Leah buckled the last straps together. “Rhoda will be thrilled about the news. Find her and—”
“Nah.” Sadness shadowed his face for a moment. Or maybe heartache. “She’s too busy.” He patted the horse’s neck. “So where are you off to?”
She should’ve known better than to tell him to find Rhoda. “It’s a test drive mostly.” Since Landon had given her the driver’s manual more than three weeks ago, she’d memorized most of it, and she wanted to look at the roads with that information in mind. “But I’ll eventually make my way to Landon’s and surprise him.”
“Ah.” Samuel looked as if he’d tried to smile but hadn’t quite made it. “The Millers and their three single sons will visit soon. Keep that in mind, okay?”
“Sure. Maybe I’ll find one of them as intriguing as you find Iva.”
Samuel all but flinched, and Leah wished she’d thought before she spoke.
“What else arrived in the mail?” she asked, hoping to undo her more callous remarks.
“Information from a Realtor about houses that could be converted into a kitchen.”
“Any prospects?”
“None that I saw. They’re either too far or too expensive or too run-down to have ready by August. Unless we find something basically free that requires mostly hard work, there’s not a lot we can do until I receive the check for the acreage. And we can’t finalize that sale until the survey is complete. That surveying company seems to move like an injured turtle.”
“Can’t Rhoda agree to borrow the money from the Cranfords until then?”
“Does everyone in the house know about that?”
“I think so. I overheard Jacob telling Steven before they shut the door for his instruction time. Speaking of, I didn’t know the Amish would allow instruction to take place outside of Sunday church services, did you?”
“With Steven being the only minister, he can’t preach Sunday service and teach Jacob his lessons at the same time.” Samuel turned. “I’m going to leave what the Realtor sent on the desk, and if you see Rhoda, let her know the information is there. Maybe she’ll see potential in something I didn’t.”
“But even if she found something that fit what you said—low cost and lots of work—its quality and size would probably get us through only one canning season, so that wouldn’t be ideal, would it?”
“Nothing in this settlement has been ideal.”
That was an understatement, but Leah kept her sarcasm and irritability to herself as she climbed into the buggy. “You didn’t answer my question. Why can’t we accept the Cranfords’ loan just to tide us over until you get the money from the land?”
He shrugged. “This business is a partnership. I won’t circumvent Rhoda to do what I think is best. Besides, we’ve all seen what her intuition can accomplish.”
“Ya, from what I’ve overheard, I’m alive because of it.” As were her two younger sisters, who, except for Rhoda’s warning, would’ve been asleep upstairs when the tornado removed most of the second story of their home.
“So we respect what we know is true and sit tight.”
It seemed odd how much he’d changed since meeting Rhoda. A man once fully persuaded to operate within the male rights of a patriarchal society had learned to yield to a woman as an equal. That was such a huge development it defied all Amish logic.
Leah threaded the reins into the carriage. “I can’t imagine where you’ll have this farm and settlement in five years.” She smiled, hoping he believed that as fully as she did. “Bye.” She waved and drove out of the barn and across the driveway. “Geh begreiflich.” She gently tugged on the reins, urging the horse to go easy as he entered the road.
The reins felt odd in Leah’s hands. It’d been quite a while since she’d driven a buggy. The roads were wet, and she breathed deeply, taking in the aromas of spring and wet asphalt as the sun peeked through the clouds. Since it was the end of the month, she wondered if June would continue this kind of weather. She hoped so.
She drove for more than an hour before guiding the horse toward Landon’s place. An old boarded-up house hidden behind overgrown hedges caught her eye, and, curious, she pulled onto the dirt path that led to it. The building was white clapboard with peeling paint. The door had an outside padlock, apparently a fairly new one compared to the rest of the place.
The sight of it gave her chills of excitement. But why? It intrigued her, yet she didn’t recall ever noticing it before. Hmm. It was about the size of the summer kitchen back home. Could Jacob turn it into a canning kitchen?
With her heart thumping wildly, Leah backed up the rig and got onto the road. Before long she was pulling into Erlene’s driveway.
Wouldn’t Landon be surprised that she’d driven here? She tethered the horse to a nearby spruce tree, went to the door, and knocked.
Erlene opened it with a cordless phone to her ear. She smiled. “This is a nice surprise.”
Leah nodded, unsure whether to speak since Erlene was on the phone.
“I’m on hold.” Erlene motioned for her to enter. “I don’t mean to be rude by answering the door this way, but I knew Landon wasn’t going to budge from the game he’s watching. I’m talking with my sister about knee surgery she apparently needs. While we were working through what I could do to help out, her son beeped in on call waiting.” She closed the door behind Leah. “Landon.” She elongated his name. “Leah’s here.”
“Hey.” Landon’s voice echoed from somewhere inside. “Come on in.”
Erlene gestured. “He’s in the living room.” She tilted her ear toward the phone. “Yeah, I’m still here. I’ve been thinking. What if we make this easier on everyone by my coming down to help out while you’re recuperating?”
Unwilling to eavesdrop, Leah waved to her and hurried into the living room.
