Aaron wanted to disappear underneath the old man’s scrutinizing gaze. He seemed to stare at Aaron for eternity. He could only imagine what Herr Mullet was thinking, probably realizing he was breaking bread with a former criminal. He wouldn’t be surprised if the man and his wife got up from the table and left.
“Detweiler.” Mullet said the name slowly, like it was a piece of gristle he couldn’t chew completely. “Aaron Detweiler.” Then he finally turned to his wife.
Aaron scooted his chair back. He didn’t need this. If these people didn’t want to sit with an ex-con, he’d do them the favor by leaving. He moved to get up.
“Oh, now I know who you are. Sarah’s youngest boy.” Mullet leaned back in his chair and smiled, his stern expression completely disappearing.
“How many times have I told you to get your eyes checked?” Mrs. Mullet looked at Elisabeth, then at Aaron, clearly exasperated. “Stubborn mann. He can’t see two feet in front of him.”
“Can too.” He speared the last piece of pot roast on his plate. “Been a long time since I seen this bu.”
“He comes to church,” Mrs. Mullet pointed out. “Every service.”
“That don’t mean nothing. Lot’s of people come to church. We have a big district. Can’t expect me to remember every single person.”
Mrs. Mullet sighed. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with him.”
“There ain’t nothing wrong with my hearing, Alma, and I heard that!”
Aaron glanced at the Mullets, then at Elisabeth, who was staring down at her lap. One of the hairpins holding her kapp in place was crooked. Her shoulders started to shake, and he could tell she was trying to contain her laughter.
For the first time that afternoon he allowed himself to relax a bit. The Mullets, finished with their dinner, excused themselves and left the table. When they were gone, Elisabeth burst into giggles.
“That was hysterical.” She brought her hand up to her mouth, her eyes glittering with humor. “Herr Mullet staring you down like that. And all because he can’t see.”
“That’s not why I thought he was staring me down.”
“You’re kidding. Everyone knows Carol’s grandpa is practically blind. The only reason he knows who I am is because the Mullets are family friends. I’ve known them all my life.” Her smile faded. “Wait a minute. You’re serious, aren’t you?”
He stood up. “I’ll get us something to eat.”
Elisabeth watched Aaron make his way to the dining room, where two long tables had been set up end to end, laden with a variety of numerous dishes. Behind the tables several women served heaping helpings of food. As Aaron waited his turn, she studied him, wondering why he had reacted to Mr. Mullet that way. Even as he stood in line, he seemed to separate himself from everyone else, not speaking to anyone unless spoken to.
It didn’t take him long to go through the line, and soon he came back carrying two plates. He set the plate in front of her. “Wasn’t sure what you liked, so I got a little bit of everything.”
She looked down at a thick slice of her mother’s pot roast, smothered in rich brown gravy, fluffy potatoes, buttery corn, creamy celery casserole, and a fresh slice of bread. Her mouth watered as the aromas reached her nose. “Perfect. Danki.”
He lowered his head and dug into his meal as if she weren’t there.
Despite her hunger, she kept looking at him, wondering if she would ever figure him out.
“What?” he said, glancing up, his mouth full of food.
“You never answered my question.”
He swallowed his food. “Which one? You’ve been so inquisitive today, I lost track.”
“Ha ha. Why did you think Herr Mullet was staring at you?”
“Does it matter?”
“Ya. And I’m not eating until you answer me.”
“You’re assuming I won’t let you starve.”
“Oh, I know you won’t let me starve.”
He regarded her for a moment. “Okay, but I’m answering you only because I’m starving, and the Mullets were right, this pot roast is fantastic.”
She grinned. His response was a small victory but a victory nevertheless. “I’m listening.”
“My past is not exactly a secret around here. People pretty much see the words drug dealer stamped on my forehead whenever they look at me.”
“That’s not true.” Elisabeth looked at him. “I don’t, and obviously the Mullets don’t either.”
