by Marta Perry
Stocking the pantry was definitely a one-woman job, since there wasn’t space in there for two. Chloe took a sponge and a bottle of cleaning spray from the sink. She’d better make sure all the tables were clean before they left for the night.
Scrubbing tables wasn’t demanding enough to keep her thoughts from wandering. She was going to have to make some decisions soon. The tiny furnished apartment on Main Street her landlord had found for her wasn’t very comfortable, and did she really have a reason to stay here in Oyersburg now that Susanna was well on the way to accepting her sisters? There was the flood relief, of course, but beyond that, what next?
The outside door opened and closed. She glanced toward it to see Seth. The lurch in her heart told her that there was one very solid reason why she was having trouble deciding on her future path, and it was striding toward her right now.
She smiled, hoping she didn’t look as glad to see him as she felt. “Hi. Have you heard the good news? The water is back on again.”
Seth grinned. “I’m sure I never expected to see Ms. Chloe Wentworth of Philadelphia so delighted at the prospect of water coming out of the tap.”
“Go ahead, laugh at me.” She swatted at him with the damp sponge. “You’d be happy, too, if you’d spent the day trying to cook and clean up using cold water from jugs.”
“It’s called roughing it,” he said, leaning one hip against the edge of the table.
“Yes, well, I never did like summer camp. I wouldn’t have made a good pioneer woman. Your little sister can work rings around me.”
A shadow dimmed Seth’s smile. “Has Jessie been all right today?”
“You worry too much. She’s been fine. Do you want me to get her?”
She took a step toward the kitchen, but Seth caught her arm, arresting her motion. Somehow she ended up standing very close to him.
“In a minute,” he said, his voice low. “I haven’t seen you in days.”
“You just saw me yesterday,” she protested, discovering that her breath was behaving strangely at his nearness.
“To say hello in passing. I’m talking about being alone together.”
She met his gaze and then realized that might not be such a good idea. She couldn’t seem to look away. “I thought that was the idea. Remember our bargain? That was your thinking, as I recall.”
“Stupid idea,” he muttered, close enough that his breath was warm against her cheek. “I’m suggesting we should amend that deal.”
This is a bad idea, a little voice in the back of her mind was saying, and she silenced it with a ruthless slap. She didn’t want to be sensible, or cautious, or any of those other boring things.
“What did you have in mind?” Her lips were an inch away from his, and something stronger than gravity was pulling them together.
“I’d say—”
“So that’s it!” The shrill voice had them spinning apart. Jessie stood in the kitchen doorway, fists clenched.
“Jessie . . .” Seth began, but she swept over him like the tide.
“Acting like you want to be my friend.” She advanced on Chloe, fury contorting her face. “Lying to me.”
“Jessie, I do want to be your friend. Honestly.” Chloe’s heart thudded against her ribs.
“No, you don’t. You just want to get close to Seth, that’s all. No one wants to be my friend.”
Jessie raised her fists. Chloe took a step back, bumping into a metal chair and sending it clattering to the floor.
“Jessie, stop it!” Seth’s voice commanded. He grasped his sister’s wrists. “That’s enough. You’re being foolish.”
“You mean I’m being crazy.” Jessie practically spat the words at him. “That’s what you think. That’s what everyone thinks.” She burst into a storm of hysterical weeping, struggling against his grip.
Appalled, Chloe reached out to help.
“No.” Seth’s tone stopped her. It was as curt as if she were an interfering stranger. “It’s better if you go. Now.”
Chloe wanted to argue. Wanted to stay and help. But it seemed obvious that just the sight of her was disturbing Jessie.
“I’m sorry,” she said, aware of how feeble that sounded. Chloe backed away, hurried to the kitchen, and sprinted out the back door.
She stopped, grasping the metal railing. Her thoughts reeled. She’d wanted to help, but she’d just made things worse.
And if anything had been needed to show her just how firmly Seth was tied here, this had been it.
