by Amy Lillard
“Maybe a lot more,” Buddy said. He smiled at her and she smiled back.
“See?”
He didn’t answer right away, just stroked a hand down PJ’s back. He was starting to lose his fuzzy puppy coat and would soon have the silky hair of an older dog. “Jah,” he finally said. “Maybe you’re right.”
She nudged his shoulder with her own. “Jah,” she said. “Maybe.”
* * *
The days followed one by one, peaceful and just full of living. Buddy was pleased that he had learned so much about camels. When they were lying down it was called cushing. True to what Titus had told him, a person only had ninety seconds to milk a camel, so two people stood on either side in order to get the job done completely each time. Camel’s milk fetched a lot of money. More than cow’s milk and goat’s milk combined. It was almost unbelievable the price Titus quoted to him, but Buddy had seen other proof. He’d seen receipts and record books listing the price. It was so big it was amazing. If Buddy didn’t like camels so much he would milk them just for profit.
But as it was, Titus was paying him a fair wage on top of allowing him to stay in the barn.
And just as he said, no one in either one of their families came to visit, which really meant no one came to talk them out of living there.
It might have appeared to be about living away from home. But Buddy knew the truth. It was about he and Jenna trying to get out on their own.
Jenna’s mamm he could sort of understand. He’d thought long and hard about it every night since the two of them had been at the Lamberts’. Charlotte Burkhart had lost her daughter for brief minutes that most likely felt like eternity. And because of that almost loss, he could see where she might hold Jenna even closer to her in order to keep her safe. And that’s what she had done. Jenna was safe. But she hadn’t been out the way he had. She hadn’t experienced as much of life. And he wanted to show her that. Anything and everything that he could think of. That’s why he took the time to teach her to swim. He had lived so much more.
Which made him think about his mamm and his family. They had always been there for him. He was just another one of the Miller kids. Even when he went to school. No one treated him differently. And now his mother seemed to be trying to hold him in place with both hands. And it was something he didn’t understand. How could she want what was best for him, then go on to tell him how his life was going to be? She thought she knew what was best for him. But wasn’t that up to him to decide?
And then they just stopped. Charlotte and Mamm quit trying to keep him and Jenna apart. She might not be able to see it, but he could. And he had been the object of enough brotherly pranks to know a setup when he saw it. It might have taken him a little longer to catch on, but he did. And when he did, they never fooled him again.
* * *
“We can’t all ride in the same buggy,” Abbie fretted the following Sunday morning over breakfast.
“We’ll just have to figure something out,” Titus said.
Buddy and Jenna had been at the Lamberts’ for almost two weeks and Buddy had grown to like seeing Jenna’s face every morning at breakfast.
He loved everything about living with the Lamberts. His bed was comfy and he was out in the barn close to all the animals. He was alone out there, but not. And PJ was allowed to sleep on the end of his bed.
Titus had laughed when he asked and told him that once PJ grew too big they would look into getting Buddy a bigger bed. But Buddy didn’t mind. He loved PJ almost as much as he loved Jenna.
And he loved the twins with all their cooing and laughs. He didn’t even mind as much when they cried, but he loved their little baby smiles more. He had never felt that way about Prudy when she was born. He couldn’t remember when Aaron and Jonathan were born. He’d been too young, but he’d been almost twelve when she was born and he didn’t like her very much. Maybe because he sort of resented Prudy. She was just one more diversion his mother had, and she was the girl Mamm desperately wanted. Not that she would ever admit that, but Buddy could tell. He might be a little different than everyone else, but he wasn’t dumb.
“You could all fit before we came.” Jenna looked disappointed, as if somehow they had messed things up for everyone.
“We could take the trailer,” Abbie’s dat suggested.
Titus shook his head. “I don’t think the bishop would approve of that.”
“The spring buggy.” Abbie planted her hands on her hips and gave a satisfied dip of her chin.
“That was . . . Alvin’s,” Abbie’s mamm said.
“Jah,” Abbie replied. “And I don’t think Alvin would want it rotting away in the barn.”
“A spring wagon?” Buddy asked. Those were used a lot for courting. But they were comfortable enough and, in addition to the buggy, it would get them all where they were going.
“And the bishop?” Emmanuel asked.
“I think it’ll be okay. The number-one thing is we all get to church on time. Jah?”
“Jah.” Everyone else but Buddy and the twins spoke at the same time.
“Eat up,” Titus told Buddy. “It’ll probably need a little cleaning before anyone drives it.”
* * *
The spring wagon was in the carriage house protected by a large tarp.
Buddy and Emmanuel helped Titus pull the cover off and fold it up.
Buddy did his part, but all he wanted to do was look at the spring wagon. Aaron had one at their parents’ house and he drove it all over on Sundays, but somehow this one seemed different. Special. Or maybe it was because he wanted to be the one who drove it to church.
“Titus,” Buddy started, once the tarp was folded and stacked off to the side. “Who’s going to drive it?”
