“I ain’t gonna hit the mutt. Just wanted to scare him so he’d quit running.” The woman picked up the dog’s leash, holding it firmly. Then she turned to face Heidi. “Sorry for the intrusion. My daughter and I were takin’ Abner for a walk, and when he saw your dog and heard it barking in your yard, he took off like a flash. Peggy Ann couldn’t hold him, and the leash slipped out of her hand.”
By this time, Rusty had also quit running and was lying on the porch by Heidi’s feet, panting. Lyle came out of the barn. “Everything okay up there?”
Heidi waved. “Jah, we’re good.” She smiled when he nodded, and he went back into the barn.
Heidi came down the porch steps. “It’s all right. I understand how dogs can be sometimes.” She smiled. “I’m Heidi Troyer. Are you new to the area? I don’t recall seeing you or your daughter before.”
“Yeah, we moved here from Kentucky about a month ago. My name’s Velma Kimball, and this is Peggy Ann. I have two more kids at home: Bobbie Sue—she’s seventeen—and Eddie, who’s ten. We live down the road apiece in a double-wide.”
Heidi wasn’t sure she could get a word in, with the woman talking so fast, but she was finally able to say, “It’s nice meeting you.” Now that she thought about it, she had seen the mobile home set back off the road. It had been for sale a while ago, but she hadn’t realized it had sold or that anyone was living there now.
Still holding her dog’s leash, Velma reached out her other hand to shake Heidi’s. “Nice to meet you too. Have ya got any kids?”
“None of my own, but my husband and I have two foster children.”
“I see. Well, maybe my kids will get to meet them sometime.” Velma glanced at her daughter, then looked back at Heidi. “Peggy Ann’s kinda shy, and she hasn’t fully adjusted to our move. I think it’d be good if she makes some new friends.”
Heidi noticed how their dog had begun to pant. The animal’s pink tongue hung out the side of its mouth. “Peggy Ann, there is a bucket over by the porch. Why don’t you get the hose and fill it with water for your dog? He looks thirsty.”
After Peggy Ann filled the bucket, she carried it over and set it down by the Lab. As if the dogs were best friends, Rusty and Abner, heads together, lapped the water at the same time.
“Now would you look at that?” Velma grinned when both dogs laid down in the cool grass together. “Abner’s never taken to any dog like that. Seems he’s already made a new friend.”
Heidi was about to respond, when a car she hadn’t seen before pulled in. A few seconds later, Kevin and Debbie got out of the vehicle. Heidi saw a man in the driver’s seat, but she’d never met him before.
“I’m sorry to cut our conversation short,” she said, looking at Velma, “but I teach a cooking class every other Saturday, and some of my students have arrived.”
Velma pursed her lips. “Those kids are your students?”
“Yes, that’s Kevin and Debbie. The others aren’t here yet but should arrive soon, I expect.” Heidi nodded. “It’s a cooking class for children, and today will be their second lesson.”
Velma rubbed her chin with a thoughtful expression. “Hmm… Are the classes expensive?”
Heidi quoted the price and Velma grimaced. “Unfortunately, I don’t have any extra money right now. It’s a shame, too, ’cause I think learnin’ to cook with a bunch of other kids would be real good for my Peggy Ann.”
“I may teach more classes for children in the future,” Heidi said. “If I do, I’ll let you know.”
Velma snapped her fingers. “Say, ya know what? I have an idea.”
Heidi glanced at Kevin and Debbie. They stood next to the car, talking through the open window to the man who’d brought them. I need to go introduce myself to him, but I don’t want to be rude to our new neighbor.
“Would ya like to hear my idea?” Velma seemed eager to share her plan.
“Umm… certainly.”
“I was thinkin’, since I can’t afford to pay for Peggy Ann to take your classes, I could do some work for you in exchange for you teaching my daughter.”
“Well, uh…” Heidi moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. “I’m not sure…”
“I’ll do any kind of chore you need to have done. I can clean your house, do yard work, and even chop wood. I’m very handy, believe you me, and strong too.” Velma’s voice trembled a bit. “Oh, please don’t say no. Peggy Ann would surely benefit from takin’ your class.”