* * *
Packing
up the second floor of her shop with Lydia and Chloe the next day was certainly less fraught with emotion than doing it with Nate, Susanna thought with a sense of relief. Their chatter should stop her from replaying Nate’s kiss over and over again, at least.
“I think we should be able to finish this afternoon,” Lydia said, straightening and stretching her back. “Is it all right if I use the rest of the space in this dower chest to store these table runners?”
“That’s fine.” Susanna carefully averted her eyes from the chest. Better that Lydia should do it than that she should.
She hadn’t been able to avoid seeing Nate, since she was staying at his house. He had been cheerful and much as usual, while she felt as if she’d been struck dumb in his presence. Apparently that hadn’t been too obvious, though. Dora hadn’t commented on it, other than to ask several times if she felt all right.
If only she knew what he was thinking, or more important, what she herself was thinking. Her head seemed a ragbag of memory and emotion.
Chloe was talking nearly as fast as she was packing—too fast, as if, like Susanna, she was trying to keep from hearing her own thoughts.
“Are you sure you should be doing all that bending?” Chloe attempted to take the quilted table runners from Lydia, but Lydia swatted her away, laughing.
“I’m fine. Why are you fussing so much?” Lydia sat down on the floor and began stacking the pieces in the chest.
“You’re pregnant. Is it good for you to do so much bending?”
“You’re as bad as Adam,” Lydia said. “I’m fine and healthy, and it’s another three months yet. And whatever you do, don’t say anything to Adam about pregnancy.”
“Why not?” Chloe countered. She wiped off her hands with the tail of the oversized T-shirt she wore. “If he agrees with me—”
“He’d be embarrassed, that’s why. Expected babies aren’t talked about in mixed company.”
Chloe looked from Lydia to Susanna. “That’s so . . . old-fashioned.”
“I guess it is, but it’s how we do things,” Lydia said, as if that finished the matter.
Susanna could see that Chloe was about to burst out, so she spoke quickly. “Amish clothing is supposed to hide pregnancy and give privacy for nursing mothers. All the women know, of course, but we only talk about it to each other. Or between husband and wife, of course.”
Chloe seemed to conquer her desire to say something critical. Instead she smiled at Lydia. “If you’re supposed to hide your pregnancy, you’d better do something about your face. You’re absolutely glowing.”
“Happiness can’t be hidden, they say.” Lydia put her palms to her cheeks. “I’ve so longed to have another baby, and now it’s coming.”
“A little girl, maybe?” Susanna asked, mentally sifting through her supply of baby quilts. There was a postage-stamp crib quilt in shades of pink that would be perfect.
“Maybe.” Lydia looked at Chloe, mischief sparkling in her eyes. “What about you, Chloe? Have you thought about having babies?”
Chloe’s expression seemed to freeze. “I’m not even close to it.”
Susanna realized she and Lydia were both staring at their little sister. The discouragement in her tone couldn’t be missed.
“I thought Seth . . .” she began, and then
thought she shouldn’t.
“Seth isn’t thinking of romance right now,” Chloe said, and the very finality of her tone spoke of pain.
Susanna exchanged looks with Lydia, and they both converged on Chloe.
“What is it, Chloe?” Lydia touched her shoulder with a loving caress. “You can tell us.”
Chloe shook her head, and Susanna saw that Chloe . . . tough, modern Chloe . . . was fighting back tears. “We had agreed that we’d take it slowly. But yesterday, when we were alone, I thought . . .” Her voice trailed off miserably. “Jessie saw us embracing, and she just flew off the handle. Screaming and crying—I’d never seen anything like it.”
Susanna put her arm around Chloe’s waist, feeling her quiver with unshed tears.
“I know.” Lydia stroked her hair. “I saw her lose control like that once. It’s no wonder you were frightened. I surely was.”