“But that’s what I thought. So there’s your answer.” He picked up a slice of bread slathered with butter. “Now, can I eat in peace?”
“I suppose.” She took her fork and slid it into the tender pot roast. “So is that why you keep to yourself so much? You think everyone thinks badly of you because you were in jail?”
“So much for the peaceful part.” He kept his gaze on his plate. “And I don’t think everyone thinks badly of me.”
“I know for a fact the Mullets wouldn’t think that way because Herr Mullet’s brother Nathaniel got arrested years ago for stealing a neighbor’s horse.”
He looked up at her. “Really?”
“Ya. That was when I was a little girl. I remember him spending time in the pokey for a while.”
The corner of his mouth lifted. “The pokey?”
“Isn’t that what they call jail?”
“Who calls it that?”
“I don’t know, I thought I heard someone say it.”
He shook his head, a genuine smile on his face. “The pokey. I’ve heard a lot of names for jail, but never that one. ”
She wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Maybe I read it in a book. But I’m pretty sure I heard it somewhere, because I don’t read too many books.”
“Me either. Never been much of a reader. Rachel’s a different story. Always saw her with a book in her hand.”
“That’s my sister Ruth. I can’t believe she hasn’t gone blind from it.”
“I don’t think you can go blind from reading, Elisabeth.”
“I know that, Aaron.” She lifted a brow at him. “It’s an expression.”
“I know it’s an expression, I just didn’t know if you knew.”
“Well, I know, okay?” Her good humor started to fade. “I’m not stupid.”
Aaron set down his fork. “I never said you were.”
“I’m sure you were thinking it.”
“Elisabeth, I have never thought you were stupid. It’s amazing what you’ve done with the office. Everything is organized, the accounts are always balanced, and you’ve done a great job keeping track of the orders. That takes smarts.”
She blushed at his compliment. “Danki, Aaron. That’s nice of you to say.”
He tore a chunk off his piece of bread. “I’m not being nice, I’m being honest.”
“I’m glad you think I’m doing a gut job. I was worried I’d screw up.”
“Well, you were late on the first day.” His lips formed a smile, a rare occurrence.
Tilting her head, her grin widened. “You have a nice smile, Aaron. You should smile more often.”
He cleared his throat and glanced away. She thought she saw his cheeks redden. He scooped up the last bite of mashed potatoes on his plate. Certain he would bolt as soon as he finished eating, she asked, “What was jail like?”
Aaron froze for a moment, mid-chew. Then he swallowed and looked straight at her. “You don’t want to know.”
“If I didn’t want to know, I wouldn’t have asked.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have asked.”
“Was it that bad?”
“Ya,” he said, without hesitation. “It was bad. And it’s a place you don’t want to geh.”
She nodded, matching her mood to his. “I never intend to.”
“Gut.”
“Was it hard to get off drugs?”
He grimaced. “What’s with the third degree, Elisabeth?”
“It’s not a third degree. I’m just making conversation.”
> “That’s not what it feels like.”
“I didn’t mean it to feel that way. I’m genuinely curious.” She set her fork down. “But if you don’t want to talk about it, we don’t have to. I’m sorry I brought it up.”
They sat in silence for a long moment. The murmurs of the other conversations in the room surrounded them, and she wished Aaron would say something. Just as she thought they were having a good time—okay, a decent time—she had to say something to grind everything to a stop.
“Elisabeth?”
She looked up to see her sister, Ruth, standing by the table. “What is it?”
“We need your help in the kitchen. Carol’s mami and a few other women haven’t had a chance to eat yet.” She looked at Aaron for a moment, then back at Elisabeth, a puzzled expression on her face.
“All right.” She rose from her chair and moved to pick up her plate. Aaron stood up.
“I’ll see you later?” She met his eyes, searching to see if he was still upset with her. If he was, she couldn’t tell, as his usual passive mask was firmly in place.
