Читать книгу Her Forgiving Amish Heart - Rebecca Kertz - Страница 15

Chapter Three

Monday morning Leah exited the house in good spirits. Ellie had been hired to houseclean for a new client who owned a huge five-bedroom residence. Because of the amount of work involved, her sister had requested her help. Leah was more than willing to work with Ellie. She’d put away the money for her shop. Since turning eighteen, she was allowed to keep all of her work earnings. Which was why she made it a point to help her parents as much as she could around the house and farm. It was her turn to feed the animals this morning, and she was happy to do it.

Her thoughts on the day ahead, she descended the porch steps and started forward, then halted abruptly. Her heart began to hammer hard as she stared at the man who stood several feet from her. “What are you doing here, Henry?”

He approached, and as he drew closer, she backed away until she was up against the bottom rung of the stairs. “Aren’t you happy to see me?” A tiny smile curved up the corners of his mouth.

She sniffed, determined to keep him from realizing that she was glad to see him. “What do you think?”

His smile disappeared. “Contrary to what you might believe, I’m not stalking you.”

She blushed. “I didn’t say you were.”

He folded his arms as he studied her. He wore a green shirt, navy tri-blend pants with black suspenders. A black-banded straw hat rested on his head, but he’d tipped back the wide brim. Beneath it, his sky blue eyes looked sapphire. “I’m here to help your father.”

Leah blinked, tried to stay calm. “With what?”

Henry sighed heavily. “He wants to install a cabinet in one section of the barn to store things.”

She gazed at him with suspicion. “My cousin invited you to Visiting Day, where my father just happened to ask you to install a cabinet for him, and all within four days of Friday’s thunderstorm?”

He shrugged as if he didn’t care whether or not she believed him. As if he was telling the truth. She frowned.

Her father came out of the house behind him. “Henry!” he exclaimed, and Leah immediately slipped past Henry before she looked back to watch the interaction between the two men. “Glad you could make it.”

Leah experienced a burning in her stomach. Her dat seemed genuinely pleased to see him. The hot sensation intensified. Henry had told the truth. Why did she continually misjudge him?

Ashamed, she turned away, headed toward the barn to feed the animals. She started to hurry as it occurred to her that Henry and her father would be along soon. She fed all of the horses first, ensuring that each had fresh water and a bucket of feed. Later in the day, she’d return for their third feeding. Her sister Charlie would do the second one midday. She then went on to feed their dairy cows, bull, goats and sheep. She was outside with their hens and rooster when she heard voices from within the barn. When she was done throwing down chicken feed, she reluctantly returned to the outbuilding to put away the bucket. Their two cows needed to be milked, but she’d ask Charlie to do that for her. She had no desire to stay inside the barn as long as she had to share it with Henry Yoder.

Leah froze in the act of putting away the feed bucket. What was wrong with her? One minute she felt bad about the way she’d treated Henry, then in the next she was going out of her way to avoid him. She drew a cleansing breath. She wasn’t going to run. She’d milk the cows before getting ready for work with Ellie. She wasn’t going to let Henry’s presence make her run scared.

Leah found the milk pails and went to Bessie first. Dragging over a stool, she sat down to milk her. The steady, rhythmic sound of milk against metal soothed her, and she became immersed in the farm chore. Once Bessie was milked, she moved on to Annabelle. The cow wasn’t as cooperative as Bessie. The animal shifted restlessly and tried to kick her. She backed away before she was struck by the cow’s hoof.

“Nay, you don’t, you ornery critter!” She turned to get fresh hay and groaned when she saw Henry Yoder, who watched her with amusement.

“Having a bit of trouble, Leah?” he taunted, his voice deep and extremely male.

She glared at him as she lifted her chin. “Nothing I can’t handle.” Annabelle bumped up against her, nearly sending her sprawling. Henry’s quick response to steady her made her grit her teeth.

“Need help?” he asked.

“Nay!” She was too aware of his strength as he released her.

He laughed. “Afraid I’ll do it better and faster?”

“Go away,” she said as she found fresh hay, which she tossed before Annabelle. The animal bent her head, content to eat. “Why are you here? I thought you were with my vadder.” She pulled up the stool and started to milk Annabelle before she looked up at him.

He had taken off his hat and she could see the twinkle in his blue eyes. “I am,” he said patiently. “He went into the house to fetch his drawings.”

Leah frowned. “What drawings?” The sound of milk hitting the inside of the bucket wasn’t as loud as her rapidly beating heart.

“Of the cabinet he wants me to build for him.”