“Well, I suppose it would be all right. Peggy Ann can join the class today, and afterward I’ll make a list of some things I need to have done. Then you can choose.”
Velma’s face broke into a wide smile. “Thanks, Heidi. Thanks so much.”
Heidi wasn’t sure if agreeing to let Velma work for her in exchange for Peggy Ann joining the classes was a good idea, but she didn’t have the heart to say no. Velma seemed almost desperate, and her daughter looked so forlorn. Perhaps she would have the opportunity to minister to them in some way, as she had in the past with many of her previous students.
Heidi looked over at the Cooper children again and was disappointed because it appeared that the man in the car was getting ready to leave.
Excusing herself from Velma, Heidi hurried across the yard.
Chapter 14
When Heidi approached the car, the man sitting in the driver’s seat offered her a friendly smile. “Hi there, I’m Trent Cooper—Debbie and Kevin’s dad. And you must be their cooking teacher.”
She nodded. “I’m Heidi Troyer.”
“Daddy brought us today ’cause our mom has to work,” Kevin spoke up. “I asked him to come inside and watch us cook, but he said he has to go somewhere.”
“That’s right,” Trent agreed, “but I’ll be back around noon to get the kids. That’s what time the class ends, right?”
“Yes, but—”
“Good. See you later then.”
Debbie and Kevin jumped back from the car as their father hastily pulled out of the yard, giving Heidi no chance to say anything more. Walking beside the Cooper children, she headed for the house, where Velma and her daughter remained by the porch.
Barely giving Velma and her daughter a glance, Kevin poked his sister.
“Hey, stop it!” Debbie moved to his other side.
Velma’s dog tried to jump up on Kevin, but Velma yanked Abner’s leash. “I’d better take this mutt home now.” She looked at Peggy Ann. “You go on in the house with Heidi and get acquainted with the other kids. I’ll be back to get you when the class is over.”
“Except for Debbie and Kevin, none of the other children are here yet,” Heidi explained again.
Velma waved her hand. “Well, never mind about that. Peggy Ann can sit with these two and wait till the others show up.”
Peggy Ann gripped her mother’s hand. “I thought you was gonna stay with me, Mama.”
Velma shook her head. “Not this time. I have some things I need to do at home, but you’ll be fine. I want to get Abner home too.” Holding the dog’s leash, Velma turned and headed toward the road.
Heidi’s jaw clenched. That made two parents who wouldn’t be with their children today. She wasn’t sure how she felt about the parents participating or not. With the addition of another child to teach, she might need a helping hand. Although with the exception of Ellen, none of the other parents had been very helpful during the first class. Looking back on it, Ellen had actually done too much for her daughter. Becky needed the chance to learn things on her own without her mother taking over. So maybe it was best if the parents didn’t stay. That’s what Heidi had expected in the first place.
She opened the front door. “You three can go on into the living room. Randy and Marsha are inside. I want to put Rusty in his pen, and then I’ll be right in.” Heidi waited until the children stepped inside and shut the door behind them.
“Come on, Rusty, let’s go to the pen.” Heidi clapped her hands.
The dog lifted his head, then flopped ba
ck down with a sleepy grunt.
“Sorry, mister, you’re going in the pen. My other students will be here soon, and I don’t want you creating anymore ruckus.”
Rusty got up and ambled down the steps behind Heidi. They were halfway across the yard when he darted to the left and made a beeline for a mud puddle in the driveway. It had rained during the night, leaving several puddles of water in various places throughout their yard.
Heidi cupped her hands around her mouth and whistled, but Rusty ignored her. Now he was chasing a butterfly he’d spooked near the puddle. Jumping up as he gave chase through the damp grass, Rusty’s attempts to catch the colorful insect failed. She didn’t understand what had come over him today. He was normally so well-behaved.
Well, she couldn’t spend any more time watching Rusty’s shenanigans. He’d gotten himself into too much mischief already. Heidi didn’t want to leave him free to roam in the yard. Plus, she had to get back inside to make sure Randy and Marsha were getting along with the other children.
Heidi clapped her hands and said firmly, “Rusty, come here, boy.”
