When Brad opened the door, he greeted a young couple who introduced themselves as Shawn and Arlene Campbell. He invited them to take seats in the living room, and a few minutes later two more people arrived. Becky Freemont said she was single and attended the local community college. Tim Stapleton, the young man with her, informed Brad that he used to attend Sunday school when he was a boy, but until recently hadn’t gone to church regularly.
The final person to arrive was a middle-aged man named Rick Osprey.
Once everyone was seated, Brad opened with prayer and then handed out Bibles and a workbook to each person. “Before we get started,” he said, “I thought it would be good if you all took turns telling a little something about yourself, along with how and when you became a Christian.” Brad turned to Rick. “Would you like to go first?”
“Umm … sure.” The man reached up and rubbed his graying sideburns. “I grew up in Lancaster County, and to be honest, I was pretty wild during my teen years and into my young adult life. For a while, I ran around with a group of Amish teenagers who lived in Strasburg—or maybe it was Paradise. They were going through a time of sowing their wild oats. I think they called it rumspringa. Oh, and there was this one girl named Reban ….” He paused and scratched his head. “Guess it could have been Rhoda or some other name that begins with R. Anyway, she said her folks were Christians and even tried to mention God, but I wasn’t interested back then. I was having too much fun sowing my own wild oats.” He stopped talking and turned to Shawn. “Okay, that’s enough about me. It’s your turn now.”
Shawn began talking, but his words were lost on Sara. All she could think about was the name Rick had mentioned—Rhoda. Could he have known my mother? Is it possible, by some twist of fate, that this man could be my biological father? Sara wanted to question him further, but this was not the best time or place. She needed to wait for a better opportunity to ask him some pertinent questions. And she wanted to talk with Brad about it first.
Chapter 14
Strasburg
Jesse woke up in a cold sweat. He’d dreamed that Cindy was sick with a high temperature. She kept crying and crying, and nothing Jesse did seemed to calm her. He’d put a cold compress on her forehead, but it didn’t bring the fever down.
Would I be able to help my little girl if she got really sick? Jesse asked himself as he rolled out of bed. If things got really bad, he would call for help, of course, but until Cindy was born, he’d never had to take care of a baby. That lack of experience always made him feel unsure of himself.
Jesse went to the window and opened the blinds to look out at the clear summer morning. The more he thought about Vera’s suggestion that he find a wife, the more sense it made. If Lenore should agree to marry him, and for some reason Cindy became ill and Lenore wasn’t sure what to do, between the two of them, they could probably figure it out. Lenore always seemed calm and had a level head, so she would probably think things through without going into a panic.
“There’s no doubt about it,” Jesse said out loud. “Two heads are better than one.”
A sense of guilt took over when he thought about asking Lenore to marry him when he wasn’t in love with her. Well, I’m not going to worry about that right now. Just need to take things one step at a time.
As Lenore stood at the kitchen sink Saturday morning, contemplating the meal she’d had with Jesse the night before, Grandma tapped her on the shoulder. “The dishes are done. How long are you going to stand there staring out the window at nothing?”
“It’s not nothing. There are plenty of veggel in the yard.” Lenore turned and smiled at Grandma. “Well, to be truthful, I wasn’t really watching the birds.”
“What were you watching?”
“Nothing in particular. I was mostly thinking about last night.”
Grandma tipped her head. “Your date with Jesse?”
“Jah, only I’m not sure if it was an actual date. He made no mention of wanting to court me.”
“What did he talk about?”
“Mostly the history of the part of Kentucky where he’s from.”
“Interesting, but not very romantic.” Grandma’s brows moved up and down.
Lenore stepped away from the sink. “I think Jesse might be lonely, and maybe he enjoys my company.”
“And well he should.” Grandma placed her hand on Lenore’s shoulder. “In addition to being blessed with a pretty face, you’re smart, kind, and quite capable, I might add.”
Lenore snickered. “I believe you’re a bit prejudiced because I’m your granddaughter.”
