A Place at Our Table

by Amy Clipston

  “Thirty years, ever since they were married.” She fingered her cup. “Dat’s older bruder took over their daed’s farm, and mei daed never really had an interest in farming. His daed thought he was narrisch for wanting to open a restaurant, but it was his dream. His mammi taught him how to cook.

  “Then Dat met mei mamm, and they say it was love at first sight.” She pointed to her house. “Mamm’s parents had passed away and left her this haus and some money. She was their only kind. When mei daed mentioned opening a restaurant, she loved the idea. They found the perfect site in Bird-in-Hand and opened Dienner’s Family Restaurant. Mei daed says his daed didn’t think the restaurant would last. But it’s still going strong.”

  “That’s a great story.” He lifted his cup as if to make a toast. “The food is fantastic. Do you like working there?”

  “Ya. It’s fun talking with the customers. I usually waitress, but sometimes I get to help cook.” She took a sip.

  “Do you like to cook?”

  “I do.” She set her cup on the grass. “How did you get into firefighting?”

  He bent one of his knees and rested his arm on it. “When I was sixteen I was at a youth gathering one Sunday afternoon. I was playing volleyball with mei freinden when we heard this tremendous crash. It sounded like a bomb went off.”

  “What was it?”

  His lips formed a thin line. “It was a bad accident. A bus full of people from a nearby church had crashed. The driver ran off the road and hit a tree. Mei freinden and I rushed to the scene and tried to help the people until the fire department and EMTs arrived. So many people were hurt and needed assistance. It made such an impression on us that mei freinden and I became volunteers. We wanted to help the people in our community. I’ve been a volunteer ever since.”

  She leaned closer to him, interested by how similar his story was to the one she’d told Eva about Simeon and his youth group friends. “I can understand how that would affect you. What else do you like about it?”

  He gave her a shy smile, and she couldn’t help but think he was adorable. “I enjoy the brotherhood.” Kayla remembered how Simeon told her the same thing.

  “I know that sounds juvenile,” James added, “but I enjoy the freinden I’ve made through the department.”

  “Like Brody?”

  “Ya.” He paused for a moment. “You know Brody well because he was Simeon’s chief.”

  “That’s right. He was there when Simeon died, and he actually came to the haus and told us what happened.” She cleared her throat against the emotion threatening to bubble up.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Danki.”

  “I started out volunteering at the station here in Ronks, but I moved to the Bird-in-Hand station about a month ago when there was an opening.”

  “That station is near the restaurant. It’s closer to our haus, too, even though our address is Ronks.” She picked up another chip from her plate.

  “Ya, that’s right.”

  Some of the firefighters and EMTs from that fire station still came into the restaurant for meals while they were on duty, even though Simeon was no longer there to greet them when he was off duty. Would James frequent the restaurant now too?

  She pushed the ties from her prayer covering over her shoulder. “So when you were—”

  “May I join you?”

  Kayla tented her hand over her eyes as she looked up at Mark, standing over her with a plate. “Hi, Mark. Ya, you can join us.” She patted the ground beside her.

  Mark sank down and grinned at James. “Now I see why you ran off and left us working at the barn.”

  James frowned at his brother and then looked at Kayla. “What were you saying before mei bruder so rudely interrupted you?”

  “Oh.” She gave a little laugh. “I don’t remember.” She glanced over at James’s other friends, sitting on the grass under another tree. “Why are the rest of your freinden sitting over there?”

  Mark scooped up a spoonful of pasta salad. “They said they didn’t want to bother you—”

  “But you, of course, didn’t mind bothering us,” James finished.

  Kayla bit back another laugh.

  “I never mind bothering you, Jamie.” Mark smirked as he shoved pasta salad into his mouth.

  There’s that nickname again. She made a mental note to ask James about it later.

  “So, Kayla,” Mark began, “you have to have some great stories about working in the restaurant. What’s the funniest customer story you can think of to tell us?”

  “Hmm.” She rubbed her chin. “I’ve had some funny questions from tourists.”

  “Oh ya?” James leaned forward. “Like what?”

