“I’m a little surprised you’re not staying,” he said as they walked toward the parking area. “You’re nearly as stubborn as Rachel.”
“I didn’t think she’d rest as long as I was in the room, and there was only the one chair. So I pretended to agree with her. Honestly I’m not sure how I planned to get home, now that I think about it. I’d completely forgotten that I’d ridden here in Justin’s buggy. I guess I would have called a cab, if there’d been no other way...”
“Glad I can be of service.” Noah opened the door on her side of the buggy and faked a bow. “Welcome to Snickers’s limo.”
“Fancy.”
“Ya, I know.” He brushed back a lock of hair that had escaped from her kapp and kissed her softly. “You look exhausted. I’m glad you’re going to get some rest.”
“Actually I’m going to see to Zeus and the sheep.”
“I would have done that.”
“I know you would have.” She squeezed his hand and then climbed up into the buggy.
“Sarah feels terrible about what happened.”
“Nothing about tonight was her fault, and this isn’t the first time he’s fallen. That’s one of the reasons we picked up all of the rugs.”
“You’re fortunate he didn’t break a hip.”
“I read once that elderly people don’t fall and break a hip. What usually happens is they’re standing, the hip breaks and then they fall.”
Noah glanced at her in surprise. “I didn’t know that. You know a lot about this sort of thing.”
“What sort of thing?”
“Caring for your grandparents. You’re a gut granddaughter.”
“I’ve done my best, but I think—I think my opposition to change caused me to wait a little longer than I should have.”
“He could have fallen in Maine, too.”
“It’s true. I only mean that Mammi could use more family around her—more than just me. And there’s something else that occurred to me while I was sitting beside his hospital bed.”
“What’s that?”
“I’ve been dragging my feet—not wanting to move, not wanting to upset their daily routine. And I think I had good reasons for doing that.”
“You love them.”
“I do, and I’m concerned—always concerned for them.” Olivia Mae stared out at the streets of Goshen as they drove toward the farm. The clip-clop of Snickers’s hooves on the pavement soothed her nerves, and the night air felt good after being cooped up inside the hospital. She glanced back at Noah, who was still waiting patiently for her to finish her line of thought.
“At the same time I think that putting off moving them was a bit selfish of me. My bruders and their wives, my nieces and nephews, they deserve a chance to spend time with Mammi and Daddi. These final years—they’re precious.”
Instead of answering, Noah reached across the seat and covered her hand with his.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to stop by the phone shack.”
“Call your bruders?”
“I’ll leave a message. They need to know.”
What was left unsaid between them was that most likely this would escalate the efforts to sell Daddi’s farm. And what did that mean for their relationship, their growing feelings for one another?
They traveled in silence, the gentle sway of the buggy nearly lulling Olivia Mae to sleep. The next thing she knew, Noah was standing outside of her open door, touching her arm. He said, “We’re here. At the phone shack.”
She nodded, rubbed her eyes and stumbled into the small building. She’d forgotten her purse, but Noah fetched the required change out of his pocket and dropped it into the coffee can on the counter.
She left her message—rambling a bit but managing to convey the basic facts.
Daddi had fallen.
He was in the hospital.
Both he and Mammi were fine.
She’d call the following evening, at six if possible, and give them an update.
When she walked back out of the phone shack, Noah was sitting on the steps. Though she knew she needed to get home, though every muscle in her body was suddenly exhausted and screaming for sleep, she sat beside him, her head on his shoulder, and together they watched the stars come out.
* * *
The next three weeks flew by. Daddi came home after just two days and much of their life returned to normal. It was Olivia Mae who had changed. She finally understood and accepted that they would be moving—and sooner than later if her brother had anything to say about it.
She continued to see Noah at church functions, and he stopped by the house at least twice a week to check on them. But she felt herself pulling back. Why lose more of her heart to this dear man who had become so important to her?
She couldn’t make their future come together in her head.
They would be moving to Maine.
Noah had an excellent job here in Indiana—not to mention all of his family was here.
She couldn’t see it working, so instead she focused on preparing for the move. Her biggest concern was what she’d do with her sheep, but Noah told her not to worry.
“That’s like telling a mother not to worry about her children.”
“Oh, they’re children now, are they?” He could always make her laugh and never failed to point out the lighter side of things exactly when she needed to be reminded that all was not somber and gray. “What do you call a sheep covered in chocolate?”
Olivia Mae pretended to groan.
“A candy ba-a-a-aaa.” Satisfied that he’d at least made her smile, Noah grew suddenly serious. “I’ll take care of the sheep, Olivia Mae. If that’s what you’re worried about, if you’re sure that you’re going to move—”
“What choice do I have?”
“If that’s the way you feel, then I will take care of the sheep.”
“You don’t know anything about sheep, and I know you don’t want to be a farmer.”
“I could auction them.”
