by Amy Clipston
Kevin jammed his thumb toward the road. “He should be here in a while. He told me he would be late today, but that’s okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Why don’t you call and tell him to come later?”
“Why?”
“Help me unload all this at mei haus, and then you can join my family for supper.” Although Freeman Kurtz was a few inches shorter than Kevin, with graying, light-brown hair, a matching beard, and powder-blue eyes that mirrored Phoebe’s, he was an imposing man. His stern demeanor commanded respect from both his employees and his customers, but he was also fair and caring with his employees and offered them guidance and assistance when needed.
In some ways, Freeman reminded Kevin of his own father, who had been stern but also caring and kind beneath his cool exterior. The thought tugged at Kevin’s heart.
“Oh.” Kevin studied his boss, a little stunned. “Danki, but that’s not necessary. I can—”
“I insist.” Freeman patted Kevin’s shoulder. “My older dochder is home, and her boyfriend might even be there since he frequently joins us for supper. You’re a gut worker, and I’d like my whole family to meet you. So far, you’ve only met Phoebe, right?” He steered Kevin toward the truck.
Why was Freeman so determined to introduce him to the rest of his family? Did this have anything to do with Phoebe? Did he want something to develop between them? Or did he suspect something was going on and wanted to size him up away from the job site?
When they arrived, they unloaded everything in a large barn that had been converted to a workshop. Then Kevin went into Freeman’s office in the back to use the phone. He left a voice mail message for his brother, explaining he wouldn’t be home for supper. Then he dialed his driver’s cell phone number and told him he’d call when he needed to go home.
“You ready?” Freeman asked as Kevin stepped out of the office.
“Ya. Danki.” Kevin walked with Freeman out of the barn and toward the sweeping back porch of the large, two-story brick house. His heartrate ticked up when he imagined Phoebe in the kitchen. Clad in a light-blue dress that brought out the blue in her eyes, she’d looked radiant this morning.
He swallowed a groan and shoved that image out of his head. He couldn’t allow himself or anyone else to think she could ever be more than a friend to him. He’d been tempted to say yes when she invited him to her next youth gathering, but then he recalled how out of place he’d felt with her friends. He’d never fit in with her or any of them. Their age and immaturity would always force a wedge between them.
“We’re both dirty from working all day.” Freeman gestured toward his soiled blue shirt. “We can wash up out here by the yard pump, and I can loan you a fresh shirt from my office. I always keep a couple out there.”
“Danki,” Kevin said.
After washing his hands and face by the yard pump, Kevin changed into a fresh gray shirt.
Then Kevin followed Freeman up the porch steps and into a mudroom, where they removed their hats and work boots. The aroma of beef filled his nostrils, reminding him that lunch had been nearly six hours earlier.
The three Kurtz women were scurrying around as he and Freeman entered the large kitchen. Phoebe reached into the oven while a pretty redhead placed drinking glasses on the table, set for four.
Freeman’s wife set a basket of bread on the table and then turned toward them. She smiled when she saw Kevin. “Hi, there.” Then she said to Freeman, “Do we have a guest tonight?”
“Ya,” Freeman said. “Kevin, I’d like you to meet Lynn, mei fraa. Lynn, I invited Kevin to join us for supper.”
“Wunderbaar!” Lynn announced as she opened a cabinet and pulled out another dinner plate.
Freeman moved to the sink to wash his hands.
The redhead approached Kevin as she wiped her hands down the front of her apron. “So, you’re Kevin. I’m Christiana. I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Kevin glanced at Phoebe, who now leaned against the kitchen counter, holding a large casserole dish. Her cheeks were stained bright pink, and she looked adorable. “Hi, Phoebe.”
“Hello.” Phoebe nodded and then turned to her sister. “Would you please put the big trivet on the table?”
“Ya.” Christiana grinned at Phoebe as if she were having a silent conversation with her.
Phoebe’s eyes rounded and then went back to normal size. Her sister set the trivet in the center of the table, and Phoebe carried the dish over and set it down.
