EIGHTEEN
“We felt responsible because we actually were responsible,” Harley said. Looking over at his wife, he winked. “I mean, one of us was.”
Marta couldn’t believe that Elizabeth Anne was sitting just a few tables away. When she saw E.A stand up and look directly at her and Alan, her heart had almost stopped. She’d been so afraid the girl was about to come over and say hello.
Alan wouldn’t want for them to be disturbed at all, especially not by someone he didn’t know. Now, he wouldn’t cause a scene if E.A. came over. Marta knew he would smile at her and act all charming and pleased that his wife had a friend that he didn’t know about.
But the moment they were alone, he would act far differently. Already feeling the ache in her arm, she knew that she was going to have a set of dark fresh bruises there. Her only goal was to make it through the rest of the day without another incident.
“Do you know what you would like?” their server asked.
Marta waited for Alan to answer. He’d been looking at his phone since the minute they sat down.
“Do you know, Marta?” he asked.
“Yes. Are you ready to order?”
“I will be.” He smiled at her in a warm way. “You go first, dear.”
The server smiled at Marta. “What will you have?”
“A salad, please, with Italian dressing on the side.”
“And?”
“Nothing else for now, thank you.”
“You sure?”
“I’m saving room for dessert.” She smiled. While she never could eat much in front of her husband, she hadn’t lied about that: savoring a piece of pie this afternoon would be wonderful.
Alan snapped his menu closed and handed it to their server. “I’ll have the pot roast with vegetables and mashed potatoes. Bring rolls out, too.”
“Yes, sir.”
He nodded in a distracted way before looking back at his phone again.
She breathed a sigh of relief. If she was lucky, he would be so fixated on his email that he would ignore her for the rest of the meal. Going out to lunch wasn’t anything they ever did. But when his boss asked him yesterday how his wife had liked this restaurant, Alan had felt cornered. He’d informed her at breakfast that she was to meet him here for lunch.
Though it was going to be a fairly long walk to it, she’d nodded. After all, it wasn’t like she had a choice.
As the minutes passed, Marta sat still with her hands neatly folded on her lap and watched E.A. with all her girlfriends while she waited for her food. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw all four of them had ordered dessert, each loaded with whipped toppings or ice cream. They were so cute about it, too.
“What are you smiling at?”
“Oh, nothing important. I just was watching some college-aged girls eat their dessert.”
He looked over at the girls then grunted. “They sure are laughing a lot.”
“Yes.”
Looking back at his phone’s screen again, he blurted, “I have a meeting tonight. I won’t be home until late.”
Just as it did every time she discovered she was going to get a reprieve, her body relaxed. Right on its heels came the quiet yet concerned look she’d perfected three or four years ago. “All right, Alan,” she said calmly. “Thank you for letting me know.”
He nodded, obviously not giving a thought that she could have said anything otherwise or complained.
“Here you two go,” the server said with a bright smile, finally returning with their food. As she put their plates down in front of them, she looked from Marta to her husband. “Do you need anything else?”
“No,” Alan said.
After giving an apologetic look at Marta, their server moved on.
Marta waited for Alan to start, then picked at her salad. While Alan went back to his phone, she occupied herself with watching the girls and the server and even the elderly couple sitting in the back of the dining room sharing an appetizer plate.
One day that would be her. One day she was going to be doing what she wanted to be doing, talking whenever she felt like it, simply enjoying life.
“I’m done,” Alan said as he stood up. Tossing a pair of twenties on the table, he said, “That should be enough for our meals and your dessert.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“You are welcome.” He pressed a palm down firmly on her shoulder until she lifted her head and looked at him directly in the eye. “Be good.”
She smiled up at him, just like he liked for her to look at him when they were in public. “Of course, Alan.”
He smiled back, then walked out the front door. The moment he stepped outside, she saw him put the phone to his ear and start talking.
As she watched him stride toward their car, she noticed that he was walking faster and his expression seemed lighter. She wondered who he was talking to.
“Are you done, too, ma’am? Would you like the check?”
Realizing the server was eyeing the money, Marta picked it up. Once again, Alan had given her too much money. “Not yet. I’ll have a slice of coconut cream pie and a cup of coffee, please.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Marta crossed her legs and carefully folded the cash into her pocketbook. Already doing the math, she figured she would have three or four dollars left over after she paid for the meals and gave the server a tip. It wasn’t much, but she would be very pleased to add it to her stash.
Feeling optimistic yet again, she looked back at Elizabeth Anne and her girlfriends. They were now sipping coffee and talking nonstop. Giggling.
Enjoying their meal and their time together.
Yes, one day, she would be like that, too. She would have girlfriends again and be able to go out to lunch and simply enjoy it. Maybe even in another week or two. She almost had enough. Almost.
Until then? She would bide her time.
NINETEEN
“It was dark inside the gym, but there were lots of people congregating around the open doors. I’m not sure why those mice kept going, but they ran straight toward the open door. When the girls started screaming, it caused quite a commotion.”
