“Yeah, I’ve heard the same thing.”
Heidi cut their sandwiches in half and took out a pitcher of lemonade. “Here we go.”
After they took seats at the table, it pleased Heidi to see Kendra bow her head.
Following their silent prayers, Heidi poured lemonade into their glasses. “How’s your new job, Kendra?”
“It’s okay, but I’m hoping it turns into full-time. I won’t keep sponging off my friend forever.” Kendra touched her stomach. “Then there’s the expense of having a baby.”
“Won’t your parents help with the costs?”
Kendra’s eyes narrowed as she shook her head. “Since my folks tossed me out when they found out about the pregnancy, I don’t expect any help from them at all.” Her forehead creased. “My dad paid me a visit the day I got my new job.”
“How did it go?”
“Horrible. He chewed me out for talking to my sister, Shelly. Worse than that, he warned me not to make any contact with her or my other sister, Chris. Said if I did, he’d show them the door.”
Heidi’s brows furrowed. “You mean he’d make your sisters move out?”
“You got it.” Kendra bit into her sandwich. “He’s a mean man, and I hate him. He’s not my dad anymore; he’s my enemy now.”
“Hate’s a pretty strong word.” Heidi placed her hand on Kendra’s shoulder. “The Bible tells us in Luke 6:27 and 28: ‘Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.’”
Kendra’s lips curled. “I’m all too familiar with Bible verses and prayer. Grew up attending church with my family. But as far as I can tell, the church is full of hypocrites—the biggest one being my dad.”
“If you pray for him, perhaps in time he’ll come around.”
Kendra picked up her glass and took a drink. “Can we please change the subject? I don’t want to talk about Dad anymore.”
Heidi said nothing more on the topic. She would remember, however, to pray for Kendra, as well as for her father, asking God to remove the anger and bitterness from both of their hearts.
Sugarcreek
Taking a whiff of the air-freshened towels while putting them in the basket, Loretta heard the whinny of a horse. When the buggy pulled closer, she recognized the driver even before he got out. Eli. I wonder if he came for a visit, or perhaps he brought us more cookies.
After securing the horse, Eli walked toward her and tipped his hat. “Wasn’t sure if I’d find you at home, but I’m glad you’re here ’cause I brought your kids a special gift.” Looking directly at her, he quickly added, “I hope you’ll let ’em keep it. It’s in my buggy if you wanna take a look.”
Loretta’s eyebrows rose, but she followed him to the buggy. When he reached inside and lifted out a small brown-and-white puppy, she gasped. “Oh, Eli, I don’t think—”
“Please don’t say no. I saw the way Conner and Abby loved on Heidi’s dog last week. I bet they’d enjoy having a puppy of their own.”
“You’re right, but puppies are a lot of work, not to mention an additional expense I don’t need right now.”
“Since I don’t live close by, I can’t do much to help ya take care of the pup, but I’d be happy to help with the expense.”
She shook her head. “Oh, no, I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“You don’t have to ask; I’m volunteering. In fact, I brought a bag of dog food along so you won’t have to worry about feeding the puppy for a while.” Eli scratched the pup behind its ears. “When the food runs low, let me know, and I’ll buy some more.”
“You’re a nice man, Eli.”
His face colored, and he lowered his head. “Tryin’ to help out a friend, is all.”
Loretta smiled. She’d begun to think of Eli as her friend, too.
Walnut Creek
When Kendra left the Troyers’ house that afternoon, she reflected on the things she and Heidi had discussed. She doesn’t understand my situation. Heidi’s never been in a predicament like mine.
Country scenery went practically unnoticed as Kendra headed back to Mt. Hope. She hit the switch to put the window down farther and rested her elbow there. Even with the warm breezes blowing through her hair, Kendra’s thoughts would not elude her. What did I do to deserve all this? How can some be so lucky in life, and others, like me, seem to attract trouble?
Kendra noticed something brown by the high weeds along the side of the road. Glancing in the rearview mirror to be sure no vehicles were close behind, she slammed on the brakes. Kendra raised her eyebrows when she noticed a lone female duck standing like a statue, as if waiting for something. Then, one by one, ten little ducklings surrounded their mama.
