Huckleberry Harvest (The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill Book 5)

by Jennifer Beckstrand

  “We used to be best friends.”

  “Is he close to your age?” Mandy whispered. Was she asking too many questions? She didn’t want to upset him any more than he already was, but she knew from her experiences helping people that it usually did a person good to talk about their troubles. That was one of Noah’s problems. He didn’t seem to want to talk about anything.

  “He’ll be twenty next month. I knew he could take care of Mamm if I stayed with Dat. I thought he would see it as us working together. To him it was a betrayal.”

  “Does he have a gute job to help your mamm?”

  “He works construction, but I want him to be able to save up enough money to buy his own farm someday. My mom and siblings live with my grandparents, so they don’t have rent, and I send as much money as I can.”

  That explained the house the size of a postage stamp with the forsaken yard and peeling paint.

  Noah pressed his fingers into his brow. “Yost is gute with a hammer, but he needs a big brother to show him how to do the mechanical repairs. I’m grateful to your dawdi for the job. Reshingling their roof will bring in gute money. Lisa is nineteen. I want her to have a beautiful wedding.”

  “My dawdi is a kind man, to be sure, but I know he didn’t hire you out of pity. You are very talented. Everybody knows that.”

  Noah took a deep breath and looked into Mandy’s face as he seemed to be considering something very carefully. He stood up, moved away from her, and came to rest leaning against the wall. Chester followed him. “I can guess what you must think of me now.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Godly men don’t have fathers who drink or mothers who leave.”

  Mandy frowned. “That’s not true. Everybody has problems. You’re not less worthy because of your parents.”

  He looked away from her again, as if facing the truth were too painful. “Tell that to the old ladies at church who rattle their tongues about my family.”

  “Well,” she said, looking at him as if he were deliberately trying to annoy her, “I haven’t heard any tongue rattling. Maybe you’re imagining things.”

  He slumped his shoulders. “It’s out there. Kristina likes to spread it.”

  She bit her lip. Lord willing, Kristina would keep her mouth shut about tonight’s incident. If they’d just kept on driving like Kristina had wanted to do, she would never have seen Noah’s dat come out of the bar in a drunken rage. “I’m sorry I stuck my nose into your business tonight,” she said. “You tried to tell me, but I wouldn’t listen. I shouldn’t have interfered.”

  “You didn’t know.”

  “But I should have known. It’s plain as day that you can handle your dat by yourself.” She waved her hand in his direction. “You have all those big muscles and such.”

  He tilted his head and eyed her teasingly. “You like my muscles?”

  She squirmed in her chair and cleared her throat. “I didn’t say I liked your muscles. I just said you have them. Anyone with two eyes can see that.”

  “You have two eyes,” he said, almost knocking her over with his piercing gaze. “Greenish blue. Like looking into an icy spring lake.”

  She might have shivered just a little.

  He tore his eyes from her face, bent over, and stuffed a couple of logs into the woodstove. “Are you satisfied about my family?”

  She crossed her heart. “I’ll never mention them again . . . very much.”

  He cocked an eyebrow. “Very much?”

  “I’d like to hear about your sister Lisa. She’s only a little younger than I am, and if she’s got plans for a beautiful wedding, I want to hear them. Girls love talking about weddings. I want pink and blue plates.”

  He shook his head vigorously. “Don’t tell me. Talk of plate colors will send me running for the hills.”

  They laughed together, and Mandy thought she had never heard such an easy sound as Noah’s laughter.

  The small clock hanging on the kitchen wall chimed twelve times. Noah slapped his forehead. “Oh sis yuscht! Your grandparents are probably worried sick. I’ve got to get you home.”

  She started to unbutton his coat. “Leave it on,” he said.

  “If you freeze to death, who will drive me home?”

  “My buggy is nice and warm. I installed a heater last winter.”

  “You’re amazing,” she said.

  She could tell her praise pleased him, but he shrugged it off, as every gute Amish man should do. “None is amazing but God,” he said.

  “Will your dat be all right alone?”

  Noah frowned and gloominess settled over him like a heavy blanket. “Once he’s asleep, it’s easier to wake a stone. Besides, Chester will be here.”

