“Mellie?”
She raised her chin and smiled. “Gut evening, Caleb. Beth invited me to come along.” She hurried to add, “But I won’t need a ride home.”
Mellie knew that the way home was when the real courting happened. And she couldn’t abide the thought of getting in Caleb’s way with Beth. She would burn with shame.
“Jah, you do,” Beth said, her voice strong. She looked at Caleb. “She’ll need a ride home, too.”
“Nee,” Mellie argued. “I have other arrangements.” She didn’t, but she would before long. She’d ask one of her friends to take her home. It wouldn’t be hard to find someone.
“You don’t,” Beth said sharply.
“Jah, I do,” Mellie said, her glare daring Beth to continue. What was wrong with her sister anyway? Didn’t she see how humiliating this was in front of Caleb?
And then, Beth snapped her fingers. “Ach! I am so silly sometimes. Of course, Mellie has a ride home.” They all climbed into the buggy, and Beth turned to Caleb. “Obadiah Westman is sweet on our Mellie. That’s who will probably take her home.” She arranged herself on the seat and looked straight ahead with a smug look.
Mellie blew out her breath. This was going from bad to worse. She had no wish for Caleb to know about Obadiah’s interest—something she was afraid to question herself too closely about. But in any case, she wasn’t happy with Beth’s pronouncement. She glanced over at Caleb. His jaw was set, and he gave her a quick look as if trying to assess her reaction to Beth’s words. Mellie gave him a wobbly smile and then focused her attention straight ahead.
The buggy ride couldn’t get over fast enough for her.
It took nearly a half hour to get to the Studer’s barn. Since the Studers had hosted the church meeting that morning, they were the host of the youth singing that night. Most of the youth were already there, not having gone home from the morning church meeting and the noon meal.
Caleb parked the buggy in the long row of buggies outside the barn. The two sisters jumped out before Caleb had a chance to help either of them.
Mellie nodded her thanks to Caleb and dashed into the barn before Beth opened her mouth to say something further to embarrass her. Inside the barn, the lanterns hanging on the beams gave a gentle glow to the evening. Clusters of youth were talking and laughing. In more than one shadowy corner, a couple stood, speaking in low voices to each other, seemingly oblivious to anyone else in the barn.
Mellie hadn’t taken two steps inside before she spotted Obadiah. He was leaning against a tool shelf chatting with a couple other boys. When he saw her, he straightened and a smile came to his lips. Without thinking, Mellie headed toward him. She saw the look of happy surprise on his face as he extricated himself from his friends and walked toward her.
“Hello, Mellie,” he said, his voice rich with pleasure.
“Gut evening, Obadiah.”
Obadiah looked around the room. “Did you come with your sisters?”
“Jah. Well, with Beth, anyway. Faith didn’t want to come tonight.”
He nodded, and then scuffed his heavy black shoe over the floorboards. “That’s nice.”
“Jah,” she said again.
“I enjoy the singings, don’t you?”
“Jah.” Mellie grimaced. She certainly wasn’t going to enthrall him with her witty talk.
“I was wondering—” he began.
“Hello, Obadiah,” Beth said, swooping close. “How are you tonight?”
“Hi, Beth. I’m fine.”
“Mellie and I were just talking about you.”
Mellie’s eyes went wide. What was wrong with her sister that night? She was acting completely out of character. Beth was often shy in public, not this outgoing brash girl who couldn’t keep her mouth shut.
“You were?” Obadiah asked, his cheeks reddening.
“That we were.” Beth grinned at the two of them. “Well, enjoy the singing.” She turned and went back to where Caleb had stopped. His face looked stormy, and Mellie wondered if he, too, was annoyed with Beth that night.
“What were you saying about me?” Obadiah asked. A lock of his hair partially covered one of his eyes. “Something gut, I hope.”
Mellie inhaled and smiled. “Beth is overly chatty this evening,” she said as if that explained everything.
Obadiah paused, obviously waiting for her to continue. When she didn’t, he cleared his throat. “Are you needing a ride home tonight?” he asked, and his cheeks grew a deeper shade of red.
