She walked out to the barn where the two had arranged to meet. Benjamin was hitching the horses to the sleigh. He looked up at her and smiled, and she knew he approved of her attire.
She noticed there was one horse he wasn’t hitching up to the sleigh. “Are we leaving her behind?” She joked.
“Yes, actually. She’s pregnant, and she should be giving birth any day now.” Benjamin explained.
“Oh, how sweet.” Vivian smiled and walked over to visit with the mare. “She’s beautiful. But I’ve been around horses enough to know this isn’t the right time of year to be giving birth.”
“You’re right, this is a late birth, and very much unexpected. My cousin Henry said it probably happened because I started getting up earlier and turning the lights on in the barn earlier in the morning since our cow started milking, and when I milk her at night, I leave the lights on. We’d never had a milking cow before. We used to get our milk from my cousin’s farm.”
“I’ve heard that if you have the lights on, it fools their body into starting the reproductive cycle early since their body responds to the extra hours of what they think is daylight, so they think it’s spring.”
“That’s what Henry said. It’s nice to know you have such knowledge of horses.”
“I’m not an expert, but I’ve also witnessed a foaling when I was taking equestrian lessons.”
“It’s a wonderful experience,” he said. “Something you never get tired of. But I wouldn’t mind seeing my own offspring being born. I wasn’t able to be there when Molly was born—I didn’t make it in time; I was out on errands for the B&B.”
Vivian gasped. “You want to see that? I’m not sure I’d want to see it!”
Benjamin stood up and went to her, drawing her close. “I think you might change your mind when our first little one is due.”
Vivian gulped. She hadn’t thought much about having children. It was something she was a little frightened of—especially since her own childhood had not gone so smoothly. She knew Benjamin was not the type of man who would push his child aside for the sake of success, but she’d be willing to bet her mother hadn’t thought her father was capable of the same thing when they married either. As for her mother, she did feel confident that she would never make her child feel the way her parents had. They were good to her in their own way, but over the years they’d become pretty self-centered. She supposed they’d earned that right, now that she was an adult, but they’d begun their neglect of her when she was too young to handle it. Would they be the same way to her child? Without any representation on Benjamin’s side of the family, they would need her parents to be good grandparents to Molly and their own children, and she wasn’t confident they were up for the role.
But she was getting way ahead of herself. Their marriage would be at least a year away between the planning, and them courting the way Benjamin talked about. He’d told her the Amish traditionally courted for about a year before marrying, and that marrying season was in November. Besides, he hadn’t even officially asked her yet, so she could relax and enjoy her stay with him. She had to admit she had no idea what she was planning to do once her reservation was up. If she planned to work here with Katie, she would be expected to live here, wouldn’t she? She would have to remember to bring that up to Katie later. Maybe she could start off with weekends, and work her way up to weekdays too. She was still a little homesick for her parents, and she wasn’t sure if she was ready to live here full time.
Benjamin nudged her. “Where are you?”
Vivian giggled. “I’m right here, silly.”
“No, I mean, you seemed far away in thought,” he said.
She turned to him and smiled. “Don’t get me wrong, I love being here with you, but I have to be honest and admit I’m a little homesick. Not really even homesick, but mostly wishing my parents could enjoy this with me—with us. I’ve never been without them on Christmas.”
Benjamin wanted to tell her of his surprise, but he decided to let it be a surprise instead of ruining it by telling her too early.
“Perhaps they will change their minds about the season, and want to spend the holiday with you.”
“I wish you were right,” Vivian said sadly. “I love my parents, but I’m afraid they’ve become very selfish. They both said they want to see me for Christmas, but if I know them, they will expect me to go back to Chicago, and if I don’t, they may punish me for not spending the holiday with them. By coming here, I denied them the fun of fighting over me.”
She hadn’t meant to burden him again with her worries about her parents. She didn’t want to come off as selfish and spoiled, but she didn’t want to ignore him either. She supposed if they were going to marry, she’d have to get used to being able to lean on him and tell him her cares. He was already in-tune with her moods, and she couldn’t hide her feelings from him indefinitely without it causing problems in communication between them.
Benjamin thought about his conversation with her father, and silently agreed with Vivian, though he couldn’t tell her that. Not just because it would spoil his surprise, but because it wasn’t his place to judge the man. He’d found her father to be just as selfish as she described, but nonetheless eager to see his daughter, if only to drag her back into his idea of how they should spend the holidays. Talking to Vivian’s mother had been a similar experience, but she’d been even more eager to treat her daughter like a child and drag her away from the B&B. He knew it was always possible that Vivian misjudged their actions, but he didn’t get that feeling from either conversation with them. He was certain they were very genuine in their love for their daughter, and had both expressed how much they missed Vivian, but their idea of loving seemed to involve a level of control that didn’t seem healthy. Perhaps if Vivian continued to believe her parents were avoiding her, it might make the surprise that more special for her—he hoped, anyway.
Despite his disappointment over the phone calls, he reminded himself it wasn’t all bad news. He’d gotten her parents to agree to spend Christmas day with their daughter, and so he’d done what he’d set out to do. The rest would be up to them.
