All this praise was embarrassing. “It was nothing.” Besides, after he’d first seen Roman’s sister Elsie, he’d had an ulterior motive to visit. He’d wanted to see her again. So far, he’d gotten lucky. Their paths had crossed several times, and once, he’d even talked to her briefly.
That had been all the incentive he’d needed to visit again. There was something about Elsie that struck his fancy, and he was eager to discover what it was.
Roman, on the other hand, thought he’d only been helping out because he was so selfless.
“Come now. You only moved in two weeks ago, and you’ve been spending at least half your time on our land.”
“Not quite half.”
“Plus, it’s been raining and miserable out.” He grimaced as he gazed at his muddy boots. “I was only out there for five hours, and I’m practically covered head to toe with muck.”
Landon was covered with dirt and mud and who knew what else as well.
Which was yet another reason to stay out of the Keim’s picture-perfect house. If, by chance, Elsie was inside, he had no desire for her to see him in his current state.
Nothing set a woman off like the smell of fresh manure.
“I’ve been glad to help your family in any way I could. That’s what neighbors are for, ain’t so?”
“Jah.” Roman nodded. “And, neighbors give each other glasses of water, too. So, you’re going to come in and let me at least do this. Right?” He lowered his voice. “Besides, I want you to meet Amanda.”
Just saying his wife’s name put a smile on Roman’s face. Landon knew Roman was a newlywed. It was obvious he was reveling in his new station in life, and anxious to show his wife off.
And Landon supposed if he was ever in that situation, he would feel the same way. “I’d like to meet her, too.”
“Now you’re seeing things my way.” Roman grinned.
Stopping at the stoop, Landon followed Roman’s lead and pulled off his muddy boots. “So, you think Amanda is in here?”
“Pretty sure. The women are usually working on supper about this time of day.”
After placing his boots neatly against the wall, he said, “I still can’t believe we married so quickly, and with my mamm in the hospital, too.” Roman paused with his hand at the door. “But Amanda said life was for living, you know? She wanted us to be together during this tough time, and I wanted it, too. Plus, she’s already had a big wedding,” he added, his words slipping off his tongue at lightning speed. “She said she didn’t need all that fuss again.”
Landon recalled that Roman’s wife was a widow, and with a young daughter as well. After leading Landon into the mudroom, Roman continued, his voice almost a whisper. “The bishop gave us a quiet ceremony soon after we arrived in town. My family wasn’t too pleased that we married without them, but they got over it. Amanda’s that special.”
As Roman washed his hands, Landon shrugged off his black jacket and hung it on a peg. He, for one, couldn’t imagine doing something so spontaneous. Marrying a woman on the spur of the moment sounded as foreign to him as suddenly wanting to drive a car.
Though, he realized with a bit of chagrin, he could imagine being intrigued by a woman after only the briefest of conversations.
But there was no reason for Roman to know that. “You’re a lucky man,” he said instead. “Truly blessed.”
“I am, indeed.” He dried his hands as Landon washed off his grime. Then they walked into the kitchen, which was filled with feminine laughter.
Then it stopped, as one by one, the three women inside caught sight of them.
One woman had to be in her sixties. She had fine brown eyes that were sharp, and seemed to take in every bit of him from top to bottom. On either side of her were two women who looked to be about Roman’s age. One was all shades of gold, from her lightly tanned face and arms, to her blond hair and bright blue eyes. She was shredding carrots.
The other was Elsie. And once again, she was gazing at him through a pair of thick lenses in a most direct way.
He wondered what she thought about him. Wondered what she’d say if she discovered that he’d been hoping to see her every time he’d visited her farm.
Feeling a bit flustered, he looked away, but not before noticing that she looked as pretty as ever. Today she wore a violet dress with a crisp black apron over it. Her hair lay smooth and neat under her white kapp.
In front of her on the table was a beige stoneware bowl half filled with snapped green beans.
