by Amy Clipston
Happy childhood memories swirled through Caleb’s mind. He’d spent many hours on the porch with his parents and extended family during the warm months. The back pasture was where he and his cousins would play baseball.
During his teenage years, the pasture became the site for impromptu volleyball courts during youth socials. And it was at one of those socials where he’d met Barbara, who’d been visiting her cousin for the summer. Caleb had taken one look at Barbara’s beautiful smile, and he knew he’d met his future bride.
“Dat?” Susie’s little voice brought him back to the present. “We’re here, ya?”
Caleb leaned over and touched her chin. “Ya, we are.” He glanced toward the porch and found his seven nieces and nephews filing out from the front door. “You go ahead and greet your cousins. I’ll grab our bags and pay the driver.”
“I can’t wait to meet them!” Gripping the pumpkin pie in her hands, Susie trotted up the front steps to the circle of cousins.
After grabbing their two bags, Caleb paid the driver and then made his way up the front steps, where he was engulfed in hugs from his nieces and nephews.
“Caleb!” Sadie’s voice rang through the crowd. “It’s so gut to see you!” She pulled him into a tight hug. “How was your trip?”
“Gut,” he said.
“We were beginning to worry about you,” Sadie said.
“We made a stop on the way,” Caleb said, glancing at his daughter, who bit her bottom lip. “Susie wanted to bring you a pie.”
“This is for you, Aenti Sadie.” Susie handed her the pie. “We stopped at the farmers market for it.”
“Oh, it smells appeditlich.” After hugging Susie, Sadie motioned for them to come into the house. “Kumm! Let’s eat!”
Caleb sat between his nephews, Samuel and Raymond, at his sister’s long kitchen table. Across from him, Susie was engrossed in an animated conversation with her cousins about school.
Robert cleared his throat and Caleb bowed his head in silent prayer. The aroma of baked chicken and freshly baked bread filled his senses and he smiled. Being surrounded by family warmed his soul, and he thanked God for the opportunity to spend Christmas with them.
When Robert’s fork scraped the plate, Caleb glanced up at the gaggle of arms resembling an octopus reaching for the dishes and bowls of food in the center of the table. Voices rang out around him as the children discussed the upcoming Christmas plans.
“Caleb,” Sadie said, raising her voice above the discussions swirling around them. “It’s so gut to have you here with us. How does it feel to be home again?”
“Gut.” Caleb glanced at his daughter, who was laughing while her cousin Janie shared a story. “Real gut.” He loved seeing Susie so happy. He wished they had close relatives back home, but Barbara’s cousins lived in a neighboring district and rarely visited.
“How are things in Middlefield?” Robert asked.
“Going well.” Caleb grabbed the serving fork for the chicken.
“Is the carriage shop keeping you busy?” Robert asked while cutting up his chicken.
“Ya,” Caleb said. “The buggy orders have been steady.” He filled his plate with chicken and then grabbed a roll. “The Lord is blessing us with plenty of business. How is the dairy business?”
Robert shrugged. “The same. Every time we get ahead, something happens to set us back, like the rising cost of diesel to run the milkers. There’s always something holding us back.”
Sadie beamed at her husband. “However, the Lord always provides.”
Caleb asked Samuel about the youth gatherings, and soon their plates were clean and the serving dishes were empty.
While Sadie and the girls cleaned up the kitchen, Caleb joined Robert and the boys in the family room. The conversations spanned the hours as Caleb caught up with the latest community news. Susie rushed by, laughing and talking with her cousins as they stomped up the stairs to the bedrooms. Sadie brought in large hunks of pumpkin pie covered in whipped cream, and Caleb ate until his stomach was sore.
“We better get these kinner to bed,” Sadie said when the clock struck eight. “Service is early in the morning tomorrow.”
“Ya.” Caleb stood and stretched. “I’ll tuck Susie in over in the apartment, ya?”
Sadie shook her head. “The girls want Susie to stay with them, but you’re welcome to stay in the apartment if you’d like.”
