by Amy Clipston
Hannah shook her head. “I don’t think you’re crazy. I’ve been there myself many times. Just taking the job at the hotel was a difficult decision. I know in my heart that Gideon wouldn’t be happy if he knew I was working outside the home, but I had to learn to make choices I believed were right for my family because Gid was gone.”
He nodded slowly. “I know what you mean. Losing your spouse forces you to make decisions you never thought you’d make, such as retiring at forty-five and moving to Amish country alone.”
“Ya, that’s true.” Hannah lifted her bag. “Thank you again for the ride.” She pushed the door open.
“Mamm!” Amanda trotted toward the car, the ribbons on her prayer covering bobbing off her shoulders. “You’re home.” She took Hannah’s bag and smiled at Mr. Peterson. “Hi. I’m Amanda.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” He smiled at her.
“Mr. Peterson is a guest at the hotel. He found me soaked at the bus stop and offered me a ride.” Hannah climbed out of the car. “I’m thankful he came along when he did.”
“Ya. It was a heavy shower, but passed quickly.” Amanda pointed toward the house. “Why don’t you stay for supper?”
“Oh, I don’t want to impose.” Mr. Peterson shrugged. “I’m just happy I could help your mother out. She helped me out last week when I locked myself out of my room.”
“You’re not imposing, right, Mamm?” Amanda raised her eyebrows. “Lily and I made Dutch Country meat loaf. I got your message, and we planned everything so it would be ready for you.”
“Danki.” Hannah looked toward the barn and spotted Joshua’s buggy. It wouldn’t be proper for Mr. Peterson to stay if he was the only man, but having her brother-in-law there would make it appropriate. “Ya, that’s a gut idea, Amanda.” Hannah turned to Mr. Peterson. “Please stay and meet my family.”
“What sane man would pass up Dutch Country meat loaf?” He climbed out of the car and rubbed his hands together. Mr. Peterson’s smile was wide. “I’d love to stay and meet your family.”
“Wunderbaar.” Amanda hoisted Hannah’s bag up on her shoulder and started toward the house. “I’ll set another place at the table.”
Mr. Peterson motioned toward Amanda. “She’s lovely.”
“Thank you.” Hannah smiled. “I’m blessed. Amanda and Lillian have been my strength since I lost Gid. I couldn’t manage it all without them.”
“How old is she?”
“Sixteen.” Hannah started up the porch steps and opened the door.
“How old is Lillian?”
“Sixteen.” When Mr. Peterson raised his eyebrows in confusion, Hannah smiled. “Twins.”
“Oh!” He laughed. “I see.”
“Please come in.” Hannah made a sweeping gesture as they stepped into the mudroom. She looked up at Mr. Peterson and realized this would be the first time she’d had an Englisher over for supper since Gideon passed away.
FIVE
Trey followed Hannah through the mudroom to a large kitchen. A long wooden table sat in the middle of the room and the warm scent of homemade bread filled his nostrils. Corrine would’ve loved to have been in this Amish home with me!
“I’m finally home.” Hannah crossed the room to the table where a young boy with dark hair and blue eyes sat smiling up at her. She mussed his hair and then pointed toward where Trey stood in the doorway. “Mei freind Mr. Peterson gave me a ride when he found me at the bus stop.”
A teenage girl with glasses and hair the same shade as Hannah’s, as well as Hannah’s big green eyes, brought a large pot to the table and then gasped. “Mamm! What happened to you? You’re soaked.”
Hannah ran her hands over her apron. “I was drenched when a car drove through a puddle at the bus stop.”
“You should go change.” The redhead gestured toward the doorway. “Go on. Amanda and I will finish setting up for supper.”
Hannah turned to Trey and gave him a warm smile. “Please make yourself at home. I’ll be right back.”
Amanda straightened the utensils at the far end of the table. “Come in, Mr. Peterson, and have a seat.” She gestured toward the people around the room. “This is my brother, Andrew, and my sister, Lillian. She’s my twin, but I’m five minutes older.”
