“In case the canoe tips over and you end up going for a swim you hadn’t planned on.” Melinda smiled. “My aunt Susie, who recently got married and moved to an Amish community in Montana, showed me how to do that when we were young girls.”
“I don’t plan on moving around much in the canoe, so I doubt it will tip over.”
“Even so, it never hurts to be prepared.”
Allison shrugged and took the pins. She bent over and attached them to the inside of her dress, laughing as she did so.
Melinda snickered. “It’s real fashionable, don’t you think?”
“Jah, sure.” Allison wondered what Aaron would think of her getup, but she decided not to worry about it and just try to have fun. She trotted off toward the pond, and when she reached the canoe, she took hold of Aaron’s hand and stepped carefully in.
Aaron’s gaze went to her safety-pinned skirt, but he never said a word. He just grabbed a paddle, hollered for Gabe to let go of the canoe, and propelled them toward the middle of the pond.
It had been hard for Aaron not to laugh when Allison got into the canoe with her dress pinned between her knees, but he wasn’t about to say anything. She might take it wrong, and he didn’t want to ruin their evening together.
When they reached the middle of the pond, they baited their hooks, cast their lines into the water, and sat in companionable silence. It was peaceful with the ripple of water lapping the sides of the canoe and the warble of birds serenading them from the nearby trees.
I could get used to being with Allison, Aaron thought as she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Can I really set my fears about marriage aside and try to build a relationship with her? I want to. I’ve never wanted anything so much or felt this happy being with anyone before. But she’ll be leaving for Pennsylvania in a few months, and then what?
Aaron cleared his throat, and Allison’s eyes popped open. “What’s wrong? Have you got a nibble?” she asked, glancing at the end of his pole.
“No. I wanted to ask you something.”
“What is it?”
“I was wondering. . . .” Aaron fought the temptation to bite off a fingernail. Why did he feel so tongue-tied when all he wanted to do was ask her a simple question?
“What were you wondering?”
He drew in a deep breath for added courage. “I enjoy your company and would like to court you, Allison. I was hoping you might consider staying here longer instead of leaving in August like you’d planned.”
Allison’s eyes glowed with a look of happiness. “To tell you the truth, I had been thinking about writing my daed and asking if he would mind if I stayed here longer.”
“You’d really consider doing that?”
“Jah. And I’m pleased that you want to court me, because I enjoy being with you.” She smiled sweetly, and Aaron knew he wanted to kiss her.
He leaned toward her, and when the canoe rocked gently, he grabbed both sides, hoping to hold it steady. It finally settled, and he inched forward until his lips were inches from hers. He felt relief when Allison made no move to resist. Maybe she wanted the kiss as much as he did.
Aaron extended his arms and reached for Allison, but before he could get his hands around her waist, the boat rocked harder. He tried to steady it, but there wasn’t time. In one quick movement, the canoe flipped over. Splash!—they plunged into the chilly water.
Aaron kicked his way to the top and panicked when saw no sign of Allison. He dove under, taking in a nose full of water, frantically searching for Allison. Where was she? Why hadn’t she surfaced when he did? Could she have hit her head on a rock and been knocked unconscious? No, the water level was too deep in the middle of the pond. It wasn’t likely that she could have gone under that far.
The water in the pond was murky, and Aaron couldn’t see much at all. He surfaced again and gulped in a breath of air. Treading water, he scanned the area around the canoe, which was turned upside down and bobbing like a cork. “Allison! Where are you?”
He heard Melinda’s terrified shouts from shore, and then water splashing. Aaron was relieved to see Gabe swimming toward him. “I can’t find Allison! You’ve got to help me find her!”
Gabe had just reached the canoe when one side of it lifted, and Allison popped her head out. “What’s all the yelling about?”
“Thank the Lord you’re okay,” Aaron hollered as relief flooded his soul. “I was afraid you had drowned.”
She shook her head. “I had all the air I needed under the canoe.”