She paused in the act of milking. “Why would he want you to make him a cabinet?” Her voice sounded unnecessarily sharp. Contrite, she closed her eyes and drew a calming breath. Annabelle shifted uneasily, and Leah continued to milk her until the pail was nearly full.

“Because I like making them.” He regarded her without warmth.

Leah studied him. She could see that her questioning his cabinetmaking abilities had upset him. “Have you made one before?” she said, softening her tone.

Henry nodded. “Ja, several.”

She stifled a rude retort.

“I don’t spend every minute in my parents’ store,” he added drily.

He’d aroused her curiosity. “Where does Dat want this cabinet?”

“Come with me,” he invited.

Leah puckered her brow. Believing that she had little choice but to accompany him, she placed the filled milk pails into cold storage before she followed. She studied the back of his head and neck as he led the way through the barn and stopped at a familiar stall. She stared. It was the area that had housed Nell’s dog, Jonas, and her cat, Maxie, then later the dog Peter Zook had given her sister Meg. Now the space was empty. Why does Dat want a cabinet in here?

She must have spoken the thought out loud. “Because he plans to get a dog,” Henry said, shocking her. “With your sisters married and gone, he finds he’s missing their animals. He thinks a cabinet will be a better place for dog food than on the shelf.”

“Dat wants a dog?” she asked disbelievingly. Why hadn’t her father told her?

Henry tilted his head as he regarded her. “You don’t like dogs?”

She shook her head. “Nay—I’m mean—ja, I like dogs fine. I just didn’t realize that my vadder did.” Most Amish men wouldn’t be willing to own a pet. Her sister Nell, who was married to a veterinarian, must have influenced her father more than she’d realized.

Before Henry could respond, her father returned, carrying a notepad. “Here you go. You can take this with you,” he said as he tore off a page and handed it to Henry. He glanced at Leah briefly before turning back to the younger man.

Leah vaguely heard their discussion. She heard mention of wood and hinges and other stuff she couldn’t comprehend. When the men’s conversation ended, the barn became overwhelmingly quiet.

“Dat? You’re going to get a dog?”

“I am.” Arlin gazed at her with a silent look that warned her to mind her own business.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She fought back the hurt. It wasn’t the first time she’d felt a little left out, set off from her family. She managed to smile. “What kind?”

Dat smiled and his demeanor changed from stern to little-boy excitement. “I don’t know. What do you think?”

“I have no idea.” She paused. “We could ask Nell. She’ll recommend a good breed.”

“I already asked her.”

Nell knew. Who else? That feeling of being excluded rushed in again. She could feel Henry’s gaze. Refusing to look at him, she addressed her father. “May I go with you when you pick one out?”

Her father beamed at her. “Ja, but I’d like to fix up the stall before I bring one home.” He turned his attention to the space where the dog would be kept. “Jonas was happy here.”

Leah nodded. Nell’s rescue dog had been happy in these surroundings. “Ja, he was.” She swung her gaze grudgingly toward Henry. He studied her with a thoughtful expression, and she feared that he could read the pain she’d tried to conceal while talking with her father.

“Leah!” Ellie’s loud voice called from out in the yard.

“I’ve got to go,” she said and spun around. She ran a few yards before she stopped. “See you later, Dat. Henry, you do a gut job with the cabinet, ja?” She softened the request with a slight curve of her lips.

Pleasure transformed Henry’s features. “I will,” he promised.

Leah trusted that he would. The warmth in his penetrating gaze had her scrambling to escape. She didn’t want to feel anything for Henry Yoder—even the littlest, tiniest bit of warmth that settled within her chest and reached out in an unsuccessful attempt to capture her heart.

* * *

Henry watched Leah leave before turning back to Arlin. “She seems surprised that you want a dog.”

Arlin had been studying his daughter as she left. He turned his focus on Henry. “She doesn’t mind, though. All my dechter are animal lovers.”

After a nod, Henry quietly studied the paper in his hands. “This looks simple enough. You want me to take down the shelf and put up a plain cabinet.”

“I thought we could leave the shelf and install the cabinet to the left of it,” the man said.

Henry eyed the wall space. “That would work. The dimensions for the cabinet are small.”

The older man inclined his head. “Big enough, though. I’m getting a dog, not a herd of goats.” He chuckled. “The two goats we have cause enough damage.”

Henry didn’t join in. He kept remembering the look of pain on Leah’s face as she’d learned that her father hadn’t bothered to include her in his plans. “When do you need this?”

“When can you get it done?”

He thought for a moment. His father was being discharged from the hospital that afternoon. He’d work in the store but figured his mother would want to spend time there. “I can have it done before Thursday.”

