“My name’s Joseph. Do I look like someone named Will?”
Frank couldn’t hide the disappointment he felt. “I haven’t seen Will in a good many years, but you do look the way I think he would look now.”
Joseph rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Well, I’d best pay for this and get back to the buggy shop before my dad comes lookin’ for me.”
“It was nice talking to you.” Frank put the ice cream bar back in the freezer and left the store. His hands shook, and his legs felt like two sticks of rubber. He knew he needed to get a grip on himself. He couldn’t go around asking every Amish man with red hair if his name was Will. He couldn’t keep looking for his son under every Amish man’s hat.
As he climbed into his truck, he spotted Joseph exiting the store. When the young Amish man got to his buggy, he pulled an ice cream bar from the paper sack he held, opened it, and took a bite.
An image of Will popped into Frank’s mind, and he thought about the last time he and his son had shared ice cream together. It was the day Frank had decided to take Will to see Mark and Regina Stoltzfus.
He leaned his head against the back of his seat, closed his eyes, and let the memory wash over him….
“I’m hungry, Pop. Can we stop and get somethin’ to eat?”
Frank reached across the seat of his truck and thumped Will lightly on the knee. “What have you got there, boy, a hollow leg?”
Will’s forehead crinkled as he stared at his knee. “I—I don’t think it’s hollow. I think there’s a bone in my leg, Pop. Yeah, that’s the reason I can walk.”
Frank chuckled. “Of course you’ve got a bone in your leg. When I asked if your leg was hollow, I was trying to say that you eat so much you must be putting all that food someplace besides your stomach.”
“Nope. I only put it here.” Will patted his stomach then pointed to a fast-food store up ahead. “Can we stop there and get some ice cream?”
“Okay.” Even though Frank was anxious to get to his destination, he couldn’t say no to the expectant look on his son’s face.
“Mama liked ice cream, didn’t she, Pop?”
Frank’s throat constricted as he slowly nodded. He missed Patty so much.
“Mama’s never comin’ back, isn’t that right?”
“You’re right, Will; she’s not.”
“I wish she didn’t have to die.”
“I wish she didn’t, either.” Frank hoped he was doing the right thing by going to the Stoltzfuses’. The letter from Regina Stoltzfus to Patty had said if Patty ever needed anything, she should ask. Frank hoped that offer from Regina included him and Will, and he hoped it really meant anything….
A horn honked, and Frank’s eyes snapped open. His heart thumped against his chest when he realized how close a car had come to hitting the young Amish man’s buggy as it pulled onto the road.
If Will’s still living with Mark and Regina, then he probably drives a horse and buggy. I hope he’s careful and doesn’t pull in front of any cars. I hope he knows how much I love him.
Frank put the key in the ignition and started his truck. I wish I’d never gone to the Stoltzfuses’ that day with Will. I wish I had bought us some ice cream and headed down the road in the opposite direction.
Megan shifted on the sofa, trying to find a comfortable position. She glanced at the clock on the mantel above the fireplace. Frank was late getting home again. She would be glad when all his men were back to work and he didn’t have to be on the road so much. It wasn’t fair to the girls to have their daddy come home after they were in bed. It wasn’t fair that she had to spend her evenings alone either.
She grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. After flipping through several channels, she realized nothing held her interest. All she could think about was Frank and how much she missed him.
She turned off the TV and picked up a notepad and pen from the coffee table. I think I’ll work on my Christmas list. Let’s see now. Carrie told me this morning that she wants a pair of Rollerblades, and Kim said she would like a baby doll. Then both girls made it perfectly clear that they would like to have a puppy. The Rollerblades and baby doll are doable, but I’m not sure Frank will agree to the idea of us having a dog.
Megan stuck the end of the pen between her lips. I wonder what I should get Frank for Christmas. He doesn’t need any new clothes. He’s got every DVD that’s been recently released. He doesn’t have any hobbies….
Her gaze came to rest on the Amish newspaper she’d left lying on the coffee table. If I could help Frank find his son, that would probably be the best Christmas present he’s ever received.
CHAPTER 14
Will’s nose twitched as he pulled his horse and buggy into the parking lot where the horse auction would be held in Topeka. Even though the horses hadn’t been brought out yet, he could smell the pungent odor of manure and horseflesh. “I appreciate you coming to the auction with me,” Will said to Nathan as they climbed out of his buggy. “It’s always nice to get a second opinion when it comes to buying a horse.”
Nathan nodded as Will tied the horse he’d borrowed from Papa Mark to the hitching rail. “If I stick around the area much longer, it might be me looking for a horse to buy. I can’t borrow Uncle Aaron’s horse and buggy forever, you know.”
“Do you really think you might not go back to Ohio?” Will asked as they started walking toward the horse auction barn.
