The hypocrisy of his thought struck him. He was willing to have Yankee partners, but not have a tourist business?
But the two things were completely different. He would be running a farm, not a visitor center.
Johnny rocked back on the heels of his boots, waiting for his order to arrive. He felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and saw the girl who had waited on him behind the counter.
“Do you want me to check and see if Katherine’s in the kitchen?” she asked.
“Ya. That would be great, thanks.”
The young woman nodded and left him in the gift shop area. Plenty of people surrounded him, murmuring about this or that item. Within a few moments she was back, shaking her head as she walked toward him.
“She was scheduled to work, but she called off sick.”
Johnny frowned. Katie was sick? She’d seemed fine the other day. “Do you know what’s wrong?”
“She didn’t say. Katherine rarely calls off, so I’m sure whatever it is, she isn’t feeling well. The cook also told me to let you know someone will bring your food right up.”
He nodded as she walked away. Now he was worried and wanted to see her more than ever. But it would have to wait until after his meeting with the Wagners. He started to pace. Where was that food?
Finally an Amish girl brought out two bags. Johnny took them from her, quickly paid, and went to the taxi waiting outside. He tried to mentally prepare for his meeting with the Wagners, but that took a backseat to his concern for Katherine. As soon as they left, he would go and check on her. Right now all he could do was say a silent prayer that she would be better soon.
CHAPTER 15
Katherine lay on the couch in the living room, her eyes shut against the dim light coming through the front window. Her mother had drawn the curtains, but it hadn’t helped much.
She put her arm over her forehead and prayed for the pain to go away. She was rarely sick, and never this sick. It had aggravated her to call off work, but she couldn’t do her job properly with such excruciating pain radiating through her head and down into her neck.
“Katherine?”
She turned and barely opened her eyes as her mother came into the living room carrying a tray with a mug and a plate of saltine crackers. She wasn’t hungry or thirsty, but she tried to sit up anyway.
“Feeling any better?”
“A little.” It wasn’t true, but the words slightly alleviated her mother’s worried expression.
“Gut. I brought you some tea. I put a cinnamon stick in the water as I brewed it. This should help with the headache.” She set the tray on the end table next to the couch.
Katherine sat up and took the mug. The strong cinnamon scent made her stomach lurch, as did the sight of the crackers. But if the tea would get rid of the pain, she’d drink it. She took a small sip, the hot tea burning as it slid down her throat. “Danki,” she said.
Her mother perched at the edge of the chair, frowning. “If you’re not better by tomorrow, I’m taking you to the doctor.”
Katherine shook her head. “I’m sure I’ll be fine. It’s a simple headache.”
“A simple headache doesn’t last two days. And it doesn’t put you on the couch.”
“Then maybe it’s a migraine.” She took another sip of tea and forced a smile. “See? Better already.”
“It doesn’t work that fast.” She stood. “Try to eat a couple of the crackers too.” Her worried expression returned. “And don’t try to do any quilting. Or crocheting. Or knitting. Or—”
“Ya. I understand.” Her mother knew her too well. Despite the pain, she was bored, and irritated because she could be doing something productive instead of lying on the couch. The tea had cooled off a bit, and she took a longer drink, praying it would relieve her headache. Even if it went away enough so she could work on Rachel’s quilt, she’d be satisfied.
But after she finished the tea, she lay back down, still in pain. Her mother said it would take time. Until then she’d try to get some sleep.
Johnny sat in silence as Wagner and his wife, Lois, chowed down on the meal he’d brought from Mary Yoder’s. He’d guessed right about the fried chicken, as well as the mashed potatoes, green beans, coleslaw, and pecan pie for dessert. They’d barely said anything while they finished their meal. He tapped his fingers against his kneecaps, waiting.
Finally Wagner wiped his mouth with a paper napkin. “Good stuff. And speaking of stuffed, that’s what I am.”
“Me too.” Lois took one last bite of her pie. “Thank you for lunch, Johnny.” She eyed his plate. “You didn’t eat much.”
He thought about making an excuse, but if he was going to be partners with them, he should be honest up front. “I’m worried about a friend. She’s not feeling well. I’m hoping to check on her after our meeting.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I hope she gets well soon.”
“Me too.”
Wagner shoved his plate aside. “We should get to the point, Lois. We can’t take up this young man’s day. Not when he has a friend he’s concerned about.” Wagner winked at Johnny.
“Yes. You’re right.” Lois set her plate to one side. Then she picked up her enormous lime green handbag and pulled out a folded sheet of paper. When she spread it out on the table, it looked like a sketch of his property, but with buildings, paths, and small stick drawings of people scattered all over it.
He leaned forward and examined the paper. “What is this?”
“This,” Wagner said, beaming, “is our future.”
“Huh?”
“I just want you to know that I could get behind your original idea of a horse farm. Thought it was a great one, actually.” He paused to pick at his teeth, then continued, “But Lois and I were talking the other day, and she came up with something I think is even better.” He looked at his wife. “That’s my Lois. She’s a smart one.”
Lois grinned. “Thank you, dear.”