“Do you know how to swim?” Gabe asked.
“Of course I do. I’m able to tread water, too.”
Aaron held the edge of the canoe while Allison swam out. “Let’s get this thing turned over,” he called to Gabe.
Gabe grabbed hold, and they lifted it together. A few seconds later, the canoe was in an upright position.
“We’ll hold it steady while you climb in,” Aaron instructed, nodding at Allison.
“I might be safer out here,” she said in a teasing voice. “Besides, the cool water feels kind of good.”
“You’d better do as Aaron says,” Gabe put in, “or we’ll be here all day arguing with him.”
“Okay, but please don’t let go of the canoe. I’ve already had one drink of pond water, and it’s all I need for the day.”
Gabe steadied the canoe with both hands, while Aaron held on with one hand. The other hand he used to give Allison a boost. When she was safely inside, he handed her the paddle, which he’d found floating nearby. “Do you think you can row this slowly back to shore?” he asked.
“I’m sure I can, but what about you? And what about our fishing gear?”
Aaron glanced at the shadowy water. “I’m afraid it’s at the bottom of the pond, but that’s not important. I’m just relieved that you’re all right.”
“I’m glad you’re okay, too.”
“Gabe and I will swim alongside of you. I don’t want to chance tipping the canoe again by me trying to climb in.”
Allison looked like she might argue the point, but Gabe intervened once more. “Aaron’s right. You’ll do better on your own. We’re both good swimmers; we can help steady the boat if you run into a problem.”
“Okay.” Allison grabbed the paddle and soon had the canoe gliding along.
Aaron was exhausted when they finally got to dry land, but he was thankful the accident had happened while they were in a small pond and not a larger body of water. He and Gabe steadied the canoe as Allison climbed out.
Melinda came running, eyes wide and mouth open. “That was so scary! I’m glad everyone’s okay.”
“Just sopping wet.” Allison grabbed the edge of her dress and wrung out the excess water. “I must look a mess.”
Aaron gazed at her as affection welled in his chest. Any other woman would have probably cried or complained about her plight, but not Allison. Her dress was completely soaked, and her hair had come loose from its bun, spilling from her white kapp, which hung down her back by the narrow strips of material tied under her chin. Yet she had been able to laugh about it. At that moment, Aaron knew he had fallen hopelessly in love with Allison Troyer.
Allison shivered as a chill ran through her body, but she didn’t utter a word of complaint. Aaron had almost kissed her, and if the canoe hadn’t capsized, she was sure he would have.
Melinda draped a quilt around Allison’s shoulders. “I think we should go, Gabe,” she said, glancing at her husband. “The three of you need to get out of those wet clothes.”
“I’ll be okay if I sit in the sun awhile,” Allison argued.
“What sun?” Aaron pointed to the clouds overhead. “Looks like our sun is gone, and rain might be on the way.”
“We can’t get any wetter than we are,” Gabe said with a chuckle.
“Except for me,” Melinda reminded.
Gabe shook his head, sending a spray of water all over her navy blue dress. “Now everyone’s wet.”
Melinda planted
both hands on her ever-widening hips and scowled at him, but Allison could see by the twinkle in Melinda’s eyes that she wasn’t really upset by her husband’s antics. “Just for that, I’m going to yodel all the way home,” Melinda announced.
“Go ahead. I’m not Grandpa Stutzman; I like it whenever you yodel.”
“Well, see if you like this.” Melinda cupped her hands around her mouth and let loose with a terrible shriek. “Oh-lee-oh-lee-oh-lee-de-tee!” She held the last note and made it go so high that Gabe covered his ears. Allison and Aaron did the same.
“Enough already! I’m sorry I got water on your dress,” Gabe apologized.
Allison laughed, and Aaron reached for her hand. “Now that’s true love, wouldn’t you say?”
She gazed at his handsome face, still dripping with pond water. What I’m feeling for you—that’s true love.