  “Okay,” she said, sorry that she’d said anything to darken his mood.

  After Noah gave Chester another order to stay put, they walked out into the crisp September evening. The two buggies sat side by side in front of the house. “I’ll stable both horses when I get back,” he said.

  Noah took her elbow and helped her into the larger buggy. He turned on the floor heater, and Mandy was immediately impressed. Was there anything Noah couldn’t do? She felt the warmth at her feet. In a few minutes, she would be toasty.

  “Are you comfortable?” he asked.

  “Jah. I might even consider giving your coat back.” She settled into her seat, searching for a way to dispel the gloom that had fallen over him.

  He jiggled the reins and started the horse forward.

  “I’m looking forward to warm fingers and toes on the ride home.” Mandy’s lips twitched upward. “And if you don’t mind, I’d like to talk about why you like my freckles.”

  His face lit up with a smile.

  Who knew freckles could cheer somebody up like that?

  Chapter Eight

  Noah pulled the buggy in front of Helmuths’ house, almost regretting they’d arrived. He never would have guessed that a girl could have made him smile that much. In their half-hour ride to Huckleberry Hill, they’d talked about freckles, near-drowning experiences, muscles, and Noah’s purple thumbnail that he’d smashed with a hammer last week. Mandy told him about her twin brother Max, who was allergic to strawberries and had curly hair that he could barely run a comb through.

  They’d even talked about his sister Lisa and what color plates she probably wanted at her wedding.

  Noah hadn’t felt this comfortable with anyone for years. Yost had always been his best friend, but when Mamm had taken his brother to Missouri, there hadn’t been anyone to take his place.

  Apparently Mandy felt comfortable with him too. Not ten minutes ago, she had nodded off to sleep with her head resting quite comfortably on his shoulder. He tried to relax so his shoulder would be a soft place for her head while at the same time doing his best not to move a muscle on that side of his body so as not to disturb her.

  It wasn’t easy. The thought of her soft cheek resting against his arm made his pulse run faster than a racehorse. Even though he tried to distract himself with thoughts of flexible shaft wood carvers and zinc-plated grade-two steel hex bolts, thinking of tools only reminded him of the way Mandy could wield a crescent wrench like she’d been born holding one. The urge to brush a wisp of hair from her face became so overpowering, he clenched his hand into a tight fist and didn’t release it until the horse pulled the buggy in front of Helmuths’ house.

  A small propane lantern hung near the front door, and Noah could see lights on inside. Someone had waited up. Noah chastised himself for bringing her back so late. He should have been thinking more about Mandy than his own problems.

  Dropping the reins, he gently nudged her head off his shoulder. She woke with the dazed look of sleep in those aqua-blue eyes. “Did I fall asleep?”

  He nodded.

  She sighed. “I always seem to do embarrassing things when I’m with you.”

  He opened the door, climbed out, and took her hand. She slid across the seat and got out on his side. “I don�
�t remember any embarrassing things,” he said.

  “Hmm, let’s see,” she said, lifting her eyes to the sky. “I lectured you on your porch and shamed you in front of your dog. I spied on you and then nearly drowned. I ate French toast with my fingers. Embarrassing.”

  Noah smiled. The French toast incident was one of his favorite memories. “Cum,” he said, taking her elbow and guiding her toward the house. “I was raised better than to be thoughtless and bring a girl home so late at night.”

  “As I recall, I refused to leave your house and threatened to steal your coat.”

  “It is the man’s duty to watch out for the women. I hope your grandparents aren’t cross with me.”

  “My grandparents never get cross with anybody. And Dawdi thinks you are all pies and cakes. He brags about you as if you were one of his own sons. Besides, it’s my fault I’m so late.”

  “I needed your help.”

  “You did not,” she said, flashing him a self-deprecating smile.

  He’d told her as much, but when he considered it, he realized that he had indeed needed Mandy’s help. She’d made him feel like a person tonight instead of just a walking shadow. A warm sensation like pleasant summer air spread through his chest. How long had it been since he hadn’t felt invisible?

  They tromped up the porch steps, and Mandy opened the door. Light flooded from out of the house. Mandy’s grandparents must have turned on every propane lamp they owned.