“Maybe so, but the words I spoke were true.” Grandma moved across the room to the stove and poured herself a cup of coffee. “Would you like some kaffi, Lenore?”
“No, thank you. Is there anything special you’d like me to do today?” Lenore asked. “Maybe pull weeds or pick some produce from the garden?”
Grandma shook her head. “You’ve worked hard all week. Why don’t you take the day off and do something just for fun?”
Lenore tapped her fingers on the edge of her chin. “I do have one errand I need to run.”
“That’s not what I would call fun.”
“Maybe not, but I promised Sara I would bring in several more of my homemade greeting kaarte to sell on consignment in her flower shop.”
“You do make some lovely cards. And they’ve sold quite well in Sara’s shop.”
“Jah. Her beaded jewelry and keychains have gone over well with her customers too.”
“Sara’s a busy young woman. I don’t know how she finds the time to run her business, do all the duties expected of her as a minister’s wife, and make up her lovely beaded items.”
“From what I can tell, Sara enjoys what she does, so I’m sure that’s why she is able to keep up with it all.” Lenore didn’t ask the question, but she wondered if Grandma enjoyed all the things she had to do these days. Since Grandpa’s stroke, Grandma had more chores to do than ever before. But she’d never heard her complain—she just did what needed to be done with a smile on her face. Hard work and persistence were positive traits both Grandma and Grandpa had passed on to their children and grandchildren.
“Were you planning to take your horse and buggy out to make your card deliveries?” Grandma asked. “Or would you like to give my horse some exercise today?”
“It’s such a beautiful summer day, I thought I might either walk to the flower shop or ride my scooter,” Lenore replied.
“Won’t that be a little difficult with a box full of cards?”
Lenore shook her head. “I’ll put them in a wicker basket, and they should be easy to carry. The fresh air and exercise will do me some good.”
“All right, dear. Do as you like.” Grandma smiled. “Oh, and please tell Sara I said hello and that we hope to see her and Brad soon.”
“I will.” Lenore hugged her grandmother and hurried from the room to get the greeting cards. If Sara was free, maybe the two of them could have lunch together. It had been awhile since they’d had some one-on-one cousin time.
Outside, Lenore put her wicker basket full of cards inside the metal carrier on the front of her scooter and, using her left foot to push off, headed out of the yard and onto the shoulder of the road.
She’d only made it about halfway into town when a scraggly-looking dog ran out of a nearby field, chasing a rabbit. Lenore swerved to keep from hitting either animal, but in so doing, she lost control. The next thing she knew, the scooter tipped over and she was lying on the pavement, her greeting cards scattered all around.
Jesse whistled as he guided his horse down the road toward the Lapps’ farm. Last night Lenore had left her lightweight jacket in his buggy when he’d dropped her off. He was kind of glad—it gave him an excuse to see her again today. Jesse didn’t want Lenore to think he was too aggressive in his efforts to court her, but after the dream he’d had in the wee hours this morning, he’d decided that he needed to find a mother for his little girl as soon as pos
sible. Since Cindy liked the Lapps’ granddaughter and responded so well to her, Lenore was the logical candidate. Jesse still felt guilty about pursuing a woman he didn’t love. The thing that concerned him the most, though, was whether Lenore would be willing to accept his terms for marriage. No pronouncement of love or physical relationship would most likely be a deterrent for her. He’d be taking a risk asking her to be his wife in name only.
He pursed his lips. Maybe I should forget the silly notion and rely on Vera to watch Cindy for me, like she’s doing today. She said she was willing to do it for as long as I needed her.
Jesse gripped the horse’s reins as he continued to wrestle with his indecisiveness. A lump lodged in his throat as a vision of his sweet Esther flashed in his mind. What would she want me to do? If only I could communicate with her somehow.
As Jesse drew closer to the Lapps’ place, he spotted Lenore on her hands and knees along the shoulder of the road. Beside her a red scooter lay on its side.
