Amish Romance Box Set: Finding Home

by Brenda Maxfield

He stiffened, and his brow furrowed. “What?”

  “It’s not coming,” she repeated.

  “So, why’d you dig up that one?” he asked, motioning toward the old sign with a nod of his head.

  Frustration surged through her. She wanted to shake him—shake him until he lost that dark curtain he wore over his face. Shake him until he admitted he was making a sign for her.

  “You tell me,” she said, stretching up even taller.

  He gaped at her, and she saw a dawning come over his face. “Mary,” he muttered. He let out his breath in a heavy sigh.

  “Jah, Mary. And why not you? Why didn’t you tell me? Was it to be a surprise?”

  He shook his head, staring at her. “Not a surprise.”

  “So why not tell me?”

  He blew out his breath. “It isn’t done.”

  She closed her mouth, taken back. That made perfect sense. “So, you were going to tell me when it was done?”

  “Nee.” He tapped his hat a bit lower on his forehead. “I was just going to set it up for you.”

  “But why didn’t you say something about it yesterday when Justin told me about his sign?”

  He frowned. “Really? You wanted me to say something then?”

  She was glaring at him now. Did he care for her or not? And if he did, why didn’t he make any effort to make himself clear? Why did he just rumble about the farm, watching her when he thought she wasn’t looking?

  Disgusted with the entire subject, she swirled on her heel and marched out of the barn back to the house. She had been married. She wasn’t used to this kind of bantering and maneuvering. She wasn’t a teenager anymore—she was a grown mother of two. She stomped up the steps of the porch and flung open the screen door. Striding inside, she went straight to the kitchen and dug out the ingredients for a massive batch of cookies.

  She had a sudden hankering for something sweet.

  Chapter Two

  “Mamm!” Ben called as he raced into the front room. “How come the sign’s in the barn?”

  Naomi looked up from her ledger. “I took it down.”

  “But how come?”

  “Benjamin, look at the floor. You’ve done tracked in a barrelful of dirt!”

  Ben looked down at his thick-soled shoes. Clumps of dirt clung to their sides, some of which had fallen to the floor. He gazed behind himself at the trail he’d left. “Sorry.”

  “Get the broom.”

  “But why’s the sign down.”

  “Because Mr. King is making us a new one.” She set down her pencil, happy to take a break from her figuring.

  Ben’s face lit up. “He is? Gut! He can do anything.”

  A weariness settled over Naomi. “Jah, I suppose he can.”

  “He gonna stay for supper again?”

  “Nee,” she answered before he could go further with the idea. The very last thing she wanted was another confrontation with Zachariah King.

  “Why not?”

  “Ben, don’t question your elders. Now, go get that broom.”

  “Okay.” He hung his head slightly and turned to go. Then he swirled back to face her. “But Mamm, Mr. Zach loves your cooking. He said so.”

  Naomi sighed. “Ben? The broom?”

  “I’m going,” he mumbled, heading off to the washroom.

  Naomi looked at her page of figures. She needed to buy a calculator; all this adding and subtracting was giving her a headache. Lots of Amish folk used calculators that ran on batteries. She’d even heard tell of calculators that used the sun to work. She never could figure why her dat opposed it so. Maybe because ciphering came easy to him, but it surely didn’t come easily to her. She picked up her pencil and squared her shoulders to tackle it again.

  She glanced out the front window and saw a billow of dust accompany a light green car coming up the drive. She set the pencil back down and went out to greet whomever it was. More guests, perhaps?

  The car came to a stop, and a young man got out.

  “Howdy, ma’am,” he said with a wide smile. “We’re looking for Byler’s Bed and Breakfast. We stopped a ways back and someone directed us here.”

  “You’ve come to the right place,” she said, excitement stirring in her chest. She wondered how this young couple even knew of her Bed and Breakfast, especially since she’d taken down the sign. But that didn’t matter. They were there. “How can I help you?”

  “We’re wanting to stay a couple of nights.” His voice carried a heavy drawl, reminding her of Justin’s way of speaking. “The missus and me.”