As the seconds passed, Landon stood awkwardly in the doorway. He rarely felt tongue-tied, and he rarely stood still. He was a man usually characterized by action.
But at the moment? He had his hands clasped in front of him like a schoolboy and was trying not to meet Elsie’s direct gaze. If he did, he knew he would probably start blushing or some such nonsense.
The elderly woman broke the silence. “Who are you?” she asked.
Roman stepped forward, just as if he didn’t notice a bit of the tension in the room. “Mommi, this is Landon Troyer. He’s our new neighbor. Do you remember me saying that someone moved to the land on our east?”
“I remember.”
Roman grinned, obviously used to his grandmother’s tart way of speaking. “Landon, this is my grandmother Lovina Keim.” Next, he pointed to his sister. “And I believe you’ve met Elsie before.”
He nodded in her direction. “It’s good to see you again, Elsie.”
Her eyes widened, then she nodded, too. “Hello, Landon.”
Roman, completely oblivious to Landon’s mood, gestured at the lovely golden-haired woman. “And this here is Amanda, my wife.”
Before he could say a word in response, Mrs. Keim spoke. “You bought the Gingriches’ farm?”
“I did.”
“Why did they sell it?”
“I’m not sure. But I bought it because the price was right,” he replied. “It’s a good piece of land, for sure.”
“Hmmph. Where do you hail from?”
“Near Medina.” He drew in a breath, hoping to ask a question or two. Maybe even say something more to Elsie . . . but Lovina fired off another question.
“What brings you here? Was it only the land?”
Landon fought to keep back his smile. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been questioned in such a manner. “The land is good, but I came out because of my brother Daniel. He moved to Berlin a couple of years ago and started a flooring business. I wanted to work with him.”
There was much more to his story, of course. After hearing about Daniel’s success, Landon knew joining his business made good sense. And though Daniel had offered a spare bedroom in his house, Landon didn’t want to start out in a new town like that.
He’d wanted a place of his own.
So, he’d bided his time, and spent the last two years working as much as he could. He’d saved almost every penny and had asked his brother to keep an eye out for farms for sale. Just recently, it had all come together.
And then there was Tricia, of course, the woman who’d nearly broken his heart when she told him that she couldn’t wait for his time lines . . . and had actually found another man who didn’t have such grand plans so far away from her family.
Her rejection had pushed him to move forward even faster.
“Are you married?” Mrs. Keim blurted.
“Nee.”
“Ever?”
“Never, ever.” He smiled, enjoying the rapid questioning. He raised his chin, ready to hear her next jab.
But Roman held up a hand instead. “Mommi, stop. I brought Landon inside to get a drink, not to be interrogated.”
“I’m hardly interrogating him. Just being neighborly.”
“Mommi, neighbors don’t badger. Not good ones, at least.”
“Hmmph.”
“Landon, you mustn’t mind my grandmother,” Elsie interjected smoothly. “She’s like this with everyone. And, just so you know, you certainly don’t ever have to a
nswer her questions. Why, sometimes I pretend I don’t hear her.”
Lovina looked Elsie’s way. “I hear you, however.”
“Thank you for the advice.” Landon chuckled softly.
“Anytime. I’m happy to help.”
Forgetting that he was covered with mud and manure, he crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Maybe next time I see you, we can talk some more.”
“Perhaps,” she said demurely.
Looking from Elsie to Landon, Amanda smiled. “Landon, would you care to sit down and join us? We’d like to get to know you better.”
“I would enjoy that. Verra much. But I’m pretty muddy. Perhaps another time?” He kept his words polite, general. Tried to look anywhere instead of only at Elsie. It wouldn’t do to continue to mildly flirt with her. Roman seemed like the sort who wouldn’t appreciate that much at all.
“You know? Here I invited you over, but never even gave you something to drink.” Roman walked to the refrigerator and got out a pitcher of water. After filling two glasses, he handed one to Landon. “Here.”
Feeling a bit conspicuous, Landon sipped as quickly as he dared while the women watched.