Mellie could feel his nervousness. She could feel him urging her to accept. Did she dare? Would it be fair to accept his offer when she knew it came with more than just a ride home? If she agreed, what she was really saying was that she was open to his courtship. She glanced at her sister and Caleb. The two of them stood close together, talking. Well, Beth was talking anyway, and Caleb seemed quite intent on what she was saying.
A flash of pain shot through Mellie. She had to face reality. Caleb was in love with her sister. Plain and simple.
She turned back to Obadiah. “Jah. I do need a ride home,” she said firmly, her heart pounding. Her breathing turned shaky, but she retained her erect posture and kept her eyes on Obadiah’s face.
He grinned. “Gut. That’s right fine. I’ve got my buggy.”
She laughed. “I assumed you did.”
He rubbed his shoe over the rough barn floor again. “Jah. Of course, I do. Sorry.”
She shook her head and gave him her best smile. “No need to be sorry.”
Obadiah kept his eyes on her for much of the evening. Mellie tried to focus on the songs. She enjoyed the singings, not only for the fellowship of her friends, but for the singing itself. She particularly enjoyed the faster songs they sang toward the end. She put her mind on the words, forcing her attention away from … not Obadiah, but Caleb. Without conscious thought, her eyes continually found her sister’s boyfriend. Mellie loved the way he looked. She loved his intent expression when he bellowed out the low notes of a song. She loved his smile when one of his friends told him something funny. She loved the easy way he stood, his strong arms down at his sides, and his chin raised, with just the stubble of his whiskers showing.
About two-thirds of the way through the evening, Mellie saw Beth studying her. Before she could look away, Beth caught her eye and gave her a strange look. Mellie’s heart froze. Had Beth noticed her watching Caleb? Had her face betrayed her true feelings? She swallowed hard and smiled at Beth. Beth only narrowed her eyes and didn’t smile back.
Attending the singing that night was a horrible mistake. Why in the world had she allowed Beth to talk her into the whole fiasco? When the last song was sung, Mellie nearly tripped over her own feet in her rush to get outside. She burst through the barn doors and gulped the cool evening air. Everyone else was still inside, but she couldn’t bear the thought of returning. She’d wait out there until Obadiah came to find her.
She meandered through the buggies wondering which one was Obadiah’s. To an outsider, the buggies probably all looked the same, but to the Amish, there were subtle differences. She busied herself recognizing which buggy belonged to whom. Then it occurred to her that Obadiah wouldn’t be able to find her if she was hidden away amongst the buggies. She headed back toward the barn door and nearly ran into Caleb.
“Ach! Caleb, I didn’t see you.”
Caleb gazed down at her. “I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“I’m not scared.”
They looked at each other for a long moment, and Mellie somehow felt that her words held a double meaning for Caleb. He seemed upset and preoccupied.
“Are you all right?” she finally asked.
He gave a start and nodded, as if she’d caught him doing something wrong.
“I’m fine.”
“Mellie?” called Obadiah. He approached the two of them.
Caleb backed away from Mellie. “Oh. Obadiah. Nice to see you.”
Obadiah looked from him to Mellie
and then back to Caleb. “You, too, Caleb.”
“I’m ready to go home,” Mellie said, crossing her arms over her stomach.
Obadiah hesitated, and his eyes followed Caleb as he went back inside. Then he looked again at Mellie. “Is he all right?”
“Who? Caleb? Of course. He’s looking for my sister.” Mellie turned and started toward the row of buggies. “Which one is yours, Obadiah?”
Within minutes, Mellie was inside Obadiah’s buggy with him. She clasped her hands on her lap and could feel the sweat form. Obadiah guided the horse toward her house and then turned to her. He’d hung a lantern on an outside corner of the buggy, and it threw shadows across his face.
“We can take the long way home, if you’d like,” he said. “It’s right pretty around Edmund’s Pond.”
She licked her lips and nodded. “All right.”
He smiled and slapped the reins with renewed vigor.
“Thank you for taking me home tonight, Obadiah.”
“It’s my pleasure,” he said. He cleared his throat. “Uh, well, I’d like to get to know you better, Mellie. Have you joined church yet?”
