by Sarah Price
Tossing her small bag onto the counter, Rachel walked over to the sofa along the back wall. She flopped onto it and leaned back, closing her eyes and giving an exhausted sigh. “Obviously you heard the buggy, Maem, or you wouldn’t be asking.”
She thought she heard Verna snicker.
Wilma clucked her tongue. “Now, Rachel,” she began, “it was just a simple question. No need to take such a tone.”
Rachel’s eyes opened and she stared at her mother. “Oh really? Mayhaps you’d understand better if you had just endured the world’s longest buggy ride with Jonas Esh as the driver!”
This time, there was no mistaking the chuckle that slipped past Verna’s lips.
“Oh now, seriously, Rachel.” Wilma gave a nervous laugh. She gave Rachel a strong look and then glanced in Verna’s direction as if to warn her daughter to watch what she said. For the life of her, Rachel couldn’t figure out why. Everyone knew that Jonas was a bit over-the-top.
“I am being serious.” She sat up and leaned forward, her elbows on her knees. “I don’t think he knows the meaning of silence. He just talks and talks and talks.” She rolled her eyes. “Even if I’d wanted to—and I didn’t!—I’d never have gotten a word in edgewise.”
Verna suppressed a smile. “Then you were in luck, Rachel. No need for idle chitchat if he did all the talking.”
“I guess that’s one way to look at it.” She stood up and walked over to join her mother at the counter. Peering over her mother’s shoulder, she saw that she was making butterscotch potato chip cookies. “But it gets worse.”
Verna dumped a measuring cup full of sugar into her bowl. “Worse? How so?”
Wilma made a scoffing noise. “Sounds like that’s not possible, Rachel. I’ve heard nothing but complaints from you about that boy since the day you started working for Edna.”
From where she stood, Rachel noticed that Verna looked up, a thoughtful expression on her face. The older woman stared at the ceiling for a long moment and then, slowly, shifted her gaze to look at Rachel.
Uncertain what that meant, Rachel shrugged it off. Despite her mother’s close friendship with the woman, Verna hardly knew her. Whatever she was thinking was of no concern to Rachel. “It’s Edna,” she said in a flat, emotionless tone.
Wilma’s mouth opened and she caught her breath. “Oh help!” She reached up to touch her face, leaving traces of flour on her cheeks. “What have you done now, Rachel? You best not have gotten fired or upset my dear friend.”
“It’s the reverse, actually.” Rachel lifted her chin. “I’m a bit upset with her!”
Verna’s eyes widened and her hand froze over the mixing bowl, an unbroken egg in her hand.
“It seems that Edna has it in her mind to play matchmaker.” Rachel reached down and pinched a little cookie dough. She popped it into her mouth. It was sweet and wonderful. She couldn’t remember the last time her mother had made butterscotch potato chip cookies.
“You don’t say?” Verna clucked her tongue and peeked over at Wilma. Clearly, she wasn’t too surprised by this announcement.
“Ja, that’s right.” How could she explain what she was feeling to her mother? It wasn’t just that she didn’t favor Jonas, although that contributed to her irritation. What was irritating her even more was that Edna hadn’t invited her to stay and bake cookies with Mary and Bethany. She’d invited Ella Mae, but not her. Instead, she’d sent Rachel packing, with Jonas, of all people. And why on earth had Edna suggested that Jeremiah bring Ella Mae home later? “I believe she’s set her sights on matching me with Jonas!”
Her mother cringed.
“I think that’s why she kept Ella Mae at her farm to bake cookies and sent me home,” Rachel continued. “And to make matters worse, I think she’s pushing Ella Mae toward Jeremiah.”
“Heaven help us,” Wilma muttered.
“What’d you say?” Verna asked, directing the question to Wilma.
Shaking her head, Wilma quickly focused on her cookie dough. “Oh, nothing. I thought I didn’t put in enough butterscotch chips, but it looks fine now.” As if to prove her point, she stirred the dough one last time and held up a chunk of dough with the chips in it. “See?”
“Hmph.” Verna pressed her lips together, clearly suspecting that Wilma hadn’t been speaking about the butterscotch chips at all.
