Love at Pebble Creek

by Lisa Jones Baker

  Anna absorbed the seriousness of their words and nodded in agreement. No one in the world could replace a kid’s mother. As they walked down the dirt path and got closer to the Conrad home, Anna considered her own maemm. Not her biological mother, but the woman who’d raised her.

  Without a doubt, Anna loved her eltern with all her heart. Sometimes, she wondered what would have happened to her had they not adopted her. Immediately, she knew she loved little Reuben.

  She guessed that, in many ways, he was a lot like her. His birth mother was still alive, but she was sure the boy was afraid of losing her. She closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. Dear Lord, please heal Reuben’s maemm. Amen.

  Inside the house, Rebecca walked with Anna and Mary upstairs to Mary’s room. Inside, Mary pulled her spare dress from the hook on the wall while Rebecca went for towels. She returned with a neat pile, which she set on the end of Mary’s bed.

  Rebecca started walking toward the door and offered a goodbye wave before stepping outside. “Anna, is there anything else I can get you?” She glanced at her tochter.

  “Mary?”

  Anna smiled a little. “No. Denki, Rebecca.” Mary shook her head.

  “Then I’ll let you two have your privacy, and please, girls, holler if you need anything else.”

  After she exited the room, Anna could hear creaks as Rebecca descended the tall flight of wooden stairs. She and Mary regarded each other with affection before Mary pressed her lips together and put her hands on her hips.

  All of a sudden, they burst into laughter. “We are soaking wet! With our clothes on!”

  They continued to laugh until Mary waved a hand. “You shower first, Anna. But make it fast! I can’t wait to feel heat on my cold skin!”

  Anna didn’t argue. Quick steps took her into the bathroom that was attached to Mary’s bedroom and removed her wet clothes. When the door clicked shut, she peeled off her garments. As she did so, her gaze wandered the room and, without thinking, she took in the plants.

  A peace lily sat on a stool in front of one of the windows. In front of the other window was a small round table, and on the top, a vase of freshly cut red and white roses bloomed.

  As Anna stood under the spray of hot water, relief swept through her veins. She hadn’t realized how very cold her skin was until the water caressed away her chills.

  She considered what had happened at the pond before acknowledging Mary Conrad’s love for plants. Anna knew for a fact that whenever anything green was pronounced unsalvageable, Mary took it as her personal challenge to save it.

  As water soothed her shoulders, an idea came to Anna’s mind, and she pressed her lips together thoughtfully. As she continued thinking, the corners of her mouth gently lifted into a satisfied grin.

  Both rooms were lacking a sketch of a plant. While Anna closed her eyes to enjoy the warmth, she had another item to add to her list.

  Several minutes later, she dried and pulled Mary’s dress over her head, hung her wet clothes on the nearest peg, and cracked the door. Anna would find out her friend’s favorite flower.

  Next, Mary showered. While Anna listened to the spray of water hitting the side of the wall, she considered everything that had happened in such a short time, including the art contest. And her feelings for Jesse. Chaos cluttered her mind until she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

  Finally, she opened her eyes and began combing her hair. The moment she hit a knot, she let out a loud moan. Getting the tangles out wouldn’t be easy. She narrowed her brows.

  When Mary finally appeared in dry clothing, she wrapped a white towel around her head and offered to comb Anna’s hair. Anna got comfortable on the edge of the beautiful quilt of blue- and cream-colored hues.

  Mary held out her hand to display the turquoise comb. “I’ll try real hard to be gentle, but let’s face it: Your hair looks like one solid knot. I’m sure mine is, too.”

  Anna sat very still while Mary started running the comb through the ends.

  “You okay?”

  “Jah.”

  Mary stopped. “You don’t say that with a lot of confidence.” After a slight pause, Mary went on. “If you need reassurance, I can say that I’ve had some practice . . . when I babysit. Sometimes, before the kinder go to bed, I comb their hair and French braid it for fun.”

  Anna took in the interesting statement and smiled a little, careful not to move for fear of her friend combing a knot. “I didn’t know you had a thing for fixing hair.”

