An Unlikely Match

by Beth Wiseman

“Jayce said there’s a leak in the roof. You still have that ladder in the barn, the really tall one?” Amos was soaked from running to the inn. “I’m going to get up there and have a look.”

  “I’ll help,” Jayce said as Esther handed Amos a towel to wipe his face and nodded about the ladder.

  After they were gone, Lizzie leaned against the counter and attempted to straighten her prayer covering. “Well, the crops and flowers are going to benefit from all this rain if we don’t float away.”

  Quinn emerged from the dining room holding an empty coffee cup. “Looks like we might be in our meeting for a while. If you’ll show me where everything is, I’ll make more coffee.”

  Lizzie took the woman’s cup. “I’ll handle it, hon.” After Quinn left, Lizzie said, “I’m sure that woman has never percolated coffee before in her life. Probably has some fancy machine where she comes from.”

  “It was nice of her to offer.” Esther stowed the casseroles in the refrigerator. “Bless Naomi for thinking of us.”

  “I miss that maedel.” Lizzie started the coffee percolating and leaned against the counter again. “But I’m glad she and Amos stayed close by. Just think . . .” Lizzie smiled, despite her weariness. “We’ll have two little ones running around soon.”

  A few minutes later, Amos and Jayce came back into the kitchen, both dripping wet. “We’ve got a tarp secured over the leak, but some shingles need to be replaced. I know lots of areas are flooded, but we had high winds too. When I’m able to get to the hardware store, I’ll get the supplies to repair it.” Amos turned to Jayce and shook his hand. “Danki for the help.”

  “No problem.” Jayce turned to Esther after Amos left. “The new girl, Rose, must have cleaned upstairs because when I gathered up all the towels she’d piled in a corner, I peeked in the other rooms to make sure there weren’t any other leaks. There weren’t, and nothing was out of place. Even Quinn’s room was straightened and organized. And she’s more of a slob than the rest of us.” He walked to the pitcher of tea on the counter and poured himself a glass, then turned to Esther. “I’m at your disposal.” He nodded to the dining room. “They don’t need me, and I don’t want to be in there, so what can I do to help?”

  “Sohn, you’re not on the payroll. You’re a guest.” Lizzie sighed. “Unless you can help me find mei teeth.”

  Esther gasped. “Lizzie, those dentures are your responsibility. Jayce isn’t going to help you find them.”

  Rose rushed into the room and handed Lizzie her dentures. “After I collected eggs, and I didn’t drop any, I went to the barn to check on the animals.” She bounced up on her toes. The girl seemed to be in perpetual motion. Esther felt even more tired just watching the girl’s energy level rising. “I love the goats. They’re probably mei favorite of all the animals. But I checked on the horses, fed them, and brushed them. I also filled up their water trough. Mei shoes are outside. It’s very muddy. I dried off as best I could on the porch.” She looked down and wiggled her toes. “Anyway, your dentures were on the workbench.”

  Lizzie snapped her fingers. “That’s right! The broom handle broke, and I went to get another sweeper that was out in the barn. I set mei teeth down since they were bothering me again.” She ran the dentures under some water before slipping them back into her mouth.

  “I’ve cleaned the house top to bottom. There is some mud back on the living room floor from people going in and out, but that’s to be expected. I’ll wait until everyone is settled later tonight, then I’ll make sure to clean the floors again. I’m wondering if this rain is ever going to stop.”

  Jayce sneaked out of the room. Esther couldn’t blame him. The girl had the energy of a toddler loaded up on caffeine. Maybe this was a good time to talk to Rose about her sleepwalking and ask her if it was a normal occurrence.

  “I also cleaned that man’s cottage. I saw he was gone, so I thought it the best time to tidy up his place.” She scrunched up her nose. “It was awful. Terribly dirty. He has a cat. Did you know that? I didn’t know if that was allowed, but he was a sweet fellow—the cat, that is. Do we wash Mr. Gus’s clothes? I didn’t know, so I gathered them all up and put them in the basement. It was a lot of clothes, but I’ll start on them shortly. And—”

  “Stop.” Lizzie blinked a few times as she held up a hand to shush Rose. “You cleaned Gus’s haus and hauled all his dirty clothes here?”