Kevin walked to the table and peered down at the casserole. It looked like a version of beef and noodles. “That smells appeditlich. What is it?”
Christiana’s grin widened. “It’s called Yumazuti. Phoebe made it. She’s a great cook.”
“Not really.” Phoebe shook her head and crossed the floor to the counter. She seemed embarrassed by her sister’s compliment.
“She is a great cook,” Lynn chimed in.
Phoebe shot her mother a look that seemed to ask her to be quiet. Why was she so nervous and sheepish? She’d always seemed so confident and comfortable in her own skin when they talked at the job site. She’d even been that way the day they were at the lake—until he’d clammed up without explanation. He felt sorry about that.
“Why don’t you wash up, Kevin?” Freeman dried his hands with a paper towel as Kevin moved to the sink.
“I’m so glad you could join us tonight,” Lynn said as she set utensils and a drinking glass by the additional place setting.
Kevin looked over his shoulder. “Danki.”
“Jeff isn’t here tonight?” Freeman asked Christiana.
“He had to help his dat and bruder with a project at the farm. He said he might come for supper tomorrow night, though.”
“Everything is ready,” Lynn announced. “Let’s eat.”
“Kevin, you can sit by Phoebe,” Christiana told him.
He grabbed a paper towel and turned toward the table, where Phoebe was glaring at her sister. Then she turned toward Kevin, and her glare melted into a tentative smile. Something was wrong, and he longed to read her thoughts. Was she upset because he was there? Maybe she caught his hesitation when she asked him to join her youth group again and wasn’t too thrilled to see him. He probably should have gone home as originally planned.
Well, he didn’t want to upset his boss. He would just have to make the best of it. At least supper smelled delicious.
* * *
As Phoebe sank into the chair beside Kevin, she longed to crawl under the table and hide from him.
When he’d appeared in the kitchen, she thought she was dreaming. After all, he’d hovered at the back of her thoughts ever since she’d been at the job site earlier. But it wasn’t a dream. He was standing there, staring at her. And he looked just as handsome as he had then.
Now he was sitting right next to her, and she was aware that he smelled of moist earth, soap, and just a hint of sweat as his leg brushed hers when he pulled in his chair. Her heart did a strange flip-flop, and she tried in vain to ignore it.
When her father lowered his head for silent prayer, she didn’t join in. Instead she looked down at her lap and tried to slow her pulse to a normal pace. But her mind raced with questions. Why had Dat invited Kevin for supper? Would this become a regular occurrence? But why? And if so, how would she ever grow accustomed to sitting next to him?
Her father shifted in his seat and began spooning casserole onto his plate. Then Phoebe sat up straight and took a roll from the basket before passing it to Kevin.
“Danki.” His smile was warm, and her pulse jumped once again.
“So, Kevin, how do you like working as a brick mason?” Mamm asked.
“I like it a lot. It’s been a great opportunity,” Kevin responded as he buttered his roll.
“He’s doing a great job,” Dat chimed in.
Phoebe sensed someone was looking at her, and she glanced across the table at Christiana, who gave her another big grin. When wou
ld her sister stop making such a big deal about Kevin’s presence? Phoebe was nervous enough without Christiana’s adding fuel to the fire!
Turning her attention to the meal, Phoebe dropped a scoop of casserole onto her plate and focused on eating without making eye contact with anyone.
Mamm continued peppering Kevin with questions. “I understand your bruder runs a dairy farm and you live there. Is that right?”
“Ya. The farm has been in my family for a few generations. When mei dat died, mei bruder took it over. He told me I could keep working there, but he has a sohn to continue the business. When I heard about the apprentice position with Freeman’s company, I thought it would be a good opportunity to start my own career.”
Kevin shifted in his seat, and his leg brushed against Phoebe’s again. She tried to breathe evenly and keep her eyes focused on her plate.
“I’m sorry you lost your dat,” Christiana said.
“Danki. Mei bruder pretty much raised me.” While Kevin explained how he had lost his parents and when, Phoebe lost herself in thoughts of the youth group event on Sunday.
