However, the woman who’d arrived with the man introduced as Levi had brought casserole dishes full of food, so maybe she was the amazing cook. It didn’t matter who so much as when, because he was starving. Both for real food and for time spent with Hallie.
Mostly for time spent with Hallie.
Chapter 25
Hallie glanced around the kitchen. Mammi and Joy set the table, while Ruth sliced the creamy cheesecakes that Elsie must’ve brought since they had sprigs of peppermint on top. Elsie added peppermint to everything she could. Something warmed in the oven. She didn’t see Mamm, Anna, or Elsie.
Joy set a big homemade vegetable tray on the table near the condiments already there, then grinned at Hallie. “Elsie brought over grilled hot dogs, brats, and hamburgers, buns, potato salad, and dessert. Isn’t it wonderful? We had the vegetables, and Mammi made her apple salad to go with it.”
Ruth used her finger to wipe off the knife after she finished cutting the cheesecakes. “I just love cheesecake. I never had peppermint flavored before.” She stuck her finger in her mouth and smiled.
“Elsie loves peppermint,” Hallie said with a smile. “Where is she?”
“She’s in the dawdihaus with your mamm,” Mammi answered. “I think she’s adding to her family.” She smiled and winked. “But you didn’t hear that from me.”
Joy giggled.
“Is Anna in there with them?” Hallie asked, stopping her progress into the room. If she was, she’d wait until later to see her friend.
The three other women in the room looked around. “I haven’t seen her since she left for the singing with your future husband,” Mammi said.
Ruth coughed. Choked, really.
Hallie’s face burned. She tried to avoid looking at Ruth.
“And that was early in the afternoon, when my honeybun and I left,” Mammi continued.
“She and Kiah must’ve stayed out really late.” Hallie ignored Mammi. Hopefully she didn’t sound as jealous as she felt. But her voice shook. She forced herself to resume movement and walked to the table.
Joy frowned. “Anna caught a ride home with another guy. I don’t know who. Kiah and I left early, before the singing even started, to rescue some newborn kittens and deliver them and the ant farm to George. You were asleep when we got home, so Kiah went to help secure the tarp to the roof.” She hesitated and gave Hallie a worried look. “You slept on the recliner all night, but you didn’t see Anna come in? I’ll check if she’s still sleeping.” She hurried from the room.
“Kiah has never been unfaithful to you.” Ruth placed the knife beside the sink and turned to face Hallie. “Never. From the moment he returned home after meeting you eighteen months ago and breaking up with Molly, he’s been faithful to the scribe. Never even left the house for frolics or youth events. Just for church and work. I know nothing makes sense right now, but you needed to know that much.” She pulled in a shaky breath. “And that is all I can say.”
Hallie stood where she’d stopped, midway between the table and the door, and stared. She wasn’t sure what to say, if anything. Except, “Why…what…”
Ruth swiped at her eyes and crossed the room. She tugged Hallie into her arms and kissed her cheek. “I’m rooting for you, dear Hallie. Don’t give up hope.” She squeezed and released before Hallie had time to react.
Rooting for…? What? Don’t give up hope? Wasn’t it fairly obvious that at least where Kiah Esh was concerned, there was no hope for her? Maybe someday, with someone. And maybe, if Gott smiled, she’d feel a portion of the passion, the excitement, the tingles she felt with Kiah.
Although, her parents and grandparents would argue that love is a decision. Not an emotion. As the Amish ministers loved to point out during wedding sermons, marriage is for keeps. For better. For worse. For richer and poorer. During sickness and in health. Until death parted…
Death parted.
That meant Toby had it wrong. Relief rushed through her. She was not obligated to join Toby in the hereafter. She could live. She could love. If she was brave enough…
And with Kiah…
Lord, let it be so.
Hallie rearranged the condiments on the table as Joy came back into the room. “Anna was sleeping. Sleeping! At noon! And wow, is she hard to wake up. I had to whomp her with a pillow! Several times.” She sighed heavily as if she was put out, but she grinned.
