by Mindy Steele
“Ivan doesn’t like chairs; he prefers the couch,” Katie Jo jested, her baby blue eyes looking up from her book. An hour had flown by and Adam knew he should head back to his side of the road, get an early night. He never got an answer to whether Belinda would help him again in the fall, but there would be other chances to ask.
Belinda looked at him, and catching him staring, she tried—and failed—to hide a grin. She was less nervous, here among family and familiar faces. Maybe he could coax her into meeting Marcy. He could take her himself. Just the thought of riding with her to town made his palms sweat.
“Well, I should go.” Adam stood. “Walk with me, please?” he said to Belinda.
“Of course.” Belinda handed her sister her half-full glass and followed him down the steps and across the yard.
“So there is only a day left to finish out the hives. I have a lot of work to do,” he began, as they walked toward the road.
“You’re afraid I can’t handle the last of the harvest alone, and yet, I have been doing it all along.”
“Jah,” he said, running his hat in circles through his fingers. “But I feel like I have taken advantage of your kindness.” Adam turned to face her, and she stopped and looked up to meet his eyes. He knew Mica was watching, his hawk-like gaze stalking Adam’s every move. He smiled slowly. Belinda smiled bashfully in return, moonlight glinting in her eyes, glowing over her delicate tanned features.
“I too feel like I’ve taken advantage,” she countered. “All your duties and you still deliver my flowers. Did you really mean what you said? You will still do that for me, even after the honey harvest is done?”
“I don’t say things I don’t mean,” he replied. “Belinda,” he began, heart pounding in his chest. “I have more obligations than most, right now.” Belinda deserved all the affection and time Susanne had begged for. In fact, she deserved more, and he wished he could give her the world—but instead, he had so sadly little to offer.
“You do.” Did she understand he was no longer talking about flowers or honey? Her body slightly trembled and he yearned to take her hand, explain the things going through his heart, his head. If they didn’t have an audience, he would have. “We are partners, and friends,” she continued. “I love helping you.” Long lashes swept down over her eyes before she slowly looked up to him again.
“Help me with the next harvest, then,” he blurted out. “This temporary partnership mostly benefited one of us. I will keep delivering your orders if you will help come August.” Getting to know her more, spending more time together, Belinda might see him as more than he was right now.
“I would like that.” Relief washed over her features. She had clearly been thinking he might leave her to fend for herself once he no longer needed her. Adam was finding himself struggling to leave her right now.
“Something else,” he paused as her family slowly retreated inside, leaving them alone. For once Adam praised Gott’s decision to create mosquitoes. “Go with me into town to deliver the flowers, at least once. Let me introduce you to Marcy, or Mia. You choose.” She took a step back, her brows quickly gathered into a worried look.
“Is that your part of the deal?” Her voice squeaked out.
“Nee,” he said quickly, and moved to her. “That is me asking you to trust me. See your flowers in a store window. Know how much they are appreciated. I want to show you that.”
“I don’t know,” she stuttered.
“Think on it? I’m not rushing you to decide, just encouraging you to try. If you agree, I promise I won’t leave your side. It’s the least I can do—I don’t pay you nearly enough for all you’ve done for me,” he grinned, generating a soft laugh from her.
“I’ll find a way for you to make it up to me.” She took a step back and turned to walk away. “Gut nacht, Adam Hostetler.”
He watched her stroll back to the house, to her family and all her comforts. “Gut nacht, Belinda Graber,” he whispered.
Belinda leaned on the door after closing it, releasing a pinned-up breath. Touching the mark on her face—a strawberry kiss Adam had called it—she couldn’t help but smile, her heart so giddy. Love had taken root. She would do well now to cut it, before it bloomed, before it grew deeper, before it died. Loving a man like Adam certainly would end in sadness. He might never love her back. Still she smiled. Losing was at least participating, and she never wanted the tingling to stop.