  “I don’t, really.” After a slight hesitation, she corrected herself. “Okay, maybe I do. A little.”

  “Where did you learn how?”

  A small laugh came out of Mary’s throat. “I’ve never told anyone this, but you know those hair magazines next to the checkout at Walmart?”

  “Jah.”

  “While I wait in line, I browse through them. Of course, I’d prefer plant magazines, but they put those at the back of the store.”

  Mary’s hand brushed Anna’s shoulder, and she stopped what she was doing. “You’re still as cold as ice.”

  Anna agreed. “I’m really chilled.”

  As Anna sat very still on the bed, Mary combed.

  “Ouch.”

  “Sorry. But my best friend here has the thickest head of hair I’ve ever combed.”

  “I do have a lot to work with.”

  “But that’s a good thing. I mean, it’s better than having no hair at all.”

  “True.”

  After shifting on her hips for a more comfortable position and considering Mary’s comment, Anna finally replied, “It’s what God gave me.”

  “I’ve wondered what your hair looked like without a kapp. I’ve always wanted long hair.”

  “Really?”

  Mary nodded. “But for some reason, mine just won’t make it past my shoulders.” After a short pause, she went on. “You’re still shivering.” Without saying anything else, Mary jumped up and stepped out of the room. When she returned, she wrapped a shawl around Anna’s shoulders.

  “Here. This will help. What you’ve got is a good case of chills. Thankfully, I just finished knitting this scarf for the winter. But I figure this is a good excuse to use it.”

  Anna closed her eyes as she touched the soft fabric of beautiful pastel hues. Her chills eased. “It feels gut.”

  “But I’m afraid I won’t be able to comb around your neck as long as the scarf’s there.”

  Anna pulled the fabric from her neck and plopped it on her lap, where she wrapped her hands inside the yarn. “This is beautiful. When did you find time to make it?”

  As Mary went on to talk about her interest in knitting, Anna closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the comb against her scalp. Her shoulders relaxed, and she began to think of what she was doing here. In the Conrad home. With her dear friend. And suddenly, what had happened at the pond rushed back into her thoughts and made her sit up a little straighter.

  Uncertainty edged Mary’s voice. “You want to know something?”

  Anna turned a little. “What?”

  After a slight hitch in her voice, Mary went on. “You really had me scared when you jumped into the pond.” Before Anna could say anything, Mary continued. “It’s deep, you know. In some places anyway.”

  A long, thoughtful silence ensued before Mary softened her pitch to a confidential tone. “I didn’t even know you could swim!”

  Anna cleared her throat. “I can’t.”

  “Me neither! But I made my grand entrance by those big tree roots because I knew I could grab on to them.”

  Anna smiled. “It’s all gut.”

  “Can I ask you something else?”

  “Jah.”

  Mary softened the pitch of her voice to a more inquisitive tone. “Why did you jump into the pond if you can’t swim?”

  “What I did . . .” Anna considered her words as she wondered the same thing. “I guess you could just say it was an automatic reaction. In fact, I didn’t even think. I
just reacted.” After a short hesitation, Anna went on. “But Mary, there wasn’t an option, really. I had to try to save the boys. I couldn’t just stand by and watch them . . .” Her voice cracked. “And if I hadn’t jumped in . . .”

  Anna squeezed her eyes closed as she realized the severity of the situation and the worst that could have happened. A long silence ensued before Mary spoke. This time, emotion filled her voice. “I really admire you for what you did, Anna. You risked your life for the boys. God protected all of us.”

  Anna waved a dismissive hand. “If I hadn’t jumped in to save him, someone else would have.” As she contemplated what she’d said, she immediately realized that might not have been the case. Because the rest of the group hadn’t made it there in time. “But you did, too.”

  Mary’s reply was delayed. “Sort of. What I did wasn’t as brave as you. I mean, I went in where I could hold on to the tree roots. You, my friend, went in without a life vest!”

  They laughed together.

