She rubbed her hand over her quilt. The softness of the cottton reminded her of Leah when she was born. Her sweet boppli softness, and even then, she was as lovely as April with dark blue eyes like Thad’s. She’d hated her sister for stealing Thad from her, but how could she stay angry when April was dead? She would have been so proud of her tochter.
Oh, April, you were so careless in caring for yourself and letting the diabetes get out of control, like it had with Mamm.
May pressed her hand over her eyes to blot out all the ugliness she’d silently heaped upon April.
Lord, please forgive me for my sins. It was sisterly rivalry, or maybe jealousy that I coveted what she had. April always got what she wanted, and I got her hand-me-downs. Thad had a right to choose, and he chose April. I can’t even tell her I’m sorry. Your scripture says I must forgive, but it’s hard to forget the trespass. Help me to learn.
A deep yawn coaxed her out of her shoes. She removed her prayer kapp, letting her long auburn hair cascade over her shoulders. After putting on her nightgown, she burrowed under the covers, drowsiness tugging at her eyes.
She loved Leah so much, but she couldn’t pass up the opportunity that Aent Edna offered. Could she? A once-in-a-lifetime offer?
Could she pass it up to help Thad? For the sake of the farm?
But Edna’s offer was a vote to move.
The next morning, sunshine poured in between the curtains and roused May from sleep. She glanced at the clock. Ach, 7:00 a.m. The thought of Thad waiting in the kitchen hungry pushed the cloudiness from her head. A gut Amish woman always saw to it that the men had a nourishing meal before they started their workday.
Although Daed assured May she could stay in the haus until she married, it was uncomfortable living with Thad. That was another vote in favor of moving.
She dressed and hurried downstairs. When she entered the kitchen, the aroma of strong coffee assaulted her nose. Thad stood over the stove, bacon in one pan and French toast in another. Her eyes roamed from the stove to Leah in her high chair, smiling as she ate scrambled eggs. She held her little hand out and offered May a gob of egg.
“Danki, lieb, but you eat it.” She turned to Thad. “I’m so sorry I overslept. I don’t know what got into me.” Something she never wanted to have to do...apologize to Thad Hochstetler.
He turned and swept his arm in the direction of the table. “Sit. Your breakfast awaits you, Miss Bender.”
He was being nice, too nice. Now what did he want?
* * *
Thad smiled. “I noticed you worked late in your sewing room. We’re a family and that means we help each other out. Occasionally, we forget to set our alarms. No harm done. Sit. Breakfast is ready.” He placed the platter on the table and sat.
After silent prayer, May dribbled syrup on her French toast and took a bite.
He scooted a slice onto his plate and ladled strawberries over top. “Mmm, your garden strawberries are gut. I picked them fresh this morning.”
May tossed him a she-could-hardly-believe-it stare.
A knock on the door pierced the silence, then the screen door popped open. Lois Plank, the midwife, and her son Elmer stepped in.
“Hullo. Come in and sit.” Thad motioned with his free hand.
“It smells gut in here.” Elmer stuck his nose in the air and took a couple of deep whiffs. “Only it’s a little late for breakfast.”
Lois raised a brow at Elmer’s nosy remark. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’ve come to give Leah her twelve-month checkup.”
“Of course!” May stood and pulled Leah out of her high chair. Lois followed May into the other room.
“How’s the cheese business, Elmer?” Thad leaned back in his chair and glanced at his guest. “Looks like you dashed over here right from your factory.”
Elmer brushed a hand down the front of his shirt. “Jah, Mamm doesn’t like to drive all over the township by herself when she makes her rounds.”
Thad listened to Elmer drone on, naming all the other homes they would visit today. When the women returned to the kitchen, May sat Leah in the middle of the floor with her toys.
“Lois, Elmer, would you like a cup of coffee?” May grabbed the pot off the stove and placed it on the hotplate as she sat. “Please sit.”
“Nein. I have other appointments. We need to get going.” Lois motioned for Elmer to head for the door, which he ignored.
Thad cut into another piece of French toast, put it in his mouth and watched Elmer scurry to May’s side, slipping into the chair next to hers.
Thad sniffed and breathed in a tangy whiff of cheese stuck to Elmer’s shirt. The smear of ripened cheddar from Elmer’s aging room seemed to mingle with his blue cheese spot. Thad stifled a smile. Elmer called himself a cheese artisan.
“How are you, May?” Elmer’s voice dripped with concern. He leaned toward May, put his arm around the back of her chair and pressed in closer. “I’ll stop by tomorrow.” He tossed Thad a better-not-try-to-stop-me look, quickly adding, “Thad, are you attending the meeting tonight over at the Millers’ dairy on the USDA’s organic standard?”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” Thad glared at the cheesemaker. He wanted to tell Elmer to stay away from May, but she’d resent his interference.
