“It sounds as if you were made for each other.” Leah tried to edge away from Caleb, but it was useless. She had nowhere to go unless she moved onto Maggie’s lap.
“I knew it from the first day I saw Ike at my cousin’s wedding. What a handsome fellow he was. My parents didn’t think much of him. He was too wild for their liking.”
Caleb leaned forward to look at his mother. “Daed was a wild fellow?”
“Ja. So much like you when you were a boy, but I knew he would settle down and become a goot husband and father, and I was right.”
Leah wondered what Maggie was trying to tell her. Was she hinting that Caleb would become a good husband and father, too? It might happen, but not unless he changed a great deal.
He leaned close and whispered, “I’m sorry about this. Are you comfortable?”
“Well enough.”
“It isn’t much farther. I can walk home when the meeting is over.”
“So can I.”
“But you shouldn’t have to. What’s in the basket?”
“Cookies and brownies. Hungry men are cranky men. I thought I would sweeten them up before the meeting got started.”
He laughed. The rumble from deep in his chest vibrated against her shoulder and arm. It sent a tingle of warmth through her. He had a nice laugh. Her discomfort forgotten, she gave him a quizzical look. “What’s so funny?”
“You and my mother think alike.”
“How so?”
Maggie chuckled. “I brought rhubarb cake.”
Leah met Maggie’s glance and they both laughed. The tension in the air eased and the rest of the ride passed quickly.
A large hand-painted sign depicting an anvil marked the lane of Eli Imhoff’s farm. He was a blacksmith by trade and a horse breeder by choice.
The Imhoffs lived in a two-story white farmhouse with a smaller dawdy haus, a second home for elderly family members, connected to the main building by a covered porch with white railings and wide steps leading up to it. Three large birdhouses sat atop poles around the yard. The flowerbeds were empty now, but Leah knew they would be loaded with blooms from spring through fall. Nettie had a green thumb. There was already one buggy parked in front of the house.
Across a wide expanse of winter-brown grass stood a large red barn and several outbuildings. In the corrals, a pair of enormous caramel-colored draft horses and a dozen Standardbred horses munched on hay bales. Eli was known far and wide as a breeder of fine trotters. Some of his horses, sold to Englisch trainers, had gone on to win major races.
Maggie pulled to a stop in front of the main house, and Caleb hopped down and offered his hand to Leah. She placed her fingers in his. Even through her gloves, she could feel his strength. He let go of her as soon as her feet touched the ground. Rounding the cart, he helped his mother down, too. Leah fetched her basket from the rear of the cart and followed Maggie to the front door. Once Caleb secured the horse, he came after them.
The door opened as they reached it. Nettie Imhoff stood aside. “Come in. Maggie, what were you thinking to travel in an open cart in this cold? I’ll heat some bricks for you to use on the way home. No sense getting frozen toes.”
“Danki, Nettie.” Maggie stamped her feet. “It is a bit chilly out today. This is my son Caleb. I don’t think the two of you have met.”
Caleb nodded to her. “I don’t believe we have.”
“My son and I came to Hope Springs a few years ago from Pennsylvania after my husband passed away. Elam was hoping for a new start in a new place. We certainly got it. He married a fine girl, and I was blessed to find a man willing to put up with me and my set ways.”
Eli walked into the room. “Don’t let her fool you. She’s the one who puts up with me and mine. Hello, Leah. I hope we can have a short meeting tonight. I’ve got a sick mare down at the barn.”
She glanced at Caleb. “We do have a few things to talk about, but first, we brought some desserts.”
“How nice. I’ll get some plates.” Nettie opened the cupboard door.
Eli grinned. “Dessert sounds wonderful. Don’t marry a pretty woman, Caleb. Marry a good cook. Looks fade, good cooking doesn’t.”
Nettie stopped and turned around with a plate in her hand. “Are you saying my looks are gone?”
Eli realized his mistake. “Nee, you’re a fine-looking woman, Nettie, and a wunderbaar cook. I’m a doubly blessed man.”
She shook the plate at him. “You are, and don’t forget it.”