“No one unless we get it clean.” Emmanuel looked less than thrilled, but Buddy had to admit he looked that same way most days. Buddy supposed if he’d had a son and lost him, that it would be hard to go on, but wasn’t that what it was all about?
“Can I?” Buddy asked. He clasped his hands together in front of himself like a small child preparing to pray. “Please.”
“You want to drive it?” Titus looked surprised.
Buddy nodded. “I would love to.”
Titus studied him for a brief moment, and for that moment Buddy thought he might say no. But then Titus gave a small nod and said, “Sure. Okay.”
Buddy had to do everything in his power not to jump up and down in place where he stood. That would be very immature and he was about to drive the girl he loved to church—not just to a singing, but church. It was like he was completely normal. One of them.
Titus looked down at his dirty hands. “I guess it’s a good thing we didn’t change into our church clothes already.”
* * *
“Just the two of us?” Jenna exclaimed.
Buddy nodded.
Jenna couldn’t believe her ears or her eyes. Buddy stood in front of the spring wagon looking so handsome in his sharp church clothes. He looked especially nice today, and Jenna wondered if perhaps he had ironed his clothes for the occasion.
“It’s beautiful,” she said.
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Buddy replied, still grinning. “But I am going to love pulling up to the Riehls’ house with you in this.”
She stumbled a little as they approached the newly cleaned spring wagon. Everyone else had just taken off in the Lamberts’ family carriage and the two of them were left alone. “Everyone’s going to see us.”
“Jah.” He nodded. “That’s right.”
The thought was thrilling, scary even; if she rode to church with Buddy Miller everyone would know that they were a couple. They had talked of weddings, and yet he hadn’t asked her to be a couple with him.
She straightened herself and stopped before getting into the wagon. “Are you going to ask me?”
“Ask you what?”
“Buddy Miller! Are you joking with me right now?”
“No,” he said. His expression had lost
its earlier playfulness. “What do you want me to ask you?”
“If I wasn’t Amish,” she started, “I might punch you in the arm for that.”
“That’s not a nice thing to say.”
“It’s not a nice thing to drive me to church before you ask me to be your girlfriend.”
He stared at her, his mouth hanging open. “Is that what this is about?”
“Buddy.” She was in no mood.
“Didn’t I ask you to marry me?”
“Not quite.”
“But we talked about getting jobs and getting married.”
“Jah.” She gave a small nod.
“Then you’re my girlfriend.”
“But—” she stopped. “I want you to ask me.” It might be dumb but she wanted to be asked. She needed to be asked. If only to show herself that it was real.
He turned toward her and took her hands in his own. “Jenna Burkhart who has already agreed to marry me, will you be my girlfriend?”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Now I feel like punching you in the arm.” He frowned at her.
“I’m just playing.” She giggled, overjoyed that he had asked her even though he thought it was unnecessary. “Of course.”
“Can we go to church now?”
“Jah.” She touched her fingers to the side of his face. He captured her hand in his own, laying his head against her palm.
And that was how she knew that everything was going to be okay.
* * *
“It’s not working,” Charlotte whispered to Gertie Miller with a nod toward their respective children.
Jenna and Buddy sat together under the big tree to one side of the Riehls’ yard. They weren’t holding hands or even touching, but any fool could see that there was something between them. And Charlotte Burkhart was no fool.
“Give it time,” Gertie whispered back. It was more of a pushing of words out the side of her mouth as she continued to pour water and other drinks for the church members.
“It’s been two weeks.”
“And you were tired of your husband after two weeks of marriage?”
A heat rose into her face. Charlotte tried not to sputter. Or yell. “They aren’t married.”
“They are living on the same farm, eating every meal together and sharing the chores. That might as well be married.”
Charlotte turned to stare at Buddy’s mother. Was she happy with this situation? The whole plan on waiting was that they would get tired of each other and give up this ploy for independence. So far it hadn’t worked, and from the looks of them together there under the tree, it wasn’t going to. “We have to do something.”
Gertie excused herself from the serving line and took Charlotte by the elbow. Then she pulled Charlotte behind the side of the house where they might have a little privacy.
“I don’t like this just as much as you. And I want my Buddy back at home as soon as possible. But I know him, and if I make more out of it, then he will dig in. Then it might be months before this ends.”
The blood drained from Charlotte’s face; she could almost feel herself go pale. “Months?”
“Months.” Gertie gave a curt nod. “And neither one of us wants that.”
Charlotte shook her head.
“Be patient,” Gertie said. “Give it time. It’ll happen.”
Chapter Seventeen
“You really are good with the babies,” Abbie said a week or so later.
Jenna blushed with the compliment and rubbed her nose against Nancy’s. “I love babies. I always have.” It was one of the only memories she had managed to keep from before the accident.
“I’m so very glad that you do and that you came here to help us.”
Jenna smiled. “I’m glad too. But you know, you and Titus have helped me and Buddy both so much.”
“Speaking of . . .” Abbie placed Carrie into the playpen and went to fetch Nancy from Jenna. “How are things going with Buddy?”
“Good,” she said. “Fine.”
“Do you think he has asked the bishop about getting married this fall?”
