by Sarah Price
“Is that a problem?” The question was spoken softly, so softly that she wasn’t certain she had actually heard him properly. “Ella Mae?”
“Hmm?” She looked up.
“Is that a problem? That I came to visit you.” He pushed off the garden shed, standing upright and facing her. “In fact, I wanted to ask if you might go for a buggy ride with me.”
Ella Mae felt light-headed. Surely all the color had drained from her cheeks. “But—”
He held up her hand, stopping her. “I had thought to ask you to go to MayFest so we could look around more, but as you pointed out, that’s probably not a good idea.”
“Nee, it’s not,” she whispered.
“So, a little scenic drive along the back roads, Ella Mae. That’s what I thought we might do.” He must have sensed her trepidation, for he leaned forward and whispered, “No one has to know you left the haus.”
“It’s not that . . .” Her voice trailed off. How could she tell him the truth? Clearly, he wanted to get to know her better, not Rachel. While the idea was not unappealing to her, she also knew that her sister wouldn’t like it. Not one bit.
“What is it, then?”
“It’s just . . .” She paused and lowered her eyes. She couldn’t betray Rachel’s secret.
“Ah.” He took a step toward her, nodding his head. “I see.”
Wide-eyed, she looked up. “You do?”
He was standing close to her. Very close. Slowly, he reached out his hand and touched her chin, keeping her face tilted toward him. His eyes studied her face for a long, silent moment. “I admire that, Ella Mae, that you worry about your schwester’s feelings. However, one volleyball game does not a courtship make.”
She tried to look away.
“I like your schwester, Ella Mae. Very much.”
Her heart fell.
“But—”
A moment of hope.
“—she’s not the schwester I’m asking to go for a buggy ride.”
“But if you like her . . .” She left the sentence unfinished. Oh! What a mess she was in, indeed! And here she had thought to give Jonas a second chance after Bethany had come to his defense. Now, however, she found herself wishing that Rachel had never bumped into Jeremiah on the Eshes’ front porch the previous week.
“I do.” He gave a single nod. “But not like that, Ella Mae. In fact, I thought to talk to her about it the other day when I dropped you off. I’d only gone to that one volleyball game with her, you see, and I realized that we’d be better off as friends.” He paused as if looking for the right words. “I thought I might say something at the singing—Jonas was so insistent that we attend. I wanted to square things away with her so that neither one of us would feel uncomfortable, but I barely had a moment alone with her.”
She caught her breath.
“Then I thought to say something that day when I brought you home,” he continued, his eyes never wavering from hers. “But I had such a nice conversation with you and enjoyed myself so much that I . . .”
Ella Mae felt as if her heart would burst out of her chest. How could this be happening? She couldn’t actually be falling for the man that her sister favored, could she?
Then again, Rachel had only met him the previous week. How well could Rachel have gotten to know Jeremiah anyway? She’d behaved so differently around him, quiet and shy. That wasn’t the Rachel that Ella Mae knew. So how could Rachel fault him for preferring that they just stay friends? Wasn’t that what rumschpringe was all about? Secretly getting to know other people so that, if friendship was all that developed, neither would feel embarrassment?
Ella Mae knew that, in the past week, Jeremiah hadn’t so much as exchanged one word with Rachel. Now she understood why. It wasn’t that he had been too busy; it was that he had purposely avoided bumping into her.
“You what?” she asked in a soft voice.
Jeremiah swallowed. “I didn’t want to ruin the moment by speaking to Rachel about such things.”
She lowered her eyes, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. She’d never had anyone speak to her in such a way. It made her feel warm and tingly. Her heart beat rapidly and her blood raced through her veins. “I see.”
Once again, he put his finger under her chin and tilted her head so that she had no choice but to look into his face. “Do you?”
Slowly, she nodded.
A soft smile broke over his face, and he lowered his hand. “Well then, Ella Mae, what do you say about that buggy ride? Will you go with me?”