The dog turned in her direction, but when a car pulled into the yard, he plodded down the driveway to greet them.
“Watch out, Mom. There’s that stupid mutt coming toward our car.” Kassidy tapped Denise on the shoulder from the back seat.
Denise turned to look at her and frowned. “I hope he gets out of the way. Sure wouldn’t want to hit Heidi’s dog.” She slowed the car and crept forward just a bit, waiting to see what the Brittany spaniel would do. It was a pretty dog but not very bright. She was surprised the Troyers hadn’t trained it to stay away from cars. Of course, she reasoned, the dog’s probably not used to many cars coming onto their property, since their main mode of transportation is by horse and buggy.
Denise couldn’t imagine having to hitch a horse to a buggy, not to mention traveling so slow compared to riding in a car. Whenever she went anywhere, she wanted to get there as quickly as possible.
“What’s wrong with that dog, anyways?” Kassidy complained. “Why won’t it get out of our way?”
“Just be patient. The dog will eventually move.”
“Look, Mom. Heidi’s coming now to get the dog.” Kassidy pointed again.
Denise stopped the car, waiting for Heidi to approach. Once Heidi had a hold of the dog’s collar and had guided him off the driveway, Denise moved her vehicle forward and parked it near the barn. She and Kassidy opened their doors and got out at the same time. But just as Kassidy started walking toward the house, Heidi’s dog got away from her. The animal raced across the yard and jumped up, putting his dirty feet on Kassidy’s chest. Kassidy screamed so loud, it must have frightened the dog, for it raced off and darted into the barn.
A few minutes later, Heidi’s husband came out, carrying the spaniel. He said a few words to Heidi, then put the dog in its pen. In the meantime, Kassidy sat on the front porch steps, crying hysterically. Denise went immediately to her side.
“Calm down, Kassidy. The dog didn’t bite you, did he?”
“No, but he did this!” She motioned to the muddy paw prints and wet grass stains on the front of her cream-colored blouse. “We’ve gotta go home, Mom. I can’t go in there looking like this.”
Heidi joined them on the porch with a pained expression. “I am so sorry, Kassidy. I tried to hold Rusty, but he got away. Don’t know what’s come over him today. He’s normally better behaved.”
Lowering her gaze, Kassidy folded her arms. “My blouse is ruined, and I’m not in the mood to learn how to cook anything today. Every time I come here, there are problems with your dog. First, my shoe. Now this.” Kassidy pointed to her blouse. “I bet the stains will never come out!”
“Your blouse isn’t ruined,” Denise spoke up. “I’m sure the mud and green stains will wash out. I’ll take care of it as soon as we get home.”
Looking up, Kassidy blew out a noisy breath. “What am I supposed to do in the meantime? I look a mess!”
“I’d offer to loan you one of my dresses, but they’d be too big for you.” Heidi tucked a stray piece of hair back under her white head covering. “I do have an apron you can wear today. It will cover the front of your blouse.”
Kassidy looked at Heidi as if she had two heads. “I wouldn’t wear one of your—”
“Thank you, Heidi,” Denise interrupted before Kassidy could say more. She gave her daughter a look, daring her to say another word. “We seem to be the only ones here so far, so let’s go inside. You can put Heidi’s apron on before anyone else arrives. Then you won’t have to be embarrassed about anyone seeing the mud on your blouse.”
“Actually, a few of the other students are inside,” Heidi said.
“Oh, great.” Kassidy looked down, mumbling something else under her breath.
“What was that?” Denise nudged her daughter’s arm.
“Nothing, Mom.”
Denise smiled. For the moment at least, it appeared that she’d won this battle of the wills. She hoped Kassidy would be cooperative during the cooking class today.
“Sure hope we make something good this time.” Jeremy leaned over the seat and bumped Darren’s arm as they turned up Heidi’s driveway.
“I’m sure it will be good. The salad you made during the first class was pretty tasty.”
“I guess—if you like a lot of fruit chopped up in one bowl. I’d rather eat a banana or an apple by itself instead of with other fruit.”