Chapter Twenty-One
Late-June heat had borne down relentlessly on the backs of men laboring all day. Adam secured the last nail into the outer wall frame. He stood and stretched out his sore back. The heatwave that had dogged Havenlee for the last couple of weeks was showing no signs of abating. He tugged on his shirt where his skin was begging for a breath.
“Here, can’t have you passing out now, can I?” Ivan offered him a bottle of water. “Lunch break,” Ivan called out to the crew of a dozen men, before turning back to Adam. “Sit with me over here. Tab made an extra meatloaf last night and I saw fit to get her worked up enough to give it to me,” he said with a devilish grin.
“I got lavender lemonade and honey kichlin.” Adam tossed him a smile. It seemed they both had become smitten with the most beautiful women in Havenlee.
“Oh, those honey kichlin.” Ivan rubbed his belly. “My mamm used to make them. Belinda’s talents in the kitchen equal those of her sister, with less snarling and snapping.” Did anything taste as satisfactory as Belinda’s cookies? Adam thought not.
“So, I know you need the money, but it wonders me why you insist on working two jobs and running a business, as well. I know the harvest is over for now, but I also heard you can be seen in the wee hours of the morning in a certain sunflower patch.”
Adam grinned. He enjoyed catching a few early morning minutes with Belinda in her gardens. They watched the sun rise, drank coffee, talked about flowers and hives and what they wanted to do with them. She had painted a glorious spoken portrait of her flower farm. Adam no longer saw it as silly, marveled that he ever had. Both of them wanted to grow what had started out as a hobby into something sustaining. There was nothing less silly than that.
“It doesn’t seem smart, and you look about ready to drop lately. You know the community has funds to help with Atlee’s medical bills. We take care of our own.” Ivan pulled out a long plastic container and opened it. He cut the meatloaf in half, placed one half on the lid, and offered it to Adam.
“Danki,” Adam said. Tabitha’s meatloaf looked a whole lot more filling than the ham and mustard sandwich he had brought.
“Extra fork is in the cooler next to the two containers of cobbler,” Ivan pointed toward the cooler.
“Peach?”
“Of course. Is there any other?” Ivan chuckled.
“I kind of have a liking for blackberry. And I know what you’re saying, but Daed doesn’t like to put a strain on the community. Not when there are others in greater need. He is getting around rather well thanks to that therapist. If it gets to be too much, I’ll let the bishop know. I’ve put a fair dent in the medical bills so far.” And he had, keeping only enough for himself to barely get by. He didn’t regret giving up most of his savings to cut the medical bill in half. At the time, building a home of his own, starting a family, had been far from his thoughts. But his thoughts were changing.
“I don’t believe you.” Ivan grinned. “Stubbornness and pride are close kin.”
Adam took a bit of meatloaf, savored the spicy flavors on his tongue.
“I heard you and Belinda will be working together come August again. She is quite the bee charmer these days.”
“She has always been a bee charmer,” Adam said with his mouth full. “I feel bad she worked so hard helping me when all I do is deliver flowers for her.” Adam forked another mouthful of meatloaf in. Tabitha made really good meatloaf.
“It’s good she does mo
re than stay home, even if your hives are just across the road. Mica says she still looks after the bees.”
“She checks them every couple of days like clockwork. She even takes Daed on a walk after lunch so Mamm can have a few minutes to herself.” The thought of her kindness, her charitable heart, made him smile.
Ivan bumped his shoulder. “She is a sweet one. I think of her like a sister.” Ivan said it so flatly Adam felt his already-warm body heat a few degrees hotter. “I hope you don’t take advantage of that sweetness.” It seemed Ivan was looking after her too. Not that Mica needed any help with his brotherly role.
“I would never do that. I would never do anything to upset Belinda or make her feel taken advantage of.” Adam looked his friend square in the eye, emphasizing his sincerity.