He assisted Vivian into the sleigh, and with one click to the horses, they were headed toward the path that led to the pond. The sun had nearly disappeared, but the last rays of light painted a beautiful salmon hue over the blankets of snow that covered the flatland. Light snow flurries swirled about, landing on Vivian’s eyelashes the way they had the day of their first sleigh ride. Time had seemingly stood so still, she felt like the past four days had turned to months. She felt as if she’d known Benjamin her whole life, and his family had become hers. She never thought that an unexpected meeting would turn out to be such a blessing to her.
The sleigh bells chimed in perfect timing with the horses’ light trot through the fresh snow. Vivian leaned into Benjamin, and he tucked her under his arm, pulling her close to him. This was the most romantic date she’d ever been on, and she couldn’t help but feel a little giddy that her life could be like this from now on once she and Benjamin were married.
As they neared the edge of the pond, Benjamin slowed the horses, bringing them to a full stop at the clearing. The lanterns were lit around the pond, but there was no one else there, and they sparkled against the icy surface.
Vivian drew in a breath and smiled, knowing he set the scene for the two of them to have a private date here. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”
“I have,” he said as he smiled and looked into her eyes.
She blushed and giggled as he took her hand and helped her out of the sleigh. Leading her to the frozen pond, Benjamin stopped at the entrance and took a knee in front of her. Taking Vivian’s hand in his, he gazed up at her and just watched her for a minute. He wanted to remember everything about this moment.
“I’m afraid I don’t have a ring for you,” he began. “All I can offer you is my heart, and I’ll give it all to you if you’ll do me the honor of becoming my wife.”
&nb
sp; She let out a giggle that turned into a half-cry as tears pooled in her eyes. “Yes!” she squealed. “Yes, I’ll marry you!”
Dropping to one knee in front of him, she pressed her lips to his and kissed him deeply. He pulled her into his arms and held her, and it felt more like home than she ever imagined it could.
Chapter 9.
Early the next morning Vivian woke to hear everyone stirring downstairs. She thought something might be wrong so she quickly got dressed and headed downstairs to see what all the commotion was about.
Katie was in the kitchen preparing food.
“What’s going on?” Vivian asked.
“The horse is finally giving birth!” Katie announced excitedly. “Such a wonderful First Christmas present the new foal will be.”
Vivian’s sleepiness was now replaced with excitement. She had always loved horses from the time she was a little girl, and although she’d witnessed a birth before, this one seemed somehow different. She had been hoping the horse would give birth to the foal while she was still staying at the B&B.
“How long have they been out there?”
Katie looked at the clock on the wall. “Almost half an hour.”
“We’re going to miss it!” she said, grabbing her coat and heading toward the door.
Katie stopped her. “What about your breakfast, Miss Vivian?”
She looked back at Katie and smiled. “I’m too excited to eat! Don’t tell me you’re willing to miss the foaling in order to serve me breakfast. Let’s go!”
She smiled. “I was hoping you’d say that!”
Katie wiped her hands on her apron and grabbed her coat from the peg near the door, and together, the two walked out toward the barn in the deep snow.
When she arrived Benjamin and Simon were standing guard outside the double stall where Pepper was resting on several thick blankets.
Molly paced back and forth near the door, wringing her hands. She ran to Vivian, and she scooped the child up in her arms.
“Daed wouldn’t let me get you up!” she said. “He told me you’d be here in time to see the Christmas miracle, but I was getting worried you’d miss it.”
Vivian hugged her close. “I’m here now, don’t you worry. Shall we go take a look and see how Pepper is doing?”
“Daed says we have to be quiet so we don’t spook her.”
“He’s right about that,” Vivian whispered in Molly’s ear as she carried her quietly toward the stall so they could take a peek.
Pepper whinnied and snorted, shifting a little on the blankets. Within minutes, the foal began to emerge. Molly’s face brightened as she looked at Vivian with such excitement, she thought the child was going to burst. Surprisingly, Molly kept quiet. Vivian already knew she was a very obedient child, and she knew it could be attributed to Benjamin’s good parenting.
When Pepper was finished, she began to lick clean the gray male, while everyone stood around with their breath held, waiting for him to rise to his feet. They cheered him on quietly as he made two failed attempts at standing. Pepper continued to lick at him, and then finally, he stood.
Smiles abound from each family member as they continued to watch their Christmas miracle.
Chapter 10.
On Christmas morning, Vivian woke bright and early. She hadn’t slept much, anticipating her first Christmas with Benjamin and Molly.
I’m an engaged woman! She thought with a smile, holding out her bare hand as if there was a ring on it. For as much as she loved Benjamin, there might as well have been the biggest diamond in the world on her finger. He’d promised her a simple gold band when they were married, and that was more than enough for her. Her friends would surely scoff at her naked finger, and ridicule her for not having anything less than a full carat to show off. She was content to have Benjamin to show off, and he was worth far more to her than a ring.