Too tempted to stare at Roman’s sister again, he set his glass back on the counter with a bit too much force. “Danke.”
Mrs. Keim clucked her tongue. “Is everything all right?”
“It is fine. I simply need to get going.” Glancing at the women, he nodded. “See you soon.”
“Goodbye, Landon,” Elsie said with a sunny smile.
Roman looked at his sister for a moment, then turned toward the door. “Let me walk you out, Landon. I hadn’t realized it was so late.”
“No need to walk me anywhere. I can find my way out without a problem,” he said lightly.
After all, Landon reflected as he grabbed his coat and slipped back on his boots, he had certainly found a way to return.
When the kitchen door closed behind the men, Lovina tried her best to look irritated. She wasn’t supposed to be amused by a young man’s impudence . . . or the small flash of interest she’d spied in both Landon’s and Elsie’s eyes.
There was something about that man that she liked. She’d been impressed with the way he hadn’t been cowed by all the women inspecting him like he was a new product out for their enjoyment. She’d been particularly impressed by the way he’d held his ground about his private life. As a person who’d kept her share of secrets, she knew keeping a steady hold on one’s privacy wasn’t an especially easy thing to do.
“Hmmph. What did you girls think of Landon Troyer?” she asked.
“Prickly,” Amanda said with a grin. “He’s not one to put up with much nonsense, is he?”
“Not from me, at least,” she admitted.
Amanda laughed easily. “As a new member of the Keim family, I have to admit to being mighty impressed by his refusal to tell you anything else about himself. I certainly wasn’t that relaxed when we first met.”
“Pshaw. You had no reason to ever be wary of me. After all, your Regina had me wrapped around her pinky from the first moment we met.”
Amanda grinned. “I think she felt the same way about you and Aaron. I didn’t expect Regina to become so close to you so fast . . . but I’m glad she did.”
“Me, too. That little girl of yours has brightened our lives considerably.”
The Lord had certainly been working through Amanda and Roman, Lovina decided. When Roman had decided to join his aunt and uncle and cousins on their annual trip to Pinecraft, Florida, he’d only wanted to enjoy some time away from all the troubles they’d been experiencing here. But soon after he arrived there, he’d met Amanda and her daughter, Regina, and a romance had blossomed.
They’d had a few trying moments, but in the end, they’d decided to marry quickly and live in Berlin with the family.
Now, none of them could imagine their lives without Roman’s kind wife and adorable four-year-old.
Turning to Elsie, Lovina noticed that she was being unusually quiet. In fact, she seemed to be lost in thought. She was sitting down again, but she was no longer snapping the ends off the beans; her fingers lay flat on the table.
Well, this was interesting. Her usually unflappable granddaughter seemed to be unable to look anywhere but at the back door where Landon had just exited. “Elsie, you’ve met Landon a time or two. What do you think of him?”
“He seems nice.”
“Jah . . . but it seemed like there might be something between you. Is there?”
Elsie grabbed a handful of beans. “We’ve only spoken a few times. There isn’t anything special about that.”
Amanda leaned forward. “I noticed that he only had eyes for you.”
Elsie’s dark brown eyes looked like saucers behind her thick lenses. “He did?” A look of pleasure flashed across her face before she visibly tamped it down. “I mean, I doubt that.”
“He also seemed eager to chat with you.”
“That was only because Mommi was asking so many questions.”
Lovina chuckled, realizing that Amanda might be on the right track. “I think Amanda is right.”
“Why wouldn’t he be interested? You’re a lovely woman.” Amanda’s voice turned teasing. “And you’re of marriageable age.”
Elsie suddenly smiled. “You know what? You’re right.”
Elsie looked hopeful. Eager and excited.
Lovina now wished she’d never needled that Landon Troyer so much about being unmarried. She knew her granddaughter was feeling the sting of being the only single sibling. Although she was only twenty-two, her twin sister, Viola, was already engaged to Edward, a missionary. And now Roman was married, and he was just a little more than a year older.