“I don’t believe you would. You know you both make a pair. Her flowers, your honey. It’s kind of like two sides of one business.” It wasn’t the first time Adam had considered that. The oldest romance, Mollie Bender had called it. Images of Belinda in the garden just this morning flashed before him. She had a way of making a man dream of coming home to eyes like that, beaming with love. Could he ever give Belinda the life she deserved? The moon and stars would only be a start on what she deserved—and he barely had enough in both pockets for a pack of gum. Plus, he still owed a few thousand dollars to the hospital. Paying it all off could take a couple more years.
“Ivan, I know what people must think, us spending time together. You can tell Mica I have been kind and respectful.”
“So you read minds as well as your other many talents. You can tell Mica if it’s important.” Ivan filled his mouth with the last of his share of meatloaf.
“I figured he put you up to asking.” Adam forked up some peach cobbler.
“Told you, I love her like a sister. I didn’t need to be put up to anything. I only want what’s best for her.” Ivan shifted to face him. “And why would you care what Mica thinks anyway?”
“Same as you. He is protective.” The fact couldn’t go unnoticed.
“He only acted that way when you were kinner because she came home crying every day because you or some other little bu with no good sense was always staring at her face.”
“She had a pretty face even then. Not all of us meant it in a bad way,” Adam confessed, and it felt freeing to say the words out loud.
“You’ve had eyes for our Belinda since school?” Ivan’s voice rose.
Adam shrugged. It was silly thing to admit, but the words were already out there now. “She deserves better than a bee farmer. Belinda deserves somebody who doesn’t push and who values her kind heart.”
“You’re not just a bee farmer, and no one believes you to be the kind of man who would push her into anything that would truly upset her. You underestimate yourself. Do you still like her?”
“I’m not sure how to answer that.” He felt it would be wise to tread lightly.
“It’s not a trick question.” Ivan was not the kind of man who asked many questions, but when he did, answers were expected. Adam swallowed the lump in his throat. He hadn’t truly admitted even to himself what he felt for Belinda, though he knew well enough, felt it with every fiber of his being.
“I do. She’s beautiful, funny, works harder than any woman I’ve ever known, and has a voice like an angel. What’s not to like?” he said casually, as if it was obvious and inevitable.
“Do you love her?” Adam’s mouth went dry. Did he? Ivan chuckled.
“I ruined one maedel’s plans. What makes you think I need to try doing that to another?” Adam retorted.
“That one ruined her own plans—and anyway, that was months ago, over and done with. Now back to the question. Can you see Belinda in your life?” Ivan would make a fine father someday, his patience unfailing.
“She is in my life,” Adam said.
“All right then, can you see her not in it?” That Adam hadn’t considered, and didn’t want to imagine.
“I don’t want to see that,” Adam muttered. At the very idea, his appetite vanished.
“Then I guess you have your answer.” Ivan stood. “Better go do something about that before someone else gets there first. You’re not the only man in Havenlee who has taken an interest.” Adam narrowed his eyes. “Now, let’s build a house, what do ya say?” Ivan continued. “Then maybe you can leave early and stop by the general store for something sweet for your pretty neighbor.”
“I already bought paints,” Adam said gruffly. What other men was Ivan talking about? Had someone said something to him? Was it Noel? Belinda would never take a liking to Noel, he was nearly certain.
“Did you now?” Ivan laughed. “And what is the paint for?”
“She drew these flowers on a couple of the hives and I thought she might want to paint them, make them permanent. I’m not sure if I should give them to her. A gift from me might make her run off screaming. But I want her to have them, to keep her from thinking she doesn’t matter, or that I only want her around because I needed her help. I want her to feel like I put her first, and right now, I haven’t given her a reason to feel that way. She’s been so open with me, I can’t think of ruining that because I...care for her. I’ve always cared for her. I’m such an idiot.” Adam slapped his forehead as it all became perfectly clear. “All these years she sat right across the road and I was too afraid of making her uncomfortable to go over and talk to her.”
Ivan gripped his shoulder, forcing Adam to look up. “Take her the paint. You won’t know how she’ll react if you don’t try. And your hives will look better for it. Time’s a wasting, and we get so few chances at the real thing.”