Lillian rolled her eyes. “She likes to remind me of that every chance she gets.” Her lips formed a tentative smile. “Welcome to our home.”
Although the teenagers were twins, they looked nothing alike. Besides the difference in their coloring, Amanda was taller. Her arms were rail thin, and her face was also slim. Lillian, on the other hand, seemed to take after her mother. Her face was rounder and her arms weren’t as thin. But Lillian wasn’t overweight; she was more “normal” looking, as Corrine used to say.
Amanda brought over a pitcher of water and gestured toward a man sitting at the head of the table. “This is my uncle Joshua.”
“Nice to meet you.” Trey shook the man’s hand.
“Ya.” Joshua nodded, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. He had the same dark hair and blue eyes as Andrew.
Andrew patted the seat next to him. “You can sit by me.”
“Thanks.” Trey sank into the chair next to the boy. “What grade are you in?”
“Fifth.” Andrew nodded toward Lillian. “Lillian teaches in my school.”
“Really?” Trey looked over at Lillian. “You’re a teacher?”
“Not full-time.” Lillian brought drinking glasses to the table. “I’m hoping to become a full-time teacher. I’m an assistant, so I work two days a week.”
Hannah entered the kitchen clad in a blue dress. “I feel so much better. That rain was terrible.” She looked at Lillian. “Everything smells appeditlich. What can I bring to the table?”
Trey leaned over to Andrew. “What did your mom say about how everything smells?”
Andrew lowered his voice as if telling a juicy secret. “She said it’s delicious.”
“Thanks. I may need your help if she uses Amish words during supper.”
Andrew winked. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you.”
Trey chuckled to himself.
Amanda sank into a chair beside Trey and her sister sat across from her.
Hannah sat across the table from Trey. “Let’s give thanks.”
The family bowed their heads, and Trey followed suit. He waited for someone to say a prayer. When the room remained silent, he looked up and found everyone sitting with their eyes closed. Trey closed his eyes and silently thanked God for the opportunity to eat supper with Hannah and her family. Soon a chair squeaked and utensils scraped plates. Everyone seemed to talk at once. Andrew discussed school with Amanda while Lillian asked Hannah about her day.
Trey smiled and filled his plate while listening to the conversations swirling around him. It felt so good to be surrounded by a family again. He’d missed the conversations, the confusion, and the happiness for so long. He added applesauce to his plate and then looked over at Joshua and nodded a greeting.
Joshua returned the nod while chewing. “What do you do for a living?”
“I’m recently retired. I’ve worked in corporate finance at a bank for many years.” Trey cut up his meat loaf while he spoke. “I’m relocating and want to open a bed and breakfast.”
“Oh.” Joshua’s dark eyebrows knitted together as he frowned.
Trey shifted in his chair and wondered if Joshua thought he had overstepped his bounds by staying to supper. Were Hannah and Joshua a couple? Had Trey given the wrong impression by giving her a ride home?
“You’re opening a bed and breakfast?” Amanda’s eyes were wide with interest. “I talked to a woman in the store yesterday who owns a bed and breakfast. She was telling me that she has visitors come from as far away as California. Can you imagine traveling from Pennsylvania to California? I’ve always wanted to go to California. I’ve heard it never rains there.”
Lillian grimaced. “I think you’re talking about Southern California where it’s dry
. But it has to rain sometime or nothing would ever grow.”
“That’s true.” Amanda tapped her chin. “Anyway, I think it would be fun to own a bed and breakfast and meet people from all over the country and maybe even the world. This woman was telling me she even had a couple come visit from Canada. Wouldn’t it be fun to talk to someone from Canada? I’d love to go there too.”
Lillian shrugged. “I guess so.”
Trey couldn’t stop his smile. The girls were as different as night and day.
“Where are you going to open your bed and breakfast?” Amanda buttered a piece of bread and popped it in her mouth. “I imagine there are plenty of pretty houses around here to consider, ya?”
“There are.” Trey described the three houses he’d visited and liked while Amanda listened with her eyes still wide.
