Winter of Wishes

by Charlotte Hubbard

  “I believe the previous owners used this area for their break room and administrative space. What sort of business do you want to run here, Mr. Leitner?” If Jennifer thought it odd that he had an Amish woman with him and another girl who looked just like her but wore English clothing, she didn’t let on.

  Despite Preacher Tom’s warning, it was exciting to say his answer aloud because it made his dream more real. “I intend to open a small clinic,” Andy answered, “and I need living space for my family, as well. Can you give us some time to look around?”

  “Absolutely. Take as long as you need,” the agent assured him. “I’ve got some calls to answer, so I’ll be out in my car.”

  When Jennifer’s footsteps had descended the stairs, Andy cleared his throat. “Rhoda, I’m guessing this is nothing like what you’ve been hoping for in a home—”

  “But what an idea, havin’ a place to do your nursin’ right here in town,” she said eagerly. “Rachel’s Micah could give ya a rough idea what the remodelin’ would cost. He built us the apartment above the smithy, ya know. Now that the mill and Mamma’s new house are finished, he and his brothers could do ya a real gut job, and fast, because it’s all indoor work.”

  Andy slung his arm around Rhoda’s shoulders, so grateful for her open mind. Rebecca was wandering around, opening doors and studying the information sheet. “I’m going to look around downstairs some more. Give you two a chance to chat.”

  “Denki, Sister,” Rhoda replied. When Rebecca had started down the stairs, she murmured, “Don’t know what she’s cookin’ up, but she’s workin’ things out in her mind. She’s startin’ up her computer design business, ya see. Meanwhile she’ll be helpin’ in the café, stayin’ at Mamma and Ben’s new house until her work makes enough money to keep her goin’.”

  Andy considered that, but this rare time alone with Rhoda was too valuable to spend talking about other people’s aspirations. He pulled her close and kissed her. Then he stepped away, holding her hands in his. “Rhoda, this idea will mean I have to borrow a lot of money,” he said quietly. “Not only for my clinic and equipment but for the real estate loan and the remodeling costs. I’ll have a good down payment when my house sells, but who knows when that will happen? Meanwhile, I have a family to support.”

  “Jah, the same holds true for any Amish couple gettin’ hitched,” she replied. “Fellas have to lay out a lot of cash once they move away from their folks. Not everybody’s as lucky as Micah, movin’ into a paid-for house and workin’ in a business his dat established.”

  Andy smiled down at her, wishing he could present his case in a more positive light. “I don’t want money issues to come between us, Rhoda. That happened with Megan and it was . . . devastating. But teaching school was what I was called to do at that time—”

  “And ya were made for healin’ people, too, Andy,” she murmured. “This is God’s own will, comin’ to fruition in your life.”

  “Yeah, well . . .” He prayed the rest of what he wanted to say would come out right. His heart was riding on the line, and so was their future together. “It might be years before I earn enough to keep us going, and to pay off this debt. And . . . and maybe you’d rather take your chances with other guys while I establish my practice and meet all the requirements for becoming Amish. I’ll understand if you’d rather start your family instead of waiting until I can support you, Rhoda.”

  Lord, but it had been hard to get that off his chest. If Rhoda wanted to marry sooner, or if she expected a more substantial basis for a fledgling marriage, he was up another creek without a paddle. The whole point of becoming Plain was to have this loving young woman by his side.

  Her smile never wavered. “One of the things ya figure out when ya live amongst Amish,” she replied quietly, “is that we throw ourselves into our families and our work, trustin’ God to figure out the details. When we need money or help, our families and gut friends are there for us every step of the way, Andy. When you’re Plain, ya never walk alone.”

  His breath left him. Rhoda’s expression inspired him to trust in God and the Amish beliefs as completely as she had all her life. She knew no other way. And she had no previous experience with a spouse’s expectations not being met, so she truly believed he was capable of becoming her husband . . . her provider. Her breathtaking gaze told him she wanted him to be the father of her children and that he would indeed evolve into a beloved member of her extensive family.

  “I want you to be happy, Rhoda. If you change your mind about me during this long process, let me know,” he breathed.

