A Season for Tending (31 page)

“Why don’t you grow it yourself?” Samuel leaned against a counter.

“As far as I know, licorice can’t be grown in the US, although if I had a greenhouse, I’d be tempted to give it and lots of other herbs a try.”

“Didn’t you once have herbs?” Leah set the mug on the work station in front of her. “Lots of them in raised beds? I was sure I saw them several times when I was at a neighbor’s place.”

Rhoda went to the sink and grabbed two handfuls of blueberries from the water. “I did until last May, actually.” She dropped the berries into a colander. “Which reminds me, if word gets out that I’ve given Leah herbal
anything
, I’ll get in trouble.”

Leah frowned. “Why?”

Rhoda’s eyes locked on Samuel’s. He understood plenty. She hadn’t explained her whole life story while they were on the phone discussing his invite to Kings’ Orchard, but she’d shared enough. And he’d been kind about it.

“It doesn’t matter.” Samuel straightened. “And what you’re doing for Leah won’t be mentioned. But if you’d like a place to grow herbs, one that won’t be seen by passersby or questioned by anyone, we can provide that for you.”

Jacob pulled his billfold out of his pocket. “How much do we owe you for what you’ve ordered and anything else?”

Rhoda shooed him away. “Put your money up.”

Samuel got a jar of fruit off a shelf. “If you’re going to treat us like friends, would you let us do the same by coming Friday night?”

“That’s nice, but it’s for family, and I’m not family.”

“These harvest kickoffs aren’t a youth function,” Leah said. “And they aren’t open to everyone, just like Mamm said, but to family and invited friends.”

Rhoda looked at Jacob. “You’re very quiet. Why’s that?”

His green eyes were focused on her. “Du duh net verschteh.” He repeated the first line she’d ever spoken to him.
You do not understand
.

She could see that he wasn’t joking around, not even a little. What didn’t she understand? It was obvious to her that she couldn’t provide the kind of help Kings’ Orchard needed, but apparently this group did not feel the same way or they wouldn’t be here, would they?

“Rueben,” Lydia called to someone outside. “Can I help you?”

“Rueben?” Rhoda turned and ran out of the cellar and up the stairs. She heard the others following her. Rueben stood beside Eli, leaning against the driver’s truck, so involved in a conversation that he hadn’t even heard Lydia. Either that or he was ignoring her.

Rhoda went over to him, and he looked up. Rhoda’s Mamm and both sisters-in-law were outside now, ready to defend Rhoda if need be since all the menfolk were at work. No one in her family trusted Rueben Glick.

Rueben said good-bye to Eli, tipped his hat to Rhoda, and left.

Rhoda looked from one person to another. “What was that about?”

“What, with Rueben?” Eli pushed away from the truck. “He was out for a walk, and when he saw me, he stopped to chat. I probably haven’t seen him in two years. Didn’t realize he lived near here.” Eli turned to Samuel. “He’s the guy who hits a homer nearly every time he’s up at bat during the annual auction to support the schools. It’s a shame we see him only once a year.”

Rhoda glanced at the women in her family, but they didn’t say anything. If Eli wanted to believe Rueben was a superstar of some sort, they wouldn’t say otherwise.

Lydia put her hand on her lower back, making her protruding stomach look even larger.

Mamm stepped closer. “You have company, Rhoda?”

“Mamm, you remember Samuel? And these are three of his siblings.” After she made the introductions, her Mamm invited them to go inside for a drink and fresh fruit.

Surprisingly, Samuel accepted. Did he not have any work to do today? Rhoda lagged behind, letting them go in ahead of her.

Jacob dropped back too. “I hope this isn’t a sore subject with you, but I enjoyed your visit last week.”

Rhoda nodded. “Denki. It was thrilling to see the orchard, to ride among the trees and feel swept away in its splendor.” People ate every day, and oftentimes they didn’t pause when standing in the fresh produce section of the grocery store to realize the magnitude of God’s earth that feeds them. Her reaction was just the opposite. Every seed and bud and piece of fruit she saw made pleasure sprout anew within her.