Hannah and her daughters discussed the pros and cons of the locations of each of the homes with Trey while Joshua began a conversation about horses with Andrew.
When the women switched the topic to friends and relatives who lived near the homes Trey had perused, Trey looked at Joshua. “You have horses?”
“Ya.” Joshua nodded while cutting up another piece of meat loaf.
“This is a horse farm.” Andrew took some bread from the basket in the center of the table. “My dat and onkel Josh started it a long time ago.”
“That’s really interesting.” Trey sipped his water. “What kind of horses do you have?”
Andrew squinted while thinking. “Belgians, standards, Dutch Harness, and Dutch crosses.” He turned to his uncle. “Ya?”
Joshua nodded again without smiling. “Ya, that’s right.”
“Do you sell them to private owners?” Trey wondered if Joshua was always like this or if the unfriendliness was only directed at him.
“Mostly at auction, but a few to private owners.” Joshua spoke between bites.
“I bet it’s a lot of work.” Trey noticed a look pass between Joshua and Hannah, and he wondered if he’d hit a nerve. “But I’m certain it’s a labor of love, right?”
“Ya, it is.” Joshua kept his eyes on his plate.
“My grandparents had horses. I used to love visiting them and helping my grandfather in the stable.” Trey smiled at Hannah. “I’d love to see your horses sometime.”
“Ya.” Hannah looked at Andrew. “Maybe you can give Mr. Peterson a tour sometime.”
“I’d like that.” Andrew beamed.
Trey turned toward Joshua and found his frown deepening. What’s with this guy?
Amanda reached for the bowl of applesauce. “What kind of horses did your grandparents have?”
Trey told them about memories of his grandparents’ farm during the rest of the meal.
After dessert, Trey walked with Hannah to the porch. “That meal was delicious. Wait. How do you say it in your language?”
She held a lantern. “Appeditlich. I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
“Your daughters are wonderful cooks. That chocolate cake was delicious too.” He leaned on the porch railing. “I really had a nice time. Thank you for inviting me. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good home-cooked meal.”
“It’s the least I could do after you rescued me from the wet bus stop.” Hannah gestured toward the barns behind the house. “You’ll have to come back for a tour sometime when it’s light out and not raining.”
Trey pulled his keys from his pocket and they jingled in response. “I’d like that. You have a lovely family.” He wanted to ask her about Joshua’s unfriendliness, but he knew he shouldn’t. He wondered if all Amish men were reserved. Perhaps it was part of their culture.
“Thank you.” Hannah set down the lantern and then leaned against the railing. “Gideon and I were blessed with wonderful children.” She looked out toward his car. “I guess I’ll see you in the hallway when you lose your key.”
He chuckled. “I have a feeling that will happen again.” He held out his hand and she shook it. “Thank you again. Have a good evening.”
“Good night.”
Trey jogged to his car and climbed in. He spent the ride back to the hotel thinking about Hannah and her family and wondering if he’d ever be able to be a part of a family like that again.
Josh stood inside, a little way from the open back door, and watched while Trey Peterson and Hannah said good night. He gritted his teeth as Hannah smiled and laughed with the man. If only Gideon could see her now. He would never approve of such behavior. To make matters worse, Peterson studied Hannah with an intensity that had caused Josh’s stomach to roil during supper. The Englisher hung on every word Hannah spoke. The whole situation was completely inappropriate and made Josh very uncomfortable.
“Onkel Josh?” Andrew sidled up to him. “Do you want to go check on the animals with me before you leave?”
“Ya.” Joshua tousled Andrew’s hair. “That’s a gut idea.” How he loved that boy. He loved all of Gideon’s precious children. “Let’s head outside now before it gets any darker.” He turned to the girls, who were washing dishes. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Gut nacht,” they called in unison.
Joshua grabbed a flashlight and followed Andrew out to the porch, where Hannah was waving at Trey’s fancy car as it sped away down the driveway.
“Your freind was nice, Mamm.” Andrew walked over to his mom.
