by Amy Clipston
Of course, that’s exactly what he did. Her heart raced as he came closer, but there was nowhere for her to go. Grasping the toilet cleaner and brush, she made herself as small as possible as she crouched behind the endcap’s display of seeds, the hem of one of her oldest dresses grazing the floor.
Nina set the cleaner on the floor and gripped the edge of a shelf, praying Ira wouldn’t come any closer. She peeked around the display and watched him as he examined one of the two different hoes the Schrocks carried. He held the handle in his hand and looked at the metal blade. Her legs began to ache. Good grief, how long did it take to choose a hoe?
Finally, he walked away, hoe in hand. She let out a deep breath as she stood with her items, but she was afraid to move until Ira had time to make his purchase up front and leave. She’d wait.
When she saw Selah coming, holding three jars of honey in a Schrock’s handbasket, she jumped in front of the display as if she’d been looking at the seeds all along.
“He’s gone,” Selah said, chuckling. “Apparently he didn’t see you hiding from him back here.”
Nina didn’t see what was so funny, and she was annoyed that Selah had caught her. She could only pray that her sister-in-law was right, because if Ira did know she was hiding from him, she wouldn’t be able to face him again. She tucked the scrub brush under one arm and picked up a packet of sunflower seeds. “These would be pretty in the garden, don’t you think?”
“Ya, but we already have some planted, remember?” Selah took the packet from her and put it back. “Nina, Ira left the store. You don’t have to stay here.”
Nina stared at her feet, noticing for the first time that her shoelace was untied. “I’m hopeless, aren’t I?” she said as she placed the cleaner and brush in Selah’s basket before bending down to tie it.
Selah grinned. “Nee. You’re just a little scared.”
“A little?”
“Okay, more than a little. But don’t worry. We’ll work on that. I’m confident you’ll have the best picnic you’ve ever had on Saturday.”
Nina wasn’t so sure. “If I do decide to make a special lunch, hopefully you have enough confidence for both of us.”
* * *
Ira frowned as he walked home from Schrock’s Grocery and Tool. What in the world was going on with Nina? He’d seen her at the back of the store when he entered to pick up a couple of jars of Aden’s honey for Mamm. He started toward her, but when she ducked behind that display, he hovered over hoes he didn’t need just so he could secretly see what she was up to. He knew the aisle she was in had no other exit, so when she didn’t come out, he was baffled. But since he couldn’t stare at hoes much longer without looking seltsam, he finally took one and left. Then he not only had to buy the honey but that hoe.
Surely Nina wasn’t hiding from him. But other than Selah and Aden, the store was empty. Why else would she be crouching behind a display of seeds?
He reined in his thoughts. He hadn’t done anything that would cause her to avoid him. At least he didn’t think so. But as he thought about her behavior on Saturday coupled with how she’d just acted in the store, the combination concerned him. She wasn’t acting normally, and whether it was because he’d done something or something else was going on, he didn’t like the idea of her being out of sorts. Maybe he should go talk to her. Or maybe I should mind mei own business. Again, she knew where he was if she wanted to talk to him. But today, it seemed like she didn’t even want to be around him.
When Ira arrived home, he was still arguing with himself. He put the jars of honey on the kitchen counter and then went outside to work in the barn, where it was cooler. The walk to and from the store had been pleasant, but once he began cleaning out the stalls, he started working up a sweat.
Before long, his older brother Seth came inside the barn. He opened the side door, where he had pulled up a wagon full of baled hay, the second cut of the season. “Ira,” he hollered. “Can you give me a hand?”
Ira closed the door of the cow pen and set the shovel against the barn wall. He brushed off his hands and shimmied up the ladder to where they stored the hay. Seth put the gas-powered conveyor belt against the barn and then turned it on. Ira grabbed the bales as they reached the top of the conveyor and threw them to the side. Once the wagon was unloaded, Seth turned off the belt and then joined Ira upstairs to stack the hay.