The outside door opened and a tall Amish man with a thick reddish-brown beard entered the kitchen. He carried a black notebook. His wide smile included everyone in the room. “Gutenowed.”
Eli said, “Good evening, Adrian. You’ve come just in the nick of time.”
Adrian hung his black hat on a peg beside the door and then scanned the room. His eyes widened when they settled on Caleb. “Caleb Mast, is that you? It’s been many a year since I laid eyes on you. How has the Englisch world been treating you?”
“Well enough, Adrian. Good to see you again.” Caleb was heartened by the reception he was receiving. Maybe Wayne hadn’t turned everyone against him.
The door opened again and Samuel Stutzman came in. He hung his hat beside Adrian’s. He stared at Caleb without greeting him, and then he nodded to all the others. “Blessings be upon this house.”
Acceptance by everyone was too much to hope for.
Eli laid a hand on Samuel’s shoulder. “Why don’t we get out of the kitchen and let our women have their space? Come into the living room and have a seat.”
Caleb glanced at his mother and Leah. They both gave him an encouraging nod. He left his moral support in the kitchen and followed Eli. Chairs had been arranged on both sides of the living room. They must be expecting a fair number of parents to attend.
Eli settled in a winged-back chair near the fireplace. “So, what brings you to our school-board meeting?”
Apparently, Eli didn’t believe in beating around the bush. Adrian and Samuel took a seat on the couch but didn’t say anything. Adrian opened his notebook and pulled a pen from his pocket.
Caleb cleared his throat. “I have a daughter who is eight years old. Her name is Joy. She has Down syndrome.”
“I met her at the church service. My daughter Anna introduced us. You are blessed to have such a special child.”
Caleb drew a deep breath. “In the Englisch world, a child such as Joy is not always treated as a blessing.”
Eli nodded. “I understand that this is so. It is a sad thing when people cannot see the beauty in all God’s creations.”
“Joy’s life has not always been happy. It is my wish that she grow up here.”
Eli laced his fingers together over the slight paunch of his belly. “Both you and your daughter will be welcome if you are accepted back into our faith. You should speak with Bishop Zook. He can guide you in this matter much better than I.”
“That’s the thing. I don’t wish to live Amish. While I believe it is the best thing for my daughter, it is not the life for me.”
A troubled frown marred Eli’s jovial face. He shared a speaking glance with Adrian and Samuel, and then said, “Such an arrangement will be very confusing for your child. Our ways are not easy. It is the solemn duty of a parent to teach by example. If you do not live as we do, how can you expect your daughter to learn, respect and adhere to our ways?”
“Joy will live with my parents, not with me. I’m here tonight to ask that she be allowed to attend Walnut Valley School even though I am no longer Amish.” Caleb fell silent as Leah came in with a plate in each hand.
“Eli, would you like a brownie, rhubarb cake or both?”
“Cake will be fine.” He accepted the plate she handed him. “Did you know about this?”
She flashed a scowl at Caleb. He should have waited until after the cake to make his request. “I learned of Caleb’s plan last week.”
Eli raised an eyebrow at her admission. “Perhaps it would have been
better to discuss it with me before now.”
“I’m sorry. I thought it would be better to present the idea to the entire board.”
“I see. What do you think of allowing an Englisch child to attend your school?” Eli took a bite of his cake.
She handed a plate to Adrian. “Joy will be a wonderful addition to my classroom, just as Kyle has been.”
Lifting his fork, Eli pointed at her. “Who will you go to if there are problems with the girl?”
“Caleb, of course. Also Maggie and Ike, since she will live with them.”
Adrian spoke up. “Where will you live, Caleb?”
Caleb hesitated. This was going to be the tricky part. “Texas for now, but I plan to spend a year in Brazil. I work on off-shore oil rigs. My parents will make all decisions about Joy while I’m away.”
Samuel said, “I think the child should be allowed to attend school. I said as much to Maggie just the other day. Maggie and Ike have always supported our school. So does Wayne. I see little reason why we should deny this request.”
