the STRUGGLE

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  “Oh, I hope he doesn’t bite,” Pat said when the dog jumped up on Esther.

  “No, he’s just excited to see me.” Esther told Cody to get down; then she bent over and stroked his head. “Good boy, Cody. Have you missed me?”

  Woof! Woof! Cody wagged his tail.

  “I’ve missed you, too,” Esther said with a chuckle. “Now be a good dog and go lie down.”

  Cody darted over to Pat and sniffed her shoes before making a beeline for the porch, where he flopped down near the door.

  Esther found the front door open, so she didn’t bother to knock. They’d just entered the foyer when Bonnie stepped out of the kitchen. “Oh, it’s so good to see you!” she said, giving Esther a hug. “I knew you were coming back today, but I wasn’t sure what time you’d get here.”

  “We spent last night in a hotel in Louisville and got an early start this morning,” Esther explained. She turned to Pat and introduced her to Bonnie.

  “I was wondering if I might be able to rent a room for the night,” Pat said after shaking Bonnie’s hand.

  Bonnie nodded. “I have no other guests right now, so you can take your pick from any of the rooms. Shall we go upstairs and take a look right now?”

  “Sure, that’d be great.”

  While Bonnie took Pat upstairs, Esther meandered into the kitchen. She found Trisha baking cookies. “Ah, so that’s the source of the wonderful aroma,” she said, motioning to the cookies cooling on racks.

  “It’s nice to see you, Esther,” Trisha said. “I’m sure you’re glad to be back.”

  Esther nodded. “Yes, I am. I’ve missed seeing all of my friends here.”

  “How soon will you want to start working at the B&B again?” Trisha asked.

  “I’m not sure. I’ll need to talk to Bonnie about that.” Esther motioned to the cookies. “If those taste as good as they smell, I’d say any B&B guests who might get to eat them are in for a real treat.”

  “I hope so.”

  “I hope you’ll stay here for a while,” Esther said. “At least until I know what my plans are going to be.”

  Trisha quirked an eyebrow. “What do you mean? Are you saying you might not continue to work for Bonnie?”

  “I’m not sure. It’ll depend on how soon Samuel and I get married, and whether he wants me to keep working or not.” Esther leaned on the edge of the counter. “I probably shouldn’t have said anything until I’ve talked to Samuel, so I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention this to Bonnie.”

  “I won’t say anything.”

  “If I should decide to quit, would you stay to help Bonnie?” Esther asked.

  Trisha shrugged. “Maybe. I do like it here, and Bonnie and I have become quite close. In fact, I’ve begun to feel like she’s the daughter I never had.”

  Esther smiled. “I’m glad.”

  Just then Bonnie and Pat entered the kitchen. “You were right. This place is wonderful,” Pat said, looking at Esther.

  “Which room did you choose?” Esther asked.

  “The one with the Amish theme. I love that Log Cabin quilt on the bed.”

  “It is nice,” Esther agreed. “But then I like most Amish quilt patterns.”

  “Why don’t we all take a seat?” Bonnie motioned to the table. “We can have some of Trisha’s delicious cookies and a cup of hot tea.”

  A crisp afternoon breeze brushed Hannah’s face, and she shivered. It might be officially spring, but the chilly weather said otherwise.

  I wish Timothy didn’t have to spend the day plowing the fields, Hannah thought as she hitched Timothy’s horse to the buggy. She’d wanted to spend the day as a family—maybe hire a driver and do some shopping in Hopkinsville—but Timothy said he didn’t have time. It seemed like whenever he wasn’t painting with Samuel, he had work to do here. Hannah kept busy during the week, taking care of Samuel’s kids and keeping up with things around the house, but when the weekend came, she was ready to do something besides work. Since Timothy wasn’t available today, she’d decided to take Mindy and go over to see Bonnie for a while. Hannah’s horse, Lilly, had thrown a shoe, so Hannah knew if she wanted to go anywhere, she’d have to take Dusty. She hoped he would cooperate with her and take it nice and easy, because there had been times when she’d ridden with Timothy that he’d had to work hard to keep the horse under control. Since Dusty had been let loose in the pasture this morning and had a good run, Hannah figured he might be ready for a slower pace.