“That sounds gut.” Caleb carried Susie’s bag up the steep stairs to the hallway lined with doors. He felt as if he’d been transported back in time since he’d climbed these stairs thousands of times during his childhood.
He found Susie giggling on a double bed with Janie and Linda. When she spotted Caleb in the doorway, they sat up.
“Girls!” Sadie bellowed, joining him in the doorway. “There’s no need for all of this noise. You know that your dat likes some quiet in the evenings. You don’t want him yelling, do you?”
Sadie’s daughters silently shook their heads in response.
“Gut,” Sadie continued. “Have you gotten your baths?”
They shook their heads no.
“It’s time.” Sadie stepped into the room and yanked nightgowns from the bureau.
The girls moaned their disappointment.
“Church comes early in the morning.” Sadie pointed toward the hallway. “Go get your baths and then come to bed.” She glanced at Caleb and smiled. “Let me go check on the boys. I’ll be back.”
Caleb turned to Susie. “Let’s find your gown. You can take a bath too.” He placed her bag on the bed and rummaged through it.
Susie sighed. “But I took a bath Thursday night.”
He tried to suppress his smile. “Ya, but you were also cooped up on a smelly train overnight, and we have services tomorrow. Do you want the other kinner in the district to call you the stinky girl from Ohio?”
“No!” She laughed.
“Here.” He pulled her bed clothes from the bag. “Now remember to keep your voice down. Your onkel doesn’t like a lot of noise. We don’t want to wear out our welcome on the first night. Go wash up.”
Susie removed her prayer covering and unwound her long, light brown hair from its tight bun. She started for the door and then faced him, her pretty face pensive. “Dat, I’m sorry for scaring you at the market.”
Caleb lowered himself on the bed and sighed. “I forgive you, mei liewe. I may be a bit overprotective, but it’s my job to make sure you’re safe.” Like I failed to do with your mother …
He pushed the thought away. He needed to suppress that regret and concentrate on enjoying Christmas with his sister’s family.
“I know.” She bit her lower lip and then smiled. “Did you see that pretty lady at the quilt stand?”
“What pretty lady?” Sadie rounded the corner with her eyes wide with excitement.
Caleb swallowed a groan. While he loved his sister dearly, he’d learned a long time ago that she was a hopeless gossip, who enjoyed sharing the latest community news at her weekly quilting bees. Rumors of his courting Barbara spread like wildfire after Sadie caught Caleb and Barbara chatting on the porch late one night during the summer they met.
“At the farmers market, where we got the pie,” Susie said, hugging her nightgown to her chest. “She was at a quilt stand, and she said that her mamm taught her how to make quilts when she was about my age.”
“Quilt stand?” Sadie tilted her head in question. “That must have been Naomi King or maybe Lilly Lapp. They both work there. Naomi’s mamm owns the stand. She’s had it for years, and it does a good bit of business. I quilt for her sometimes.”
“Really?” Susie’s eyes were wide with excitement. “Would you teach me how to quilt, Aenti Sadie?”
“Ya.” Sadie touched Susie’s nose. “Now you run along and get your bath. We must rise early in the morning.”
“Okay.” Susie trotted down the long hallway.
“She needs a mamm,” Sadie said, shooting Caleb a stern look. “
It’s been two years.”
Caleb frowned. He’d expected a lecture with Sadie’s unsolicited advice, but he’d hoped she’d wait a day or two before starting in on him. “She has plenty of female role models in our community. She loves her teacher, and we have many friends at church.”
“That’s not the same as a mamm.” Sadie’s expression softened, and she stepped toward him. “She needs someone to be there when she has questions that only a woman can discuss.”
Caleb pinched the bridge of his nose in hopes of stopping the tension headache brewing behind his eyes. “I know you mean well, but you can’t tell me how to run my—”
“Naomi King wouldn’t be a good match for you.” Sadie talked over him while shaking her head. “She’s a bit too eager for a husband. You know the type—always mingling with the men after service and trying to get them to go for rides with her.”
“Sadie,” Caleb said, attempting to interrupt her, but she continued her monologue as if she’d never heard him.
