Fannie swallowed hard against the sudden tightness in her throat. How were she and Noah going to get out of this mess without hurting both their mothers?
Chapter Five
“Mamm, I don’t think this is a good idea.”
From inside their buggy, Fannie looked over the vehicles in the parking lot beside the fire station late on Wednesday afternoon. There were six buggies parked along the edge of the gravel lot. The rest were pickups, a motorcycle, several scooters, a few bicycles and two SUVs. Several dozen spectators, Amish and English men and women, sat in the bleachers behind the backstop. Four young Amish boys sat in the grass along the third base line. If she walked out to talk to Noah, the whole community would be speculating about their relationship before the next church meeting.
Fannie’s mother made a shooing motion with her hand. “All men like to eat. Have faith in your mother. I snagged your father, didn’t I? It was no easy task, but it was my cooking that did the trick. Now, go speak to Noah. I expect you home before dark.”
Fannie got out of the buggy with a large hamper over her arm. Noah stood on the pitcher’s mound facing a batter. He hadn’t seen her yet. He leaned forward with the ball behind his back. He adjusted the brim of his ball cap, nodded once, checked the runners on second and third base and then threw a lightning-fast pitch. The umpire called a strike.
The ball field was a recent addition to the fire station grounds. The previous fall more than a dozen fires had been started in their community. Many Amish thought English teenagers were setting the blazes and distrust of the English ran high. When they learned the arsonist was an Amish person, the son of the school board president, everyone was shocked. In gratitude for the firemen’s hard work, and to ease a few consciences, the men of the community improved a field behind the station from a cow pasture to a well-maintained ball diamond.
Fannie walked to the edge of the backstop. “Excuse me. May I speak with you?”
The umpire, the man she assumed was their coach, called a halt to the practice. He took off his face mask and she recognized Eric Swanson, the captain of the local fire department. “Is there something I can do for you, miss?”
“I have some snacks that I thought your players might enjoy.”
He glanced at his watch. “That’s real kind. We have about thirty minutes of practicing left. If you would like to leave them here, that would be fine.”
Fannie was tempted to leave the hamper and scamper back to the buggy, but one look at her mother’s face convinced her she needed to remain where she was. “Might I have a word with Noah first?”
The man frowned, but motioned for Noah to come in. “Take five, guys.”
Noah trotted over to where she stood. “Fannie, what are you doing here? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong. You invited me.” She felt like a complete fool as the rest of the team and spectators stared at them.
Noah didn’t look happy. “You didn’t exactly express an interest in my invitation at the time.”
“Mamm has changed my mind for me.” Fannie looked over her shoulder in time to see her mother turn the buggy around and head toward home.
Noah shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
She lowered her voice to a whisper hoping they wouldn’t be overheard. “I’m here to impress you with my baking skills and show you I’m interested in all that you do. According to my mother, I have to put more effort into impressing you. Please act impressed instead of annoyed.”
He frowned. “This is the reason you interrupted our practice?”
She glanced around at the people staring at them. “What did you imagine I would do when you invited me?”
“I don’t know. Sit quietly on the sideline and watch.”
“In other words, be meek and silent as a good Amish woman should.”
“I don’t know why I thought you could manage that.”
“Noah, can this wait until later?” his coach asked.
“Sure,” Noah said loudly before turning back to Fannie. “Thanks for coming, but I have to finish practicing.”
He wasn’t overjoyed to see her, but she’d expected as much. Pretending to enjoy someone’s company was much harder than she thought it would be. “Mamm left me here, so you will have to take me home afterward.”
“I can’t. I have plans. Captain Swanson surprised us all with tickets to the Cleveland Indians game tonight and we’ll barely make it if we leave here right after practice. I don’t have time to take you home.”
“What am I supposed to do?” she asked with a quick frown.
“It isn’t that far for you to walk.”
“Walk home alone?”
“Why don’t you ask one of the other Amish guys to take you? I’m sure someone will. Ask the bishop’s son, Rob Beachy, he’s here. His cousin Simon plays shortstop for us.”
It wasn’t a long walk. Less than two miles but that wasn’t the problem. “Arriving home alone will surely convince my mother you are growing fonder of me by the hour. Letting the bishop’s son take me home will convince her you are head over heels in love with me,” Fannie said through gritted teeth, not holding back her sarcasm.
Noah’s face hardened with displeasure as he leaned close. “I’m not going to miss a Cleveland game for the sake of a courtship that’s not real.”
“I don’t imagine you’d miss that for a real courtship. Woe to the woman you pick to be your wife, Noah Bowman, that’s all I can say. Enjoy the food. I hope it chokes you.” She shoved the hamper into his hands and marched away. She wasn’t about to sit and watch him practice his silly game.