  “Too late!” she replied with a laugh. She kept hold of one of his hands, gesturing around the upstairs space. “So what’re ya thinkin’? This place is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside. Long as your mamm could have a room downstairs, and we could have a bigger kitchen down there where it’s cooler . . . maybe all the bedrooms up here—”

  “Divide the building vertically? Have the exam and patient areas downstairs and the business area upstairs? That hadn’t occurred to me,” Andy mused. “Although maybe . . . maybe I should think more in terms of the old country doctors who made house calls. With so many Plain women still having their babies at home, and farm accidents to tend, I might be putting too much emphasis on office space. Maybe I need to be more portable.”

  He smiled at this idea. After all, weren’t many Amish ways reminiscent of how most folks had lived a century or more ago? Maybe he’d be smarter to invest in an enclosed horse-drawn carriage that could carry basic equipment and provide treatment space . . . an Amish ambulance of sorts. Folks here would be more receptive to a nurse who came to them, because it was almost against their religion to seek out medical care. So many ideas . . . so little money.

  Andy smiled at Rhoda. “You’re making me think outside my medical-school box, and that’s a gut thing. Shall we go downstairs and see what Rebecca’s up to? I suspect she’ll have other angles to consider, and she’s too sharp a young woman to ignore.”

  “Ya got that right. We Lantz girls insist on bein’ heard,” Rhoda joked. “Got it honest, from our mamm, ya know.”

  Andy’s laughter rang in the stairwell as they descended. When they reached the landing, Rebecca’s voice carried over to them as she spoke into her cell phone.

  “. . . yeah, I think you’ll want to look this place over . . . I can bring you the spec sheet,” she was saying in an excited voice.

  And what did that mean? Surely Rebecca wasn’t giving someone else a heads-up on this building when she knew he was pinning a lot of his future on finding workable, livable space. Andy let Rhoda step into the main room ahead of him, reminding himself to keep the faith . . . to believe that the best was yet to be, and that everything would come together exactly as it was supposed to, if he kept God in on the process.

  When Rebecca clicked off her phone, she turned toward them with an adorable grin. “Andyyyy,” she teased, “what would you think of partnering with a tech-savvy, very personable, extremely astute and sensitive—”

  “That would be you, right?” Andy’s heart skipped a beat as he looked at Rhoda’s sister.

  “Yup. And in addition to designing and maintaining your website for the local English folks who will also welcome your nursing services,” she continued in a rising voice, “I could manage your computer filing and whatever else your practice requires. Could even sit at the desk as your receptionist, if you don’t need somebody with medical expertise.”

  “And?” He loved her enthusiasm, so similar to Rhoda’s.

  Rebecca’s laughter echoed in the big empty space. “I’d like an office upstairs—or wherever it’s best for you—to run my new design business. Most of my work’s online, so I’ll be in the building whenever you need me.” She drew a line in the air with her finger, over toward the center of the big room. “I’m seeing this as a natural dividing point between your business area and your home, because a wall here would leave the upstairs plumbing in a reasonable place for you to hav
e a kitchen and bath on the back wall, and your family room over here, and your bedrooms upstairs. But then, what do I know?”

  Andy looked at Rhoda and they both burst out laughing. “You girls are unreal, the way you think alike. But as I was telling your sister, it might be a long while before my home in New Haven sells. Meanwhile I’ll need to borrow a large amount of money to float this whole idea, so you can’t be in a hurry to—”

  “Give me a day or two, Andy,” she said with a big wink. “I’m working on that part, too.”

  His jaw dropped, and Rhoda hurried over to throw her arms around Rebecca’s neck. “You kitty-cat! I know what you’re up to,” she teased. “But we’ll keep that as our little secret.”

  Once again Andy could only gaze at the Lantz sisters. Wasn’t it wonderful to think that the two of them were conspiring to answer his prayers? They would enlist the efforts of their mother and Rachel, no doubt, to create a synergy he’d not witnessed before.

  Lord, I had no idea what I was walking into this morning, except that I was meeting with some of Your finest people. How far I’ve come today! Closer to my goals, and closer to You. And for that I’m very, very grateful.

