“No lie.” The light sparkled in her eyes. “But you’re missing something.”
He watched as she walked over to a table display and lifted a cowboy hat to check the size.
She sauntered back and placed it on his head. “There. Does that fit you or do you need another size?”
He moved the hat slightly to make sure there wasn’t too much wiggle room between his head and the inside comfort band. The last thing he needed was for his hat to go flying off when he and Azalea were out riding. “No, this fits just fine. But I already have a hat.”
“Just like a girl can never have too many books, a cowboy can never have too many hats.”
“Books? I thought it was shoes?” He chuckled.
“What can I say? I love books.” She shrugged.
“Okay, if you say so.”
“I do.” She winked. “Oh, wait. You need a belt buckle too.” She hurried to a carousel that held several and picked one with a horse on it.
He shook his head. “I think those have to be earned at a rodeo or something, don’t they?”
“No fiancé of mine is going to get bucked off a raging bull and have his back broken. We can buy one.”
He shrugged. “If it’s good enough for you, I guess it’s good enough for me.”
“It is. Alright, try on the other outfits so I can see them on you.”
“Then can we leave?”
She laughed, then mimicked his pouting tone. “You really don’t like shopping, do you?”
“No, but I do like eating.” He raised his brows.
“I think I’ve figured that out already.” She teasingly tipped his hat up and he was tempted to take her in his arms and kiss her then and there in the middle of the store.
She then playfully put her hand on his chest and pushed him back into the dressing room. He’d love nothing more than to pull her in there with him, but remembered his sense of propriety.
“Alright, I’ll just…” He closed the door, lest he lose his head, determined to finish the task at hand. He heard Azalea giggle from the other side of the dressing room door and smiled to himself. She knew exactly how she affected him.
Jah, as his former Amish self would say, they made a wonderful gut couple for sure and for certain.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Never in a million years would Joseph have pictured his wedding day like this. He’d always seen this day as a day of rejoicing with his family—with Dat and his older brothers, with Dinah, with Benji. He attempted to loosen the bowtie at his neck to no avail.
Bittersweet emotions rose in his chest, but quickly dissipated the moment he glimpsed his beloved standing at the back of the church in her long white gown. He had a new family now—Azalea and her father.
Azalea’s smile spoke of the love in her heart as she waltzed up the aisle on her father’s arm. The instant their eyes met, Joseph’s knees felt like they might give way. Was he really about to marry the woman of his dreams?
Oh, God. I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve her. I don’t want to disappoint her. I don’t want to fail her. Please help me to be the husband she needs. Help me to lead her in Your ways and cherish every moment I have with her.
As she joined him, she leaned forward and whispered in his ear. “You look so handsome.” Her eyes shined with love.
He could hardly believe that in a few moments, they’d walk out of this building as husband and wife—together. Forever.
~
“How’s married life treating you, Jonah?” Governor Hanson’s knowing countenance told Joseph that he already knew the answer before he asked. Joseph had been pleased to find a friend and confidant in the governor.
“Better than I deserve, for sure. It’s wonderful, Andrew.” He grinned. “You know, back when I was younger, my father had talked about my mother and how someday I’d find the one. Well, I’ve definitely found her. Azalea is my soulmate.”
“That reminds me of the verse in the Song of Solomon. I have found him whom my soul loveth. That’s what my wife said to me the day I proposed to her.”
“Really?” Joseph smiled. “That’s pretty cool.”
“Yeah. Again, congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
“Now, about work…”
“I knew we were getting around to that subject.” Joseph chuckled. “Everything’s looking good so far. Of course, we won’t know much until the reports from the other farms come in. But if they follow the advice we gave them, it shouldn’t be too bad.”
“The forecast is calling for stormy weather.” The governor grimaced.
“Yep. This is just the beginning.”
“But we’ll be fine, right?”
Joseph wanted to give the governor reassurance, but the outcome was up to God. “I’m confident we will be.”
“Good.”
“We’ve harvested as much as we can this season. We’ll have to leverage the distribution wisely because we won’t bring in any more until next year.”
“I understand.”
“Let’s just trust God with this.”
“We will. That’s why I hired you, Jonah. Thank you for agreeing. I really don’t know where I’d be—where the state would be—if you’d declined my offer. I have no doubt that God brought you to my doorstep.” He stood up and shook his hand.
“Me either, Andrew. This was definitely a ‘God thing,’ as Azalea would say.”
“You know, it’s funny. When you first came here, I had no idea what to expect. Let’s just say that I’ve been pleasantly surprised. It’s strange. You’re like the younger brother I never had.”
Joseph’s head snapped up. “What?”
“I mean it, Jonah. If I could choose a younger brother, it’d be you.”
Joseph blew out a breath, doing his best to conceal his emotions. He pressed his lips together. “Thank you for saying that, Andrew. You have no idea how much that means to me.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
“Jonah, come quickly. Look at this. It looks like it’s starting.” The governor called him over and held out a half-shucked corn cob. “Alex told me you’ve had experience saving plants?”
