The Hearts of Middlefield Collection

by Kathleen Fuller

  “Hi.”

  He turned around, stunned to see Anna standing in his parents’ kitchen. The word hello caught in his throat.

  “I hope I came in the right way. I wasn’t sure.”

  Finally he found his voice. “It doesn’t matter. We use both the front and back.”

  “Gut.”

  He stood still for a moment, taking in the fact that she had shown up. She looked lovely, as usual, with added rosiness to her cheeks from the chilly weather outside. Then he noticed her holding a covered casserole dish. “Here,” he said, going to her. “Let me take this.”

  “Danki.”

  While he set the dish down on the kitchen table, he said, “I can take your bonnet and shawl too.”

  She unpinned the black shawl around her shoulders, then removed her bonnet. He watched her reach up to touch her white kapp for a moment. What had made her change her mind?

  He hurried to the mudroom just outside the kitchen and hung up her bonnet and shawl on one of the pegs nailed to the rack on the wall, afraid if he took too much time she might leave. When he walked back into the kitchen, he saw her and Elisabeth standing near the counter, talking, his sister still upset.

  “Do you know how to fix chicken salad?” Elisabeth asked.

  Anna nodded. “I’ve made it many times. My Onkel Zeb loves it. I think he’d eat it for all three meals if he could.”

  “Nee, I’m not talking about making it. I mean fixing it.” She held up the bowl and showed Anna. “It’s ruined.”

  Anna peered into the bowl. “It doesn’t look too bad. Why don’t you use it as dip?”

  “Chicken salad dip?”

  “Sure. Do you have some crackers?”

  Elisabeth’s features relaxed. “Ya, some of those round buttery ones.” She went to the pantry and pulled out a sleeve of crackers. “I’ll put some of the salad in a small bowl, then the crackers on a plate.” She smiled at Anna. “What a great idea.”

  Lukas smiled and walked up to the women. “Need someone to do a taste test?”

  “You can wait.” Elisabeth retrieved a plate from the cabinet. “Like everyone else.” She set the plate on the counter and picked up the crackers.

  “Elisabeth!” Their mother’s voice sounded from the living room. “I need your help for a minute.”

  She handed the crackers to Anna. “Would you mind setting these out?”

  Anna nodded. “I’d be happy to.”

  “Danki.” As she left the kitchen she called out over her shoulder, “Don’t let Lukas get into the Ho Ho cake. He’s already tried that once today.”

  “How did you know?” Lukas yelled back.

  Elisabeth poked her head back into the kitchen. “You’ve been sneaking bites from Ho Ho cakes since you were a kinn. Everyone knows that.” Then she disappeared.

  Anna opened the wax paper tube of crackers and began placing them on the plain white plate.

  “So now you know one of my deep dark secrets. I can never resist a Ho Ho cake.”

  She gave him a half smile but didn’t say anything. Lukas watched her for a moment. “I’m glad you came.”

  She paused briefly, then continued putting out the crackers, arranging them in concentric circles.

  He moved opposite her and leaned his hip against the counter. “What made you change your mind?”

  “You.”

  A surge of happiness shot through him. He grinned.

  “I wanted to square things between us. I have a check in my purse to give you before I leave.”

  His grin faded. That wasn’t what he’d wanted to hear. “Anna, I won’t take your money.”

  She put the last cracker on the plate and faced him. “I figured the labor costs based on what is typically charged for the jobs you performed, so I think you’ll agree it’s a fair amount.”

  Her intelligence was impressive and one of the many things he liked about her. Right now it was also irritating. “You’re not listening to me. I didn’t help you out for the money.”

  “I understand that, Lukas. And I know that it’s our way to give our time and talents to others. You’ve been generous to me with both.” She glanced away for a moment before looking back at him. “But I don’t need your help anymore. I want to make sure I’ve covered my obligations.”

  Lukas shook his head. She was the most stubborn woman he’d ever met. “You’re not obligated to me, Anna. I don’t know what else I can say to make you understand that.”