He gave her a brief nod, then walked away. She followed him with her gaze and saw him walk out the door. With a sigh, she picked up their plates and headed to the kitchen with Ruth.
“What’s going on with you and Aaron?” Ruth asked as they entered the Mullets’ crowded kitchen. In addition to two women washing and drying dishes, two others were stirring pots on the stove while others were preparing dessert.
Elisabeth took the plates to the sink and handed them to one of the washers. “Nothing. We were just eating together.”
“By yourselves.” Ruth lifted her brow, a sly smile on her face.
“Only for a short while. We were eating with the Mullets, but they’d finished their meal and left.”
“Mm hmm.” Ruth gave her a knowing look, then went to the kitchen table where their mother was slicing pies and cakes.
“We’re just friends!”
Several of the women, including her mother, stopped and looked at her.
Elisabeth ignored their stares, irritated with Ruth for bringing the subject up in the first place. She found an apron and put it over her dress, then busied herself with the work in the kitchen.
But she couldn’t put Aaron out of her mind. Were they friends? She wasn’t sure. One moment they were getting along and the next they were irritated with each other. That didn’t seem like a friendship to her.
She had no idea where they stood with each other, and for some reason that really bothered her.
Anna glanced at Lukas sitting beside her, enjoying a plate piled high with creamy celery casserole, crispy fried chicken, warm buttery rolls, and steaming cabbage and noodles. In between bites he visited with Tobias and Rachel, who were seated across from them. She took note of how the brothers were a contrast not only physically but in temperament as well. Tall and lean, with wavy blond hair and blue eyes, Tobias was quick with a joke and enjoyed teasing everyone in sight. Lukas’s dark hair and complexion seemed to match his usual no-nonsense mood. While he could be lighthearted, he approached nearly everything with absolute seriousness, a quality she appreciated and one of the many things she liked about him.
She glanced at her own plate, which was almost empty. Happiness that she hadn’t felt in a long time flowed through her. When he had asked to take her to the wedding a couple of days ago, she wasn’t completely sure she wanted to go, but she had agreed to anyway. It was getting harder and harder to tell Lukas no to anything.
The anxiety she thought she’d feel during the wedding service never materialized. She also hadn’t thought about Daniel much at all lately, as Lukas continued to move into her thoughts and into her heart. She remembered what he’d said to her a couple of months ago, when he had first told her he liked her. What you see is what you get. He had been right about that. Unselfish, honest, and loyal, he turned out to be everything Daniel wasn’t.
“Anna?”
She turned at the sound of Lukas’s voice. His dark brows furrowed slightly as he looked at her. “You’re awful quiet all of the sudden. Everything okay?”
She looked up to see that Tobias and Rachel were gone. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t even see them get up. I hope they didn’t think I was rude.”
“Nee, I’m sure they didn’t. You seemed to be in deep thought.”
“I was.”
“About what?”
Facing him, she said, “Daniel.”
“Oh.” He picked up his fork and turned it back and forth in his fingers. “I was afraid of that.”
“What?”
“I almost didn’t ask you to come today. I thought it might bring back bad memories.” He set down the fork and pushed back the chair. “We can leave if you want.”
She put her hand on his forearm. “Nee. I’ve had a great time, Lukas. I’m glad I got to talk to your brother and sister-in-law. And the food has been sehr gut.”
He looked at her hand on his arm, then back at her. His lips curved in a smile. “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. I want you to be happy, Anna.”
She lost herself in the warmth of his gaze. “Oh, I am, Lukas.”
Chapter 7
C’mon, Elisabeth. I promise, it will be fun.”
Elisabeth stood outside Gabe’s blacksmith shop, talking to her friend Deborah, who had stopped by after her morning shift at Mary Yoder’s Amish Kitchen, where she was a waitress. Elisabeth had known Deborah for years, since they were in school together, but Elisabeth hadn’t seen her much since they had both started working. She was surprised to see Deborah pull up in the Miller’s driveway, and even more surprised by her invitation.