Ella Mae swallowed. Inside her chest, her heart pounded so fiercely that she feared he might hear it. Even when she’d ridden with Jeremiah, she’d never felt so overwhelmed with reactions as now. She understood why her sister fancied him. It wasn’t just his handsome face or quiet demeanor. It was the intensity with which he stared at her.
And yet, despite the potency of his attention, something about being near Jeremiah made her feel relaxed and comfortable, as if they were, indeed, friends. Good friends, even though they barely knew each other. Truth be told, that was all he was asking of her: friendship. If no one found out about the buggy ride, what harm would it do?
“Ja, Jeremiah, I’d like that,” she said at last. “Very much.”
EDNA
CHAPTER 31
Edna hummed to herself as she rocked back and forth in her chair. They’d moved outside to sit in the afternoon sun while the last of the cookies baked. These cookies would be delivered to Yoders’ Store on Monday morning and, hopefully, would last until they could replenish the cookie inventory on Wednesday for the rest of the week.
It was a beautiful spring day. The sun basked against a turquoise blue sky, the type of azure that Edna imagined was unique to Shipshewana. Near the barn, several robins flew from the trees to the hayloft, snatching bits and pieces of loose hay to carry back to their nests. In the open doorway of the dairy, the small kitten that Ella Mae had rescued lay on its back, swatting at a cobweb hanging from the door hinge.
Edna couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day.
“You’re awfully cheerful today,” Verna commented.
Smiling, Edna could hardly contain herself, but she didn’t want to share her little secret.
“Ja, Edna,” Mary chipped in. “I haven’t seen you this way in a long time.”
“What gives?” Wilma asked in her blunt, direct way. “And don’t say it’s because we’re done baking for MayFest.”
Placing her feet flat on the porch floor, Edna gave a small laugh. “Well, I am happy about that!”
“Bah!” Wilma waved her hand at Edna. “You’re not fooling any of us. Spill it.”
For the briefest of moments, Edna considered her options. On the one hand, she enjoyed having her little secret. Once she shared it, she’d have to constantly update all of them. On the other hand, however, Mary already knew. She’d been at the house when Edna had commented about Rachel and Jonas. Of course, she hadn’t told anyone about her plan regarding Ella Mae and Jeremiah.
Dare she share her clandestine scheme?
Before she had a chance to say anything, Verna leaned forward and wagged her finger in Edna’s direction. “I know what this is about,” she said with the greatest of confidence.
“Oh, I’m quite sure you don’t,” Edna gleefully shot back.
“Hmph!” Verna made a face. “Don’t think you’re fooling anyone, Edna Esh. Why, we all know what you’re doing.”
Suddenly, the color drained from Edna’s face. Was it possible that they did know? Surely not! She got to her feet and started to walk toward the door. “Let me fetch some meadow tea,” she said, hoping to switch the course of the conversation. “It’s the perfect afternoon for it.”
But Verna wasn’t about to be put off like that.
“That won’t work this time, Edna.” Verna shook her head. “You’re meddling with those young folks. With your sohns and Wilma’s dochders.”
Stopping in her tracks, Edna spun around, a scowl o
n her face. “I’m not meddling. In fact, I think I ought to be congratulated!”
Mary made a little noise and rolled her eyes. “Oh, Edna, what have you done?”
“Congratulated?” Verna scoffed and looked at Wilma. “Didn’t you tell her about Rachel?”
That question lingered in the air as an eerie silence fell over the small group. Edna waited, hoping that someone would explain, but no one spoke up.
“What about Rachel?” She looked from Verna to Wilma and then back at Verna. “She was a bit out of sorts today, but she perked up when I sent her and Jonas to MayFest.”
Verna snickered. “Perked up, I bet.”
Wilma shot her a dark look and hissed, “Verna!”
Now Edna knew something was most certainly amiss. Wilma was always the first one to blurt out things. She had no filter and had never learned what an inner monologue was. So, for her to be holding back meant that something was definitely amiss.
Putting her hands on her hips, Edna faced her. “What is it, Wilma?”
Wilma cleared her throat in such a way that Edna knew she was eager to share something but at the same time reluctant to do so. She averted her eyes from Edna. “Nothing. Just . . . nothing.”
