by Sarah Price
All of that changed once John married Bethany. It had made sense to let John work the farm, especially because he was the only son who had an interest in being a farmer. Jeremiah had taken John’s job at the auction house, and Jonas had found work with a carpenter. Now everyone was much happier and, to both Edna and Elmer’s delight, the farm’s profitability had improved tremendously. Edna hadn’t been surprised; John definitely had a better head for business than the others.
Jonas wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Everything’s ready to begin construction, now that the foundation’s been poured.” Just the previous Saturday, several men from the church district had come over to help with that all-important step. “I ordered all the lumber on Tuesday, and they said it should arrive in the next day or so.” He beamed. “I’ll be framing the building next week for certain.”
Edna gave a grateful sigh. “Oh, I can’t tell you how exciting this is! I can’t wait to have a nice, big room for my guests. It’s so cumbersome to convert our kitchen area each week and then tear it back down.” She smiled at her husband. “Won’t it be nice to have our house back again? Just for us?”
He stabbed at the pie on his plate. “Oh ja, it sure will.” Lifting the fork to his mouth, he peered at her. “And to have less work for you? That’s worth it.”
“I don’t know why we didn’t think of doing this sooner,” she admitted. The benefit of having a separate gathering room with an attached kitchen for cooking would far outweigh the cost. And, when it was their turn to host Sunday worship, they’d have a wonderful, large room for people to gather for fellowship.
“I’ll tell you why. Money,” Elmer said, his words muffled by a mouthful of pie. He took a few seconds to chew and then swallowed. “Sure has worked out nice having John work the farm while the younger boys bring in extra income.”
Edna raised an eyebrow, staring across the table at her husband.
He must have felt the intensity of her eyes. “Oh, and, of course, your booming business.”
Satisfied, Edna used her fork to slice her pie. “It’s that company in Ohio. That Destination Amish. Why, without them, I don’t think I’d be half as busy.”
Elmer tilted his head. “You don’t think it’s all your good cooking that sets those Englischers’ tongues wagging about you?”
She laughed. Leave it to Elmer to find a way to compliment her without sounding too prideful. “Either way, it’ll sure be nice to have that room for them. Give us back our home.”
“Well, framing will begin next week,” Jonas said.
“I’ll be able to help you some,” Jeremiah said, directing the statement to his brother. “With the framing. On the days I don’t work at the auction haus.”
Edna beamed. If Jeremiah could help Jonas, the new building wouldn’t take any time at all.
“Much appreciated, Jeremiah,” Jonas said. “Once the framing’s up, I can do most of the rest by myself.” He paused as if thinking. “Well, except for the roofing, I reckon.”
Elmer cleared his throat. “Don’t even be thinking about doing that roof by yourself, Jonas. John and I will help with that. You need the roof on before you finish the rest anyhow.”
“Aw, I know that, Daed.” Jonas made a face.
Edna wondered how long it would take to finish the building. From past experience, she knew that construction always took longer than originally expected. Yet, she’d been pleasantly surprised at how quickly Jonas had dug out the foundation and laid the blocks before the cement was poured. She wasn’t used to him working so efficiently. In the past, when he’d worked on the farm with Jeremiah, he’d dragged his feet every which way but forward, it seemed.
Still, the day would come when it would be finished. She could see the room in her mind, with several tables—round, not rectangular—set up to greet her guests. And with a large commercial kitchen, she could make food for dozens of guests without any problems or stress. Finally, having a separate bathroom to accommodate the guests would also change everything. She always had to clean the family’s bathroom—not once, but twice—on the days when guests came. Not to mention she felt uncomfortable with strangers in her personal space all the time. Yes, having a room dedicated to her business definitely could not happen soon enough.
As if reading her mind, Jonas grinned at her. “I reckon you’ll be anxious to begin hosting your meals there, Maem.”
“And worship Sunday,” Jeremiah added. “That’ll be a great room for the church.”
Jonas groaned. “To think we won’t have to move out all the furniture from the first floor! Mayhaps I can’t wait for it to be finished, either!”
She smiled, slightly embarrassed that her thoughts had been so obvious. “Well, patience is a virtue.”