* * *
Noah wanted to call Fannie back but thought better of it. There wasn’t any point in trying to talk to her when she was upset. She could be the most stubborn, irritating and frustrating woman he’d ever met. It took her all of ten seconds to have him seeing red.
No, it wasn’t all her fault. He’d spent an hour today listening to his mother sing Fannie’s praises and offering him advice on courting her. He’d been ready to confess everything, except he knew what was at stake for both himself and Fannie. The deception didn’t sit well with him, but he shouldn’t have taken his sour mood out on her. She might have suggested the idea, but he was the one who jumped on the wagon when it looked like his plans for the summer were in jeopardy.
Eric Swanson came up beside him. “Noah, I don’t normally make a point of getting involved in my player’s personal lives, but may I give you some advice?”
“I reckon you will, no matter what I say.” Eric was Noah’s friend as well has his coach and captain of the fire department. He respected Eric opinion.
“I played for two years in the minors.”
“For the Red Sox farm team. I know.”
“In all that time, I rarely saw a pitcher with the kind of speed and control you have. I’ve been talking to people I know about you. Don’t let something or someone distract you now, when we are so close to getting you in front of major-league scouts.”
Noah shook his head. “I won’t.”
Fannie wouldn’t become a distraction if he kept his head in the game.
“I’ll see that he stays with the program,” Walter said, joining them as he tossed the ball in the air and caught it.
Eric nodded once. “Good. Let’s win the next four games and get this team to the state invitational. I understand you must have conflicted feelings, Noah. I’m not pressing you to make a decision you aren’t ready to make. Just keep an open mind and give the team your all.”
“I will.” Noah smacked his fist into his glove.
“All right. Play ball,” Eric yelled.
Walter smiled at Noah as he handed him the ball. “I respect your religious beliefs, too, and I understand if you choose to stay here, but I don’t want to spend
my life in Bowmans Crossing growing corn and milking cows with my dad. I never got to college, my folks didn’t have the money for it, so I couldn’t play college ball and get noticed that way. This could be my only shot at the pros. I’m not getting any younger, so keep your head in the game and not on a girl.”
“It’s not serious.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Maybe a scout will pick both of us up for the same team. Wouldn’t that be a hoot? You and me, pitching and catching in the major leagues. We’d put Bowmans Crossing on the map.”
Noah walked back to the mound. He wasn’t sure he wanted a life outside the Amish, but what if Eric was right? What if he was good enough? Didn’t he deserve a chance to find out?
If he failed, he would know for certain it was because God wanted him here.
* * *
Noah left the blacksmith’s shop on Thursday afternoon a little before six. He had come to consult with John Miller about a crack in Ginger’s back hoof that his brother Joshua had discovered. John promised he would be over the next day to fit her with a special shoe to protect her foot from further injury. Noah had left her in a box stall to limit her movements until then.
At the bottom of the hill, Noah saw a young Amish girl cantering along the river’s edge and wondered if she was headed to Connie Stroud’s place. Today was the day Fannie told him that her group was practicing.
He hesitated as he wrestled with his conscience. He hadn’t come this way with the intention of going on to Connie’s farm, but he knew he should. He and Fannie had not parted on the best of terms the day before. She’d made an effort to come see him play ball. The least he could do in return was to watch the drill team that meant so much to her. It was a small olive branch but it was worth a try. The way things were going between them now, no one was going to believe they were courting seriously. He just hoped Fannie didn’t run him off as soon as he poked his head into the barn.
Willy resisted slightly when Noah turned him away from home, but he was soon trotting along nicely. The rhythmic clatter of Willy’s hooves on the pavement and the gentle creak and jingle of his harness were familiar sounds Noah had heard all his life. He could hear the birds in the trees along the river and the sound of the wind sighing through the branches. It was soothing to his troubled heart.
When a car roared around him and sped away, he spared a moment to pity the driver who was missing so much of God’s beauty along this winding country road.
He turned into Connie’s lane a mile and a half farther down the highway. White board fences lined both sides of the drive. On one side, golden Haflinger mares grazed peacefully while their frisky foals raced to the fence to gaze at Noah and whinny at the unfamiliar horse.
Half a dozen horses of assorted colors were tied to the hitching rail beside the barn. He tied Willy up beside them and walked into the riding arena.
Eight girls, including Fannie, were already mounted on matching Haflingers. Music blared from a speaker on the railing as the group cantered down the center of the arena by twos. At the far end, they split apart and circled back to their starting point, keeping close to the railing. He stood quietly and watched them work as they repeated the maneuver. He knew all of the girls except for two. They must belong to another church group.
“What do you think of them?”
He turned to see Connie had come in behind him. She moved up to the rail and leaned on it as he was doing. “The spacing between them needs to be tightened. Other than that, they make a pretty sight.”
“Haflingers are so much more than pretty ponies. That’s what I want people to see.”
“If anyone can prove that point, Fannie can.”