“I don’t know, Deborah. Who’s all going to be at the party?”
“Some people from work.”
“So it’s a work party?”
“Nee, not just people from work. Other friends. Amish friends.” Deborah tugged on the wristband of her knitted navy blue gloves. “This isn’t like you, Elisabeth. I’ve never known you to turn down an opportunity to geh out.”
“This is different.” Elisabeth had restricted her social life to mostly Amish gatherings, and she liked it that way. Up until a few months ago, Deborah had been a part of the same group of friends, but she hadn’t been at any of the singings this fall. “I’ve never been to one of these parties.”
“I have, and trust me, you’ll have a gut time. It’s at James Schrock’s house, back in his barn. You know how huge that thing is. It can hold over two hundred people.”
Elisabeth frowned. She’d heard through the grapevine that James was a shady character. He was eighteen, and since they’d all left school, he’d turned wild, cutting his hair short and even getting a car. His parents did little to curb his bad behavior. “I heard one of his parties got broken up by the police.”
“Nee, that was just a rumor. Look, I really want you to come. You can meet some of my new friends.”
“New friends?”
“Ya. One of them just moved into Middlefield. He’s really nice. We can all just hang out for a while.”
“I don’t know,” Elisabeth said, biting her lower lip.
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to come back. Someone can even take you home early if you want.” She moved to stand next to Elisabeth and linked her arm through hers. “I miss you. We haven’t done anything together in a long time.”
Elisabeth had to admit that she’d also missed her friend. “There’s a barn raising at the Bontragers’ on Saturday. Why don’t you come to that?”
“I can’t make it Saturday.”
“Why not?”
“I have to work.”
“Then stop by after work.”
“I can’t.” She released Elisabeth and stepped away. “You know, you’re being a little snobby about this.”
“Snobby?”
“Yeah.” Deborah rubbed her finger under her nose. “Like you’re too gut to geh to the Schrocks’.”
Elisabeth shook her head, a
ppalled her friend would think that. “That’s not it at all. I don’t think I’m too gut for anything.”
Deborah shrugged. “I’m just saying that’s how it seems to me.”
“All right. I’ll think about it.”
“That’s all I’m asking.” She tugged on the bow of her black bonnet before climbing into her buggy. “Chase and I will be by to pick you up around eight tomorrow.”
“Chase?”
“Ya. He’s the one I want you to meet. Just started working at the restaurant. We’ve been hanging out. And he has the sweetest car you’ve ever seen. I have no idea what kind it is, but it’s so cool!”
Elisabeth took a step toward her friend. “Wait, I haven’t said I’d geh.”
Deborah merely grinned and grabbed the horse’s reins. “See you tomorrow night!”
Elisabeth half waved to Deborah as she pulled her buggy out of the driveway, wondering at the change in her friend. Sweetest car? So cool ? Since when did Deborah talk like that?
She turned around to head inside, only to see Aaron standing there. Her heart leaped to her throat, and she put her hand over her chest. “Gut grief! You scared me! I didn’t know you were standing there.”
His blue eyes, normally void of emotion, were chips of ice, and his mouth was set in a thin line. “You’re not seriously thinking about going to that party, are you?”
“You were eavesdropping?”
He leaned forward, ignoring her question. “Are you?”
She’d spent half a year wishing she could elicit some kind of reaction from Aaron Detweiler, but overbearing disapproval wasn’t it.
He didn’t wait for her to answer. “Doesn’t matter. You can’t geh.”
Her hackles rose. “Excuse me? Since when do you tell me what I can or cannot do?”
“Since you’re considering doing something stupid, that’s when.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Number one, you shouldn’t have been eavesdropping on a private conversation—”
“It’s not private when you’re standing out here two feet from the Dumpster. Anyone could have heard you. What if Moriah had come outside? Do you think she’d be happy to know you were going to a Yankee party?”
The Hearts of Middlefield Collection Page 33