Amish Romance Box Set: Finding Home

by Brenda Maxfield

  She’d hoped he would have. She sucked in her breath. So she did have feelings for him? Her heart squeezed beneath her ribs. What difference did it make? He obviously wasn’t going to pursue anything with her. She fingered the curtains at the window and took slow even breaths. Yes, she would miss him. She would miss his eyes on her. She would miss his steady presence in her life. She would miss hearing the sound of his laughter when he was with Ben out in the barn.

  She turned away from the window. Was she destined to miss people her entire life? Was that what her lot was to be? She would never stop missing Isaac. Never. She accepted that. Nor would she ever stop missing her parents. But missing Zach?

  That didn’t seem necessary.

  With a sigh, she dressed for the day. She’d break the news to the children after breakfast. Dear Gott, please, please, let it go well.

  When the children had run off to do their before-breakfast chores, Marvin took Naomi aside. “Well, sister? Are you ready to start packing?”

  Naomi swallowed past the growing knot in her throat. “I need to talk to the children first. You can give me that much time, can’t you?” Her voice was short-tempered, and she immediately apologized. “Ach, I’m sorry, Marvin. I didn’t get much sleep.”

  He nodded and tugged on the end of his scraggly beard. “Understandable. I thought I’d approach Zachariah about purchasing the farm.”

  “Nee!” Naomi interjected. “Please let me do it.”

  “I will do it for you.”

  “Nee. I’ve been handling all the business up till now. Let me do this.” She felt her cheeks go hot. She was disgusted with herself, for she well knew the reason she wanted to be the one to approach Zach. She wanted to watch his face, hear his tone of voice. She wanted to discern whether there was any emotion there for her.

  Of anyone in the district, it would be most fitting if Zach bought the farm. He knew it better than anyone. Better than she did. Better even than her husband and her parents. He’d worked the land longer.

  “All right, Naomi. But I’m right here to finish up the business.”

  “Jah. Thank you.”

  She turned to put breakfast on the table. The children would be back any minute, and she didn’t want to put off the inevitable for a moment longer than necessary. Perhaps, when everyone knew, she could adjust to the idea with more grace and eagerness herself.

  Because right then, all she felt was dread.

  The children bounded in the side door, washed up, and took their seats at the table. This time, Marvin led the silent grace.

  Chapter Four

  After eating, Katy stood to begin clearing the table. “Wait a moment, Katy,” Naomi said, reaching out and touching her arm. “I want to talk with both you children.”

  Marvin rose. “I’ll leave you to it,” he said. “I’ll be out on the porch should you need me.”

  Both Ben’s and Katy’s face reflected their curiosity.

  “What’s going on?” Katy asked, hesitation in her tone.

  Naomi licked her lips. “Children, Marvin didn’t only come to visit us,” she began. “He and the rest of the family…” She looked at her children and gave them a smile, albeit somewhat forced. “You remember all your aunts and uncles and cousins. Well, they are really missing us—”

  “They shoulda come with Uncle then,” Ben said with a big grin. “I coulda showed ’em all my frogs and stuff.”

  “It would have been too difficult and expensive for all of them to make the trip. So they sent Marvin as a kind of representative.”

  Katy frowned. “Representative? I don’t understand.”

  “The family wants us to move back to Pennsylvania.” Naomi held her breath, bracing herself for their reaction.

  To her surprise, they said nothing. They both simply stared at her, their mouths open.

  “Did you hear me?” she asked.

  “But we live here now,” Ben said, scratching his arm.

  “What about Liz?” Katy asked, her mind immediately going to her best friend. “I wouldn’t ever get to see her anymore.”

  Naomi cleared her throat. “You can write each other. Wouldn’t it be fun to get letters all the time? I know how excited you are when we hear from our family in Pennsylvania.”

  “Letters?” Katy asked, her voice rising. “You can’t play with letters!”

  Naomi sighed and clasped her hands firmly in her lap. “Nee. You can’t.” She gave Katy a sympathetic look. “But Marvin and the family think it’s for the best. You’ll have all your cousins and your aunts and uncles. And remember your old friends? They’re still there.”

