The Hearts of Middlefield Collection

by Kathleen Fuller

  She met Susan at her car, ignoring the pain from the small incision.

  “How did it go?” Susan asked, revealing a row of shining braces on her bottom teeth.

  “Fine,” Anna said. “Everything is going to be fine.” And Anna knew that if she told herself that enough times, she would eventually come to believe it. 2

  “Beautiful work, sohn.”

  Lukas stood next to his father as they surveyed the hope chest on the table in front of them, in the very back of Byler and Sons’ woodshop. Made completely of fragrant cedar, it was large enough to hold at least five full-sized quilts, if not more. He’d spent many late nights over the past couple of weeks crafting the chest, hand sanding it to perfect smoothness then applying cherry stain. He had just finished putting the fourth and final coat of clear lacquer on the chest when his father came in.

  Joseph Byler tugged on his dark brown beard, the hair streaked with silver. “Cold tonight.”

  “Work’s keeping me warm.” The temperature in the shop was barely warm enough to dry the lacquer, but he had wanted to finish the chest tonight.

  “You never said who the chest was for,” Jacob commented. “Care to let me know? Or is it a secret?”

  “Nee, not a secret.” He hadn’t wanted to reveal the recipient to anyone, not until he was finished. “It’s for Anna.”

  Joseph raised a brow. “I didn’t realize she sold such large pieces in her store. Did she ask you to make it?”

  “Nee. It’s a gschenk.” Lukas bent down and looked at the bottom edge of the chest, making sure none of the drying varnish had dripped. Several lamps hung from the ceiling, and like the small heater in the corner of the room, they were all powered by gas.

  “That’s quite a gschenk. Is it her birthday?”

  “Nope.” He straightened and looked at his daed.

  Surprise registered on Joseph’s face as he caught on to Lukas’ unspoken meaning. “I suspected you two were courting. You’ve been spending a lot of time helping out over at Zeb’s place. But marriage? You two haven’t known each other that long.”

  “Since August.”

  “And now it’s January. Only five months.”

  “I think that’s plenty of time.” He noticed the concern in his father’s eyes. He hadn’t thought to discuss his wedding plans with him or anyone else, as was typically the Amish way. Usually no one in the community knew of the impending nuptials until the couple made an announcement in church a couple of weeks before the wedding. But his father’s concerned expression changed Lukas’ mind. “I thought you might be a little happier for me, Daed.”

  “Oh, I am, I am. It’s just that . . . well, you’re young, Lukas.”

  “I’ll be twenty next month.”

  “She’s a few years older than you, ya?”

  “It’s not an issue. Besides, Tobias was the same age as me when he married Rachel.”

  “Ya, but Tobias and Rachel knew each other since they were kinner. Besides, if they hadn’t married, they would have driven each other and the rest of us ab im kopp.” Joseph grinned.

  Lukas smiled back. From what he could tell, his brother and Rachel had a great marriage, but they still engaged in friendly verbal sparring every once in a while. Both of them seemed to get a kick out of pushing each other’s buttons. Lukas preferred a less volatile relationship and appreciated Anna’s calmness. He turned and inspected the chest once more, making his way slowly around the table. “I don’t see any reason to wait to get married when I’m ready now.”

  “What about Anna? She’s also sure?”

  “I hope so.”

  “You don’t sound convinced.”

  Lukas paused. In his heart he knew Anna loved him, even though she’d never spoken the words. He had seen it in her eyes Christmas night, and he knew she would have never agreed to date him unless she completely trusted him. Anna didn’t give her affection lightly, and he treasured it.

  He planned to bring her here Saturday night to present the chest to her as a wedding gift. He imagined their future together, filled with love, faith, and family. A huge family, he hoped. Nothing would make him happier than to have a house full of children to come home to after a long day at work. Well, he could think of one thing better—coming home to his beautiful Anna.

  “Seems you have your mind made up. Then I guess this is as gut a time as any to talk about the business.”

  Lukas walked back over to him, alarm shooting through him as he took in his father’s stern face. “What about the business?”