Elmer leaned even closer to May. “I noticed your garden has a lot of beans ready to harvest, and you’ll probably want them for your vegetable stand. Why don’t I stop back later and help you pick them? It’ll be cooler this evening.”
“Danki, Elmer, but aren’t you going to the meeting?”
“I’ll go late. They chew over everything before they get down to business.” Elmer threw Thad a sly smile.
“Are you sure you don’t want a cup of coffee?” May started to stand.
Lois shook her head. “Danki, we need to go if we’re going to stick to our schedule. Elmer, it’s time.”
The screen door squeaked open and the distinctive shuffle that followed pulled Thad to his feet. “Gut mornin’, Mamm.” His cheeks burned as he caught a hint of judgment in her eyes.
“What’s going on in here?” Gretchen took a deep breath and looked around. “Are you still lollygagging over breakfast? You should be out in the field, jah?” She tossed a sour glance at Thad, then turned toward the table with a stern look. “May, you need to get up earlier and get the food on the table by five thirty. April never ran her haus like this. There are beans in the garden to be picked and canning that needs to be done.”
Elmer stood and gave a nod. “Gut mornin’, Gretchen. Nice to see you. I forgot you and Aaron were staying in Thad’s dawdi haus while the one on Jonah’s farm was being refurbished.”
“It’s nice to see you, too, Elmer. Lois, you checking on our Leah?”
“Indeed. She’s a sweet little thing and in gut health. No worry with her, Gretchen. May, don’t forget about the quilting frolic in three weeks.”
“Jah, it’s on my calendar.”
Elmer held the screen door for his mamm. “See you later, May.”
Thad pulled his hat from the peg on the wall and headed out the door with a sideways glance at May. She sent him a glare.
He’d hurt May when he’d tossed her aside for her sister. There was no way to apologize for that but his sharp-tongued mamm only made things worse. “Come on, Mamm, I’ll walk you out.”
* * *
In the evening, May and Leah sat on the porch and watched Thad disappear into the barn after he’d hitched Tidbit to the buggy. Twenty minutes passed. Her gaze swung from the barn door to Tidbit as he pawed the ground nervously, waiting to stretch his legs. Why was Thad taking so long getting ready to go to the dairy association meeting?
A buggy turned into the driveway, the wheels crunching over the rocks as she watched Elmer park it in front of the haus. He stepped down and waved as he walked toward her.
Elmer
was handsome and his bronzed skin set off his sky blue eyes. He’d definitely be a gut catch for some woman, but not her. She only thought of him as a friend, and he deserved a frau that would liebe him.
Thad closed the barn door and stalked toward the haus, a grimace plastered on his face as he nodded to Elmer. Ah, now she understood why Thad had stalled after hitching Tidbit. Elmer.
When they were all kinner in school, Thad and Elmer had some kind of rivalry. It seemed like everything was a competition to them, horseback riding, swimming, but it was more than that. But she couldn’t quite tag it. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Thad was jealous. Nein, that couldn’t be. It was just their old silliness, like two small buwe.
A smile tugged at her lips as Elmer got closer. He had donned a clean blue chambray shirt and trousers. Gut. He had smelled like cheese curds earlier in the day.
Before Elmer reached the steps, Thad smacked the reins across Tidbit’s back, and the buggy shot off down the driveway toward the gate. May gripped her apron as she watched the speeding buggy. She relaxed as Tidbit slowed before he crossed the road.
“Gut evening, May. How are you this evening?”
“A bit tired.”
“Jah? I’ll stay only a little while.”
She faced Elmer, then glanced at the road after Thad. A twinge of sadness washed over her. She couldn’t believe that Thad might lose the farm. Her family’s farm. Daed and Mamm fought hard for years to keep the farm, to make the payments and to put food on the table every day. This land ran through her veins almost as much as her blood did. It was who she was. Even if she had to go door-to-door in town with a bucket of vegetables to make a sale, she’d do it.
Her heart pounded. That was a bad sign. Why was it that the mere sight of Thad made it hard for her to breathe? To walk in a straight line? And when his hand touched hers when she handed him the potato bowl, she nearly melted on the spot.
Jah, she either had to hide her heart or convince the angel Gabriel to protect it, or Thad would steal it away. Nein, not again! She didn’t know what was worse...losing the farm or losing her heart.
But could she risk sticking around to find out?
Copyright © 2019 by Marie Elizabeth Bast
ISBN-13: 9781488059896
Finding Her Amish Love
Copyright © 2019 by Rebecca Kertz
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