  “What about Mr. Zach?” Ben asked. “Is he gonna come with us?”

  “Don’t be stupid,” Katy snapped.

  “Katy Byler! That’s enough of that,” Naomi scolded. She looked at Ben. “Nee, son. Mr. King’s family is here. He won’t be coming with us.”

  Ben’s wide eyes welled with tears. “But who’s gonna play with me? Who’s gonna teach me stuff.”

  Naomi felt as if she’d been slapped. She gulped air and composed her face. “Your uncles, Ben. And your cousins. They love you and are eager to be with you.”

  Katy’s lower lip quivered, and she reached across the table and touched Ben’s arm. “I’ll teach you stuff,” she said, and her voice cracked.

  Naomi was startled by her daughter’s tender gesture. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all.

  “Can I be excused now?” Katy asked. Her voice was wooden. She leveled a shadowed look at her mother, her demeanor resigned.

  “Jah.”

  “I don’t wanna go,” Ben said, his tears starting to fall. “Does Mr. Zach know? He never told me.”

  “Nee. He doesn’t know. I’m going to tell him in a few minutes.”

  “I don’t wanna go. I like it here.”

  Naomi blew out her breath. “So do I, Ben. But we like Pennsylvania, too. Everything’s going to be all right. You’ll see.”

  Ben wiped at the tears on his cheeks. “I don’t wanna go,” he repeated and dropped his head on his arms.

  Naomi stood and kissed the top of his head. “Right now, why don’t you go out to Marvin on the porch? He’d love to visit with you a bit.”

  Ben climbed off the long bench and shuffled over to the front door. Naomi wanted to call him back and tell him that they weren’t going after all. She wanted to laugh and tell him it wasn’t true, that they were staying in Hollybrook.

  Instead, she squared her shoulders and went into the washroom and through the side door. Outside, she shaded her eyes with her hand, scanning the fields. And then she saw him. He was in the far corner of the field. She took off toward him, her heart squeezing painfully with each step.

  “Naomi!” Zach cried when he saw her approaching. “What’s wrong?”

  She never walked out to the fields to find him, so it only made sense that he would be alarmed.

  “Are the kinner all right?” He strode towards her.

  She held up her hand. “They’re fine, Zach.”

  He stopped before her, and his brows were drawn with concern. “Your brother? He’s all right?”

  She nodded, a lump growing in her throat. “He’s fine.”

  “Then what is it?”

  “Do you want to buy the farm?” she blurted.

  He gaped at her and took a half step back. “What?”

  “Do you want to buy the farm?” she repeated, blinking rapidly, trying to keep the impending tears from falling.

  “You’re selling it?” he said, his eyes searching hers.

  She nodded.

  He took off his straw hat and held it, his fingers circling the brim. “I don’t understand.”

  “We’re going back to Pennsylvania with Marvin.” She watched him, hoping, no praying, that he would say something, anything, to make her stay.

  “I see.”

  Her heart sank, and she swallowed hard.

  He licked his lips. “What about your Bed and Breakfast.”
/>   She shrugged. “It will close, I guess. It won’t matter that much. I only barely got started with it.”

  “But I thought you liked it.”

  “I do.”

  He put his hat back on, pushing it down on his head. The brim shadowed his face, and she wanted to step closer to look into his eyes, but she didn’t dare.

  “You didn’t answer me,” she said. “About buying the farm, I mean.”

  He exhaled. “Naomi, I don’t have that kind of money right now.”

  “How do you know? I haven’t told you what it costs. I won’t cheat you. I only need to get out from under the debt.” She was talking fast, realizing she knew next to nothing about selling land.

  He stepped closer. She could see his eyes now, and they looked dark and angry.

  “I would never think you’d cheat me,” he said, his voice clipped. “How could you believe so little of me?”

  She blanched. What? She didn’t believe little of him. Why was he so angry? She’d only been explaining that the price wouldn’t be inflated.

