The Hearts of Middlefield Collection

by Kathleen Fuller

  Stephen reached out and touched the top of another cow’s nose. She jumped back, then tentatively sniffed his fingers. “Hope you don’t mind me saying, but that might be a gut idea.” He glanced at Moses. “That way all the work won’t be on you.”

  Moses rubbed the back of his neck. “Problem is, I can’t afford to pay much. Next to nothing at all. I’m not sure where I’d find someone who’d be willing to work here for practically nothing.”

  Stephen nodded. That was a problem. Then a slow grin suddenly spread on his face. He faced Moses. “I think I know someone.”

  The old man looked up. “Who?”

  “Me.”

  Moses scoffed. “You have a job already. Why would you want to work here?”

  “Why not? I can help you out temporarily until you find someone else. It will have to be after I get off work, so in the evening some time. Maybe a couple times a week.”

  “That’s a fine offer, but I can’t take it.”

  Stephen frowned. “Why?”

  “I don’t want to take advantage of you. I meant it when I said I can’t pay much.”

  “I’ll do it for free.”

  Moses gave him a half-smile. “You don’t have any idea how much work there is on a farm, do you?”

  “I’m not afraid of hard work.”

  Moses tugged on his silvery beard, looking Stephen up and down. “I’m sure you’re not.” He paused, still stroking his beard. “All right. But just until I find someone more permanent. And you won’t do the work for free. I’ll pay you something.” He walked to Stephen and held out his hand. “Deal?”

  Stephen took the old man’s hand and shook it. “Deal. When do you want me to start?”

  “Monday too soon?”

  “Monday it is.”

  For the next hour Moses gave Stephen a small tour of the barn and part of the property, pointing out areas that needed fixing and sprucing up. As the list grew longer and longer, Stephen wondered what he’d gotten himself into. He honestly didn’t mind working hard, but as Moses talked, he could see even more clearly why the man was overwhelmed. Knowing that his help was needed solidified that he’d done the right thing, even though the decision had been impulsive.

  They rounded the barn one last time, and the house came into view. Moses stopped and sighed. “Guess I better geh inside. Can’t avoid the company forever. Martha was the one that liked having people over. Me, I could take ’em or leave ’em. Right now I’d like to leave ’em.”

  As they approached the house, Stephen saw Deborah sitting on one of two white plastic chairs on the front porch. Deborah’s son was asleep in her lap, his head against her shoulder, his thumb dangling out of his mouth. When they neared, she turned her head toward her father before moving her gaze to him. She smiled shyly, but when he smiled back she glanced away. He stopped short of the porch steps. “Have you seen Elisabeth?”

  “She went inside for a minute. She should be right back out.”

  Moses was already near the door. “Are you coming in?”

  Stephen shook his head. “I should be getting back to work.”

  “All right. I’ll see you on Monday, then.”

  When Moses went inside, Deborah said, “What about Monday?”

  “I offered to come help your daed out with some of the work around here.”

  Deborah’s eyes filled with surprise. “You did?”

  He nodded.

  “That’s very kind of you. I hope you’re not going to too much trouble.”

  He noticed she had a soft voice, almost lyrical. “I don’t mind. I’m looking forward to it, actually. My grossvadder had a farm in Holmes County. We used to visit when I was growing up. I learned to break my first horse there.”

  “Is he still farming?”

  “Nee. He retired, and now my uncle runs it. I don’t get back there much anymore, though. Too much to do here.”

  Will suddenly lifted his head, his eyes opening halfway, wisps of his hair matted against the side of his head that had rested on Deborah’s shoulder. He looked at Stephen, then buried his face in his mother’s dress.

  “He’s a little shy around strangers.” Deborah stroked his head. “He’ll come around once he gets to know you.”

  “I’m sure he will. I better get going. Tell your daed I’ll be here around five on Monday.”

  “I will.”

  Stephen turned around and started toward his buggy when he heard her call out his name. He faced her again. “Ya?”

  “We usually eat supper around that time. Is there anything special you like?”