“You should take your own advice,” Adam retorted, snorting when Ivan lifted a brow, confused. “I saw how you and Tabitha stare at one another,” Adam added with a glint of humor. “You have courted a half dozen maedels and not one has stuck. Has to mean something.”
“It’s not like that. She’s my best friend’s sister. I come with an extra. You know my daed isn’t present half the time. Tab doesn’t need that, and I promise you if I did try, she’d laugh me right out the door.”
Adam put the conversation aside as all the men gathered to lift the south wall of the house in progress. Adam bent, felt the sting of hard weeks of labor, and took a deep breath. At least talking to Ivan had helped him sort out his feelings. For too long he’d thought too much about his neighbor, even arrived earlier each morning to help her cut flowers and learn their names, and lingered in the evenings after returning her buckets and pay, chatting to her about everything he could think of until he ran out of things to say.
Some of the men behind him had long poles beside them to help raise the wall. Ivan called out the count. “One. Two. Three.” Everyone lifted.
Adam felt like he was singlehandedly lifting the whole house. Lightheadedness fogged his sight and he closed his eyes in the hopes of steadying himself. His muscles strained, but he pushed through the weight bearing down on him, cursing gravity for unbalancing the score. He heard a thump next to him, and then raised voices. Adam opened his eyes, looked right at Chris Schaffer, who was nearest to him at the base of the wall. Suddenly the wall grew heavier, Chris’s face redder, and a vein protruded in the center of his forehead. More yelling. It was coming down. All Adam had to do was let go and move left or right, but a tired body didn’t always respond as quickly as it should.
The wall came down. Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t as brutal an impact as he’d expected. It was just a few boards, just heavy enough to leave a few bruises, but the impact, coupled with fatigue, shut out the world, and everything went dark.
Ivan stood in the Graber kitchen, hat in hand, talking to Belinda’s sister and grandmother.
Mammi was the first to notice her standing in the laundry room doorway. “Oh, Belinda,” Mammi sniffed and walked toward her. “Danki for getting the linens hung for me. Would
you mind checking for fresh eggs?” The long, sorrowful faces of Ivan, Tabitha, and Mammi told her some ominous secret was being hidden from her. Her first thought was of Dawdi. Had he succumbed to his disease? Why would they keep something like that from her? She wasn’t a child and was tired of being treated as one.
“I already gathered eggs this morning, like every morning. What’s going on? Is it Dawdi?” She moved past her grandmother farther into the kitchen.
“Nee, my love. Saul is faring well. Please go gather the eggs like I asked.” But Belinda didn’t move. She wasn’t leaving until she knew what they were hiding. She crossed her arms stubbornly and locked gazes with her sister.
It only took a full minute and Belinda wore her sister down. “Tell her,” Tabitha said, looking at Ivan. Belinda watched him gulp visibly. Whatever news he was withholding wasn’t good.
“Is Mica okay? Where is he?” Belinda felt her breaths began to labor. Had something terrible happened to her brother?
“Adam got hurt today,” Ivan began, not beating around the bush any longer. Belinda gasped, bringing both hands to her mouth.
“Not like that, Ivan. Men are such idiots.” Tabitha led Belinda to the table, and pushed her into a chair.
“They were framing the house and the wall fell when someone’s pole slipped. He is okay—don’t panic. But Adam did hit the ground hard enough to be sent to the hospital. He should be coming home soon. Maybe two days. He will be fine.” From Tabitha’s careful tone, Belinda knew there was a lot her sister wasn’t telling her. Tears immediately burst forth. Ivan stepped forward, knelt by her side.
“I came from there to here. Ada asked that I stop by and tell you—and see if you would look after Atlee for a time.” Ivan lowered his head and ran his hands through his hair and growled. “I should have sent him home before this even happened. It was obvious he is overworked. The man never slows down, and now...”
Tabitha reached over and placed a hand over his. “It’s not your fault. It was an accident. And he will be fine, he just needs some rest. Adam is a strong man.” Belinda watched her sister soften toward Ivan, the man who made her blood boil.
