Renewing Hope (In Your World #2)

by Jennyfer Browne

  There were small clothes for children, as well as a few sweaters and pants for Nathan as well.

  "There is enough here for an entire family," I whispered, fingering a small boy’s shirt.

  "Well, we do hope that there will be a need for some of these clothes soon. Sooner than later, I think," Sarah said, chuckling.

  I could feel the blush in my cheeks again, and I pretended to scowl at her.

  "We'll work on that," I said, making her blush at my words.

  That made me feel better.

  I could still surprise my neighbors.

  I walked with them as they made their way back outside, going to each of the women there to thank them for their generosity. On many occasions, they hugged me and offered me the same congratulations they had just the day before at our wedding, but it felt richer somehow seeing just how much this group cared for their members.

  As they started to depart, many waved and wished us well, calling after that they would see us the next day. I turned to Mrs. Yoder to ask what they meant. She pointed toward the bundles of lumber that lay stacked by the concrete slab of our old barn.

  "Tomorrow you will experience a barn raising, Katherine," she said and leaned in close. "I would suggest getting an early sleep tonight, for it will be very busy in this house tomorrow, with you organizing all the women in order to feed the men. I hear all the community will be here for it."

  I looked at her in shock.

  The entire community?

  "Like the Wittmer Frolic?" I asked, more than a little overwhelmed.

  Sarah and Mrs. Yoder both nodded.

  "Do not worry, Katherine," Sarah said soothingly. "We will be here early to help. Fannie is already at home baking for tomorrow."

  They said their goodbyes, leaving with the other buggies. I watched them for a moment, still a little dazed by how much had happened in the last few days.

  Glancing over at the bundles of lumber again, I saw Nathan and Benjamin bent over the pipes by the house. They straightened when they heard me, Benjamin looking a little bashful while Nathan grinned at me with a mischievous air about him.

  I knew they had been talking about me, because Benjamin had trouble looking me in the eye suddenly.

  "Are you two gossiping like a couple of teenagers?" I asked, teasing the two of them.

  I knew Nathan wouldn't reveal the specifics about our night. I had a feeling perhaps Benjamin and the others thought we would have been more awkward with one another.

  They had no idea just how incredible Nathan really was.

  My smile broadened at the thought of Nathan, and how he made me feel.

  For all his nerves, he had done very well.

  "I should go see how Jonah is doing, I told him I would help around the house until you came over," Benjamin said quickly, wiping his hands of the grease from the old pipes they had been working on.

  Nathan chuckled and shook his head, amused.

  "Thank you for the help with the propane tank. Hot water will be nice to have tonight," he said lightly.

  "Yes, it will!" I exclaimed. "I'm dying for a nice hot bath."

  Benjamin blushed again and stepped past us, tugging his hat low over his head.

  "I am sure," he mumbled and nodded, looking at Nathan briefly before letting out a nervous laugh and wishing us a pleasant day.

  I turned to my husband and eyed him suspiciously.

  "Do I want to know why he seemed so nervous to get out of our hair?" I asked, hand on hip.

  Nathan laughed a little harder and stood up to wrap his arms around me.

  "He seemed a little nervous, didn’t he?" he asked, grinning.

  "You're like a couple of girls after a first date!" I said, smacking him lightly on shoulder.

  "I did not tell him a thing!" he said loudly, laughter causing his words to jumble together.

  I quieted him down with my lips on his, so happy to hear the joy in his voice.

  I didn't care what people thought, really. I was happy to see Nathan enjoying himself.

  Let them think what they would.

  We were content.

  "Are you done out here?" I whispered.

  He hummed into my lips and slowly drew me toward the house.

  "I need to relight the water heater and appliances," he murmured, kissing me again at the top of the porch steps.

  "We should go over and help Fannie and Jonah some," I said as we stepped inside, never letting him go.

  "True," he replied, closing the door behind us and sighing into my hair.