  “And I don’t know why you won’t accept that this is how it is.”

  “Is it?” He stepped toward her, closing the distance between them. She averted her gaze. “Anna, be honest with me. If you and that other mann—”

  “Daniel. His name was Daniel.”

  “Daniel,” he said, his tone tinged with derision, resenting the man that had hurt her so deeply. “If Daniel wasn’t between us, would you feel the same way?”

  She frowned. “Daniel’s not between us. He’s married and living in Maryland. He’s not in my life anymore.”

  “Are you sure? Because it feels that way. And you haven’t answered my question. Is Daniel the only thing keeping us apart?”

  “There’s our age difference.”

  “That doesn’t wash with me. Five years is nothing.”

  “You say that now, but what about when I’m fifty and you’re forty-five?”

  “Still doesn’t matter. I wouldn’t care if you were ten years older, Anna. I would still like you. I would still want to help you and your familye. And I would still want to court you.”

  She crumpled the empty cracker sleeve in her hand.

  “All I’m asking for is a chance.”

  “I . . . I can’t. Not now.”

  At least she hadn’t shut him down completely, as she had in the past. “What about friendship? Can we at least agree to be friends?” At the doubt on her face he said, “I promise I won’t push you for anything else.”

  She looked him in the eye. “I would like to be friends.”

  “Then friends it is.” He took a step back from her. She had given him a thin cord of hope to cling to, and he wasn’t about to let go.

  He heard voices coming from the living room. “Looks like more people are here.”

  “Gut. I’m looking forward to meeting them.”

  “Then as your new friend, I would be happy to introduce you.”

  At her smile, his hope grew stronger. He’d have to be satisfied with what she could give him, although it wouldn’t be easy. But he wouldn’t abandon asking the Lord to change her heart.

  Chapter 5

  Elisabeth stood inside the office and peered out of the door’s small window and into the blacksmith shop. She could still hear the sharp clanging of the hammer hitting the anvil as Aaron pounded on a long strip of metal. The process of transforming a rod of iron into something useful fascinated her.

  Her first weeks on the job had gone smoothly, for the most part. While her fears of making a monumental mistake that would cost her job were unfounded, she had made a few minor errors, the latest one last week. She’d gotten delivery dates confused for two Yankee customers who both ordered the same number of horseshoes for their respective farms. But she’d corrected her slip-up before Gabe found out.

  She took another bite of her green apple and continued to observe Aaron, his back to her as he pounded the metal into shape. Gabe had left earlier that morning to help one of his neighbors fix a broken plow. It was turning out to be a slow and boring day, which was unusual for a Saturday.

  Aaron set the hammer down and turned to the side, his body angled away from the forge and more toward her. He slipped off one of his leather gloves and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, then picked up a glass of water on a table nearby.

  Dying to talk to someone, Elisabeth saw the opportunity. She opened the door and walked into the shop, breathing in the familiar scent of burning charcoal and piping hot iron. “Ready for lunch?”

  He turned to her, his face
streaked with sweat and smudged with charcoal. He glanced up at the battery-operated clock on the wall. “It’s not even ten thirty.”

  “Oh.” She hadn’t thought to check the time. “Then maybe you’d like to take a break. I have an extra apple in my lunch bag.” She held up her half-eaten apple.

  “I’ll wait for lunch.” He took a long swig of water, then set it back down. He started to turn back to the forge but paused. “Did you need something?”

  “Nee.” She ran her finger along the edge of the table, grimacing when she saw the grime on her finger. She put her hand behind her back. “Just hanging out.”

  “Finished with your work?”

  “Um, ya.”

  He faced her. “Maybe you should geh home then.”

  “But what if we get a customer? Gabe’s not here and you’re busy at the forge.”

  “I can handle it. I’ve worked alone before.”

  She frowned. “That can’t be much fun.”

  “Actually, I prefer it.”