  He almost laughed at her question. His appetite was legendary among his family, and they never failed to point out, not only how much he ate, but that he would eat almost anything his mother put in front of him. “Anything is fine. I’m not picky.”

  She nodded and Will looked up again. Stephen waved, then left. As he drove the buggy back to his daed’s shop, he remembered about the desks he and his father and brothers had promised to build to replace the ones Zach Bender had destroyed the other day. He’d have to put twice as much effort into making the desks in order to have the time to work for the Coblentz family. Yet he had a feeling that in the end, it would be worth it.

  Chapter 8

  Ruth looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and touched the small black-and-blue patch on her forehead. A little more than a week had passed since Zachariah had driven through the schoolhouse, and she was thankful the bruise was barely noticeable now, especially since she had a teachers’ meeting to attend in an hour. Every other month, a group of teachers from around the district gathered together to exchange ideas and give encouragement. This would be Ruth’s first meeting, and she had been looking forward to it for weeks.

  After making sure the bobby pins keeping her kapp in place were secure, she smoothed out the white apron she had just put over one of her newer dresses. She left the bathroom and went to the living room, expecting Stephen to be waiting for her since she had asked him last week if he could give her a ride tonight. Instead, she found her mother sitting on the couch, crocheting a small light blue afghan. Frowning, Ruth left the living room and searched for Stephen. He wasn’t in the kitchen, the barn, or the wood shop. She returned to the living room, annoyed. “Have you seen Stephen?”

  “He left for the Coblentzes’ a little while ago. I thought he mentioned something to your daed about helping Moses out with his farm in the evenings.” Emma put down her crochet hook and yarn. “Why are you looking for him?”

  “Because he said last week he would take me to Meadowlawn for my teachers’ meeting.”

  Emma frowned. “Oh, dear. He must have forgotten.”

  Ruth’s annoyance grew. Although it was admirable that Stephen wanted to help out Moses Coblentz, especially after the death of his wife, she really wanted to go to this meeting. “I suppose he took the buggy.”

  Emma nodded. “That he did. And your father took the other one. He went to Tobias’s to help him finish up the front porch he’s adding on to his house. I think Lukas and Sawyer are over there too.” She pushed up her glasses.

  Guess I won’t be going to my meeting. Her disappointment was acute, but she held her frustration in.

  “How’s the schulhaus coming along?” her mother asked.

  “Faster than I thought. I think just the painting is all that’s left.” She had been to the schoolhouse a few times over the past week to see how things were coming along, and she’d been surprised and impressed with Zachariah’s progress. As far as she knew, other than erecting the wall, he had finished the repairs himself. “I’m hoping I can start school next week sometime.”

  “Will you be ready?”

  “Ya. I’m ready.” She felt like she’d been ready forever.

  Emma looked at Ruth, then patted the empty spot next to her on the couch. Ruth joined her, unsure what her mother wanted to talk to her about.

  Emma’s blue eyes grew soft. “I know these past two weeks have been difficult f
or you. You’ve worked so hard to get this teaching job and to prepare for school. Then it was postponed. I know you’re impatient to get started, but I’m sure there’s a reason this happened.”

  “I know.” But she hadn’t been able to see it. She’d been taught all her life that everything happened for a reason, especially those things that were disappointing and difficult. It was the hardship in life that made God’s faithful stronger. She had seen that in her own family when Moriah’s first husband died and when Lukas and his wife, Anna, found out they would never have children of their own. Lined up against her siblings’ trials, her problem seemed trivial. But it didn’t make it less bothersome.

  As if her mother had read her thoughts, she said, “I know you’re struggling with this, but don’t be too hard on Zachariah. He’s the one who made the mistake. Now he’s paying the consequences. From what I understand, he’s financially responsible for the repairs.”

  Ruth looked at her mother. “He is, but that’s his fault. You don’t know him like I do. He was a troublemaker in school—”

  “It’s not our place to judge others, Ruth.” Emma peered over her glasses. “It would do you gut to remember that.”

