Dear to Me

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

“I’m here to pick up Melinda. Is she ready to go?” Gabe asked the boy.

  Isaiah shook his head. “I don’t think so. She’s sittin’ in front of a hole in the wall upstairs.”

  Gabe’s eyebrows lifted. “Why would she be doing that?”

  “Her cat’s stuck in there, and she can’t figure out how to get the silly critter out. The hole’s too small for Melinda to reach her hand into.”

  “What does your daed have to say? Can’t he cut a bigger hole?”

  Isaiah shrugged. “Guess he could, but Papa ain’t here. He’s workin’ late at the tree farm and probably won’t be home until it’s almost dark.”

  “I’d better go see what I can do to help,” Gabe said, stepping into the house.

  Isaiah led the way, and Gabe followed him up the stairs and down the hall until they came to the place where Melinda and her mother were on their knees calling to the kitten.

  Gabe cleared his throat, and Melinda looked up at him with a dismal expression. “Snow seems to have squeezed through this tiny hole, but she can’t get back out.”

  “She was probably after a mouse,” Faith put in.

  “I can cut a bigger hole if you want me to,” Gabe offered. “Where does Noah keep his saws?”

  “Out in the barn.” Faith nodded at Isaiah. “Run on out there and get one of your daed’s saws, would you, son?”

  “Okay.” The boy scampered off.

  Gabe squatted beside Melinda. “I can patch the hole I make with a piece of Sheetrock, and it’ll be good as new.”

  “What if Snow won’t come to me once the hole is bigger?” Melinda asked.

  “Does that answer your question?” Gabe smiled. “Sounds like your cat can’t wait to get out of there.”

  “I agree,” Faith said. “Once Gabe cuts a bigger hole, you can stick your hand inside. I’m sure Snow will come right away.”

  Isaiah showed up a few minutes later holding a small handsaw, which he handed to Gabe. It didn’t take long for Gabe to make a larger opening, and he was careful not to let the blade of the saw stick too far through the other side. He knew if he cut the cat by mistake, Melinda would never forgive him. She might even see it as one more reason for her to leave home.

  Once the opening was made, Melinda put her hand inside. “Here, Snow. Come, kitty, kitty.”

  There was a faint meow, and when Melinda pulled her hand out again, she had Snow by the nape of the neck.

  Gabe breathed a sigh of relief. The cat was okay, and Melinda was smiling again.

  “Danki, Gabe,” she murmured.

  “You’re welcome.” Maybe now she’ll realize how much she needs me. And when she sees what I have in my buggy, she’s sure to know how much I love her.

  “I think I’ll take Snow downstairs and feed her while you patch the hole.” Melinda stood and hurried off toward the stairs.

  “If there’s a scrap of Sheetrock in the barn, I can fix the hole now,” Gabe said, turning to Faith. “If not, I’ll bring some over later on.”

  “I appreciate that. It’s very kind of you. It’s obvious you like working with your hands,” Faith said. “The little deer you carved for Melinda turned out very nice.”

  “Danki.”

  “Speaking of deer, Melinda’s been spending a lot of time in the woods lately, drawing pictures of the wildlife she sees there. Has she shown you any of her pictures?”

  Gabe grimaced. After the argument he and Melinda had a few days ago over him hunting, just the mention of deer made him cringe.

  “You’re frowning. Don’t you care for Melinda’s drawings?”

  “It’s not that,” Gabe was quick to say. “It’s just…well, she seems so protective of the deer in the woods. She doesn’t even want me to go hunting.”

  “I’ve heard her complain about others who like to hunt, too. However, Melinda realizes she can’t keep all the deer safe or stop everyone from hunting, but she wants to protect those that are on our property.” Faith sighed. “Sometimes I worry about Melinda’s preoccupation with the animals. It seems like all she wants to do is sketch pictures of those she sees in the woods and take care of those she’s in contact with here and at the veterinary clinic. Sometimes she shirks her duties at home in order to care for one of her animals.”