“What does Joy’s mother think of this arrangement?” Adrian asked.
“She isn’t in the picture. She left Joy in my care and took off. I don’t know where she is.”
Eli clearly wasn’t pleased with the information. “And now you will leave Joy in the care of your parents and take off.”
“No one can do a better job of raising Joy than my parents. I wish I could be the one to raise her, but my job takes me away for long periods of time.”
Caleb heard the outside door open again. A small group of parents entered. Greetings and chatter filled the kitchen. Wayne entered the room and stopped short at the sight of Caleb. His face grew red with agitation and he looked to Eli. “I can have no part of this meeting with this man here.”
Turning on his heels, he started to leave, but Caleb shot to his feet. “Don’t go. I’ve finished all I came to say. Please continue your meeting. Eli, thank you for hearing me.”
Caleb walked into the kitchen, where Rhonda stood beside his mother. She averted her face. He spoke to his mother. “I’ll walk home. See you there.”
He went out the door and stopped at the gate as he waited for the cold air to cool his temper. If his brother couldn’t manage a single civil conversation, what hope was there for them?
“Caleb?”
He turned at the sound of Leah’s voice. “I’m fine. Go back in.”
She came down the steps and stood beside him. “I will plead Joy’s case to them.”
Did she have any idea how much her kindness meant to him? He gave a slight nod. “I know. Thanks. I wish... Never mind what I wish. Do what you can. If they say no, I’ll enroll Joy in the public school in town. They might change their minds in a year or two with me out of the picture.”
Her chin came up. “I will see that they do.”
Her bravado made him smile. “Joy couldn’t have a better champion. Good night, Leah Belier.”
“Guten nacht, Caleb Mast. Take care.”
* * *
The following afternoon, Leah had only been home from the cookie exchange for a few minutes when she heard a buggy come into the yard. Eli and Nettie Imhoff got out of it. The school-board meeting had adjourned without making a decision about Joy. They had planned to meet again at Wayne’s home this afternoon. Had they come to a decision?
Leah had been disappointed, but not surprised, when Maggie and Joy came to the cookie exchange without Caleb. Joy had had a good time playing with Anna and Emmy Chupp. It gave Leah hope that she would assimilate into the community and form lasting bonds.
Leah invited Eli and Nettie in and waited impatiently for them to get settled. She was eager to learn the verdict, but she couldn’t neglect her duties as the woman of the house. When they were situated in her living room with cups of steaming coffee in their hands, she took a seat in her rocker and waited for Eli to speak.
He took a sip of his coffee. Nettie, brimming with excitement, said, “They have decided that Joy can attend our school.”
Leah breathed a prayer of thanks. Eli gave his wife a sour look. She sat back with a grin on her face, not the least bit intimidated, and blew on her coffee to cool it.
He said, “That was our decision. Joy Perry may attend Walnut Valley School. Although her father does not follow our ways, the majority of us believe it is good that he wishes his daughter to do so. We wanted you to be the first to know, since the responsibility for her education will fall directly on you. If you have any concerns that you felt you could not express in front of Maggie and Caleb, I would hear them now and hold them in confidence.”
Did she have reservations? No. Teaching was the path God had chosen for her. Providing an education for Joy was what she was meant to do. “I’m delighted with the decision. I’m sure that Maggie and Ike will provide all the support I need if there are problems. When can she start?”
“On Monday if you and her father agree.”
It was Friday evening. “That won’t give Joy’s family much time to purchase the supplies she will need for the rest of the school year. I do keep a stash of extra supplies for emergencies here at home.”
“A sound idea after what happened last summer,” Nettie said sadly.
Last summer an arsonist had set fire to the school. By the grace of God, the building had survived with only moderate damage, but all the children’s books and records had been destroyed. Although it was an event that was unlikely to be repeated, for the arsonist had been arrested, Leah now made sure she kept only part of her records and supplies there.
Eli said, “I spoke privately with Caleb before the board met again. He has agreed to pay his fair share to the school district just as any parent would. Although he will not live in the area, he has expressed his intention to return several times a year to help with the physical upkeep of the school. I saw that as more than fair.”