  “One time a tourist asked me how we cook without electricity. She thought we used a fire pit instead of a stove and never used an oven. I had to explain we have propane stoves and don’t cook outside like someone who is camping.” She laughed, and James and Mark joined in.

  “Another time a customer asked me if we supply our own milk from our cows.” She smiled. “As if we have time to run both a dairy farm and a restaurant.”

  James chuckled. “That would be an amazing feat.”

  She shared more stories and soon their plates were empty.

  “I suppose we’d better get back to work.” James gestured toward the barn, where most of the men had returned to work.

  “I’ll see you later.” Mark hopped up and set off toward the barn, dropping his plastic dinnerware into a trash can on the way.

  James stood and held out his hand to Kayla. She hesitated but then grabbed it. When their skin touched, electricity sizzled through her arms, and she bit back a startled gasp. He lifted her to her feet as if she weighed nothing. She stared up at him, wondering if he’d felt the electricity too. Had she imagined it? She’d never felt anything like that when Abram held her hand.

  “I enjoyed lunch.” His voice cut through her thoughts.

  “I did too.” She took his plate, utensils, and cup from him. “I’ll toss these for you.”

  “Danki.” He fiddled with his suspenders. “I guess I’ll see you later.”

  “Ya.” She started toward the house and then spun, remembering what she’d wanted to ask him. “James!”

  “Ya?”

  “I noticed your family calls you Jamie.”

  He shrugged. “Ya, that’s my nickname.”

  “But when you introduced yourself to Nathan and me the night of the fire, you said your name was James.”

  “Ya, mei freinden and family call me Jamie, but I refer to myself as James in more formal settings, like when I’m on duty.” He gave her a sheepish smile. “I know it’s kind of gegisch.”

  “Oh.” She paused. “What should I call you?”

  “You can call me Jamie.” He smiled and then turned toward the barn.

  As he walked away, Kayla’s pulse fluttered, and she tried to ignore it. No, no, no! I don’t want to have feelings for a firefighter! I can’t let him steal my heart. It won’t end well.

  A groan escaped Kayla’s lips. She’d vowed to never let another man hurt her the way Abram had. She couldn’t allow herself to trust Jamie only to have him let her down and break her heart.

  But it was too late. She was already falling for Jamie Riehl.

  NINE

  “You and Kayla were getting awfully cozy at lunch,” Mark quipped as he picked up a sheet of plywood and handed it to Jamie.

  “Getting cozy?” Jamie narrowed his eyes. “I don’t see how eating lunch together is getting cozy.” He set the plywood against the barn’s wall frame and held it steady with his left forearm while holding a nail between his finger and thumb.

  “She was very friendly with you.” Mark stood behind him, and Jamie ignored him as he began to hammer the nail. “In fact—I’ll say it again—I think she likes you.”

  With that, Jamie lost his concentration and missed the nail, sending a shockwave of pain from his thumb, through his hand, and up his arm. Suckin
g in a deep breath, he dropped the hammer and began to dance around. Shaking his hand and stamping his foot, he groaned and tucked his hand under his arm.

  Mark grinned. “Did that hurt?”

  Jamie bit his lip. “I’m fine.”

  “Did you break it?” Mark lifted another sheet of plywood.

  Jamie examined his thumb, now bright red. He moved it and the pain flared. “I don’t think so.” He shook his head as the pain continued to throb. “Okay, that hurts.”

  “Did I say something wrong?” Mark placed the plywood against the wall frame and balanced it with his forearm.

  Jamie ignored his brother’s teasing tone and turned his attention to his task. He lined up the sheet of plywood again and lifted the hammer, careful to aim for the nail and not his throbbing thumb. He hammered it in and then started on another one. He hoped the subject would change, and relief washed over him when Mark began nailing a sheet of plywood beside him. They worked in silence until both sheets were firmly attached to the frame.

  As Jamie picked up another sheet of plywood from the pile and began lining it up, Mark leaned back against the wall beside him, lifted his straw hat, and swiped the back of his hand over his sweaty brow. “You like her too.”