Johnny looked up from the drawing. “I don’t understand. You’re not going to invest in the farm?”
“Oh, we’re going to invest, all right.”
Johnny released a sigh of relief. “That’s good to hear.”
“But it won’t just be a horse farm.” He turned to his wife. “Lois, tell him your brilliant idea.”
A knot of dread twisted in Johnny’s stomach even before Lois said a single word. He looked at the drawing again, this time more carefully. As he leaned closer, he could see words written on the square-shaped buildings, printed in neat, uniform script. His eye caught the shape that represented the barn where it currently stood. But instead of barn, the words candy shoppe were visible.
“I believe this place has so much more potential than being a simple horse farm,” Lois said.
“But I want it to be a simple horse farm.”
She looked at him with a mix of sympathy and pity. “John, John,” she said. “You have to take into consideration the bigger picture. You want your business to be a success, right?”
“Ya.”
“And we want to make money,” Wagner interjected. “We want a large return on our investment. And frankly, we couldn’t make the numbers work, even though the idea was appealing.”
“So I did a little research about the area.” Lois folded her slender hands on the table. “We live near Holmes County. Do you know how many people visit that area in a year?”
Johnny shook his head, the knot growing tighter inside him. “I have no idea.”
“Thousands. And they all bring money with them. Money they’re happy to spend. You could have that kind of money right here on your property. All you’d need are the attractions.”
He frowned. “Attractions?”
“Let me show you.” Lois pointed to the candy shoppe. “We can tear down the barn and put a smaller building here. This would be Mullet’s Candies and Gifts. We’d sell everything from chocolates and pies to knickknacks and small furniture. Of course, everything would be Amish made.”
/> “Or would have an Amish name.” Wagner grinned. “The word Amish is golden, son.”
Johnny held up his hand. “But—”
“And then behind the house we would have a petting zoo.” Lois tapped at a large rectangle on the sketch.
“A zoo?”
“Kids love a zoo. With all those cute little goats and pot-bellied pigs and lambs and sheep. And if we can bring in kids, we can bring in their parents.” She grinned. “But that’s not the best part.”
“It isn’t?” Johnny said weakly.
“The best part is the bed-and-breakfast.”
His heart sank. He wasn’t even sure what a bed-and-breakfast was. He’d seen a couple around town but never paid much attention. “Where would that go?”
“Right where we’re sitting.” She spread out her arms. “We’d have to gut the house, of course. And add on. But we could turn this into a charming bed-and-breakfast. A place where people can escape their hectic worlds and enjoy the simple life the Amish so quaintly live.”
Johnny clenched his jaw. He didn’t appreciate Lois talking about his community as if it existed to serve and entertain Yankees. And they still hadn’t told him what he really needed to hear. “Where would the horses go?”
Lois pointed to the petting zoo. “Not to worry. We’ll have ponies here too—”
“Not ponies. Horses. The ones I plan to breed and sell.” He scanned the drawing. “I don’t see a horse barn here. Or a pasture.” He did see the words guided tours scribbled on the paper, as if the idea had been an afterthought, but an enthusiastic one considering the three exclamation points after the words.
“The barn is right here.” She pointed to a smaller rectangle a short distance from the petting zoo. “An authentic Amish barn, complete with old-fashioned equipment.”
“Like a plow,” Wagner said.
“And a thresher,” Lois added.
Wagner nodded. “Don’t forget the buggy.”
“Of course. But it will be for show only.” Lois snapped her fingers. “Honey, what do you think about putting a spinning wheel in there?”
“I think it’s a fine idea.” He put his arm around his wife. “Won’t the tourists just love that?”
Johnny looked at both of them. Were they serious? “We don’t use spinning wheels.”
“Oh, like that matters.” Lois waved him off. “No one will know the difference, and people will find it adorable.”
“Okay.” Johnny could feel the irritation rise inside of him. “Maybe I wasn’t clear at our first meeting. This is a horse farm. Not a tourist stop.”
“Son,” Wagner said, dropping his arm from Lois’s shoulder. He looked directly at Johnny. “This place is a dump right now. It’s nothing. And without our money, it will stay nothing for a very long time.”
Johnny sucked in a breath. He couldn’t say anything, because they were right. At least about the place being a dump.
“Lois has a gift for seeing potential. She has a good head for business, and she’s smart.” Wagner looked at his wife. “It’s why I married her. And I fully support her plan.”
Lois patted Johnny’s hand. “I understand your resistance, John.”
“I’m not so sure you do,” he said.
“But sometimes you have to let go of a dream and build a new one.” She smiled. “A better and more lucrative one.”
“So this is all about money for you.”
Wagner shook his head. “It’s also about success. Why do you think we have enough money to sink into something like this? It’s because we don’t invest in anything that could fail.”
“My horse farm won’t fail.”
“How much do you know about breeding horses?”
Johnny’s eyes narrowed. “I know a lot about horses. I’ve bred them. I’ve raised them. I’ve trained them.”
Wagner leaned back. Crossed his hands over his expansive stomach. “Then how much do you know about running a business? Have you ever started one? Have you nurtured it to fruition? Have you expanded it and made it better than your initial idea ever was?”