Hallie guessed it could be acceptable, especially considering Anna had been up all day Saturday, most of that night with a laboring mamm, all day Sunday, who knew how late Sunday night. Sleep was not overrated.
But, wow, it was great to learn that all Kiah had done was take Anna to the singing and some other guy had given her a ride home. And it was also wonderful to know that he’d been faithful to her—the scribe—for the past eighteen months. He truly was devoted to her.
And it was beyond amazing that Hallie had somehow won Ruth’s favor. Though she imagined that the bishop and her parents talking her up probably had a lot to do with it.
“Hallie,” Mammi said. “Go to your friend.”
It took a moment before Hallie remembered that Elsie was in the dawdihaus with Mamm.
Hallie nodded and moved to tap on the doorway of the entrance to the dawdihaus from the kitchen. There wasn’t any answer, so she opened the door. “Mamm? It’s Hallie.”
“We’re in the bedroom,” Mamm called.
Hallie walked through the super-tiny kitchen, into the small living room, and pushed open the bedroom door. Elsie lay on the bed, dress unpinned, while Mamm ran a stethoscope over Elsie’s belly.
“It’s a little early yet, but sometimes we can hear heartbeats at three months. Not this time, though.”
Hallie smiled at her friend. “I’m so excited for you and Levi. You are so blessed.”
Elsie kind of half giggled. “I’ll feel more blessed when the miserable morning sickness ends.”
“That’s supposed to be a sign of a healthy baby,” Hallie said.
Mamm wiped off the stethoscope and handed Elsie a tissue to get the gel off her belly. “You can repin your dress; then Hallie can talk to you about a healthy diet.”
Elsie groaned. “I can see baked sweets going away.”
Mamm laughed. “They aren’t good for you anyway.” She gathered her supplies and put them in her black midwife bag. “I’ll be in the main house kitchen, if you have any questions, and I’ll come visit you in a month.” She winked at Hallie, grabbed her bag, and left the room.
Elsie scrambled to her feet and quickly repinned her dress. She pulled Hallie into a hug and squealed. “I’m so excited! Levi is, too, but he’s more panicky about it. He’s babying me and questioning everything I do. ‘Is it safe for the baby?’ I’m not suddenly helpless.”
Hallie returned her hug, then released her and they sat on the edge of the bed. “Men usually are like that with their first.” Mamm had told her when Hallie’s friend Gracie whined about Zeke being overprotective. “But there are some things you need to avoid and some you need moderation…” She went on to talk about them.
Elsie stared, jaw gaped. “I thought you didn’t want to be a midwife.”
Hallie grimaced. There was a time she wanted to be one. Until she caught Mamm crying over a stillborn baby. “I have a midwife for a mamm. I know this stuff. I don’t want the responsibility if things go wrong.” They rarely did, but still. There was always the chance. Maybe she should talk to Mamm about how she handled those fears and possibilities. Maybe she could learn to trust and rely on God to give her wisdom to do her best.
A door creaked. “Girls. Dinner is ready,” Mamm called.
Hallie leaned in to give Elsie another hug. “You’ll do fine. Mamm is the best midwife in town—”
“The only one.” Elsie gave her a pointed look.
“You need to trust Gott. He’s got you and Levi and that precious baby in His hands.”
“Listen to yourself. Don’t you think He has you, too? Maybe with a man other than Toby?�
�� Elsie stood and straightened her dress.
“Such as?” Hallie looked away to hide her burning face. What had Elsie heard? Had Kiah seen his best friend Zeke and told him everything? Had Zeke told Gracie who then told Elsie?
But Elsie shrugged. “I don’t know. Just someone. Toby was dark-mooded and he would’ve dragged you down, too. You deserve someone better. I might not know who he is, but Gott does.”
And Elsie would, too, as soon as Kiah joined them for dinner. Except, Hallie still didn’t understand that situation.
“And I want you to deliver my baby.”
Hallie scoffed. “If Gott wants me to be a midwife, He’s going to have to drop a laboring woman in my path and no other options.”
* * *
Kiah helped Daed secure a shingle that didn’t seem to want to be wedged into the tight spot Daed placed it, then started to follow Ted and Aaron down the ladder.