“She is throwing her heart into this. I would like to see her succeed for her own sake and not just for the sake of my farm.”
The riders came halfway down the railings and turned in to form two circles in the center of the ring, all while maintaining the same speed. One of the horses sped up and bumped into the horse in front of it. Fannie immediately called a halt to the exercise. Noah could hear her talking softly to the inattentive rider. She didn’t look or sound upset. It surprised him a little when she patted the girl’s arm and said something to make her smile.
The group all walked back to where Connie was standing. There were several unhappy faces on the young riders.
“These things are going to happen,” Fannie said. “No one should be upset. Better that they happen in practice and not during a show.”
“Have they had a good warm-up?” Noah asked, noting how restless some of the horses were acting.
He couldn’t tell if Fannie was happy to see him or not.
“We were late getting started so we went straight into our routine,” she said.
“Giving them a warm-up will help both your horses and your riders settle in.”
“He’s right,” Connie said. “Most of the horses have been in their stalls all day and they are eager to stretch their legs.”
Fannie got off her mare. “All right, take them around a few times and let them work off some steam.”
“Take them outside into the south paddock where there is more room to run,” Connie suggested.
“Be back in ten minutes,” Fannie said.
The riders happily complied and they were soon out the doors and galloping across the green field, except for one. Susan Yoder had been stopped by George, who was lounging against the side of the barn with a broom in his hand.
“George, I need your help moving a stock tank,” Connie called across the way.
“I can help you,” Noah offered.
“Thanks, but I’d rather get George away from Susan. She’s only fifteen and he’s almost twenty. I’ll be back when the girls come in.” She walked away, leaving Fannie and Noah alone.
“Doesn’t Trinket need a warm-up?” Noah stroked the mare’s nose.
“We had a good gallop on the way over. What are you doing here?”
“You invited me, remember?”
“Barely, but I didn’t expect you to interfere with our practice.”
“What did you imagine I would be doing when you invited me? Ah, wait. Let me guess. I’m to sit quietly on the sideline and watch. Is it all right to say I’m sorry for that remark? I had my own mouth-before-brain moment. Does it sound familiar?”
She almost smiled. “Maybe. So, why did you come today?”
“Because it’s what I would do if I was your boyfriend. Was your mother upset that I didn’t take you home last night, or did you get in undetected?”
“She and Daed were still up when I got home. Mamm was disappointed, but when I told them you had tickets to a Cleveland Indians game, Daed said he completely understood. He said he had gone to a game once and has always wanted to go again.”
“He should go to the spring training camp. I know several Amish families who time their vacations to do just that. The atmosphere then is not as rowdy as their regular-season games. It’s much more suited to a family outing.”
“I’ll tell him. Did they win?”
“They did. It was an awesome game. It made the long drive there and back worthwhile.”
“I’m glad that you got to go, then.” She sounded as if she meant it.
“Danki. And I haven’t thanked you for the brownies and cookies you brought us. Everyone on the team appreciated them, including me.”
She peeked at him from beneath lowered lashes. “They didn’t choke you?”
He chuckled. “Not a bit. They must have been one of your better efforts.”
“They were.”
At least she hadn’t ordered him off the property. He relaxed and sought to draw her out. “I’ve seen a few horse drill teams before. Tell me what you are planning for your riders.”
“We have covered the basic patterns. Straight line abrea
st, where horses and riders travel side by side. Then the nose-to-tail exercise, which lines the team up front to back.”
“Along the rail?”
“It can be done along the rail, but we are working on a serpentine pattern around the arena. After that move, we line up. Everyone rides single file down the centerline, and when they reach the end of the arena, the first rider and horse turn left. The second rider and horse turn right, and so on. When our two lines meet at the centerline again, riders and their horses pair up and continue riding.”
“Sounds complicated.”
“It’s easier to understand when you see us in action. I’m hoping to add some advanced maneuvers after our first show on Saturday.”
“What would that be?”
“A ninety-degree turn. We will ride single file along the rail and then riders turn their horses to the center of the arena at the same time. We go from riding nose to tail to riding abreast. When we reach the other side of the arena, we turn in the opposite direction so we are riding nose to tail again.”
“A neat move, if you can pull it off.”
“We can. We will.”
“I like your confidence. There must be other moves.”
“We haven’t started practicing them yet, but once we have the basics down we’ll add a mini sweep.”
“Explain that.”
“We ride along the rail of the arena in an oblique pattern. Someone looking at it from the side would see each horse’s nose is in line with the knee of the rider in front of it. What you saw us trying a while ago is called a pinwheel.”
“I’ve seen that done.”
“Susan and I hold our horses side by side in the center of the arena, facing opposite directions. We’re called the pivots. The other girls line up alongside us, facing the same direction as the pivot rider. Then the whole formation rotates around us while we circle our horses in place.”
Their Pretend Amish Courtship Page 6