Oh, Edna could see through that. “Nothing, my big toe. Now it’s your turn to spill it.”
Verna and Mary looked up from the yarn they were taking out of their baskets.
It wasn’t like Wilma to be so unwilling to speak her mind. In fact, Edna couldn’t remember even one time when Wilma had held back her opinion or thoughts. Why on earth would she be starting now?
After a few more attempts at coaxing her, Edna began to see cracks in Wilma’s resolve.
“Well, Edna, it’s just—” Wilma said slowly, still refusing to look her in the eye. “—mayhaps you’ve got it backward.”
Verna made a noise, and Mary caught her breath.
Even Edna felt surprised by Wilma’s cautious delivery. “Backward? What could I possibly have gotten backward?”
Finally, Wilma lifted her eyes to meet Edna’s curious stare. “Mayhaps it’s not Jonas that my Rachel favors. Mayhaps you sent her home with the wrong sohn.”
A stunned silence filled the porch. Only the noise of the robins chirping could be heard.
Edna had to take a minute to process what Wilma had just said to her. Was it possible that she’d gotten it backward? She’d been so sure that she’d read the signs correctly. Clearly Wilma knew something that she wasn’t telling her. Had Rachel confided in her mother? “What did she tell you, Wilma?”
“I can’t say. I promised that I wouldn’t.”
While Edna understood the value of not breaking a promise, she also understood that she no longer needed to hear another word from Wilma. It was more than apparent, even without Wilma’s actually saying the words, that Rachel had confessed to favoring Jeremiah.
“What about Ella Mae?” she asked, her voice low as if someone might overhear her question.
Wilma shook her head. “She’s said nothing about Jonas, if that’s what you mean.”
Edna shut her eyes and took a deep breath. “Do you mean that Rachel doesn’t care for . . .” She couldn’t even finish the sentence. Poor Jonas! Edna knew her son well enough to know that his attention toward Rachel indicated his interest in her. If ever two young people were perfectly matched, it was Jonas and Rachel. But clearly Rachel felt otherwise. Oh, Jonas would be heartbroken to know that it was his older brother she fancied.
“Oh help!” She lifted her hand to cover her mouth. “And I sent Rachel to MayFest with him!”
Mary clucked her tongue, her fingers working the yarn and crochet hook as she tried to focus on the baby blanket she was making. “I warned you about meddling, Edna.”
“That doesn’t help the situation, Mary!” Edna gave her a dark look.
“What’ll you do now?” Verna asked.
Wringing her hands before her, Edna began to pace a small section of the porch. “I don’t know. What should I do?”
“Maybe stay out of it?” Mary suggested.
“Oh hush!” Edna and Wilma scolded at the same time.
“Hmph!”
But Verna took Mary’s side. “Now hold on there, Edna,” she said in a measured tone. “Mary might have a good point. Sometimes the least said, the soonest mended. Maybe you take a step backward and just let them sort it out. If Jeremiah has feelings for Rachel, it’ll happen naturally, without any interference.”
Still, Edna didn’t like the idea of Jonas getting hurt. “What about Jonas? He’ll be so upset.”
“He won’t be the first person to face a little heartbreak in life. And he’s young enough that he’ll certainly bounce right back.” Verna paused before adding, “Especially Jonas. He’s never been one to let anything get him down for more than a few blinks of the eye.”
That was true. Of all her sons, Jonas definitely had the thickest skin. Nothing ever upset him for long. In fact, he was the most even tempered of her sons.
“There’s still another question to be asked,” Wilma interjected. “While you’re all worried about Jonas, I’m worried about Rachel. What if Jeremiah has no interest in her?”
Indeed, Edna wasn’t convinced that Jeremiah was interested in her. After all, Edna hadn’t provided much opportunity for Jeremiah to be alone in Rachel’s company. Regardless of what Mary and Verna thought, Edna wasn’t about to stand idly by and let this potentially perfect match slip through the cracks.
