The Trespasser (Amish Country Brides)

by J. E. B. Spredemann

  Bailey’s eyes grew large. She had a fondness for animals. “You have a horse?”

  “Yep. Strider used to be a racehorse, so he’s real fast.” He smiled.

  Kayla reached for Bailey’s hand. “Well, come on, Bailey. Let’s take care of business so you can eat. And we’ll let Mr. Silas take care of his chores too.”

  “Is it still raining?” Bailey squinted to try to see through the windows.

  “Yep, it sure is. Can’t you hear it?” Silas pointed to the roof.

  Bailey nodded, but Kayla stared after the handsome widower that walked out the door.

  “I like Mr. Silas, Mommy.” Bailey echoed her sentiments.

  “Yeah, me too.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Silas’s heart pounded like crazy. He had to escape the house as quickly as possible, lest Kayla see the dismay on his face. Did his best friend really father a child out-of-wedlock just prior to his death? Ach, it couldn’t seem possible.

  Yet, Kayla’s story did add up. The photos alone were proof positive. Also, her dochder seemed to be about the right age to have been conceived during their rumspringa trip—the last one before they decided whether to join the church or not. Except Josiah never made it home from Ocean City. He’d attempted to swim in the ocean, but drowned when the current proved too strong and carried him away. There hadn’t been any lifeguards on duty that day.

  Silas and his buddies, all except for Josiah, had returned home earlier than expected. He had been the one to break the devastating news to his best friend’s folks. Now it seemed he’d have to break the heart-wrenching news to his dochder and widow—well, not his actual widow because they hadn’t been married. But if Josiah had known, he certainly would have married this beautiful woman who’d evidently been carrying his child. It likely wouldn’t have been too difficult of a decision, because he’d hinted of leaving the Amish before. An Englisch boppli and fraa would have sealed the deal and given him a solid reason to become Englisch. Not even the probability of a strained relationship with his folks would’ve prevented his departure.

  Josiah had told him in confidence that he’d met someone during their trip and was smitten with her, but to go so far as to conceive a child with someone he’d only known a few days? Ach, Josiah! It was too bad that he’d never have an opportunity to know his own dochder. Or have a relationship with her mother. And Kayla thought she’d been lied to. Abandoned.

  It was a tragedy all the way around, for sure and certain. What he wouldn’t give to have his own fraa and boppli back. He’d never see them again this side of eternity, just like Kayla and her dochder would never see Josiah.

  Once again, he’d be the bearer of bad news.

  She said she’d come for child support. Ach, but what if she was hoping to rekindle the relationship they’d once had? What if she desired to make a family with his best friend?

  More broken dreams for this young woman who already seemed beaten down. How could he stand to deliver more bad news? She’d already said she’d hated Gott. He had no desire to give her another reason to turn against Der Herr. Now, she would realize that she came looking for Josiah for no good reason. And there would be no child support.

  Silas felt like weeping for the woman. Because there was no doubt that was what she would do when she learned of the devastating news. Did she have no one else to turn to? It seemed so.

  He stepped out of the barn and into the pouring rain, allowing it to thoroughly soak him. He looked toward Heaven and lifted his hands. “Why, Gott?”

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Silas stepped back into the house and stood in the entryway.

  Kayla gasped. “Oh, my goodness, Silas! You’re drenched. I thought you took the umbrella with you.”

  He nodded. “I did. I needed a little refreshment.”

  “A little? You’re soaked to the bone.”

  “Ach.” He waved his hand in front of his face. “I’ll dry out.”

  “Would you like for me to find you a towel?”

  “That would be gut, denki.”

  A moment later, she handed him a towel that had obviously been line dried. Some folks preferred the fancy soft hotel towels, but Silas enjoyed the invigorating roughness of a towel hung out to dry in the wind and sun. He continued to soak up the water to which he’d subjected himself.

  “I was hoping you could show me where the washing machine is. I searched the house, but I couldn’t find one.” She frowned. “Or is there even one here? I’d guess the owners would have taken it with them.”

  “Nee, they had limited space. I think they planned to leave whatever’s left to the next owners.” He prayed it would be him. “If there is one still here, it’s likely in the basement.”

  “Oh, I hadn’t thought to check there.”

  “I can show you. Chances are, you’ll need me to show you how it works too, jah?”

  “I know how to operate a washing machine,” she stated confidently.

  “An Amish washing machine?”

  “Is there a difference?”

  He chuckled. “You’d better just let me show you.”

  “Maybe I should wash your clothes too.” She stared at his still-soaked attire.

  “I have no others here.”

  Bailey interrupted their conversation. “I like your breakfast, Mr. Silas!”

  He glanced over at the table where she sat eating. Ach, now that he got a gut look at her, she did resemble Josiah. “Denki. I’m happy to hear that.” He smiled.

  “What does denki mean?”

  “It means ‘thank you.’ It is an Amish word. But some people say it differently. Some people say danke.”

  She laughed. “It sounds like donkey.”

  He grinned. “I supposed it does, doesn’t it?”

  She nodded, then smiled. “Denki,” she tried out the word. “Mommy, I know an Amish word now!”

