by Jo Ann Brown
Staying where she was, Annie asked, “Have you thought about taking Becky Sue and Joey home?”
“I have.” He faced her. “We could get a bus out of Saratoga to take us most of the way, but I’m not sure if bringing her home would make matters better or worse.”
“You think she’ll run away again?”
“Ja. Don’t you?”
Annie breathed out before saying, “I do. Whatever set her to fleeing this time may not have been resolved. We can’t know until she decides to tell us why she left.”
Reaching for her coat, he smiled. “And can you imagine a bus trip with a boppli who sounds like a fire siren whenever I get within three feet of him?”
“You could sit at one end of the bus and have them sit at the other.”
He started to retort, then burst into laughter. When she joined in, she couldn’t keep from noticing how nice their laughter sounded mixed together.
“That feels so gut,” he said. “Some days, I wonder if I’ve forgotten how to laugh.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“No?”
“Not for you, at any rate. You don’t have a recalcitrant teenager and a boppli who would like to be attached to my hem.”
“Annie, I told you—”
“I was joking again,” she said to halt him from apologizing for the Waglers taking in his cousin and her son. “Having them at the house isn’t any trouble. Our house is always in chaos anyhow. If you ever get tired of peace and quiet, come over and get your fill of noise.”
“I will.” He held out her coat.
When she reached to take it, their fingers brushed. She was shocked when a powerful sensation sizzled along her skin as if his skin had set hers on fire. She held out her hand for her coat again, and he offered it to her at arm’s length. Had he experienced the same unexpected spark?
She must erase the memory of that delightful feeling. How could she make a match for her sister if she was growing more attracted to Caleb every time they were together? She could ruin all their lives if she wasn’t careful.
Chapter Six
Wishing for spring to hurry up and arrive so the sun would rise earlier in the morning, Annie lit the propane lamp in the kitchen before moving to the stove. She’d made breakfast every morning since they’d come to Harmony Creek, and the motions were automatic. Which was gut because she’d been up half the night. Joey was getting another tooth, and he wanted to make sure everyone knew how much pain he was suffering. He’d fallen asleep, exhausted, an hour before Annie had to get up.
After a week of trying to sleep in the same room with a fussy kind and dealing with his mamm, who was becoming more defiant as each day passed, Annie took each step as if sloshing through a knee-deep swamp. She measured out kaffi and mixed up batter for pancakes. Looking out the window, she saw the glass was etched with a delicate filigree of frost. The patterns reminded her of the ferns growing in the woods higher on the hill behind the barn.
Summer seemed forever away, but she pushed aside the depressing thought as she reminded herself of how many times she’d been able to introduce Leanna’s name into her conversation with Caleb at the bakery yesterday. He’d been a bit taken aback by the multitude of ideas she’d offered him, but he’d listened to her as Rolan had refused to...or, at least, she’d thought Rolan had.
Banishing Rolan from her thoughts, she couldn’t help smiling. Had Caleb noticed her twin sister was a common denominator in the suggestions Annie had made? Trying to be subtle was proving to be harder than she’d imagined. It was so tempting to come right out and tell him Leanna would be the perfect match for him, but she always bit back the words.
Exactly as she tried to dampen how she was drawn to him and how a picture of his strong, hewed face filled her mind whenever she didn’t keep it buried deep in her mind. That he’d asked her for her ideas had pleased her, though she’d scolded herself for sharing them.
During breakfast, while she listened to her siblings discuss their upcoming day and watched as Becky Sue fed Joey, Annie’s thoughts battered her skull. She checked that Juanita and Kenny took their lunches with them to school. She offered to feed the goats because her twin had overslept and didn’t want to be late for work.
Grossmammi Inez asked Becky Sue to help her with changing the beds upstairs and dusting. The girl started to protest, but a single glance in Annie’s direction shut her down. Did she think Annie would kick her out of the house if she didn’t assist with the housework?
Annie smiled as she fed the goats. Becky Sue shouldn’t worry about Annie rescinding her invitation. In the Wagler house, Grossmammi Inez was the person who would make such decisions, and Annie couldn’t imagine her softhearted grossmammi turning out anyone.
Hurrying into the house, she glanced at the wall clock in the empty kitchen. She had almost half an hour before Caleb was arriving to pick her up for work. She’d have enough time to...
Annie stared at what had previously been an open space by the table. A dark brown wooden high chair! Where had it come from?
She got the answer when the front door opened, and the other two members of the Harmony Hollow Spinsters’ Club, Miriam and Sarah, walked in. They were bundled up from head to foot and carried laundry baskets filled with folded clothes.
“What’s this?” Annie asked.
“Becky Sue and her boppli have to have things to wear, so we decided to surprise you by sneaking in the front door.” Miriam unwrapped her scarf to reveal a broad grin and bright green eyes so much like Caleb’s.
“Before you go on, how is everyone at your house? Caleb said you were sick.”
“We were, but we’re getting back on our feet. Having something to do helps. Sarah and I have been doing a door-to-door collection.” She set her basket on the table. “With several kinder a bit older than Joey here, there are plenty of things people were willing to loan you for his visit.”