  As she guided the horse and buggy down the lane, Hannah saw Timothy out in the field. He must have seen her, too, for he lifted his hand in a wave. Hannah waved back and stopped the horse at the end of the lane to check for traffic. Seeing no cars coming, she directed the horse onto the road. They’d only gone a short ways when Dusty started to trot, but it quickly turned into a gallop. Hannah tightened her grip on the reins and pulled hard, but that didn’t hold the horse back. “Whoa!” she hollered, using her legs to brace the reins. “Whoa, Dusty! Whoa!”

  Dusty kept running, and the foam from his sweat flew back on Hannah, but she was concentrating so hard, she barely took notice. As the horse continued to gallop, the buggy rocked from side to side. If she didn’t get Dusty under control soon, the buggy might tip over.

  The sound of the horse’s hooves moving so fast against the pavement was almost deafening as Hannah struggled to gain control. Dusty clearly had a mind of his own.

  This is what I get for taking a horse I really don’t know how to handle, Hannah fumed. Guess I should have stayed home today and found something else to do.

  The buggy swayed, taking them frighteningly close to a telephone pole, and Mindy, sitting in the seat behind Hannah, began to cry.

  “It’s gonna be okay, Mindy,” Hannah called over her shoulder. “Hang on tight to your seat, and don’t let go!”

  CHAPTER 35

  Hannah’s fingers ached as she gripped Dusty’s reins and pulled with all her strength. Why wouldn’t the crazy horse listen to her and slow down? If she wasn’t able to get control of him soon, she didn’t know what would happen.

  Another buggy was coming from the opposite direction. As it drew closer, she realized it belonged to Titus and Suzanne. They must have known she was in trouble, for as soon as they passed, Titus whipped his rig around and came up behind Hannah’s buggy. A few minutes later, his horse came alongside hers. Grateful for the help, but fearful a car might come and hit Titus’s buggy, all Hannah could do was cling to the reins and pray.

  Titus’s horse was moving fast, and he managed to pass and move directly in front of Hannah’s horse and buggy. Hannah knew if Dusty kept running he’d smack into the back of Titus’s rig, but thankfully, the horse slowed down. When Titus pulled over to the side of the road, she was able to pull in behind him. Titus then handed Suzanne the reins, hopped out of his rig, and came around to Hannah’s buggy. “Are you okay?” he asked with a worried expression.

  Out of breath and barely able to speak, she nodded and said, “Dusty got away from me, and I couldn’t slow him down.”

  “Well, slide on over and let me take the reins,” Titus said. “I’ll drive your horse and buggy, and Suzanne can follow us in my rig.”

  “Danki. I appreciate your help so much,” Hannah said, blinking back tears and grateful that nothing serious had happened—especially since she had Mindy with her.

  “Where were you heading?”

  “I was going to visit Bonnie, but I’ve changed my mind. I just want to go home.”

  Titus climbed into the buggy and took a seat beside Hannah. Then glancing into the backseat, where Mindy was still crying, he said, “It’s okay, Mindy. Everything’s gonna be fine.”

  Hannah was so relieved that Titus had come along and taken control of Timothy’s horse. One thing she knew for sure: she’d never take Dusty out again by herself!

  Esther’s heart raced as she neared Samuel’s house. Rather than taking the time to hitch her horse to the buggy, she’d ridden over on her scooter. Since Sa
muel’s place wasn’t far from Bonnie’s, it hadn’t taken her long to get there.

  Esther parked the scooter near the porch and hurried up the steps. Just then the door opened and Samuel, as well as all four of his children, rushed out to greet her.

  Samuel gave Esther a hug. “It sure is good to see you!”

  She smiled. “It’s good to see all of you, too.”

  The children began talking at once, asking Esther questions and vying for her attention.

  “All right now,” Samuel finally said, “you can visit more with Esther later on. Right now I’d like some time to visit with her alone. Why don’t you all go to the kitchen and eat a snack? There’s some cheese and apple slices in the refrigerator.”