She was both elated and a little sad at the same time. How could that be? It should be such a happy day for her, but she hadn’t heard any more word from her parents, and it was too late to get them to spend Christmas with her. Truthfully, she knew she might be spending it away from them when she’d made the decision to make her reservation at the B&B. She would never take that back. She couldn’t have any regrets about her holiday plans, or that would mean regretting meeting Benjamin and his family, and that would never happen. She was so happy that she’d made the decision, and knew it was all part of God’s plan.
What about not seeing her parents for Christmas? Was that part of God’s plan too? Surely, she prayed not.
Lord, please bless me with a miracle today.
It was the simplest of prayers, but she knew if she left it in God’s hands, everything would all work out the way it was supposed to.
She dressed quickly and went downstairs to the dining room, eager to see Benjamin. Already set on the table was a big breakfast, and they were all waiting on her to begin. Katie was just finishing up setting out the plates for everyone when Vivian walked in.
“Merry Christmas, Viv!” She said in the most cheery voice Vivian had heard in a while. “I was just about to go up and get you!”
“Merry Christmas.” Vivian replied with a sleepy voice. She hadn’t gotten much sleep the night before, her thoughts about Benjamin and her parents had kept her awake most of the night.
Benjamin beckoned her to the seat next to him. Molly was seated on the other side and smiled as she sat down.
He grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “So, we have some guests arriving today. They should be here in time for dinner.”
Vivian looked at him curiously. “On Christmas day? Does that happen often?”
Katie suppressed a giggle. Benjamin had let her in on his plan to bring Vivian’s parents to the B&B as a Christmas gift to her. At first, Katie reprimanded him for getting involved in her troubles, but she did admit that it was a very nice gesture, and Vivian needed it. They all had noticed her spirits slowly getting lower as Christmas Day approached, and her obvious attempt to cover it up. Katie wanted to cheer Vivian up just as much as Benjamin did, and so she’d agreed to help him surprise her.
“I suppose they wanted a last minute get away.” Benjamin continued as he turned to Vivian. “I know Katie has been teaching you some things, and I was wondering if you’d be willing to help her a bit with the preparations for our guests.”
This sparked a bit of excitement in Vivian. She was glad he approved of Katie teaching her how to help out with the B&B, and that he already trusted her to help with actual guests. This would give her the chance to put her new skills to the test to see how it is to run the B&B with guests.
When they were done with their meal, Katie and Vivian went to the laundry room to gather some fresh linens for the rooms. She allowed Vivian to prepare the rooms on her own as she headed back downstairs to start preparing Christmas dinner. The meal was going to take a bit longer now that there would be two more guests.
When Vivian was satisfied the beds were made properly, and she’d placed fresh soap and towels in the bathroom, she went downstairs to join Katie to help prepare the meal.
“The rooms are clean and ready,” she said excitedly.
Katie looked up and smiled. “It’s going to be nice to have you here to help me.”
“I’m really excited about being here to help with the Christmas guests.”
Katie was about to burst. She knew if she didn’t change the subject, she might give away her brother’s Christmas gift to Vivian, so she decided to be bold.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Katie began. “Benjamin shared with me your news.” She pulled Vivian into a hug before she had time to react. “I’m sorry I wasn’t more receptive to your relationship at first, but you have to know I was worried for my brother and niece. I don’t want them getting their hearts broken again.”
“I would never break their hearts,” Vivian assured her.
“I know that now. I have a special meal planned since it’s Christmas. I’m so excited yo
u’re spending it with us, and even more excited you’re going to be my sister. I always wanted a sister!”
“Me too,” Vivian said. She’d hated being an only child growing up, and now she would have two siblings.
Katie had already put a turkey in the oven and asked Vivian to help her with the apple pie. They spent a few hours making all the ingredients for the perfect Christmas dinner. Vivian took extra care to ensure that she would impress Benjamin and Katie enough to convince them she could take care of the place.
Just as they took the turkey out of the oven, she heard someone arrive in the parlor, she assumed it was the new guests.
“That’s them!” Katie said.
“They’re late! But I’m glad our guests finally arrived,” Vivian said.
“Simon and Benjamin will get them checked in, and we need to get the dinner on the table so we’re on schedule,” Katie said.
Vivian was excited to be helping Katie with actual guests so she could get the hang of things around the B&B. Taking two of the dishes she and Katie had prepared into the dining room to set out for their meal, she was so preoccupied with making sure everything was perfect, she didn’t hear Benjamin approach. As she stepped through the door leading from the kitchen to the dining room, Benjamin was stepping in through the hallway door with the new guests.
When Vivian looked up, her breath caught in her throat, and she nearly dropped the food she had been carrying to the table. Walking through the door behind Benjamin were her parents. How had they known she was here?
“Mom…Dad…what are you doing here?” She stuttered.
“Benjamin invited us.” Her dad said, smiling at her betrothed with appreciation. “Put that platter of food down and come hug me!”
Vivian placed the food on the table and went to hug her parents; she was shocked, but so pleased to see them. Christmas wasn’t feeling right without them. When she let go of her parents, she turned to Benjamin. “Thank you so much. This is the best gift anyone has ever gotten me.” She said, touching his arm gently to show her appreciation. He smiled warmly at her, and walked into the kitchen to give them some time to catch up.
Amish Christmas Gift Page 7