  So he’s still not going to drop the subject. “Sure I do.” Jamie lined up his nail. “I like her as a freind. But that’s it. We’re just freinden.”

  “No, it’s more than that.”

  Jamie closed his eyes and released a long, frustrated breath. “Why won’t you let this go?”

  “Because I don’t want to see you miss out on this opportunity. You’ve finally found a maedel you like, and she likes you too. You need to go for it before it’s too late.”

  Jamie smacked the nail into place and glanced over at Mark. “Don’t you think you need to take a look at your own life instead of worrying about mine?”

  Mark stood up straight. “What’s wrong with my life? Plenty of maed like me.”

  “Exactly.” Jamie pointed the hammer at him. “Why haven’t you bothered to pick one instead of leading on nearly every maedel in your youth group?”

  “I don’t lead anyone on. I haven’t made any promises to any of them. They know where I stand.”

  “Do they?” Jamie leaned against the plywood. “Is that why Franey and Ruthann were both vying for your attention Sunday night?”

  Mark’s lips pressed into a thin line. “They both know I’m not looking for anything serious.”

  “Do they truly know that? Then why do they hang on your every word? They’re waiting for you to ask them out. They both think they have a chance at marrying you.”

  “Marrying me?” Mark scoffed. “I never said I wanted to get married.”

  “Maybe I don’t want to get married either.” Jamie turned back to his work.

  “Well, you’re twenty-five, and I’m only twenty-three,” Mark continued. “You need to start thinking about getting married. Don’t take a chance at messing this up.”

  Jamie hammered in a nail in an effort to drown out his brother’s words. He didn’t need or want a lecture about dating Kayla. Now wasn’t the time for him to think about dating and getting married. He had too much to do and too many responsibilities.

  “Hey, I was talking.” Mark stepped over to Jamie. “You know she likes you, so what are you waiting for?”

  “Who likes Jamie?” Noah appeared, flanked by Rudy and Allen. Each man held a hammer.

  “No one does.” Jamie looked toward the far end of the barn where the three men had been working. “You’ve all been busy, huh? You’re further along than we are.”

  “Are you talking about the maedel you were eating lunch with?” Rudy picked up a sheet of plywood.

  “You don’t need to worry about that.” Jamie nodded toward the pile. “Do you need help carrying supplies?”

  “Are you avoiding the subject?” Rudy turned to Allen. “It looks like Jamie finally found himself a girlfriend.”

  Jamie craned his neck to glare at his brother. “Danki for bringing this up.”

  “What?” Mark gave him a mock innocent expression. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  Mark shot Noah a grin, and suspicion simmered in Jamie’s gut. Why was Mark pushing him to date Kayla, and why was Noah getting involved?

  “Let’s get the plywood,” Allen said. “We have plenty to do before the sun goes down. No time for chatting.”

  “Mark and I will help you,” Jamie offered.

  A few minutes later Jamie and Mark were once again working in their own area, this time in silence. Jamie was grateful for the opportunity to concentrate on the work without receiving a lecture.

  “Jamie,” Mark suddenly said.

  “What?” Jamie lifted his hat and swept a palm across his sweaty brow.

  “I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but I’m worried about you.” Mark gestured toward the farmhouse. “Kayla seems great. I think you should see if your friendship can become something more.” He groaned and looked up toward the sky. “That sounds so sappy, but you know what I mean.” He shrugged and took another sheet of plywood from the pile. “It’s just a suggestion.”

  Jamie glanced toward the house and felt a tug on his heart. Could his brother be right about Kayla? He banished the thought and picked up his next nail. A list of unfinished chores filtered through his mind as he tried to ignore thoughts of Kayla and her beautiful smile.

  Kayla gathered the empty serving trays, stacked serving utensils on top of them, and started up the path toward the back porch. When she reached the top step, she stopped and looked toward the barn. Jamie and Mark were close enough that she could spot them, and they seemed to have fallen into a rhythm as they hammered sheets of plywood onto the barn’s wall frame.

  “I think the men enjoyed lunch.”

