation."

  "Nee, nee, you don’t," Melissa said, embarrassed. "I shouldn’t have asked. Everyone says I'm too forthright, only I'm not forthright enough with Irene's clients. It's hard to find a middle road." Melissa stopped talking for a moment, doubly embarrassed that she was letting her words run away with her. "It's just that the Amish mann working for you, Raymond, is staying with my aenti and onkel, and he said that the mann he works for used to be Amish. I shouldn’t have said anything."

  The buggy was now winding its way down one of the little lanes that traversed the rolling hills on the way to the Glicks' farm. The spring air was cooling with the approach of evening. Despite the awkward situation, Melissa was enjoying the buggy ride with Victor. If only he was Amish now and taking me on a buggy ride as a courting couple, she thought, and her heart beat a little faster.

  "I was Amish, once." Victor blurted out. "I grew up Amish. I had no intention of leaving. I didn't even go on rumspringa, and I was going to be baptized, but then I did something that I was ashamed of, and I left the community. I started my trade as an apprentice cabinetmaker working for an Englischer, and then eventually came here and started my own business."

  Melissa was shocked by his words. Whatever had he done? It must have been something bad; something dreadful. Sure, it is Gott who judges, but Melissa was taken aback by his words. It must have been something terrible to make him leave the community.

  "I can see you’re horrified." Victor sounded sad.

  "It’s all just a shock," Melissa said truthfully. Now she could see why Victor had issues; despite the fact that he had left the Amish, he clearly still had Amish values, and not many Englisch women shared those. No wonder the agency had not been able to matchmake him successfully. He needs a woman just like me, Melissa thought. I would be the ideal fraa for him. The thought made her sad. Victor did indeed seem the ideal man, but he had made his choice: he was now Englisch. It was an impossible situation.

  Melissa hoped that her parents would be inside the haus when she arrived, so that they would not see her being driven home by an Englischer, of all things. That would prompt too many explanations, but alas, her fears were realized. Both her mudder and her vadder were standing outside, looking at the vegetable garden, and Victor drove the buggy up to them.

  Philippians 1: 19 - 20.

  For I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance,

  as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.

  Chapter 12.

  Melissa jumped out of the buggy. "Daed, Mamm, this is Victor Byler. He's the mann that Raymond works for." She hoped her parents would make the connection. "He works near the agency's office and he brought me home as I wasn't feeling well."

  "Are you all right?" Her mudder's face was full of concern.

  "Jah, I'll tell you all about it later." To Melissa's relief, her mudder nodded, seemingly realizing that there was more to the story, and that Melissa was not comfortable to discuss it with all present.

  "Thank you for looking after Melissa," Mr. Glick said. "Did you manage to drive the horse okay?"

  Melissa winced. Her vadder clearly had not put two and two together. "Mr. Byler used to be Amish," she said. "Remember that Raymond told us?"

  Mr. Glick stroked his baard. "Jah, jah, I think so."

  "Please call me Victor." With that, Victor got down from the buggy. "I'll just call a taxi."

  Mr. Glick was still looking thoughtful. "Raymond said that our bishop arranged the job for him and for him to stay with our familye members in this community."

  Victor nodded.

  "So that means you are on familiar terms with our bishop?"

  "Matthew!" Mrs. Glick was clearly horrified at her husband's probing remarks.

  Victor smiled. "Ich hab nix dagege." I don't object. "Jah, at times I have talks with the bishop," he added.

  Melissa's stomach did cartwheels. Could that mean that Victor was considering returning to the Amish? Why else would he talk to the bishop? Or was it simply as he was talking over his past bad deeds that caused him to leave his community?

  "You must stay for dinner." Mrs. Glick's tone was firm.

  "Yes, you must." Mr. Glick's tone was equally resolute.

  Melissa held her breath. This was too good to be true; a whole dinner spent with Victor - what could be lovelier? Plus her parents might get more information from him over dinner. Would Victor refuse? She held her breath and waited for his reply.

  "Denki, that would be gut."

  Melissa let out the breath she had been holding.

  Her vadder clamped his hand on Victor's shoulder. "Come; we will attend to the horse."

  Melissa looked back at Victor and her vadder leading Blessing to the barn. She knew that her vadder would extract information from Victor, but she knew just as well that she would not be party to that particular information. Melissa wondered why her parents had invited Victor to dinner. She knew that the fact that their bishop knew him would have cleared away any doubts as to his character, but that did not explain why they had actually invited him. Was it because they suspected that he might be interested in courting her? Surely not. He was still an Englischer after all, and had not given any indication that he in
tended to return to the community.

  Melissa could not simply ask her mudder; that would show a lack of respect, yet when they were alone in the kitchen, Melissa told her mudder all about the incident with Anthony Pollard.

  Mrs. Glick gasped, and her hands flew to her cheeks. "Melissa, you must stop working there right now. You must give your notice, jah?"

  Melissa had been worried that her mudder would react in that way. "Mamm, I can't let down my boss. She'll be back soon, but until then, I’ll make sure I'm never at the office alone."

  Mrs. Glick turned back to mashing potatoes. "I'll think about it, but I'm not happy with you working there any more."

  Melissa nodded; in fact, she no longer enjoyed her work there. The filing had been enjoyable, but dealing with the difficult clients who were Englisch menner was something else. Even though she would be back to filing when Irene returned, the incident with Anthony Pollard had soured her time at the agency. Melissa thought that she might in fact hand in her notice when Irene returned.

  Her mudder's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Melissa, we were going to have Pot Pie, but with the guest, would you get the plate of sliced, roast beef and the plate of roast chicken pieces from the refrigerator, please?"

  Soon Melissa and her mudder had the table laid with a plate of roast chicken pieces, a heaped plate of roast beef slices, bread that her mudder had baked that day, two large bowls of salad and three types of salad dressing, noodles, and a huge bowl of creamy, mashed potatoes, as well as the big pot containing Pennsylvania Dutch Pot Pie, also known as Bott Boi.

  Before long, Mr. Glick and Victor came in the door. Melissa was suddenly shy. After the silent prayer, everyone tucked in, and there was no conversation for the first few minutes.

  Finally, Victor spoke. "It's so gut to have Pot Pie again after all these years. It doesn't have carrots in it, does it?"