  “I-I’m sorry, Mr. King.” She stared at him.

  “Mr. King?” He turned to the side and spit on the ground. Instinctively, she backed up, confused by his behavior. He was hotly angry now, and she wasn’t sure why.

  “My brother will talk to you about it then,” she finally said.

  He glared at her and turned on his heel and walked away. She shook her head. What had just happened? He stopped and turned back to her.

  “When are you leaving?” he asked, over-enunciating every word.

  “A week.”

  He hit his hand on his thigh. “Of course.”

  She turned and fled, running through the field, brushing against the corn and feeling it tug at her dress. What was the matter with him? She’d thought that he would at least voice a bit of sorrow at her leaving. As she ran, her mouth tightened. He was crazy, that man. And heartless. She wanted to turn and yell Good Riddance! at him, but she wouldn’t be so crude.

  When she rounded the corner of the big house, she stopped short. A blue car with rust running around the bottom of the doors, was parked before the porch. A woman with two young children stood on the first step. Marvin was talking to her.

  “Hello?” Naomi said, approaching the woman.

  She turned and Naomi gave a start at how beautiful she was. Liquid blue eyes sparkled, and her left cheek dimpled with an eager smile.

  “They told me at the Feed and Supply that you have a Bed and Breakfast. I’m looking for a place to stay for a few nights.”

  Marvin caught Naomi’s eye. “I told her that you’re closed for business.”

  Naomi bristled. She had one more week. She didn’t need to close yet. She gave her brother a look of apology and turned to the woman. “My brother’s right. We’ll be closing soon. But I do believe that we can help you for a couple nights at least.”

  She heard her brother sputter, but she kept her eyes on the woman, who broke out into an even greater smile at her words.

  “That’s wonderful! And don’t worry. My children behave well. This here is Daisy, and that’s John.”

  Naomi laughed. “I never gave it a thought. Nice to meet you, children. Come. You can stay in the daadi haus.”

  “Let’s go, kids,” the woman said, her voice light and airy. “Let’s go to the daadi haus.”

  Something in the way she said daadi haus made Naomi suspect that she was familiar with the term.

  “So, you know what a daadi haus is?” Naomi asked.

  The woman’s face flushed. “Yes. Yes, I do.”

  But she didn’t say anything further, and Naomi didn’t want to pry. She opened the door to the small house and ushered the woman and her children inside.

  “You can sleep in the main bedroom, and your children can each have a single bed in here.” Naomi noted that Katy had done a fine job of cleaning the day before. It looked nice and tidy. “If you’d like to take meals with us, we’ll eat dinner at noon and supper at six o’clock.”

  “That would be right nice,” the woman said. “When would you like me to pay?”

  “You can pay now or when you leave.” Naomi told her the price, and the woman nodded. “I should get your name,” Naomi added.

  The woman faced her, and a look of dread flashed over her face so quickly Naomi wasn’t sure she’d seen it. “The name is Marcy,” she said, her voice dipping. “Marcy Blackenship.”

  Naomi almost choked. Marcy Blackenship? Wasn’t that the name of Zach’s old girlfriend? She stared at the woman in shock and then quickly worked to recover her senses. “U-uh, hello Marcy. I’m Naomi.”

  No wonder the woman knew what a daadi haus was. She’d been Amish.

  “Nice to meet you, Naomi.”

  “I’ll leave you to get settled,” Naomi said, grateful that her voice sounded normal. “Let me know if you need anything.”

  “We will.”

  Naomi stumbled out of the house. Did Zach know Marcy was coming? And did he know that she would be staying there with her? Naomi shuddered and wondered what it all meant. But she knew before anything else, she’d have to go and deal with her brother’s anger. He wouldn’t take kindly to her countering his wishes in public like that.

  And she was right. He stood on the porch waiting for her, and his angry scowl was one she remembered well from childhood.

  “Naomi…”

  She rushed up the steps. “Before you get mad at me, let me speak. I know you don’t want me to take guests, but they’ll be my last ones. I like the Bed and Breakfast. I’m going to miss it when we leave. So can’t you at least let me have these last two nights? And besides, we can use the money to help pay for gas for the trip back to Pennsylvania.”