Hesitating on her next move, the female quacked and looked in Kendra’s direction. Water glistened in the sunlight as Kendra caught a glimpse of a pond on the other side of the road. Watching in the mirror, she gripped the gearshift and put it in REVERSE and then PARK.
After getting out of her car, Kendra slowly approached the mother duck. “Okay girl, it’s safe to cross.” She bent low, making a shooing motion with her hands. “But then you probably already knew that, didn’t you?” She continued to guide them until the mother and babies waddled safely across and under a fence. Kendra giggled as the tiny ducklings followed like soldiers trailing a drillmaster during boot camp.
Getting back into the car and buckling her seat belt, Kendra gripped the steering wheel with such force her knuckles turned white. “To think what could have happened if I hadn’t stopped in time.” She put her hand protectively over her stomach. I have a little one to protect as well.
Kendra watched the ducks enter the water. At least now they were in a safe place. If only my parents had half the concern toward me as that duck has for her babies.
While her father hadn’t done anything to despitefully use her, like the verse of scripture Heidi had mentioned, he’d despitefully kicked her out of his house and, worse, now threatened her sisters with the same punishment. He’s not deserving of my prayers. It would serve him right if the church found out about my pregnancy and kicked him off the board. I oughta let someone there know.
Chapter 24
Sugarcreek
Come see what Mr. Miller brought,” Loretta called through the screen door.
When Loretta glanced back and smiled at him, Eli stood taller. The puppy squirmed and wiggled and licked his nose, as if it knew this was going to be home. The dog was so cute it almost made him regret not keeping one of the litter. If not for Lady, the decision would have been easy. As the pup grew languid and nestled comfortably in his arms, its milky breath reached Eli’s nostrils.
A few seconds later, Loretta’s children came out. Abby’s eyes lit up when she saw the dog. “It’s so cute! Whose puppy is it?”
“It’s yours and Conner’s, if you want it.” Eli set the pup on the porch. Instinctively, it went to the children and let out a yip while wagging its tail. It ran in circles around them, and woofed several raspy barks, as if it was learning to talk. The puppy seemed to enjoy being the center of attention.
“Yippee! Yippee!” Conner jumped and down, while Abby’s eyes seemed to grow larger by the minute.
Abby knelt beside the dog and stroked its head. “Can we keep it?” She looked up at her mother with pleading eyes.
Loretta nodded. “The question is, what shall we name the little guy?”
Conner, sitting cross-legged on the other side of the dog, shouted, “Donnelly! Cause he belongs to us.” The puppy seemed happy getting so much attention from two excited children. It went from Conner to Abby, and back to Conner again, while the kids giggled and took turns petting the dog.
“Donnelly’s a pretty big name for such a small dog, but if that’s what you want, it sounds good to me.” Eli grinned. The boy choosing his last name for the dog was kind of cute.
As if accepting the name, the pup crawled into Conner’s lap and licked his chin with a slurpy tongue.
Everyone laughed, Eli most of all. What a happy morning it turned out to be. Eli’s heart seemed to beat faster to keep pace with all the joy pumping out of it.
“This pup is a Miniature American Shepherd, so he won’t get too big. It’s from a litter my mother’s dog gave birth to eight weeks ago,” Eli explained. “Homes were found for all the other puppies except this little fellow.”
“We’ll take good care of Donnelly, I promise.” Enthusiasm shone in Abby’s dark eyes.
Eli bent down and patted the top of her head. “I knew I could count on you and your bruder.”
“What’s a ‘bruder’?” Abby tilted her head, looking up at him with the curiosity of a child.
“It means ‘brother.’”
Abby snickered and pointed at Conner. “You’re my little bruder.”
“What do you both say to Mr. Miller for giving you such a nice gift?” Loretta prompted.
“Thank you,” the children answered in unison.
Conner clambered to his feet and hugged Eli’s leg. “I love our puppy.”
“You’re most welcome.” Eli’s throat clogged.