  His words didn’t surprise her. Aaron personified the word loner. Even after working with him several days a week over the last few weeks, she didn’t know him any better than before. Not that she hadn’t tried. She’d invited him to eat lunch with her more than once, but he never took her up on her offer. She had asked him to come to the singing at her house, but he never showed up.

  At least Lukas’ friend Anna had come and saved her from screwing up the chicken salad. Turned out everyone liked it as a dip, and one of her friends asked her for the recipe. Elisabeth had liked Anna immediately and admired her for having her own business. She understood why Lukas was sweet on her, even though he had insisted to her later that night they were just friends.

  What she didn’t understand was Aaron’s reluctance to visit with her and her friends, or any young people at all. Just last Sunday it had been her family’s turn to host church, and while Aaron had shown up for the service, he didn’t stay for the fellowship afterward. She’d even sought him out right after church ended, but he had dashed out the door before she could catch up with him.

  “Why?” she asked, the word out of her mouth before she could stop it.

  “Why what?”

  She hadn’t meant to voice her question out loud, but now that she’d blown it she might as well find out the answer. “Why do you prefer to be alone?”

  “I just do.” He spun around and slid his glove on his hand.

  She walked around to the side of the forge. Heat radiated from it, warming her skin. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Does to me.” He didn’t look at her, he merely picked up the hammer and started pounding but then stopped and put the end of the rod into the fire.

  “No one likes to be alone all the time.”

  “I’m not.” He cast a sideways glance. “You’re here.”

  “I mean away from work. What about friends?”

  He yanked the rod out of the fire and plunked it down on the anvil. “Elisabeth, you must be really bored.” Sparks flew as he slammed the hammer down on the rod.

  “But—ow!” A spark landed on her cheek and she jumped back from the forge.

  Aaron dropped the hammer and went to her. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” But the burning sensation sharpened. She put her hand on her cheek.

  “Let me see.” He whipped off his gloves and bent down slightly to peer at her face.

  She removed her hand, the skin on her cheek still burning. “Does it look bad?”

  “You have a red mark right here.” His finger brushed against her cheek. Then he yanked away his hand and stepped back from her. “Sorry.”

  She wasn’t sure exactly what he was sorry for—accidentally burning her cheek or touching it. For one split moment she was sorry for neither.

  Wait a minute. This was Aaron. Her coworker. A man she barely knew anything about. Why would a split-second gesture done merely out of concern affect her at all? Aaron was right; she had to be bored out of her mind for her imagination to run crazy like that.

  “Some ice will cool the burn.” He went back to the forge, then glanced at her, not picking up the hammer until she moved away.

  “It’s already feeling better.” She took a few more steps back. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have been so close.”

  Aaron didn’t say anything. Instead he started pounding. A bead of sweat ran down his face.

  Dismissed, she spun around and headed back to the office. Pulling a small mirror out of the top drawer of her desk, she checked her face. The sting had already diminished, and the red welt was hardly noticeable. She was grateful the burn hadn’t been worse.

  Elisabeth turned around and leaned her backside against the desk. She should just go home like he suggested. Better than being at loose ends here and getting in the way. Gabe would fire her for sure if she caused any trouble. He wasn’t a harsh man at all, quite the opposite. In fact, after his twin brother had died a few months before Velda was born, Gabe had stood by Moriah’s side. Eventually, Gabe and Moriah had married, and they were one of the happiest couples Elisabeth knew. But he had a business to run, and she didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that. She enjoyed her job and wanted to keep it.

  She put her black bonnet on over her kapp, pinned her shawl around her neck, then grabbed her lunch bag and purse. She did have a few chores to finish up at home before getting together with some of her friends later on that night, so taking off early wasn’t a bad suggestion.

  As she left the office, she had an idea. On her way out the door she walked past Aaron, making sure she steered clear of the forge. When she called his name, he answered her but didn’t look up.

