The Healing

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

“They’re a little better.” Timothy reached for another piece of bread and slathered it with peanut butter. “I’ve been trying to do more things to help Hannah at home, and I’ve taken her and Mindy on a couple of picnics so far this summer.”

  “Is she still going over to her mamm’s every day?” Abraham questioned.

  “Nope. She goes over about once a week, and I’m okay with that.”

  Fannie smiled. “I’m glad to hear it.”

  Timothy nodded. “I just hope it lasts.”

  “As long as you keep working on your marriage, I’m sure things will only get better,” Fannie said. “Oh, and by the way, while you two were out working in the fields this morning, I checked our phone messages, and there was one from Titus.”

  “What’s new with him?” Abraham asked as he reached for the platter full of lunchmeat and cheese.

  “He and Suzanne have set a date for their wedding. It’ll be on the second Thursday of October.”

  “Did you tell him we’d all be there to witness their marriage?” Timothy asked.

  She nodded. “I can’t wait to see Titus again as well as Samuel and his kinner.”

  “Same here,” Timothy agreed. “It’ll not only be good to see everyone, but I’m anxious to see what Kentucky’s like.”

  Fannie frowned. “I didn’t see anything special about it when we were there last year.”

  Abraham bumped her arm with his elbow. “But Titus and Samuel seem to like Kentucky, so maybe they see something that you might have missed.”

  “Jah, maybe so.” With a shiver of apprehension, Fannie

  sent up a silent prayer: I know Timothy said he’d never move because of Hannah, but please, Lord, don’t let him change his mind and take his family from here.

  CHAPTER 41

  Pembroke, Kentucky

  Esther hummed as she cleaned up the kitchen. Things were going so well in her life these days, she felt like pinching herself. During the last few weeks, she’d gone out to supper with Samuel and his children in Hopkinsville, they’d all gone fishing together twice, and she’d shared another picnic supper with Samuel and the children—this time at the pond. Tonight, Samuel and the children would be coming to the B&B for supper again, and she could hardly wait. While Samuel hadn’t actually said he loved her, or was thinking of getting married again, the time they’d spent together so far had been quite pleasant, and he’d been very attentive to her needs. The children, of course, seemed to enjoy having Esther around, so she was fairly certain they would accept the idea of her marrying their father, should Samuel ever propose.

  I shouldn’t get my hopes up, Esther thought as she grabbed a sponge and began wiping the table. As much as I desire to become Samuel’s wife and the mother of his children, it might never happen. And if that’s how it goes, then as much as it will hurt, I’ll

  need to accept it as God’s will.

  As she rinsed the sponge, Esther turned her thoughts to other things. Bonnie had called last night, saying her father was much better and that she’d be returning to Kentucky. In fact, her plane would arrive in Nashville late this afternoon, and she’d contacted Allen about picking her up.

  If they get here in time for supper, maybe Allen would like to join us, Esther thought. She hadn’t seen him since the day he’d helped her pick beans, but Samuel had mentioned that Allen had been really busy with work, so she figured that was probably why he hadn’t dropped by again.

  A knock sounded on the back door, and Esther dried her hands and went to answer it. She was surprised to see Ethan Zook on the porch.

  “Guder mariye,” he said with a grin. “The locust are rattling from the trees pretty good, and it looks like it’s gonna be another hot one today, jah?”

  Esther nodded. “It was hot yesterday and didn’t cool down much during the night, so it’ll probably be hot and sticky the whole day.”

  Ethan’s boots scraped noisily against the porch as he shuffled his feet a few times. “The reason I came by is … Well, I’m goin’ to the Walmart store in Hopkinsville this afternoon and wondered if you’d like to go along.” He shuffled his feet a few more times. “Thought maybe after we’re done shoppin’ we could eat supper at whichever restaurant you choose.”

  “I appreciate your asking,” Esther said, “but I have other plans for this evening.”

  Ethan dropped his gaze to the porch. “Sorry to hear that. I was hopin’ you’d be free to go with me.”

