A Beau for Katie (13 page)

“But at the mill that day you said it was a
trial
courting.” He could tell that she was trying not to smile, but she couldn't help herself.

“I know what I said, but...” He stopped and started again. “But whatever I said that day, I'm saying now that we're courting, Katie Byler. And I intend to marry.” He nodded, giving finality to his statement,

“Okay, then. We're courting. Officially now.” She laughed and reached for his hand. Turning it over, she ran a finger over the calluses on his palm. “You have good hands,” she murmured. “Hands tell a lot about a man.”

“Do they now?” He didn't pull his hand away. He liked this playfulness in Katie. He liked sitting like this together. It made him happy to think that soon they could do it every day if they chose. They both were hard workers, but a man and his wife should take time for each other, to his way of thinking. Katie was easy to be with. She knew when to talk and when to sit quiet. It was one thing that he and Susan had always bumped heads on. While she never made assumptions and never disagreed with anything he said, she always had to be chattering away about this or that and sometimes he just wanted a little quiet. There were times when silence brought a couple closer than words.

She curled his hand into a gentle fist and released it. “Ivy's taking the buggy and going to Byler's to buy groceries to take over to the Marvin Kings. You heard they have his sister and her five children staying with them. They're the ones whose house burned last month.”

He nodded, gazing out into the yard. Since Katie had come into his life, he had to admit the place looked better. The flowerbeds were weeded, the lawn was cut and she'd even painted the rails on the porch. “Jehu said the church districts are planning a house raising for them at the end of the month. The husband works construction, and he's been away. He burned his hands trying to save things from the house, and he missed a few weeks of work.”

“The King place is small,” she said, “and they have the daughter with cerebral palsy, as well as four other little ones. I'm sure they can use the extra groceries.”

“We'll get them back on their feet again, both families. Our elders have taken up a collection for propane appliances for the new house. And the Seven Poplars community is providing the plumbing and bathroom fixtures for two full baths and the kitchen. Your Sara is donating a freezer and two sides of beef.”

“I didn't know,” Katie said. “Sara does a lot of good and never says a word about it.”

“I wouldn't have known if my grandmother hadn't overheard Preacher Dan mention it to our bishop last church Sunday.” He thought about his grandmother driving to Byler's Store and then on to the Kings' by herself. “Maybe Uncle Jehu should go with her,” he suggested. “Just to keep her company.” He nodded. “He's been sitting on the back porch since our noon meal, cat-cradling.”

Katie shook her head. “Not cat-cradling, I don't think. He's learning to knit. I told him if he likes playing with yarn so much, to get Ivy to teach him to knit. Then he could make mittens for the school kids and scarves for the elderly. He liked the idea and Ivy was tickled to give him some instruction. I think it worries him that he can't contribute more.”

“Ya,”
Freeman agreed. “A difficult thing for a man to lose his eyesight. God's ways are sometimes hard to understand.”

“And harder to accept with grace,” Katie agreed. “Yet, we must. None of us can know His plan. We must rejoice in the blessings and endure the losses. But your uncle is a wise man. He has much to give to the community, especially to the younger people. He's a fine example of what a man should be.”

“Exactly why he should go with Grossmama rather than let her go alone,” Freeman said. He thought for a moment. “She hasn't left yet for the Kings' yet, has she?”

Katie shook her head. “I don't think so. Why?”

“I was just thinking, maybe she'd like some company,” he said, quickly warming to the idea. “And Uncle Jehu might want to go.”

Just then Ivy appeared around the corner of the house. “There you are. I heard your voices. I'm leaving now. I'll be back before dark, but I don't know just when. Don't worry about me.” She gave a wave. “I'm perfectly capable of driving a horse.”

“I know you are, but be careful,” Katie warned. “The traffic is busier on Fridays, especially Route 8.”

“Don't worry,” Ivy said. “I always take the back roads.” She tightened the strings on her black bonnet that she wore over her prayer
kapp
. “Yoder Road is quiet. Not many cars.”

Katie rose and walked to the porch railing. “Freeman thinks you should ask Jehu if he wants to come with you. Jehu and Marvin King go way back. It would be company for you, don't you think?”

Ivy's smile faded and suddenly she looked nervous. “Take Jehu? I don't imagine he'd want to go.”