Darren didn’t comment. He was too busy watching Ellen and her daughter get out of their vehicle. Ellen was not only pretty, but from the few times they’d visited, she seemed intelligent and well grounded. He wanted to get to know her better.
“Say, Dad, I’ve been wondering about something.”
“Umm… what’s that, Son?”
“Do you know why the Amish wear such plain clothes?”
“No, I don’t. Why don’t you ask Heidi?”
“I don’t know. She might think it’s a dumb question.”
Darren parked next to Ellen’s vehicle, turned off the engine, and hopped out. “Hey, it’s good to see you again.” He offered Ellen what he hoped was a pleasant smile. “How have you been?”
She smiled in return. “We’ve been fine, and we’re looking forward to another cooking lesson.” Ellen looked at her daughter. “Isn’t that right, Becky?”
The girl shrugged. She wasn’t a very talkative child. Not like Jeremy, who had been known to talk nonstop when it came to something he was interested in, such as playing soccer, going fishing, or teaching his dog new tricks.
“How are things going with you?” Ellen asked.
“Good. Jeremy and I are going hiking next week. We’re looking forward to that.”
Ellen’s eyes brightened. “Sounds like fun. I’ve enjoyed hiking since I was a young girl. Used to go on hikes with my dad, and sometimes we went fishing.”
“Now isn’t that something? Jeremy and I both like to fish.” Darren looked at Becky. “Do you enjoy fishing?”
Without meeting his gaze, she mumbled, “It’s okay, I guess.”
Darren couldn’t help noticing the face Becky made as she turned and looked toward the house. Ignoring Ellen’s daughter, he continued. “Maybe the four of us could go fishing sometime. We could make a trip to one of the lakes or ponds in the area and take a picnic lunch along. We’d park the car some distance away, and hike in, of course.” He grinned. “It’ll make it more fun that way.”
Jeremy tapped Darren’s arm, and said in a low voice, “Can we go inside for the class now?”
“Just a second, Son.” He rested his hand on the boy’s shoulder.
Ellen repositioned her purse’s shoulder strap and nodded. “That does sound like an enjoyable outing. After we get inside, I’ll give you my phone number. When you have a date in mind to go fishing, you can let me know, and then I’ll see if Becky and I are free to go.”
“Dad, we need to get to the class. I’m sure Heidi’s waiting
.” Jeremy kicked at a pebble.
Darren looked at his watch. “We’re fine. We’ve got a few minutes yet.”
Becky looked up at her mother through half-closed eyes but said nothing. Darren had a feeling the girl wasn’t thrilled about the idea of going fishing with them. For that matter, based on the frown his son wore right now, he guessed neither one of the children wanted to go. Well, it didn’t matter. If he and Ellen could work out a day when they were both free, the kids would have to go along whether they liked it or not. Maybe some time fishing and enjoying the great outdoors would be good for all of them.
Chapter 15
Once everyone gathered around the kitchen table, Heidi introduced her newest student. “I’d like you all to meet Peggy Ann. She and her family live down the road a ways, and Peggy Ann will be joining us today, as well as the next four classes we have.” She placed her hands on the young girl’s slender shoulders. “Please make her feel welcome by introducing yourselves.”
Denise, Ellen, and Darren went first, then their children.
“You met Kevin and Debbie when they first arrived,” Heidi said.
After the introductions were made, Heidi explained that they would be making mini corn dogs. She was about to hand out the recipe cards, when Randy leaped off his chair and raced to the back door. “I hear Eli pounding with his hammer!”
“Eli’s been out there a good while, and I’m sure Lyle is helping him. You can check on their progress after class is over.” Heidi gestured to the table. “Please come back, Randy, and take your seat.”
With slumped shoulders, the boy shuffled across the room and flopped into his chair with a grunt. “Eli’s gonna wonder why I’m not helpin’ like I did yesterday.”
Heidi shook her head. “He knows we’re having a cooking class today.”
“Who’s Eli?” Kevin asked, leaning closer to Randy.
“He’s a nice Amish man, and he’s buildin’ a coop so me and Marsha can have some chickens.”
Kevin grinned. “Oh, boy, that sounds like fun. Can I see your chickens when you get them?”
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