“Naomi ran after Luke Troyer, who married Sarah Rose, Robert’s youngest sister, a couple of months ago,” Sadie frowned. “Then she enticed Timothy Kauffman, but they broke up.” She smiled. “I have just the maedel for you. There haven’t been any rumors about her, and she’s very sweet.”
“Sadie,” he repeated, standing.
Her grin widened with excitement. “Her name is Irene, and her daed owns a carriage shop. She’d be a wunderbaar mamm for Susie. You could move back here and go to work for her daed and—”
“Sadie!” His booming voice caused her to jump. “I’m sorry for startling you, but you’re not listening to me. I’m not looking for a mamm for Susie just yet. Barbara was the love of my life, and I’m not ready to try to replace her.”
“You won’t ever replace her, Caleb.” Sadie touched his arm. “You’ll find a new liewe, who will help ease the pain and give Susie the guidance that only a mamm can give her. I know it’s hard, but it’s time to move on.”
What do you know about loss? He swallowed the thought and glanced toward the door. “I think I’m going to go get ready for bed. Will you call me when the girls are ready to be tucked in?” He started for the door.
“Ya,” Sadie said. “Caleb.”
He faced her, hoping she wouldn’t lecture him again. “Ya?”
“Please think about what I said.” She stepped toward the door with a hopeful expression. “You and Susie are more than welcome to stay with us. You can move into the apartment, and Susie would love to go to school with her cousins. She needs her family, Caleb. Barbara was an only child, and her parents are gone. Who do you really have in Ohio?”
Caleb folded his arms in defiance. “We have family. Barbara had cousins, and our church district is wunderbaar. We’re not alone.”
“Think about it.” She clasped her hands together. “I want you to meet Irene and consider my offer.”
He nodded, knowing she wasn’t going to let this issue die until he agreed. “Fine. I’ll consider it.”
“Gut!” She hugged him. “I’ll call you when it’s time to kiss Susie goodnight.”
As Caleb descended the stairs, he hoped Sadie wouldn’t spend his entire visit trying to play matchmaker. He wasn’t ready for another relationship, and he believed Susie was receiving all the female guidance she needed. While Sadie had the best intentions, her meddling was misguided. He was a grown man and capable of making the best decisions for his child; Sadie needed to concentrate on her own family.
Caleb plucked his bag from the family room floor, then stepped through the doorway and into the apartment at the back of the house.
He moved through the small sitting room to the bedroom. As he placed the bag on the bed, he thought of the young woman at the farmers market. While he didn’t know her name, he’d noticed her beautiful face and captivating brown eyes. She seemed to have made an impression on Susie. He wondered if he would run into her again during his visit.
Deep in his heart, he hoped he would.
CHAPTER 3
Naomi sat with the other young unmarried women while she sang along with the familiar German hymns in the Ausbund. Keeping with tradition, the three-hour service was held in the home of one of the church district families on every other Sunday. With the living room and bedroom moveable walls removed, the downstairs of Eli and Elizabeth Kauffman’s home was spacious. Backless benches were lined up for the district members, and later they would be converted to tables for lunch.
The congregation was seated by age and gender, and the service area was plain. There was no altar, no cross, no flowers, nor instruments. They sang the hymns slowly, and a male song leader chosen at the beginning of the service would begin the first syllable of each line.
While the ministers met in another room for thirty minutes to choose who would preach that day, the congregation continued to sing. They returned during the last verse of the second hymn, which was always “Lob Lied,” and when the ministers hung their hats on the pegs on the wall, it symbolized that the service was about to begin.
The minister began the first sermon, and Naomi clasped her hands. Her eyes scanned the congregation, and she tried to concentrate on the minister’s words. However, her thoughts kept fluttering to the scene at the farmers market yesterday. She could still visualize the little girl’s sweet face when she shared that her mother had died. The fear mixed with relief on the father’s face was still fresh in Naomi’s mind—along with his expressive eyes.