“Son.” Daed caught his arm when Kiah was near the edge. “We need to talk.”
Kiah stopped and turned to face him. He raised his eyebrows. They did need to talk, but now, with the Brunstetter family waiting on them for dinner, seemed bad timing.
Daed half smiled. “I know what you’re thinking and you’re right. I did mean later. Tomorrow sometime. Bishop Nathan will be joining us and possibly a few others…”
Okay. That sounded ominous.
Kiah frowned and clenched his jaw. A muscle might have jumped. Whatever he or Hallie or both of them had done must’ve been very bad. Either that or the church leaders were going to come down on him hard for pursuing the scribe when Daed insisted he’d marry Molly.
Which was another reason he and Daed needed to talk.
“So we’ll be here tonight and tomorrow?” Kiah asked. He tried not to act excited. But, hello, more time with Hallie.
Daed shrugged. “We might be here a little longer. We might leave following the meeting. It all depends on what the ministers decide.”
So many questions sprang to the tip of Kiah’s tongue, but he bit them back. Now it was time to eat. Unfortunately, Daed’s words had stolen Kiah’s appetite. But since Daed tightened his lips and expression, he wouldn’t say more now anyway.
Kiah gave a brusque nod, turned on his heel, and descended the ladder. Irritation ate at him. Molly tied into this somehow, but how and why? Jah, she wanted him back—she made no secret of that—but he’d also made it plain that he was not interested. He was done. Finished.
And he had been extremely confident that he could out-stubborn her.
Apparently, he’d been wrong.
He hadn’t expected her to run to Daed with some tall tale that Daed had bought into, hook, line, and sinker.
And worse, he couldn’t for the life of him figure out what she’d claimed. Daed knew, he knew, Kiah had quit going to youth events and focused completely on the scribe. His true love. The one he’d hoped and believed would be Hallie. So any of the obvious reasons Molly had concocted to trap him into marriage had to be bogus.
He stomped up the steps to the porch and opened the door. The men were lined up at the kitchen sink, taking turns washing up. He stopped at the door to remove his still-soggy sneakers, then got into line behind the rest of the men.
Aaron was directly in front of him. He glanced over his shoulder and lowered his voice. “Peter’s daed said to get rid of them.”
Huh? Kiah frowned at the back of Aaron’s head for a few moments. Then he realized, the kittens. “In the future, I suggest George.”
Aaron snorted. “Jah.”
Of course, that might be how George ended up with so many cats. All animals needed a good home.
A side door opened and Hallie came into the room, followed by a redhead. Both women were smiling. And then a shuffling sound followed. Kiah glanced over his shoulder. A bleary-eyed Anna scuffed into the room. She staggered over to the table and plopped down in a chair.
How late had she stayed out last night? She reminded him a lot of his ex-girlfriend. She probably wanted to take the long way home…Well, he shouldn’t judge her for that. His gaze shot to Hallie, who whispered something behind a cupped hand to her friend. Both of them looked at him. His face heated, but he deliberately winked. Jah, he’d want to take the long way home with Hallie. With a side stop or two for “stargazing.”
Her face flamed red and she glanced away.
A hand landed heavy on Kiah’s opposite shoulder and squeezed.
Kiah turned his head.
“No flirting in the kitchen, boy,” Daed whispered.
At least he didn’t say ever.
Kiah gave Daed a cheeky grin. “What better place to heat things up?”
* * *
Hallie’s ankle still throbbed despite the walking cast. She headed for the bathroom after dinner and stared into the medicine cabinet. She wanted to ease off the strong pain pills and return to her normal life—minus the depression—at least while Kiah was still visiting.
She swallowed an over-the-counter pain pill.
She wasn’t sure how long the Eshes were staying, but Daed whispered to Mamm at the table. Hallie had overheard something about a conference call—whatever that was—between the ministers here in Hidden Springs and the ministers in the district where Preacher Esh served in Shipshewana. Kiah would be included in the chat, as would Daed.
It both scared and excited Hallie at the same time because the call must have something to do with her and Kiah and maybe his promised marriage to Molly. Daed glanced at her, then Kiah, so she must be right.
