by Gail Sattler
He flinched at her words, and when he started to open his mouth to speak, she pressed her index finger over his lips to silence him. “Dü dast mie nijch aunschmäare, you are not fooling me. Do not think I do not know you allow your chickens to sleep in the box in your bedroom. I have seen it, because one evening when you were cooking, I followed Blinkie to see where she was going, and she went to have a nap. I have seen you taking them into the house at night after I go to bed.”
“I bought chicken diapers on eBay for them. Then they go outside first thing in the morning. My house is clean.”
She couldn’t help smiling. “I know that, too. Many people know that you have put diapers on your chickens. Some have laughed, but I have also seen at sewing club, two of the ladies are trying to figure out the pattern so that they may try it.”
He grinned. “Really?”
“Ja. Piney Meadows is your home. Even though your ways are different, everyone has come to love you.” She lowered her voice and looked into his mesmerizing blue eyes. “And I have come to love you more than all of them. If you wish to marry me, then I wish to marry you. Ich leewe die, I love you, Chad Jones, and all your city ways.”
Anna held her breath, waiting for his response.
He squeezed his eyes shut. “I can’t do that to you. You’re so pure and innocent. You deserve better than me. You should be marrying one of the good men who live here.”
“You are a good man, and we are both God’s children in the same way. Do not think of yourself as different. I love you, and if you love me, then that is all that matters.”
His eyes opened wide as he studied her face. “You have no idea how much I’ve thought about this.”
“What do you want to do? From deep in your heart.”
“I want to marry you and love you until my dying day. Which I hope won’t be for at least fifty or sixty years. Or longer.”
Anna couldn’t hold back her smile. “That is what I want as well. I would like to do that in Piney Meadows. If you really wish to go back to the cities, then I would go with you. But I do think you want to stay here, and I will, too.”
He stood and gently cupped her cheeks in his palms. “Are you really sure of this?”
“Ja. I am sure.”
He sighed. “I had such big plans to propose properly. I guess we can’t pretend this never happened and do it all again, can we?”
“Nein. We cannot. This is done.”
He smiled. “I love you. You know, I’d practiced saying that in German, but now that the moment is here, I don’t want to embarrass myself because I know I’ve got the accent all wrong.”
“You will have plenty of time to practice your accent, but for now, wait here for a minute.”
Before he could protest, she hustled to her desk and pulled a large bag out of the bottom drawer. “Brian has given me this, and he said to give it to you at the right moment.” She reached forward and handed him the bag. “This is that moment.”
Cautiously, he looked inside, broke out into an ear-to-ear grin, and pulled a new wide-brimmed hat out of the bag. He placed it on his head, wiggled the brim to get it into exactly the right position, and grinned. “I love it. When do I get to wear it for real?”
She leaned forward for a kiss. “After our wedding.”
He slipped his arms around her and drew her in for a tight embrace. “Would you like a short engagement?”
She smiled. “Ja.”
Discussion Questions
1. The book opens with Chad very unsatisfied with his job and his life. Leaving his job with no notice and nothing in place was extreme and impulsive. Have you ever had such a reaction? Was the fallout better or worse than the situation?
2. Finding himself stranded at Ted’s house on Christmas Eve, Chad makes the best of the situation and ends up having a very pleasant evening, even without a television. Have you ever been in an unplanned circumstance? What did you do to make the best of it?
3. Chad quickly finds himself surrounded by a culture that is completely foreign to him, and he feels very much like an outsider. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were the one who was different? What did you do so you could fit in better?
4. Anna is determined to leave her roots where she can be herself. When she first asks Chad about living in the cities she has no idea he is going to be her boss. Have you ever said something to someone you wish you could take back? How were you careful not to do it again?
5. In trying to fit in better, Chad’s first mistake is to wash some dishes in the kitchen at the furniture factory. Have you ever made a mistake like this when you were trying to fit in? What did you do to make it right?
6. At the office, every time Chad sees Anna coming closer he moves his coffee mug farther away from his keyboard because he knows she thinks he is going to have an accident and spill it when it’s so close. Is there anything you do on a regular basis that you try to hide from someone? Do you think you are succeeding?
7. Unlike the rest of the men in the Mennonite community of Piney Meadows, Chad is not handy with tools. However, he swallows his pride and does his best when everyone else is doing better. Is there something you aren’t very good at doing? How do you react when others around you do something better than you?
8. Even though it is contrary to the Old Order Mennonite culture, Chad enjoys cooking, and he swears Anna to secrecy so he can cook for her in an effort to impress her. Have you ever done anything to impress someone? What were you trying to accomplish? Did you succeed?
9. When Chad sees Henry Rempel’s chicken plucker in action he nearly faints, which is very embarrassing. Have you ever done something very embarrassing in a crowd? How did you handle it?
10. Telling Anna, then the congregation, about his past relationship with Brittany and that he is going to be a father is the hardest thing Chad has ever done. He knows that some people will never accept him, but he needs to make it known. What is the hardest thing you’ve ever done? How did you feel when it was over?
11. Even though Anna’s father knows Anna is trying to improve her skills, he continues to disapprove of her doing a job outside the realm of what their community terms as “woman’s work.” Have you ever done something that someone close to you disapproved of? How did you handle it?
12. When Chad finds out that Brittany’s baby isn’t his, he feels his world has turned upside down. Instead of feeling free to go on with his life, he feels tainted, like he’s poisoning the community of Piney Meadows with his past sins, even though he’s been leading a godly life since he arrived. Have you ever met anyone who had a tainted past and turned their life over to God? How do you treat people like that; do you keep them at a distance or welcome them into your heart and home with true friendship?
13. When Anna learns that Chad plans to leave Piney Meadows she thinks hard and fast about what she really wants out of life and their relationship. She risks rejection and tells Chad that if he wants to leave, she will go with him. Have you ever left yourself open to rejection? What did it take to be able to take the risk?
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