Leah rose from her wicker chair. “I’d better go inside and do a little tidying up before we eat.”
Lydia Ann jumped up. “I’ll help.”
Leah shook her head. “No, stay here and visit with your cousin. I know you’ll miss her after she’s gone.” With a smile, she went inside and closed the door behind her.
“I wish you could stay here with me,” Lydia Ann said glumly.
Emma laughed. “Someone needs to get a better attitude.” She waved her hand toward the twins. “They are having a wonderful time. Your dat is so happy to have you here. I don’t think he’s stopped smiling since we arrived. And Leah is trying very hard to get to know you.”
Lydia Ann knew that Emma spoke the truth. “I can’t help but feel so alone here, though. Once you’re gone, who will I talk to?”
Emma rolled her eyes. “You could get to know Leah better. Or maybe you’ll become friends with Caroline as you work together. And it sounds like you have a lot in common with Leah’s daughter-in-law.” She met Lydia Ann’s gaze. “But it isn’t like you’re being forced to stay here forever. You’ll be headed back to Charm before you know it.” She grinned. “And I hope you’ll plan another visit to Shipshewana later in the fall. By then, Abby will be great with child and I know you’ll get a kick out of seeing her that way.”
“Okay. You’re right. From this moment forward, I will work to have a better attitude.” Lydia Ann smiled. “And since tomorrow is your last day here, you can plan the day.”
Emma grinned. “Let’s visit that farm you mentioned so Mary and Katie can feed the baby cows.” Lydia Ann’s heart quickened. A visit to the farm meant running into Simon. For some reason, he’d popped into her mind a few times since their introduction.
“If that’s what you want.”
“It is,” Emma said. “And after that, I think Noah wants to go see some of the covered bridges.”
Lydia Ann smiled again. “That sounds like a gut way to spend the day to me.” She rose. “I’m going to go insist that Leah let me help her.” She headed toward the kitchen feeling lighter somehow. And as much as she didn’t want to admit it, the prospect of seeing Simon tomorrow had a lot to do with it.
“Michael, will you ask the blessing?” Mr. Landis asked.
Caroline bowed her head. She blushed when Michael mentioned her by name in the prayer—but it was flattering that he’d think to pray specifically for her.
“Thanks,” she mouthed once the amens had been said.
He grinned in return.
“Well, Caroline, I guess I don’t have to tell you that we don’t normally have going-away dinners for our boardinghouse guests.” Mr. Landis said. “But we’ve all come to enjoy having you here.”
“And these biscuits are delicious,” Phillip said. “Most guests don’t share their cooking skills either.”
She laughed. “Thanks on both counts. You’ve all made me feel like part of your family, and I really appreciate it.” It had been a long time since she’d felt like part of a family.
“Some of us more than others,” Phillip muttered in Michael’s direction.
Caroline bristled. Conflict made her uneasy.
Thankfully Michael took it all in stride. “I, for one, am glad you decided to stay an extra night.” He grinned. “It would’ve been a shame if you’d had to leave before you tasted Mom’s fried chicken.” He held up a perfectly fried chicken leg and took a bite.
“So, you’re headed back to Georgia tomorrow?” Mrs. Landis asked, heaping mashed potatoes on her plate.
Caroline swallowed. She’d be able to tell from their reactions whether she’d made a terrible mistake. She cleared her throat. “Actually, no.” She took a sip of tea. “I decided I wasn’t quite ready to go back home.” She noted their puzzled expressions and plunged ahead. “You know the bookstore that Mrs. Lottie Harris runs?”
Mrs. Landis nodded. “I love Lottie’s place. That poor woman. She’s really had a time of it since her husband died.”
“Well, she’s moving to Florida to be near her daughter. She doesn’t want to sell the house, though. Just wants to rent it out.” She bit her lip. “So I decided to rent it from her.” She looked around the speechless table. “I didn’t have to sign a lease or anything. She’s going to leave the place furnished and I’m just going to buy the merchandise from her.”