“Phoebe?”
“What?” Phoebe’s head popped up, and she found all the eyes in the room focused on her. Her cheeks ignited as she glanced around the table. “What did you say?”
Christiana gave her a knowing smile. “Kevin said the casserole is appeditlich.”
“Oh.” Phoebe looked at Kevin, who was studying her. “Danki.”
“Gern gschehne.” His gaze lingered on her, and she felt itchy in her own skin. If only she could hear his thoughts.
Mamm spent the remainder of the meal asking Kevin about his family, and he shared stories about his niece’s and nephew’s antics, making everyone laugh.
At the end of the meal, Phoebe helped Mamm and her sister clear away the dishes. Then after they all ate some of Christiana’s carrot cakes, Kevin followed her father out to the porch with coffee in hand.
Phoebe carried the dessert dishes to the sink.
“He seems nice,” Mamm said as she wiped down the table.
Christiana set a pile of utensils on the counter. “And he’s handsome. I can see why you like him.”
“Shh,” Phoebe hissed as she pointed to the open window that faced the porch. “He’ll hear you.”
Her sister waved off her worry. “They aren’t paying any attention. They’re probably talking about bricks.”
Phoebe pressed her lips together and began filling the sink with water. Frustration tightened the muscles in her back.
“Was iss letz?” Mamm asked.
Phoebe spun to face her. “He doesn’t like me.” She worked to keep her voice low. “He sat here and had a nice meal with my family, but he doesn’t think of me as a possible girlfriend. Maybe not even as a gut freind. I don’t know why, and it’s driving me narrisch.”
“Doesn’t like you?” Christiana said as she and Mamm shared a look. “I think he does like you.”
Mamm nodded. “He kept looking at you during supper, and if you had looked up, you would have seen him. I think your dat even noticed.”
“If that’s true, why won’t he go to another youth gathering with me?”
Mamm and Christiana shared another look, and Phoebe turned back to the sink. Hopelessness washed over her, causing her eyes to sting with threatening tears. She had a crush on a man who wasn’t interested in her, and pain sliced through her soul.
No wonder it was called a “crush.”
* * *
Freeman rocked back and forth in his chair beside Kevin while the cicadas serenaded them. “I think you have a gut future with my company. You’re a quick learner and a hard worker.”
“Danki.” Kevin stared out toward the lush, green pasture and row of red barns behind Freeman’s house and breathed in the aroma of coffee mixed with grass. Above them, the setting sun sent streaks of orange across the sky. It was a beautiful night, and his belly was full of delicious food.
Kevin smiled to himself as he swallowed the last sip of coffee in his mug. Behind him, he heard Phoebe talking with her mother and sister through an open window, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying. His curiosity piqued.
Phoebe had been so quiet during supper. She’d spent most of the meal studying her plate as if it held all the answers to her worries. He longed to get her alone and ask if she was upset with him. Or maybe she was upset about something else.
But it wasn’t any of his business if something was bothering her, and he couldn’t help it if he’d upset her. He didn’t know her well, he didn’t have the right to ask her personal questions, and he couldn’t risk getting involved with her. She wasn’t his close friend, and she never would be.
The screen door clicked open, and Phoebe appeared on the porch.
“Phoebe! Join us.” Freeman gestured toward the glider beside him.
“No, danki.” She pointed to his coffee mug. “I’m just here to collect your mugs so we can finish up in the kitchen.”
Freeman sighed. “I suppose it is time to check on the animals and then get ready for bed.”
Phoebe nodded, and when her gaze met Kevin’s, he felt a stirring in his chest. Something in her eyes drew him to her. What was wrong with him?
Freeman stood and handed her his mug. “I’m going to head to the barn.” He turned to Kevin. “Would you like to come call your driver?”
“Ya, danki.” But Kevin couldn’t seem to make himself move, and Freeman stared at him for a moment before looking at his daughter and then back at him again.