Rachel slumped against the counter, dragging her finger through some of the flour on its surface. She pressed her cheek against her other hand. “That’s so unfair,” she whined. “Jonas? Why would she ever think I’d care one whit for Jonas? Why would anyone care about that boy?”
“Now, hold on a minute there, Rachel.” Verna wiped her hands on her apron before facing her. From the corner of her eye, Rachel noticed that her mother frowned at her friend’s words. “Jonas might be a bit on the exuberant side, but he still is a man—not a boy, mind you. And he’s a hard worker with a big heart.”
Somehow Rachel found that hard to believe.
“And he deserves the same respect as any other member of our community. You might not feel that Jonas Esh is the man for you, but that doesn’t make him any less of a man, not in the eyes of our community or in the eyes of God.”
She wished she could think of something to say, a way to counter Verna’s statement. But, for once, she was at a loss for words.
The kitchen door opened and Myrna walked in, carrying a baby in her arms. “Sorry I’m late, Wilma. The boppli wouldn’t take her nap earlier, but she sure fell asleep on the ride here.” She walked over to her mother and handed her the sleeping infant. “What were you talking about, Maem? Something about the eyes of God?”
“Oh, just that Rachel thinks Edna is trying to matchmake again.”
Myrna gave a little laugh. “Oh ja? Who is she targeting this time?”
Rachel raised her hand. “Me, I fear.”
“And the lucky man?”
Rachel took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Her son Jonas.”
Myrna pursed her lips and made a little noise. “I see.”
Finally, Rachel thought. Someone who understood.
“Well, I can understand your concern,” Myrna admitted slowly. “However, there is something to be said for getting a little nudge from your parents.”
It dawned on Rachel that Myrna might not be the proper person to look to for empathy. Hadn’t it only been last year that the Cookie Club had set their sights on getting Myrna married off? Fortunately for her, she’d been matched with a well-established Amish widower who lived south of town. The fact that he already had children didn’t seem to matter to Myrna or anyone else. And now they had expanded the family with a new baby.
“I don’t think I need a nudge,” Rachel said drily. She wondered how anyone could defend Jonas, especially Myrna. Why, Myrna had always been one of the most opinionated women in the community. “Mayhaps it’s better to let the young men and women figure it out on their own.” She was thinking of Ella Mae riding home with Jeremiah later. While she knew that Ella Mae didn’t care for either one of the Esh brothers, she didn’t feel confident about her sister riding with Jeremiah.
“You never know, Rachel.” Myrna walked over to the sink and began to wash her hands. “Sometimes parents know us better than we give them credit for. And I speak from experience. I certainly wouldn’t have thought twice about Zeke if they hadn’t nudged—” She paused. “‘Shoved’ is probably more like it.” She gave a little laugh. “They see us, our strengths and our flaws, in a different way than we ever can. Maybe there’s something to be said for Edna’s scheme.” Turning off the tap, she reached for the towel and began to dry her hands. “Besides, I highly doubt she’s acting alone.”
Verna made a face. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“What. Ever.” Myrna rolled her eyes. “Somehow I find that hard to believe.”
Was it possible that the other women in the Cookie Club had a hand in this, too? Rachel turned toward her mother and gave her an imploring look. Her mother sh
ook her head as if to indicate that she knew nothing of Edna’s plans.
Rachel took the bowl from her mother and reached down to scoop up some dough. She rolled it between her hands and then plopped it onto the baking sheet. “It doesn’t matter who might have been a part of the matchmaking,” she said. “There is no way that I would ever take any interest in that boy”—she looked over at Verna as she said the word—“Jonas Esh. Not now and not ever!” And with that, she made a fist and slammed it down on the dough ball, flattening it onto the baking sheet, a clear indication that the conversation was over.
ELLA MAE
CHAPTER 24
When Ella Mae found herself seated next to Jeremiah in his buggy, she counted to ten at least three times.
Clearly, when Edna had mentioned that she thought Rachel and Jonas would be a good match, she’d omitted that she was also trying to set up Ella Mae with her other son. It wasn’t his fault that his mother was being overzealous in her matchmaking. Boy, did Edna have that backward.