She must have looked horrified because he quickly added, “I’m kidding. I’ll learn. I don’t mind learning—for you.”
She would miss him terribly when they moved. She realized now what a precious thing friendship was. And love? Well, love was a blessing from Gotte, plain and simple. Each time she saw Noah, she pushed aside her fears and worries and tried to enjoy the minutes they had together.
And then, one month later, when a string of rainy days was broken by bright afternoon sunshine, she walked to the phone shack and saw the recorder blinking with the number 1. She knew then, before she even pressed Play, that it was her brother. They’d found a buyer. Someone who wanted to expedite the process. It was time for her to begin to pack.
That evening, she broke the news to Noah.
Chapter Thirteen
He drove around for more than an hour—not ready to go home, not sure exactly when he’d lost his heart to Olivia Mae Miller. But the fact remained that he had, and now it was time to step up and decide what to do about it.
He unharnessed the horse and tossed some feed into a bucket. He might have gone to his room and tossed and turned all night, but when he walked into the kitchen he was surprised to see his mamm there, her hands wrapped around a steaming cup of what he knew was herbal tea. On the table was a plate of peanut-butter squares that she pushed toward him. “Cold milk in the fridge,” she said.
He poured a glass and made his way through two of the squares before he found his voice.
“She’s leaving earlier than I thought.”
“To Maine?”
“Ya. Her bruder has already found a buyer for the place. He’ll be here to move them next week.”
She didn’t say anything, didn’t offer an opinion or a suggestion, simply waited for him to work through his thoughts and emotions.
Finally, he sighed and pushed the plate of sweets away. “I love her.”
“And that’s bad?”
“This situation—our situation—is problematic.”
“How so?”
He sat back and studied her. His mom had always been the listener of the family, perhaps because she was the only female. Growing up, it had helped tremendously for him to know that he could trust her, that he could share with her the things that were bothering him. When he’d become a teenager, he’d suddenly grown shy about that, and perhaps that was when his problems had started—when he’d stopped sharing his hurts and fears and dreams with the people who loved him. So instead of shrugging, and offering a noncommittal response, he stared up at the ceiling and tried to articulate what was standing between him and the love of his life.
“Her family situation with her grandparents is difficult.”
“Because of their health.”
“And because she feels responsible for them, in the way a parent is for a child.” He held out his hand, palm up, then turned it palm down. “Things have reversed.”
“Not an easy situation.”
“But that isn’t the worst of it.”
His mamm crossed her arms on the table and leaned forward.
“The worst of it is that I want what’s best for her, what’s best for Olivia Mae, and I don’t know what that is. Is it moving to Maine? Starting over? Having help with Abe and Rachel? Or is it staying here? Do I even have a right to ask that of her?”
“It’s a gut thing that you realize you love her now, before she leaves.”
“Is it? Because at the moment it only feels miserable.”
She patted his hand, picked up his glass and her mug and rinsed them in the sink. By the time she returned to the table he was sitting there with his head in his hands.
Her next words surprised him because they weren’t about love or marriage or families—things that he knew she held dear. Instead she said, “I’m proud of you, Noah. You’ve turned into a fine young man.”
“I’m twenty-nine, Mamm. I’ve been a man for a long time now.”
“In some ways, I suppose that’s true.” She sat next to him and waited for him to raise his eyes to hers. “But in other ways it’s happened in these last few weeks. When you learn to put others’ needs first, over your own. When even in the midst of your own dreams and desires, your heart is set on easing the way for the person you love. Well, that’s the difference between a boy and a man.”
She stood, kissed him on top of the head, as she’d done for all of his life, and walked out of the kitchen.
He was left with her words echoing through his mind.
He supposed what she’d said was true, because he no longer felt like a youngie. He felt as if his heart were breaking in two, but that seemed almost minor compared to what Olivia Mae was facing. The thing that twisted his stomach into a knot was admitting that he didn’t know what was best for her. How could he know? Those decisions were hers to make.
One thing he knew for sure—he wouldn’t make the mistake of waiting to find out. His only regret would be not asking her what she wanted for her future.
If it was staying in Goshen, he would find a way to make that happen.
If it was going to Maine, then he’d help in any way he could to make that transition smooth.
And if she wanted him in her life, then he would give up anything because sacrificing something for Olivia Mae wasn’t really a sacrifice at all.
Her happiness was what mattered the most to him. Olivia Mae was a gut person. She deserved her own family and her own home, but she also felt a strong responsibility to her grandparents. She wasn’t a young girl, but a woman with all the emotions and needs and responsibilities of a woman.
And he loved her beyond anything he could imagine.
He took off his shoes and crept upstairs to his room, trying not to wake anyone. He needn’t have worried. Justin was walking out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel.
“Sarah asleep?”
“Nearly. The baby was kicking a lot this afternoon so she didn’t get a nap.”