“Not frightened. Just shocked. I wanted to help, but Seth wouldn’t let me.” She shook her head vigorously, hair flying. “He’s so obsessed with his responsibilities that he won’t let anyone in, even me. And if he should go back to the church—”
Chloe stopped, sucked in a breath, and rubbed her face with her hands. “Enough. He’s the worst guy in the world for me, and I’m an idiot for falling for him.”
“I don’t think it’s idiotic to love someone,” Lydia said, her voice gentle. “Even if it doesn’t work out, it’s gut to love. And you have to admire Seth for wanting to take care of his family.”
Chloe took a step back, trying to smile. “He’s more like Nate than either of them would believe, I guess.”
Chloe’s mention of Nate’s name seemed to echo in Susanna’s head. But Chloe didn’t suspect anything, surely. She couldn’t know about Susanna and Nate. She was just trying to steer them away from her own hurt.
“From what I’ve seen of Dora, she doesn’t want to be taken care of,” Lydia said, quietly accepting Chloe’s reticence. “What do you think, Susanna?”
“About Nate?” She should never have said his name, because she could feel her cheeks grow hot, and she had to struggle to keep from looking at the dower chest and remembering Nate’s hands on it, the expression on his face, the moment when his lips had touched hers.
“About Nate,” Lydia repeated, and both she and Chloe stared at her, awareness dawning in their faces.
“Susanna!” Chloe exclaimed, seizing her hands. “You and Nate? I wouldn’t have believed it.”
“No, no.” Susanna shook her head. “I don’t think . . . I mean, I’m not sure, and he’s not sure . . .” She let that trail off.
What could she do? Admit that she had feelings for him but that she couldn’t believe he was really serious about her?
“All right. We won’t tease you about it,” Lydia said, enveloping Susanna in a hug.
Chloe put her arms around both of them. “But if you want to talk, you have us. That’s what sisters are for, you know.”
Susanna’s throat was tight with unshed tears. She didn’t know about Nate, but somehow Lydia and Chloe made it easier to believe that someone might love her for herself alone.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Nate
had barely reached the front counter in the store the next morning before Anna Mae came to confront him. He suppressed a flood of exasperation. The girl had been like a kettle coming to a boil for days now, despite everything they all had to keep them busy, and obviously she was now ready to explode.
“I want to talk to you before we open,” she said, planting herself in front of him, her pert face challenging.
He began putting fives and tens into the cash register. “Can it wait, Anna Mae? I’m busy.”
“I want to get this settled now. I should be the one to be in charge when you’re not here. I’ve worked for you the longest. I know much more about the store than Thomas or Susanna or anyone else.”
Nate gave her a sharp look designed to remind Anna Mae that he was the boss. “Susanna isn’t employed here,” he pointed out. “I appreciate your efforts, Anna Mae. But I am the owner, and I make the decisions based on what I think is best for the store.”
Her eyes flashed, and he suspected she was on the brink of saying something that would end in his having to fire her. He gritted his teeth in exasperation. Why did females have to get so emotional about business decisions, anyway?
“Before Susanna started hanging around, you depended on me.” Her voice was raised. Thomas, stocking a shelf in the pasta aisle, came to the end to see what was going on, and Susie, Anna Mae’s sister, took a few hesitant steps toward them.
Nate tried, and failed, to sympathize with the girl. “You are being foolish, Anna Mae. Susanna is my mother’s partner and an experienced businesswoman. It is kind of her to help out in the store when we’re so busy.”
“She’s . . .”
Susie rushed to grab Anna Mae’s arm. “Hush. Stop now. You’ll get in trouble.”
Anna Mae shook the restraining hand off. “Susanna is nothing but a crippled old maid. She—”
“Enough.” Nate fought down a flash of pure rage. “You will have to find someplace else to work, Anna Mae.”
“You’re firing me?” She looked at him in disbelief.
He’d smile, except that there was nothing funny about it. What did the foolish child think would happen when she spoke to her employer that way?