And though she wasn’t opposed to her granddaughter flirting a bit, Lovina also didn’t want her to get her hopes up. After all, Elsie might be the same age as her twin, but she had a far different future ahead of her. “Landon Troyer must be a mighty kind and charitable man, helping us in our time of need.”
A burst of anger, followed by a new awareness, entered Elsie’s gaze. After a moment, she nodded. “Jah, Mommi,” she murmured. “You are right, of course. He was simply being kind when he came inside and talked to us.”
Feeling relieved, Lovina nodded. “Exactly.”
Pushing up her glasses, Elsie pulled the bowl of beans closer; then she continued trimming them.
“Elsie, something still could happen,” Amanda murmured. “Don’t give up on romance yet,” she teased.
“Oh, I haven’t. At least, not yet.”
Silence descended on them then, making Lovina wonder yet again what was really going on in her granddaughter’s head. Until now, she’d been sure she knew Elsie the best.
Now, it was obvious she knew none of them well at all.
chapter three
As the din of male conversation floated around him, Landon was once again glad that he was finally in Berlin, working at his brother’s side.
Having a goal that had been so hard to achieve had been daunting. But he’d persevered, and now he was enjoying the fruits of his labor. He had a job he enjoyed, was making some friends, and every night he could go home to a patch of land that was all his.
Feeling like everything was finally coming together, he stared at the partially completed floor they’d spent the last four hours installing. Satisfaction rolled through him.
Their hard work and attention to detail was paying off. It was a fine-looking floor—the seams were straight and even; the boards were smooth and buttery looking.
“It looks gut,” Daniel stated as he straightened his back and pulled off one of his worn leather gloves. “Almost perfect. The Russells are going to be right pleased with our work, I’m sure of it.” Turning to the other two men on their team, Zip and Craig, he said. “I think we can call it a day.”
After the four of them spent the next few minutes putting their tools neatly into the lockbox, Craig stretched. “Okay if me and Zip ge
t on out of here? It is Friday.”
Daniel nodded. “Yep. You’ve earned your weekend. See you on Monday morning.”
“Will do.”
After gathering up the rest of their supplies, Zip and Craig left through the garage. Seconds later, the roar of their powerful truck’s engine echoed down the street.
“Hey, have you ever asked why Zip is called ‘Zip’?” Landon asked as they, too, headed for the door.
“I never thought to ask.”
“Why not?”
Daniel shrugged. “Didn’t think it mattered. A man shouldn’t have to go around answering for his name. It is what it is, don’t you think?”
Landon mentally rolled his eyes. His older brother always did step around anything he thought was touchy. “It’s just a name, not a closely guarded secret. You know what? I’ll ask him myself. And then I’m going to keep that information to myself until you’re so curious you want to pry it out of me.” He smiled slowly. “That’s going to be great.”
“Don’t hold your breath for that day.” Picking up his lunch pail, Daniel asked, “Hey, want to come over tonight? Edith and I are going to cook out on the barbecue.”
Daniel’s wife, Edith, was a mighty fine cook. But there was something else that Landon was looking forward to seeing and it had nothing to do with food. “Danke, but nee.”
“Sure? We’d be happy to have you join us. You know how the boys love when you come over.”
Daniel and Edith’s twins, Bo and Ben, were three and extremely cute. But even the thought of watching their antics couldn’t detract him from his plan.
“I’m going to go over to the Keims’. I promised my neighbor that I’d stop by to see if he needed any more help.”
“You’re going over there yet again?” Daniel scowled.
“Don’t sound like that. I’m being neighborly. That’s all.”
“I’m starting to think it’s far more than that. They’re taking advantage of you, Landon.” Throwing a hand in the air, he added, “Why, I bet every night they give thanks that you moved in next door. You’re spending more time over at their farm than at your own place. And you’ve barely moved in.”
Eventide: The Days of Redemption Series, Book Three Page 2