“You won't know unless you ask him,” Freeman suggested. He could tell by his grandmother's expression that she wasn't opposed to the idea. In fact, he suspected, she liked it.

“I'll give it a try,” Ivy said with a shrug. She waved goodbye and disappeared around the end of the house again.

Freeman picked up his crutches and got shakily to his feet. “Think I'll take a stroll through the garden.”

Determined, he made his way back through the house and down the ramp at the back porch. Uncle Jehu was no longer on the porch, although a pile of yarn and a tangle of something that might have been a scarf lay on the floor beside his chair. Katie followed Freeman down the walk and into the garden.

Going was a lot harder on the dirt, and they didn't stay long, just long enough to prove his point—that he could do it. As they exited the garden gate they heard the jingle of harness and the family buggy rattled past the house. Ivy was driving and his uncle was sitting beside her.

“Home later,” Ivy called, happily.

“Don't hold supper!” Uncle Jehu hollered in their general direction. “We're getting subs at Byler's. Ivy and me.”

“See,” Katie said as she waved goodbye to them. Then she turned to Freeman. “You were right.”

“You mean I had a good idea for a change?”

“Now, what's our next step?” Katie asked.

“Our next step?” He stopped to catch his breath.

She smiled the prettiest smile, his Katie. “To get them married, of course.”

Chapter Twelve

“Y
ou don't think that we're doing the wrong thing, interfering in Uncle Jehu and Grossmama's personal lives?” Freeman asked as he made his way gingerly up the ramp to his back porch.

Katie laughed. “Now's a fine time to wonder, isn't it? I think the deed is done.” She stepped around him and held open the door, all the while bestowing on him an endearing smile that made him feel as happy inside as though he'd swallowed a glass of sunshine.

“I'm glad you're fully on board with the idea,” she went on, her eyes twinkling. “I wouldn't be surprised if you aren't enjoying our success more than I am. You're good at this. Maybe you could give Sara a few pointers in the matchmaking game.”

“It was your idea.” He placed the first crutch on the porch floor and took time to get his balance before putting his full weight on it. “I've known that my uncle is lonely, but I wasn't thinking about Grossmama. She's always been so independent—I didn't think she would want to marry again at her age.”

“Maybe her age is exactly why she'd want to. Who wants to grow old alone if there's a special person who can fill the empty space in your home?”

“And heart?” he suggested. He settled into his chair and sighed with relief as he took the weight off his good leg. He felt a little light-headed from the exercise, but he'd never admit it to Katie. He wanted her to see him as strong, able to protect her, not someone that needed to be cared for like a child.

“And heart,” she agreed, taking the chair next to his and pulling it a little closer.

“I agree that it would be easier for me to have them settled, now that it looks like I'll be bringing a wife home this fall.” He glanced at her. “If we call banns in September or October, we can marry in November after the crops are in. If you're agreeable.”

“So soon?” she asked, wide-eyed. “I didn't think...” She looked down at her hands and then back up at him. “I assumed we would wait at least until spring.”

“And why would we do that?” he asked her, realizing just how eager he was to marry her, now that his mind was made up. “We're of an age to know our own minds, aren't we? I know I'm past the time I should have married. And clearly, we're well suited.” He met her gaze, resisting the urge to take her hand. They had both agreed they would be cautious with physical affection; there would be plenty of time for that after the wedding. “I don't want to rush you, but I don't see the need to drag out our courting any longer.” He waited for her reaction, and when she just looked at him with doe eyes, he asked. “You do feel the same way, don't you, Katie?”

She lowered her head shyly. “
Ya
, I suppose, but you surprised me. It's all been so fast between us.” Her cheeks took on a rosy hue and she nibbled on her lower lip. “I wouldn't want to make a mistake.”

“You're the answer to my prayers. You could never be a mistake,” he assured her. “And...” He waited until she raised her head and met his gaze straight on again. “I think it's time you broke the news to Kentucky Uriah. I feel like you've put it off long enough. It's not fair for him to think one thing when the truth is another.” He tugged at the hem of her apron playfully. “I don't like thinking I've got competition.”

“No competition. I already wrote to him.” She clasped her hands together in her lap. “I told him that I was walking out with someone here.”

“Did you tell him you were betrothed?”

“I didn't because I'm not,” she said.