  Gabe fought the temptation to tell Faith that her only daughter was contemplating leaving the Amish faith to become a vet. It was Melinda’s place to tell her folks, not his. Besides, he’d made a promise not to tell anyone until she felt ready and knew for sure what she planned to do.

  “I’d better get out to the barn and see if there’s any Sheetrock so I can fix this hole,” Gabe said, pushing his thoughts aside.

  Faith nodded. “And I’d better head back downstairs and get some sewing done.”

  Half an hour later, Gabe and Melinda stood in front of his open buggy. He had patched the hole with a piece of plywood he’d found in the barn and planned to come back tomorrow with a new piece of Sheetrock, tape, and the mud he would need to do the job correctly.

  “See that piece of canvas I have right there?” Gabe said, motioning to the back of his buggy.

  Melinda nodded.

  “Pull it aside and take a look at what I made for you last night.”

  “Is it a trash can holder like the one we saw at the farmers’ market?”

  He shook his head. “It’s something I hope you’ll like even better.”

  Melinda gave the canvas a quick yank, and when a long wooden object came into view, she tipped her head in question. “What is this, Gabe?”

  “It’s a feeding trough—so you can feed the deer that come into the woods bordering your place.”

  “That’s a wunderbaar idea. If the deer come to our place to eat, they’ll be safe from hunters.” Unexpectedly, Melinda threw herself into Gabe’s arms and squeezed him around the neck. “I’m so glad you want to care for the deer now rather than kill them.”

  Gabe swallowed hard. Melinda had obviously misinterpreted his gift. How could he admit to her that he had no intention of giving up hunting? He enjoyed hunting and would continue to do so. He just wouldn’t do it on her folks’ land.

  Chapter 20

  With the warm August breeze tickling her nose, Melinda leaned back on her elbows and sighed. She loved being here at the pond where birds and wildlife abounded and everything seemed so peaceful. Gabe’s picnic supper of barbecued beef sandwiches, dill pickles, and potato salad had left her feeling full and satisfied. Even though he’d admitted that his mother had made most of the meal, Melinda appreciated the gesture. Gabe seemed to enjoy Mama’s homemade bread, too, for he ate several pieces slathered with some of Grandpa’s rhubarb-strawberry jam.

  Not wishing to ruin their meal with a possible argument, Melinda hadn’t asked Gabe if he had told his mother that he’d proposed. She thought it would be best to wait awhile on that. So they’d only had a pleasant chat on the drive from her house to the pond, and for the last hour, they’d been sitting on an old quilt enjoying the picnic supper and having more lighthearted conversation.

  Melinda glanced over at Gabe. His eyes were closed, and his face was lifted toward the sky. He obviously enjoyed being here, too. If I can’t get him to change his mind about going English, and I have to leave on my own, I’ll surely miss him. It doesn’t seem fair that I’m expected to choose between those I love and the joy of caring for animals. I wish I could have both.

  As if sensing her watching him, Gabe opened his eyes.

  “Were you sleeping?” she asked.

  “Nope.” He smiled at her in such a sweet way it sent shivers up her spine. “I was just enjoying the warmth of the sun and thinking about how much I want to make you my wife.”

  Her cheeks warmed. “Gabe—I—”

  “Whatever differences we may have, can’t we just agree to disagree?”

  A little crease had formed in the middle of Gabe’s forehead, and Melinda reached up to rub it away. “I wish it was that simple.”

  “You love me, an
d I love you. We shouldn’t allow anything to come between us.”

  Melinda was about to reply, but Gabe stopped her words by pulling her into his arms and kissing her. She couldn’t think when she was in his arms. Nothing seemed to matter except the two of them sharing a special time of being alone together.

  “Let’s go for a walk,” he said suddenly. “When we get back, we can have some of that apple crisp my mamm made for our dessert.”

  Melinda nodded, and he helped her to her feet. As they walked together among the pine trees, she knew all the wonderful moments she had shared with Gabe today would stay with her forever.

  “I hate to spoil the evening,” Gabe said sometime later, “but there are a few things we need to discuss.”

  “You’re right,” she agreed. “I also have a question I want to ask you.”

  “You can ask me anything, Melinda.”