  After he told the Realtor they’d be in touch, Rhoda pointed out each place to turn as they toured the Willow Ridge countryside in the sleigh. Out past the Riehl place they went, beyond the Kanagy farm where the girls’ Aunt Leah raised produce and kept bees. At Rhoda’s direction, Andy drove the sleigh through open pastures and along back roads he’d had no idea existed, getting the lowdown on each of the families whose homes they passed. Neat, well-maintained places they were, too, where families took pride in the appearance of their outbuildings and yards. As they passed the Waglers’ farm, two young men waved enthusiastically and the three of them returned their greeting.

  “Matthias and Adam eat at the café quite a lot,” Rhoda remarked. “Matthias is our local harness maker, and his brother does remodeling work.”

  “Fine, fine-looking fellows, too,” Rebecca added with a laugh. “Seem to be a lot of handsome, unattached men in this neck of the woods.”

  “Jah, and they’re eyein’ you, too, Sister!” Rhoda shot back.

  “Now this is quite a spread,” Andy remarked as they approached a tall white house on top of a rise. A remarkably large barn sat behind the home, and the property was set off by white plank livestock fencing that stretched for as far as he could see.

  “That would be Hiram’s place,” Rebecca remarked from her seat in back. “Home of Bishop’s Ridge Belgians. I still can’t believe he’s leaving this impressive property behind to start from scratch at a new colony.”

  “Jah, well, we’ll hear lots of surprisin’ details in the next couple of weeks,” Rhoda said, shaking her head. “And if ya think Hiram’s finished chastisin’ Annie Mae and Nellie for leavin’ him with the four littlest kids—”

  “I don’t think he’s done with Mamma or Ben or the other Hooleys, either,” Rebecca stated. “And you’re probably near the top of his hit list for sheltering his daughters. Things are going to get very interesting in Willow Ridge, Sister.”

  Andy listened to this banter, believing it. From the way Preacher Tom had reacted to Hiram’s method of obtaining the land and money for his new venture, he sensed Knepp might be in for a few surprises, as well. It was indeed a fascinating time to weave himself into the fabric of this little community, for the Amish who lived around New Haven weren’t nearly so . . . feisty. It made him admire Rhoda all the more because she had fearlessly given her friends a place to stay, despite the probable consequences.

  As they pulled into the Sweet Seasons parking lot, Andy breathed deeply of the wintry air, feeling more than satisfied with the way this day had gone. “Do I just show up for the wedding on Thursday?” he asked as he helped the girls out of the sleigh.

  “Jah, and we start the church service bright and early, too. Eight o’clock sharp.” Rhoda’s cheeks bloomed with the cold and her good health as she gazed up at him. “Then follows the wedding ceremony and the feast, and a lot of visitin’ for the rest of the day, includin’ a supper. If ya can’t stay for the whole thing, we’ll be glad to see all of ya for as long as we can have ya.”

  “And since Rhoda will be up front as one of the side sitters—”

  “Jah, a newehocker, alongside Luke Hooley,” Rhoda clarified.

  “—I’ll be happy to sit with your mom and your daughter, if you’d like,” Rebecca offered. “You and Brett will sit on the guys’ side. Would you like to hook up with my dad? He’ll be looking for other English guests so he won’t feel so strange wearing a suit and tie among all those black trousers, vests, and white shirts.”

  “That’s very thoughtful of you, Rebecca.” Andy’s brain already buzzed at the prospect of all the details he’d be absorbing . . .

  But the detail that intrigued him most was the smile the two sisters shared, as though they passed information between them with that secret code twins and triplets were wired with before they were even born. Thursday would be quite a day, for sure and for certain!

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  As Rebecca pulled into the Sweet Seasons lot on Thursday morning, she chuckled. What a crazy combination she was, wearing a royal-blue Plain dress and a white kapp while driving a red sports car. But wasn’t that the picture of her life lately? The best parts of both her worlds seemed to be coming together very quickly, thanks to the unconditional love of the Lantz family and the way her dad understood her need to reunite with her Amish mamm and sisters.

  When she walked into the café’s kitchen, heavenly aromas enveloped her: baking chicken . . . the savory spices and butter in the dressing . . . the sweet scent of boiling celery.