Johnny paused. “No.”
“Then you should listen to people who have. We know what we’re talking about here.”
“John.” Lois gave him a sympathetic smile. “If you want to have a little horse breeding operation on the side, you can do that. We’ll purchase the land next door and you can build your own barn. You mentioned that in your cute little business plan, if I remember. You can raise two or three horses, if that makes you happy.”
Suddenly Johnny realized the full extent of what the Wagners were saying. The farm wouldn’t be his. His house wouldn’t be his. The Wagners would own everything. They would run everything. They hadn’t invested a dime, and Lois was already coddling him, giving him permission to play at horse farming, as if he were a child.
“I can’t do this,” he said quietly.
“What did you say?” Wagner asked.
Johnny took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have anything against businesses that attract Yankees. But that’s not the type of business I want to be in. And you’re right, I don’t know how to run a business. But I also don’t know how to run a bed-and-breakfast or a petting zoo or a candy shop.”
“Oh, you won’t have to do any of that,” Lois said. “We’ll hire locals to work those jobs.”
“Then what would I do?”
Wagner smiled. “Sit back and count your money.”
Johnny shook his head. “That’s not what I want.”
Lois’s kind expression hardened. “I think you need to take a long, hard look, not at what you want, but what you need. Right now you have nothing. We’re giving you the opportunity to have something. Something great.”
Again Johnny wiped his sweaty palms against his pants. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, the Wagners were right, at least in part. He didn’t have anything. That was part of the reason he hadn’t told Katherine how he felt about her. He’d wanted a secure future. A successful business. The Wagners were offering him that opportunity.
But what would Katherine think? And his family? He’d made such a big deal about being successful as a horse farmer. Even though he wasn’t seriously considering signing the Wagners’ offer, he also couldn’t bring himself to say no. But if he partnered with them, the business wouldn’t be his.
And yet if he agreed to their terms, he wouldn’t have to worry about the future. He wouldn’t have to scour Middlefield looking for a job, like he and his father and Caleb were doing. Last week he’d gotten his last check and worked his last day for Bender. He wouldn’t live hand-to-mouth, which was the life he was facing right now. He could provide a comfortable life for him and Katherine—if she still cared about him.
“You need some time,” Lois said, her cheerful demeanor returning. “I’ll leave this with you.” She patted the sketch. “You take a look at it. Then let us know in a couple of days what you decide.” She stood, grabbing her handbag from the floor.
“Just don’t take too long.” Wagner also rose, standing close to his wife. “We’ve driven around Middlefield. There are plenty of properties for sale around here, properties that would be just right for this type of business.” He grinned at Johnny. “But since you came to us, we feel it’s only fair to offer you the opportunity first.”
Johnny nodded. “I’ll give it some thought.” Even saying the words out loud made him ill. But maybe Lois was right. Maybe he’d have to give up one dream to pursue a better one.
He just wished he didn’t feel so apprehensive about it.
Cora sat outside the Bylers’ home, in the swing where she’d fallen asleep the day she first arrived. During the day while Sawyer was at work, she’d been spending more time outside. The longer she stayed here, the more her body seemed to crave the fresh air. The warmth of the sun. She seemed to get cold more easily lately. She would wrap her scarf closer to her neck, put on her cashmere sweater, and swing, trying to keep her mi
nd more focused on the present than the past. Too many bitter memories there.
Yet there were times when she didn’t think about anything. Her mind, her heart, became quiet. Almost still.
She chalked it up to boredom. Or at least tried to.
The cell phone in her pocket rang. She retrieved it and looked at the screen. Her attorney. She pressed the green answer button. “Kenneth.”
“Hello, Cora. Just checking in.”
“Nothing to report. I’ve only been here a few days.”
“Are you at least trying to enjoy yourself? I hear Amish country is lovely this time of year.”
Cora scowled. “What do you know of Amish country? You were born and raised in Manhattan.”
“I did a bit of reading about the area. May have to visit there myself. If I ever get a vacation.”
“Is that a dig, Kenneth?”
“Of course not.” He chuckled. “A joke, Cora. You had a sense of humor once upon a time.”
Years ago. “What do you need, Kenneth?”
“I was wondering if you had a return date in mind. I’ve done all I can with your assets, but there are still a few documents that need your signature. And . . .” He hesitated. “I want you to be certain you want to do this.”
“I’m certain. As for when I’m coming home, I’m still not sure.” She looked up to see Anna coming out of the house, carrying two glasses. “I have to go, Kenneth. I’ll be in touch.”
“Cora—”
She clicked off the phone. Anna smiled as she approached.
“Mind if I join you?” Anna asked. “I brought us some lemonade.”
Cora gestured to the empty seat beside her. She accepted the glass Anna offered but didn’t say anything.
The two women sat in silence for a few moments, surrounded by the soft sounds of chirping birds. Cora looked down at her lemonade. No ice. Pieces of pulp floating around. Fresh squeezed, no doubt by Anna herself. She turned to the woman who called herself Sawyer’s mother. “How do you stand it?”
The Middlefield Family Collection Page 55