  “Did you tell your mamm that you’d asked me to marry you?”

  Gabe stopped walking, and so did she. “I hope you don’t mind, but Mom came right out and asked how serious I was about you. So I felt she had the right to know that I’d proposed marriage.”

  “I see. Well, apparently, your mamm told Susie when she dropped by Kaulp’s General Store, and Freda Kaulp overheard the conversation, and then she blabbed it to my mamm today.” Melinda groaned. “Mama wasn’t too happy hearing this news secondhand.”

  Gabe’s forehead wrinkled. “I’m sorry she had to learn about it that way, but you really should have told your folks yourself. Don’t you think?”

  “I agree, but we had decided not to tell anyone until we’d set a date and had resolved things between us.”

  “I know, but—”

  Melinda jerked her head. “Did you hear that?”

  He shrugged. “I didn’t hear anything except the rustle of leaves when the wind picked up.”

  “Listen. There it is again—a strange thrashing sound.” Melinda let go of Gabe’s hand and hurried off.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To see what that noise is.”

  “Not without me, you’re not. It might be some wild animal.”

  When they came upon the source of the noise a few seconds later, Melinda was shocked to discover a young doe with its leg caught in a cruel-looking metal trap. The poor animal thrashed about pathetically, obviously trying to free itself.

  “Oh no!” She rushed toward the deer, but Gabe grabbed her around the waist and held her steady.

  “What are you trying to do, get yourself hurt?” he scolded.

  “I need to free the deer and make sure her leg’s not broken.”

  “Melinda, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

  She wiggled free and went down on her knees.

  Gabe watched as Melinda crawled slowly toward the deer. He didn’t like her taking chances like this but figured if he made an issue of it, she would get mad. All he wanted to do was keep her safe—locked in his heart and loved forever.

  The doe lay on its belly with the trapped foot extended in front of her. Strangely enough, when Melinda approached, it stopped thrashing and twitched its ears. It was almost as if the critter knew Melinda was there to help.

  “I wish I’d had the chance to check it over thoroughly,” Melinda said when she returned to his side. “I’m sure the doe’s leg must have been cut.” She shook her head slowly. “I’ll never understand why anyone would want to hurt a beautiful deer like that.”

  Gabe resisted the temptation to argue that hunting deer for food was perfectly acceptable to his way of thinking. But he knew they would argue if he broached that subject again. Besides, setting a trap was no way to catch a deer or any other animal, for that matter. To make the situation worse, it wasn’t even hunting season yet.

  Gabe checked the trap to be sure it would no longer work and then buried it in the dirt.

  “See why I asked Papa Noah to post NO HUNTING signs on our property?” Melinda’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears. She really was sensitive where animals were concerned. A little too sensitive to Gabe’s way of thinking. After all, it wasn’t as if the critters were human beings.

  “Let’s head back to our picnic spot and eat our dessert,” he said, hoping to brighten Melinda’s mood.

  She shook her head vigorously. “I have no appetite for food right now. Besides, we haven’t finished our conversation yet.”

  Melinda and Gabe had gone only a few feet, and hadn’t even begun to talk about things, when she spotted a baby skunk scampering out of the bushes. “Oh, look, Gabe! Isn’t it cute? I wonder if it’s an orphan.”

  “Don’t get any dumb ideas, Melinda.”

  She halted and held her breath, waiting to see what the little skunk would do next. If it wasn’t orphaned, she was sure its mother would show up soon.

  “Melinda, let’s go.”

  She shook her head. “I need to see if the skunk’s mother is around.”

  “If she does come on the scene, we could be in a lot of trouble.” Gabe grabbed Melinda’s hand and gave it a tug, but she pulled away.

  “I won’t go back until I know the baby’s not alone.”

  “And if it is?”

  “I’ll take it back to my place so I can care for it.”

  “No way! I won’t allow that skunk in my buggy. What if it sprays?”

  “Baby skunks never spray unless they’re bothered, Gabe.”