  Anna lowered her pitch to a more uncertain tone. She tried to conceal her emotion as she thought of the little boy she’d rescued from the pond. “What are you hearing about Reuben’s maemm? Do the doctors think she’ll be okay?”

  Before Mary could respond, Anna continued in her thoughtful, concerned tone. “It’s no secret that cancer’s a tricky thing to fix.”

  Mary let out a breath. “To be honest, I haven’t heard one way or the other. But I can tell you this: We’re all praying for her. And for Reuben. What I am sure of is that God answers prayers.”

  Mary’s voice took on a more hopeful, positive tone. “Anna, sometimes I just take a moment to say a prayer to God to thank Him I was raised by two parents. Christian parents. I know there are always issues to deal with. And sometimes they can be overwhelming. But when you really think about it, next to being a Christian, nothing else matters, really.”

  The comment prompted Anna to think a moment about the woman who’d given her up for adoption. About Anna’s dream of getting an art degree and sharing her artwork.

  After several moments of consideration, Anna agreed with her friend. In the entire scheme of things, knowing Christ was all that mattered. In the end, she’d meet her birth mamma and find out everything. As Mary ran her comb through Anna’s long hair, a knock on the door made them turn.

  They both faced a smiling Rebecca and Annie. The two women stepped just inside the door. Relief edged Rebecca’s voice. “Reuben and Amos are just fine.” There was a slight pause. “Except they’re a little bent out of shape. They’re getting lots of scoldings. And they’re inside for the rest of the afternoon. But now . . . things have finally calmed down.”

  Annie piped in with her soft, compassionate tone. “But everyone’s asking about you girls. Anna, Mary, how are you holding up?”

  Anna turned to face the two women, laying an affectionate hand on Mary’s shoulder. “I will be fine as soon as our plant guru gets the knots out of my hair.”

  After the women left and the door clicked shut, Mary cleared her throat. “There’s something we haven’t talked about.”

  Anna narrowed her brows. “What?”

  Mary paused and lowered her voice. “You tell me.”

  Trying to decide what her friend was getting at, Anna’s interest had been piqued. Now she had to know what was going through her friend’s mind.

  “I noticed a certain man at the pond who couldn’t take his eyes off you after he pulled you out of the water.”

  Anna’s heart picked up speed to a pace that was a strong combination of excitement and uneasiness.

  Anna knew that Mary already had her answer. But Anna had to know more.

  “Jesse Beiler.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  Mary stopped for a moment and let out a sound of impatience from her throat. And Anna laughed. Because she knew her friend so well, and whenever Mary wanted to know something but pretended she was only casually interested, she made that particular sound.

  “Anna, what’s up?”

  Anna feigned ignorance. “Thank goodness he got to the pond fast. Otherwise, I might not be here patiently waiting for you to untangle my hair.”

  Mary stopped what she was doing and made a quick move to sit opposite Anna. As they faced each other, the expression on Mary’s face gave her curiosity away. The light in her eyes hinted that she knew something was going on and that she couldn’t wait another minute to find out what it was.

  Not saying a word, Anna lifted her palms to the ceiling in a helpless gesture. The last thing she wanted was to give away her true feelings. There was too much at stake. First of all, if she won the contest and went to St. Louis, she didn’t want Jesse’s name connected with her because he might very well be blamed for conspiring with her. Secondly, she didn’t want to talk to anyone about Jesse. Not right now. Because her feelings for him were so strong, she was afraid to verbalize them.

  “Anna, you don’t have to say a word. Your face gives away everything.”

  “What?”

  “There’s something between you and Jesse. It’s written all over you. It was in his eyes, too.”

  Not able to let the comment go, Anna leaned forward and whispered, “What was?”

  Mary harrumphed. “I don’t know what it’s like to be in love, but I can imagine. And while the paramedics got water out of your lungs and made everyone stay away, I could tell by the way he looked at you with great affection that he was worried to death.”