SATURDAY
The problem with only being a kind of–sort of couple was that it put one in all kinds of uncomfortable situations, E.A. decided.
Even though things between Will and E.A. had become far less pretend and far more real, neither had said anything about making their situation permanent. And when it was just the two of them alone together, E.A. was okay with that. She didn’t need Will to make any professions of love or hint at marriage. Things were still too new for that stage.
But when they got around other people, their situation felt more precarious. It was like everyone was wanting them to put a label on their relationship. It made her feel incredibly awkward, and she imagined Will felt the same. She decided that the best thing to do would be to sidestep any questions that were asked.
But, of course, that was easier said than done.
E.A. continued to fret as Logan rolled the dice and moved three spaces on the Monopoly board.
“How much do I owe you, E.A.?” he asked.
“Hmm?”
“I landed on your railroad.”
“Oh. Two hundred.”
Logan passed two hundred-dollar bills her way. “For someone raking in all the money, you don’t seem very excited.”
“Sorry. I was just thinking about something else.” She smiled. “You know I’m pleased about getting all your money. I never win at Monopoly.”
“Today might be your lucky day,” Will said with a wink.
She grinned. “This is true.”
As Tricia rolled, Will leaned close. “You okay?”
“Jah. I was just thinking about some things,” she whispered. “It wasn’t anything important.”
“Hey, you two,” Katie teased. “No whispering during Monopoly.”
“We ain’t cheating,” Will said. “We were talking about something el
se.”
After Tricia landed in jail, Harley picked up the dice. “You don’t have to explain to us,” he murmured. “Katie and I have been there a time or two. Sometimes you can’t wait to be alone.”
E.A. felt like her face was flaming as much as Katie’s. “Harley, that isn’t what we were talking about.”
Logan looked from E.A. to Will. “If you weren’t talking about the game or, um, each other … what is on your minds?”
Just as E.A. desperately tried to think of something—anything—to say, Will spoke. “I’ve been trying to figure out what to do about my parents’ thirtieth anniversary.”
All of them—including E.A—stared at Will in surprise. Will was a lot of things, but a party planner was not one of them.
“Are you truly planning your parents’ anniversary party?” Marie asked.
Will nodded. “Jake and Nan don’t know where to hold it so they asked me to get involved.”
“Uh-oh,” Katie murmured.
E.A. hid her smile. “What are you all thinking of doing? Do you want a big party or something smaller?”
“Big. You know my parents. They know everyone and will want everyone to be there.”
“They sure do, especially since your mother watched so many kinner over the years,” Harley said.
“I thought about grilling burgers in the backyard, but Nan didn’t like that idea.”
“For a thirtieth anniversary?” Tricia asked. “Nan was right.”
“What are your ideas, then?”
That seemed to open a can of worms. Or maybe a jar of blessings, E.A. mused as everyone surrounding them began to call out ideas. Will seemed to be mighty interested in everyone’s suggestions, but she guessed that he was doing it to keep the conversation on that topic and off of the two of them.
“These are all good ideas. I should have pulled out a pen and paper so I could remember to tell Nan and Jake,” he murmured.
“I’ll help you remember them,” she said with a smile.
“Nee, Will,” Katie said. “You don’t need to remember anything. You can have it here.”
“Here?”
“Jah. I won’t charge you for the space. You’ll only have to pay for the food.” Looking pleased, she added, “I know! We can pitch a tent in the back. There’s plenty of room for up to two hundred people.”
Will winced. “Boy, I hope there aren’t two hundred people.”
“You never know, though,” Logan said. “These big parties end up having a life of their own.”
“If you have it here, any out-of-town guests will have a nice place to stay,” Katie added.
“My frau does have a good point,” Harley said. “There’s no finer inn around.”
Will chuckled. “You’re not going to get any arguments from me. It sounds perfect. Danke.”
“You are very welcome,” Katie said before looking back at the Monopoly board. “Uh-oh. I forgot whose turn it was.”
“I don’t think it matters,” Logan said. “Trish and I better get home. It’s late.”
The rest of them agreed. Twenty minutes later, Will was helping E.A. into his buggy.
After he directed his horse down the back road toward her house, E.A. spoke. “I don’t know if you mentioned your parents’ anniversary on purpose or not, but I’m sure glad you did. I didn’t want to discuss with other people our relationship.”
He grinned. “I didn’t, either. So, jah, the party planning worked like a charm. I’m glad we discussed it, though. Jake, Nan, and I had to make some kind of arrangements.”
“The Loyal Inn is going to be perfect. I’ll talk to Nan and Katie and see how I can help.”
“Danke. I know me and my siblings will appreciate it.” He stopped at an intersection and then guided his horse forward. “Hey, E.A.?”
“Hmm?”
“I think we should probably talk about us. Don’t you?”
“If you want to.”
“I think we have been doing everything backward. It’s been confusing.”
That was putting it mildly. “Are you confused now?”