Had she been too hasty in turning down their proposition?

“About this Friday.” Jacob seemed relaxed and confident as he interacted with her. “Our driver will pick us up at our house and take us to Lancaster right before he gets off for the weekend. We’ll help set up whatever the women need, and later we’ll drive a rig here and pick you up, say around seven?”

She wasn’t one to attend a gathering, and accepting might make them believe they stood a chance of her saying yes to their business offer. If she felt a little more sure about at least canning for them this fall, she’d accept.

The sound of a vehicle drew her attention. Landon pulled his truck in behind the other one. What was he doing here this time of day? When he got out of the truck, he looked as if he’d been sucker-punched. She knew that look. He’d been given more bad news about his job; maybe he’d been let go or they’d given him notice which day would be his last.

Rhoda turned back to Jacob. “I’ll be ready and waiting.”

THIRTY

Rhoda lifted the rack of Mason jars out of the steaming water in the bath canner, but her mind was on the Kings and their visit here two days ago. She needed confirmation to help her decide what to do—a gut feeling or a sign of some kind. Something. But all she felt was what she’d felt the day Samuel first asked her: that things would end badly.

After placing the rack on the counter, she used a thick cloth to lift and set each jar on a shelf to cool for the next twenty-four hours. She hurried out of the cellar and into her house. Late for dinner again.

Her family had begun eating without her. Daed sat at the head of the ten-foot table. He stopped eating and folded his hands as he watched her. Five adults and five children followed suit. Rhoda hurried to the table. Four of her nieces and nephews were in their highchairs. Her eldest nephew, Enos, sat in a booster chair.

“Sorry I’m late.” Rhoda took her regular seat near her Daed. “Lydia came to me and said dinner would be ready in an hour, and I needed to find a stopping point and come upstairs. Then I totally forgot until John came to the cellar and yelled.”

Her brother John sat stone faced, irritated. “We said our prayers and began without you.”

That was obvious, but apparently he needed to vent. Daed winked at her before he bowed his head. It was a second prayer, and the other adults tried to keep the children hushed during it.

Rhoda closed her eyes. The aroma of fresh baked bread and chicken spaghetti filled her nose and mind, reminding her of all she had to be grateful for.

Denki, Father. Denki for Your love, for my family, for food and clothing, for my business
. She paused, unsure whether to ask Him again about this proposition Samuel had made. Goodness knows the man himself sparked her interest, but he had someone. So what was the right thing to do? Break all ties, or take on enough work that she could hire Landon full-time?

Poor Landon. He’d never been in love with his job, but not having one at all was so much worse. His last day would be in a week or so.

Daed shifted his flatware, letting her know prayer time was over. She chided herself for not praying throughout that time. What had begun as a prayer had ended with her pondering questions. She hadn’t given God or her family the respect due them.

She put the cloth napkin in her lap. “I really am sorry for being late. I know it’s annoying.”

John cut some long noodles into manageable pieces for his four-year-old. “You need to wear a buzzer around your neck that vibrates a little stronger for every five minutes you’re late.”

Her brother Steven choked on the water he was drinking. “Chicken feathers, John.” Steven coughed into his napkin while others chuckled. “If it keeps increasing every few minutes, it’ll end up shocking her to the point of pain or death.”

John passed her the pan of chicken spaghetti. “I think the fact that you know she’ll continue ignoring it until she’s in pain or unconscious is all the justification I need for being annoyed.”

“You want me to list all you do that annoys the rest of us?” Steven shot back. “How about if we start with the number of times you’ve woken me up this week? You just have to keep your own hours, banging around at midnight. The babies being up and crying is one thing, but your nonsense is flat-out ridiculous.”

“I’m not going to bed at nine or ten to suit you.”

“Fine. But stop pulling out pans to pop popcorn or heat up leftovers after everyone’s settled for the night.”