He couldn't tell if she was teasing him or not. “I'm doing that now,” he said firmly. “And it's not a
trial
betrothal. Can we set a wedding date for early November? That's the traditional month of marriage, when most of our guests will be free to attend. And I'd want a big wedding and that would give us time to choose our cooks and helpers and get out all the invitations. We can hold the service here, if you like. I want as many people as possible to share our happiness.”

“Are you sure you don't want to wait a little longer before we decide?” she asked.

“I see no reason to wait. I won't change my mind. I want you for my wife.”

“And I want you for my husband,” she replied.

“So it's settled. I'll look at the calendar and speak to my bishop.” He reached out and squeezed her hand, happier than he thought he'd ever been in his life. “And then you'll be mine.”

* * *

On the following church Sunday, Katie accompanied Freeman, Ivy and Jehu to services at the Detweiler home. Once they arrived, Freeman and Uncle Jehu joined the group of men standing in the barnyard, while the women went into the house to wait until it was time to be seated. There Katie found herself eagerly welcomed into the crowded kitchen as Ivy introduced her to Viola, her hostess, and those women, girls and children of the worship community that she hadn't met before.

Each Amish church district made up their own larger family, worshiping and sharing the daily patterns of their lives, supporting those who needed help and taking pleasure in each other's company. When an Amish woman married, she would naturally attend her husband's church and live by the rules set by the community and the elders, so it was important that whomever Freeman married fit in, heart and mind. Many of these people, young and old, male and female, would be an intimate part of her life for years to come. Naturally, Katie couldn't help wondering if they would like her and if she would feel at home among them.

Shortly after their arrival, the older male members of the community and male guests filed in and took their places on benches on one side of the room, followed by the older women and honored women visitors who sat on the opposite side. Next came the unmarried women and the teenagers. Men and women always sat separately but young children and infants were passed between the groups at their leisure. When all were seated, an older man, the
vorsinger
or
song leader, began the first hymn in a slow falsetto. Everyone joined in, and the elders took their seats near the front of the large living room. The hymn was a long one with many verses, and at the closing, the congregation knelt for the opening prayer and then rose in unison for the Bible reading.

The second hymn was always the
Loblied
. Gradually, Katie felt at ease as the voices rose in the much-loved song. She'd grown up in another district, with different preachers and another bishop, but this service was familiar and comforting. She liked red-haired Preacher Dan, who Freeman and Ivy had spoken of so highly, and she enjoyed his sermon on faithfulness. From her seat between two unmarried girls, she could see Freeman sitting several rows ahead of her on the far side. He'd been given a place by the aisle so that he could stretch out his leg and his crutches were under the bench. He couldn't see her without turning his head, and it pleased her to watch him without him being aware of it.

Morning service lasted nearly three hours, including the singing of hymns, Preacher Dan's sermon, a shorter sermon by the bishop, and the deacon's announcements of coming events and a planned day of fasting and silent prayer in sympathy for those caught up in foreign wars and displacement. Generations earlier, the Amish had been driven out of their homelands in Switzerland and Germany, many having suffered death and torture because of their religious beliefs. The bishop reminded them all that they must not forget that people today also suffered cruelly because of their faith in God. They might not be Amish, but it was the duty of the community to offer what help they could by remembering and praying for the victims.

The bishop's words touched Katie, and she went from the service to the communal dinner in a more serious state of mind than she had come in that morning. She'd rarely heard an Amish preacher or bishop urge his congregation to contemplate the plight of Englishers and consider their suffering. It was a good thing, she thought, a possible way to help, because she had a great belief in the power of prayer and in God's mercy. And it also brought back to each of them what sacrifices their own Amish forebearers had made so that they could find peace and a new home here in the United States of America.

After the closing hymn, everyone went outside where long tables had been set up for the traditional shared meal. Freeman was waiting for her near the corner of the house. “Are you doing okay?” he asked quietly, his expression anxious.

She nodded. “Of course, Freeman. I like your community.”

“And is Grossmama looking after you? She promised me that she would.”

“She is,” Katie assured him. “Everyone is kind, and I like your Preacher Dan.”

“Good. Good. Come, I want you to meet him and our bishop.” Already nimble on his crutches, he led her over to where a group of the elders had gathered and introduced them. They exchanged a few pleasantries before Ivy came to ask her to assist in serving the food.