If only Rachel hadn’t forbidden both her and her mother to share the secret of her interest in Jeremiah.
Despite the awkward situation Edna was creating, Ella Mae would no sooner break her promise to her sister than she would court Jeremiah Esh!
“You think your schwester’s home?”
Ella Mae broke free from her thoughts, surprised by Jeremiah’s question. “Excuse me?”
He swallowed. “Your schwester. Rachel.”
Of course, she knew who he meant. She almost said as much, but the earnest—and slightly pained—expression on his face stopped her. What could possibly be on his mind? So, instead of remarking on his comment, she answered his original question directly. “I—I’m sure I don’t know if she’s home, Jeremiah, but I suspect so.”
He seemed to ponder her response for a long, drawn-out minute. Finally, he nodded. “You think I might ask you to send her outside?” He hesitated as if deliberately contemplating his next words. With a steady eye, he met her gaze. “I’d like to have a word with her, if you can manage that without attracting too much attention.” He raised an eyebrow when he added, “You know what I mean?”
Ella Mae stared at him before she answered. She hadn’t paid him one lick of attention during this ride home from his mother’s house. But now that she was in such close proximity to him, she suddenly noticed that he was rather handsome and that the way he spoke was kind and gentle. He was hardworking, thoughtful, and not as abrasive as his younger brother. Yes, she could see why her sister found him attractive.
“Ja, Jeremiah,” she said at last. She averted her eyes, hoping that he couldn’t read her thoughts in her expression. “I know what you mean.”
The horse continued down the road, its lazy trot the perfect speed for the afternoon. With the windows opened, a nice breeze blew through the buggy. Ella Mae watched the horse’s hips rise and fall with each step. The horse was well muscled, and its coat shone under the afternoon sun.
“Pretty horse,” she commented aloud before she realized that the words had slipped through her lips.
Jeremiah glanced at her. “You like horses, then?”
“Oh ja!” She couldn’t keep herself from smiling. “I love animals. All animals. Why, the first day we started working for your maem, I found a small kitten by the side of the road.”
His eyes widened. “You did?”
She nodded. “Rachel didn’t want me to stop for it—she said it was only a kitten—but I truly believe that God wants us to love all of his creatures, even a stray kitten.”
For a long moment, he stared at her. His eyes appeared to be studying her, and yet there was a distant look about his expression. “Is that the little kitten in the barn?” He laughed. “I wondered where that came from. Maem never said a word.”
“I’d have kept it, but my parents aren’t too partial to indoor animals,” she said casually. “And being so near the road and all, I was afraid it might get hit.” She smoothed her dress over her lap. “I was quite glad your maem was willing to keep it.” She lifted her eyes and found he was staring at her. “As I said, we’re supposed to take care of God’s creatures. Oh, how I hate to see animals suffering!”
Her answer seemed to please Jeremiah. “I tend to agree with you that God expects us to be stewards of his earth, and that includes all creatures great and small,” he said, returning his gaze to the road ahead of the horse.
“You don’t hunt, then?” She hadn’t meant to blurt it out like that, but the words had spilled forth before she could stop them.
Jeremiah took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He didn’t need to speak for her to know the answer. Clearly he did.
“I’ve gone a few times, mostly because some of our friends like hunting.” He paused before adding, “Or maybe they just like being outdoors in the early-morning hours. But I can’t say that I particularly like hunting.” He paused, a pained expression crossing his face. “I—I shot a deer once,” he admitted, clearly with great reluctance. He stole a tentative glance at her. “And I felt right awful about it.”
She could tell that he spoke the truth. It made her happy, because there was nothing she disliked more than hunting. Years ago, her father had frequently gone hunting with Ella Mae’s older brothers. Oh! How Ella Mae had cried and carried on when they came home with a large buck. One year, when she was just nine, she’d run to her room and sobbed into her pillow. There had been no amount of coaxing that would make her come down to the supper table. Rachel had poked fun at her, teasing Ella Mae about being a crybaby. “After all,” her twin sister had taunted, “what’s the difference between eating venison and beef?”