Red-haired Sarah, who was a full head shorter than blonde Miriam, grinned as she put a box on the floor in front of the sink and took her glasses off to wipe away the steam fogging them. “The Summerhays family had a bunch of clothing and toys to share, too. They always buy more than they need.” She laughed, “I don’t think that will ever change.”
The Englisch family treated their former nanny as if she were one of them. They’d come to her wedding and always stepped up to help her or someone she knew. Annie was sure it’d been Sarah’s suggestion that had led to Mr. and Mrs. Summerhays selling the appliances they’d bought for the canceled kitchen renovation to Caleb for his bakery.
Miriam pointed to the basket she’d brought in. “The bag on top is from the thrift shop by the old county courthouse in Salem. The clothing isn’t plain, but a boppli can go through a lot of clothes some days. Nobody among the Leit is going to be upset if he wears Englisch overalls one day instead of plain ones. Those I spoke with hope Mamm and boppli feel welcome here so Becky Sue won’t run away again.”
“He does seem to drool on everything, so we go through a lot of clothing.”
Sarah dug into another bag and pulled out a trio of bibs backed with plastic. “Try these. The younger Summerhays kinder had so many they never used these. They’re brand-new and should keep Joey’s shirts a bit drier.”
“Please thank them for their generosity.”
“I have. We’re blessed to have such kind Englisch neighbors.” She smiled at Miriam as she added, “They’ve volunteered to talk to other Englischers and ask them to drive more slowly through the hollow. I hope their words are heard before someone gets hurt.”
That changed the topic of conversation. While Annie continued to unpack the boppli clothes and toys along with items for Becky Sue, she thanked God for the warm hearts in the community. She listened while her friends talked about the quandary with speeding cars along the twisting road. There had been several close calls, but so far nobody, either
Englisch or plain, had been hurt. Annie prayed God would continue to look out for the foolish speeders and keep everyone, including other drivers, out of their paths.
Hearing footsteps behind her, Annie turned and waved to Becky Sue, who was carrying her son. “Komm and see what your cousin and Sarah have brought for you and Joey.”
The girl took one look, burst into tears and crumpled to sit by the table as Grossmammi Inez came into the kitchen. She patted Becky Sue on the shoulder and nodded to Miriam and Sarah, a grateful smile rearranging the lines and crevices of her face.
“Now Annie won’t have to look so sad about having to do laundry every day.” Her grossmammi’s words brought laughs from her friends.
“I don’t mind doing laundry,” Becky Sue said through her tears. She rubbed them away after Miriam took Joey from her.
The little boy ran his fingers along Miriam’s face and leaned into her as he had everyone but Caleb. He stuck a thumb in his mouth and relaxed against her.
Miriam smiled as she rested her cheek on his soft hair. “Offer to help Annie with the laundry, Becky Sue, and you’ll have a friend for life.”
“You don’t like doing laundry?” The teenager acted as if she couldn’t believe what she was saying.
Annie laughed, “I despise it.”
“Then let me take over the chore.” The girl dimpled as she handed her son a stuffed rabbit from the stack on the table. After he’d held it close to his face and rubbed his hands over it, he began to chew on one of its pink ears. “It’s the least I can do to repay you for taking us in.”
“You don’t have to repay us, but I won’t say no to help with laundry.” Annie looked at her hands and said with an emoted moan, “You won’t be chapped all winter long.”
Everyone laughed, then thanked her when she suggested hot chocolate to her guests, and Grossmammi Inez whispered that there were marshmallows in the pantry. By the time Annie came back with the bag, the table was cleared and Miriam was sitting next to her cousin and bouncing the boppli on her knee.
Her grossmammi and Sarah had moved into the living room to stack the clothing and other supplies to make it easier to put them away. Annie guessed they were giving Miriam and Becky Sue a chance to speak in private.
Annie went to the stove and clattered the pot and cups so she couldn’t overhear the conversation at the table. She hoped Caleb’s sister would do a better job convincing Becky Sue to divulge the truth than either she or Caleb had.
“Is everyone ready for a treat?” Annie asked as she put the steaming cups on a tray and carried them toward the table. “Before anyone complains, I put the same number of marshmallows in each cup.”
While everyone chuckled again, Miriam glanced at her and gave the slightest shake of her head as Becky Sue lifted cups off the tray.
Annie understood what Miriam hadn’t said. Becky Sue had refused to share anything new with her cousin.
As Annie set the empty tray on the counter, she heard the rattle of wheels. She cut her eyes to the clock and realized Caleb must have arrived. She’d got so caught up in chatting with her friends that she hadn’t noticed time scurrying past.
When she looked out, though, she didn’t see Caleb’s buggy. Instead a wagon was parked there. It wasn’t Lyndon’s, and the man stepping out of the driver’s seat was so wrapped in scarves around his black wool hat and his coat of the same color that she couldn’t guess which plain neighbor had arrived. He reached into the wagon bed and lifted out what appeared to be a section of stair railing or a gate. He turned toward the house.
She rushed to the door to open it and let the man inside. The merciless cold struck her like a fist, and she stepped aside.