“Some, yeah. But there could be a number of things wrong.” Joseph frowned at the splotches on the corn. “Wait a minute. I think I might know what this is.”
“You might?”
“Yes, and I might know how to stop the destruction. If we can stop it, we may not need to plant other crops. When I was at home, something like this threatened to take over our crops. On a whim, I concocted a solution and sprayed it on the plants. Amazingly enough, the disease disappeared and the plants grew healthy.”
“What was it?”
“My sister’s special homemade soap, water, and vinegar.”
“Do you know how to make the soap?”
He frowned, but then recalled the day he’d made soap with Dinah. He’d been at a curious age so he’d asked a lot of questions. She’d patiently answered each one. Thank God he’d helped her that day. And this was God’s doing, wasn’t it? Jah, it’s all God.
He thought about the herbs she’d used—anti-parasitic she’d called one of them. But it wasn’t just one herb, it was a special combination. “Jah, I think so. But getting ahold of some of the ingredients might be tricky.”
He’d never even imagined that on that one day he’d made soap with Dinah, God was actually preparing him for this day, over a decade into the future.
“You just let me know what you need and I’ll get it for you.”
“I’ll need to make up a test batch. If it’s successful in combatting the disease, we can make it in quantity.”
“That sounds good.”
“Alright. Let’s get on it.” He pulled out the notebook and pen he kept in his pocket and scribbled down several items. “I’ll need these things along with soap making equipment. I can start as soon as I get it.”
“Sounds good. How long after application will you know if it works?”
“Abou
t twenty-four hours. But if it does the job, we’re going to need to assemble a crew to make this stuff.”
“I’ve got all the man power you’ll need. Just say the word and they’ll be at your disposal.”
“Thank you, Andrew.”
“No, thank you, Jonah. I truly do not know what I’d do without you.”
~
Joseph surveyed the rows of corn he’d sprayed yesterday. “It worked! Praise God, it worked!”
“Great! Woo hoo!” Andrew embraced him with a hearty bear hug. “We need to make this in bulk to sell. When people come to us to purchase grain, we’ll also sell them The Millerton Cure. That way, they can learn to be self-sufficient. At least, it will take care of them until they run out. When they do, they’ll return and buy more of the cure.”
Joseph chuckled. “The Millerton Cure, huh? I think I like it.”
“You have got to patent this formula, Jonah. I know all the people to contact and the channels to go through. When you’ve done that, we’ll set up a website so buyers can pre-order—although they’ll need to pick it up here.”
“I’m not sure about all this. I don’t want any special glory.”
“I don’t know about glory, but you’re certain to become a millionaire. At least.”
He frowned. “Really?” A millionaire?
“Jonah, what you’ve got here is gold. You’ve done so much for me. I want to do this for you. I want to help you. If anyone deserves to succeed, it’s you.”
He shook his head. He wasn’t sure how deserving he was, but he knew that God at brought him to this moment. “Wow. Okay, thank you.”
~
Joseph stood next to Governor Hanson as he addressed the production workers.
“Okay, the distribution center is officially open for business. The news stations have made it public. I expect our first customers to come rolling in at any time.” Andrew glanced down at his watch and smiled with confidence.
“Won’t that be chaotic?” One of the lead men asked.
“No, the way Jonah has things set up is brilliant.” The governor assured. “It’s only by appointment. We’ve directed them here first, then those who request The Millerton Cure will be directed to the warehouse where they can pick that up.”
“But are you sure we’ll have enough?”
“As far as the corn goes, there’s no guarantee of that. It’ll be first come, first served. Exact amounts will be measured out per household and will vary according to age. But Jonah’s solution will assure that their own crops don’t fail.”
Another worker raised his hand. “What happens if someone comes without an appointment?”
He gestured toward Joseph. “You’ll direct them to Jonah. I’m confident he’ll be able to handle any situations that arise.”
The foreman grinned. “It sounds like you have it all figured out then.”
“I’m expecting a smooth operation. And I know it will be with Jonah overseeing it.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Joseph eyed the group of men as they approached with one of the workers. Indeed, they were Amish, as he suspected. He blew out a breath. It had been so long since he’d beheld a person from his native culture. He’d expected more, since the Amish community closest to them was less than an hour away, but these were the first to arrive.
“Jonah, these men have come without an appointment. They’re asking for quite a bit. Governor Hanson said to direct them to you.”
“Thank you, John. I’ll handle it.” Joseph nodded to dismiss him, then turned to the men. “How may I help you?”
“We have come from Canaan in Switzerland County.”
His head snapped up at the mention of his former home. He noticed their distinct Swiss Dutch accent and examined each of the men, mentally counting them again. Seven. Sure enough, these were his older brothers.
At that moment, it dawned on him. His brothers didn’t recognize the non-Amish version of Joseph. Certainly, his name change helped with that, but he guessed it was mostly because of his brawny build and facial hair that concealed his true identity. He’d been just a kid when he’d been forced from his home.