Concerned, he guided his horse to the side of the road and stepped out of the buggy. “What happened? Are you all right?”
“A dog chasing a rabbit ran in front of me, and I lost control of my scooter when I swerved to avoid hitting them.” Lenore’s chin trembled as she looked at him. “The greeting cards I made and was taking to my cousin’s flower shop are probably ruined.” She gestured to the cards and envelopes scattered about.
Worried about her welfare, Jesse hadn’t even noticed them before. “What about you, Lenore? Are you okay?”
“My legs and arms are scraped up some, but I can move them, so I’m sure there are no broken bones.”
“I’ll help you pick up the cards and then give you a ride to the flower shop if you like.”
“Danki. That would be much appreciated.”
Jesse looked around for a place to secure his horse. Seeing a tree along the road a few yards ahead, he led the animal there and tied him to a branch, then joined Lenore in her quest to rescue the cards.
A short time later they had them all picked up. A few had been damaged, but most appeared to be fine. Jesse picked up the scooter and put it in the back of his open buggy, then he helped Lenore, holding her basket full of cards, into the passenger’s seat. “Would you rather I take you back to your grandparents’ house? You should probably put some antiseptic on the places your legs and arms got scraped right away.”
She shook her head with a look of determination. “I’d rather go to Sara’s flower shop and drop off these cards. I’m sure she has a first-aid kit on hand so I can tend my wounds there.”
“All right then. Just tell me which direction to go and we’ll be on our way.”
As Sara took down the old window display and began putting up a new one using birdhouses as a focal point, she reflected on last night’s Bible study. She couldn’t help wondering if the man she’d met there might have known her mother or even her biological father.
Wish I’d had more time to talk to him, Sara thought as she placed a small ceramic bird next to one of the wooden birdhouses her cousin Ben had made. She looked forward to the next Bible study and hoped she would have a chance to speak with Rick Osprey again. She’d have to be careful how she approached the topic, though, so he wouldn’t think she was being nosy or infringing on his personal life. Sara didn’t want to cut into their time of reading the scriptures either or say anything of a personal nature in front of the others who attended the Bible study.
Sara’s attention was captured when she looked out the window and noticed Lenore limping in the direction of the store. Jesse walked beside her, carrying a wicker basket.
Sara stepped down from the display platform and greeted them at the door. “What happened, Lenore? Why are you limping?”
Lenore explained how she’d fallen off her scooter, and said that when Jesse came along, he’d helped her pick up the cards and offered her a ride to the flower shop. “I’m hoping you have some bandages and antiseptic here.” Lenore winced as she held out her arm with several nasty scrapes. “My knees got scraped up too, but at least I wasn’t seriously hurt.” She pointed at the basket in Jesse’s hand. “Some of my cards got ruined, but I brought the good ones Jesse and I rescued.”
“We can look at those later.” Sara motioned toward the back room. “Right now we should tend to those nasty scrapes.” She turned to face Jesse. “Please place the basket of cards on the counter. I’ll take a look at them as soon as I’ve taken care of Lenore’s wounds. You can sit over there while you wait, if you want.”
“Sure, no problem.”
Sara gathered up her first-aid kit from her small office and found Lenore sitting in the back room. As she tended her cousin’s wounds, she posed a question. “Is Jesse interested in you?”
Lenore blushed. “I—I’m not sure. He did take me out to supper last night.”
Sara grinned. “That’s a start in the courting process, right?”
“I’m not sure if we are actually courting, but he has been kind to me ever since I started watching his little girl.”
“Where is Cindy today?”
“With the great-aunt of Jesse’s late wife.” Lenore looked down at her bandaged leg. “Thanks for taking care of my injuries.”
“No problem. If I was the one who’d gotten hurt, I’m sure you would have done the same for me.”
“Of course I would.” Lenore squeezed Sara’s hand. “I’m so glad you came into our lives.”
