The sound of Mose’s footfalls as he approached made Abby realize she even knew the way his boots sounded.
Esther grinned. “Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath.”
Abby watched her turn and walk out of the barn, wondering how she’d become so transparent. She followed her into the kitchen and began cleaning up the dishes. She was too stubborn to greet him, but somehow she didn’t think he was there for her.
“How’d it go?” Eli asked him.
“Still have one missing.” His chair screeched against the floor as he sat down next to Eli.
Eli peered out the window. “No more daylight to keep searching.”
Abby placed the last glass in the dish rack and walked over to the table to wipe it down. “What’s missing?”
“A lamb. There always seems to be one that loses its way.” Esther placed a plate of food in front of Mose.
Abby’s heart fluttered, imagining wild animals catching and feasting on the little lamb. “Can’t you take a flashlight…or something?” She looked outside, but only a tease of light remained in the darkness covering the land.
She wrung her hands with worry. No one spoke. Mose watched her with the rest of the family and then finally broke the ice. “I’ll take one last look.”
Abby let out the air she held in her lungs and felt silly for her overzealous behavior. All she could think about was the animals that had been lost after the storm at her farm the last time they went. For whatever reason, she felt she needed to find this lost lamb to fill that loss. “I’ll go with you.”
“I figured.” Mose pushed away from the table.
“I’ll keep your dinner warm.” Esther smiled, and Abby knew it wasn’t because of the lamb. She was pleased to see them together, even if it was chasing after lost livestock.
“You have to keep up with me.” He was already walking ahead of her, making her wonder how she could.
“Where haven’t you searched yet?” She looked at the flat plains and wished they had already harvested the corn. They could search forever in there.
“Nowhere.” He scanned past the fields.
“I thought lambs followed their mothers.” Abby wished she could scold the little one for going off on its own. Maybe because their farm was so much smaller and had fewer predators they’d never lost one.
“They do, but they’re also curious. And straying is sometimes a sign of illness, so that might be the problem.”
“They count on their sense of smell to find their mother, and the mother does the same. So why don’t we find a bleating sheep and let her lead us?”
Mose’s brows drew together. “I don’t know about that.”
She put her hands on her hips and frowned at him.
He blew out a breath in surrender. “What have we got to lose?”
“A baby lamb.” She marched over to the herd and listened. She didn’t know whether Mose was taking her seriously, but she kept making her way through the herd until she heard him call her name.
She walked over to see an ewe draped around his neck and one under his arm. Both sheep were bleating at him at the top of their lungs. Abby wanted to be smug but thought better of it—at least until they found the little one. She picked up Mose’s shotgun and followed him. They walked until they were away from the herd, and he set down the two sheep.
“We have to keep them away from the herd.” He pointed to a small crescent, close to the river. “Let’s head that way. The lamb may have gone for some water where they usually drink.”
After a long trek to get there, Abby was losing her stamina. The baking and a full stomach were taking their toll. Even Mose slowed his walk, which made her feel a little better. She watched him a few steps in front of her. His faint swagger exuded confidence, and his silhouette framed his strong physique. A far-off sound broke into her thoughts.
Mose increased his stride, and she was soon by his side. The sound grew louder—the bleating of a lamb.
Mose took off into a jog and rounded the small hill. Abby followed and watched him pause as a grin spread across his face. When she peeked around the bend, one of the ewes was circling a small lamb, nuzzling him, guiding him home.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
MOSE PLOPPED DOWN in the grass and watched the heifers meander down a hill until they became so small, they were out of sight. To get Abby off his mind, he spent every spare moment he had working on the greenhouse. When he started moping around, his mamm gave him more to do. The only time he perked up was when Abby came to visit his mamm, but Esther would usually go to see Abby at Becca’s.
He stuck a blade of grass between his teeth and lay back, letting the afternoon autumn sun warm his face.
“Guder mariye.”
Mose put a hand up to shade his eyes. His daed stood towering above him.
“Gut morning.” He jumped up, feeling lazy for loafing around.
“Looks nice and relaxing.” His daed looked down to the flattened area of grass where Mose was lying. “I’d like to join you, but we’re needed at the schoolhouse. The local fire department is doing an inspection.”
Mose rubbed his chin, trying to remember whether they’d ever been inspected when they were in Virginia. “Is there something wrong?”
“The fire captain said he didn’t know the school was in his district. That’s all I know. The elders are going to meet with the bishop to talk to them about it.”
“It’s a new building. What can be wrong?” Mose asked as they walked to the barn to hitch up the buggy.
“The captain said our schools can create special challenges.”
“Humph. I wonder what that means.”
“That’s what we’re going to find out.”
On the way Mose limited the conversation to the school to avoid talking about Abby. He didn’t know the answers, so he didn’t want any questions.
The school was surrounded with buggies and two fire department vehicles. Children stayed on the playground while two fire captains met with the Amish elders.