  The passenger window came down and a lovely young woman with glistening red hair poked her head through the opening. “I’m Gladys,” she said with the same drawl, only softer. “Please no jokes about my name. My mother seemed to think it amusing to slap an ancient-style name on me.”

  Naomi’s brows rose, and she shook her head. “Gladys is a fine name.” How odd for someone to jump right into such talk after introducing themselves. Naomi would have thought such comments would be reserved for dear friends.

  “So, you know Justin Moore?” the man asked, coming around his car.

  At the mention of Justin’s name, Naomi’s heart skipped a beat. Justin had told her that he would send guests her way, but she never truly expected it. She thought he was being kind, trying to encourage her. And after their parting of ways, she assumed he would put her out of his mind forever.

  “Jah,” she murmured. “I know Justin Moore.”

  “He can’t stop raving about your place,” Gladys said. Her eyes roamed the area. “It is lovely here. He certainly got that right.”

  She opened her door and stepped out. Her long tanned legs were thin, and she had on a pair of orange slip-on shoes. She wore a snug short dress with geometric shapes printed all over it. She tossed her fiery hair back over her shoulders and gave a contented sigh.

  “I’m simply going to love it here,” she said. “Please tell us you have a vacancy.”

  Naomi nodded. “Jah, we have a vacancy. Two nights did you say?”

  The man offered her his hand, and she shook it. Would she ever get used to touching strangers?

  “I’m Scott,” he said. “Is it true that you have no electricity?”

  “Jah, that’s true. Do you still want to stay?”

  Gladys laughed, a joyous tinkling sound. “It will do us good to unplug,” she said, nudging Scott. “Won’t it, honey?”

  “If you say so.” He smiled at Naomi. “No, she’s right. We’ve been working way too hard. Both of us. This will do us good.”

  “If you’d like to get your bags, I’ll show you to your room.”

  “Will we stay in the same little house where Justin stayed? He said it was the coziest place he’s ever slept in.”

  Naomi’s heart warmed. “Jah. The same place.”

  When they entered the daadi haus, Gladys threw out her arms and practically squealed. “Yes! It truly is cozy. Where do we sleep?”

  Taking a breath, Naomi took them to the bedroom she used to share with Isaac. She braced herself for the onslaught of emotions as she offered them her former bed, but when she opened the bedroom door, she felt nothing. She blinked rapidly, and her brow creased. She paused, her hand on the doorknob, waiting. She hadn’t opened this door without a rush of grief and longing since the accident had happened that took her husband’s life. But right then, she felt as if she were opening any other bedroom door. She was so taken back, she could hardly focus on the matter at hand.

  Gladys moved past her. “This is a charming room,” she said. She went to the lantern sitting on a bedside table. “Here’s our light, honey!”

  Scott joined her. “The old-fashioned kind,” he said with a chuckle. “I’m looking forward to this.”

  Gladys faced Naomi. “Do you have hot water for a shower? I should have asked in the beginning.”

  “We do,” Naomi said, blinking hard and bringing herself back into the moment.

  Gladys’s shoulders relaxed. “I h
ate to be prudish, but I do like a hot shower.”

  Scott rubbed his hands together. “Justin told us it was one hundred fifty a night because you add in meals.”

  One hundred fifty? Naomi blanched. Justin knew full well it was only one hundred dollars a night.

  “Nee. It’s only—”

  Scott was already peeling three one hundred dollar bills from his wallet. He handed them to her. “This will cover two nights. I can get a receipt from you at dinner.”

  Naomi stepped back, but he pressed the money into her palm.

  “But this is too much,” she said.

  “Hardly,” Scott replied. “Not if meals are included. We want to hole up here for the next couple days. Not having to go out for meals is a real plus.”

  Naomi stood dumbfounded. Even when he wasn’t around, Justin was making his mark.

  “What time is dinner?” Gladys asked. “We don’t want to be late.”

  “Six o’clock. But really, this is too much money.”

  “Nonsense. We’ll see you at six,” Scott said, placing their compact suitcase on the end of the bed.

