“How can you be so sure?”
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you. That man is smitten.”
“How does he look at me?”
“With shining eyes and a silly grin that hardly leaves his face. I realize you two haven’t known each other very long, but I recognize two people in love when I see them looking at each other with rapt attention.” Amy moved her hand from Sylvia’s waist to the small of her back and gave it a few pats. “Jared sees it too. In fact, he told me the other day that he believes Dennis is head over heels in love with you.”
Sylvia’s face heated. “I don’t know about that, but I do think he cares for me. And the truth is, I have strong feelings for him too.”
“Then stop thinking negative thoughts, try to relax, and enjoy being with him this evening. Keep your focus on Dennis and quit worrying about what his family may or may not think of you.”
Sylvia gave her a sister a hug. “Danki, Amy. You’re always full of good advice.”
I must have lost my mind to agree to this, Dennis thought as he headed for the Kings’ with his mother and brother. Gerald sat up front with Dennis, and Mom was seated in the back of the buggy. Midnight seemed well-behaved as he trotted along at an easy pace. Gerald had said he would drive them there in his van, but Mom insisted they go by horse and buggy.
The rest of the day had gone well. Dennis’s brother had come out to watch him train a horse for a while, and then Dennis talked Gerald into driving him to the animal shelter in search of a German shepherd. While there, Gerald had pointed out a few different breeds, but Dennis kept looking until he found the right dog.
After the arrangements were made, and the black and tan shepherd had been loaded into the van, they went to buy dog food and some other needed supplies. Dennis was glad he’d finally found the right dog and felt it had been worth the wait.
Dennis’s thoughts brought him back to the present, and the closer they got to the Kings’ place, the more nervous he became. To get his mind off that, he brought up the topic of his new dog.
“I’m gonna need some help putting a pen together for my hund.” He glanced at his brother. “I don’t want him getting out and possibly being hit by a car when I’m not with him.”
Gerald groaned. “I know where this going. I’ll help you while I’m here, so don’t worry.”
“That would be much appreciated.”
“Does the mutt have a name?” Mom tapped Dennis on the shoulder. “Or will you have to come up with one?”
“No, I’ll need to name the dog.”
“How ‘bout Goliath? He’s certainly big enough to be considered a giant.” Gerald chuckled.
Dennis shook his head at his brother’s suggestion. “I’ll figure it out soon. Maybe after we get back from the Kings’, and I let the hund out of the barn.”
The closer they got to Sylvia and her family, the more stress Dennis felt. What if Mom says something to Sylvia that embarrasses me? I don’t understand why she was so desperate to meet the young woman. It’s not like we’re planning to get married or anything.
A trickle of sweat rolled down his forehead as the Kings’ place came into view. All Dennis could do was hope and pray that things went well here this evening, because there was no turning back now.
After the introductions had been made, Sylvia invited everyone except the children, who were already in bed, to take seats around the dining room table. Once they were all seated, she excused herself to get the dessert.
Dennis was quickly on his feet. “I’ll go with you. I’m sure you’ll need help bringing everything in.”
Sylvia smiled. “Danki.”
When they entered the kitchen, she got out her Cherry Melt-Away bars as well as a plate with two kinds of cookies on it.
“Looks like you’ve been busy today.” Dennis stepped up to her. “I hope you didn’t go to all this trouble on account of me bringing my mamm and bruder over to meet you and your family.”
A pink flush crept across her cheeks. “Well I’ll admit I did hope the desserts would help, in case they didn’t care for me as a person.”
“Are you kidding?” It was all he could do to keep from taking her into his arms. “You’re the kindest, sweetest woman I’ve ever met, and I’m sure it’s obvious to others too.”
Sylvia lowered her gaze. “I’m not always kind or sweet. For the first several months after Toby, my daed, and my bruder died, I was quite difficult to live with.”