“Ya, he is nice.” Hannah smiled down at him. “I think he liked supper.” She turned to Josh. “Are you two heading out to check on the animals?”
“Ya.” Josh motioned toward the porch steps. “Want to walk with us?”
“That sounds nice.” She picked up the lantern from the porch railing and followed Andrew down the steps.
Armed with a smaller flashlight, Andrew ran ahead of them toward the row of barns. Josh looked up and silently marveled at the clear sky and bright stars.
“It’s a schee night,” he said. “There’s no sign of the rain from earlier. Spring is upon us.”
“It’s warming up nicely during most afternoons, but it’s still cold at night.” Hannah shivered and rubbed her hands over her arms. “I should’ve grabbed my sweater.”
Josh pointed back toward the house. “Would you like me to run in and get it?”
“Don’t be gegisch.” She rubbed her arms. “I’ll be okay.”
“I don’t mind at all.”
“Danki, but I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll go check the horses!” Andrew ran into the barn.
Josh started after his nephew and then stopped. He wanted to talk to Hannah about Trey Peterson. He couldn’t stop wondering why she’d opened her home to a stranger. He had to say something before his frustration devoured him.
He faced Hannah and found her eyebrows knitted together while she studied him. She looked adorable with her ivory skin and green eyes shining in the light spilling out from the lantern.
“Joshua?” She took a step toward him. “Was iss letz?”
He paused while choosing his words carefully. Although seeing her talk and laugh with the stranger upset him, he didn’t want to come at her with accusations and cause her to be upset with him. He longed to draw her to him, not push her away. “I was surprised that you brought home an Englisher for supper tonight.”
“I explained why he came home with me. I was soaking wet at a bus stop, and he stopped out of pity. He gave me a ride home.”
“But why would you let a man you don’t even know give you a ride home? You could’ve been hurt.”
“I could’ve been hurt?” Hannah tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t know him.” He enunciated the words as frustration boiled within him. “He’s a hotel patron, ya?”
Hannah nodded.
“Therefore, you don’t really know him. He’s not even Amish, Hannah.” Josh shook his head and wondered how he could get through to her. Was she blind? Didn’t she see Josh cared about her? “I don’t understand why you would get in the car with Mr. Peterson an
d invite him into your home to meet your family if you don’t really know him.”
Hannah frowned. “Amanda invited him to stay for supper. I thought it would be okay since you were here.”
Josh studied her and contemplated how she felt about him. He thought it was obvious he was worried about her and wanted to take care of her and the children. Would she ever see what was right before her face?
“Onkel Josh!” Andrew jogged up beside him. “All of the horses are gut. I checked all of the barns.”
“Wunderbaar.” Josh placed his hand on Andrew’s shoulder. “You’re a gut helper.”
“I can’t wait until I’m done with school and can help you run the farm. We’ll be gut partners, right?”
“Ya, we will be, Andrew.” Josh glanced at Hannah and found her gazing down at her son with a smile. He could always spot the love in her eyes when she looked at her children. He’d noted a similar intensity when she looked at his brother, and he’d give anything for her to look at him the same way.
They walked back to the porch, and Hannah touched Andrew’s back. “Run along and get ready for devotions. I’ll be in shortly.”
“Okay.” Andrew looked up at Josh. “Gut nacht, Onkel.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Andrew.” Josh watched his nephew hurry into the house. “He’s a gut bu.”
“Ya.” Hannah folded her arms over her apron. “Sometimes I look at him, and I see Gideon.”
“I do too.” Josh gestured toward the buggy. “I better head out. Danki for supper.” He started toward his buggy.
“Joshua! Wait.”
He turned back toward her.
“I can tell you’re upset.” She fiddled with her apron. “But Mr. Peterson is a nice person. He locked himself out of his room last week, and I unlocked the door for him. We struck up a conversation, and I found out that he lost his family. His fraa and his dochder died in their sleep from carbon monoxide poisoning last year. He was out of town when it happened.”
“That’s bedauerlich.” Guilt caused his shoulders to hunch. How could he think such terrible things about a man who’d lost so much?