“You sure have enough of that with these two boys,” Elmer said.
“Aw, Daed!” But Jonas didn’t appear to take offense at his father’s comment. Instead, he returned his attention to his mother. “Well, I do believe that the framing and roof could be done by next weekend, weather permitting.”
So soon? “Oh Jonas!”
He nodded. “Ja, I kid you not. And I can probably have the exterior walls finished by the week after. Windows, too. Of course, the inside wouldn’t be finished, but if you had to, you could use it.”
She placed her hand on her chest and held her breath. She hadn’t thought it would take so little time. “Oh my! That would be just wunderbarr, Jonas.”
“And if you keep those Schwartz schwesters sending me meadow tea,” Jonas added with a wink, “I’ll just work that much faster.”
His comment caught her off guard. Hadn’t Jonas been opposed to the Schwartz sisters working for her? Thinking they would be more of a nuisance than an asset? Hadn’t he just commented about how he thought they were impudent?
Jeremiah made a guttural noise deep in his throat. Glancing at him, Edna noticed that he, too, was assessing his brother’s statement with a raised eyebrow.
Tilting her head, Edna watched as Jeremiah made a face and rolled his eyes at his brother. He bent his head to take a bite of his pie. “You best be leaving those girls alone, Jonas,” he mumbled.
Amazed, Edna looked down the length of the table to see whether her husband had noticed what she had. Both of her sons had been so vocal about Rachel and Ella Mae’s work ethic and constant bickering. Now, however, Edna saw something else brewing on her sons’ faces. The one was requesting that the young women bring him meadow tea and the other was defending them. What on earth was going on?
Was it possible that she’d been mistaken when she’d thought neither one of her sons would be interested in Wilma’s daughters?
Sitting back in her chair, Edna thought back on the past two days. It was true that Jonas had been hanging around a bit more and, from what she could see, teasing Rachel every chance he got. She certainly was a strong enough woman to stand up to him, that was for sure and certain. And, perhaps, Ella Mae had caught Jeremiah’s attention. She was quieter than Rachel, after all. That would make her better suited to Edna’s middle son, who definitely was more compassionate and reflective than Jonas.
Bending her head, Edna poked at the piece of pie on her plate. “Meadow tea, eh? Well, I reckon I can do that,” she replied softly. She’d have to keep an eye on her sons’ exchanges with Rachel and Ella Mae. Perhaps Wilma hadn’t been so off base. Perhaps Jonas was interested in Rachel after all!
RACHEL
CHAPTER 8
On Friday morning, Rachel arrived at the Esh farm early. She slowed down her bicycle and scanned the barnyard. The cows must have already been milked, for they were meandering out of the dry lot behind the building and wandering into the pasture. Behind the dairy barn, the team of mules were swishing their tails at flies as they stood beneath an old oak tree. Clearly field work had not begun yet. Three buggies were parked near the barn, and a bicycle lay on its side near the stable, but there was no sign of Jeremiah anywhere.
In the distance, the sound of a horse’s hoo
ves hitting the macadam announced a buggy traveling the road beyond the farm. It grew louder as it approached, and then the farm was quiet again.
Quickly, Rachel leaned her bicycle against the building and hurried to the house. Ella Mae had been running late, and Rachel had gone on ahead so that Edna wouldn’t be left doing all the prep work by herself. Of course, that wasn’t the real reason Rachel had been so eager to get to the farm.
The previous night, she’d tossed and turned thinking about Jeremiah Esh, no matter how hard she willed herself not to. She could still feel the warmth of his hand touching hers when he had helped her to her feet the day before. The way his eyes had locked onto hers still made her feel tingly and warm inside. She’d never been so struck by any young man. Not like that, anyway. It had taken her a long time to finally fall asleep, and even then, she’d had a fitful night’s rest. By the time the first glimmer of sunlight slipped through the crack between the shade and the windowsill, Rachel was already up and getting dressed.
Her mother had appeared surprised—it wasn’t like Rachel to be such an early riser.
“Everything all right, then?” she’d asked.