  Kayla swiveled. Laura Dienner stood at the bottom step, her fingers looped through the handles of four plastic iced tea containers, all drained dry.

  “Ya, I think you’re right.” She lifted the trays. “All the food is gone.”

  “Ya.” Laura paused for a moment, a smile growing on her lips. “I’ve heard a lot of gut things about you.”

  “You have?”

  Laura pointed two of the empty containers toward the barn. “Mark said he and Jamie ate at your restaurant the other day, and the meat loaf was fantastic. He also said you and Jamie are friendly.”

  “He did?”

  “Ya.” Laura shrugged. “Jamie is sort of shy with maed, but don’t let that fool you. I think he’s fond of you.”

  “Really?” Kayla loathed the desperation in her voice. She cleared her throat. “He seems very nice.”

  “Ya, he is. He’s kind of serious, too, and he needs to be reminded to have fun. But he’s a really gut man.”

  Kayla considered the Riehl family as more questions rolled through her mind. “Is Jamie the oldest?”

  “Ya. He’s twenty-five.” Laura set the empty containers on the railing. “Mark and I are twenty-three, and Cindy is the youngest. She’s seventeen.”

  “Are you and Mark twins?”

  “Ya, we are. I’m five minutes older than he is.” Laura rolled her eyes. “Sometimes it feels more like five years. You know how buwe can be.”

  Kayla laughed. “Ya, I do.” She nodded toward the barn where Nathan stood talking to her father and a few of the volunteers. “Have you met mei bruder, Nathan? He’s fourteen.”

  “No.” Laura’s eyes followed Kayla’s. “I haven’t met him. You’ll have to introduce me. Mark told me Nathan really took to Jamie. Apparently they bonded over firefighting. He said Nathan wants to volunteer too.”

  “Ya, that’s true.” Kayla frowned. “He’s determined to become a firefighter.”

  Laura’s smile faded. “I heard about Simeon too. I’m very sorry for your loss.”

  “Danki.” Kayla liked Laura. She seemed straightforward and thoughtful.

  Eva appeared and climbed the steps, holding all the unused ute
nsils, plates, and cups. “I think we got everything off the tables.”

  Cindy came up behind her with the tablecloths, and they both climbed the steps. Cindy gave Kayla a shy smile.

  “I’ll fold up the tables after I carry in the trays,” Kayla said.

  “Nathan can do it later.” Eva nodded toward the door. “Would you please open that, Cindy?”

  “I’ve got it.” Laura scooted over, set down two of her jugs, and wrenched it open.

  “Danki,” Eva and Kayla both said. Kayla followed Eva into the kitchen and set the serving trays on the counter. She glanced around. “Where’s Mamm?”

  “I think our mothers are in your sewing room upstairs.” Cindy stepped into the kitchen and dropped the tablecloths on the table. “I heard them talking about quilting earlier and your mamm offered to show mine a few of her designs.”

  Kayla began to fill one side of the sink with hot, soapy water. “I didn’t see them come inside.”

  “Do you quilt?” Cindy stepped over to the counter beside Kayla.

  “Ya, but not very well.” Kayla nodded toward Eva. “She’s a much better quilter than I am.”

  “That’s not true.” Eva wagged a finger at Kayla. “You’re a gut quilter. You just don’t quilt very often.” She rested her hand on her hip. “Honestly, I don’t know how Mamm finds the time to quilt. We’re so busy at the restaurant and then we get home late in the evening.”

  “I think it’s her favorite way to relax after cooking all day.” Kayla began to wash one of the serving trays.

  “I’m going to go check on Junior.” Eva started toward the doorway that led to her apartment. “He should be waking up from his nap.”

  “May I come with you?” Cindy offered. “I’d like to meet your sohn.”

  “I’d like that.” Eva gestured for Cindy to follow her into the apartment, and they disappeared through the doorway.

  Laura deposited her empty iced tea containers on the counter, sidled up to Kayla, and picked up a dish towel. “How about I dry?”

  “That would be great.” Kayla finished washing the first serving tray and set it in the side of the sink she’d filled with clean water for rinsing. “Cindy seems very sweet.”