“To me?”
Abbie laughed. “Who else?”
“No.” Jenna shook her head. It was an impossible thought. “Even if... even if Buddy asks me to marry him, it wouldn’t happen this fall.” No. That would be way too soon. Where would they live? What would they do for jobs if they were married? The arrangement they had right now was too good to mess up. But married . . .
“Here.” Abbie handed her an envelope. “This is your pay for the week.”
Jenna opened it and looked inside at the many bills. “This is too much,” she protested.
“That’s because I know you keep slipping the money back into my purse when you think I’m not looking.”
Jenna shook her head in amazement. “Turn around,” she said. “Let me see the back of your head. I think you have eyes back there.”
Abbie laughed. “It’s a mamm’s curse, I guess. You’ll have to tell me when you have a few of your own.”
“Kids?” Jenna looked up from the money she still held in her hands to meet Abbie’s gaze. Was she just teasing? “I probably won’t have kids of my own.”
“Well, not now. But when you and Buddy get married.”
“No,” she said with certainty. “Not even then.”
Abbie gave her a sweet smile. “You never know,” she said. “If it’s God’s will, then you will certainly be blessed.”
* * *
“Here you go.” Titus handed Buddy a small white envelope. Friday. It was payday.
“Thank you.”
Titus waited. “Are you going to open it?”
“Oh, jah, sure.” Buddy felt a little weird opening it right there in front of him, but he had the feeling Titus wanted to watch him.
He peeked in at the money and at first everything seemed to be the same. Then he looked closer. “Titus. There’s too much money here, Titus.”
“Since you’ve been here, my milk sales have increased by fifteen percent. So that’s a little cut of extra milk money for you.”
Buddy stared at the money, hardly able to believe this was happening. “Thank you,” he said. What else was there? Thank you for everything—the place to live, believing in me, giving my girlfriend a place to live and a job. The list went on and on.
“You’re welcome.” But Titus seemed to be hovering, as if he expected something more from him. “Do you get it?” he asked after a while.
“Get what?” Buddy folded the envelope in his hand. He needed to put this away before he dropped it and lost it all.
“Milk money,” Titus said. “I gave you some milk money.” He said the last two words slower than the rest, and their significance registered with Buddy.
“I see what you did there, Titus. That’s a good one.”
“I thought so.” He clapped Buddy on the shoulder. “What are you going to do with all that money now that you have it?”
“Save it, I guess?”
“All of it?” Titus asked. “It’s Friday. Don’t you even want to take your girl out to dinner?”
His girl. Jenna was his girl. He liked that. He really liked it. “I hadn’t thought about it. Are you taking your girl out?”
“Girls,” he corrected. “More than one. Remember? I have three girls now.”
Buddy nodded. “And all of them beautiful.”
“I won’t argue with that,” Titus replied. “But we are talking about your girl.”
“I don’t know.”
“I do. The two of you have been on this farm for almost a month and neither one of you has left to do anything but go to church.”
“I like church,” Buddy said.
“I like church too. But sometimes it’s fun to go into town and get an ice cream or pie or even dinner at Kauffman’s.”
“I see,” Buddy said. “You want me to take her on a date.”
“Now you’re getting it.”
“Why?”
“And you think Jenna makes me happy?”
Titus grinned. “I know she does.”
* * *
Buddy knocked on the door at the main house, then let himself in. It had been almost a month, and yet he still couldn’t bring himself to just walk in without knocking first.
He and Titus had worked out a deal with the tractor. Mainly he and Jenna could take the tractor into town to have dinner, or whatever they decided to do, as long as they would put a little gas in it.
To Buddy that sounded like a more than fair idea.
“Hey, Buddy.” Abbie came out of the kitchen carrying one of the babies in one of those contraptions on her body and the other one in her arms. He supposed that was as good a way as any.
“Hi, Abbie.”
“Are you here to pick up Jenna?”
He nodded, even as he felt himself grow warm with his blush. “Where’s Titus?”
She waved a vague hand behind her. “In the shower.”
Buddy nodded, unsure of what to say next. He was nervous, not being around Abbie, but just waiting on Jenna was making him a little jumpy. “This is our first date.”
“Exciting.”
“My first date ever.”
“I’m sure you will have a wonderful time. Where are you going?”
“Kauffman’s, I guess. I think we should go to supper, then come back home I guess.”
“That sounds like a great idea. After dinner you can walk around town for a bit. You don’t have to come right home.”
“I guess.”
“I know.”
Buddy smiled. He loved talking to Abbie. She was such a sweet person. He had known her most of his life, but she had been his sister Hannah’s age and was more than a couple of years ahead of him in school. Unlike him, Abbie had gone to the Amish school while he had gone into town to the Englisch public school for his learning.
“I’m ready.” Jenna came through the doorway that led from the main house into the dawdihaus.
She smiled at him and Buddy’s breath caught in his throat. She looked so beautiful, just like the angel he thought she was the very first time that he had seen her. And she was wearing the same dress she wore when she made him the cupcakes, the pretty blue one with whale buttons.