“Is that horse yours?” Conner pointed to the fence post where Blossom stood, swishing her tail.
“She certainly is. Her name is Blossom. She used to belong to my wife before she …” Eli’s words trailed off.
“Can I pet her?”
“I have no problem with it, if your mother says it’s okay.” Eli looked at Loretta.
“As long as you’re there with him, it’s fine with me.”
“Absolutely.” Eli reached down and scooped the boy into his arms. His heart swelled with pleasure when Conner hugged him tight. I’d give nearly anything to have a son like this boy. He glanced at Abby. A daughter would be nice, too.
“Reach out your hand now and pet her gently,” Eli instructed when he stood beside his horse.
The boy complied and laughed when Blossom let out a whinny. “I think she likes me.” The horse nickered in response.
“I believe you’re right.” Eli ruffled Conner’s hair. “Say, how’d you like to go for a ride in my buggy? Then you can see how well the horse pulls.”
“If Mommy says it’s okay.”
“Of course. Maybe she and your sister would like to ride with us.”
Riding in the buggy brought back a time when Loretta was a little girl, visiting her grandparents. Oh, how she wished Grandma and Grandpa Zook were still alive. Memories of them were faint, and sitting beside Eli as the buggy jostled along felt like a new experience. She considered telling him about her heritage, but would he understand if he found out Loretta’s parents never joined the Amish church and left their families soon after they were married? Loretta had always been hesitant to discuss it with anyone—especially when she didn’t know the details herself. She’d always been curious about the reason her folks had chosen to be part of the English world rather than join the Amish church, but never asked. Loretta often wished her parents had joined the Amish church, because she’d be Amish now, too.
Pushing her musings aside, she glanced over her shoulder and smiled. Wearing huge grins, Conner and Abby sat in the seat behind them, with their hands on Donnelly’s head. The pup closed his eyes and let out a whiny yawn.
“It seems they tuckered little Donnelly out.” Loretta turned back around.
“Or maybe it’s the other way around.” Eli grinned. “Don’t know who’s more tired, the kids or the puppy.”
“I see now my kids needed a dog.” Loretta paused, briefly touching his arm. “Thank you, Eli, for your kindness.”
His smile increased. “My pleasure.”
As they rode around Sugarcreek, the kids chattered and giggled. Occasionally, their new puppy let out a small woof.
“Sounds like they’re having a good time back there,” Eli commented.
“They are, and so am I sitting up here. It’s nice to ride at a much slower pace.”
“Jah.” Eli clucked to the horse then began to whistle.
Every muscle in Loretta’s body seemed to relax. Was it the buggy ride or spending time with Eli? Wish I felt this content all the time.
Abby leaned forward and tapped Eli’s shoulder. “Could ya teach me how to whistle, Mr. Eli?”
“I’d be happy to.” He reached back and patted Abby’s hand. “Next time I come to Sugarcreek, I’ll stop by your house and give you a lesson. How’s that sound, little lady?”
“Sounds good.”
Yip! Yip! The puppy barked, wiggling around. Riding past a farm, Eli pulled on the reins so they could watch the activity going on by the edge of the field. Several children and a few adults held on to strings as their kites danced far overhead.
“Look there!” Conner pointed. “See the big smiley face?”
“Yes, and some kites have pretty colors, too,” Loretta added.
“Remember, Mommy, how Daddy used to fly kites with me?” Abby spoke in a bubbly tone. “It was fun.”
“I remember.” Loretta had not heard Abby recount many memories about her father since his death. It was good to hear her talking about him now. Conner had only been two when Rick died. No doubt, he remembered very little about his father. Loretta had shared things about Rick with the children and answered questions when they asked.
Eli flicked the reins, and they continued on down the road. “Let’s go, Blossom. No reason to dally.”
“Can we ride in your buggy again, Mr. Eli?” Abby tapped his shoulder again.
“Most definitely. Next time, I’ll take you by to meet my folks.”
“That would be nice,” Loretta responded. “It’ll give me a chance to thank your mother in person for the delicious banana whoopie pies.”