“Ja, just fine.” Rachel peeked in the small mirror that hung on the wall near the bathroom door. She pinched her cheeks and smoothed back her hair. “Couldn’t sleep is all,” she said. “Edna’s got a large group coming today. Reckon I’ll leave early to help her.”
Her mother smiled. “I knew you’d like working for her.”
If Rachel had wanted to confide in her mother and tell her the truth—that she was leaving early in the hope of seeing Jeremiah, not to help Edna—she didn’t. She wasn’t even going to share her feelings with Ella Mae. Not yet, anyway. Instead, she’d eaten a hastily prepared bowl of oatmeal and written a note to Ella Mae before leaving for the Esh farm.
During the bicycle ride, she’d felt an enormous sense of trepidation building inside her chest. What if she’d imagined that sparkle in his eye? What if he already had a girl? What if she was making far too much of his first impression upon her? Perhaps he was still the same silly boy he used to be, only in a man’s body.
Now, as she darted up the porch steps, she tried to catch her breath, hoping against hope that perhaps Jeremiah was still inside the kitchen, lingering at the table over a second cup of coffee.
“Boys, if you can just set the extra table up alongside the others, I’d be most grateful,” she heard Edna say.
Standing inside the doorway, Rachel let her eyes adjust before she sought out the two young men carrying a large table to the back of the room. Sure enough, there was Jeremiah, his sandy brown curls hanging over his forehead and hiding his eyes from her.
“Oh, Rachel!” Edna sounded surprised to see her. “You’re early.” A smile broke onto her face. “We sure could use the help. I’ve booked a party of twenty today. Four more than usual.” She glanced over Rachel’s shoulder as if looking for someone. “Is Ella Mae with you?”
Rachel shook her head. “She’ll be along shortly.”
For a second, Rachel feared that Edna might question her further. Surely her own mother would, if the situation were reversed. But Edna merely nodded.
“Mayhaps you can help the boys set up that extra-long table.” She didn’t wait for a response as she turned her attention to the oven, from which the scent of freshly baked rolls wafted through the room when she opened the door to check on them.
Rachel’s eyes fluttered over to where Jeremiah stood, his hands resting upon the table. He’d been watching her, a curious expression on his face. She felt her cheeks grow warm and averted her eyes.
“There’s some folding chairs in the side room,” Jeremiah said, breaking the silence between them. “Help me fetch them?”
She nodded and followed him into the other room.
“You’re not working today?” she asked as he handed her two chairs.
“Ja, I am.” He picked up the chairs and began carrying them into the kitchen. “Horse sale today.” He paused before adding, “Every Friday, actually.”
Setting the chairs by the table, Rachel struggled to find something to say to him. She didn’t want to appear dull and uninteresting, that was for certain. But she’d never really thought about how to talk to a young man before. Finally, she settled on, “I . . . I’ve never been to a horse auction.”
“Oh ja?” He met her gaze, and Rachel felt her heart flutter. “You should come sometime. It’s exciting, all those beautiful horses being paraded around and the people bidding, everyone talking at once. They just had a big auction the other week for Good Friday. Lots of visitors and tourists, you know, for the holiday.”
For a moment, Rachel felt excited. Was he inviting her to attend the auction? But just as quickly as she’d felt a rush of adrenaline, it dissipated. Now, she worked on Fridays, so it wouldn’t be possible to attend.
Jeremiah didn’t appear to notice either her momentary excitement or her subsequent disappointment. Turning toward his brother, he exhaled loudly. “I’ll be right happy when you finish that building, Jonas,” he said. “Can’t say I’ll miss putting this room together in the morning and tearing it apart come afternoon.”
“Really?” Jonas took the chairs from Rachel and unfolded them. “I rather like doing the same thing over and over again.” He grinned at Rachel. “Especially when I’m in such company as I am today.”
Upon hearing his words, Rachel clucked her tongue and made a face. The last thing she wanted was for Jeremiah to think that she fancied his younger brother.
Edna cleared her throat. “Jonas,” she began, giving Rachel the opportunity to slip away from the room to fetch more chairs. Jeremiah, however, lingered behind. “Might you run to town for me? Fetch me some sugar and salad dressing? I completely forgot to get them earlier this week when I went to the market. And the women will want both, I’m sure.”