  “A bunch of my friends are getting together tonight at the Troyers’ over on Bundysburg Road. They’ve got a big barn and we’re setting up a corn toss tournament. You should join us.”

  “I’m busy.”

  “Doing what?” She raised her voice to be heard above the noise at the forge.

  He gave her a quick look, his blue eyes impassive. “Stuff.”

  “Okay, what kind of stuff ?”

  “Personal stuff, all right?” Impatience entered his tone.

  “You don’t have to get all snippy about it. I’m just trying to be nice.”

  He paused and took a deep breath. “Sorry. Danki for the invite, but I can’t make it.”

  “How about tomorrow night, then? There’s a singing—”

  “Elisabeth, I’m not interested.” He looked back down at the anvil and started working again.

  Her feelings pricked, she left the shop and went to her buggy. She thought about stopping in the house to talk to Moriah, but she wasn’t in the mood. Instead her thoughts were on Aaron. Maybe he did have his own group of friends he hung around with that she didn’t know about. That was highly possible, as she didn’t know everything that went on in their community.

  Then a thought occurred to her. What if he had started using drugs again?

  No, that wasn’t possible. She’d been there when Aaron had joined the church. The day he gave that commitment to the Lord in front of everyone he’d promised to put worldly things behind him. Since then, as far as she could tell, he had done exactly that. Besides, Gabe would have noticed if Aaron had been involved in drugs again.

  Although she fought to dismiss her suspicions, they didn’t go completely away. She wanted to think the best of him, and other than his standoffish demeanor, he gave her no reason not to.

  Judge not, that ye be not judged . . .

  The scripture popped into her brain, a reminder that she had no business speculating such things about Aaron. She certainly wouldn’t want her friends or anyone else judging her actions or thinking awful things about her without basis.

  “Sorry, Lord,” she said out loud, over the sound of cars passing by her as she steered the buggy down the road. Her father had put the winter curtain over the front of the buggy to keep out some of the cold, but she could still see puffs of her breath suspende
d in the air as she spoke. “You’re right, I should know better.”

  Yet even though she put a halt to her suspicions about Aaron, she couldn’t get her mind off him completely.

  “Where’s Elisabeth?” Gabe asked as he entered the shop a short time later. “Her buggy’s not parked in the driveway.”

  “She left.” Aaron tossed aside the piece of iron he’d been working on all morning. Three hours wasted, because he’d ruined the end by pounding it too thin. He could use it for something else later, but it was useless as a spindle for the decorative fencing he needed for an order due by Christmas.

  Gabe picked up the rod and inspected the end. “What happened?”

  “Misjudged the thickness.” Aaron hated to admit the mistake, which shouldn’t have happened considering his experience. Since being given the chance to work for the Millers almost two years ago, he had wanted to prove his worth, first as an employee and then as a blacksmith. Gabe had taken a chance by hiring an ex-drug dealer with a jail record, and Aaron didn’t ever want him to regret that decision.

  “Happens to the best of us.” Gabe set the piece down on the nearby counter. “Why did Elisabeth leave? I thought she was staying until three.”

  “Slow day. We haven’t had a single customer. She said she finished her work, so I told her to geh home.” Never had he been so relieved as when she left. Besides distracting him from his work, she’d been nosy. And relentless, especially about inviting him to join her and her friends, people he didn’t even know. While he was glad she’d taken over the tedious office operations of the business, he hadn’t expected her to be so friendly. That was something he wasn’t used to, not since he’d turned his back on the Yankee world and joined the church.

  Not to say the Amish were unfriendly. That wasn’t the case at all. But folks made it easy for him to keep his distance. Most men his age were like him, busy with work. Or, unlike him, busy courting and thinking about marriage. He’d never been one to hang out with the Amish crowd at singings and frolics as a teen. Those activities were what the “good” Amish kids did, the ones who joined the church early on and married young, who stayed in the church and raised families. He didn’t fit in with them then, and he wouldn’t fit in with them now.