  She spoke quickly and with passion, trying to ignore the confusion that thundered through her regarding the identity of her guest. Hadn’t Marcy used her maiden surname? Wouldn’t that mean she had never married, even though she had two children? What was Zach going to do?

  Marvin looked at her and much to Naomi’s surprise, his expression softened. “All right, Naomi. I understand what you’re saying. Have your three guests. But remember, you have to be ready in a week to leave.”

  “How can I take everything with me in a week? And in a van, no less? The way I see it, all we can really take is our clothes and perhaps a few things we hold dear. But I won’t leave the quilts behind. Nor Mamm’s favorite dishes.”

  He touched her shoulder. “I can arrange for a truck to bring the furniture at a later date.”

  Naomi shook her head. “Nee.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I assume we’ll live in someone’s daadi haus, right? And they’ll already have it furnished. We might as well leave most everything here.” Grief tore up her throat then, and she couldn’t stand there pretending to be fine for another minute. She rushed into the house and up to her room where she fell on her bed and sobbed. Sobbed for another tearing loss in her life. Sobbed for her children. Sobbed for her dead husband and parents. Sobbed for her growing affection for Zach that was never to be.

  Chapter Five

  Marcy and her two children spent part of the afternoon lollygagging about on the front porch. Naomi could hardly take her eyes from them, especially Marcy. She studied her, wanting to know the draw she had on Zachariah. There were her looks, of course, but Naomi instinctively knew that looks alone wouldn’t be enough for Zach. There had to be something in Marcy’s personality that had dazzled him.

  Zach hadn’t come in from the fields yet, and she wondered whether she should go out and warn him. Unless he already knew, of course. But surely, he would have told her if he’d known Marcy was coming. Naomi stepped back from the window, embarrassed to be spending so much time spying on a guest. The house was quiet. She had no idea where Marvin was, and Ben had holed himself up in his room and wouldn’t come out. Katy had run off to Liz’s house, no doubt to share her upsetting news regarding the move.

  She leaned her hands o
n the kitchen counter and closed her eyes. Zach would want to know. As a friend, she needed to tell him. Part of her wanted to, for she wanted to note his reaction. Another part of her was afraid to tell him. And for the same reason. What if he became full of glee at the news? What then?

  Of course, it didn’t matter. She was leaving.

  She wiped her damp hands on a dishtowel and slipped out the side door to go out to the fields. She hoped Marvin wasn’t around to observe her. She knew he wouldn’t approve of her traipsing off to talk to Zach. Well, she was going to do it. She owed Zach as much.

  Zach was in the middle of the fields, pulling back a tassel to inspect the cob beneath when she approached.

  “Naomi? Again?” He dropped his hands and beheld her. “What is it this time?” There was an edge to his voice, and she stiffened.

  “I want to tell you something.”

  “Jah? What is it?”

  “Marcy’s here.” The two words might as well have been well-aimed arrows for the effect they had on Zach. He flinched, and his face went white. He stepped back, nearly trampling on the corn stalks. “What?”

  “She’s here. Staying at my Bed and Breakfast.”

  “What?” His voice was frantic, and he shook his head as if trying to wrap his mind around her news.

  “She’s here with her two children. I don’t know why. I imagine she’s looking for you.”

  He gaped at her, and she saw his jaw clench.

  She continued. “She doesn’t have any family around here anymore, does she?”

  He shook his head, and she saw him swallow. Hard.

  “Did she ask for me?” The words scraped up his throat.

  “Nee.”

  He looked over the tops of the corn toward the house. Naomi followed his gaze, although she wasn’t tall enough to see the house clearly. With stiff movements, he went back to pulling back random tassels.

  “You’re not going to go see her?” Naomi asked, incredulous.

  He ignored her, continuing about his business. To a casual observer, it might look like nothing was amiss. But Naomi knew better. His face was set, harder than usual. And his hands shook ever so slightly.