“How about next Saturday when our cooking class is over?” Eli suggested. “I’ll follow you back to your house after we’re done, and we can pick up the children. It’ll also give me a chance to see how Donnelly’s doing.”
“Can we bring our puppy along so he can see his mama?” Abby questioned.
“Great idea. Should’ve thought of it myself.” Eli glanced at Loretta and smiled. “That’s a smart daughter you have.”
Walnut Creek
Ron watched out his side window as Lyle hitched his horse to the buggy and climbed in beside Heidi. They hadn’t mentioned going anywhere, but this might be a good opportunity to sneak into their house again and take more money or some other item of value.
Ron waited until the buggy was out of sight then stepped out of his motor home and glanced around. The Troyers’ dog lay sleeping in its pen. That was good. He wouldn’t have to deal with the mutt barking or pestering him for a treat.
Tromping up the porch steps, Ron tried the front door but found it locked, like it had been the last time they’d gone away and he’d come in uninvited. He hurried around back and discovered that door was also locked.
Drat! Wonder if they discovered the missing money or the oil lamps I took. Do they suspect me? Is that why the doors are both locked?
Ron took a seat in one of the chairs on the porch, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. He couldn’t help but notice the clean white wicker. Years ago, he and his wife purchased a wicker rocker for their front porch. It didn’t take long for the dirt to show, despite countless cleanings. Eventually they’d gotten rid of the chair and replaced it with something easier to maintain. It was easy to see the Troyers took good care of all their belongings—something Ron didn’t choose to do anymore. What was the point?
Ron rose from the chair. Whelp, I can’t sit here all day reminiscing. I need to check the windows and see if any of them are unlocked—or maybe the basement door.
Since going through the basement to get into the house would be easier than squeezing through a window, he checked there first. Not only was the basement door unlocked, but it was partially open.
“A lot of good it does to lock the front and back door but leave the basement door open,” he muttered, stepping into the dark room. “Guess the Troyers sli
pped up on that one, but it’s to my advantage.”
He took a few steps and bumped into something. “Should’ve brought a flashlight.” He was about to give up when a thought popped into his head. There might be something valuable down here. Think I’d better go back to my rig and get a light so I can scope out this basement before I head up to the main part of the house.
Ron went out the door and was almost to his RV when a van pulled in. A few minutes later, an elderly Amish couple got out with two small suitcases.
“Who are you?” the woman asked, looking strangely at Ron.
“My name’s Ron Hensley. And who might you folks be?”
“I’m Emma Miller, and this is my husband, Lamar. Heidi’s my niece. Is she at home?”
Ron shook his head. “Heidi and Lyle went somewhere.”
“Oh, I see. Do you know when they’ll be back?”
“Nope.”
She looked at her husband then back at Ron. “I’m surprised they’re not here. I wonder if they forgot we were coming.”
Ron shrugged. “Beats me. Neither of ’em mentioned anything to me about expecting company.”
“Are you a friend of theirs?” Lamar pulled his fingers through the ends of his long gray beard.
“Guess you could say that.” Ron scrubbed a hand down the side of his face. “They let me park my rig here when it needed repairs. I’ll be stayin’ awhile since I’m taking Heidi’s cooking classes.”
Eyes widening, Emma’s mouth formed an O.
“Don’t look so surprised.” Lamar elbowed her arm. “Think of all the men who’ve taken your quilting classes.”
“True.” She looked at their driver and gave him a wave. “We’ll go on in the house and wait till Heidi and Lyle are home.”
Ron was on the verge of telling them both doors were locked but changed his mind. They might wonder how he knew and become suspicious if he told them he’d already tried both doors.
“Nice meeting you folks,” he mumbled before heading off to his motor home. It seemed odd that Heidi and Lyle would take off if they were expecting company—especially family members. Oh well, it’s none of my business. Just wish Heidi’s aunt and uncle hadn’t shown up when they did. Now I’ll have to wait for a better time to check out the basement, not to mention gain entrance to the house. Just hope when there is a next time that at least one of the doors will be unlocked.
Amish Cooking Class - The Seekers Page 17