“I will send you your final check for this week.”
She stared at him a moment longer, and then she turned and ran out of the shop. Her sister stared after her, and from the expression on her face, she thought she’d be next.
“Susie, you had best see that your sister gets home. Take the rest of the day off. I’ll see you first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Ja, I understand.” Galvanized, Susie headed for the door. “I’m sorry.” The words floated over her shoulder as she hurried out.
Nate met Thomas’s startled gaze, and the boy came to him. “I— Is there something I can do?”
Nate shook his head. “I’ll get someone in to replace her in a day or two. But not another teenage girl, that’s certain-sure.”
Thomas’s face lost its apprehension, and he grinned. “Anna Mae’s ferhoodled, acting that way. Susanna . . .” He paused, as if considering. “It was plain bad temper, saying that about Susanna. Susanna’s a smart woman, and kind, as well.”
Ja, that she was.
“We’d best get ready to open. If we get too busy in the front, I’ll ask my mother to help out.”
Thomas nodded and began picking up the boxes from which he’d been stocking shelves. The store seemed suddenly very peaceful.
Nate suspected he should have seen that Anna Mae was getting ideas and done something about it before now. That was the trouble with hiring young girls. They had too many dreams in their heads. Next time he’d look for a nice older widow.
Thomas had spoken the truth about Susanna, startled though Nate had been to hear him say it. Susanna was kind. That was a quality easily overlooked by young men starting to court, but it did more for a happy marriage, he suspected, than any flirtatious glances.
The truth was that Susanna hadn’t been far from his thoughts in days. He couldn’t deny he was thinking seriously about a future with her.
But they were neither of them teenagers, flirting at singings and trying out the idea of falling in love. At their age, anything they felt had to be serious enough to last a lifetime. Could he really make someone happy for the rest of their lives? He just didn’t know.
No sooner had he removed the CLOSED sign from the door and unlocked it than the telephone rang in the back hall. A business had to have a phone, but he had to confess that he got tired of being at its beck and call.
“Nate?” Susanna’s voice, sounding breathless. “I’m sorry to bother you. I know you’re busy with the store—”
<
br /> “It’s not a bother,” he said, cradling the receiver against his ear. “What is it?”
“When I reached the shop, I found a notice tacked on the front door.” Paper rustled. “It’s an orange form, something official looking. At the top, it says mold abatement procedures, and then there’s a list of orders.”
“Where are you calling from?” He’d read something about that in the newspaper this morning, but he hadn’t paid much attention. He should have.
“I borrowed a cell phone from a man working next door. I wasn’t sure what to do. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault.” But it was yet another problem to be dealt with. “Stay there. I’ll come.” He hung up on her protests.
“Thomas!” He leaned around the corner, catching the boy’s eye. “I have to go out, I’m afraid. It’s bad timing, but it can’t be helped. Run over to the house and ask my mamm to come and mind the store for a bit.”
Startled, Thomas nodded and slid out from behind the counter. Nate hurried to the parking lot. Billy Angelo, one of the teenaged Englisch boys who helped out with deliveries, was just getting into the truck. Nate grabbed the door handle and swung in beside him, receiving a startled glance.
“We’ll have to put off the deliveries for a bit. Take me down to my mother’s shop on the west end of Main Street. You know where it is?”
“Yes, sir.” Billy put the truck in gear, looking cheered at the break in routine. “Problem?”
“Maybe,” Nate said. And maybe he was being foolish, rushing down there to the rescue instead of telling Susanna he’d deal with the notice later.
But she’d sounded upset, and he wouldn’t have been able to concentrate if he’d been worrying about her.
They reached the shop in a few minutes. He slid out the minute Billy stopped at the curb. Susanna stood on the steps, a piece of orange paper fluttering in her hand, bright against the somber navy of her dress.
“I shouldn’t have called you away from the store.” Her deep blue eyes seemed darker when she was worried.