The kitten he held began making pitiful cries. “It must have broken your heart to hear them.”
“It did.”
Even knowing the odds were slim that they would live, Emma had soon found herself armed with a hot-water bottle, a box with high sides and a kitten-size baby bottle with cat-milk formula and a round-the-clock routine.
Raising the kitten to face level, he said, “They look healthy. You are a goot mudder, but why not take them into the house?”
“Mamm is highly allergic to cats.”
“Oh, no.” He started to laugh.
“It’s not funny,” she chided, but she felt like laughing, too.
He quickly grew serious. “Show me what to do and I will help.”
She looked at him in astonishment. “Do you mean that?”
“Of course. You can’t be scurrying out here day and night. You have a business to run. I will help during the day.”
The idea of taking a break sounded wonderful, but could she trust him to do a good job with her babies? She didn’t want all her hard work to be undone by his carelessness.
Apparently, he read her indecision because he said, “You should watch me the first few times to make sure I’m doing it right.”
For some reason she did trust him. She demonstrated how to swaddle them inside a piece of cloth, how to get the bottle into their mouths, even how to burp them and clean up after them before returning them to their box. She fed one more so he could observe and then he fed the other two.
When they were done and the kittens all returned to the box, he said, “We’d better hurry or we will be late for the start of the auction.”
Spending the day in his company—in public—suddenly became a frightening prospect. She rubbed her hands over her arms. “I don’t think I’m going to go.”
Chapter Thirteen
Adam saw his plans for the day unraveling before they got started. The picnic basket and thermos of hot chocolate under the front seat of his buggy would stay where they were. “What do you mean you aren’t going?”
“I have work to do here.”
“Naomi said she can run the inn while you are gone.”
“I know she can, but I have the kittens to think of, too.”
She walked past him and began to descend the ladder. He followed, feeling their closeness draining away. What had he done wrong? “The Yoder farm isn’t that far. We can come back to feed them and then return to the auction.”
“It’s silly to make so many trips. I’m staying here. You go on.” She pushed open the barn door and walked out into the crisp morning sunshine.
“I was only going because Naomi asked me to drive you. I’ll go patch that hole in the dining room wall.”
Apparently, the connection he’d felt between them went only one way. From him to nowhere. His disappointment was as sharp as the kittens’ claws.
She spun around. “I forbid you to work today. You are to go to the auction, eat good food, visit with your friends. Your cousins are going, aren’t they?”
The auction would be one of the biggest social events of the winter. The weather was cold but the sun was shining brightly. Families would come from miles around, English and Amish alike, to support the Yoder family and have the chance to pick up a bargain. Even his father might be there.
She took a step closer. “You should go.”
Sucking in a quick breath, he said, “I would like to go, but only if you go with me. Please, Emma.”
Her eyes softened; he could see her wavering. Before she could reply, her mother came bustling out of the house, a large box in her arms. She made straight for his buggy. He had no choice but to rush over and open the door for her.
Naomi said, “Danki. You two should get on the road. Emma, I’ve decided I want you to bid on the ice cream maker and on the pressure cooker.”
She laid the box on the floor of Adam’s buggy and held out her hand. “Here is the money.”
When Emma didn’t move, Naomi pressed the bills at her and began pulling her toward the buggy. “If you don’t hurry you could miss the household items. Oh, I can’t be out in this cold for long. It makes my bones hurt. I’m so glad you’re going for me, Emma. And thank you for driving her, Adam. I won’t worry about her a bit in your company.”
Adam climbed in and extended his hand to Emma. For a second, he thought she was going to refuse, but suddenly Naomi began sneezing. Emma sprang into the vehicle and closed the door between them.
With a hidden smile, Adam slapped the reins against the horse’s rump and sent him trotting down the street.
Chapter Fourteen
At a loss for words, Emma could only stare at Adam. Had she misunderstood him? He couldn’t possibly think of this outing as a date. How could a man like Adam be interested in her?
She jumped like a rabbit when he asked, “What’s in the box?”
“A quilt and some of my jam. We are donating them to the sale.”
“Is your jam as good as Grandma Yoder’s? If it is, I’ll have to buy all you have.”
Lifting out a jar, she held it up for him to see. “I am Grandma Yoder.”
He turned to look at her in surprise, then burst out laughing. “Well, Grandma, I love your gooseberry jam. Why not use your own name?”
“A jar of Emma Wadler’s jelly doesn’t sell as well as one with Grandma Yoder on the label. Tourists are funny like that. They want things that look and sound like the Amish names they’re familiar with. Since the recipe is one handed down from my mother’s mother on the Yoder side of the family, I have no qualms about using the name.” She put the sample back in the box.
“You are a good cook. You should open a café.”
She looked up sharply. Was he making fun of her? “The inn is enough work.”
Giving her a sidelong glance, he said, “I have an idea about that. Want to hear it?”
He seemed serious. She nodded. “Sure.”