  Mary let out a sigh. “I’ve always heard my Englisch friends say that a picture’s worth a thousand words. Now, I’m Amish, so I don’t have a photo. But that look of his is etched into my mind like DNA. I’ll never forget it. It reminded me of a picture book showing a lioness guarding her cubs. Only I don’t think that what he feels is maternal. No, not at all.”

  Chapter Five

  Monday morning, Jesse balanced himself on his platform while his team of four horses pulled him through the remainder of the alfalfa behind the Kings’ property. This afternoon, he would finish the cutting.

  As he breathed in the earthy scent of freshly cut plant, a sense of comfort filled him, caressing his soul like nothing else in the world could.

  A satisfied grin tugged at the corners of his lips as the bright sun slipped behind a cloud. If God offered him the opportunity to be in any other place in the world right now, Jesse knew he’d decline. Because there was nowhere else he would rather be than here in this field, cutting alfalfa to feed the cattle during the winter months. He enjoyed the entire process that would ultimately end in storing the bales of hay in the upper loft of the Kings’ large barn.

  Automatically, his thoughts floated to only a couple of days before and the church gathering at the Conrad home. A deep, uncertain breath escaped him as he straightened to keep his balance, bump after bump.

  What had happened at William and Rebecca’s was the talk of the small town. And since pulling Anna and Reuben from the pond, he’d thought of little else.

  He ached for the little boy. The poor kid’s maemm was very ill. And sometimes in life, he was sure, there wasn’t a perfect solution, despite anyone’s best intentions.

  As he worked, he glimpsed a figure in the distance. Sitting by Pebble Creek. He guessed it was Anna, because he didn’t know of anyone else it could be. And as he got closer, he confirmed that it was she. He noted the outline of her visage. And he saw the sketch pad that was propped on a small easel in front of her.

  The corners of his lips drooped. Automatically, he contemplated the upcoming contest and wondered if she’d win. He’d started praying to God to do His will. The more he considered her winning, the more he wondered what would become of her eltern and their church if she decided to leave the faith.

  An ache pinched his stomach. He wasn’t sure why, but whenever someone departed their tight-knit community, a sense of sadness filled his heart. Because even one individual’s absence affected the entire area.

  As four horses moved him forward, he balan
ced himself on the small platform. As they veered to the right, Anna looked up, and he lifted a hand in greeting. She responded with a friendly wave before returning her attention to what she was doing.

  As Jesse bounced up and down, he knew he had a huge responsibility to help Anna make the decision that God would want her to make. He believed that it was not a coincidence that her contest entry had fallen out of her satchel in front of him. That it was God’s hand at work, which meant that the Creator of the universe intended for Jesse to play a role in Anna’s future. The bright sun slipped behind a large, fluffy cloud that looked like an oversize helping of Maemm’s mashed potatoes.

  Jesse frowned, aware that because he was privy to her plan, it was his responsibility to convey to her why she should or should not enter. And if she won, what to do. But what should he tell her?

  Jesse hadn’t said that he really couldn’t understand why anyone would even think of life outside of their Amish community. By the same token, he acknowledged that not everyone appreciated the same things. As he recalled Anna sketching during class, he smiled a little. For as long as he’d known her, she’d been different from the other Amish girls he knew. Growing up, while most of them had expressed interest in making pies and sponge cakes, Anna had been sketching on her pad. And now he also knew that she’d been dreaming of studying art. But she differed in other ways, too.

  Years ago, he’d overheard her being teased about her tanned skin. It was common knowledge that she was the only one around who’d been adopted.

  Jesse frowned. He disapproved of gossip. It was hurtful. And minor stories could turn into major ones. And he’d never felt good that, to some, Anna had been considered different, even though she was. In a good way.

  Most were accepting of her; however, to his disappointment, he had overheard unkind remarks. In his heart, he knew that everyone, no matter what color his or her skin, was a child of God.

  When he nearly lost his balance, he focused his attention back on the task at hand. Paul King’s tochter was definitely made of different stuff. What she’d done at the picnic only two days ago . . . that had confirmed that nothing about her was cowardly. Jesse smiled, and his heart warmed. Because he liked everything about her.