Rachel heard Jonas groan as she picked up the chairs and started back toward the kitchen.
“I thought a vacation was just that . . . a vacation.”
“Doesn’t mean you can’t help your mother.” Edna gave him a warning look that even Rachel could read. He was tiptoeing dangerously close to being rebellious. And, regardless of his age, that would never be tolerated on the Esh farm.
“Why not Jeremiah?” Jonas suggested.
Rachel kept her head bent as she unfolded the chairs. Jeremiah took one and set it by the table.
“He has to go to work shortly. Makes no sense for him to go to town twice. Besides,” Edna said, her voice firm and filled with rebuke, “I asked you.”
Jonas sighed and kicked at the table leg. “Fine. I can check on my lumber order at the same time.”
“Might as well harness up my horse,” Jeremiah offered. “I’ll finish helping Daed outside, and when you return, I can leave for the auction haus.”
Grumbling under his breath, Jonas sulked out of the house. A pleasant silence filled the kitchen, and Rachel finished placing the last chair under the table. Jeremiah stood back, assessing the room as if to make certain everything was in order before he left. She watched him, wondering if he might glance at her, just one more time, before heading outside.
But he didn’t.
Crestfallen, Rachel took a deep breath. Perhaps she had imagined his interest in her. Perhaps she was merely thinking that the attraction she felt toward him was shared. She’d never courted anyone before and wasn’t certain how such things worked. Clearly this was not the way.
Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly, pushing Jeremiah out of her mind. If he wasn’t interested in her, she told herself, there was simply no reason to be interested in him.
“What else can I do for you, Edna?” she asked, forcing herself to focus on something else so that her heavy heart would not hurt so much.
If this was what falling in love was like, Rachel knew it wasn’t something she wanted. Better that she find out earlier rather than later, before she lost control of her feelings for the handsome young man
who had just walked out of the kitchen without so much as a backward glance in her direction.
ELLA MAE
CHAPTER 9
Ella Mae couldn’t believe that Rachel had left for work without her. What ails her? she wondered.
“What do you mean she’s gone?” Ella Mae stood in the middle of the kitchen, hands on her hips, staring at her mother. “As in she went to the Esh farm without me?”
“That’s exactly what I mean.”
This just didn’t make sense. Rachel never went anywhere without her. Why on earth would she go to the Esh farm alone? For a moment, Ella Mae wondered if her mother had misunderstood her sister.
“How do you know? Did she tell you that?” she demanded.
“Yes, and she left you a note.” Wilma tilted her head toward a piece of paper on the counter. “Said she wanted to get an early start to help Edna.”
Taking a deep breath, Ella Mae exhaled slowly. She walked over to fetch the note and quickly read it.
“Don’t that beat all,” she muttered.
Now she’d have to ride her bicycle all by herself to the Esh farm, and that was something she didn’t fancy at all. Not only did she not like being alone; she didn’t like traveling alone. The cars always sped by so fast. She envisioned herself lying in a ditch, having been run off the road. Why, if she got hurt or had a flat tire, no one would know for hours!
A big sigh escaped Wilma’s lips. “I knew that she’d enjoy working at Edna’s. All those times I suggested it you and she pooh-poohed me.” She grunted. “There’s nothing I like better than saying ‘I told you so!’”
“Ja, well, now I have to hurry because of Rachel,” Ella Mae grumbled. “Last thing I want to do is be late. Then all your little Cookie Club friends will be saying, ‘I told you so!’”
Ella Mae hurried into the downstairs bathroom to brush her hair. Five strokes on the left, five on the right, and five in the back. She dropped the brush into the sink and reached up to twist her hair into a tight bun. With expertise born from years of practice, she fastened it with four bobby pins. Early! she thought. What was Rachel thinking? Edna hadn’t said anything about needing them early that day. Or had she and, mayhaps, Ella Mae hadn’t heard her? Quickly, she placed her prayer kapp on her head, tucking a single straight pin through the top of the organza fabric and into the narrow elastic band she wore to hold it in place.