Eagerly turning to face her, he said, “I could cut a door to the outside in the dining room and build some booths along the back wall to give you more seating. You already cook for the guests so why not cook for more? The town is growing. The English like to eat out. It could give you a steady income, especially in the winter. You could call it the Shoofly Pie Café. What do you think?”
Surprised, Emma mulled it over. What he said made sense. Finally she nodded. “It is a good idea. I will think on it, but you may be sorry you suggested it.”
“Why?”
“Because then you’ll have to pay for the cinnamon rolls you eat in the mornings.”
He grinned broadly and clicked his tongue to get the horse moving faster. Looking at Emma, he said, “Your mother called you a treasure and she was right. I’m glad you decided to come with me today.”
Emma discovered that she was glad, too. A tiny spark of happiness flickered in the gloom that had become her life. Settling back against the buggy seat, she breathed in the cold morning air, feeling more alive than she’d felt in years.
After a few minutes of silence, he said, “Tell me about yourself, Emma.”
“I’m boring.”
“No, you aren’t.”
“If I tell you my life story you will fall asleep and the horse will run off the road.”
“Seriously, how did you come to own the Wadler Inn?”
That she could talk about. “A cousin of my father first bought the place fifty-five years ago. He never joined the Amish church. I started working for him when I was fifteen. He treated me like the daughter he never had. When he passed away suddenly, I decided to buy the inn and run it myself.”
“Did you ever think about marrying?” Adam asked softly.
She stared at her hands as her oldest heartache returned. “Sure, but it didn’t work out that way for me. The man I planned to marry died.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It was Gotte wille.”
“If the right man came along, you could still marry. It’s not too late.”
She glanced at his handsome profile against the blue sky. Did she dare believe him?
Chapter Fifteen
Adam turned the buggy into the Yoders’ lane. They’d arrived in plenty of time to bid on the items Naomi wanted. Since the quilts wouldn’t be auctioned off until after lunch, they were free to wander the grounds and seek out other bargains.
Within an hour, Emma got the ice cream maker, but the pressure cooker went for more than she was willing to pay. He bought her a hot pretzel at midmorning as they watched the horses being sold, and was rewarded with a genuine smile. Why had he ever thought she was plain?
Everywhere around them were the sounds of voices raised in greeting and laughter. He and Emma both ran into relatives and friends. What he had at first assumed was standoffishness on her part proved to be shyness. It seemed Emma had many layers. He wanted to explore them all.
“Having a good time?” he asked as she retreated from a group of her mother’s friends.
“I am,” she admitted with a touch of surprise and that tiny smile that so intrigued him.
“I am, too.” He stood close beside her, not touching her, but wishing he could hold her hand or caress her cheek.
She said, “If you want to stay, I can go home alone and take care of the kittens. They are my responsibility and I’m sure they’re getting hungry.”
“I said I would help and I meant it.” They rounded the corner of the toolshed on the way to the buggy and came face-to-face with his father.
It took a second for Adam to find his voice. When he did, he nodded. “Guder mariye, Papa.”
He looked for any sign of softening in his father’s eyes and thought he detected it when his father’s gaze lit on Emma. They were saved from the awkward silence by the arrival of three of Adam’s cousins. David, Lydia and Susan all carried plates with hot pretzels on them.
After greeting everyone, Adam said, “I’m sorry but I must go. I have promised to take Emma home, but we will be back later. Perhaps we can meet up then?”
His cousins exchanged pointed glances, but it was David who replied, “Sure. We’ll be here all afternoon. The cattle aren’t going on sale until three o’clock.”
“Great. We’ll see you there.” As Adam walked away, he thought he heard the girls snicker behind him, but when he glanced back, they had turned away.
Emma was quieter than usual on the ride back to town. As he pulled up in front of her house, she turned to face him. “I’m sorry to be a wet blanket, but I don’t think I’ll go back with you.”
Instantly concerned, he asked, “Are you ill?”
“Just a headache. Anyway, you will have more fun without me.”
He tried not to let his disappointment show. “I won’t, but I will feed the kittens for you while you go lie down.”
She stepped out of the buggy. “That’s not necessary. I like the quiet time with them.”
“As you wish,” he answered.
Turning away, she paused and looked over her shoulder. “I had a very nice morning.”
“Me, too.” He waited, but she didn’t return his smile. As she walked away he felt he’d somehow landed back at square one.
Chapter Sixteen
After taking care of the kittens, Emma entered the house with lagging steps. Inside, she was surprised to see her mother sitting in the rocker by the stove. She held her Bible in her hands.
Looking over her glasses, Naomi said, “You are home early. Where is Adam?”
“He’s gone back to the auction. I was feeling tired.”
And like a fifth wheel among his family and friends. She didn’t know how to fit in.
“I imagine you are tired, what with getting up every two hours through the night to feed those poor motherless cats.”
Emma’s jaw dropped. “Who told you?”