Stacks from the first cut of hay were already on one side of the loft, so they stacked the newer hay on the opposite side. After a few minutes, Seth said, “I hear you’re going to take Margaret fishing on Saturday.”
Ira placed a bale on top of two others and then tilted his hat back to wipe the sweat from his forehead. “Who told you that?”
“Martha. She and Mamm and our schwesters got together at our haus last night to can green beans. I heard Mamm say Margaret’s arriving on Friday evening.”
“Sounds like you’re caught up on everything.” He grabbed another bale of hay.
“You know how the women like to chatter. Is Nina okay with it?”
Ira swung the bale on the top of the pile, which was nearly above his head now. He looked at Seth. “I don’t know. I haven’t told her.”
Seth paused, beads of sweat rolling down his face. The beard he’d started growing after he and Martha were married was a little past his chin now. “Why not?”
“I don’t understand why everyone is so concerned about me and Nina.” Ira turned his back on Seth and took a long drink from the water jug his brother had brought up to the loft.
“I didn’t say anything about you and Nina.” Seth came up behind him. “But if there is a you and Nina—”
“There’s not.”
Seth smirked, an annoying habit of his. “You said that pretty quickly.”
Ira spun around. “I didn’t get in yer and Martha’s business when you were dating, did I?”
“Oh, so you and Nina are dating.” Seth took a step backward, a sly grin on his face. “Nee wonder you’re so touchy.”
“I’m not touchy, and we’re not dating.” Ira put his hands on his waist, frustrated that his brother kept twisting his words, not to mention that Seth seemed entertained by it. “Drop it, okay?”
The smile slid from Seth’s face. “Okay.” He held up his hands, his expression serious. “Consider it dropped.”
They worked in silence for the rest of the time it took them to stack the hay. They were both a sweaty mess by the time they finished, but the task was done. The men shimmied down the ladder and into the cooler air of the lower part of the barn.
“Hey, I’m sorry,” Seth said. “I was just teasing you a little bit.”
Ira shrugged. “It’s fine.”
“It’s just that . . . well, you and Nina do spend a lot of time together. People are bound to wonder, you know?”
No, he didn’t know. “How many people are wondering about us?”
“Not too many,” Seth said quickly.
“Then those few people should mind their own business.” Ira took the shovel and went to the cow pen again. “I’ve got to finish this before lunch.”
Seth nodded, apparently getting the hint. “Talk to you later, then.”
After his brother left, Ira leaned against the shovel. It hadn’t occurred to him that anyone would be speculating about him and Nina. His friends never said anything. Then again, they’d all vowed not to get involved in any relationship after the Martha fiasco almost two years ago. Ira had been keen on her, as had many of the other men his age in the district. But that had been mostly because she was the only woman available. It had taken him a while to realize that. At the time he’d really believed he liked Martha. Good thing she’d been wise enough to put the brakes on a relationship with him. It hurt at the time, but he knew that had been more about his pride than his heart.
Now she was his sister-in-law, and he couldn’t imagine ever dating her much less marrying her. He’d kept his vow not to pursue another romantic involvement even after several availa
ble women came into the community. It all came down to trusting his own judgment. He was still a little embarrassed about how he’d made a fool of himself with Martha.
Ira thrust the shovel into the old hay and manure. That was also why he was content with his uncomplicated and comfortable relationship with Nina. He didn’t want that to change, not that it ever would. If he had his way, they’d be best friends for the rest of their lives.
He paused mid lift, his shovel filled with debris. Was he being fair? Surely Nina would want to get married one day. The thought of that twisted something inside him, and he flinched. Nina, as someone else’s wife. That didn’t sit well with him at all.
He shook his head. He was being ridiculous. Thinking about Nina in a romantic way was . . . Well, he didn’t know what it was. But he needed to stop listening to people like his brother. They were being gossipy, plain and simple.
Yet as he finished cleaning the cow pen, he couldn’t help still being concerned about Nina. Her recent behavior bothered him more than he wanted to admit. Something was going on with her, and he knew it wouldn’t leave his mind alone until he found out what it was. He just wasn’t sure how to do that.
