Lucy giggled.
“Don’t laugh. You’re shorter than me. Now, I’m trying to remember what the nurse said.”
“You’ve got the wrong leg.”
He looked down at his legs. “It doesn’t matter which leg.”
“Jah, it does. It’s my other leg. It'll hurt if I use the wrong one.” Lucy giggled again as he switched legs and put his left leg in the air.
He frowned at her and said, “I’m glad I’m providing you with entertainment.”
“See how gut you are at using them.”
“She said to put both crutches out in front and then…”
Lucy interrupted him. “The nurse said not to look at your feet.”
Joshua looked at Lucy. “Oh. Now you remember what she said?”
“Nee, just that bit.”
“Do I move up to the level of the crutches or slightly past?”
Lucy shrugged her shoulders.
Joshua placed both crutches about a foot in front of him and then hopped his good foot level to them. “Ah, that’s it. I’m still standing and haven’t fallen on my face yet.”
“Keep going, faster,” Lucy urged.
Joshua took another few steps, turned around and took a few more toward Lucy, and by then he'd gotten the hang of it. “Easy. Now, you have a go.”
“I’m icing my foot. I’ll do it soon.”
Joshua placed the crutches by the couch near Lucy and sat down in an armchair. “What can I do for you now?”
“Nothing today, but you could do something for me the day after tomorrow.”
“What is it?”
“There’s a town meeting on at the local community center. It’s about land preservation. Can you come with me?”
“Okay.”
“Really?”
“Of course, I’d like to find out more about it.”
Lucy frowned. “You would?” She was used to her friends telling her she was worried about nothing. At last, someone was interested.
“When is it scheduled?”
“Seven o’clock on Monday night.”
“I’ll drive you there.”
Lucy smiled, pleased someone she knew was interested in the same things as she was. “Wait; today is Sunday, isn’t it?”
“Yes. So, tomorrow is Monday.”
“Ach, jah. I’m getting my days mixed up.”
He gave her a cheeky grin, and shrugged his shoulders.
After twenty minutes had gone by, Joshua mentioned she should try the crutches.
“Okay, but don’t laugh at me if I fall. And you’d better be there to catch me if I do.”
Joshua moved the table away from the couch. He stood guard as she used her good arm to push herself up from the couch. Once she was on one foot, he handed her the crutches to put under her arms. “Now put the two crutches out in front of you. Then lean your weight on the crutches and move your good foot forward, level with the crutches.”
Lucy did what he said and walked a few steps helped by the crutches. She looked up at him and smiled. “I’m doing it.”
He clapped his hands. “Yes, quite nicely. Now back to the couch. You don’t want to wear yourself out.”
“While I'm up, I'll use the bathroom. Then back to the couch.”
She did so, walking carefully there and back.
He clapped his hands again at how well she'd done, put his arm around her and lowered her onto the couch. Closing her eyes, she breathed in his warm masculine scent and pretended he was looking after her because he was her boyfriend.
“Leg up.”
His order jolted her from her daydream. He wasn’t her boyfriend, and he’d just ordered her to put her leg back up on the table he was pushing closer. She obeyed his orders once more, and he placed the cold pack back on her ankle.
“I guess I should make more ice. I'll dump what's there into plastic bags, ready for you to use. It should only take a few hours for the next batch to freeze.”
“Jah, you could do that. I'll put this thing back in the freezer and use the ice next time around. This is pretty convenient—no melting water to drip.”
He walked into the kitchen. “What would you like for dinner?” he called. Lucy could hear him rustling around, putting ice cubes into bags.
“I don’t know. Anything that’s there and anything you can cook.” She heard the water running and the sounds of him filling ice trays to go into the gas-powered freezer.
“Well?” she asked.
“Pizza. I’ll be back with pizza.”
Lucy laughed. “You can’t cook; is that what you’re saying?”
“Guilty.”
“I thought Englisch men cooked.”