“Jah. I’ve joined.”
Even in the shadows, she could see him grinning widely at her news. She shivered, knowing what he was thinking. Her baptism into the church allowed her to marry. She had a sudden urge to throw up her hands and say, Not so fast, but that would be ridiculous.
“I’ve joined, too. It’s strange, isn’t it, how fast time goes.”
She crinkled her nose. That sounded like something an old person would say. Eager to get off the subject, she pointed ahead to Edmund’s Pond.
“You ever go fishing?”
His brow furrowed. “Go fishing? Nee. Too busy with the farm.”
“Do you have any hobbies?”
“I like to read.”
Mellie sighed. Maybe he’d be better off with Beth, then. That would leave Caleb free. She frowned. She simply had to get herself under control.
“Do you read?” he asked her.
“Nee. Not much. Beth does, though.”
They fell silent then, the only sound the echoing clip clop of the horse’s hooves in the night air. Mellie quit trying to force a conversation and relaxed a bit. The evening really was lovely. She glanced up at the clear sky and admired the pattern of stars flickering like the lightning bugs hovering inches above the grass. The moon shimmered on Edmund’s Pond, casting jagged beams of light across the water.
Truly, it was magical, and Mellie allowed herself to get caught up in the beauty. She breathed deeply, filling her lungs with the fresh summer air.
“It’s nice out here,” Obadiah said quietly. “I’m glad you’re with me.”
Mellie smiled, a real one this time. “Thank you,” she said. “And you’re right. It’s awfully nice.”
Obadiah slowed the horse, and they circled the far edge of the pond at a slow pace. Mellie heard a cow bellow in the distance and frogs chirping in the trees.
“Can I take you home again some time?” Obadiah asked.
She looked into his eyes and even in the darkness, she could see how they glistened with sincerity. Obadiah was a good person. A fine young man.
She nodded. “Jah.”
Beth tiptoed into the bedroom at nearly eleven o’clock that night. Faith had gone to sleep hours before, but Mellie was still awake, lying stiffly in bed, waiting. She remained quiet as Beth changed into her nightgown and then went down the hall to the bathroom. When she came back into the room and climbed into bed, Mellie spoke.
“How was your ride?”
“Ach, Mellie! I didn’t know you were awake.” Beth rustled under her covers. “Did I wake you? I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t wake me.”
“Oh.” There was a pause, and then, “You were waiting for me?”
“I wouldn’t say that. I was just awake.”
“When did you get in?”
“An hour or so ago.”
Beth hummed. “I see. So you and Obadiah had a good time.”
With some surprise, Mellie realized that she and Obadiah did have a good time together. “Jah.”
Beth gave her pillow a small punch and then was still. “Caleb is sweet.”
Mellie tensed.
Her sister continued, “Don’t you think?”
Mellie bit her lip. Was Beth trying to get her to admit her feelings for Caleb? No. Of course not. Beth wouldn’t be so sneaky.
“Of course, he’s sweet. You wouldn’t like him otherwise, would you?”
Beth didn’t answer for a long minute. “Nee. I wouldn’t like him if he wasn’t sweet.”
“And Obadiah?” Mellie asked. “Do you think he’s sweet, too?”
Beth grunted a yes.
Their bedroom door suddenly flew open and there stood Ruthie, holding a lantern high above her face. “What’s going on?” she hissed. “Is someone sick?”
Mellie sat up in bed. “Nee. Why?”
Faith stirred. “Huh? What’s going on?”
Ruthie sucked in her breath. “You girls in here jabbering like it’s high noon. Now, pipe down. I have kinner who need their sleep!”
Mellie’s jaw dropped. Had she and Beth been that loud?
“We’re sorry, Ruthie,” Beth mumbled. “We won’t talk anymore.”
Ruthie was like a quick violent tornado coming into their room. “I should say you won’t!” And with that, she swished their door closed and was gone.
Mellie remained sitting up, staring at the door.
“What’s wrong with her?” Beth whispered so quietly Mellie almost didn’t hear her.