Michael’s eyes grew wide. “So you’re…moving here?”
She halfway smiled. “Not permanently. But yes. For a little while.” She laughed. “I know nothing about running a bookstore, though, so I might end up out of business.”
“Caroline, that’s wonderful news!” Mrs. Landis exclaimed. “But won’t your family back home miss you?”
Four pairs of eyes landed on her face. She shifted in her seat. “I don’t really have any family,” she said quietly. “So there’s really nothing tying me to Georgia.” Except for a mansion and a foundation that bore her last name. But that was it. And those things could do without her for a little while longer.
Mrs. Landis reached over and patted her on the arm. “I’m sorry, dear. I didn’t know. But we’re glad to have you nearby. I hope you’ll stop in to visit even though you won’t be staying here any longer.”
She grinned. “Of course. I’d like that.” She glanced at Michael. “Y’all have been so wonderful to me during my stay. I hope you’ll come visit me at the store as well.”
Once the last bit of apple cobbler had been eaten, Mr. Landis pushed back from the table. “That was delicious.” He leaned over and gave his wife a quick kiss on the cheek. “How about I help you with the dishes? We’ll let the young people get out of here.”
Caroline thanked them for dinner and turned to go toward the guest rooms.
“Not so fast.” Michael walked up behind her. “It’s early yet, and barely dark. Do you have somewhere to rush off to or something?”
She shook her head. “Guess not.” She smiled. “Why?”
“I thought you might like to go for a ride.”
“A ride?”
He chuckled. “On one of our four-wheelers. I thought you might like to see some of the farm. It’s a full moon tonight, so we should be able to see pretty well.” He grinned. “Plus, one of our dogs just had a litter of puppies.”
She returned his smile. “Lead the way.”
He led her to a building behind the barn. “Wait here,” he said. A few minutes later, he drove out of the building on a red four-wheeler. “You’re not scared, are you?” He grinned.
She climbed onto the back. “Are you a good driver?”
He reached back, grabbed her hands, and wrapped them around his waist. “I am, but you’ll still need to hold on tightly.”
“Is that so?” She couldn’t help but laugh. The warm night air washed over her, and the way she felt with her arms wrapped around Michael almost made her forget about the past few years.
Almost.
They drove around the perimeter of the farm, Michael pointing out various landmarks. He finally came to a stop near a building. “You feel like exploring a little?”
She grinned. “Sure.”
“Don’t worry—I brought a flashlight.” He held up a small maglite.
Caroline waved her hand toward the full moon. “I’m not worried. It seems that God is providing the light tonight.”
“True.” He opened the rickety door on the building. “The puppies are in here. They should have their eyes open by now.” He grinned. “I thought we could check on them.”
She followed him into the dark building.
Michael reached out and grabbed her hand. “Just for safety purposes,” he whispered. “I wouldn’t want you to fall down or anything.”
In that moment, with her hand in his, she wondered what kind of fire she was playing with. Once he found out everything about her—who she was, what the last couple of years had been like—there was no way he’d want anything to do with her.
He shined the light behind a bale of hay. “There
they are.” He let go of her hand and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. “Do you see them?”
“They’re so cute,” she murmured. “Five perfect puppies.”
He turned her toward him so they were face-to-face. She could barely make out his outline in the dark.
“Caroline,” he whispered.
Her heart pounded in her chest. She knew what was about to happen. She wanted it to happen. But it terrified her so much, she could barely breathe. “No, Michael.” She pulled out of his embrace and turned quickly on her heel. She ran through the blinding darkness, feeling for the door. She pushed against it with her shoulder, losing her balance and landing with a thud on the hard ground outside.
“Caroline,” Michael said, coming up behind her. “Are you okay?”
She tried to collect herself by doing some deep breathing. “No.” She shook her head. “I’m not.”
He knelt down next to her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come on too strong. I was just so happy to find out that you hadn’t left…and then to learn that you are staying for a while knocked me for a loop. In a good way.”