  Ruth stared down at her lap. “Ya, Mami. I will.”

  Emma smiled slightly. “Ruth, of all my kinner, you’re the hardest worker. You’re also a perfectionist. Even Lukas, with his high standards, is able to relax and enjoy life. I’d like to see you do that too.”

  “I enjoy my life. At least I will when it gets started. Right now I’m at a standstill until the schulhaus opens again. And there’s nothing wrong with working hard. That’s something you and Daed taught me.”

  “Don’t get me wrong, I’m very pleased with your work ethic. Your father and I both are. It’s just that we don’t want to see teaching consume you the way your schoolwork did.”

  Ruth opened her mouth to say something but changed her mind. What her mother and everyone else saw as all consuming she considered enjoyment. She loved spending her extra time on her assignments for school, on reading books of all kinds, on poring over the resource section at Middlefield Library. Learning something new excited her, and nothing pleased her more than tackling a problem and coming up with the solution. Which was one reason waiting around for Zachariah to fix the schoolhouse frustrated her. Other than helping him out the day after the accident, there was little else she could do. When her career started was solely up to him, which made the situation that much worse.

  “Where is the meeting?” her mother asked.

  “Meadowlawn schulhaus.”

  “That’s not too far.” Emma picked up her crocheting again. “You could walk there.”

  “Ya, but I’d be late. The meeting starts at seven sharp.”

  Emma glanced at the small windup clock on the end table beside her. The delicate pink-and-white porcelain clock was the only fancy item in the room, a tenth anniversary gift from Ruth’s father. It was a quarter past six. “You have forty-five minutes. If you left now, you’d probably be on time, or possibly a few minutes late.”

  “Teachers should never be tardy.” At the sound of her mother’s chuckle, she laughed. “You’re right. I can certainly walk to Meadowlawn. It’s a nice evening and the exercise will be gut for me. Did you know exercise has been proven not only to be beneficial for your body, but also your mind? There are scientific studies that show how physical activity boosts your mood.” And lately, her mood definitely needed the boost.

  Emma chuckled. “Spoken like a true teacher. Enjoy your meeting and be safe.”

  She told her mother good-bye, picked up her purse from the hook on the door, and headed toward the schoolhouse, which was a little more than four miles away. She walked at a brisk pace, almost panting. But when small trickles of sweat beaded on her forehead, she slowed down. It wouldn’t do for her to show up at the meeting all sweaty. Still, she found the walk refreshing. White cotton-ball clouds floated against a backdrop of baby blue sky. She walked by one of her neighbors’ houses and waved at the couple as they sat on the front porch. Those studies about exercise were right. She felt better already.

  She had trekked almost a mile when she heard a buggy coming up behind her. She didn’t pay much attention to it, only on keeping a steady pace and staying clear of the cars on the side of the road. She expected the buggy to pass, but was surprised when it pulled alongside her. She was even more surprised to see Zachariah holding the reins.

  “Hi,” he said, slowing his horse to match her steps.

  “Hello.” She didn’t slow her pace.

  “Where are you headed on this fine evening?”

  “To a teachers’ meeting.”

  “Do you need a ride?”

  “Nee.” What was she doing? Of course she needed a ride. But she automatically rejected his offer.

  “Are you sure? You seem to be in an awful hurry. My horse can barely catch up.”

  His ridiculous statement brought a small smile to her face. “If your horse was going any slower she would fall asleep.”

  He grinned. “Gut one.”

  She glanced at him, his compliment making her smile a little more.

  “Why don’t you let me drop you off wherever you’re going?” He leaned forward in the seat. “Seems like we’re heading in the same direction.”

  She’d be a fool to refuse him a second time. “Okay.”

  Zachariah brought the buggy to a stop and she climbed in. Once she was seated, he tapped the reins against his horse’s flanks and they began moving again.

  “Where did you say you were going again?”

  “Meadowlawn.”

  “Okay, I know exactly where that is.”