Bishop Omar and the elders were talking amongst themselves when Mose and Eli walked in. Mose scanned the room for Abby but didn’t see her at first. Then he looked out the window and saw her on the playground with the children. His daed noticed his wandering gaze and elbowed him.
“I’ll be right back.” Mose walked to the side door and went straight to Abby. She lifted her eyes and smiled when she saw him. “Are you coming in for the meeting?”
“Jah. What’s this all about?” She helped a little boy off of the swing and turned to Mose, not realizing they would be face-to-face. He studied her, never having been that close, and noticed the deep color of her blue eyes and her supple skin. His impulse was to touch the softness of it, but he knew he couldn’t. Feeling her warm breath on his face heated his cheeks and down his neck. If they had been alone, he would have done something he shouldn’t.
“Mose.” Her gentle voice brought him back, and not without embarrassment.
He took her hand, desperately wanting the contact, and walked into the school.
“Everyone gather ’round.” The bishop’s commanding voice caught the attention of the roomful of people. “This is Captain Barney Willis and Captain Chris Nelson. They are open to questions, so I’ll start. Why are you here today?”
Captain Nelson was a dark-haired, tall, skinny man wearing a uniform. He stepped forward. “To start with, I’d like to thank you folks for meeting with us. There’s nothing that can’t be taken care of fairly easily. There are a number of hazards that need to be addressed. Nothing serious, but it could be if not dealt with.”
“Why do you have to be involved in our school?” Bishop Omar asked, but it seemed to be more for the mass than him personally.
Captain Willis, who was equally as tall, answered, “Every school with twenty students or more needs to go on one of our lists according to district. You’re in between the two.”
Eli stood next to Mose, quietly listening, but Mose knew it wouldn’t la
st long. His daed always had an opinion.
“Can you give us an idea of what you’re referring to? Sounds awful broad for a little school like this to be saying there are ‘a number’ of hazards.”
Some grunts of agreement were heard. There were probably all kinds of thoughts among the Amish. Most likely some were open to the codes that needed to be followed, and others thought it was an intrusion. Mose felt a little of both, depending on who was talking.
Captain Willis pointed to the wood-burning stove. “An example is how close this stove is to the wall.” A mark that could have been from moving it in place, not a fire, served as evidence of the danger. “Other possible dangers are flammable liquids.” He pointed to the kerosene used to fill the lanterns and power the lights. “If there are no phones, no one can reach us if there is an emergency.”
Mose didn’t appreciate his tone. He was condescending, telling them what changes to make and had no regard for their privacy, whereas the other captain was less demanding.
“We have a community phone. And the kerosene will be locked in a shed.” He looked directly at Captain Willis, wanting to make the point they weren’t ignorant when it came to protecting their children.
“Good. But until today we didn’t even know your building was here, and because you have no address, it would have been difficult to find you. And there are other issues that are unique that we haven’t explored yet.”
It seemed as though this man was on a hunt to find deficiencies. And Mose was growing tired of him.
The bishop stood with his hands behind him. “We haven’t opened our school yet, Captain Willis. We still have more to do before the children are in this building every day.”
“See to it, as we’ll be doing annual inspections to make sure fire alarms and smoke detectors are in working order.” He looked around the room to see that there were none.
Bishop Omar stepped forward. “We are a private people, Captain Willis. How can we abide by your rules and keep our privacy intact?”
“A school is a school. There are no exceptions just because you’re Amish. I’ll notify a representative from the school district that you’re here as well.”
The bishop took a moment to make eye contact with the persistent fire captain. “Our operating standards are up to par as well as the curriculum, Captain. We’ve already taken care of that.”
Captain Nelson eyed Captain Willis. “I can assure you that everything we do is done for the safety of the children and teachers,” said Captain Nelson.
“Those are our priorities as well. We should be able to work together with that as the precedence.” The bishop gave Captain Nelson a one-pump handshake, but Captain Willis was heading toward the door.
“Did we do something to offend the captain?” Bishop Omar inquired.
Captain Nelson shook his head. “Only that you’re Amish. Some people think you all get away with some things. You know what I mean.”
“Jah, from taxes to fire codes. It would be gut if people knew the truth, but it is a burden we have to bear.” The bishop shook his head in disappointment.
Captain Nelson tipped his hat. “Thank you for making the time to talk with us. We’ll be in touch.”
The bishop showed him out, and everyone slowly filed out of the room. Mose looked at the newly made wood desks, the sparkling floor, and the books on the shelves. Everything had been thought out and made by someone in the community. And the children would be taught well, no matter who the teacher was. They would be well taken care of, no matter what any government official thought.
“Overall it went well. We can’t let any of it put a damper on the opening of the school.” Bishop Omar set his gaze on Abby. “Would you come with me?”
Mose watched as the two of them talked. His daed cleared his throat to distract Mose from staring, but that just made it worse. All sorts of scenarios went through his mind. Had the elders voted on her staying? Was she being scolded for not having a chaperone? Nee, that would be his chastising.