  Naomi was being dismissed from her own daadi haus, which was a switch, but she found she didn’t mind. Three hundred dollars. Was this Justin’s way of telling her she was charging too little? No, she didn’t think so. This was Justin’s way of thanking her once again. She held the money to her chest as she went back to the big house, grateful that Justin Moore was still her friend even though she’d never see him again.

  “Thank you, Gott,” she whispered as she went in to prepare supper. She took the green beans out of the refrigerator and set about snapping them. As she worked, her mind rested on Justin. She realized that thinking of him wasn’t painful anymore. There was no yearning, no wishing things could be different. Instead, she felt a contentment at knowing him, a gentle gratitude for their time together.

  And that was all.

  Humming now, she set on a pot of water. Beans took quite a bit of boiling to become tender and tasty.

  Katy wandered into the kitchen an hour before supper was to be served. “On my way back from Liz’s house, I stopped by the mailbox. You got a letter from Uncle Marvin.”

  Naomi sighed. She already knew what was in the letter. Marvin would be pressuring her once again to move back to Pennsylvania. That was his standard fare.

  “Set it on the counter. I’ll get to it later.” She handed Naomi the bread knife. “Would you cut the loaf and put some slices on a plate?”

  “Sure, Mamm. Do we have guests? There’s a car out front. And what happened to our sign on the road?”

  “Mr. Zach is making us a new sign. And yes, we do have guests. For two nights. A nice young couple.”

  Katy grinned. “We’re doing gut, aren’t we? We’re getting money?”

  Naomi regarded her. “I don’t want you worrying about money, daughter. Things are fine.”

  Katy’s face flushed. “I’m not little anymore.”

  Naomi stepped closer. “I know that.”

  “I heard you talking to Mrs. Mary once. You told her we needed the money. You’ve said the same thing to Ben and me, too.”

  Naomi blew out her breath. “Katy, you leave those concerns to me. The Good Lord has taken care of us so far, hasn’t He?”

  Katy pressed her lips together and nodded.

  “And He’ll continue to take care of us.” She squeezed Katy’s shoulders. “Now, that bread isn’t going to slice itself.”

  Katy grinned and starting cutting the bread.

  Supper was ready a few minutes before six. Ben had skipped in and washed up and was already waiting on the long bench, his legs swinging beneath the heavy table. Naomi and Katy set out the creamed potatoes, green beans, bread, fried chicken, and sliced carrots.

  “This is more like dinner than supper,” Katy said.

  “Smells good,” Ben exclaimed with an appreciative sniff.

  “They’re paying well,” Naomi said, “so I want to make sure they eat well.”

  “Hello!” Scott called through the door. “Are you ready for us?”

  Naomi went to let them in. “Gut afternoon. Come straight in.”

  Scott and Gladys entered the dining area and both of them let out an exclamation of pleasure. “Oh, this looks wonderful,” Gladys said.

  “Please be seated,” Naomi said. “These are my two children, Ben and Katy.” She turned to her children. “Ben and Katy, this is Mr. Scott and Mrs. Gladys.”

  Ben and Katy nodded and smiled.

  Scott and Gladys got situated, and Naomi directed them all in a silent prayer of thanks. When she cleared her throat, everyone looked up. Naomi was always surprised when new guests fell so easily into their Amish manner of saying grace. She knew most Englischers said grace out loud, something she’d never done before.

  “Start the creamed potatoes around, would you Ben?” she asked.

  The meal went well. As it turned out, Scott and Gladys were pleasant conversationalists. Ben had quite a time sharing his knowledge of frogs, once Scott caught on about how important frogs were to the lad.

  When everyone was finished eating, her guests went straight back to the daadi haus, and she sent Katy and Ben outside for a bit of playtime before bed. She yearned for the quiet of her kitchen to red everything up for the morning and to read Marvin’s letter. After the last dish was put away, and the breakfast meal was planned, she took the letter from the counter and sat down in the kitchen rocker to read it.