“Dinner,” the bishop announced. He patted his ample stomach. “I like the sound of that.” He smiled at her. “We are pleased to have you with us, and pleased that our friend Freeman has finally found someone he wants to spend his life with.”

Katie flashed a shy smile at Freeman and then hurried away after Ivy, who explained to her that there had been a bit of a mishap in the kitchen involving two ornery little boys and a tray of sandwiches. The interior of the kitchen was a barely controlled chaos with crying babies and toddlers, giggling teenage girls whispering to each other, and Viola giving instructions. Katie saw the remains of the sandwiches scattered on the floor, found a broom and dustpan and quickly set about clearing the mess. The meat, cheese, lettuce and rolls on the table were being reassembled by an elderly white-haired woman in black and one of the girls, but what had fallen was obviously beyond saving, except as bounty for the chickens. Viola pointed the way to the poultry yard and Katie carried away the scraps.

Returning from the chicken house, she washed her hands and joined the other young women in transporting the meal to the first sitting, which consisted of the men and guests. The women and children would eat afterwards, partaking of the same food but with much less formality than was expected of those at first table. With the men fed, the women would be free to visit and eat at their leisure. And whatever cleanup chores were required, Ivy assured her that they wouldn't be expected to do it. Dish detail was regularly assigned to the teenage boys—quite a sensible arrangement, Katie thought.

Even with the loss of a great deal of the contents of the sandwich tray in the kitchen accident, there was more than enough food to feed everyone. As the men took their places at long tables under the trees in the yard, Viola put a pitcher of ice water into Katie's hands. “Emily's setting the glasses. Pour those who want water, then come back for the iced tea, then lemonade, then root beer.”

“I have a better idea.” Katie started uprighting glasses on a tray. “It will go quicker if we fill glasses here. Then we can each carry a tray with an assortment and ask everyone what they'd like to drink. It'll go faster that way.”

“Well...I suppose...we could try it that way,” Viola said, seeming flustered.

“Katie.” Freeman called to her and motioned her over to where he was sitting.

“I'll be right back,” she told Viola. Then to the other girls assigned drinks, she said, “Put the glasses on the trays and start pouring.” She made her way to Freeman and bent her head to hear what he wanted to tell her.

“Must you be so...” He exhaled and started again, speaking under his breath. “Just do what Viola asked. No need to rearrange the process.”

She straightened up, making a face at him. “But my way is so much easier. We'll be done in no time and people will have what they want to drink faster.”

“Katie, you're new here. Best not to make a fuss,” he whispered.

She took a breath before she responded. “So what you're saying is that I should do it less efficiently so as not to make waves?”

He glanced at the men at the table, then back at her. “Please, Katie. Don't be difficult. You don't always have to be in charge.”

“
Ne
, I suppose not.” She could feel her cheeks burning. “I suppose Susan would not have done such a thing,” she murmured. “I'm sure she knew her place.”

“Ya,”
he said, obviously exasperated with her. “You're right there. Susan never made a fuss in public.”

“I'm sure she didn't.” Katie walked away, embarrassed, wanting desperately to have the last word, but too in control to make a complete fool of herself in front of Freeman's friends.

Once the drinks were poured and served, some in the manner Viola had instructed and some the way Katie had suggested, Katie returned to the kitchen. At the sink, she filled a dishpan of water and began to wash whatever she could find in the kitchen. Strictly speaking, washing dishes was work and work was not performed on the Sabbath, but most Amish women were too practical to fret over small sins and they cleaned up whatever came to hand when it was needed. Viola came in and began arranging casseroles on the counter, and Katie turned to her, dried her hands on a towel, and smiled. “It's so kind of you to have me in your home,” she said.

“
Ya
. You are welcome here.” Viola was brisk but not unfriendly.

“I hope I didn't speak out of turn. About the drinks. I didn't mean to cause a problem. I just get in a habit of doing things a certain way and...” She met her hostess's appraising look. “My mother tells me that I'm too forward. I ask your pardon if I offended you.”

“For what?” Viola's lips curved up in a smile. “You were trying to help. And I've been called forward myself. I think we'll get on well enough, Katie Byler.” She patted Katie's hand. “It's pleased I am that our Freeman has finally stopped moping over that Susan and looked around for a sensible young woman. I only hope that the two of you don't knock heads. You and Freeman, I mean. He's full of himself, but then most men are before they have a wife and children.”