  “Jah, well, picking up a skunk and hauling it home in a buggy could easily be considered ‘bothering.’ ”

  Ignoring his comment, Melinda tiptoed a bit closer to the small creature, but she’d only taken a few steps when the baby’s mother trotted out of the bushes. Before Melinda had the presence of mind to turn and run, the skunk lifted its tail and let loose with a disgusting spray.

  “Let’s get out of here!” Gabe hollered.

  Melinda gasped for a breath of fresh air as she and Gabe raced toward his buggy. They were about to climb in when he stopped her with an outstretched arm.

  “What’s wrong? Why are you blocking my way?”

  “It’s bad enough that we both smell like a skunk. If we get into my buggy, it will stink to high heavens, too.”

  She squinted at him. “We can’t walk home, Gabe. It’s too far.”

  “You’re right, but I’m afraid my buggy will never be the same after this trip to the woods.”

  Melinda dropped her gaze to the ground. “I’m sorry. This was all my fault. I just wanted to be sure the skunk wasn’t orphaned, and—” She stopped talking when her eyes started to water.

  “Don’t cry, Melinda. I hate it when you cry.”

  “I’m not crying. My eyes are watering because of this awful odor.” She fanned her face and whirled around a few times. “Phew! Did you ever smell anything so awful?”

  Gabe shook his head. “Not since we found a batch of rotten eggs out behind our henhouse.” He plugged his nose. “Even that didn’t smell half as bad as we do now.”

  “I’ll help you wash down the buggy,” she promised.

  “We’ve got to get this smell off ourselves first.”

  She nodded. “Maybe Dr. Franklin has something we can use to get the odor out of the buggy—and us, too.”

  “My dog Shep got himself mixed up with a skunk once,” Gabe said. “We bathed him in tomato juice.”

  “Did it help?”

  “Some, but it took weeks before that animal smelled like a dog again.”

  Melinda folded her arms. “That’s not exactly what I wanted to hear.”

  Gabe laughed, and so did she. At least it had only been a skunk that had come between them this time. And they’d been able to find some humor in it. That was a sign that things were improving in their relationship. At any rate, Melinda hoped they were, even if she and Gabe hadn’t had the chance to discuss things and get everything ironed out between them.

  Chapter 21

  Melinda awoke on Friday morning, tingling with excitement along with a sense of apprehension. Today she
would be going to Springfield to take her GED test at the college. Their English neighbor, Marsha Watts, had agreed to give her a ride, but Melinda had only told her folks that she was going to Springfield to do some shopping. It was true. She planned to shop for a few things after she’d taken her test. She would tell her folks about Dr. Franklin’s suggestion that she become a vet after she passed the test.

  “If I pass the test,” she murmured as she stepped into a freshly laundered dress.

  Melinda hurried from the room and headed for the kitchen to help her mother with breakfast. Usually, Mama was already up and scurrying about, but today Melinda found the kitchen empty.

  “Where’s Mama?” she asked Papa Noah when he came in from doing his morning chores a short time later. “Was she outside with you?”

  He shook his head. “Your mamm came down with the stomach flu during the night.”

  Melinda felt immediate concern. “I’m sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do?”

  “I’d appreciate it if you would cancel your trip to Springfield today,” he said, hanging his straw hat on a wall peg near the door. “She can’t keep anything down and is feeling as weak as a newborn kitten. I don’t think it’s a good idea for her to be alone today.”

  “What about Isaiah? Won’t he be at home?”

  Papa Noah shook his head. “Hank Osborn is shorthanded because a couple of his fellows also have the flu. So I’m taking Isaiah with me to help at the tree farm today.”

  Melinda nibbled on the inside of her cheek. “How about Grandpa? Can’t he keep an eye out for Mama today?”

  “He’s got his own share of health problems, Melinda. I don’t think it’s a good idea for him to be exposed to your mamm when she’s sick, do you?”

  “No, of course not, but—”

  “You can go shopping some other day, right?”

  Melinda released a sigh. “Okay, Papa Noah. I’ll run over to Marsha’s house and tell her I won’t need a ride to Springfield after all.”

  Papa Noah smiled. “You’re a helpful daughter, and it puts my mind at ease to know I can go to work knowing that my wife will be in good hands today.”