  Anna and Felty sat at the kitchen table sipping something pink and steamy from their mugs. An imposing tower of pot holders, at least a foot high, sat in the middle of the table, just waiting for Mandy’s suitors to claim them. Noah’s mouth quirked downward at the sight of them. More than one boy in Bonduel would gladly chase after pretty Mandy Helmuth. With that many potential boyfriends, Mandy was bound to find somebody she liked. Although Mandy professed her indifference, in the end, she might be taken in by Adam Wengerd’s perfectly straight teeth or that blasted cleft in Freeman Kiem’s chin.

  Anna leaped from her chair as if she didn’t have one arthritic joint in her entire body. “My goodness, Noah. What happened to your lip?”

  He self-consciously raised his hand to his mouth. “Ach, it’s nothing.”

  “A boy who works with tools always has one injury or another,” Mandy said. “Look at his thumb.”

  Noah let out the breath he’d been holding.

  “Ach, du lieva, Mandy,” Anna said. “Such excitement here tonight and you missed all of it.” Her eyes twinkled with delight and just a hint of scolding. “I invited four boys to dinner and you never showed up.”

  “It’s my fault, Anna,” Noah said, not all that sorry that Mandy had missed a fresh batch of young men. “I needed her help with my buggy and then we got to talking about freckles.”

  Freckles? That was the worst excuse he’d ever thought up. But at the moment, thoughts of Mandy and those cute freckles crowded everything else out of his head.

  “Annie used to have freckles in primary school,” Felty said. “She was the prettiest girl I ever saw.”

  “Now, Felty,” Anna said. She looked at Noah as if she thoroughly forgave him for every bad thing he’d ever done. “Noah, you are such a gute boy. I’m sure you didn’t mean to keep Mandy out so long. It’s just that we are running out of time. It’s been eight days, and Mandy hasn’t so much as gone on a picnic with a boy.”

  Felty stared into his mug of pink juice. “She’s been out with Noah. That’s something.”

  “Now, Felty. She can’t be wasting her time helping people with their buggies with only four weeks left.”

  “He also pulled her from the river,” Felty added, not taking his eyes from that mug.

  Anna nodded as if she wanted to move on with the conversation. “And we’re very grateful.”

  “I’m real sorry,” Noah said. “I forgot my manners. I should have brought her home earlier.”

  Mandy laid a hand on Anna’s arm. “Noah had nothing to do with it. Kristina’s mamm had some trouble at the hospital, and she has to stay overnight. I thought I should be with Kristina. Then on my way home I ran into Noah, who needed help with his buggy.”

  “Oh dear,” Anna said, seeming to forget about the quartet of suitors she’d entertained at dinner. “Is Ruth all right? Did they have to take out more than her gallbladder?”

  “She had some reaction to the anesthetic. She will be right as rain by morning.”

  “I’m glad to hear it,” Anna said. “I should do something to help her feel better. Should I take a casserole or knit something?”

  “Knit something,” Mandy and Noah said at the same time. Mandy glanced at Noah and winked. He felt as if he’d been knocked upside the head with a two-by-four. Had she meant to wink or did she just have something in her eye? Whatever it was, it shouldn’t have made him feel as if he were taking a sudden drop on a roller coaster. Why was he acting like a child?

  Anna nodded. “What does one knit for someone when they’ve had gallbladder surgery?”

  “A pillow,” Felty said.

  Anna looked up to the ceiling and thought that idea over. “I’ve never knitted a pillow before. Maybe it’s time to learn how. The doctor says if you stop learning, your brain will turn to mush.” She motioned to two empty chairs at the table. “Cum, Mandy. Cum, Noah, sit. We must put our heads together to figure out how to find Mandy a husband.”

  “I should be going,” Noah said. “I’m coming back in the morning to start on the roof.”

  “Now, Noah, relax for a minute,” Anna said, pulling two mugs out of the cupboard. “You work too hard. Besides, we need your opinion. You know all of the boys in Bonduel.”

  Mandy sat and smiled at him apologetically. Her mammi was hard to say no to. Reluctantly, Noah slid into the chair next to Mandy. He’d rather not talk about the eligible boys in Bonduel. He wasn’t sure why, but he didn’t want Anna actually finding a boy for her granddaughter.