Chapter 3
The rest of the week passed by quickly for Nina. Because the inn was fully booked, she was busy keeping everything clean and tidy. She did enjoy her job, and although she avoided interacting with the guests, she liked to see them happy and enjoying their stay. Between all that work and helping Grossmammi with the cooking, both for the inn and for their family, she’d put the idea of a special picnic with Ira mostly out of her mind.
Although she appreciated Selah wanting to help, Nina had to figure this out on her own, and she decided the best way to do that was to stuff her feelings way down, along with an extra slice of pie or two. Actually, she’d had three one night—and then she’d paid for it with a stomachache. She really needed to stop stress eating. That wasn’t helping.
On Friday morning, she had cleaned the last empty room upstairs, preparing it for new guests who were checking in later that day, when Selah came upstairs. “When you’re finished,” she said, “will you meet me in the kitchen at the haus?”
“Sure. I just have to finish this bathroom.”
Selah left, and Nina cleaned the bathroom until everything in it shone. Her grandmother was picky about that, and she didn’t want another lecture on the proper way to clean a bathroom. She had to admit her grandmother was right—the bathrooms did look cleaner and practically sparkled using her method. Satisfied, Nina gathered her supplies. Then she dropped them off in the mudroom before going to the house to see what Selah wanted.
When she arrived, both her grandmother and Selah were seated at the kitchen table. Nina’s stomach churned at the sight of a wicker basket in the center. A picnic basket. Oh, this didn’t bode well at all.
“Nina,” Grossmutter said, gesturing to the seat next to her. Her brown eyes were bright and full of excitement behind her glasses.
Another bad sign.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were planning to have a special picnic with Ira tomorrow?”
Nina glared at Selah, who was staring innocently at the ceiling. How could she have betrayed her like that? Knowing she didn’t have much of a choice, Nina sank into the chair just assigned to her. “I hadn’t made up mei mind about the picnic yet,” she mumbled, shooting another dark gaze at Selah, who was finally looking at her with a sheepish expression. At least she had the grace to appear apologetic.
“Of course you must have a picnic with Ira.” Her grandmother huffed. “Although at this late notice, you didn’t give us much time to plan.”
“Plan? Us?” Her stomach twisted again, and for once she wasn’t craving something to eat. Her nerves were killing her appetite, which normally wouldn’t be a bad thing. But that didn’t mean she wanted to be a nervous wreck just so she could lose a couple of pounds.
“Ya. We have to plan.” Grossmutter looked at her with a confused frown, as if Nina had suddenly lost her mind. “A picnic like this must be special, and special things must be planned.”
This was getting ridiculous. Nina rolled her eyes. “Says who?”
“Says me.” Grossmutter pulled out the pencil stub and small notebook she kept in the pocket of her apron and turned the pages of notes until she came to a blank page. “Now, I think fried chicken would be a good entrée. Not too many spices, and of course nee garlic.” She gave Nina a crafty grin. “Just in case.”
Nina crossed her arms, her face heating. Nothing like hearing her grandmother implying that she and Ira would be kissing. A shiver went down her back at the thought. Not an unpleasant shiver, either, which put another kink in her plan not to entertain any romantic notions about Ira. Not that it mattered. That plan had flown out the window the moment she thought of it. “This isn’t a gut idea,” she said, forcing her attention on the subject at hand and giving Selah another look of irritation.
Selah stared at her hands. “I guess I didn’t really think this through when I mentioned the picnic this morning,” she said.
“I’m glad you said something,” Delilah said. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have known about it.”
“I was hoping you wouldn’t,” Nina muttered.
“What?” Grossmutter turned her head to the side so her left ear was closer to Nina. “I didn’t catch that.”
“I believe I said this was going to be a friendly picnic,” Selah said, piping up. “Remember, Delilah?”
“Of course, of course. Friendly.” Grossmutter was practically bursting with glee. “Hopefully, very friendly.”