  Silas looked at Kayla, and they both shared a smile.

  “Yes, you do.”

  “Will you teach me more Amish words, Mr. Silas? And will you show me your horse when it stops raining?” Bailey’s smile stretched wide across her face.

  “Jah.” He suspected her eyes would light up at the word.

  “That means ‘yes,’ right?”

  “Jah.” He nodded with a smile.

  “Jah,” she tested her new word.

  “I think it’s time for my little Amish girl to finish her breakfast now,” Kayla suggested.

  Silas blew out a breath. If she only knew how true her words were. Her little girl was half Amish, and she didn’t even realize it. “You ready to see about washing clothes now?”

  “Jah, I’m ready.” Kayla winked.

  He chuckled, then led the way to the basement.

  ~

  There was something different about Silas, but Kayla couldn’t put her finger on it. Ever since he’d gone outside and come back soaked, he seemed…preoccupied, maybe? She couldn’t be sure.

  “Okay, here is the water.” Silas carried a metal bucket down the steps. He dumped it into the wringer washer basin. “Now, put your laundry soap in.”

  “I don’t have any.” She frowned. Apparently, she hadn’t thought very far.

  He turned around, looking for something. He opened a container and scooped up something gray, then added it to the water.

  “What is that?”

  “Homemade soap. Many Amish make their own. You can use it for washing clothes, washing dishes, bathing.” He shrugged. “It’s good for everything. Now, add your clothes.”

  She did as instructed.

  “Now pull that knob out.”

  She smiled when the agitator began spinning. “How long do we leave the clothes in for?”

  “About five minutes should be gut enough.”

  She nodded.

  “This will clean much better than your modern Englisch washing machines.”

  “English? I think my old washing machine was American made, but I could be wrong.”

  He chuckled. �
��Englisch is the word we use for non-Amish folks. Some Amish up north call you Yankees.”

  “That’s funny. You’ll have to teach that one to Bailey.” She stared at the clothes momentarily. “Speaking of Bailey, I should go check on her. Thank you for your help with the laundry.”

  “We’re not done.”

  She frowned. “We’re not?”

  “No. I said it washed better. I didn’t say it was easier or faster.” He grinned.

  “I gotcha. Okay, I’ll be right back then.”

  After she had Bailey settled at the table practicing her letters with a pencil and a piece of paper she’d found, Kayla headed back down the stairs to the basement. This new adventure proved to be exciting, actually. It wasn’t every day a hot Amish widower instructed her in the art of washing clothes old-fashioned style. She enjoyed being in Silas’s company, but she had no clue if the feeling was mutual.

  “Are they done?” she asked as she hit the bottom step.

  “Another minute, I think.”

  “Okay.”

  He eyed her curiously. “Where did you come from? Where is your home?”

  “Well, it was California. But since I don’t really have any reason to stay there anymore with my parents gone, I figured I’d try something different.” She shrugged. “If I can find Bailey’s father, well…I don’t really know. It would be nice if he could be part of her life, you know? Every child should have a father. I mean, even if he doesn’t want to have anything to do with me.” She sighed. “But, who knows? He might have a family now. What if he does? I don’t even know how he’ll feel if we just show up out of the blue. It could turn out badly.”

  He remained quiet. And there it was again. That awkwardness.

  Did he grimace? She wished she knew what he was thinking.

  “Is something wrong? I have this feeling…”

  He gave a curt shake of his head, apparently not wanting to expound on his thoughts. “We will talk later after the little one goes to bed for the evening.”

  “For the evening? I’d hoped to get back on the road, if this storm would ever let up.”

  “You’re not going anywhere, and neither am I. There is flooding in both directions. You will not be able to make it out to the main road, and I will not be able to make it home. I hope you two like eggs, because that’s what we’ll likely be eating for several days yet.”

  “Several days?”

  “Well, if the weather report on that contraption of yours is right, then jah.”

  “I do have some snacks in the car.”

  “I could fetch them, along with whatever else you might need.”

  “Having our suitcases would be nice. Just be sure you actually use the umbrella this time, okay?”

  He nodded. “I will get them then, when we are done here.”

  “Thank you, Silas. You have been very kind to Bailey and me.”

  He shook his head. “Any Amish person would do the same.”

  He reached for the knob on the machine and pushed it in, and the agitator stopped spinning. “Now, see that lever there?” He pointed to the top left of the machine.

  “This one?”

  “Jah. Turn it toward me, and those two round gadgets will start rolling. That is your spin cycle. It takes the water out of the clothes.” He pulled a pillow case from the murky water and held it close to the spinning bars. “See? Feed it through like this. But take care not to trap your fingers inside if you’d like to keep them.”

  “That sounds ominous.”

  “It’s no joke. It can be quite dangerous.”

  She blew out a breath. “Then I will be careful.”

  He did something to release the dirty water from the tub. She guessed the hose must run outside somewhere.

  “Just let them fall into that tub there.” Silas reached for the bucket. “I must get more water. It’s a gut thing we have a full cistern right now.” He disappeared up the stairs again.

  Cistern?