“Well, not this one.” He fixed his hands lightly on his hips. “Lucy, do you want to come for a drive with me to get out of the haus for a bit?”
“Nee, denke. I’m a little tired. You can bring my needlework to me.”
“Jah, I can do that. Where is it?”
“In the top drawer of the bureau in the corner.”
He rustled around in the deep drawer and pulled out a large fabric bag. “Is it in here?” he said holding it up in the air.
“Jah, that’s the one.”
He brought it over to her. “Okay, you’ve got water, something to do and you’ve got your crutches. I’ve got a few things to do and I’ll be back later with pizza.”
Lucy smiled. “Sounds gut.”
He patted her on her shoulder. “I will be back before you know it.”
His touch sent tingles through Lucy’s body. She wondered if he also felt tingles. Lucy reached for the needlework while reminding herself Joshua belonged to Grace.
Chapter 20
Joshua drove away from Lucy clenching the steering wheel, upset with himself. Had he stayed any longer, he would have surely kissed her. Why did she have to be Grace’s schweschder? She was beautiful and intelligent. She worried about serious matters like the future of the land, something he had to admit he’d chosen to ignore.
How he had wanted to draw her into his arms when he’d been helping her up and then back down onto the couch. She muddled his head so much he had momentarily forgotten about his four o’clock meeting with Abe Troyer. He sighed heavily as he drove toward his haus. He looked at his watch, relieved to see it was only two; he had time to run errands first.
Once he arrived at the house, he drove the car into the barn and pulled out three bags of food. Muggins was at the door to greet him. “Hello, Muggins. Don’t tell me you’re being friendly now after all these years?”
Muggins looked up at him and meowed.
“Yes, I’ve got your food.”
He turned the front door handle and kicked the door open with his foot. After he unpacked the food, he filled Muggins’ bowl up with dry cat food and filled his water bowl up to the brim. Then Joshua filled the kettle with water and put it onto the stove.
He’d come back to the community for his mudder’s funeral and had pretty much decided to sell the family home and their acres of land. But now he'd talked to Lucy, and she had told him about the problem with the decreasing land, so how could he sell? How could he be in part responsible for the decreasing of the traditional Amish way of life? He’d get a larger amount of money by far, but it was money he didn’t really need. Mr. Keaghan had said he’d never have to work again, but he wanted to work. All he wanted was to have enough to get by and some left over to help others in need. He knew he had gotten those values from his parents and the values were ingrained.
The whistling kettle took his attention. He unscrewed the coffee jar and spooned two spoonfuls into his mug. He never normally had instant coffee, but it appeared there was no stovetop percolator in the kitchen like there had been at one time. Joshua watched the boiling water dissolve the grains, and then he added a dash of milk.
After he had taken a sip, he wondered what he should do. If Lucy were not Grace’s sister, he would surely stay and see more of her. But... He had a good construction job waitin
g for him, and lived in an apartment which suited a single man such as he was. Could he keep his house and farm or should he lease the land and stay on in the community?
He took another mouthful of coffee and thought again about Lucy. She couldn’t have had a boyfriend. At the funeral, she was with Olive and Olive’s bruder, Elijah. Elijah was a gut friend of his and was set to marry Jessie, so he knew Elijah and Lucy weren’t dating. Besides, if she did have a boyfriend he would have been around to visit her, today being Sunday, and Lucy would have wanted Joshua to contact him to let him know of the accident. Nee, she can’t have a boyfriend, I’m certain.
What would Lucy think of him if she knew he had been considering selling to one of the developers she was so concerned about? He figured she would never have to know.
Joshua stood up and ripped open the packet of chocolate cookies that he’d just bought. What does she think of me? He sank his teeth into a cookie.
At four o’clock, he heard hoofbeats and then Abe Troyer knocked on his door.
“Come on in, Abe. Can I make a cup of coffee for you?”
“Nee, denke. I just had some at home.”
The two men sat, and Abe put forward an offer to buy the farm and an offer to lease.
