Courting Emily (A Wells Landing Book 2) (7 page)

It had taken the better part of the morning, but the Riehl house and barn had never looked better.

“What?” Emily turned her attention from her thoughts to her sister. The horses practically knew the way home and could maneuver without much help from her, which left her wallowing in her own thoughts.

“I think Elam likes you,” Mary explained.

“No more than any other
maedel
.” As she said the words, his cold stare and warning to stay away from his family flashed through her mind.

“Oh,
jah
. Lots more.”

Emily shook her head. “You’re wrong. He hates me.”

“‘Hate is an ugly word,’” she said, quoting their mother.

“Strongly dislikes, then.”

Mary shook her head, their shoulders bumping as they cantered along. “He likes you.”

“He yelled at me for bringing his father outside.”

“I watched the whole thing, and there was no yelling.”

Emily twisted her mouth into a grimace. “He wanted to then.”

Mary smiled. “You know what the
Englisch
say.”

“
Nay,
” Emily said, already tired of the conversation. “I don’t.”

“It is a short line between hate and love.”

She frowned at her sister. “Are you sure that is how it goes?”

“It is something like that. It means that the person who cares about you the most can make you the angriest.”

“I’m not sure I believe that,” Emily said, pulling the buggy to a stop. She waited at the intersection for a beat before setting the horse in motion once again.

“Of course it is true.”

Emily shook her head, her sister’s intentions suddenly clear. “Oh,
nay,
you don’t. Just because you are in love doesn’t mean the world needs to be in love with you.”

“What about Luke?” Mary asked with a self-satisfied smirk.

Her heart gave a painful thump at the mention of his name. She schooled her features to hide her inner turmoil, though if anyone knew how much she missed Luke, it was her sister. “What about Luke?”

“Does he count in your ‘the world doesn’t need to be in love theory?’ Of course not.”

Emily sniffed. “I’m just saying you shouldn’t try to see feelings where there are none.”

“I know what I saw,” Mary insisted.

“I know he loves someone else.”

Mary’s eyes grew wide. “How do you know that?”

“He told me . . . sort of. I mean, he said something that, oh never mind.”

“Was this before or after he ‘yelled’ at you?”

Emily decided it best not to answer that question. “After the milking, will you go into town with me?”

“
Jah,
” Mary said immediately. “What do you want to do in town?”

“I want to go by the library and look up some stuff on the computer.”

Mary’s eyes grew impossibly wide. “On the
Englisch
computer?”

“Are there any other kind?”

“
Nay
. . . I mean . . .
Dat
will . . . Emily!”

“It is for a
gut
cause,” she defended. “I want to check out some things.” She had been hearing talk of the
Englisch
Internet where anything and everything could be found. Like ways to help people who had suffered head injuries and problems with medications. She wasn’t sure how she knew, but she just did: she needed to help James Riehl.

“How are you going to work an
Englisch
computer?” Mary asked.

“The librarian will help me,
jah?
”

Mary shrugged. “I suppose. But what if
Dat
finds out?”

“He’s not going to,” she said with confidence. “And you’re not going to tell him.”

Emily slid from the buggy two days later and smoothed her hands over her lilac dress. It wasn’t the same purple one that James loved so much, but hopefully he would enjoy this one just as well.

She reached behind the seat and pulled out the basket of goodies she had collected. Tucked in the bottom, underneath the bag of grape jelly flavored jelly beans, the plastic school box full of markers and crayons in a variety of purple shades, and the stacks of purple construction paper was the info she had gathered at the library Saturday evening.

She had wanted to come yesterday and share what she had learned, but her family had traveled to the neighboring district to attend church. Given the length of the service and all of her regular milking duties, she hadn’t had enough time to give to the visit. The delay also gave her a bit more time to gather fun things for James to do and her courage to face the wrath of Elam.

She had wanted to immediately go and put what she had learned into practice, but she didn’t let herself. If Elam Riehl was upset about her taking his father outside, he would be furious at what she was about to suggest. It was best to give him a chance to completely cool off before starting up again.