“I may snore, but I’m still a light sleeper. When a daughter starts sneaking out of the house at night, a parent wants to know what is going on. I could see you didn’t want to tell me about them so I didn’t say anything.”
Plopping into a chair, Emma said, “I’m sorry if I worried you. I couldn’t let them die without trying to save them. They were so helpless.”
“If you can put that much effort into saving four kittens, can’t you put it into saving yourself?”
Emma frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I think you know. You were seventeen when William was killed. I know you loved him but he is gone. You are still here. You used William and that inn as an excuse to avoid being with people your own age. You have built a wall around your heart higher than the fireplace. When your father died I felt the same way. Perhaps that’s why I let you wallow in your grief. After a while, I didn’t know how to make you see you’d shut yourself off from life.”
“I’ve made the best life I can with what God gave me. I’m not pretty, I’m not witty. I’m dull and plain.”
She thought she had accepted her lot, but Adam had her thinking about all the things she’d never had—a home of her own and a man to hold her and love her.
Naomi shook her head sadly. “This is not what God wants for you. It would not be what William wanted for you. Life is passing you by, Emma. When I saw those kittens, I knew you felt it, too.”
Tears blurred Emma’s vision. “I don’t want to feel that pain again, Mamm.”
“God will help you bear any pain that comes your way. Trust in Him. Please stop passing up all the joy life has to offer out of fear. Do you like Adam Troyer?”
“I do. I do like him.”
“I can see that he likes you. All you have to do is smile at him and he will do the rest. Give him some encouragement, or sit in that chair and grow old without a husband and children and nothing but cats to love.”
Emma bit her lip as she listened to her mother’s harsh but true words. Could she take the chance? What if it didn’t work out? Would she be worse off than she was now?
Naomi drew a deep breath and blew it out in a huff. Rising to her feet, she said, “I believe I want to go to the auction now.”
Emma gathered her courage and stood. “I will go with you.”
Chapter Seventeen
David Troyer clapped Adam on the back when he sat down beside his cousin. “I thought I was seeing things this morning. There was my cousin, escorting the homeliest old maid in the county around this auction.”
Lydia giggled. “When I thought of all the pretty English girls Adam used to chase I could barely keep a straight face.”
“Me, too,” Susan added. The girls, eighteen and nineteen, were always laughing at something. Or someone.
Seated on the wooden risers at one end of the cattle pens, Adam listened to his cousins’ remarks with growing unhappiness. Finally, he said, “Emma Wadler is not homely. She is a devout, hardworking woman with a kind heart. You don’t know her the way I do. I’m thinking of courting her.”
Lydia and Susan flashed a scowl at each other. Then Susan asked, “Are you serious?”
“Jah, I am.” He hadn’t known Emma very long, but that was what courtship was for. To talk and make plans, to discover if they were right for each other. In his heart, he knew she was the only woman for him.
David nodded toward Adam’s father seated a few rows away. “Are you sure you aren’t rushing into this for another reason?”
Adam clenched his jaw. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
David shook his head. “You think if you quickly settle down and start planning a family your father will welcome you back with open arms. That isn’t fair to a woman.”
“If that happens I will be overjoyed,” Adam admitted. Like David, he thought it would take more than an Amish girlfriend to convince his father he had mended his life. None of that had to do with the way he felt about Emma.
After the cattle were auctioned off, the gas-powered tools were brought out. David and the girls left. Adam made his way up to the tools to look them over. From the corner of his eye he saw his fa
ther talking to the auctioneer beside the gas skill saw Adam intended to bid on. To his surprise, his father beckoned him over.
His dat said to the auctioneer, “This is my son. He has a gift for fixing things.”
Adam glanced sideways at his father. “What seems to be the problem?”
The auctioneer said, “We are trying to make the most money we can for this family. A working machine brings more money than a broken one.”
“I will see what I can do.” Removing the cover, Adam got to work. Within a few minutes he had the gas motor chugging away and the saw buzzing.
Delighted, the auctioneer asked, “How much do I owe you for the repair?”
Adam shook his head. “Nothing. It is my gift to the family. I was hoping to buy this, but now it may bring more than I can afford.”
He started to turn away, but his father stopped him by grasping his arm. “You did a good thing for this family.”
Adam smiled at his father. “From the time I was little I was taught to think of others first. I wasn’t a very good student, but I had a good teacher.”
His father smiled. “Maybe you weren’t as bad a pupil as I thought.”
Chapter Eighteen
Emma stepped eagerly out of the buggy when she arrived back at the Yoder farm. The auction was still in full swing. She looked about for Adam, but didn’t see him in the crowds of Amish and English bargain hunters. The sunshine was warm enough to start turning the snow to slush, but no one seemed to mind.
She looked at her mother. “What would you like to see first?”
Adjusting her bonnet, Naomi said, “It should be time for the quilt auction. I will go and see what my quilt fetches. I might have to bid up the price if it goes low.”
“Careful, or you’ll be stuck buying back your own work.”
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