As Joshua knew it would have been, the offer to buy was considerably less than Mr. Keaghan had already offered him. He kept quiet about the other offer because he did not want talk to get back to Lucy.
“What if I want to lease you just the land and not include the house and barn, the same as the Smiths were doing?”
Abe put his head down and worked out some things with the pencil and paper he’d brought with him. “It would be $400 less per month.”
Joshua nodded. “Can I have time to think on things?”
“Jah, of course, take all the time you need. But it would be good if you could decide before the next planting season,” Abe said.
Joshua nodded. He knew Abe grew corn and the optimum time for planting corn was usually around middle to the end of May depending on the frosts. Since it was November, that gave him nearly six months. “I’ll make up my mind well before then. I’d reckon I’d only need a few weeks. Either way, I won’t be farming the land, but I might stay on in the haus.”
Abe nodded, and stood up. “I’ll leave it to you.”
Joshua walked him out. “Denke for your offer, Abe.”
He leaned against the doorpost and watched Abe drive his buggy away from the haus. Now it had become real; he had to make decisions. He scratched his head.
“Pizza. I’ve promised Lucy pizza.” Snatching the car keys off the kitchen table he said, “Don’t wait up, Muggins.”
It hadn't taken long before Lucy had had enough of doing her needlework with only one good hand, and her dominant hand sore and restricted by the cast, so she placed the project back in her sewing bag and buttoned it. She heard clip-clopping of hooves. It wasn’t Joshua because he would have driven his car. Lucy pushed herself to her feet, grabbed the crutches and looked out the window to see Olive, and then sat back down.
When she heard her walking up the front steps, she yelled, “Come in, Olive.”
The door opened and Olive looked around the room until her gaze landed upon Lucy. “Lucy, what’s wrong?” She walked closer and saw Lucy’s bandaged foot and the cast on her arm.
“I had a little bit of an accident.”
Olive gasped. “What happened? Are you badly hurt?”
“I fell off my bike. Joshua Hershberger was there and took me to the hospital. I’ve got a broken wrist, and a sprained ankle.”
Olive’s eyes glassed over, and she tugged at the strings on her prayer kapp.
“It’s nothing to be worried about. I’ll be fine. Joshua’s been bringing me food and he’s coming back soon with pizza.”
“Are you sure you’re okay? Why didn’t you call me? I could’ve looked after you. Come back home with me.”
“Nee. Don’t worry about me.”
Olive sat on the couch next to her. “So... Joshua’s been looking after you, has he?”
Lucy giggled. “Stop it.”
“I’ve come to tell you some exciting news.”
“Go on.” Lucy was glad to have some distraction.
“Claire and Donovan are getting married this Friday. Have you forgotten?”
“When?”
“This Friday, at four o'clock. They’re getting married at the B&B Donovan’s mother owns. We’ve all been invited, if you’ll remember.”
Lucy grimaced. “I said I’d go, but I hadn't heard the date was finalized. I'm glad you came to tell me. Are you going?”
“I’m not sure if Jessie or I will be going. Elijah doesn’t want me to go, and I’m sure he’ll not want Jessie to go. I know Mamm and Dat wouldn’t like me to go since Claire’s marrying an Englischer.”
Lucy tapped a fingernail on her teeth. “I’ll go because I said I would. I’ll see if Joshua will take me; he’s got a car. My familye will still be in Ohio, so they won’t know where I’m going. Denke for reminding me. I would’ve forgotten.”
“It’ll be sad for Claire. I don’t think any of her familye’s going and you’ll be her only friend there.”
“What about Amy?” Lucy asked.
“I haven’t spoken to her yet, but you know what her vadder is like.”
“Jah.” Lucy nodded while thinking of how strict Amy’s vadder, the community’s deacon, was. “It’ll probably be just me.” Lucy looked at her leg. “Olive, can you tell her I’ll be there for certain? Someone should be there for her. If Joshua won’t take me, I’ll get a taxi.”
“I will. How much longer before you get better?”