Sinking farther in her chair, Nina realized she was fighting a losing battle. This was her fault. She never should have told Selah about her feelings for Ira. She shouldn’t have feelings for him in the first place, but she was still annoyed with her sister-in-law. Selah knew better than to get Grossmutter’s hopes up when it came to possible romance.
“Fried chicken, potato salad . . .” Grossmutter made her list on the small piece of paper. Then she turned to Nina. “What’s Ira’s favorite dessert?”
“Peach cobbler,” she said, the answer automatic.
Grossmutter grinned and wrote that down. “What else does he like to eat?”
“He’s not crazy about potato salad,” she said, remembering all the times she’d eaten with the Yoders when she helped them after the fire. “He’d rather have coleslaw. Fresh bread would be good, with lots of butter. He especially likes that. I think a few pickles and some apple slices with cheese would be a gut way to round out the meal.” She paused, Grossmutter and Selah’s faces coming into view. “What?”
“That was, uh, rather specific,” Selah said, her eyebrows raised.
“You seem to know quite a bit about yer yung mann.” Grossmutter underlined the word cheese with a flourish. “All this sounds wonderful. Would he prefer lemonade or tea?”
“Tea,” Nina said weakly. “Ira doesn’t like lemons.”
Grossmutter nodded. “Tea it is, then. I have a lovely old quilt that will be perfect for laying out the food.” She turned to Nina and patted her hand. “Don’t you worry about any of this. Selah and I will prepare everything. All you have to do is wear yer cleanest dress.” She frowned a little. “Too bad we didn’t get a chance to start making yer new dresses this week.”
That had been by design. Nina had made sure she was too busy for a measuring session, despite her grandmother pestering her about it. Her self-esteem couldn’t take that right now. “I’ll be fishing, remember? I don’t need a new dress.”
“Fishing,” Grossmutter said with a little chuckle as she got up from the table. “Sure you will.”
“Grossmutter!” She shook her head. She had to have the most incorrigible grandmother in the state. Or on the planet.
“I’ll geh get that quilt. I know exactly where it is.” She whistled as she walked away.
After she left, Nina turned on Selah. “I can’t believe this,” she said, lifting her hands in the
air. “Why did you tell her about Ira and me? You know how she is!”
“I’m sorry!” Selah said, her contrite expression genuine. “I just casually mentioned the picnic. I promise. Then she started asking more questions, and I couldn’t lie to her. Suddenly she was running away with the idea.”
Nina rubbed her temples with her fingertips. “Now I have to geh through with this.”
“It won’t be so bad.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I know Ira is a very nice mann. And remember, if you don’t want to reveal how you feel, you don’t have to.”
“But he’ll wonder why I went to all this trouble.”
“Then you tell him the truth.” Selah grinned. “Yer grossmutter made you do it.”
“And mei schwester,” she said, but at least she was able to smile back. She had to focus on the positive. Selah was right. A picnic might not be so bad, and if it did go south, she could always blame her grandmother.
And if by the slimmest chance something sparked between her and Ira, it could be a wonderful time. Just her and the man she loved, eating delicious fried chicken while enjoying the afternoon breeze. Gazing into each other’s eyes, his face moving closer to hers as if he wanted to kiss her . . .
The nerves in her stomach transformed into butterflies. Maybe it wasn’t out of the question that Ira might like her. Maybe this Saturday would be the best day of her life. It couldn’t hurt to hope, could it?
* * *
When Ira finished working on the farm Friday afternoon, he took a quick shower upstairs before supper. After he dressed, he descended the stairs just at the moment the front door opened. A young woman about his age walked inside, his father coming in behind her. “Just in time,” Daed said, gesturing with his head to the suitcase he carried. “Ira, you remember Margaret.”
He halted, a little dumbstruck. She wasn’t the awkward tomboy he remembered. She was petite, slim, and very feminine. “Hello,” he said, finding his words. “You’ve, uh, changed a bit.”