“It’s understandable. After my dad was accidentally shot, I felt full of rage. Some of my family avoided me because they never knew when I would say something unkind.” He placed his hand on her arm. “We’ve all been through difficult times, and when someone we love dies, there are several stages of grief we must go through.”
“I know.” Her chin trembled, followed by tears in her eyes, and it was almost his undoing.
Unable to control his own swirling emotions, Dennis put his arms around Sylvia’s waist and pulled her into an embrace. It seemed right for him to hold Sylvia like this. At this moment, Dennis felt that God had brought her into his life for a reason, and they were meant to be together. He was on the verge of kissing away her tears, when someone entered the room. Dennis let go of Sylvia and turned around.
“What’s goin’ on in here? Mom sent me to see if—” Henry stopped talking and stared at Sylvia. “Have you been cryin’ Sister?”
She nodded.
Henry pointed at Dennis. “Did you say something to make her cry?”
“I suppose I did,” Dennis replied. “But it wasn’t intentional. We were talking about grief, and how hard it is to deal with the loss of a loved one.”
Henry pressed a fist against his chest. “Ya don’t have to tell me about it.”
Dennis rested his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You still miss your daed and bruder, don’t you?”
“Jah.”
“It’s okay to grieve for them, Henry, but your dad and brother would want you to move on with your life.” Dennis’s skin tingled. This was the first time he’d realized that he was actually beginning to move on with his life. Guess I really have forgiven my uncle and accepted the fact that the accident wasn’t his fault. Now maybe I can somehow help Henry to work through his pain.
Henry looked up at Dennis. “I’m glad God brought you into our lives ’cause I really like you.”
Dennis gave Henry’s shoulder a squeeze. “I like you too.”
Sylvia sniffed and reached for a tissue to blow her nose. “Guess we’d best get the desserts taken out before someone else comes looking for us.”
“My son tells me you’re also a bird-watcher.” Dennis’s mother, Amanda, looked across the table at Sylvia.
“Yes, that’s right. It’s a fairly new hobby for me. My brother Henry is also into birding. In fact he got into it before I did.”
“That’s right,” Henry interjected. “Sylvia and I were out looking at birds the day we met Dennis.”
“It’s nice you three have that in common. Don’t you think so, Belinda?” Amanda turned to look at Sylvia’s mother.
Sylvia held her breath, waiting to hear Mom’s response.
Mom nodded slowly. “Yes, I am happy that my son and daughter found a hobby they can both enjoy.”
Since there was no mention of Amanda’s son, Sylvia felt the need to say something on his behalf. “Dennis has taught Henry and me a lot about the various species of birds in our area. I think we have learned more from him then from the bird book Henry has.”
Amanda smiled as she looked at Dennis with a gleam in her eyes. “My son’s interest in birds began when he was a young boy, and he’s learned a lot over the years.”
“My mamm’s right,” Gerald spoke up. “Whenever my bruder went missing, we always knew he was off looking at birds somewhere on the farm.”
Dennis held up his hand. “Okay, that’s enough talk about me. Let’s move on to some other topic, shall we?”
“We could talk about the wonderful w
ay you have with horses,” his mother said. She looked at Sylvia’s mom. “He’s had that ability since he was a boy as well.”
“Yes, Sylvia’s told me that Dennis trains horses.” Mom’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. Sylvia figured she was only being polite.
Abruptly, Mom changed the subject. “My daughter Amy is planning to be married this fall. It’s too bad her fiancé couldn’t be with us tonight.”
“Jared’s a roofer, and he had an out-of-town job so he wouldn’t have gotten back in time to be here,” Amy explained. “Perhaps some other time when you come to visit Dennis, you can meet Jared.”
Amanda smiled. “I’ll look forward to that.”
As the conversation around the table changed to talk about the weather, Sylvia’s thoughts turned inward. What do Dennis’s mother and brother think of me and my family? Are they okay with their son courting me?