“There’s a good possibility that I’ll stay, since I do like it here.” Nathan smiled. “I think Aunt Susanna and Uncle Aaron kind of like having me around, too.”
“I’m sure they do.”
Nathan nudged Will’s arm. “The first horse is coming in. Guess we’d better quit yakking.”
Will pulled his attention to the front of the arena. The first horse up for bid was a light brown American saddlebred pacer. Will wasn’t interested in that one. A few more horses were auctioned off, and Will waited patiently. Finally an American standardbred trotter was brought in—sleek and black, with a white blaze on his forehead. Will knew that a trotter held its head up high as it trotted with one foot in front of the other, in sort of a prancing style. He wasn’t as concerned about speed, however, as he was about the look and dependability of a horse. No more unpredictable, skittish horses for him. He liked the way the trotter held his head as it pranced around the arena, looking impressive and sure of itself. Will really wanted that horse.
The bid started at $1,000, and Will quickly upped it to $1,500. Someone else bid $1,750, and Will jumped in with $2,000. The next bid came in at $2,500, and Will’s face heated up. Apparently someone else wanted this horse as much as he did. He upped the bid again—this time to $3,000.
The person bidding against Will raised the bid to $3,500. Will glanced to the left to see who had made the bid, and his mouth dropped open. It was Leroy Eash!
Will ground his teeth together. I need that horse more than Leroy does. His horse isn’t dead.
He bid once more. This time for $3,700.
Leroy went again—$3,800.
Will clenched his fingers and gave another bid. He held his breath and waited. No further bids. Leroy sat motionless.
The auctioneer’s hand came up, and he pointed at Will. “Sold for $4,000!”
Nathan nudged Will with his elbow. “You got the horse, but you paid a lot more for it than I ever would.”
Will grimaced. “I paid more than I’d planned to pay, too.”
“Then why’d you keep bidding?”
“Because I wanted the horse, and because…” Will’s voice trailed off. If he was being completely honest, he’d have to admit that part of the reason he’d kept bidding was to keep Leroy from getting the horse. “I have a hunch Leroy ran the bid up on purpose,” he mumbled.
“Why would he do that?”
“To get a rise out of me.” Will turned and was about to leave the auction barn when he bumped into Mary Jane. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “I figured you’d be working at the healt
h food store today.”
She shook her head. “It’s my day off, so I came here with my daed to watch him bid on a new horse.”
“Hmm, guess Papa Mark must be helping Mama Regina in the store, then. When we did our milking this morning, he never mentioned what he’d be doing today, but I figured he might putter around in the barn.”
Nathan cleared his throat a couple of times and poked Will’s arm. “Looks like Leroy has his eye on some other horse now, because he’s bidding on another trotter.”
Will waited to see what would happen. Would Leroy find someone else to bid against? Would he make the other bidder run the bid up high, the way he’d done with Will?
A couple of bids came in on the trotter, but Leroy ended up getting it for two thousand dollars—half as much as Will’s new horse had cost him.
Nathan’s nose twitched as he sniffed the air. “I smell hot dogs roasting. Should the three of us get something to eat?” he asked with an eager expression.
Will shrugged. “I’m not really hungry yet. If you don’t mind, I’d like to get my horse and head out of here. I’m sure Mama Regina left something in the refrigerator that we can have for lunch, so let’s wait to eat until we get back to my place.”
Nathan pointed to a nearby hot dog stand. “Are you sure you don’t want a hot dog? They really smell good.”
“You can get one if you like and eat it on the way home,” Will said.
Nathan looked over at Mary Jane. “How about you? Would you like a hot dog?”
She smiled and shook her head. “I’d better not. Dad’s taking me out to lunch after we leave here, so I don’t want to fill up on anything before then.”
“Oh, okay.”
Will moved quickly out of the barn. “Are you coming, Nathan?”
“Jah, sure, I’m right behind you.”
Karen finished putting some new kettles out and went to the front of the store, where her mother sat behind the counter going over some paperwork. “Do you need my help with anything here?” she asked.
“Not right now, but I’d appreciate it if you went over to the house and got the thermos of coffee I left sitting on the counter after lunch.”
“Sure, I can do that.” Karen slipped into her jacket and left the store. It felt good to be able to work again. She was almost to the house when a horse and buggy rumbled up the driveway. She didn’t recognize the horse, but when the buggy came to a stop and Will stepped down, she realized he must have gotten a new horse.
“I went to the auction this morning,” Will said as he approached Karen. “Paid more than I should have, but I think I got myself a good driving horse. What do you think?”
“He’s a nice-looking animal. How does he drive?”
“Real well. Not too fast, not too slow. He trots along just the way I like.”
“How much did you pay for him?” she asked.
“Four thousand dollars.”
Karen gasped. “Could you afford that much, Will?”