John passed his wife the salt and pepper. “At least I don’t leave a trail of
destruction in my path as I go through the house. You’re worse than all the children combined. And everyone knows when you’ve brushed your teeth because the toothbrush is left out, and there’s toothpaste all over the sink and counter.”

Lydia stayed focused on her two-year-old daughter, and Phoebe didn’t lift her eyes from her plate. The two young women did their best to keep peace and to reduce the tension between Rhoda’s brothers, but John and Steven were as opposite in nature as a cat and a dog. Rhoda’s ability to get lost in her work and tune out the rest of the household made her oblivious some of the time, maybe most of the time.

Daed picked up his knife and clinked it on his glass. When the room grew quiet, he put the knife on his plate. “We have blueberry cheesecake for dessert with my favorite, a graham cracker crust.”

Mamm grinned. “Drizzled with chocolate sauce.”

Daed lifted his glass toward his lips and paused. “So what did you young men get done at the Potter place today?”

Steven and John locked eyes. Clearly, the work hadn’t gone well. Considering they spent twenty-four hours under the same roof most days, it was surprising they got along as well as they did. But she hadn’t seen this level of tension in a long time. Maybe it was the news of two more babies joining the ranks in a couple of months. Or maybe her eyes were now open to the stress because God was trying to tell her something.

She looked down at her plate. “While you’re gone over the weekend, I’m going to a King family function in Lancaster.”

The frustration dropped from her brothers’ faces. They hoped that if she agreed to can for Kings’ Orchard, she would give up her oversized berry patch. But she couldn’t do that. Those plants were gifts from her Daed because he believed in her dream. And with her profits she helped the family make ends meet, and she put money away so she could one day build a kitchen that wasn’t in a cellar.

“All weekend?” Concern creased Steven’s brow.

“No, just Friday evening. They have relatives in Lancaster, and that’s where it’ll be held. ‘The boys,’ as their Mamm calls them, will pick me up and bring me home.”

“Tomorrow?” Mamm studied her.

“Ya. I guess I should’ve mentioned it sooner, but I only agreed on Tuesday to go.”

“You don’t look excited about it at all.”

Rhoda turned to Phoebe. “I wish I knew what to do. Part of me wants to help the Kings. Part of me needs to do so for Landon’s sake. But I keep wavering, like wheat in an open field.”

Lydia jumped up and left the table. “Ach, I meant to tell you!” She jerked open a kitchen drawer and pulled out a small faded-blue book. “Look what I found.” She handed the book to Rhoda.

Rhoda eased open the delicate book, and her heart began pounding like crazy. Mammi Byler’s recipes! The yellowed pages filled with faded ink had never looked so wonderful, and even with the extra wear and tear the book had been through since she’d last seen it, her great-great-grandmother’s handwriting was still readable. These pages held apple recipe after apple recipe.

Could this be the sign she’d been asking for?

“You found them!” Rhoda pulled them to her chest, feeling so many things. A few moments later she studied them again. “Look, she’s got recipes for apple butter, applesauce, jelly, jam, and pie filling. None of these are like the ones we use.”

Lydia’s eyes brimmed with tears. “Phoebe and I have been ransacking the attic almost every day since Samuel ate supper with us.”

The thought of her sisters-in-law, especially Lydia at seven months’ pregnant, working in that attic for more than a week during the dog days of summer melted Rhoda’s heart. “You two.” She got up and gave them each a hug.

“And what about me?” Mamm said. “I did their chores while they searched.”

Tears fell from Rhoda’s eyes. “Denki.” She squeezed her Mamm tight.

John sighed. “I cleaned the supper dishes one evening, and Grump over here moved the heavy stuff for them.” He pointed at Steven.

She rolled her eyes and sat down. “Then I’ll hug your wives twice. Once for their hard work, and once for making you pitch in.”

Drawing the book close to her once again, she knew she’d never chance losing this treasure for a second time. She’d copy each recipe onto loose-leaf paper and tuck the original book away for safekeeping in a place her brothers would never dare to move a stick of furniture—her bedroom.