  "Apparently, there's a barn raising tomorrow," I said, giggling when he nibbled at my jaw.

  "So I have heard,” he replied, kissing me until we entered the kitchen, a joyful look on his face when he finally stepped away.

  I watched as he lit the stove and started the refrigerator, his eyes taking in all the stores we had accumulated. His smile never faded while he continued with his tasks, heading down into the basement to light the water heater and the furnace. When he came back upstairs, he took my hand as we made our way to the front door.

  I knew we had to see Fannie and Jonah today. It wouldn't be fair to leave them with so much to do, even if Benjamin was there to help. It was past midday and surely there was still a lot of baking to be done for the next day. At the door he paused, leaning in to kiss me once more.

  "You know that Hannah and Mark will have something to say about us just showing up only now?" he asked, smirking.

  "Good," I replied simply and pulled open the door, looking back at him in challenge. His ever-present smile widened and I guided him outside, toward the hill I knew so well.

  After climbing the hill so many times alone or unable to show our adoration for one another, it was a new experience now. With Nathan's hand in mine, openly showing the world how we felt for one another, I smiled into the sun and enjoyed this new feeling.

  Walking with my husband to my parents' house.

  Loving the laughter and the joy on his face as we stepped into the kitchen, all eyes on us.

  Of course, Hannah and Mark would say something.

  Of course, we would see those knowing looks from Jonah and Fannie.

  Even Emma seemed to be bursting with excitement when she saw us walk in hand-in-hand.

  But we kept calm regardless. Nathan kissed me lightly and followed Jonah and Mark out to the barn, and I donned an apron and went to work on the pies beside Fannie, smiling and laughing when Hannah and Emma tried to get information out of me. Fannie smiled with me, seeming to know by either the flush of my cheeks or maybe her own experiences as a newlywed, long ago.

  She knew we were happy.

  She knew we were fine.

  It wasn't until Nathan came inside for a drink that perhaps my willpower wavered.

  He was dirty and sweaty, after all.

  I offered him a tall glass of water and watched as he drank it down, always mesmerized by his long neck and how he swallowed. When he looked down at me, his eyes said it all.

  Was it time to go home yet?

  He looked needy.

  And that look set off a spark inside me. He had me with just a look.

  Leaning down he kissed me by the corner of my mouth, his hand touching my cheek briefly before he headed back outside, leaving me to look after him, dazed.

  "I think we need to have an early supper, Mother," Hannah said, waking me from thoughts.

  "Why is that?" Emma chimed in, grinning.

  "Because I think Nathan wishes to get home before the sun sets."

  I blinked and looked over at Hannah, narrowing my eyes at her.

  "Like you didn't do the same thing on your first day of wedded bliss," I shot back at her.

  Hannah rolled her eyes at me trying to brush off her embarrassment. Finally, she just shook her head and joined in on the laughter, the four of us finally falling into a more relaxed atmosphere as we cooked and readied the kitchen for supper.

  And as we all sat around at the supper table, enjoying the food
and the company, I was relieved to see how easy it was to slip into the everyday routine with my new husband. Nathan held my hand just as Mark and John did their wives’. He smiled and leaned in to whisper to me every now and then, and when it came time to leave, just as the sun was setting, I didn't feel sad at leaving my family behind.

  We waved at them as we walked up our hill, Nathan holding me close so that I could stay warm in the chilly air. He lit the lamp, smiling as he closed the door.

  "Home again," he murmured and pulled me in for a long kiss.

  We slowly made our way upstairs, returning to the bed we had left hours ago as if no time had passed at all. Nathan was sure to be attentive, aware that I was tender from our first night together. Just as the previous night, he took his time, and we fell away together into bliss. Weak and spent, we both lay there in the bed, exhaustion coming easily. He struggled to roll off of me, pulling the covers up to keep us warm in the night air. His arm pulled me close, his mouth finding my neck for an instant before reaching my lips, kissing me tenderly.