He slowed his horse. “Not so much. I know I like you very much, Elizabeth Anne. I don’t want to let you go. Um, what do you think about that?”
“I feel the same way.”
“So … does that mean you are now my girlfriend?”
She couldn’t help it, she giggled. “Jah, Will Kurtz. I do believe so.”
He smiled as his horse picked up speed.
She scooted next to him and enjoyed the ride.
TWENTY
“Almost as much as the sight of a group of Amish kids scrambling after them.”
MONDAY
“Will, at your next break, Mr. Kerrigan wants to see you,” Craig, his supervisor, said as he stepped over a collection of tools on the ground beside the trailer Will and his team were working on. “Can you do that?”
That was one thing Will had always liked about Craig. He valued their time and jobs and tried to stay out of their way instead of manage every bit of their days.
“Jah, sure,” Will murmured as he looked up at the clock. He had a break coming up in fifteen minutes. “I’ll go up at one forty-five.”
“I’ll let him know. Danke.”
After Craig went on his way, Evan looked up at him. He was on his knees, fastening in bolts onto the floor of a trailer. “What do you think that’s about?”
“No idea.”
“Do you think there was a problem with one of the trailers last week?” he asked worriedly.
Will knew why Evan was concerned. As it sometimes happened, they’d had more orders than usual for their newest trailer model.
Craig had brought in five more men to help with the load but had put Will in charge of making sure they met their timelines and goals. The five men were good workers, but the addition had set some of the other men on the team off. They were used to their routines and didn’t adjust as easily as Will had hoped. More than once he’d had to ask a team to redo a task that hadn’t met the factory’s high standards.
By Thursday, everyone was stressed and short-tempered. Will knew they were only human. Someone could have made a mistake that Will hadn’t caught before the trailer had moved onto the next team. He hoped that wasn’t the case.
“Let’s not go borrowing trouble, Evan,” he said. “You know how Mr. Kerrigan is. He could be calling me in for any sort of reason.”
Evan’s posture relaxed. “You’re right. One time he called me in just to ask about Ruth’s fried chicken. Knowing him, he could be asking about last week’s lunch.”
Evan was not wrong.
“I hope he doesn’t ask me about the food I’ve been bringing in. I would have to tell him to ask my mother.”
“Nothing wrong with that. Your mother is a mighty fine cook.”
Will chuckled as he returned to work. Evan was right. His mamm was a fine cook, and he needed to take some of his own advice: whatever was going to happen would happen. There was no need to go borrowing trouble.
He wasn’t quite so confident when he eventually stood outside of Mr. Kerrigan’s office, however. He couldn’t hear the exact phone conversation his boss was having behind closed doors, but it sure didn’t sound good.
After another five minutes, he heard the call end and Mr. Kerrigan grumble under his breath. After another few seconds, he called, “Will, come on in.”
Looking around the large room, with Mr. Kerrigan’s desk on one end and a conference table on the other, Will half-expected to see John Byler working at the table. When John was promoted, he’d been given an office to share with Mr. Kerrigan himself.
Will had always thought that had to be uncomfortable, but John had never seemed to mind it. He’d often said that he liked being in the thick of things, plus he didn’t have to go far to get computer help if he needed it.
“I heard you asked to see me?” Will asked as his boss glared at a large calendar on his desk.
“I sure did.” He sighed agai
n, then gestured to an empty chair. “I just got off the phone with one of our suppliers. They’re running late, which means we’ll get our parts late, which means we’re going to have to make some hard decisions about how to deal with that.”
Will sat down but was still confused about what that meant for him. He waited uneasily as Mr. Kerrigan turned, looked out the window, then at last seemed to come to a decision.
“Will, you’ve been with us for a while now. You not only come to work on time and always do a good job, but you also have a way about you that helps others.” He sat down again. “There are only a few other employees here that are so well trusted.”
That was quite a compliment. It was a balm on all the uneasiness he’d been feeling of late.
But it still didn’t reveal why his boss had called for him. “Thank you, sir. But I’m not sure why you needed to tell me this today.”
The older man’s eyes crinkled in amusement. “I should’ve known that was coming. You aren’t the type of man who enjoys receiving a lot of praise, are you?”
“I’m not sure if I am or I ain’t,” he replied. “I canna think of ever getting a whole lot of compliments.”
“I think I better get to the point then. Will, these recent orders mean a lot to this company. We need to make sure the trailers ordered are built well and on time. That means we’re going to have to change some things. Maybe temporarily. Maybe permanently.”
“I see.”
“What I’m trying to tell you is that we’re going to need to add another shift, one that starts at two in the afternoon and ends at nine at night.” He looked at him. “And I want you to lead this team.”
Will blinked. “Me.”
Mr. Kerrigan nodded. “I think you would be the right person we need to lead this new shift. People trust you, Will. They like working with you. More importantly, they like doing a good job around you. Your team rarely makes mistakes or has any problems.”
The praise felt good, but he knew he didn’t deserve it. “I’ve been fortunate to work with good people.”
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