  “I’ve been thinking about the future. About retirement, actually.”

  Lukas frowned. He couldn’t imagine his father ever retiring from carpentry. Joseph Byler had worked as a carpenter, then as a master woodworker, for over thirty years. For the past ten years Lukas had worked in the shop with his daed and Tobias. Stephen, now at age sixteen, had just joined the business full-time this year. Everyone expected the three of them would continue on with Byler and Sons—eventually. Their father still had a lot of years left in him. “Retirement?”

  “Not now,” Joseph assured. “But in a few years. After all you kinner are married.”

  Lukas did some mental calculations. His three younger siblings— Elisabeth, Stephen, and Ruth—were still in their teens. Ruth, the youngest, was only thirteen, and in her next-to-last year of school. Stephen was far too young to think about marriage. And eighteen-year-old Elisabeth . . . only the good Lord knew what would happen to Elisabeth. She never seemed serious about anything.

  “I thought I’d start laying the groundwork now, though, to be fair to you buwe.” Joseph clapped his large, calloused hand on Lukas’ shoulder, his expression as solemn as Lukas had ever seen it. “I’d like you to take over the shop for me.”

  Lukas’ mouth dropped open. That was the last thing he’d expected his father to say. “But Daed, what about Tobias? He’s your oldest sohn. Shouldn’t he be in charge?”

  Joseph shook his head. “I love Tobias, I really do. And he’s grown into a fine mann. But he doesn’t have the passion you do for the work. He sees it as just a job, something to do to make money so he can support his familye. And while he does gut work, he doesn’t have your drive or your head for business.”

  Although he warmed to this father’s compliments, Lukas still remained uncertain. “What do you think Tobias will say?”

  “I’ve already discussed it with him, and he’s perfectly fine with you being in charge—as long as you don’t boss him around too much.”

  Lukas smiled sheepishly. “He mentioned that to me once.”

  “A lot more than once.” Joseph laughed. “But we all know he needs some redirection from time to time. So what say you? Do you want the business? When I retire, of course.”

  Lukas grinned and held out his hand. “Ya, Daed. I do.”

  Joseph grabbed his son’s hand and shook it, then clapped him on the back. “I’m proud of you, sohn. I know you’ll take gut care of this business. You’ve shown me you love it as much as I do.”

  “Danki.” His father’s words were true. He loved being a carpenter, and he loved working for his father and with his brothers.

  He looked back at the finished chest, pleased. Everything was falling into place. Not only could he offer Anna the chest, he could promise her a comfortable life. Byler and Sons had turned a profit for more than a decade, and despite the spiraling economy, Lukas saw no reason why it wouldn’t continue to do so. God had blessed their family and rewarded their hard work.

  Better yet, Anna wouldn’t have to worry about finances at Esh’s Amish Goods, which he knew were constantly on her mind. Or about Zeb and her mother. He could take care of her and her family and would be honored to do it.

  “I’m glad we got that settled. Been weighing on my mind.” Joseph tugged on his beard again. “I’m going inside. You coming along?”

  “In a bit. I want to do some more finish work on the chest.”

  “All right.” Joseph walked toward the door, then st
opped and turned around. “Lukas?”

  “Ya?”

  “You prayed about you and Anna, ya?”

  Lukas nodded. He’d prayed about the two of them from almost the day they’d met.

  “Gut, gut. Then if this is what you want—what you both want—then I’m happy for you.”

  Lukas grinned. “Danki, Daed. That means a lot to me.”

  A short while later, Lukas reached the limit on what he could do to the chest. It was as perfect as he could make it, and considering the late hour, he needed to stop. He walked the short distance across the driveway to his home.

  In his bedroom, Lukas undressed, then slipped beneath the sheets of his twin bed, exhaustion overcoming him. For the past four months he’d been working a lot of hours, but the fatigue was worth it. Sleep proved elusive, though, as Anna ran through his mind. He thought about his plans to ask her to marry him. What if she said no? What if he’d been wrong about her feelings for him all along?

  He pushed those thoughts aside. Anna Esh would be his wife. He couldn’t imagine living without her.