  “I’m not hungerich.” Penny pointed to her stomach. “My silo’s still full from lunch.”

  “So your silo’s still full, is it? Didn’t know my little maedel had a silo right there.” Samuel gave Penny’s stomach a couple of pats; then he leaned his head back, and the sound of his laughter seemed to bounce off the porch ceiling.

  Esther and the children laughed, too. It was good to be back with Samuel and his family. She’d missed them all so much. These children had become like her own, and she couldn’t wait to become their stepmother.

  When the laughter subsided, the children gave Esther another hug and bounded into the house.

  As Esther and Samuel sat on the porch visiting, she studied the man with whom she’d fallen so hopelessly in love. Samuel’s light brown hair, streaked with gold from the sun, was thick and healthy-looking. His dark brown eyes, so sincere, spoke of his love for her.

  “Now that you’re back,” Samuel said, reaching for Esther’s hand, “can we set a date for our wedding?”

  She smiled. “I’d like that.”

  “How about next month?”

  Esther shook her head. “Oh Samuel, as much as I would like that, it’s just a bit too soon. I’ll need some time to make my wedding dress, and with Bonnie and Allen getting married soon, and then going on a two-week honeymoon, I’ll also need to help at the B&B. Could we get married the last Tuesday in June?”

  “I’d sure like it to be sooner, but I guess June isn’t that far off,” he said.

  “No, it’s not, and we do need to give our folks some advance notice so they can plan for the trip.” Esther’s face sobered. “I hope Mom and Dad will be able to come. With my brother not doing well, they may feel that they can’t leave Sarah to care for him on her own.”

  “I’m sure they can get someone else to help with Dan’s care for a few days,” Samuel said. “I don’t think your parents would miss your wedding.”

  “I hope not. I’d really like to have them here.”

  “Speaking of your parents, maybe when they come for the wedding I can ask about buying this house. I’ve appreciated being able to rent the place from them, but I’d really like to have a house I can call my own.”

  Esther nodded. “It’s good that you mentioned it, because that topic came up while I was in Pennsylvania. Mom and Dad said they’d be willing to sell the house to us for a reasonable price, and I’m sure Dad will discuss the details with you soon.”

  Samuel grinned. “Now, that’s good news!”

  “There’s something else we need to discuss,” Esther said.

  “What’s that?”

  “I was wondering if you’d like me to quit my job at the B&B after we’re married.”

  Samuel pulled his fingers through the ends of his beard and sat quietly as he contemplated her question. Finally, he smiled and said, “It’s really your decision, but if it were left up to me, you’d quit working for Bonnie and be a full-time wife and mother.”

  “I feel that way, too,” Esther said. “And I think Trisha might be willing to stay on and keep working for Bonnie. She seems really happy there. In fact, if she agrees, then I can quit even before we get married.”

  “That’s good to hear. Sounds like it will all work out.”

  “As I said, I’ll need to help out at the B&B while Bonnie and Allen are on their honeymoon. If things get busy, Trisha will need some help.”

  “That’s fine with me.” Samuel smiled widely. “I can’t wait to share the news with my family that you and I will be getting married in June.”

  CHAPTER 36

  Are you getting nervous yet?” Trisha asked when Bonnie came down to breakfast two days before her wedding.

  Bonnie nodded. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t.”

  “I understand. My stomach was tied in knots for two full weeks before my wedding.”

  “I think I’ll feel better once I get busy around here. Since Allen and I will be going to Nashville tomorrow to pick up my dad and his folks at the airport, I need to get as much done today as I can in preparation for the reception.”

  “I’ll do everything I can to help, and don’t forget, Esther will be coming over.”

  “I’m sure Dad and Allen’s folks will help when they get here, too.” Bonnie opened the refrigerator and took out a boiled egg. “Guess I’d better hurry and eat so I can get going.”

  “You’d better have something more than an egg to eat, or you’ll run out of steam before you even get started.” Trisha placed a plate of toast on the table and poured Bonnie a glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee.

  “Thanks.” Bonnie smiled. “You certainly do take good care of me.”