Noah nodded toward his bedroom. He turned on the lantern, and his brother sat on his bed while he took the chair.
“I have one week.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean I have one week...to convince Olivia Mae that we’re meant for each other.”
Justin had continued drying his hair with the towel, but now he let it drop around his neck. “I thought you had a month.”
“So did I.” Noah picked up a pen from the desk and twirled it in his fingers.
“What happened?”
“Her bruder called this afternoon. Told her he’d found a buyer for the house, and that he’d be down in one week to move them.”
“Wow.”
“Uh-huh.”
“So what’s your plan?”
“I don’t have one. That’s why I’m talking to you.”
Instead of answering, Justin finished drying his hair, stood and returned the towel to the bathroom. Walking back into Noah’s room, he asked, “So are you sure?”
“Sure about what?”
“That you love her?”
“Ya. I don’t know when it happened. Maybe when I was sitting on her porch having our first lesson. Maybe when I walked into her house and saw the roof leaking like a sieve. Or maybe that first day when I gave her the letter box.”
“This isn’t you wanting to rescue her, is it? Because I don’t think that’s the same thing as love.”
“She’s the one who rescued me.” It came out more of a growl than he intended, the admission piercing his heart but also firming his resolve.
They both turned toward the open window as an owl hooted from a nearby tree. The storms of the recent days had passed, leaving the evening cool and pleasant.
“You’re going to need a plan.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. What did you learn in those lessons she was giving you?”
They sat there for another half hour, as Noah explained the things he’d learned about dating, women and how to relate to someone else. By the time they were done, Noah understood that he’d learned about more than romantic relationships. He’d learned how to connect to people in general. While he might always be an introvert, be more comfortable around a few people than a crowd of them, he no longer had to avoid someone that he could care about.
And with that knowledge came the certainty of what he needed to do next.
When his brother left for his own room, Noah turned the lantern up to its brightest setting. The small desk in the corner of his room was well-stocked. His mamm must have been using it when he’d lived away, because he’d never needed pen, paper and envelopes. Now all that he needed was there—another example of Gotte’s provision. He pulled out a clean sheet of paper and began writing a note.
It took him three tries to get it right—to put his hopes and dreams on that sheet of paper without scaring off Olivia Mae. He understood that she was afraid of putting her heart on the line. She was also strong and kind and wise beyond her years. But change, especially big change, was always frightening.
So his first goal was to calm that fear.
His second was to pique her interest.
And his third? Well, his third was to win her heart. Which was expecting a lot from a one-page note.
After he’d done his best, he folded it neatly, stuck it into an envelope and scrawled her name across it.
Olivia Mae Miller.
If things went as he hoped and prayed they would, that would change. Personally he thought Olivia Mae Graber had a much nicer ring to it.
* * *
Olivia Mae hurried in from the barn as the sun was popping over the horizon. She hoped she hadn’t made her grandparents
wait too late to eat. She’d told them time and time again to start without her, but they never would.
Mammi was placing an egg casserole on the table and looked up to smile as Olivia Mae paused at the mudroom door to knock any dirt off her shoes. As she walked to the sink to wash her hands, she stole a glance at the table. Her mammi was following the nurse’s instructions to a T. A bowl of fruit and a platter of hot biscuits sat in the middle of the table—along with butter and jars of peach, apple and strawberry preserves. Olivia Mae said good morning, poured herself a cup of coffee and plopped into her seat, which was when she noticed the envelope with her name on it. How could she not notice it? The envelope was positioned across the middle of her plate.
“What’s this?”
“Looks like a letter.”
“Ya, but—”
“Noah brought it by earlier.”
“Noah Graber?”
“Don’t know any other Noah.” Mammi’s eyes twinkled as she sat down across from her.
“Earlier this morning?” She glanced up at the clock. It was only a few minutes past six thirty, and she hadn’t heard a buggy. Then again, she’d been in the back of the barn mucking out stalls.
“We invited that nice young man to stay to eat, but he said he had to get to work.” Daddi reached for a biscuit and broke it open, releasing steam and a scrumptious yeasty scent. “Do we know him?”
“Ya, for sure and certain we do. Let me put some butter on the biscuit for you, Abe.”
Olivia Mae couldn’t imagine why Noah would drop off a letter for her before going to work. That meant he’d harnessed the horse to the buggy, driven to their house, dropped off the letter, and driven back home in time to unharness the horse and catch the shuttle to the auction in Shipshewana.
“This came while I was in the barn?”
“It did.” Mammi scooped a helping of eggs onto Daddi’s plate and then another onto hers. She pushed the casserole dish toward Olivia Mae, who shook her head. She was still holding the envelope as if she was afraid to open it.
Why would Noah Graber write her a letter?
What was he up to?
And why was her heart galloping like a mare set free in the pasture?
A Perfect Amish Match Page 16