He drew nearer to hear the last of the bishop’s words. “You know how to work with children and help them succeed, jah?”
Then he saw them both smile, so he walked over.
“Bishop Omar.” They shook hands and Mose waited for an explanation, but none came.
“We need extra hands to make some wood boxes for the students to put their essentials in, if you’re willing.”
It was the perfect fit for him, and he readily agreed.
The deacon winked at Abby, and she smiled in return. They had only taken two steps away when Mose asked, “What was that about?”
Abby was beaming when she turned to tell him. “Bishop Omar has asked me to consider a teaching position.”
“Here, at this school?” He pointed at the floor.
“Jah, here, silly. Where else would he be referring to?” She practically jumped into his arms, forcing him to embrace her. Not that he minded, just not around curious eyes. It was so unusual for her, he couldn’t refuse the affection.
“What about Arianna? I thought she was going to be teaching.”
She pulled away, her cheeks a bright pink. “The deacon said they would consider splitting the children into older and younger groups since it’s such a large number of students.”
He was silent, trying to figure things out in his head.
“Everything that I’ve wanted is starting to happen, at least in part.”
“I’m happy for you, Abby.” Mose meant what he said, in more ways than she could know. If she was considering teaching here, she would be committing to stay. And if that was true, all that remained was discovering what her commitment was to him.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
ABBY WALKED DOWN the road to Mose’s place. She needed a ride, and she missed him—two good reasons to show up at his door. But she would have to find more patience. It seemed she was the one making the effort to make a life for her here, and she had told him how she felt about him. He was important to her. He knew that. She’d told him so that day in the barn. But she didn’t have that same assurance from him.
As she walked up onto the porch, admiring the beautifully potted plants in large ceramic vases, she wondered whether she would ever have a home like this one. Esther was beyond the ordinary in whatever she did, and sometimes Abby wondered whether she could ever measure up.
She rapped on the door, calmly waiting for someone to answer. A few minutes later, after knocking twice, she decided to go to the back door, closer to the kitchen. But when she rounded the corner of the house, she saw the milk barn was full and cows were mooing. When she walked in, Mose was finishing up, with Chris by his side.
“Good morning.”
Her voice caught all of them by surprise, and they stopped momentarily to greet her. She wasted no time telling him why she was there. “Mose, can you give me a ride?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll help you ready the buggy.” She couldn’t hide the anxiety stirring in her. A task would be helpful. Abby hadn’t said a word until he finally asked her where they were going. “The cemetery.”
Mose jerked his head over to see her. “To your daed’s grave?”
“Jah. I keep remembering his last words.” She rested her head against the horse’s side, feeling the warmth radiating from his body.
“What do you think he meant?” Mose stopped, tightening the cinch and turned to her.
“That he wanted me to leave the room, his life…I don’t know.” She shrugged the hurt away and waited for him to help her get through the pain. “And then he mentioned the Amish.”
“It could mean a lot of things.” He squatted next to her, and she lifted her head up to face him. “He was very ill. What little I knew of him leads me to believe he wanted to go in peace, alone.”
“I wish he’d had more strength so I could know for sure.”
“I’ve been wondering why he told you to stop. Do you think it was because you were reading the Bible?”
“At
first I thought he meant to stop treating him, but the more I’ve thought about it, I think he didn’t want to hear me reading.” A stirring in her heart gave her hope he may have heard something that bothered him enough to think on it before he died. But that was far-reaching.
“You did more than most would have after the way you were treated. But I wouldn’t have expected anything less.” His thoughtful smile lingered, giving her some assurance she’d done what she could, although she felt she’d never be completely released from the chains that dragged her into heavy guilt for being away so long, knowing he was ill.
She and Mose finished hitching up the horse and were on the highway in no time. Once they got to Jim’s headstone, Abby asked for privacy. “Just for a moment, Mose.”
“Are you all right, Abby?”
She understood why he asked. She was upset, but it was probably her intensity that worried him.
“I need to do some forgiving so I can start healing.” Her smile was to reassure him, but she doubted it helped.
Mose stepped away, but she knew he stole glances as she silently knelt and bent her head. She still questioned how to pray. Her lack of commitment to declare her faith for so long made her feel unworthy to come to God. Everything about her way of life now had integrated into her soul—her references to God, prayers, church, and singing hymns—but until she made a profession to Christ, she knew it was all for naught. The path to salvation was hard, and her choice had eternal consequences.
Mose was leaning against a tree, looking at the different grave sites. He noticed how simple her daed’s headstone was compared to most of the others. It was more like Henry’s than the English headstones.
“Did you finish what you needed to?”
“Nee, I haven’t.” Abby started walking to stay calm, and Mose followed close behind her. She wanted to know the extent of their relationship, and until then, she would not allow herself to grow any more attached to him. Not that she wasn’t already, but it helped her feel that she was not hoping for something that wasn’t there. It was too important to think it would work out on its own. She needed to hear him say the words.
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