  A lump formed in Trisha’s throat. “You’ve become very special to me, and it gives me pleasure to do things for you.”

  “You’re special to me, too,” Bonnie said as she took a seat at the table. “Are you going to join me for breakfast?”

  “I already ate, but I’ll have a second cup of coffee and visit while you eat.”

  After Trisha joined her at the table, Bonnie said a prayer, thanking God for the food and for her and Trisha’s friendship. When the prayer ended, she reached for a piece of toast and spread some strawberry jam on top. “Are you sure you can manage on your own for the two weeks Allen and I will be in Hawaii?” she asked Trisha.

  “Esther will be helping as much as she can, so between the two of us, we’ll manage just fine.”

  Bonnie placed her hand on Trisha’s arm. “I’m so glad you’ve decided to stay here permanently.”

  “I’m happy about it, too; although some of my friends in California weren’t too thrilled when I called and gave them the news.”

  “I’m sure that’s only because they’re going to miss you and had hoped you might be returning to California soon.”

  “I suppose.” Trisha pursed her lips. “I just hope your dad won’t mind when he hears the news.”

  “Why would he mind?”

  Trisha shrugged. “He might not like the idea of his ex-girlfriend working for his daughter.”

  “Dad already knows you’re working for me, and he hasn’t said anything negative about it.”

  “He may not have said anything to you, but when I spoke to him on the phone the last time, he made it pretty clear that he wasn’t thrilled about me being here.” Trisha’s forehead wrinkled. “He probably didn’t say anything to you because he assumed my working at the B&B was temporary. He may have figured by the time he came here for your wedding, I’d be long gone.”

  “I think you’re worried for nothing. I’ll bet when Dad gets here he won’t say a negative thing about you working for me.” Bonnie gave Trisha’s arm a little pat. “Now, I’d better finish my breakfast, because this is going to be a very long day.”

  The slanting afternoon sun glared in Hannah’s face as she gripped the hoe and chopped at the weeds threatening to overtake her garden. Weeding was no fun, but it needed to be done. She’d planted several things a few weeks ago, and already the weeds looked healthier than the plants coming up. Maybe what they needed was more water. They’d had a dry spring so far, and Hannah had to water her vegetable garden, as well as the flowers she’d planted close to the house, by hand. Oh how she wished they would get some much-needed rain
.

  Mo-o-o! Mo-o-o! A brown-and-white cow in their neighbor’s pasture peered across the fence at Hannah with gentle-looking eyes but a forlorn expression that matched Hannah’s mood. She would much rather be doing something else, but if she didn’t stay on top of the weeds, she wouldn’t have any homegrown food to can in the fall.

  Of course, she thought ruefully, all the homegrown food in the world won’t stave off the loneliness I’ve often felt since we moved to Kentucky. In Pennsylvania she’d had some friends, and Hannah’s mother had always been available whenever she’d needed help. If Mom were here right now, she’d be helping me with the weeding.

  Hannah knew she should quit dwelling on the same old thing. After all, she was making some new friends here in Kentucky, and things had been a little better between her and Timothy since they’d moved into their new home.

  Hannah’s thoughts were halted when she heard buzzing to her left. Three hummingbirds fluttered around the glass feeder she’d hung on a shepherd’s hook in one of her flower beds. It was always fun to watch the tiny birds skitter back and forth between the trees and the feeder. If more hummingbirds came, she’d need to put up a second feeder.

  Just then the van belonging to Timothy’s driver came up the lane. Hannah smiled. Timothy was home early today. Maybe he’d get those screens put in the window like he kept promising to do. Or maybe they could spend some time together this afternoon and do something fun with Mindy.

  After Timothy told his driver good-bye, he joined Hannah by the garden. “Looks like you’ve been busy,” he said.

  She nodded. “It’s a lot of work to keep up a garden.”

  “Jah, but it’ll be worth it when we have fresh produce to put on the table, not to mention whatever you’re able to can for our use during the winter months.”

  “I’m surprised to see you back so early,” she said, changing the subject.

  “Samuel and I finished our job in Clarksville sooner than we thought, and he figured it was too late in the day to start something else, so he said I should go home.”