Chapter 19
On Saturday morning, Allison awoke to hammers pounding against wood and the deep murmur of men’s voices. She climbed out of bed, rushed over to the window, and pulled the dark curtain aside. There were at least a dozen men in the yard, moving back and forth from the barn to the plywood-covered sawhorses where all their supplies were laid out. She’d almost forgotten this was the day they’d be tearing down Uncle Ben’s rickety old barn. If everything went well, construction on the new barn would begin next week.
Allison thought about the previous night’s discussion with Aunt Mary and Uncle Ben about the possibility of her staying with them longer than originally planned. She was pleased when they’d said they would be happy to have her stay as long as she wanted. After that, Allison had hurried to her room and written a letter to her father, asking if he would mind if she stayed awhile longer. She hoped he would have no objections.
Pulling her thoughts back to the present, Allison hurried to get washed and dressed. She knew Aunt Mary would need her more than ever today, as it would be the women’s job to feed the men and see that they had plenty of water and snacks to sustain them throughout the day.
Allison entered the kitchen and found Aunt Mary and Sarah bustling around. “Sorry I’m late,” she apologized. “Until I woke up to all that pounding, I’d forgotten the men would begin tearing down the old barn today.”
Aunt Mary smiled. “That’s all right. You’re here now, and we can certainly use another pair of hands.”
“What would you like me to do?”
“The menfolk have had their breakfast already, so after you eat, you can make a batch of gingerbread.”
Allison wished she could do something that had nothing to do with food, but she nodded agreeably and headed for the refrigerator to get some milk.
“Want me to see if the mail’s here yet?” Sarah asked her mother.
“That would be fine.” Aunt Mary nodded at some envelopes lying on the table. “If the mailman hasn’t come yet, please put those bills in the box for him to pick up.”
Sarah grabbed the mail off the table and was almost to the door when Allison remembered the letter she’d written to her father.
“I’ve got a letter that needs to go out,” she said. “Would you wait a minute while I run upstairs and get it?”
“Sure.”
“Did you write your daed a letter?” Aunt Mary asked.
“Jah. I asked him if he’d mind if I stay on here longer, and I told him you said it would be okay.”
Her aunt smiled. “I hope he agrees.”
Allison nodded. “Me, too.”
As Aaron pulled his buggy into the Kings’ yard, he noticed Gabe’s rig in front of him. They both pulled up to the hitching rail near the corral and unhooked their horses from the buggies.
“I was going to start work on Rufus’s dog run today,” Gabe said. “But I figured I was needed here more, tearing down the barn.”
“That’s okay. Rufus has waited this long, so a little longer won’t matter.” Aaron led his horse to the corral, and Gabe followed.
“From the looks of all the men milling around, I’d say every Amish shop in Webster County must be closed for the day,” Gabe commented.
Aaron nodded. “Paul didn’t think twice about closing the harness shop so we could both come here to work. He should be along shortly and so should my brothers.”
Gabe pointed across the yard. “I think my daed’s here already.”
“Guess we’d better go see what jobs we’re needed to do.”
Sometime later, while Aaron was hauling a stack of wood from the old barn to the pile across the yard, he spotted Allison heading that way. She smiled and waved, but since his hands were full, he could only nod and smile in response.
“I was wondering if you’d be here today,” she said when she caught up to him.
“Wouldn’t have missed it.” He grinned at her. “I’ve been looking forward to seeing how you look in dry clothes.”
Allison’s cheeks turned crimson. “I did look pretty awful in those sopping clothes after our dunking in the pond, didn’t I?”
He dropped the wood to the growing pile and chuckled. “Guess I didn’t look so good myself.”
“I wrote a letter to my daed last night,” Allison said, changing the subject. “I asked if he would mind if I stayed here longer.”
“How much longer are you thinking?”
“As long as Aunt Mary and Uncle Ben are willing to put up with me.”
Aaron moved closer to her. “I’m glad to hear that. I hope your daed says you can stay indefinitely.”