Arlin looked surprised. “Gut, gut.” The man headed toward the door and Henry fell into step beside him. “I was glad to see you back on Sunday.” He hesitated. “I would have liked to see your mam and dat.”

“Dat’s been in the hospital. Mam has been spending all of her time there.” Henry became quiet. “I’ve been running the store. My vadder will be released today. Maybe in a couple of weeks, they’ll be able to come.”

The older man regarded him with concern. “I didn’t know about your dat.” Arlin was too polite to ask, but Henry could see his curiosity.

“He had a heart attack, but his doctor says that there’s no permanent damage.”

“A wake-up call,” Arlin said as they stepped out of the barn.

“Ja.” He saw Ellie and Leah inside the buggy as Ellie steered the horse to head toward the street. He couldn’t tear his attention away from the taller of the two blonde women who sat on the vehicle’s passenger side.

“She can be stubborn,” the man next to him murmured, catching Henry off guard. “Just like her mother.”

Henry’s gaze focused on Leah’s father. “Who?” he asked, but he knew.

“Leah.” The corners of his mouth bowed upward. “She’s the sweetest and kindest of all of my dechter, but she can also be the most hardheaded.”

“I’ve never known Missy to be hardheaded.” Henry noted a strange look enter the man’s expression and saw him stiffen.

“Leah hasn’t welcomed you back to our church community, has she?” When Henry was too stunned to answer, the man continued, “Don’t let it bother you. She’ll get used to you soon enough.”

“You think so?”

Arlin nodded. “Ja. ’Tis Leah. She’s different than the others. I’ve never known her to be upset with anyone for long.”

Henry took comfort from her father’s belief that sooner or later Leah would accept him for the changed adult man that he’d become—and forget his foolish teenage mistakes.

* * *

His father was released from the hospital late Monday afternoon. Henry had worked on the cabinet an hour or two after the store closed. He stopped when his dat got home since he wanted to spend time with him and to assure his parents that the store had run smoothly with a steady flow of customers in their absence.

Henry got up extra early Tuesday morning and finished the cabinet. He had time to make a quick run to Arlin’s to install it. While he drove his market wagon to the residence, he hoped to see Leah again. His heart raced at the prospect. As he pulled his vehicle into the driveway and parked near the barn, he caught a glimpse of the woman ever present in his thoughts at the clothesline, taking down laundry. She must have heard him arrive for she turned and glowered at him.

He climbed down from the wagon and reached into the back to retrieve the cabinet. He didn’t realize that Leah had left the clothesline to approach until she stood within several feet of him. She watched silently as he carried the cabinet inside the barn. Henry set it in the designated stall, then left to get his tools. He accidently bumped into Leah as she entered the barn. Instinctively, he reached out to steady her.

“Careful,” he murmured. She smelled like vanilla and honey, a fragrance that would forever make him think of her. Her soap?

He saw her throat move as she swallowed when she stepped away. “You’ve finished it already?” She seemed skeptical.

“Ja,” he replied. “’Tis a simple design. Gut enough for a barn stall.”

Her brow knit with confusion. “Where are you going?”

He hid his pleasure. It was as if she was afraid that he’d leave. “To get my tools.” When red stained her cheeks, he realized that he’d guessed correctly. Hiding his joy, he swept past her on his way back to his wagon, where he retrieved everything he’d need for installation, including the cabinet doors, which he’d left off to make it easier for him to carry the unit. Leah hadn’t moved from where he’d left her. He didn’t say a word as he walked past her and into the stall.

Ignoring her, he pulled out his tape measure to gauge the distance between the small shelf to the wall corner. He’d crafted the cabinet to the right measurement. Feeling pleased, he placed two screws between his lips before he lifted the cabinet to where he wanted to secure it. Henry pulled his carpenter’s pencil from behind his ear and marked within the predrilled holes before setting the unit down again. He grabbed his battery-operated screwdriver, picked up the cabinet, then screwed it into place. Once secure, he wordlessly reached for a door, which he installed before he secured the second one. When he was finished, he turned. Leah stood behind him, examining his work. She jumped back, startled as she met his gaze. He didn’t say a word as he picked up his tools and headed outside.

“It looks gut,” Leah said grudgingly as she followed him out of the barn.

He met her gaze to see if she was mocking him. She wasn’t. She seemed genuinely impressed by what he’d done in so short a time. Her approval spiked his pleasure of standing in her company. “Basic and solid.”