“I had the money, but I wasn’t planning to go that high with my bid.” He grunted. “It’s Leroy’s fault I had to pay so much for the horse.”
“How can it be Leroy’s fault?”
“He bid against me.”
“Why didn’t you stop bidding and let him have the horse before the price got so high?”
Will’s forehead creased. “I wanted the horse, and I didn’t think Leroy needed it, so—”
“So you kept bidding just to keep Leroy from getting it?”
He shrugged. “At first, but then after it was all said and done and the price had gone up to four thousand dollars, I realized he’d taken the bid up high just to make me pay top dollar.”
Karen slowly shook her head. “I can’t imagine Leroy doing something like that, but even if he did, I don’t see why you thought you had to keep upping the bid. You’re not a schoolboy trying to beat Leroy at some game, Will. You’re a grown man and ought to be more sensible about the way you spend your money, don’t you think?”
Will’s face flamed. “What I think is that I got myself a nice, dependable horse.”
“Well, good. I’m glad.”
Just then another buggy rolled in with a chestnut-colored gelding pulling it.
Will grunted. “Oh great, it’s Leroy. He probably came over here to brag about the horse he got for a fair price, while he made me pay too much for mine.”
Karen clutched Will’s arm. “Please don’t start anything with Leroy. I really doubt that he ran the bid up just to irritate you.”
“Why are you sticking up for him?”
“I’m not. I just don’t think you’re seeing things as clearly as you should be.”
Leroy sauntered over to them, ending their conversation and grinning at Karen. “What do you think of the horse I got at the auction in Topeka? Isn’t he a winner?”
“The horse is very nice-looking.”
“You’re right; he sure is. He’s a trotter, and he pulls my buggy real well, too. I think I’m gonna be happy with him for a long time.” Leroy looked over at Will and smiled. “I’d say you got yourself a good-lookin’ horse today, too.”
Will frowned. “Did you run the bidding up on the black trotter so I’d have to pay top dollar?”
“No way! I really wanted that horse.”
“Then why’d you stop bidding on it?”
“Because I’d gone as high as I could afford.”
“Humph! I doubt you even needed a new horse.”
“I did so. I—”
Karen stepped between the two men. “I’ve got better things to do than stand here listening to the two of you bicker. If you’ll excuse me, there’s something I need to do for my mamm.” She hurried into the house.
Leroy’s eyebrows drew together as he glared at Will. “Now look what you’ve done!”
“What are you talking about?”
“Karen’s obviously upset, and I think—”
“I don’t care what you think!” Will swung around and headed for his horse and buggy.
“Where are you going?” Leroy called.
“I’m taking my expensive horse home to his new stall in my daed’s barn!” Will untied the horse and stepped into the buggy.
I hope Karen doesn’t believe Leroy’s story about needing a new horse, Will fumed as he headed for home. He grimaced. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. Karen might have thought I was making an issue of Leroy getting me to up the bid like that.
By the time Will reached home, he was so worked up, he was sweating. As soon as he put his horse and buggy away, he headed straight for the woodpile. He hoped chopping a few cords of wood might help him work out some of his frustrations.
Will picked up the hatchet and swung it with all his might. He liked feeling his muscles work. He liked watching the pile of wood grow. What he didn’t like was Leroy bragging about the horse he’d bought for a reasonable price. More than that, he didn’t like Leroy hanging around Karen.
He positioned another piece of wood on the chopping block. Whack!—the wood split in two as his ax came down. Maybe Karen would be better off with someone like Leroy. Can I ever get over the bitterness and pain of my past to secure my future with Karen? Maybe I’m not cut out to be a husband or father. Will I eventually destroy my family, the way Pop did? Is there a chance there won’t be a December wedding after all?
Will gritted his teeth and set another hunk of wood in place. What am I thinking? It would break my heart if Karen chose Leroy or any other man over me. What I need to do is find a way to keep Leroy from hanging around Karen so much.
A slow smile spread across Will’s face. I know exactly what I should do. I just have to figure out the best way to do it.
CHAPTER 15
Are you planning to be home from work by dinnertime tonight?” Megan asked as she followed Frank out to his truck on Monday morning.
“As long as all my guys are back working today, I shouldn’t have to make any deliveries. If that’s the case, I’ll be ho
me on time.” He kissed her and was about to climb into his truck when he turned back around. “To tell you the truth, I kind of enjoyed driving a big rig again—especially when some of my deliveries took me through Amish country. Did I tell you about the young Amish man with red hair I saw last week?”
“I don’t remember you mentioning that.”
“I know this probably sounds foolish, but when I first saw him, I thought he might be Will.”
“Did you talk to him?”
“Yeah, I found out his name is Joseph Fisher and his dad owns a buggy shop on Churchtown Road.” Frank pulled his fingers through his hair. “I’ve got to get over the idea that every red-haired Amish man I see might be Will.”
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