  Chapter 13

  Lukas, where are you taking me?”

  “Shhh. I said no questions.”

  Anna gripped Lukas’ arm with both hands. He had picked her up from work half an hour ago, and she was glad for the change of scenery. Today had been a busy day, even for a Saturday. Despite being wrapped up in her work, she said several prayers that day for healing. She was determined to go to God every chance she had, laying her worry and burden at his feet. Still, she didn’t feel completely at peace. But that wouldn’t deter her from her prayers.

  Lukas’ good mood was infectious. It wasn’t long before Anna shed her worries and relaxed on the buggy ride to his house. Assuming he had brought her over for supper, she looked forward to spending time with his family. But once they had arrived at the Bylers’, he had caught her off guard by asking her to close her eyes before helping her out of his buggy. Now he was guiding her somewhere. She felt a tiny thrill move through her as Lukas took her hand and threaded his fingers through her own. She loved the feel of his rough skin against her palm, knowing that his calluses were the result of long hours of hard work.

  She heard the sound of a door opening, then smelled fresh wood. Warmth enveloped her. “We’re in your daed’s shop.”

  “Ya, but don’t open your eyes.” He squeezed her hand and led her forward, guiding her steps until he released his grip. She heard him move to stand behind her, then felt the light touch of his hands on her shoulders. “Okay, you can open them.”

  Her eyelids parted and she drew in a deep breath as she took in a gorgeous hope chest. “It’s beautiful, Lukas.” A true work of art. The cherry-stained wood gleamed in the fading sunlight coming through the windows of the shop. Before she realized it, she had reached out her hand to touch the glossy wood, only to pull back at the last minute.

  “It’s okay,” Lukas said softly. He took her hand in his and placed it on the top of the chest.

  She ran her fingertips along the smooth lid, marveling at the perfect shape of the rectangular chest. There were no visible flaws anywhere—not in the grain, the stain, or the shiny finish.

  “Open it up.”

  Anna hesitated. She knew cedar was more expensive than the typical pine or oak used to make most Amish hope chests. Usually the pricey chests were special ordered by Yankees. She didn’t want to damage the piece in any way since he had obviously spent a lot of time and effort in making it. She glanced over her shoulder and looked up at him. “Are you sure?”

  Lukas smiled. She loved how the cleft in his chin widened a bit when he grinned, and for the moment she forgot about everything but him. Sometime between the ride home and when he led her to the shop, he had removed his black hat, and she marveled at the deep black color of his hair. His skin tanned in the summers, but his hair never lightened, and the darkness was a gorgeous contrast to his hazel eyes.

  “Anna, I want you to open the chest.”

  She could see the anticipation in his eyes, and it both confused and excited her. He moved to stand next to her as she carefully lifted the lid. The smoky-sweet scent of cedar filled her senses. “Mmm,” she said, unable to keep her pleasure to herself. “I love the smell of cedar.”

  “I know.”

  She glanced at him and smiled at the twinkle in his eye. Peering inside, she could see the interior of the chest was as perfect as the outside, although free of stain and lacquer. Deep and wide, she could tell right away the chest would hold several quilts and bed linens. “You do such beautiful work, Lukas. I would be happy to sell this in my shop.”

  But before she could close the lid he stopped her. “That’s not why I showed it to you. Did you notice anything else inside? Look carefully.” He stepped close to her, his hip touching hers.

  She looked inside the chest again, this time scanning the interior more thoroughly. Then she saw it, in the bottom right hand corner. Two plain letters had been carved deep into the wood. AB.

  AB?

  He put his arm around her shoulders and gently turned her to face him, then dropped his arms and took her hands. “Anna . . . I made this chest for you.”

  Her breath caught. “You did?”

  “Ya.” He rubbed his thumbs over the top her hands. “A wedding gift. To put at the foot of our bed.”

  Tears sprang to her eyes. “Oh, Lukas.”

  “Anna, I love you. You would make me the happiest mann in the world if you would be mei frau.”

  Tears sprang to her eyes.

  He grinned, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. “Don’t cry, lieb. I never want to make you sad.”