She glanced at her mother, sitting straight in her chair. Will Mom ever accept the idea of me seeing Dennis and making him a part of my life? Sometimes I wish I’d never moved back into her house and had toughed it on my own after Toby died. Then she wouldn’t know so much of my personal business and might be more accepting of my new friend.
Today, Dennis had brought out his new dog from the pen he and Gerald had put together. The shepherd seemed timid around the horses, but Dennis kept him nearby while working. He hoped in due time the dog he’d named Brutus would be fine around Midnight and any other horse.
It had been a week since Dennis’s mother and brother left, and she’d called him nearly every day since. Gerald had called once, just to tell Dennis that the deal had fallen through on the vacation home he’d wanted to buy. He’d also mentioned that their mother had seemed kind of out-of-sorts since they came home and kept asking him what he’d thought of Sylvia.
Dennis’s mother could get curious at times about certain topics. And when it came to her boys getting involved with a potential mate, her antenna went up in a hurry. He couldn’t believe how interested she was, so sometimes he’d go off the topic and talk about his dog, or some of the things going on with his work.
Mom said she had more questions about Sylvia and his intentions toward her. Dennis didn’t say much, other than that he was taking it one day at a time and would let her know if anything serious developed.
Dennis grunted as he combed Midnight’s mane. “How am I supposed to respond to my mamm’s questions about my relationship with Sylvia when I don’t have any answers myself?”
The horse’s ears perked up, and he let out a noisy nicker.
“Yeah, I know, boy. You don’t have any answers for me either.” Dennis patted Midnight’s flanks and looked over at the dog. “What do you think, Brutus?”
The dog tilted his head and watched.
“I feel like I’ve got a little family of my own right here.” Dennis paused to clean out the comb he’d used on the horse.
“I can’t even consider marriage until my business is making enough money to support a real family.” Dennis continued his one-way conversation with both the horse and his black and tan dog. “After all, it wouldn’t just be me and Sylvia to worry about—she has two children.”
Midnight stomped his hooves impatiently when Dennis kept combing the same section of his mane. Dennis couldn’t help it—Sylvia, Allen, and Rachel were forefront on his mind. He wanted to be a good provider for them. His biggest concern was how long it would take before that chapter in his life began.
“Well boy, I can’t stay here all day—I’ve got work to do.” Dennis put the curry comb away. “And tonight I’m taking my best girl and her kinner on a picnic supper at the park.” He reached down and patted Brutus’s head. “Maybe I’ll take you along. The kids might enjoy being introduced to you.”
After a busy day in the greenhouse, Amy had decided a warm shower would be a perfect way to wind down. Now as she sat at the kitchen table, working on her guest list for the wedding, her long, damp hair hung down her back. “Who, besides family, do you think we should invite to the wedding?” she asked her mother.
Mom looked up from the two-page letter she’d been writing. “Well, our close friends, of course, like Mary Ruth, as well as Lenore, Jesse, and their little family. We’ll also include the families in our church district. I think you’ll have a good amount of members present for your service and also for the afternoon and evening meals.”
Amy picked up a tube of lotion she’d placed on the table and squirted some into her hand as she thought about their neighbors across the street. While she wasn’t particularly fond of Virginia, Jared had extended them a verbal invitation, so they should probably be included. After rubbing the lotion in well, she wrote Virginia and Earl’s names on the evening meal list.
“What about Herschel?” Amy asked.
“He’s not in our district.”
“I realize that, but he’s a friend, and if it weren’t for him, Jared and I wouldn’t have a place to live after we’re married.”
“I’m sure you would have found something else.” Mom tapped her pen against the writing tablet. “I hope I haven’t left anything out.”
Amy inhaled the lavender-mint scent of her lotion, lingering on her skin. “That’s a good-sized letter you’re working on. Who are you writing to?”
“Ezekiel and Michelle. I’m filling them in on our local news, here and in our community.” Mom set her pen aside. “I wouldn’t mind using some of that lotion too. It sure smells nice.”
“Help yourself.” Amy passed it to her. “So how come you don’t just call them and leave a message?”