“Don’t apologize.” She pushed against the ground into a sitting position and leaned against the building. “It’s just…” She took a breath. “There are things you don’t know.”
“I’m a great listener.” He stood and held out his hand to help her up. “Do you want to head back to the house? We can talk there.”
She shook her head. “No. Let’s just stay right here.” She patted the ground next to her. “Sit back down.”
He obliged.
“There’s something you need to know.” Her voice trembled.
He reached out to her. “You can tell me anything.”
“I was married. Until recently.” She wasn’t ready to tell him the whole story. But he at least deserved part of it.
Michael’s face registered shock. “Married?”
She nodded. “My husband passed away a few weeks ago.” She left out the part where her husband was gunned down in their driveway by his scorned mistress. Because, frankly, it was a little much to take.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” His voice was strained.
She pondered her words. “The truth is, we’d been living apart for the past couple of years.” She shook her head. “Our marriage has been in name only for quite some time. But still, his death has been difficult to deal with.”
Michael’s expression was one of compassion. “You’ve had a lot to deal with. It’s no wonder you sought refuge here.”
He didn’t know the half of it. “I feel so safe here.” She waved a hand around the expansive farmland. “It’s part of the reason I decided to stay.” She shrugged. “What I told your mother at dinner is true. There’s really nothing waiting for me at home.”
“Not even your kindergarten class?” He looked puzzled.
“I’m still licensed, but I’m not sure I’ll go back to teaching.” She didn’t even dare imagine that her life could go back to that kind of normal.
He smiled. “Well then, I hope you’ll end up with a very successful bookstore.”
“And, don’t forget, coffee shop.” She returned his smile.
“What do you say we get out of here?” He stood up and offered her his hand. “I’ll bet Mom and Dad will let us into their Scrabble game if we ask.”
She laughed and let him help her to her feet. “That sounds wonderful.” He pulled her to him in a hug, and she let herself relax against him for a long moment. Now that he at least knew part of her story, she felt better. But she knew that, eventually, the whole truth would have to come out. And if the fact that she was once married shocked him, she could only imagine how he’d feel when he found out who she’d been married to.
Chapter Fifteen
Simon looked up from his task of feeding the chickens. The unmistakable sound of a horse and buggy coming up the drive told him guests were coming. He stepped out of the barn and was pleased to see Lydia Ann. “Mornin’,” he called.
Two little girls scurried out of the buggy, along with a woman about Lydia Ann’s age.
Lydia Ann smiled as they walked over to where he stood. “This is Mary.” She put a hand on the shoulder of one blond-headed twin. “And this is Katie.” She put her hand on the shoulder of the other one. “They’ve been so excited about visiting the farm, they barely slept last night.”
“Mamm says we might get to feed a baby calf!” Mary exclaimed.
“That’s right. They’re very hungry this morning.” Simon smiled. “If the two of you want to go into the barn, you can look at them while I prepare their food.”
The girls hurried off, laughing and giggling.
“This is my cousin Emma,” Lydia Ann said. “She and her husband rode with us from Shipshewana.” She grinned. “I think she just wanted to see a new part of the country, but she says she came along to help us get settled.”
Emma laughed. “Both are true.”
Simon smiled at the two women. They shared a bond; that was obvious. “Well, either way, I’m glad you decided to visit the farm.”
“We’d better get to the barn,” Lydia Ann said. “There’s no telling what the girls have gotten into.”
Simon chuckled. “Oh, they’ll be fine. Believe me. We have a number of children through here, especially in the summertime. The barn is pretty kid-friendly.”
“So, Simon,” Emma said as they walked, “are you originally from Lancaster?”
Simon grinned. “I was born less than a mile from this very spot.” He ushered the women into the barn.
“Aren’t they cute?” Katie exclaimed, running over to her mother and taking her hand.
Mary followed. “I think the babies are very hungry today.” She grinned, displaying a missing front tooth.”