  A few moments later, he dumped a bucket of water into the large tub that the now-spun clothes fell into. “This is your rinse water. When you’re done, turn that lever the opposite way, and feed them back into the other side.”

  He disappeared up the stairs again with the bucket, then promptly returned. “We will complete this process one more time with clean water to be sure and certain all the soap is out. Then, we can pin it on the line.”

  “Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said it wasn’t easier.”

  “No. But you will see how clean the clothes are, and how much more water this takes out. They’ll dry faster on a windy day than with an electric dryer.”

  “Really? Wow.” She ran the sheets and the few articles of clothing through as Silas had instructed. “Okay, now take your clothes off.”

  Silas stared back at her wide-eyed.

  “Silas, you’re soaking wet. Your clothes must be cold and heavy. Take them off so I can run them through the ringer.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head.

  She did admit to herself that she liked the way his wet shirt clung to his body, accentuating his muscular frame. “I’ll turn around, for crying out loud. Besides, it’s not as if you didn’t barge in on me yesterday when I was changing.” She turned her back to him then held her arm out for his clothes.

  He grunted but then sighed in surrender. She smiled as she heard him removing his clothing, then felt his wet pants in her hand. She waited for his shirt, then proceeded to run them both through the ringer to remove the excess water. No doubt his clothing would be much more comfortable and lighter to wear once all the water had been squeezed out.

  “Done.” She handed his clothing to him, keeping her back to him. As soon as she was certain his pants were on, she turned around. She wouldn’t miss the only opportunity she’d get to see Silas shirtless.

  Wow, he looked even better without a shirt on than she’d imagined. The Amish obviously took manual labor seriously, and it definitely showed.

  Silas cleared his throat as he finished buttoning his shirt.

  Kayla’s cheeks warmed when she realized that he’d noticed she’d been staring at him. She quickly turned around and grasped the other items they’d washed.

  “These need to dry, but it’s raining outside. How will we—” She stopped talking when she heard a squeaking sound.

  Silas pulled on a rope that was connected to a pulley in the corner of the basement ceiling.

  “Wow, the Amish think of everything. Drying clothes inside?”

  He removed the clothespins from the cute little dress clothespin holder, then chuckled. “We’ve been doing this for hundreds of years, so I think we’ve learned a thing or two.”

  “I should say so.” She couldn’t get over this unique old-fashioned culture. Something about it felt very comforting. Or maybe it was Silas’s gentle ways that seemed to set her mind at ease.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Silas blew out a breath. The impending conversation with Kayla would most likely not be a pleasant one, and he’d been dreading what he had to tell her. He hated to be the one to dash her last hope. But remaining silent would be even worse. The truth was the truth, and there was no changing it. She needed to know the truth. She deserved to know the truth.

  Gott, please help me to deliver this news to Kayla. Give me the words to say.

  “I think she’s finally down for the night.” Kayla spoke softly as she entered the living room.

  “Does it always take her this long to fall asleep?”

  Kayla smiled. “It depends on how long her bedtime story is.”

  “I see.”

  He’d never had a chance to read a bedtime story to his little one, would never get the chance. He forced his unexpected emotions into compliance and focused on the task at hand.

  “Thank you for bringing her books in.”

  He nodded, then gestured toward the couch for her to sit down. “You are a good mom to Bailey.”

  Her brow lowered. “Do yo
u think so? I try to be. But raising a child alone isn’t for the faint of heart. I often feel inadequate.”

  “I think her father would be pleased.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe I should have looked him up sooner, tried to find him. I hate the fact that she doesn’t have a father figure in her life. My dad filled that role until he passed away. But I feel that she really needs that male presence in her life. I can only be so many things to her.”

  “Jah, I understand.”

  “So, what was it that you wanted to discuss?”

  “I called Dan Yoder, the owner of this property.”

  Her mouth turned down. “He wants us to leave, right?”

  “Nee. I asked him if he’d be willing to rent it out.”

  “Rent it out? To me? I’m not quite following your train of thought.” She nodded. “Oh, wait, I see. Sure, I can pay for the nights Bailey and I stay here. We’d be paying at a hotel anyway. And this is more private.”

  “Ach, I am not speaking right. Nee, what I mean is, would you like to rent this house?”

  “You mean, like for months? Or years? No. Remember I told you we were heading to Pennsylvania? We only stopped here because of the storm.”

  “Nee, it was not because of the storm.” He shook his head. “Der Herr brought you here.”

  “Der Herr?”

  “Gott.”

  “Silas…” She sighed.

  Ach, he needed to just come out with it. “Josiah Beachy was my best friend. We grew up together in Pennsylvania before my family moved here.”

  Kayla’s jaw dropped. “You know Josiah? My Josiah? Bailey’s father?”

  He nodded. “I did.”

  “Did? Are you not friends anymore?”

  “Kayla.” He sighed, then moved to sit next to her. He lightly touched her hand. He gentled his tone, hoping that would lessen the impact of his words. “Josiah died not two days after you saw him last.”

  Ach, saying the words aloud stirred up emotions he thought he’d long dealt with.

  She stared at him, allowing the words to register in her mind.