  "Promise we will be like this until we are old and gray," he whispered against my cheek.

  I smiled into the darkness and hugged him tighter to me.

  "Why stop at old and grey?" I giggled, enjoying his lips against my neck.

  "I love to hear your happiness," he murmured.

  "You make me happy," I replied sleepily.

  He hummed and relaxed against me, mumbling against my cheek, but I could tell he was already drifting off, his arm growing heavy across my waist. I adjusted against him, so that my head lay on his chest, closing my eyes so that I could listen to his heartbeat against my ear.

  I was beginning to drift away when he spoke again, in just a whisper.

  "You make me the happiest man ever."

  I fell asleep smiling, holding him close as he slept underneath me. We had so much to look forward to, and so much to enjoy now that we were together. There was nothing that we could not accomplish now that we were together.

  Life was perfect.

  CHAPTER 19

  It was going to be a busy day; I could feel it before the sun had even risen.

  My nerves fluttered in my stomach, so much so that keeping my breakfast down was a challenge. It was not every day I would have every member of my new community in our house, seeing what I had done with my in-laws things. It was not every day that I had so many people there to help us make a fresh start.

  In two days, I had experienced the grace of my new world, and today I wanted to prove to them that I was a good wife and member of our community.

  I finished making up the tea just as Fannie and Emma walked in, arms full of breads and pies for the day. I smiled at them and filled another pot full of water, preparing it to boil. The sun had barely risen and already we were readying ourselves for the day.

  "You have been very productive this morning!" Fannie exclaimed as she surveyed the kitchen.

  "We were up early," I replied, shaking my head when I noticed Emma's smirk.

  So what if Nathan had a biological clock that had him up at four in the morning.

  It gave us a little time before we had to really get up and start our day. I rather enjoyed waking up to Nathan Fisher's internal alarm. It put a little pep in his step as he had ventured out to take care of the morning chores before the community converged on us.

  "Well, you seem to have things in order so far. Have you eaten?" Fannie said, coming up to hug me before she looked around again to see any remains of breakfast.

  "We had some cereal. Nathan wanted to get out before dawn," I said, not wanting her to know it was more my nerves than Nathan's eagerness to start the day that left us with a simple breakfast.

  She nodded and motioned us toward the door. I heard the horses and the wagons, the community prompt about starting early on the task of the day. I couldn't wait to see our barn become a reality. The sky was just beginning to lighten when we stepped out onto the porch.

  "Pleasant morning, Katherine Fisher!" Benjamin announced as he climbed out of his buggy, the first one to stop in the yard.

  I beamed at the sound of my new name and took Benjamin's hand happily. He seemed much more comfortable around me than he had the day before, with his playful eyes and bright smile.

  "Pleasant morning to you, Bishop Yoder," I replied. "You've brought quite the gathering."

  The buggies and wagons continued to come, many faces I had never seen before, even at the Sermons. Nathan joined me, holding me close as the people introduced themselves before setting to their tasks. When young Bishop Zachariah Ropp from Friendship stepped up, I took his hand in surprise.

  "Pleasant day, Nathan. Katherine," he said. "I announced to my congregation that there was a barn to be raised. We know how important this is, and many wanted to come help."

  He introduced us to several in his community, the faces I had not recognized as they moved among us. He introduced so many, I knew I would forget so many of their names; I could only hope to guess as the day progressed. Nathan stepped away from me with a quiet word and headed toward the men, a small group of them appearing to be the architects of the group. I could tell the different skill sets as I watched them for a moment, some with hammers and nail bags, others with thick gloves and waist belts as if they would be the ones carrying the heavy loads.

  Orders were called out, and the men divided to organize different tasks. I was awed by the organized chaos before me. I couldn't tell what the plan was. Planks of wood were moved from here to there, and horses were hooked up to large beams that I was sure would become the center supports for the large barn.