  “Maybe some other time,” Esther said, although she didn’t know why. She had no interest in going anywhere with Ethan, and since it appeared that she and Samuel were courting, she probably should have told Ethan that she’d been seeing Samuel instead of letting him believe she might be available to go out with him some other time. But if she’d told him that, he may have repeated it to someone else, and if Samuel heard it and didn’t really have courting on his mind, it could be quite embarrassing—for both her and Samuel.

  Esther was about to tell Ethan good-bye, when he leaned close to the door and sniffed deeply. “Have ya done any baking lately? I sure enjoyed that banana bread you gave my mamm awhile back.” He smacked his lips noisily. “That was real tasty and moist.”

  Esther forced a smile. “I’m glad you liked it, but I haven’t made any more banana bread since I gave the loaf to your mamm. The only baking I’ve done is just basic bread and some cinnamon rolls for the guests who’ve stayed here at the bed-and-breakfast.”

  Ethan’s rather plain, hazel-colored eyes brightened, and he patted his portly stomach. “You wouldn’t happen to have any cinnamon rolls now, would ya? I’m kinda partial to those, too.”

  She shook her head, trying her best not to let her annoyance show. She just wished Ethan would go. “The last of the cinnamon rolls were eaten by the B&B guests who were here earlier in the week. If you’re really hungry for cinnamon rolls, I’m sure they probably have some at the bakeshop in our area.”

  “I might stop by there on my way home.” For several seconds, Ethan stared intently at Esther, which made her squirm. Then he finally said, “Guess I’d better let you get back to whatever it was you were doin’.”

  She smiled. “I do have several chores I need to get done yet this morning. Bonnie will be back later today, and I want to have everything in good shape before she arrives.”

  “Jah, okay then.” He turned and started down the stairs. When he reached the bottom step, he turned and said, “The next time I go to Hopkinsville, I’ll let ya know.”

  Esther gave a forced smile and quickly stepped into the house. She had a hunch that Ethan’s interest in her had more to do with her cooking skills than him enjoying her company. If there was one thing everyone in their community knew, it was that Ethan Zook liked to eat.

  Nashville, Tennessee

  “How was your flight?” Allen asked as he put Bonnie’s luggage in the back of his truck.

  “It went well. We didn’t have much turbulence, and all my connections were on time.” She smiled at him. “I really appreciate your coming to get me. I could have driven my own car here when I flew out to Portland, but not knowing how long I’d be gone, I didn’t want to pay a huge parking fee if I ended up staying very long, which is exactly what happened.”

  “Picking you up was no problem at all. In fact, I was glad to do it,” he said as she stepped into the passenger’s side of his truck.

  “So how’s your dad doing?” he asked as he slid in behind the steering wheel.

  “Much better. He’s able to manage on his own now and will soon be back at work, I expect.”

  “I’m not sure if you ever said what he does for a living.”

  “He’s the manager of a bank in Portland.”

  “Ah, I see. A big-shot, huh?”

  She shook her head. “He’s a pretty common guy. He’s always had a good business head though. Kind of like you.”

  “What makes you think I’ve got a head for business?”

  “I doubt you’d be a successful general contractor if yo
u didn’t.”

  Allen smiled and turned on the ignition. “Well, I do my best.”

  When they headed down the road a few minutes later, Allen looked over at Bonnie and smiled. “It’s sure good to have you back. We’ve all missed you.”

  “I missed everyone, too.” Bonnie fiddled with the handles on her purse, feeling suddenly uncomfortable. The tender expression she saw on Allen’s face made her wonder if he might have missed her more than she knew. Had he come to care for her in a special way? A part of her wanted him to care, but there was the cautious part that said she must remember to keep her feelings to herself and put a safe distance between her and Allen so she wouldn’t become emotionally attached to him. She’d allowed herself to fall in love once and had paid a huge price for it. Since then, she’d consoled herself with the fact that marriage wasn’t what it was cracked up to be anyhow. Most married couples she knew argued all the time, the way her parents had done. Bonnie’s friend Shirley, with whom she’d gone to high school, had recently been through a nasty divorce after a stormy marriage with a man who had promised to love and cherish her all the days of his life. So much for happily ever after!