Ella Mae hadn’t eaten any meat for a month after that day.
“I reckon it’s a bit hypocritical,” she said slowly, choosing her words carefully. “Raising cows for meat and all—”
He made a noise as if agreeing with her.
“—but those animals are born and raised for that purpose. Deer are born wild and—”
He interrupted her. “—should remain so. Ja, I agree.”
“We don’t need to kill them, and they aren’t bothering anyone.”
He gave a short laugh. “Tell that to the Englischers with their fancy landscaping. They sure do fuss about the deer eating their bushes and flowers.”
“And gardens, too, I bet.” She rolled her eyes, even though he couldn’t see her. “They should just put a fence around their gardens like we do. It’s the sensible thing to do, don’t you think?”
“Mayhaps they don’t think a big fence around the garden looks so nice.”
She scoffed. “Vanity. Ha!”
This time, he laughed and stole a peek at her. She caught the look from the corner of her eye. For a split second, she felt a wave of warmth cross her cheeks, secret joy at the thought of Jeremiah watching her. He was so very different from Jonas. No wonder her sister fancied him.
Just as quickly, she sobered. Rachel fancies him.
Swallowing, she stared straight ahead. It wouldn’t do for her to let herself forget that.
“You turn right up ahead,” she said, pointing toward the road.
A soft chuckle escaped his lips. “I know.”
Dropping her hand, Ella Mae looked away. Her mouth twitched, and she fought the urge to apologize. She’d forgotten that he had been to the house just the previous Saturday, not once but twice! Surely, he remembered the way. After all, this ride in his buggy was not for pleasure. No. That was something Jeremiah wanted with Rachel, not her.
Once again, Ella Mae knew that color flooded her cheeks.
A few minutes later, Jeremiah guided the horse down the driveway. Ella Mae couldn’t wait for him to stop the buggy so that she could jump out and hurry inside to fetch Rachel. Anything to get away from Jeremiah and the conflicting thoughts that kept colliding in her head.
As he pulled back on the reins, Ella Mae grabbed the handle by the door and swung her legs through the open doorway.
“I’ll f
etch Rachel,” she mumbled and pulled herself to the ground. She started to turn toward the house but, on second thought, paused. Her discomfort did not excuse poor manners. Somehow, she found the composure to face him. With a slight smile on her lips, she managed to say, “And danke for the ride, Jeremiah.”
“Wait!” That one word, spoken so quickly and with much force, was accompanied by his leaning forward and holding up a hand as if to stop her.
Ella Mae blinked.
“I . . . well . . .” His eyes darted back and forth, glancing over her shoulder toward the house and then back to meet her gaze. “I’d best just say goodbye, I think, Ella Mae. I’ll be needed at home.” He cleared his throat. “Chores and all.”
His change of heart caught her off guard. “You sure?” She pointed toward the house. “It’ll only take me a second to run inside.”
Though he held her gaze for a long moment, she suspected he wasn’t really looking at her at all. His eyes glazed over and he wore a distant expression, as if thinking about something. She almost asked if he was feeling all right, but just then he shook his head and the corners of his mouth lifted. “Nee, that’s fine, Ella Mae. It was nothing that can’t wait.” He waved his hand at her and, without any further hesitation, urged the horse forward. “See you tomorrow then.”
Ella Mae stood there watching as Jeremiah drove the horse and buggy out of the driveway. At the same moment, she heard the screen door open and shut behind her. She didn’t need to turn around to know that Rachel was hurrying down the driveway.
“Was that Jeremiah?” She sounded out of breath, as if she’d run from upstairs to try to catch him.
“Ja, it was.” Ella Mae tore her eyes from the disappearing buggy.
“I wonder that he didn’t stay!”
Disappointment was more than apparent in Rachel’s voice.
Ella Mae moistened her lips as she turned around. “Something about chores, Rachel. You know how it is on a farm.”
Rachel raised an eyebrow at her. “Actually, no, I don’t. It’s not as if we ever lived on a large farm. Besides, chores can wait a few minutes. Just to say hello to”—she paused, a frown wrinkling her brow—“a friend.”