“We’ll have to see about that.” Allison motioned to what remained of the barn. “I wish I could help the menfolk tear the wood off the walls instead of serving them cold drinks and meals.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Why would someone as pretty as you want to get her hands all dirty?”
She thumped his arm playfully. “Are you teasing me?”
“Jah, I sure am.” The truth was, Aaron was impressed with Allison’s willingness to help the men, and if he had his way, she’d be working alongside of him today. He was fairly certain Allison’s uncle would never go for that. Except for Paul, most men he knew thought a woman’s place was in the kitchen.
Allison released a sigh. “I suppose I should get back inside. I’ve got two loaves of gingerbread baking, and if I’m not careful, they’ll be overdone.”
“I’ll look forward to sampling a piece,” Aaron said as he moved toward the work site. Suddenly he turned back around. “Say, how would you like to go over to Katie Esh’s place and pick strawberries with me one evening next week? Katie’s mamm told my mamm that the berries are coming to an end. If we don’t get them soon, they’ll be gone.”
“I’d like that. Katie had mentioned that idea to me several weeks ago, but I haven’t been over there yet.” Allison smiled. “I made plans to visit Melinda and see the animals she’s taking care of on Monday morning, but I think the rest of my week is fairly free.”
“I have a hunch you’ll like seeing all her critters.” Aaron reached under his straw hat and scratched the side of his head. “Guess I’d better ask Joseph to join us for the strawberry picking. He and Katie have begun courting, and this could be like a double date.”
“That sounds good to me.” Allison flashed him another smile and headed for the house.
Aaron started toward the old barn as he hummed a song the young people sometimes sang at their singings. He thought about the words and how they related to the way he felt about Allison. “Every minute of the day I’m thinkin’ ’bout you; and without you, life is just a crazy dream. Every breath I take I’m hopin’ that you’re hopin’ that I’m hopin’ you’ll stay here with me.”
As Joseph headed to the work site, he spotted Katie coming around the corner of the house, and his heart skipped a beat. He loved her so much and wished they could be married this fall. But if he didn’t find a better job soon, he saw no way he could adequately support a wife, much less any children they might be blessed with.
“I was hoping you’d be here today,”
she said breathlessly.
“I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.” He smiled. “It’s not just the work that brought me here, either.”
Katie’s cheeks turned pink, and tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.
Joseph felt immediate concern. “What’s wrong?”
“I—I talked to mamm the other night—about us wanting to get married.”
Joseph’s spine went rigid. The tears he saw in Katie’s eyes probably meant things hadn’t gone so well. “What’d your mamm say?”
“Besides the fact that she thinks we’re too young, she doesn’t feel that you’re making enough money working at your part-time job to support a wife and family.”
“What about your daed? What’d he have to say about this?”
Katie’s chin quivered. “I talked to him this morning, and he agreed with Mama.”
Joseph groaned. “As much as I hate to say this, I think your folks are right.”
“Have you changed your mind about marrying me?”
“Of course not, but until I’m able to find a full-time job that pays a decent wage, I know I won’t be ready for marriage.”
Katie’s gaze dropped to the ground. “I see.”
“I hope it won’t be long until I can find the right job, and as soon as I do, I’ll speak to my folks about us getting married, and you can talk to yours again.” He reached for her hand. “Doesn’t that make sense to you?”
She lifted her gaze to meet his, and a few tears spilled over onto her cheeks. “Jah, it does.”
Joseph motioned to the place where the old barn was being torn down. “In the meantime, I’d better get busy. If I don’t, my daed will probably come looking for me.”
She smiled shakily. “I’d best get into the kitchen and find out what I need to do as well.”
“See you later, Katie.” As Joseph walked away, he determined in his heart that he would find a full-time job as soon as possible.
When Herman entered the living room and found Catherine sprawled on the sofa, he felt immediate concern. “Are you hurting again, or just tired?” he asked, moving to stand beside her.
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