Hallie wanted to be included, but she was a woman and couldn’t be worried about men’s business. As if not being invited would keep her from being concerned.
Since the meal was over and Levi had finished replacing the broken windows, he and Elsie left.
Mamm shooed Anna back to bed for a rest since there were three women due to deliver any time—including Hallie’s friend Gracie.
Hallie and Joy were tasked with dishes while the men returned to work on the roof. Except Daadi. He went to putter—his words—in the barn.
Mammi, Mamm, and Ruth went to sew or crochet or darn socks in the living room. Joy and Hallie were supposed to join them when they finished dishes and cleaning the kitchen.
Hallie had just dried the last dish and put it away while daydreaming about doing this in her future home with Kiah, when the clip-clop of horse hooves caught her attention.
Bishop Nathan parked near the porch and emerged from the buggy.
Hallie went to the door to invite him in.
Bishop Nathan waved her away. “Preconference call talk, so I know the whole story. I’ll join the men on the roof.”
He left, going up the ladder.
Hallie watched him go. What was the whole story?
Chapter 26
Kiah caught movement in his peripheral vision and glanced that way as Bishop Nathan climbed onto the roof. He motioned for Kiah to follow him, then crossed the roof to where Daed was fitting another shingle into a different tight place.
Ted and Aaron were working on the opposite side of the roof, over the front of the house.
Bishop Nathan lowered himself beside Daed as Daed sucked in a noisy breath and all the color seeped from his face. His eyes widened and darted from the bishop to Kiah and back.
“I told Ted I’d stop by for a preconference call talk,” Bishop Nathan said. “I do hate going into these things blind. So fill me in. What is going on?”
“I, uh, haven’t had a chance to talk with Kiah yet.” Daed frowned.
“So, tell us both together. Sit down, Kiah. Go ahead, Clem.”
It’d been years since Kiah had heard Daed’s given name. Everyone just called him Preacher.
“I, uh, haven’t had a chance to prepare.” Daed tried again.
“That’s fine. Just lay it all out there.” The bishop looked up at Kiah, who still stood. “Sit down, Kiah,” he said again.
Kiah sat, bracing his feet against a shingle. Bile clogged his throat. Whatev
er this was about, it wasn’t good.
Pounding from hammers came from the other side of the roof where Ted and Aaron worked.
Daed sighed. “My brother’s oldest daughter left the Amish and embraced a very evil culture. Drugs were involved. Unable to keep a job, she moved to what is called ‘the Red Light District’ in Chicago. My brother didn’t want anyone to know. It’s a great shame.” His voice cracked. Broke.
Kiah remembered Uncle Bud’s tears when he came to talk to Daed about Caroline six months ago. He hadn’t known the details, but what he did know turned his stomach. His cousin made bad choices.
Daed swallowed. “Bud asked me to go talk to her, to try and get her to come home, to offer help. Rehab, or something. I agreed.” He pulled in a shaky breath and wiped the sweat from his brow. “So, I called a driver and asked him to drop me near that area. A block or two away. It was daylight, and safe then, or so I was told. I walked down there and found Caroline’s room. A dingy, stinky place. She goes by some other name now. Something unusual. I guess she thinks it’s sexy.” He shuddered as he spat out the word.
The bishop winced.
Kiah’s stomach cramped.
Daed cleared his throat. “Anyway, I talked to her. Offered help. To my shock, she refused, but she walked me out. Gave me a hug. I was her favorite uncle.”
He was. All Kiah’s cousins loved Uncle Clem. But what did this have to do with him?
Daed pulled in another shaky breath. Tears rolled down his cheeks. He gulped. “I failed my mission, but went home, determined to keep Caroline in my prayers. Then Kiah started getting serious with the scribe and talking about meeting and marrying her. I wasn’t thrilled. I didn’t want him to move away. I need him. So I encouraged him to court a local girl.”
That was true. He had. The last two weeks that seemed like the only topic Daed brought up when they were alone. But it was good to know Daed needed him.
The Amish Secret Wish Page 23