“You finished it,” she said. “But it’s not one that belongs in a kitchen. I think it’s exactly what Dat had in mind.”

“I just made it to look like your vadder’s drawings.”

She nodded. Her expression wasn’t bitter or condemning. Henry felt his heart open like a blossom in the sun. He gazed at her a long time, then dragged his eyes away. He’d made some progress with Leah and he didn’t want to press his luck. He climbed onto the wagon seat. “Show it to your vadder when he gets home, ja?”

“I will,” she said.

“Take care, Leah.” He turned the horse-drawn vehicle toward the main road. He flicked the leathers and his mare started forward when he heard her shout.

“Henry!”

He immediately drew in the reins to halt his horse.

She walked to his vehicle and gazed up at him. “I’ve decided... I’d like you to teach me about storekeeping.”

He blinked, pleased. “You do?” When she nodded, he felt his heart rate accelerate. “Gut. There’s a lot I can show you.” He smiled. “Do you have a name for your shop?”

She shook her head. “I don’t have a name because I don’t have one yet.”

“Think about a name. It will help you as you reach for your goal.”

He heard her release a sharp breath. “I’ll do that.” She grew quiet. “I should go,” she said. “I’ll see you later, Henry.”

“I want to know the name of your shop the next time I see you.” His lips curved. “We can talk about your plans then.”

“Sunday?” she asked, almost like an invitation.

He nodded. “I’ll see you then.”

When she beamed at him, he left with the mental image of her lovely face turned toward him, her gaze without censure. It wasn’t forgiveness or friendship he’d seen in her blue eyes, but it was a start. He grinned. He couldn’t wait to see her again. She’d become important to him. He attributed his anticipation to his interest in her as a woman and a prospective friend.

* * *

Leah groaned as Henry pulled his buggy onto the main road. What had she done? She’d been impressed by the cabinet he’d made, but was that any reason to ask the man if he was coming to their church service? Like she wanted him there?

She couldn’t believe she’d been so impulsive. Why had she accepted his offer of assistance? Henry Yoder was trouble and she certainly didn’t want or need it in her life. She had enough to contend with. Working with Ellie yesterday had been wonderful. They’d earned a great deal of money, and Leah was able to put a substantial amount away for her shop.

“I can do this. It will be business only,” she murmured as she took down the laundry.

She exhaled with relief. She’d be polite, businesslike, but she wouldn’t give him any special attention. She would express her gratitude, of course. He was offering her his time, and she was thankful. A working relationship with him was nothing to be concerned about.

Her heart skipped a beat as she recalled his smile, the way the sunlight had reflected on the tiny golden streaks in his dark hair. Leah closed her eyes in shock. She was attracted to Henry Yoder. As long as she kept her distance emotionally from him, she would be fine.

“I’ll not lose my heart to him,” she whispered. And she found herself relaxing. She just had to remember that this was Henry Yoder, and she was interested only in opening a craft store.

She’d unpinned the last garment from the clothesline and headed back to the house. She smiled when she spied her father as he came home from a day spent with Horseshoe Joe Zook, Meg’s father-in-law. Dat had been helping Joe with a home project. What, Leah had no idea.

“Dat,” she greeted. “Henry was here. He installed the cabinet you ordered.”

Her father looked surprised. “Already?”

She bobbed her head.

“How does it look?”

“Gut. ’Tis perfect for the barn.”

He appeared pleased. “Come to take a look with me?”

Leah beamed. “Ja. Just let me put this inside,” she said as she held up the laundry basket.

A few minutes later she followed her father into the stall. He went straight over to inspect the cabinet. She waited with rapid heartbeat for his reaction. Why, she didn’t know. Certainly it wasn’t because she worried that he wouldn’t be pleased with Henry’s work.

“Dat?” she murmured as he opened and closed the cabinet doors several times while he inspected every inch of the unit.

He closed the doors one last time, then turned to her—and smiled. “Wunderbor,” he pronounced. “When can you come with me to Nell’s to look at some puppies?”

Leah grinned. “Tonight? After supper?” she suggested.

“After supper,” her father agreed, then they headed toward to the house to see how long it would be before dinner.

She was excited about having a pet. Her spirits rose. It wasn’t because her dat was pleased with Henry’s cabinetwork, she thought. Or was it?

A mental image of Henry rose in her mind, making her uncomfortable. She wasn’t attracted to him. She didn’t like him. She sighed. His kindness stirred up feelings that she could control because they weren’t real. They can’t be real.

Leah became to wonder if she should forget about accepting Henry’s offer to help. Surely, she could learn about storekeeping on her own. It would be much safer that way.