“You don’t have an appointment. I don’t think we can accommodate you,” he answered roughly. “You should have followed procedure.”
“Please. We didn’t know. We do not have a television. We weren’t told an appointment was necessary.”
He rubbed his beard, then crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ve come to scope out our operation, haven’t you?”
“What do you mean?” Judah raked a hand through his hair. “No. We just want to buy some corn and some of The Millerton Cure solution.”
Joseph admitted that the name rolling off of his brother’s tongue did sound satisfying. He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
“No, please. We have no intention of harm. We are just seven brothers who have come to purchase corn for our families. Our father and brother and sister are at home, along with our wives and children.”
In one fell swoop, his brothers bent their knees before him, bowing their heads.
In a split second, his dream from a decade prior flashed before his eyes. This is what the dream had meant! Thank you for showing me, Lord.
He cleared his throat and they stood again. “If you do indeed have another brother, why didn’t he come with you? Sounds suspicious to me.”
“He had to stay home with our father. You see, we had another brother but he passed. He meant everything to our father. The youngest is the next closest to him.”
“Is he ailing?”
“Nee, his health is decent. But Dat would never approve of bringing Benjamin along. Our younger brother means the world to our father.”
Joseph frowned and pulled out his cell phone. “John, I need Alex to come up here.”
His brothers spoke to each other in Swiss Dutch, believing he couldn’t understand their words. They were clearly worried.
Alex came and stood at Joseph’s side and grinned. “Yes, boss?” The fact that he called him ‘boss’ had sort of been a joke between the two of them.
Joseph kept a straight face. “Take one of these men and detain him.”
“What? We haven’t even done anything!” Simeon protested and Joseph nodded to him.
Alex grasped Simeon’s arm.
“As soon as you produce this younger brother that you say you have, I’ll believe your story. Until then, we’ll detain this one.”
He dismissed Alex with a nod, then watched him escort Simeon out of their sight.
The brothers once again spoke amongst themselves in Swiss Dutch. “Surely this is because of our past sin. God is punishing us.” Levi had said.
Joseph clear his throat. “I’ll call up John and send you back with corn for your families. The sooner you return with your brother, the sooner the other one can go free.”
~
Judah couldn’t dissuade the worry in his thoughts as their driver pulled the van onto their property. How on earth were they going to convince Dat to allow Benjamin to go back with them?
But they had to return. If retrieving Simeon weren’t enough to persuade Dat, returning the money had to be. Somehow, the money they’d taken to pay for the corn came home with them. They hadn’t discovered it until they were nearly home. He had no idea how it could’ve happened. He distinctly remembered paying the man himself. If Mr. Millerton hadn’t been convinced they were spies already, surely this would confirm it. Either that, or he’d think they were thieves.
“Who’s going to share the news with Dat?” Reuben asked, yanking him out of his reverie.
Judah sighed as each of his brothers looked around, then pinned their gaze on him. “Why me?” But he already knew.
“You’re the one he respects the most. You know how to deal with him best.”
He shook his head. “Nee, I doubt that.”
“Still.”
Judah expelled a breath. “I’m going to dread this, you know that, right?”
“We have confidence in you, bruder.” Dan patted his shoulder.
“Jah. Whatever.” Judah rolled his eyes, then eyed Reuben. “You know, you should be the one doing this. You’re the oldest.”
“Maybe, but Dat will listen to you.”
He couldn’t argue with Reuben because he knew he was right. If Dat would listen to anyone, it was him.
This task wouldn’t be any easier than when they’d shared the news of Joseph’s demise. And that had almost killed their father. But this wasn’t about a death or losing a son. It was just a trip into another area of the state. No big deal. Surely, it wouldn’t present a problem.
He hoped. And prayed.
“Dat,” Judah frowned. “We need to go back and take Benjamin with us.”
His father’s hands began to shake along with his entire body and he sobbed uncontrollably. He didn’t expect his father’s emotional outburst, but he should have figured.
“I’ve already lost Joseph! I will not lose Benjamin too!” Their father’s chest heaved and they feared a heart attack might send him to his grave then and there. “You will not take him.”
“But Simeon’s being detained. That would mean he must stay there.” Levi frowned and glanced at Judah.
“So be it. I will not lose Rachel’s only son! I refuse to! He’s all I have left of her.” His voice shook with a sob.
If only their father had loved them with the same passion he’d felt toward his second wife’s two children. Had he not loved their mother at all? If he had, perhaps Joseph would still be here on this property. His brothers wouldn’t have thought ill of him because he was Father’s favorite. But this was how it was. And by the look of it, how it would always be. They’d never be equals in their father’s eyes.
But none of that really mattered anymore. They’d done both Joseph and their father wrong. And now it was clear that God was working against them—Judah knew it.
He wasn’t sure how all this would work out, but if they didn’t bring Simeon back home, that would be another brother lost—permanently. Because, the man who’d demanded he stay meant business. And he had power that none of them could possess.
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