  “Ya. I didn’t go to the daadi haus since you said a couple lived there. I assumed they take care of their own home.”

  Lizzie bent at the waist and laughed until Esther thought her sister might cry. Straightening, she looked at Esther. “I’ll let you deal with Gus.” Then she turned to Rose and winked at her. “Gut job, dear.”

  Esther eyed the pies. Suddenly talking to Rose about her nighttime adventures didn’t seem appealing. But a large slice of pie did. She’d need strength when Gus showed up. She’d been surprised when she saw his truck was gone earlier. He’d be fit to be tied when he got home.

  “Ach, and one more thing.” Rose took a piece of paper from her apron pocket. “I hope I didn’t take a liberty I shouldn’t have, but I noticed while I was in the barn that the light on the answering machine was blinking, so I checked the message. There was only one. It was from a woman named Evelyn, asking for Jayce to call her.” She handed Esther the number on a small slip of paper. “If it’s the same Evelyn I met, she’s really nice.”

  “Danki, dear.” Esther turned off the burner under the percolator, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders.

  “Should I take the number to Jayce?” Rose’s face radiated with spunk and energy, as if she hadn’t missed a wink of sleep or had a worry in the world. But Esther had seen how quickly the girl could shift into another mood and break down in tears. Then again, almost burning down someone’s house could do that to a person.

  “Nee, you’ve done plenty. I’ll get this to Jayce. You’ve been busy today. Why don’t you go take some time to yourself.” Esther slid a slice of pumpkin pie onto her plate.

  “Are you sure? I can go into the basement to start running clothes through the wringer, although . . .” She tapped a finger to her chin. “We don’t really have anywhere to hang them, do we? I wonder how long it’s supposed to rain. Back home, me and mamm would drape clothes over the backs of chairs and even had a makeshift clothesline in the mudroom. But with so many people here, I’m not sure that’s practical. But I can still start on the clothes if you’d like me to, or—”

  “Nee, dear. You just go rest and take some time to yourself.” Esther tried to smile before she forked a bite of pie.

  Rose finally agreed and went to her temporary room, closing the door behind her. The good Lord was raining down mercy on Esther when Mr. Clarkson and his crew headed upstairs. All was quiet. Esther savored the moment and enjoyed her pie. She’d take Jayce Evelyn’s message and number shortly, which added a layer of concern to everything else the day had brought.

  Thankfully, with help from Jayce, Amos, and even Rose, things were beginning to calm down. Until Gus got home. Esther cringed when she thought about him walking into his clean cottage. He was going to go crazy. She flinched at the thought of Rose taking on the filthy task. Esther would explain to the girl later that housekeeping didn’t include Gus’s cottage.

  She might not be able to cook, but so far, Rose appeared to be a tornado when it came to cleaning.

  * * *

  Jayce sat on his bed staring at the phone number Esther had given him and listening to the constant dripping of water into the metal pan. The tarp had helped, but the roof was still leaking. He set the piece of paper on the bed and went to the bathroom, returning with a small hand towel to put in the bottom of the pan. He hated to add more laundry to the growing pile in the basement, but the towel softened the sound so Jayce didn’t feel like he was enduring some sort of water torture.

  He dialed the number on the slip of paper and waited. After three rings, a man answered.

  “Uh, I might
have the wrong number, but I’m trying to reach Evelyn.” Jayce studied the slip of paper, pretty sure he hadn’t misdialed.

  “Nee, you’ve got the right number. Hold on just a minute.”

  After about five minutes, Evelyn was finally on the phone. “Sorry it took so long,” she said, sounding out of breath.

  “I didn’t think your people used phones. The only one Lizzie and Esther have is in the barn and strictly for business.” Jayce stood, walked to the bucket, and pushed it to the left with his foot when the leak in the roof seemed to shift.

  “It’s mei bruder’s phone. David is mei oldest bruder. Daed doesn’t like the use of mobile phones, or any phones, but he knows David needs one for his work. He does general contracting for a company in town, and the Englisch have to be able to reach him. Actually, Mamm has a phone, too, but it’s only for emergencies.” She paused. “It was her phone I had the day you helped me with Millie. Mamm wanted me to take it that day because the newspeople in the paper said it might storm. But it didn’t.” She chuckled. “But it was dead anyway. I decided to ask David to borrow his. Mamm wouldn’t have thought mei calling you was an emergency.”