“I didn’t think it could get any colder” came Caleb’s voice from beneath the layers of scarves.
He leaned the wooden piece against the wall before he stripped off his gloves and began to unwind the scarves. He draped each one over the chair at the foot of the table. He nodded to Sarah and his sister, who held Joey, before greeting Grossmammi Inez and his cousin.
“I don’t remember it being this cold last winter,” Annie said.
“I don’t think it was.” He gave a quick shudder. “I’ll get the rest of the pieces once my fingers have thawed a bit.”
“The rest of the pieces of what?”
“A crib.”
“You found a crib for Joey?” She resisted the urge to throw her arms around him and thank him. The little boy might sleep better if he had a crib.
“Ja. Every boppli needs a sturdy crib.”
“Where did you find it?” Miriam asked as she stood along with the others to study the section of railing. “It was the one thing we couldn’t borrow. From the looks of the railing, it’s never been used.”
“Jeremiah had been hired to build it, but then no one ever came to pick it up. He said we might as well use it instead of have it sit there in his workshop taking up space.”
Annie ran her fingers over the smooth, polished wood railing. The oak had been finished with a reddish-brown stain. Jeremiah, who lived next door to Caleb, was a skilled woodworker as well as a farmer.
“It’s wunderbaar,” Becky Sue crowed. “Danki, Caleb.”
“Like I said, you can thank Jeremiah.” He took a cup of hot chocolate from Annie, then looked at the boppli, who was staring at the crib and at him with a somber expression. “You’ll find it more comfortable, little man, than a drawer, ain’t so?” He bent toward the kind.
As he did every time Caleb got within a few feet of him, the boppli began to bellow. His voice seemed too big for his tiny frame, and thick tears rolled down his cheeks.
Silence dropped on the kitchen except for Joey’s shrieks. Annie wished she had something to say, but as she looked from her friends’ shocked faces to Becky Sue’s pale features, she couldn’t think of anything that wouldn’t make matters worse. Then she saw Caleb’s pain and wondered if there were any words that would ease the situation.
* * *
Caleb was acutely aware of Annie and his sister witnessing the unsettling scene. Though Annie had tried to reassure him that Joey’s reaction was nothing but an idea the toddler had got into his head, Caleb wasn’t certain. The boppli’s cries seemed to get louder each time Caleb approached him.
“I’ll get the rest of the crib,” he murmured.
Realizing he still held the cup of hot chocolate, he set it, untasted, on the table. His gaze was snagged by Annie’s, and he wondered if he’d insulted her by not taking a sip. Seeing her sympathy, he realized she sensed how distressed he was. He wanted to thank her for being understanding, but hesitated to do so in front of the others. How could common words seem too intimate?
He rushed outside where the cold felt almost welcome...for a few seconds before it threatened to freeze his lungs. Grabbing the other pieces of the crib, he carried them into the house. On his final trip he brought the mattress, which he leaned against the wall.
“Lyndon will set it up later,” Inez assured him when he offered to put the crib together. “Another nap in the drawer won’t hurt Joey.” She smiled at the other women. “God has blessed this community with many gut hearts.”
He didn’t look at the boppli as he picked up his scarves. He started to twist them into place, then paused as he glanced at where Annie stood, her fingers laced together in front of her.
Her cheeks became the same shade as her rose pink dress, and she lowered her eyes. Was she feeling unsettled as he was? Maybe she could explain to him why he was uncomfortable, as if he were the one keeping secrets instead of Becky Sue.
“I should go,” he managed to say. “Annie, are you—”
“Get over to the bakery,” Miriam replied. “I know you can’t wait to get to work. We’ll take care of things here.”
He turned toward the door, then glanced at Annie in spite of his determination not to. She was supp
osed to work at the bakery with him today, but she might want to remain at the house to help with sorting out the largesse.
“We’ll be fine,” her grossmammi said, warning the old woman might be discerning more than either Annie or he wanted. “Go and do your job, Annie.”
“Ja. Danki.” She went to get her coat and bonnet. “I’ll see you later.” She squeezed Miriam’s and Sarah’s arms as she edged past them.
Caleb held the door for her as they went outside, warning her to watch out for a patch of ice near the wagon. He put his fingertips on her elbow to guide her around it, and the day seemed far warmer until he drew his hand back again.
As she climbed into the wagon, he berated himself. How many times had he made the promise—which he’d asked God to witness—that he wasn’t going to let another woman get in the way of his plans to make his dream come true? He couldn’t let his plans fall by the wayside because Annie Wagler touched a part of his soul he’d never guessed existed.
“You could have stayed behind today,” he said when they were seated side by side on the narrow plank seat.
“No, I said I’d work for you, and I can’t play hooky anytime something gut happens at home.” Her eyes crinkled in a smile. “This way Grossmammi Inez and Becky Sue can have time to go through the donations.”
“Which she couldn’t do when I’m around because Joey would be too upset.”
“Give him some time, Caleb. Think of what that little one has gone through. Assuming your cousin lived at home from his birth until they left, he has endured some big upheavals in recent days.”
“True, but are you prepared for the gossip?”