“All right, then. Be sure to grab a lantern before you come.” Freeman picked up one of the two lanterns sitting on the table between the rocking chairs and then started down the porch steps.
Kevin turned to Phoebe. “Supper was amazing.”
“I’m glad you liked it.” She held out her hand for the mug.
When he handed it to her, his fingers brushed hers, and an explosion of heat seared his nerves and zipped up his arm. He studied Phoebe’s face to see if she’d felt it, too, but she continued to stare up at him, her expression unreadable. Yet nothing there seemed . . . immature.
“Have a gut night,” she said, her voice soft.
“You too.”
Then she turned and entered the house, the screen door clicking again behind her.
Kevin grabbed the lantern and made his way toward the barn with the phone, confusion bogging his steps. He’d never felt a spark like that with any other woman—not even Mary. The notion both thrilled and terrified him. His heart longed to get to know Phoebe better. But Freeman had looked like he was suspicious, and he couldn’t afford to let his feelings be so obvious to him or to his daughter.
If only growing close to Phoebe wouldn’t lead to all kinds of trouble.
The solution hit him as he walked into the barn. He would ignore his attraction to her and do his best to remain distant if she visited the job sites. That way, he wouldn’t risk causing problems with his job or involvement with a woman too young for him. For now, his goal of independence had to come first.
But as simple as that solution seemed, Kevin still wondered if Phoebe had felt that spark too.
Chapter 4
Phoebe slipped the customer’s baked goods into a bag and then handed her a few bills and a couple of coins in change. “Thank you for coming to the Bake Shop today. Please come see us again.”
“Oh, I will, honey,” the woman said as she slipped the money into her purse. “You have the best whoopie pies in all of Lancaster County. I’ll be back before you know it.”
Phoebe leaned on the counter after the woman disappeared and then turned to Christiana, who was placing a cookie sampler on a nearby shelf. “I can’t believe how busy it’s been, and we just opened an hour ago.”
“Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, so the tourists are here in full force for the holiday weekend. I’m so glad you’re here to help me.” Christiana set another sampler box on the shelf.
“I am too.”
&nbs
p; Phoebe plastered a smile on her face as three Englischer women stepped into the booth. “Good morning. Welcome to the Bake Shop. May I help you?”
One of the women gave Phoebe a little wave. “Hi there. We heard you have fantastic cookies. Do you have oatmeal raisin and macadamia nut?”
“Absolutely. Follow me.” Phoebe led her to the cookie display and helped her find what she wanted.
Soon she was back at the register, taking the customers’ money and packing up their goods. She was handing the last woman her change when she heard a familiar voice. She glanced up, and her heart seemed to leap into her throat. Christiana was talking to Dat and Kevin, who both held coffee cups from her cousin Bethany’s coffee and donut booth. It had been more than two weeks since she’d seen Kevin, and she had tried her best to convince herself she was over her attraction to him.
But now as she took in his handsome face and enticing smile, the familiar longing skittered through her.
“Miss?”
“Ya?” Phoebe looked at the customer. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
The woman grinned and pointed to the bag in Phoebe’s hand. “I asked if you would please hand me my bag.”
“I’m so sorry.” Phoebe handed her the bag, and then she gripped the edge of the counter with both hands as the women exited the booth. While she longed to join Christiana’s conversation with Dat and Kevin, she also had no idea what she would say.
“Phoebe! Kumm!” Christiana waved her over. “I was just telling Dat and Kevin about the brilliant idea you had earlier.”
Phoebe crossed the floor to where they all stood, another smile plastered on her face, and then nodded at Kevin.
“Wie geht’s?” he asked as he smiled back.
“I’m fine. You?”
“I’m great.” He held up the cup. “Your dat insisted I have some of Bethany’s kaffi. He says it’s the best in town, and he’s right.”
Dat chuckled. “Bethany won’t share her secret, but it’s amazing.”
Kevin took a sip and nodded. “It sure is. We were on our way to our new job site after getting supplies when your dat decided to stop by.”
“What is this brilliant idea?” Dat asked.