  Anna poured a steaming mug for each of them from a saucepan on the stove. It looked milky and pink and had lumps of something floating in it that Noah hoped were raisins.

  “What is that, Mammi?” Mandy said, an uncomfortable smile twitching at her lips. Noah sensed that she was feeling more discomfort for him than she was for herself. She needn’t have worried. He’d eat anything to spare Anna’s feelings.

  “It’s cranberry-raisin eggnog,” Anna said. “My own recipe.”

  “Delicious,” Felty said, raising his mug and taking a hearty swallow. “It’s got real cranberries and raisins.”

  Anna gave a mug to each of them, sat down, and scooted her chair closer to the table like she meant business. “Tell me, Noah. Who is a gute match for our Mandy?” She took a sip of her pink eggnog. “And it’s not going to be one of those four who came to dinner.”

  Noah wanted to pump his fist in the air and shout hooray. Instead, he opted for a furrowed brow and a concerned frown. “Why is that?”

  “It was the strangest thing, but after we ate, each and every one of them told me they wouldn’t be able to come to our house for dinner for the whole rest of the year. Can you imagine? They’re all busy with plans.”

  “Plans?” Mandy said.

  “That’s what they said. They were all such nice young men. I made my special potato, lentil, and green bean cheese soup, which was a little cold since we waited for over an hour for Mandy to come home.”

  “It was food fit for a king,” Felty said.

  Noah didn’t know what king Felty was talking about, but potato, lentil, and green bean cheese soup sounded slightly unappetizing, even to Noah, who ate his own cooking every night. He looked into his mug and had no trouble guessing what had driven those four boys away. He felt a surge of gratitude for Anna’s cooking skills. If Mandy’s disinterest didn’t keep the boys away, Anna’s potato, lentil, and green bean cheese soup probably would.

  He took a hearty swig of his eggnog and let the raisins and cranberries slide down his throat. “What boys cam
e over tonight?”

  Anna looked sideways at Mandy. “I hired a driver to bring them up from Wautoma.”

  “Wautoma?” Mandy looked positively astounded.

  “But I can’t keep recruiting boys from out of town,” Anna said. “There isn’t enough time or money. That’s why I need your help, Noah. What boys from Bonduel would you recommend?”

  Mandy’s eyes flashed with amused defiance, as if daring him to speak.

  Against her mint-green dress, her green-blue eyes seemed even bigger and momentarily made him forget the question. “Um, a gute boy for Mandy . . . um . . . Adam Wengerd has gute teeth.”

  Mandy kicked him under the table. He grinned at her.

  “I like a gute mouth full of teeth,” Anna said.

  “I have one fake tooth yet,” Felty said, “but all the rest are real. And one root canal. And thanks to Mandy’s cousin Ben, my septum isn’t deviated anymore.”

  Anna put down her mug and laced her fingers together. “It would help to narrow it down if we knew what qualities you like in a boy, Mandy.”

  Noah couldn’t hold back a full-blown smile. “She likes muscles,” he said, propping his elbow on the table and flexing his biceps several times for Mandy to see.

  She quickly turned her face away from him. It was glowing bright red. “I do not.”

  Anna, serious about finding a suitable boy, didn’t pick up on the fact that he was teasing. “Muscles. Well, that’s at least something to go on. Wallace Sensenig’s dat is a blacksmith. Blacksmiths are famous for being able to lift anvils and such. It wonders me how strong Adam Wengerd is.”

  “I already told you, Mammi,” Mandy said. “Adam Wengerd is not for me.”

  Noah’s ears perked up at this good news. What did Mandy have against Adam Wengerd? Whatever it was, Noah was grateful.

  “I think you should give him another chance, dear.”

  Felty got up from the table to pour himself more eggnog. “Noah is as strong as an ox.”

  “And she needs someone who can swim,” Noah said.

  Mandy kicked him under the table again. He had to bite his tongue to stifle his laughter.

  “Most of the boys around here can swim,” Anna said. “But I’m not sure how to determine who the strongest is.”