Landon’s full focus was on the television. His ball cap was crooked, his face unshaven, and his T-shirt wrinkled. Funny, he didn’t come to work unshaven or in wrinkled clothes.
“Hi.” He smiled but barely glanced at her before moving his laptop off the spot beside him. “Have a seat. I’m watching the Red Sox trying to score against the Indians.”
She sat. A quick glance assured her the Red Sox were a baseball team. Unlike most sports, baseball was one she knew something about. She’d played it a lot during recess at school. But what was the appeal of watching people he didn’t know?
Landon set his laptop on the end table beside him. “I’m hoping Will Middlebrooks will hit another grand slam like he did a few weeks back.”
Will who? “Is he a friend of yours?”
“No.” Landon chuckled. “I haven’t met any of them, but I’m well versed in their stats and where they hail from and who’s likely to be traded next season.”
Hail from? What did that mean? Her earlier hope faded. Not only did he seem unimpressed that she’d gotten to Erlene’s on her own, but he also didn’t seem to care that she was even here. She sat back, waiting for him to snap out of it. When he didn’t, she decided to speak up. “Don’t you think it’s odd that I’m here?”
Landon glanced away from the television. “Oh, I should, shouldn’t I? How did you get here?”
“I drove the rig.”
“Really? That’s—” The television blared as the crowd roared. Landon motioned at the television. “What the heck was that? Come on, ump! Pay attention!”
It seemed so strange. He talked to a box and ignored a real human, one who was supposed to mean something to him. Apparently she meant a lot more to him when the television wasn’t on.
“You do know they can’t hear you, right?”
“And clearly the umpire can’t see either,” Landon complained.
Leah wondered what Landon was going to say before he’d interrupted himself to yell at a box. This was supposed to be a happy visit, a chance for him to quiz her on the manual and for her to tell him all she’d learned. But right now the only thing that mattered was between him and the television.
> Would he find it even a little impressive that she’d nearly memorized the driver’s manual?
Landon leaned over, holding out the bowl of popcorn to her. “Something wrong?”
She’d never expected to feel so ignored and out of place while sitting next to Landon. Is this what her life with him would be like?
She shook her head and grabbed a handful of popcorn. “I just stopped by for a minute.”
“Only a minute?” Landon frowned. “That’s weird.”
“I was just practicing how to get a rig on the Maine roads.” She ate some popcorn. “If I don’t see Erlene on my way out, tell her bye for me and that I’ll see her another time.”
When he didn’t answer, she left. This is what she used to feel like all the time with Michael and even her family—unwanted and nothing special.
Before she got halfway to the horse, she heard the front door open.
“Leah.” Landon hurried after her. “Is the game that boring, or do you really need to go?”
She was sure the truth was written all over her face: embarrassment and agitation. So she didn’t turn around.
He caught her by the arm. “Hey. What’s going on?”
“Nothing. Just go watch your stupid game.” She pulled free and hurried onward.
“Whoa, Leah.” He stepped in front of her. “Does me watching a ball game warrant all this?”
“No.” She paused. “Maybe.”
“Okay, what’s going on?”
She rolled her eyes. “I came here all excited because I drove the rig on some unfamiliar roads, because I’d studied the stupid driver’s manual, because I saw a place that might make a good canning kitchen.” She raised her hands and waggled them. “Woohoo for Leah! Isn’t she amazing?” She rolled her eyes. “But I don’t know or understand half of what interests you, and I didn’t expect to be ignored because of something on television.”
“Oh.” He relaxed, an understanding smile stealing her heart. “We’re in for some rocky roads if those few minutes already make you feel like a baseball widow.”
A what? “Just go back to your game.”
“You’re right. I should’ve shut off the game when you came in.”
“Too late for that now!”
“Leah, I wasn’t thinking.”
“I’ll never know how to hold your interest like that.”
He smiled. “You could brush up on the Sox players and stats.”
“You think it’d be that easy? I don’t. And I have no interest in learning it.”
“Leah, breathe already. I’m kidding. None of this is a big deal. So you don’t know about professional baseball. A lot of couples don’t share an interest in the same hobbies. Most of the novels you love hold my interest for about two paragraphs. You can read while I watch baseball. We don’t have to like the same things or be good at the same things to connect.”
“Sometimes the idea of remaining Amish is comforting.”
“Of course it is. But what’s that got to do with anything happening here?”
She shrugged. “At least there’s not a world of subjects I’m clueless about. And being ignored for a lifeless box is strange.”
“We’ve had a lot of fun watching that lifeless box. You can’t suddenly hate it because something was on that you didn’t like.”
“It made me feel stupid.”
“So? Deal with it. And don’t dump it on me as if it’s my fault you don’t know about the Sox, okay? People feel dozens of emotions in a day or even an hour, but they will change and fade. We can’t let fleeting feelings change and fade who we are. We have to be stronger than that, or we won’t last.”
He made sense. Leah took a breath, wishing she hadn’t let her emotions get the better of her. “I should go.” She untied the horse from the spruce and turned to face him. “You’re missing the game.”
“Come on, Leah. You’re being silly about the whole thing.”
The annoying thing was, she knew that. She knew her behavior was immature. But it didn’t erase that she wished she hadn’t come. She just wanted to go home.