“It’s easier to write it all down.” Mom placed a dollop of the moisturizer on her hands and rubbed it in. “Besides, we don’t do enough letter writing these days.”
“True.” Amy glanced at her list. “So what do you think—is it okay if I invite Herschel?”
Mom shrugged her shoulders and grabbed her pen. “It’s your wedding, so it’s up to you. It would be a nice gesture, I suppose.”
“Okay, I’m going to add him to the list.” When Amy finished writing Herschel’s name, she looked back at her mother. “Can I ask you something else?”
“Of course.”
“Did you enjoy the time we spent with Dennis and his family last week?”
Mom put her pen down and looked directly at Amy. “They seem nice enough, and I don’t think Dennis is a bad person, but I believe he’s pushed your sister into a relationship too soon.”
“It’s not too soon for Sylvia to be in a relationship, Mom. She’s been widowed over a year, and I don’t think she would have agreed to let Dennis court her if she didn’t feel ready to begin again.”
“I’ve been without my mate the same time as her, and I’m not ready to be courted by anyone.” Mom shifted on her chair. “Monroe would like me to be, but I’m not in love with him.”
Amy bobbed her head. “I agree. No one should begin a serious relationship with someone unless there is love—or at least the beginning of those feelings.”
“You’re right, and I have a feeling Sylvia still loves Toby. She may only be looking for a father for her kinner, which is ridiculous since Dennis has never had any children.”
“He does well when he’s around Rachel and Allen, and I believe they—especially Allen—are drawn to him,” Amy argued.
“That doesn’t mean—”
Mom stopped talking when Henry entered the room. “Seth just pulled up in his car, and I wanna go talk to him. I’ve been trying to connect ever since the greenhouse windows were painted black, and he hasn’t answered any of my messages.”
“You can go out and talk to him,” Mom replied, “but please do not get into his fuhrwaerick.”
Henry shook his head. “Don’t worry—I’m not gonna get in Seth’s vehicle. I just want to ask if he’s the one who did that to our windows.”
“Okay, go ahead, but don’t stay too long. We’ll be starting supper soon.”
Henry glanced around. “Where’s Sylv
ia? Figured she’d have supper started by now.”
“She and the kinner went out with Dennis this evening, remember? And we met his new dog, Brutus, right before they left. Where’s your head, Son? Are you sure it’s on straight today?”
“Of course it is. My mind’s just preoccupied with getting some answers out of Seth.” Henry turned and raced out the back door.
Amy scrunched her face. “Poor guy. He’s definitely upset over this.”
“Do you think one of us should go with him?” Mom asked. “Maybe he’ll need some help convincing Seth to tell the truth.”
Amy shook her head. “Seth is a closed-mouth kid. He’s not likely to admit anything to either of us.”
“Guess you’re right.” Mom heaved a sigh. “Let’s just hope if Seth is the one responsible for the vandalism that he owns up to it and promises not to do anything like that again.”
Sylvia was glad Dennis had decided that they should go on a picnic, rather than eating in a restaurant. Rachel got fussy if she was made to sit very long, and here at the park, both children could run and play after they ate. Of course, they would still need some supervision.
Allen and Rachel seemed to take a liking to Brutus right away. He was a big hit and kept the children well entertained. Sylvia watched Allen running around with the dog, while Rachel stood on the sidelines clapping her hands.
“Brutus is a friendly, nice-looking hund.” She looked over at Dennis.
“I agree. He’s a beautiful dog and a keeper. His personality around the horses is still somewhat timid, but I think he will eventually toughen up,” he responded.
“At least he isn’t the other way—aggressive around anyone or anything.”
Dennis shook his head. “I couldn’t afford to have a dog that would be unsafe—especially when I’m running a business with people coming and going.”
Sylvia felt contented as she soaked up the nice view here at the park. The children laughed at Brutus chewing on a stick he’d found. It was a warm evening, and the birds seemed to be everywhere.
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