  Dear Naomi,

  I hope this finds you well. I’m going to come right to the point. As you know, I’ve never approved of you staying in Indiana after the accident. You belong back here with your family. I don’t think it’s right that you are depriving your two children of their kin.

  Naomi dropped the letter in her lap and looked out the kitchen window. She shouldn’t get so upset at her brother’s words; she’d read them often enough. How she wished he would stop pressuring her. Didn’t he know that she was trying to do the right thing for her children? Didn’t he know that she didn’t want to upset them with another huge change in their lives?

  She grabbed up the letter again, and her teeth clenched.

  I’ve decided to come out to fetch you myself, Naomi. By the time you get this letter, I’ll be on my way. I felt that I should at least give you a warning that I’m coming.

  A warning! Even he phrased it as a warning. She shook her head. Nothing good was going to come from this; she could feel it in her bones.

  The rest of the family is in agreement. So, I shall see you soon.

  Your brother,

  Marvin

  Naomi stuffed the letter back in the envelope and stood up. She looked about her, wondering what she could do. Marvin coming there? And he didn’t know about the Bed and Breakfast. She was sure he wouldn’t like it one bit. He wouldn’t approve of her running any type of business.

  She tossed the envelope back on the counter and rushed out the side door. Once outside, she stood, looking restlessly about her. Perhaps a short walk to the fields would help ease her frustration. She certainly couldn’t let the children see her upset.

  She strode across the yard and around back of the barn. She went to the edge of the field and stopped, gazing out upon all of Zachariah’s hard work. The corn had grown taller even in those last few days. Soon, it would be harvest time. And then the fields would be put to bed, and there would be no need for Zachariah to come around every day.

  “Naomi?”

  She whirled to face Zach. “Ach, I didn’t hear you.” She licked her lips and smoothed down her apron.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She shook her head. “Wrong? Nothing’s wrong.”

  He put down the hoe he was carrying and stepped closer. “What’s wrong?” he repeated.

  She turned back toward the field and watched the corn sway ever so slightly in the breeze. Dusk was creeping over the land, and she heard Ben and Katy hollering and laughing back by the tire swing. Zach st
ood close and gazed out over the fields with her.

  “The fields are beautiful,” she murmured. “Nearly ready for harvest.”

  “It’ll be a while yet,” Zach said, his quiet tone matching hers. “I love this time in the season. Things are ripening and growing fat with the summer sun.”

  She nodded, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. Such poetic words, and she had never, even for a second, considered Zach a poetic man.

  “Naomi?” he said, turning to her. “What’s wrong?”

  Her shoulders slumped. “I’ve heard from my brother.”

  “Jah?”

  “He’s coming.” She closed her eyes and inhaled slowly.

  “But that’s right nice for you, isn’t it? And for Ben and Katy?”

  “Nee.”

  His brow furrowed. “Why not?”

  “He wants us to move back to Pennsylvania. He’s been after me about it since the accident.”

  Zach inhaled sharply, and Naomi felt him go stiff beside her. “To Pennsylvania?”

  She nodded. Standing there, on the land that her father and husband had so desired, had worked so hard to acquire, made Naomi realize how much she wanted to stay. How could she desert their dream? How could she leave Isaac, whose body lay in the cemetery not so far down the road? And how could she leave her mother and father, who lay in that same cemetery? No, her life was there, in Hollybrook.

  Tears blurred her vision, and she made no move to stop them from falling.

  “Do you want to go back?” Zach asked.

  “This is my home.”

  Zach turned and squarely faced her. She looked into his eyes and even in the growing dusk, she could see how his gaze burned into hers. “You didn’t answer,” he said. “Do you want to go?”

  She shook her head. “Nee. I want to stay.”

  He raised his hand and touched her arm, and it was as if her skin came alive beneath his fingers. Electricity raced up her spine, and she barely stopped herself from jerking back with surprise. She looked down at his hand, his muscled, rough hand that worked from sun-up to sun-down.

  The tension between them thickened, and she swallowed and wondered what he could be thinking. And then he took his hand from her and lowered it to his side.