  Jayce smiled, remembering she’d had a phone the day they met. “She might have thought it was an emergency if you told her you missed me terribly and needed to hear the sound of my voice.” He was blatantly flirting with an Amish woman he wouldn’t see once he left here. But teasing her came naturally, and if she were there, her eyes would have taken on that twinkle when she blushed. She didn’t say anything. “Hello?”

  “I’m still here.” She spoke softly, pausing. “I-I just wanted to make sure everyone was all right at the inn. I know Lizzie and Esther have a houseful, plus all those people in the buses.”

  She’d completely ignored his playfulness, but the way her voice trembled a little, he wondered if he’d hit the nail on the head. Maybe she had missed him.

  “It’s chaotic.” He scratched his chin as he eyed the bucket in the middle of the room. “My dad and his group have kept the dining room occupied, sometimes with the entire crew, so there’ve been lots of people going in and out, everyone dripping wet. There are trails of mud on the floor, and there’s a leak in the roof.” He laughed, hoping to keep the mood light. “And, lucky me, the leak is in the room I’m in.”

  “Esther and Lizzie must be worn out.”

  Jayce sighed. “Yeah, I think they are.”

  “How’s the new help working out?” She giggled. “The one you called nuts, which I still think was terrible for you to say.”

  “Well . . .” He sat back down on the bed, grinning. “She is never quiet. Never. And she can’t cook at all. I have no idea what was in the breakfast she made today, but I was hungry, and I guess everyone else was too. It was some sort of egg casserole, but I think it had pimientos and something else in it. She baked hens earlier in the week that were terrible, with some kind of weird stuffing. Lizzie has done most of the cooking the past few days. She’s been getting up super early—I think to beat Rose to the kitchen.”

  “Ach dear. I wonder if they’ll keep her on. They’ve done everything themselves since Naomi left.”

  “Well, the woman can clean. She’s got that going for her. The upstairs is spotless. She even cleaned Gus’s house.”

  Evelyn gasped. “You’re teasing, ya?”

  “Nope. She admitted it was awful, but she thought it was part of the job.”

  Evelyn cringed. “I don’t know Gus all that gut, but I’m surprised he allowed it.”

  “Apparently, he didn’t. He was gone when she did it.” Jayce laughed. “And get this. She hauled back all of his clothes to be laundered.”

  She laughed. “I could be wrong, but I suspect Gus won’t appreciate Rose’s gut intentions.”

  “Who knows? Maybe he’ll be glad to come home to a clean place.” He cleared his throat, wanting to get away from any more talk about Gus. “So have you been able to get to work the past few days? What’s that place called, the Bargain Center?”

  “Ya, that’s the name. I went Wednesday, but I had trouble getting back home in the buggy. Daed was going to cart me back and forth, but even he had problems with his horse’s hooves sinking in the mud when he tried Thursday, so we went back home. There are two women who live within walking distance of the store, so they are covering my shift.”

  “So you’ve kinda had a vacation.” Jayce wished they were having a picnic out in the sunshine, or were back at the movies sharing popcorn. “Or are you bored?”

  “I’m a little bored. Mamm and I have done a lot of baking. Lucas and David can’t really work in this weather, so they’ve stayed upstairs. I think Lucas has a phone, too, even though he won’t admit it. He works with David, but Daed said one phone was enough for their business. But I hear Lucas sometimes late at night, talking to someone. Both mei bruders have girlfriends. Mamm thinks they’ll be publishing wedding announcements any day, which is our way of letting the community know when a couple is ready to commit to each other forever. Daed is praying that the weddings aren’t too close to the same time.” She laughed. “Weddings are big affairs here.”

  Jayce braced for thunder after a big flash of lightning lit up the sky outside his window. It was too early to be dark, but it was gray and dreary. After the rumble he decided to step up to the plate. “So . . . maybe you missed me just a little?”

  “Maybe.”