“Same here. If I hadn’t found that letter in Mama’s Bible, I never would have discovered her wonderful family I knew nothing about. You and your folks, as well as Grandpa and Grandma, have been a real blessing to me.”
Lenore smiled. “You have blessed our lives too.”
Glancing toward the door leading to the front of the flower shop, Sara whispered, “And now you’re a blessing to Jesse and his daughter.”
Chapter 15
On the last Friday of July, after Michelle prayed and read her devotional book, she knew without reservation that she needed to speak with Ezekiel again about his desire to move to an Amish community in New York.
Ezekiel had gone out to the barn right after breakfast to feed their horses and Michelle’s dog. When he came in and they were seated at the table, she would bring up the subject.
Michelle opened a carton of eggs and cracked four into a bowl. By the time she had them mixed up and frying in a pan, Ezekiel came into the kitchen.
“Guder mariye.” He strode across the room and kissed the back of her neck. “Bet those oier will taste mighty good.”
She turned her head and smiled. “Good morning. There’s some leftover sausage warming in the oven to go with the scrambled eggs.”
“I’m lucky to have you, Michelle. You take real good care of me.”
She smiled briefly, and when the eggs were done, she put them on a platter, along with the sausage links, and placed it on the table. “Would you prefer orange or apple juice?” she asked when he went to the sink to wash his hands.
“Apple sounds good.” He took a seat at the table.
Michelle poured them each a glass of juice and sat in the chair beside him. Following their silent prayer, she passed him the eggs and sausage. “I’ve been thinking and praying about your idea of moving to New York.”
“Have you reached a decision?” He gave her full eye contact.
Michelle gave a nod. “If it’s what you really want to do, then I’m willing to go with you.”
Ezekiel’s face broke into a wide smile. “I’m glad. This will be a chance for us to start over in a new place, and I’ll be doing something I enjoy instead of working at Mom and Dad’s greenhouse.” He dished up some eggs and sausage before handing Michelle the platter. “My only concern is how my folks will respond when they hear of our decision to move.”
As Lenore sat with Cindy on a blanket in the yard, her thoughts went to Jesse. Ever since he’d rescued her from the scooter accident two weeks ago, he’d been more talkative and attentive. She pulle
d her fingers gently through Cindy’s curly hair as she thought more about the little girl’s father. Jesse was a kind, gentle man—and rather good looking too. It was probably wrong to be thinking such thoughts when she barely knew the man, but Lenore felt drawn to him.
She reached over and tickled Cindy’s bare toes. “Maybe it’s you, sweet girl, who makes me think I’m attracted to your daadi. It might just be the special bond that’s been made between me and you.”
When a pretty butterfly floated in front of them, Cindy clapped her chubby hands and squealed.
“Fleddermas.” Lenore pointed as the beautiful monarch landed on a flower close by. “Beautiful butterfly.”
Cindy’s gaze remained fixed on the monarch, and when it flew farther away, she crawled off the blanket and started across the grass.
Lenore let her go for a little bit, knowing it was good for a child to get in touch with nature through the texture of grass on their skin. She looked up toward the blue sky with puffy white clouds. Spending time outdoors and breathing in fresh air, was good for anyone, no matter their age.
Cindy stopped crawling when a grasshopper zipped in front of her. Lenore held her breath and waited to see what the little girl would do. One hand came out, and then the other as Cindy giggled, rocking back and forth on her knees.
“Hoischreck.” Lenore repeated the Pennsylvania Dutch word for grasshopper several times. After reading a book on child care recently, Lenore had learned that talking to a baby was a key part of their language development. It also stated that repetition was the key, because words spoken to a baby became stored away in the child’s brain. Eventually they’d be able to use those words and respond to the adult who had spoken to them.
A few seconds went by before the grasshopper hopped away. Cindy swiveled her little body around and crawled back to Lenore. Picking the child up and caressing her face, Lenore struggled not to give in to the tears forming behind her eyes. In such a short time she had formed a strong attachment to this darling little girl. If only … If only you were mine.
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