“He intends to return?”
Eli nodded. “That’s what he told me.”
It was the first Leah had heard of such a plan. She had heard him express only his intention to leave and allow his daughter to live an Amish life with his parents. When had he had this change of heart? Perhaps his attachment to Joy was growing.
When the couple had finished their coffee, Leah took their cups and carried them into the kitchen. Eli and Nettie followed her, stopping beside Trixie’s box to admire the puppies. Nettie picked up one of the boys. “Elam was just saying the other day that he’ll soon need a dog to help control his flock.”
“Trixie is very good at gathering in the geese and ducks. I’m sure her puppies will be, too.”
Nettie laughed. “He has neither geese nor ducks. What he and Katie need help with is their gaggle of children. They have three now, and I reckon that’s not the end of it.”
“Nee, not the way he smiles when he looks at her,” Eli said with a grin.
Nettie laid a hand on his arm. “He smiles at her the way you smile at me.”
The widow and widower had wed two years ago, and it was clear they were every bit as much in love as the youngsters in the family. Leah knew a moment of envy. Why wasn’t there someone for her to love?
Nettie reached for her coat. “We are on our way to see Maggie and Ike and let them know the school board’s decision. Would you like to come with us?”
There was no real reason for her to go, but Leah pulled her own coat off the hook, excited at the idea of seeing Caleb again. And Joy. “I would. In case Maggie or Ike has questions for me. And I can deliver the supplies to Joy. It will only take me a minute to get together what she will need.”
Twenty minutes later, they pulled up in front of the Mast farmhouse. Maggie opened the door and invited them in. Ike came in from the living room. Eli said, “I would speak with you about the education of your granddaughter. Is her father about?”
“He and Joy have gone down to the barn to feed the horses. I will get him.” Ike reached for his hat.
Leah said, “I’ll go.”
“Very well.”
Outside, Leah hurried across to the old red barn. The wind was cold as it blew down from the north, pushing a flurry of snow with it. Inside the relative comfort of the barn, she pushed her bonnet back and adjusted her kapp. She located Caleb by the sound of his voice coming from the hayloft. He was talking softly to someone, most likely to Joy.
Leah pressed a hand to her heart to still the sudden rush of pleasure that raced through her at the sound of his voice. In spite of her misgivings, she had come to care a great deal about him. Much more than was wise. How could she have allowed this to happen?
Recognizing the attraction for what it was, she knew the best thing for her was to turn and walk away.
Chapter Ten
Leah’s common sense told her to call out to Caleb and Joy and then return to the house. She opened her mouth but heard the sound of Joy’s giggle and remained silent. Maybe she was being foolish, but she adored spending time with Joy. Whatever they were doing sounded like fun. She would guard her heart against becoming more involved with Caleb now that she understood what was happening.
She climbed the ladder to the haymow and followed the sound of Joy’s giggles. She found father and daughter lying in a pile of hay, staring at the rafters. Joy spied her first. She held a finger to her lips. “Shh.”
Caleb rose on one elbow. A piece of straw dangled from his lips. He whispered, “We’re watching a barn owl.”
Leah looked up. “Truly? They’re an endangered species in this state. Where is it?”
“On the rafter near the center of the barn, just slightly to the left. It looks as if he’s been roosting here for a while.”
“I still don’t see him.”
Joy said, “If you lie down, you can see him better and your neck won’t get tired. What’s endangered?”
Leah stepped across the hay and sat down beside Joy. She wrapped her arms around her knees, conscious of the fact that Caleb was stretched out on the other side of his daughter. The classroom wasn’t the only place to share knowledge. Times like this were perfect to teach children about nature and the gifts of God. “Endangered means there aren’t very many of them anymore. Barn owls love to live in barns and old silos, but many of those have been torn down to make way for houses and towns, so the barn owls don’t have places to live anymore.”
Amish Christmas Joy (Mills & Boon Love Inspired) (Brides of Amish Country - Book 10) Page 11