  Nathan stood with Mark and John, bending over with his hammer and nails to begin the task of nailing the tremendous beams together. I was amazed to see so many men moving about before the sun had even crested our hill. Over and over again, Nathan shook hands with a man as he passed, his smile bright and true as he spoke his appreciation to the men working beside him.

  Nathan seemed overwhelmed by the outpouring of kindness as the men set to work and the women followed me into the house to set up the feast for later. I could understand; it was extraordinary to witness the generosity of our neighbors and strangers alike. I found myself time and again overwhelmed with gratitude.

  Naomi Yoder and Fannie stood beside me as we directed traffic throughout the house.

  There were too many people to set everyone up in the basement, so we decided upon two locations for meals — the basement reserved for the women and children, and the outside for the men.

  Soon the oven was heating up the house, the smell of roasts and bread strong as we busied ourselves throughout the morning. I met many new women, including Zachariah's mother and sisters. Sarah Jensen took over setting up platters of food outside, while I spoke and directed and smiled to so many people. The time rushed past, the morning closing toward noon, the sun high in the sky.

  I had so little time to simply sit back and breathe.

  One moment I was in the house, helping Sarah and Fannie with water and lemonade. The next I was talking like a Mayor's wife to the new people who filed through my house and out in our yard. So many people, many we had never seen, and many who brought food or help and a friendly smile.

  I didn't expect to freeze in the middle of the yard when I turned around to find myself staring at the vision before me.

  In the bright sun, the sky an amazing blue for November, the beginnings of our barn had already taken shape. I stood there, the glasses of lemonade forgotten as I watched the men of our community climbing around the two standing ribs of the barn. The men climbed with ease, hoisting large beams up to the men on top, hammers shining in the sun as the men fastened the lumber into place.

  And up there at the very top, in that fresh straw hat, was my Nathan.

  I smiled as he worked, watching the fluid swings of his hammer driving the large pegs to hold the spacer beams in place.

  Swing. Connect.

  Swing. Connect.

 
So beautiful in his grace.

  He caught my eye as he looked down to call out for the next one.

  A smile lit up his heated face and warmed me as I waved to him. I laughed when he winked and tipped back his hat. I followed some of the other women, handing my lemonade off to the men on the lower level, eyeing my glasses as they made their way to the top.

  To my husband and to Mark, who sat just below where Nathan straddled the beam.

  Quenching his thirst, he passed the glass back down, winking again at me before returning to work, the wide smile remaining on his face as I walked away.

  My own grin was proof that we knew how to please one another.

  I couldn't wait until after sundown when we were alone again.

  I planned on showing my husband just how much I loved him.

  "You make your husband very happy."

  I turned to find Benjamin standing beside me, smiling toward the men working.

  He glanced my way, the playful twinkle in his eyes once more.

  "We make each other happy, Benjamin," I replied, feeling I might burst with the joy I felt.

  "It is good to see my friend in high spirits. I am grateful for your love for him. I know that with this new start, the two of you will prosper," he replied, his eyes growing contemplative as he regarded me.

  I touched his arm gently, my eyes never leaving his.

  "Well, now it's time to find the Bishop a good girl to settle down with," I whispered, and patted his arm lightly when he flushed and cleared his throat.

  "In time, Katherine," he said and looked around as if in search of an escape.

  "It will happen, Benjamin. I have faith," I replied and stepped away, watching the young women hustle around our property, thinking surely one of them would be a good match for our Bishop.

  He was a good catch after all.

  I'd have to employ Fannie to help me with that. Seeing her with Emma, I steered my way toward them as they made their way back into the kitchen. I caught the tail end of their conversation when I caught up with them.

  "She will have to stay clear of the kitchen until she feels better, Emma. Have some consideration for your sister," Fannie said as she stepped into the hall.

  "I have consideration for my sister. I just think if she is not feeling well, she should not get the rest of us sick by being here," Emma retorted.