  He tried to read into her one-word answer. “Hmm. I’ll take a maybe, I guess.” He hesitated. “I miss seeing you. Still thinking about that kiss. And I’m still disappointed you don’t have a ladder to escape your bedroom.”

  She laughed. “I can’t believe you really thought I would lower a ladder out of my window.”

  “It did make me wonder how often you had scaled down the thing to meet potential suitors.” Grinning, he said, “I figured there must be a whole bunch of them.”

  She huffed into the phone. “Nee, not really. And since you’ve already brought up that dreadful kiss, I have something to say about it too.”

  “I didn’t think it was dreadful at all. Just a bit rushed.” Jayce smiled.

  * * *

  Evelyn squeezed her eyes closed, still embarrassed she’d behaved in such a way. She wasn’t sure what bothered her more, the fact that she’d so boldly kissed him, or that it had been awkward and probably bruised his lips.

  “Well, I just want to say, it won’t happen again.” She held her breath as she waited for his response.

  “That’s disappointing.” He couldn’t have sounded any more seductive if he tried. “Maybe if we spend more time together, you’ll feel differently.”

  Her insides danced at the thought of being around Jayce. She recalled her mother’s warnings again, and Evelyn knew she should heed them. Instead, she quietly said, “Maybe.”

  Then they agreed to have supper as soon as the weather cleared.

  Evelyn would be counting the days. The minutes. And she’d do her very best not to think of how she’d feel when Jayce left.

  Fourteen

  It was after supper when Esther saw Gus’s truck pulling onto the small gravel driveway in front of the cottage. Everyone, including Lizzie, had retired for the evening. Her sister was reading one of her romance books when Esther told her she was going to visit Gus. Lizzie didn’t offer to go with her, and Esther was sure that was for the best. She didn’t relish the thought of going to Gus’s cottage, but she figured she’d better take the battle there before Gus brought his hostilities to the inn and disrupted what had finally settled into a peaceful environment. At least, for now.

  She slipped into her galoshes by the front door, slung her black cape around her shoulders, and put on her bonnet. It wasn’t raining at the moment, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t start up again.

  As she slogged her way to the cottage, dread filled her. By the time she arrived and heaved herself up the porch steps, her knees felt like lead. She was surprised Gus hadn’t already come out and started yelling.
Rapping lightly on the door, she closed her eyes and prayed for patience and tolerance.

  The door opened slower than usual, and Gus was dressed quite presentably. It reminded her again of the times he had cleaned up to take her to her doctor and hospital visits. Even though her diagnosis had been a stomach ulcer, all the tests had terrified her.

  Gus was wearing one of the same red-checkered shirts he’d worn during one of their trips to town. His black trousers were held up by suspenders, as always, and his hair was pulled back, but it appeared clean, and his beard had been groomed. Esther held her breath and prepared for his wrath.

  He stared at her, narrowing his eyebrows. “Esther . . .” He paused to sigh. “I don’t have any clothes. And there’s only one person I can think of who would steal all my clothes, except the ones I’m wearing.”

  Esther was too stunned by his calm demeanor to know how to respond. She’d expected him to open the door ranting and cursing because someone had cleaned his house. She thought he might notice the clothes missing later. But then she thought about the way Gus smelled most of the time. Perhaps that was because he never went to town to use the laundromat.

  “Why would your crazy sister steal all my clothes?” He scratched the top of his head, frowning. “That’s a low blow even for Lizzie.”

  Esther tried to be discreet as she peeked around Gus. The cottage was clean, just like it had been when Esther helped Gus a while back prior to a visit from his daughter. The woman had made it clear she never wanted to see Gus again.

  “And another thing . . .” He nodded over his shoulder. “Maybe the only reason she cleaned the place up is to spy on me. Or maybe she stole things from me.” His expression soured even more.

  Esther turned off the flashlight she was holding since the cottage was lit up with lanterns inside. “Lizzie didn’t steal your clothes, and she didn’t clean the cottage. Our new employee, Rose, did that. The girl didn’t know any better, and she was just trying to help. We would have washed your clothes today and hung them to dry, but the rain prevented us from doing that. It won’t happen again.”