  “Happy New Year to ya, Rebecca!” Naomi called out from where she, Hannah, and Priscilla Schrock were peeling a mountain of potatoes. “And don’t ya look perty in that blue dress? Your mamm’s gone up to Rachel’s already. She’s a happy woman this mornin’, and you’re one of the reasons why.”

  Rebecca’s breath caught in her throat. All the women bustling around in the café’s kitchen smiled as they greeted her. Mary and Eva Schrock waved from the dining room, where they were cutting dozens of pies. Her aunt, Leah Kanagy, looked up from the tubs of fresh vegetables she was arranging on relish trays. “Hullo, Rebecca! Gut to see ya!”

  When Rebecca saw the Knepp girls filling salt and pepper shakers at the serving window, she made her way through the crowd. While so much activity and chatter had once seemed like chaos to her, she now understood that these wonderful women had been working since the wee hours and wouldn’t quit until after this evening’s supper, because they loved her mother. Such support, given so cheerfully, still boggled her mind.

  “So how’s it going?” she asked quietly. “Can’t be easy, deciding to go your own way instead of with your dad.”

  Annie Mae’s eyes were ringed with dark circles. “Jah, we’re lookin’ for Dat to burst through that door any minute to haul us outta here,” she replied with a glance in that direction.

  “But Jerusalem and Nazareth are watchin’ out for us,” Nellie added, nodding toward where the Hooley sisters were chopping onions and celery for the stuffing. “And Rhoda’s been a real patient roommate while we’ve done our cryin’, wonderin’ what’s to happen to us.”

  “But we’re hopeful.” Annie Mae screwed the lid on a salt shaker with a firm twist. “Even though he’s not preachin’ today, we think Dat might make a scene during the wedding, to announce how wonderful-gut his new colony’s gonna be.”

  “We’re happy to spend the day in here cookin’,” Nellie agreed as she reached for a fresh can of pepper. “Can’t thank your family enough for takin’ us in, knowin’ how Dat’s gonna get back at them for it.”

  Rebecca looked around, noting the absence of little children. “So . . . how are the twins doing? And Sara and Timmy?”

  Nellie sighed. “That’s the stinger in all this,” she admitted. “Far as we know, they’re with Da
t. When we were movin’ the last of our stuff on Saturday, he ordered us to stay away from the house until we were ready to beg his forgiveness.”

  “Jah, the dishes and food were still sittin’ on the table from that nice dinner on Friday. But Jerusalem and Nazareth marched right on past that to Ben’s truck with their clothes, and we followed along.” Annie Mae smiled glumly. “It’s not the way I’d pictured my life goin’, but then I never figured on Dat pullin’ such a stunt, either. Whatever he’s been doin’ since Joey and Josh’s wreck just doesn’t set right.”

  “Well, if there’s anything I can do, just say the word,” Rebecca insisted as she grasped their arms. “Sometimes my being English is an advantage.”

  Annie Mae chuckled and tugged on a string of Rebecca’s kapp. “Ya look mighty Plain to me, girlie,” she teased. “But denki for sayin’ that. Means a lot.”

  Ya look mighty Plain. And wasn’t that a fine compliment for a day when she wasn’t wearing any makeup? Rebecca spoke with the Hooley sisters, Hannah, and Lydia Zook as she made her way back to the door, filled with a sense of goodwill and unity despite the way these women’s spiritual leader was wreaking havoc on their orderly, purposeful lives.

  Be with the Knepp girls, God. And please, please don’t let Hiram make a shambles of Mamma’s big day.

  Up to the old white Lantz house she drove, to park at the far end of it. At the sight of her dad’s Buick, her heart beat a little faster—and here came another car up the long lane. When she saw Andy waving through the windshield, she motioned for him to pull up beside her car.

  “Rhoda! Rhoda!” Brett crowed as he hopped out, followed by his grinning sister, Taylor.

  Rebecca grabbed them in an eager hug, but then gazed into their eyes. “OK, I’m really Rhoda’s sister, Rebecca, but I’m tickled you think I look like her. We’re all so glad you’ve come to the wedding!”

  The kids’ faces fell, but then Brett lifted the back of her kapp. “Aha! Now we’ll know you by your short hair.”