She was still thinking of him when her stare moved to the married men sitting across the room. She spotted Robert Kauffman, and her gaze stopped when her eyes focused on the man next to him. She blinked, but the figure didn’t transform. The man from the market was sitting next to Robert Kauffman.
How can this be?
The man’s eyes met hers, and he looked as surprised as she felt. A smile turned up the corners of his mouth, and Naomi felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment.
Why was this stranger causing her to blush? She didn’t even know him! She quickly looked away in order to break the trance.
The first sermon ended, and Naomi knelt in silent prayer along with the rest of the congregation. During her prayers, she pushed thoughts of the stranger from her mind and thanked God for the blessings in her life. She also asked for health and happiness for her family during the upcoming holidays.
After the prayers, the deacon read from the Scriptures and then the hour-long main sermon began. Naomi tried in vain to keep her eyes off the stranger during the sermon, but her glance kept moving back to him. He occasionally met her gaze with a pleasant smile, and each time, her heart fluttered and cheeks flushed. She stared at her lap and willed herself to concentrate on the sermon, which was always spoken in High German, keeping with Amish tradition.
She swallowed a sigh of relief when the kneeling prayer was over. The congregation then stood for the benediction, and the closing hymn was sung.
When the service was over, Naomi moved toward the kitchen with the rest of the women to help serve the noon meal. The men converted the benches into tables and then sat and chatted while awaiting their food. As she headed for the kitchen, Naomi averted her eyes from the group of men talking in the corner since she’d spotted the mysterious widower speaking to Timothy Kauffman.
“The service was beautiful, ya?” Kathryn Beiler asked Naomi as she moved a tray of pies and cakes over to the counter covered in the desserts.
“Ya, it was,” Naomi agreed, filling a pitcher of water.
“Are you ready for Christmas?” Kathryn asked.
Naomi laughed. “No. I still need some things to finish my gifts. How about you?”
Kathryn shook her head. “No, I’m not ready either. Perhaps we should go shopping to—”
“Hi!” A little voice screeched. “Hi!”
Naomi glanced over just as Susie came trotting toward her with Robert and Sadie Kauffman’s two youngest daughters trailing close behind. “Susie?”
“I remember you
from the farmers market!” The little girl beamed. “So this is your church district?”
“Ya, it is.” Naomi gestured toward Janie and Linda. “I see you know Janie and Linda Kauffman.”
Susie took their hands in hers. “They’re my cousins. I just met them for the first time yesterday, and we’re already best friends.”
Naomi plastered a smile on her lips as she inwardly gasped—Susie and her father were related to the Kauffmans! She hoped that meeting Susie wouldn’t become awkward. While the Kauffmans had been gracious after her breakups with Luke and Timothy, she still felt uncomfortable. She could only imagine the rumors that were still flying about her and how forward she was with the boys.
“You know Susie?” Kathryn asked, sidling up to Naomi.
“We met at the farmers market yesterday,” Naomi said.
Susie beamed. “She makes schee quilts like my mamm did.”
“Ya,” Kathryn said, smiling. “She does.” She turned to Naomi. “Susie and her dat are visiting from Ohio for the holidays. Her dat is Sadie’s bruder.”
“Oh,” Naomi said with a nod while suppressing an inward groan. “That’s so nice.”
“What’s your name?” Susie asked.
“I’m Naomi,” she said, shaking the girl’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too,” Susie said.
A chorus of voices sounded as a group of women entered the kitchen laughing, including Beth Anne Bontrager, one of Timothy’s sisters, and Miriam Lapp, Timothy’s fiancée.
Beth Anne’s eyes widened as she approached. “Susie!” She hugged the little girl. “I saw your dat, and I was looking for you. How are you?”
“Gut.” Susie gave her a shy smile.
Beth Anne smiled. “You don’t know me, do you?”
Susie bit her bottom lip and shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I haven’t met you yet.”
“She’s Aenti Beth Anne,” Janie said.
“I’m your Onkel Robert’s sister,” Beth Anne said. “And this is Miriam. She’s Onkel Timothy’s fiancée.”