“We weren’t that loud,” Mellie whispered back.
Faith drew her quilt over her head. “Night, you two,” she muttered from under the covers.
“Sorry for waking you up,” Mellie murmured.
“Ruthie was waiting for me to get home,” Beth said. “I’m sure of it. Wanting a reason to scold us.”
Mellie dropped back on her pillow. Scold them, indeed. They weren’t Ruthie’s kinner. They were grown girls.
“She’s not our mother,” Beth grumbled and flopped over in bed.
Mellie stared at the ceiling. She wished her mother was still in the big house. She didn’t like her out there with Daadi. Faith had been right in the first place—they couldn’t care for Mamm nearly as well with her in another house. She fingered the edge of her quilt and wondered what her dat would have to say about it if he was still alive.
Chapter Five
Ruthie was a bustling hen in the morning. She hurried everyone through breakfast and shooed her children out the door to do chores before they’d finished chewing their last bites.
“I’ve already got the clothes soaking,” she said, dropping a handful of utensils into the dishwater. “At least my family’s.”
Mellie quickly washed and rinsed the utensils. “We don’t need to presoak anything except our brothers’ trousers.” She looked at Faith. “Can you run upstairs and get them?”
Faith looked relieved for a reason to leave the kitchen. “Jah. And I’ll run out to the daadi haus and get Mamm’s and Daadi’s dirty clothes.”
Ruthie snorted. “Should have gathered them last night.”
“We’ll have time,” Beth said. “Don’t fret so.”
“Don’t fret? We’ll be at it all day as it is.”
Mellie glanced through the window. “No rain today. It’s a good day for hanging everything outside.”
“Is there enough line for it all?” Ruthie asked. “I forgot to check.”
“We have plenty of line.” Beth gave Mellie a look behind Ruthie’s back.
Mellie simply shrugged her shoulders. “Dishes are finished.”
“So, you’re not opening your sweet shop today, right?” Ruthie asked.
“Nee. I’ll help with the laundry.” Mellie often was closed on Mondays. It didn’t seem fair to leave all the laundry to Faith and Beth. Her regular customers knew she wasn’t open on Su
ndays and most Mondays, so it wasn’t a problem. Besides, Mellie couldn’t use Sundays to do any baking so she never had much stock on Mondays anyway.
“She’ll have to do some baking this afternoon, though,” Beth said. “But Faith and I can help all day.”
Ruthie stopped and put her hands on her hips. “I certainly hope this sweet shop isn’t going to get in the way of our work around here. You know, I’m not keen on that business in the first place.”
Mellie pressed her lips in a hard line, forcing herself to let the woman’s comments go.
“Ruthie,” Beth said, turning to face her squarely. “Mellie’s work at the sweet shop brings in a tidy sum of money to this household. I’m thinking you’ll want to remember that.”
Mellie held her breath. What was Beth thinking to confront Ruthie in such a way? In fact, what had gotten into Beth in general? She continued to act quite unlike herself.
Ruthie drew herself up to her full height, and her eyes flashed. She opened her mouth to speak but then snapped it closed. Mellie still hadn’t breathed. Beth took a step toward Ruthie and stopped.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice soft. “That was rude of me.”
Mellie’s breath seeped out. Ruthie’s shoulders relaxed, and she sniffed. “It’s all right, Beth. I imagine it’s going to take some time getting used to each other around here.”
It was a generous statement coming from Ruthie. Mellie looked at Beth. Beth nodded and attempted to give a smile, which in Mellie’s opinion, looked more like a grimace.
Ruthie turned on her heel and left the kitchen.
“Beth! What were you thinking?”
Beth sagged as if the wind had been knocked out of her. “I was thinking that she can’t come in here like she’s in charge of everything. I was thinking that I’m already tired of her, and she’s only been here thirty seconds!”
“Thirty seconds?” Mellie gazed at her sister and laughed. “A right loooong thirty seconds!”
Beth giggled with her. “I’m sorry, Mellie. I’ll be better. I promise.”
“Thirty seconds!” Mellie repeated again, still laughing.
Amish Romance Box Set: Finding Home Page 4