  When Bonnie lived in Portland, she’d focused on her job. Now she had the bed-and-breakfast to keep her occupied, so she hoped Allen didn’t have any ideas of taking their friendship to the next level. She’d have to keep a handle on things—that was for sure.

  CHAPTER 42

  Pembroke, Kentucky

  It’s nice to have you back,” Esther said to Bonnie as they sat at the supper table with Allen, Samuel, and the children.

  “It’s sure good to be home.” Bonnie smiled. “And I really do think of this as my home now.”

  “It must have been hard for you to leave your dad,” Samuel said.

  “Yes, it was, but he understands now that I’d rather live here, and he’s promised to come visit me sometime—maybe this Christmas.”

  “I’m happy to hear that,” Esther said. “I’ve been praying your dad would change his mind about coming to visit you.”

  “Dad and I talked about a lot of things while I was there, and I think everything will be better between us from now on.”

  “That’s good to hear.” Esther was anxious to hear more about Bonnie’s visit with her dad but figured now wasn’t the time to discuss it—not with Allen, Samuel, and his children sitting here.

  “This fried chicken is sure good,” Samuel said as he took another drumstick.

  Esther smiled. “Danki, Samuel.”

  “This ain’t one of them green-egg layin’ chickens is it?” Leon asked with a wide-eyed expression.

  Esther shook her head. “There’s no need to worry. The chicken I fixed is a fresh fryer I bought from one of our neighbors.”

  Leon’s face relaxed. “That’s good to know. Wouldn’t feel right ‘bout eatin’ one of your hens.”

  “The chickens out there in the coop aren’t mine,” Esther said. “They belong to Bonnie.”

  “I knew that. Just seems like they’re yours since you’ve been takin’ care of Bonnie’s place all these weeks.”

  Samuel tapped Leon’s arm. “Why don’t you eat now and quit talking so much?”

  “Okay.” Leon spooned some potato salad onto his plate and took a big bite. “Umm … This is sure tasty, Esther. You’re a real good cook.”

  She smiled. “Danki, Leon. I’m glad you’re enjoying the meal.”

  “I think we’re all enjoying it,” Allen said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “Eating a home-cooked meal like this makes a man wish he had a wife.” He glanced over at Bonnie, but she seemed intent on eating the biscuit she’d just picked up, and Esther couldn’t help but notice that Bonnie’s cheeks had turned a bright pink color.

  “How’s Cody doin’?” Marla asked, looking at Esther.

  “He’s getting along pretty well with his cast,” Esther replied. She looked at Bonnie. “I’m glad you took it so well when I told you about his broken leg.”

  Bonnie shrugged. “I knew it was an accident, and it wouldn’t have happened if the little troublemaker hadn’t been bothering Samuel’s horse. Hopefully, Cody learned a good lesson and won’t chase after anyone’s horse again.”

  “Some horses spook easier than others, especially when they’re around dogs,” Samuel said. “I’m afraid Socks is one of those horses that don’t care much for dogs. He gets spooky around Lucky, too. Has ever since the dog was a pup and started barkin’ at him.”

  “You’re not gonna get rid of Lucky, are ya, Daadi?” Penny spoke up.

  “’Course not,” Samuel said. “Like it or not, the mutt’s part of our family, so he’s here to stay.”

  The children looked relieved and went back to eating without another word.

  “Did you hear that my brother’s getting married in October?” Samuel asked Allen.

  “Yes, Titus told me the other day when I stopped by the woodshop to see if they could make the cabinets and doors for a new house I’ll be starting to work on soon.”

  “Will you attend Titus and Suzanne’s wedding?” Esther asked.

  Allen nodded eagerly. “It’ll be my first Amish wedding, and I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He looked at Bonnie and smiled. “I’ll make sure you get an invitation, too, because I’m sure you’d enjoy seeing what an Amish wedding is like as much as I would.”