  They rode in silence for a while. With each minute that passed, she felt more awkward. Shouldn’t they be talking about something? “Have you made any progress with the painting?”

  “I wondered how long it would be before you asked me about the schulhaus.”

  “And?”

  “I finished it.” He turned to her and grinned.

  Her mouth dropped. “You did? But I thought it would take the rest of the week.”

  He shook his head. “After I got off work yesterday afternoon, I went straight to the schulhaus. Just on my way back home now.”

  Ruth paused, absorbing what he just told her. She looked at his hands as they loosely held the reins, noticing for the first time the white paint spattered on them. Her gaze moved from his hands to his pale blue shirt, which also had spots of paint on it, then to his profile. His yellow hat was tilted back, exposing most of his forehead. She noted a shadow of a dark red beard on his cheeks and upper lip. As a single Amish man, he wouldn’t grow a beard, as those were reserved only for married men, and he wouldn’t grow a mustache at all.

  Her eyebrows arched. “You stayed up all night?”

  He nodded, glancing at her. “I took a cat nap here and there, but ya, for the most part I did. I know you’re eager to start school so I finished up as quickly as possible. The only thing you won’t have are the replacement desks. But I put a long table and some chairs in the classroom so the kinner will at least have a place to sit while the desks are being built.”

  She stared at him. How had she not noticed the fatigue etched around his eyes until now? Or the weary slump of his shoulders? “I can’t believe you worked all day at your job and then all night on the schulhaus.”

  “My job at the buggy shop is just part-time.”

  “Aren’t you tired?”

  “Ya. But it’s worth it. Now all I need is the school board’s approval and you’ll be open for business.”

  Her heart soared. That was the best news she’d gotten in the past two weeks.

  “I still have some repairs to work on, but you’ll at least be able to have students.”

  “That’s what I was hoping for.” Actually more than she hoped for. She looked at him again, squinting a bit at the evening sunlight behind him. She still couldn’t believe he’d worked so hard to finish the s
chool. Guilt prodded her, and she remembered what her mother said about being too hard on him. “I owe you an apology.”

  “You do?” He glanced at her, his green eyes reflecting his surprise. “For what?”

  “I misjudged you. I . . .” She glanced away. “I didn’t think you’d get the job done.”

  He chuckled, but it had a bitter edge to it. “You’re not the only one. And you don’t owe me anything. I just did what needed to be done.”

  She leaned back against the seat and started to relax a bit. Everything finally seemed to be back to normal, which was how she liked it. No more delays or surprises. She detested surprises.

  Traffic was light as they made their way down the road. Ruth saw three children playing in a large front yard, a young boy pulling two small girls in a wagon down the driveway. Just as she smiled, a car sped by them, shaking the buggy. Three other ones did the same thing, honking their horns, as if they were all racing each other. Spooked by the traffic, the horse started to prance. Then the buggy lurched. Pitched forward, Ruth grappled for something to hold on to, her eyes darting to Zachariah. He yanked on the reins, his forearms straining with the effort.

  Another car zoomed by as fast as the others, and that was more than the horse could take. She flew off at full gallop. “Whoa! Whoa!” Zach hollered.

  Ruth grabbed the side of the buggy. “Make her stop!”

  “I’m trying! Maggie! Whoa!” He jerked the reins, but with each pull the horse galloped faster. Zachariah turned his body to the side, his foot pressing against the inside of the buggy for leverage.

  Ruth watched in terror as the landscape flew by. What if Zachariah lost control of the horse? She gripped the side of the buggy. “Zachariah!”

  “Hang on!” He managed to steer the buggy onto a side road, getting them away from the cars, at least. That settled his horse a bit, but she still ran fast.

  Maggie dashed into an abandoned field, Zach gripping the reins and Ruth clinging to the seat of the buggy so she wouldn’t be thrown out. The wind stung her eyes. She felt the wheels stutter and skid. Then the buggy jolted and tilted to the left, barely balancing on two wheels. She lost her grip and slid across the seat, smashing into Zachariah.