Landon stared down at her, stepping so very close.
She backed up, bumping into the side of the rig. She wanted to kiss him so badly.
The way he looked at her she knew he wanted to kiss her too. She should resist. It would only confuse the decisions she needed to make about her future, the ones between her and God. “I guess I could learn to manage better when negative feelings hit.”
He placed his hands on the carriage, around her head, his eyes soaking her in. “Yeah, that’s a good goal.” His voice sounded distant.
With her heart thumping, she tried to swallow. “I … I should go.”
He leaned in close, his lips mere inches from hers. Leah’s heart pounded, begging for a kiss.
But he paused, lowered his arms, and took a step back. “Sorry.”
Unable to respond, she peeled herself from the side of the rig, opened the door, and climbed in.
“You sure you can’t stay?” Landon nodded toward the house. “Granny’s probably off the phone by now.”
In that moment she saw more of Landon than she ever had. For every ounce of immaturity she had, he had a dose of maturity, and she loved him for it.
Loved him.
She did love him. “Not this time.”
He was entirely too kind for someone like her—a plain Jane month of May, with a thunderstorm one hour and sunshine and birdsong the next. But she wouldn’t always be like this. She had some things to figure out, things between her and God, her and her family, her and Landon.
Landon propped his foot on the buggy step. “You drive safe.”
“You sound like a parent.”
He wrinkled his face. “That uncool? Man, no wonder you’re taking your horse and going home.”
She giggled. “I’ll tell Rhoda about the abandoned building I saw.”
“Is it the white clapboard about a mile from here?”
“Probably.” She liked the idea of talking about something more normal before leaving. “Windows boarded up and barely visible for all the overgrowth?”
“Yeah, that actually belongs to Granny. She used to run a little grocery store and gas station before the station in town ran her out of business. If you’d gone around the side, you’d have seen the old gas pumps. The Kings could have it practically free of charge, but I’ve already told all that to Rhoda and Jacob. But it has three strikes against it. It’s too far from the orchard. It doesn’t have any plumbing or a reasonable way to get water to it. And getting it up to code for a license would cost way too much.”
“That’s a shame. I really liked that little building.”
“You want to go poke around in it? It has years of interesting stuff inside, like an old attic. And I have the key.”
“But your ball game.”
“I’m recording it.”
“Going through that building sounds like fun.”
“You want to drive us? I’ll tell Granny or leave a note. I don’t know why I didn’t think of us going there sooner. You’ll love looking through all that old stuff.” But instead of leaving, he stayed right there, staring at her.
Leah felt a little uneasy as he watched her. “Something wrong?”
His eyes didn’t move from her, and he smiled. She could see it in his eyes. He liked who she was, stumbles and immaturity and all.
THIRTY-ONE
Jacob startled awake as the dogs barked. He crawled out of bed, pulled his pants over his boxers, and went to the bedroom window. While putting one arm through a suspender, he saw Rhoda getting out of the passenger’s side of Bob’s car. Jacob couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her, even at this ridiculous hour. But what was she doing up and coming here now?
Rhoda waved to Bob and strolled toward the barn. She wrapped her arms around herself and paused, staring at the night sky. Jacob doubted she’d be here this early unless something was bothering her.
They had taken a tra
in to Old Orchard Beach two weeks ago. As great as their time had been—and it had been amazing—something between them wasn’t all it should be. Was it because he needed to tell her how he felt about them living in Maine? Not doing so meant he was keeping secrets again, and that ate at him.
Or maybe he wasn’t the only one withholding his thoughts and emotions. She was complex. He admired that. Truly. And she was worth every minute of trying to figure her out, but who would’ve thought a young woman who’d spent her life in the quietness of a fruit garden and canning kitchen could have as many facets as a carnival’s house of mirrors?
Her attention moved to the house, and slowly she found him. He raised his hand, and she smiled before blowing him a kiss.
He indicated he’d be down in a minute, and then he grabbed clean clothes and headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day.
The sun and surf of the beach had been a start to everything they needed—time alone and away from this farm. He could still hear her laughter as the wind played Frisbee along with them. He’d chortled at her squeals of delight while she clutched his arm as the Ferris wheel went round and round. But most of all, he could feel her love as they strolled hand in hand along the beach, talking while watching the sunlight play on the top of the water.
Their relationship had soaked up that day like growing crops drank in the rain.
It had helped Jacob to take a relaxing breath, but it didn’t change the fact that his brother was in love with her too. Jacob had no doubt about that. If Rhoda was aware, she hadn’t even hinted at it. They avoided any discussion of Samuel, but the matter lay between them like a sleeping guard dog.
He was soon out the front door and heading into the office. “There she is.”
She grinned and tapped her cheek with her index finger. He kissed right where she’d pointed, inhaling the aroma of what she most reminded him of—sunshine and freedom.
“Denki.” She smiled, kissed the ends of her fingers, and placed them over his lips.
“Guder Marye, my sweet Rhodes.” He sat on the edge of the desk.
“My sweet Rhodes—what a nice thing to say. Makes it sound as if my name is Rose.”
For Every Season Page 26