  “That would be interesting, all right,” Bonnie said. “I hear it’s a lot different from our English weddings.”

  “An Amish wedding is similar to the regular church services we hold every other week,” Esther said. “Of course, in our wedding services, the bride and groom say their vows in front of the bishop, and the message that’s preached is about marriage.”

  “How long does the service usually last?” Bonnie questioned.

  “About three hours,” Esther replied.

  Allen’s eyes widened as he released a shrill whistle. “Wow, that’s a really long service. Most English weddings and church services don’t last much more than an hour, and even then, some people complain about having to sit that long.”

  “You’re right about that,” Bonnie agreed. “It seems that some folks only want to give one hour of their time every week.”

  Esther thought about that for a while. She couldn’t imagine anyone complaining about how long they had to be in church. She saw going to church as a privilege, and it was a Christian’s duty. She’d never minded their three-hour services one bit.

  They continued to visit about other things until the meal was over, and then the children scampered from the room and rushed outside to play.

  “Why don’t you and Esther go out and sit on the porch?” Allen said to Samuel. “Think I’ll stay in here and help Bonnie with the dishes.”

  “Oh no, I should help her do the dishes,” Esther was quick to say. “Allen, why don’t you and Samuel go outside and visit?”

  “No, Esther, I insist that you go outside,” Bonnie said. “After all, you cooked this wonderful meal for us.”

  “But you just got home from a long flight,” Esther argued.

  “Well, I don’t care who goes outside.” Allen’s chair scraped the floor as he pushed it away from the table and stood. “I’m going to be the one to help with the dishes.” He grabbed his plate and silverware and quickly put them in the sink.

  Samuel looked at Esther and said, “It’s probably much cooler outside. Should we go sit on the porch swing?”

  The thought of sitting on the swing beside Samuel was inviting, so Esther smiled and said, “That’d be real nice.” After she’d cleared her own dishes, she followed Samuel out the door.

  “Did Esther tell you that she and Samuel have started courting?” Allen asked Bonnie as he filled the sink with warm water.

  Bonnie’s mouth opened in surprise. “She never said a word; although I haven’t been home long enough for her to say a whole lot to me yet. When did they start courting?”

  “A few weeks ago. Samuel took Esther out for supp
er with him and the kids one evening, and I understand they all went fishing and also on a picnic together.”

  Bonnie handed Allen several dirty plates. “I’d hardly call them going somewhere with Samuel’s kids courting.”

  “Well, it’s a start.” Allen set the plates in the sink and snapped his fingers. “Say, I’ve got an idea!”

  “What’s that?”

  “Why don’t the two of us go on a double date with Samuel and Esther?”

  Bonnie’s hands became sweaty, and she quickly set the two glasses she’d picked up off the table onto the counter, fearful they might slip from her hands. “Wh–what kind of a double date?”

  “How about if we four go to the Jefferson Davis Monument this Saturday? You haven’t seen it yet, have you?”

  Bonnie shook her head. “No, but …”

  “Maybe Suzanne or even her mother would watch Samuel’s kids for a few hours while we’re on our double date.”

  Bonnie shifted uneasily. “Oh, I don’t know …”

  “Come on, Bonnie, please say you’ll go. I’m sure Samuel wouldn’t think to take Esther there by himself, and it’ll be a lot of fun for all of us.”

  Bonnie was tempted to use the B&B as an excuse not to go, but she didn’t have any guests scheduled to come in until the middle of next week. And since this was a double date and she wouldn’t be alone with Allen, she guessed it would be okay.

  “Oh, all right,” she finally agreed. Secretly, she wished more than anything that she could allow herself to have some fun and not feel like she had to protect herself from more hurt. After all, it was just one date, and she was only going for Esther’s sake.

  CHAPTER 43

  Fairview, Kentucky

  Wow, would you look at that!” Samuel said in amazement as Allen pulled his truck into the parking lot at the Jefferson Davis Monument. “It looks even bigger up close than it does from a distance.”

  Allen grinned. “Wait until you go up inside and see the view from there. It’s just amazing.”