“Jeremiah just hasn’t gotten to know Rachel yet,” Edna said. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to give everyone a chance. Just two weeks ago, I’d never have thought we’d be discussing this. But I gave Rachel and Ella Mae a chance. I also got to know them as individuals. That’s all Jeremiah has to do: get to know Rachel for who she is. Once he’s been in her company a few times, I’m sure he’ll feel about her the same way Jonas does.”
Wilma beamed.
Mary clucked her tongue.
“Oh, what is it now, Mary?” Edna said in a much sharper tone than she’d meant to use.
“All of that sounds just fine and dandy,” Mary said, “except for one thing.”
This time, it was Wilma who spoke up. “And what’s that?”
Mary raised her head and peered at them from behind her round eyeglasses. “Edna’s already sent Jeremiah with Ella Mae a few times. Now that he’s been in her company, who’s to say he’d be interested in Rachel?”
Wilma tossed up her hands. “Oh help!”
Edna groaned. “Well, aren’t you just full of pep and sunshine today, Mary Ropp!”
She shrugged and returned her attention to her crocheting. “Call it a reality check.”
“Whatever it is, we can do without it!” She turned around and stormed into the house. She needed a minute to clear her head. Deep down, she knew that she wasn’t upset with Mary, and she suspected Mary knew it, too. Maybe she shouldn’t have meddled, but it was too late for that now. The most important thing at the present moment was figuring out a way to get Jeremiah to notice Rachel so that at least someone could walk away from this situation without a broken heart.
RACHEL
CHAPTER 32
“Come on, Rachel,” Jonas said, the excitement in his voice matched only by the glow on his face. “There’s a cornhole competition going on! Let’s get in on it.”
She started to protest, but he grabbed her hand and started dragging her through the crowd. Clearly his brother hadn’t warned him that she wasn’t the best at competitive sports. Yet, once she felt his hand holding hers, all words vanished from her lips.
She’d never held anyone’s hand. The way his fingers wrapped around hers, their palms pressed together, sent a thrill through her body. But then, just as quickly, she reminded herself that it was Jonas who had clasped her hand.
Quickly, she managed to free herself from his grasp.
Jonas didn’t seem to notice. He disappeared into the thick of the crowd, only to return a fe
w seconds later with a big grin on his face.
“We’re entered!”
She narrowed her eyes. “We’re entered in what?”
He gestured toward the throng of people surrounding a clearing. She could barely make out a playing field set up for four teams to play cornhole. “The competition.”
Immediately, Rachel started to back away, waving her hands in front of her as if to ward off something bad. “Oh, Jonas, that’s not such a good idea.”
Once again, he reached out and grabbed her hand. Gently, he pulled her back toward him before he began leading her toward the clearing. “Oh, stop that,” he said, chuckling at her reluctance. “I’m sure no one will get a tooth knocked out from a beanbag.”
So, Jeremiah had told Jonas! She gasped and fought against him.
He sensed her resistance and turned toward her. “What?”
“He told you?”
Jonas gave her a puzzled look. “Who?”
“Jeremiah?”
For a split second, he frowned. Then, he must have realized what she meant. Tossing back his head, he laughed. “Oh, Rachel, don’t you think everyone in our church district talked about it?”
Horrified, Rachel planted her feet. She wasn’t about to walk one more step with him until he explained himself. “What do you mean ‘everyone’ talked about it?”
Giving in, Jonas sighed and stopped trying to pull her toward the clearing. “It’s not a big deal, Rachel. Clearly it was an accident.”
“Oh help!” Humiliated, she covered her face with her hands. It was bad enough that the volleyball accident had happened, but to know that people were actually talking about it? She wished the earth would open up and swallow her whole. “I want to go home.”
He laughed again. “Don’t be silly. Look, if it makes you feel any better, the fellow you hit—by accident!—did the same thing last year to another player.” He waited until she peeked at him from behind her hands. “A girl, too! And she lost not one”—he held up a finger—“but two teeth!” He held up a second finger. “That’s definitely worse, wouldn’t you say?”