Lucy shrugged. “I have to go back in two weeks for them to see how I’m getting along.”
“When can you work?”
“I’ll have to get better at using these crutches. Maybe in a few days I’ll be okay to help Julie again.”
“Can I do anything for you?”
“Yes! You could braid my hair for me. My brush is in my room.”
Olive came back with the brush. Lucy turned her body to the side, and Olive sat behind her and brushed out her long, dark hair.
“So, when are you and Blake getting married?” Lucy asked.
“It’ll be sometime next year. Hopefully early next year, but the bishop said six months after he joins us, at least, I guess March or April. It’ll be past the traditional wedding season, but since he’s not a traditional Amish man it probably won’t matter.” Olive smiled. “Are you sure I can’t get you anything?”
“Nee, I’m fine.”
Olive continued to brush Lucy’s hair. “I feel bad I came up with the idea of us all being maids. I never would’ve met Blake, so it’s good in that regard, but what about Claire?” Olive shook her head.
“There’s also Jessie.”
“Jah, but Jessie and Elijah would’ve gotten together eventually. It was just a matter of one or the other making the first move.”
“You can’t blame yourself, Olive. It was nothing that's your fault. Claire made her own choice. She might’ve met Donovan anywhere.”
“Yeah, but she didn’t. It was my stupid idea that forced them together.”
“Nee. Don’t think like that. It was just circumstances, and who knows? It might work out well for her. Donovan could surprise us all. Claire’s not a stupid girl, and Gott works in mysterious ways.”
“You’re right.” Olive sighed. “Denke for saying that.” She abruptly changed the subject. “I don’t remember much of Joshua.”
“We both would’ve been around eleven when Grace died and he left the community.”
Olive said, “He’s changed into a man.”
“That’s what I thought when I saw him. He was so skinny, and now he’s quite solid and manly.” Lucy caught herself and reminded herself not to sound so excited when she spoke of Joshua. She did not want Olive to know how she felt about him. Even though Olive was one of her closest friends, some things were bett
er left unsaid.
“He might stay on in the community. That’s what he told Elijah,” Olive said.
Lucy turned her head slightly to the side. “What else did he tell Elijah?”
Olive’s gaze turned toward the ceiling. “Just that while he’s here, he’s going to sort out what he wants to do with the farm and decide if he's coming back here. He said he never meant to be gone for so long. He wanted to see what life outside the community was like.”
“Olive Hesh, were you listening in on their conversation?”
“Nee, but they were out on the porch, and I was sitting near the window working on my quilt. I wasn’t deliberately listening.” Olive laughed.
“What else did you hear?”
“You like him, don’t you?”
Lucy closed her mouth and pressed her lips together. She’d shown far too much interest. “All right, I do.” Lucy pulled a face. “Is that weird?”
“Nee it’s gut. He’s nice and handsome and he would be perfect for you. I was wondering if you saw it for yourself.” Olive sectioned Lucy’s hair ready to braid.
“But what about Grace?”
“Grace isn’t here anymore and you are.”
The girls were silent while Olive finished braiding.
“There you go, all done.” Olive picked up Lucy’s prayer kapp and placed it over the freshly braided and pinned hair.
“Denke.” Lucy turned to face Olive. “But he really loved Grace. I don’t want to be his second choice. Even if he does like me, and I don’t even know he does, then is it because I remind him of Grace?” She looked into Olive’s deep, blue eyes. “I’d never know, Olive.”
“Have you told him how you feel?”
Lucy’s eyes widened, and she leaned back. “Ach, nee! Certainly not. It’s not like that. He’s coming here helping me out because he accidently clipped my bike with his car.”
“What?” Olive screeched.
“Sh. He’s coming back here soon. You see? He’s only looking after me because he feels guilty for causing me an injury.”
Olive fiddled with the strings of her prayer kapp.
“You can’t tell anyone I like him,” Lucy warned.
“Nee, of course I won’t. Well, what are you going to do?”
The Amish Maid's Sweetheart Page 14