“Let me fix their bottles and we’ll get them taken care of.” Simon had to hide his smile. The little girls’ excitement was contagious.
Katie and Mary bounced around as Simon stirred the bucket to mix the formula for the calves. He felt an odd twinge in his hand. “Would one of you like to stir?”
“Jah!” Katie exclaimed. She took over, taking great pains to stir the milky liquid.
“It’s just like mixing cake batter, isn’t it, sister?” Mary asked.
Simon grinned at Emma and Lydia Ann. “I wish I had such good helpers every mornin’.”
“We can come back again, can’t we, Mamm?”
Lydia Ann smiled down at Mary. “If Mr. Simon allows it, I think that’s a wonderful-gut idea.”
Simon gazed at Lydia Ann. She had the prettiest face of any woman he’d ever seen…and it was made even prettier by the love she clearly had for her daughters. He felt Emma’s eyes on him and quickly looked away as his face flushed.
“Is it ready yet?” Katie asked, looking up at Simon.
He leaned over to check. “Let me get the bottles filled and then we can feed them.” He worked quickly to fill four bottles. He handed one to each little girl, and then he turned to Emma and Lydia Ann. “Would either of you like to try?”
Emma laughed. “I think Lydia Ann should do the honors.”
He nodded. “Here you go.” He held a bottle out for Lydia Ann.
She took it, grinning. “Danki.”
Simon led them over to where four black-and-white calves waited impatiently. The largest of the four threw back her head in anticipation. “Hold the bottle up so the milk flows.” He showed them how. “And make sure you keep a tight grip on the bottle. They will pull on it, and if you aren’t careful, they’ll pull it right out of your hands.”
“Ooh,” Mary squealed. “They’re slobbering.”
Katie laughed. “Don’t be such a baby. Slobber won’t hurt you.” She held her bottle with one hand and stroked the calf on the head with the other.
“Do they only eat once a day?” Mary asked.
Simon held onto the bottle and watched as the calf drank hungrily. “Once in the morning and again in the afternoon.”
“Mine’s empty,” Mary announced, pulling the bottle from the calf’s mouth. “It must’ve been the hungriest.”
Simon grinned. “Go put the bottle back in the bucket. I’ll rinse them out later.”
When the rest of the bottles were empty, Simon pointed in the direction of a big sink. “You can go wash up over there. I’ll bet everyone has cow slobber on their hands.”
The little girls laughed, debating over whose hands were covered in the most slobber. Once everyone had washed their hands, Simon walked them out of the barn.
“Too bad you missed the milking,” he said. He pointed at a wide swinging door. “That’s the milking room.”
Katie tugged on Lydia Ann’s apron. “Can we come back sometime to see the milking?”
Lydia Ann laughed. “If we get invited back.”
“You’re welcome any time.” Simon grinned. “And we’ve just had a litter of puppies born. If you come back in a couple of weeks, they’ll be big enough to play with.”
“Puppies!” Mary exclaimed. “We love puppies.”
“You might’ve just made two friends for the summer,” Lydia Ann said, chuckling. “We’ll definitely be back now.”
Simon joined in her laughter. “I’m looking forward to it.”
They herded the twins back toward the waiting buggy.
“It was nice to meet you, Emma,” Simon said. “And nice to see you again, Lydia Ann.”
With a final wave, Lydia Ann climbed into the buggy. He waved back, but not before he caught the knowing look on Emma’s face. Simon wondered if Emma would tell her cousin that he’d had a hard time keeping his eyes off of her. And if she did, what Lydia Ann would think.
Lydia Ann bustled about the kitchen. She and Emma had insisted that Leah take a night off and let them cook.
“That smells so good,” Emma said, grinning.
Lydia Ann laughed. “I hope it tastes good too.” She set the chicken-and-noodle dish on the table.
“Your apple dumplings smell good too.”
“I’ve gotten better at cooking since I married Noah.” Emma laughed.
Love Finds You in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Page 8