  “I’m not sad,” she said, her voice growing thick. “You make me so happy, Lukas. I’m so lucky to have you in my life.”

  “Nee, I’m the lucky one.” He gazed at her intently. “We’ll have a wonderful life together, Anna. God has blessed me—blessed us—with a gut livelihood. I’ll be able to provide for you and our children.”

  She swallowed and forced a smile. “How many children?”

  He smiled. “About a dozen or so.”

  “Oh.”

  His grin faded. “Anna, I’m kidding. If you don’t want that many kinner, we won’t have that many.”

  “Nee, it’s not that.”

  “Then what’s wrong?” He touched her face. “Don’t you want to marry me?”

  She could barely contain her emotions. She wanted to marry Lukas more than anything. He had healed her broken heart, made her believe in love again. She couldn’t think of anything better than spending the rest of her life with him.

  But would that life include children? And what if it didn’t? Would he still love her?

  “Anna?”

  She gazed into his eyes, unable to look away.

  “I know what you’re thinking. And I promise you I’ll never abandon you. We will be married, Anna Esh. Next week, if you want to.”

  He thought she was worried about him doing the same thing Daniel had? If he only knew how wrong he was. But she didn’t dare tell him. Instead, she said, “I don’t think we can do it that soon.”

  “Then when? Church is this Sunday. We can announce it at the service.”

  “We should wait a few more weeks.”

  “Then the end of February, but not longer than that. I love you Anna, and I don’t want to wait to marry you.”

  She swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. His words strengthened her resolve, and her faith. God would heal her. He wouldn’t deny children to a good man like Lukas. “I love you, Lukas, and I can’t wait to be your frau.” She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, never wanting to let go.

  Elisabeth plopped her bag on top of her desk and rummaged for the key to the safe. She could never find anything in this purse, mostly because she couldn’t keep things organized. She dumped out the contents and searched through a variety of receipts, pens, a few sticks of gum, her wallet, a pad of paper, three unopened Band-Aids, si
x paper clips, and a book with a pink pig and a green purse on the front. She shook her head. Ruth must have stuck the book in there. She was always trying to get Elisabeth to read.

  “Looking for something?”

  Elisabeth glanced up to see Aaron standing in the doorway. “Ya. My sanity.”

  “Think you’ll find it in that mess?”

  “I doubt it. But . . . aha!” She picked up the key, which had been lying underneath the Band-Aids. “This is what I needed.” She set the key to the side, then opened her bag and held it below the edge of the table so she could slide everything back inside. She’d sort it out later. Right now she needed to put some insurance papers in the safe. She dropped her bag inside the bottom desk drawer and shut the door. Turning in her chair, she looked at Aaron. “Did you need something?”

  “Just wanted to know how your friend was doing. She was pretty upset the other day when she came to the haus.”

  She’s pregnant and won’t tell the baby’s father, who is a Yankee and a jerk, but otherwise she’s peachy. Elisabeth certainly couldn’t tell Aaron that. She couldn’t tell anyone that, as Deborah had begged her not to say anything about the pregnancy. Elisabeth had agreed, but she had urged her friend to at least tell her parents. When she had spoken to Deborah last night, she still hadn’t broken the news to them.

  “She’s doing better.” Which was half of the truth. At least she wasn’t sobbing uncontrollably anymore, although Elisabeth chalked up her extreme reactions to being pregnant, remembering how drastic her sister’s mood swings had been recently. Her niece or nephew was due in April, but sometimes she wondered if Moriah would make it until then. No wonder Gabe came dragging into work a couple mornings a week.

  “Glad to hear it. I wanted to tell you . . .” He glanced down at the ground, crossing one foot over the other. “If she needs any help, let me know.”

  Touched by his generous and unexpected offer, she nodded. “Danki, Aaron. I’ll tell her.” Not that he could do anything, but just knowing he was willing meant so much.

  Gabe came up behind Aaron and poked his head through the doorway. “Elisabeth, would you mind watching Velda and Ester for a little while? We’re going into town. I have to take Moriah to the doctor.”