She drew in a deep breath. He was not going to like what she had discovered.

“Emily?” Becky rushed out onto the front porch. “I am so glad to see you.” She skipped down the stairs and looped her arm through hers. “Are you staying the entire afternoon?”

“As long as your family will have me.”

Becky’s smile beamed. “I’ll send a messenger to your family then so they won’t worry about you.”

“
Jah?
”

Becky pulled her close. “Because we’re keeping you forever.”

We’ll see,
Emily silently added.

“
Mamm, Mamm,
” Becky called as she hurried up the porch steps. “Look who’s here.”

Emily followed Becky into the house.

Joy Riehl came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. “Emily, so
gut
to see you.”

Emily smiled in return and lifted her basket. “I brought some things for James.”

Joy’s smile was both relieved and pleased.

Emily had to admit the house had never looked better. Even as much as pride was a sin, she was proud of the job she and her sisters had done for this family. She’d just have to pray about it later.

“Where is James?” Emily set the basket on the kitchen table.

“Can I?” Becky asked, indicating she wanted to unload what Emily had brought.

Emily gave her a quick nod.

“He’s napping.” Joy said. She pressed the back of one hand to her forehead. As if to stay the beginning pangs of a headache.

“Are you
allrecht?
” she asked.

Joy nodded. “I’m tired is all.” She slid into the closest kitchen chair. “James had a bad night. He had crazy dreams. Then he got up and rambled all over the house.”

“I’m so sorry,” Emily murmured. What she had printed out from the library might just be the solution this family needed, but she held back. She needed to present this gently. “What time did he finally get to sleep
gut?
”

“It was about four.” Joy sighed. “Of course that was after he fell. Thankfully Elam was already awake. Together we got him back to bed.”

“What’s this?” Becky held up the folded papers Emily had printed at the library.

“It’s just some information.” She pulled the papers from Becky’s grasp.

“What kind of information?” she asked.

Emily slid into the chair opposite Joy and unfolded the papers. She smoothed them flat, searching for the right words. “I went to the library the other day and printed out some information about the medications James is taking.”

“
Jah?
”

Emily wasn’t sure how to read the expression on Joy’s face. Quietly open was her hope, so she pushed on. “Some of these medications have severe side effects.” She pushed the papers across the table. “It’s all in there. You should read it. Maybe ask his doctor. I just . . .” She took a deep breath and gathered her courage. “I think his medicine might be doing him more harm than good.”

“I thought I told you to stay away from my family.”

Emily whirled around as Elam stormed into the room. How long had he been standing there listening to their conversation? Long enough.

“I am only trying to help.”

Joy picked up the papers and started flipping through the sheets.

“Well, you are failing.” He loomed over her.

Emily stood, like that did any good against his superior height. Or his anger.

“Elam.” Joy’s voice was unreadable, and Emily wasn’t about to look at her. She was locked in a stare-down with Elam. Why was he being so stubborn?

“Just read what’s there.” That was not too much to ask, to keep an open mind and seek answers.

He stalked around the table and scooped up the papers. He fisted them in his big hand, reducing them to a wad of crumpled words.

“Elam,” Joy’s voice admonished.

“What if it helps him?” Emily asked.

A moment hung suspended between them.

He stilled. “What if it doesn’t?”

Emily kept her eyes on him, her gaze steady and reassuring. “If he were my
vatter,
it would be a chance I’d be willing to take.”

He wilted a bit, his eyes filled with pain and something else. Regret? Remorse? Then he tossed the papers back onto the table and stalked out the door.

Joy and Becky watched him leave, their expressions a mirror image of confusion and apology.

“I don’t know—” Joy started, but only finished with a shake of her head.

Emily pointed toward the wad of papers. “Will you read it?” she asked.

“
Jah
.”

“That’s all I can ask.” She turned on her heel and followed Elam out into the bright sun.

She found him standing under the large tree to the side of the house, the very same one where she and James had watched the men paint a few days before.

“What is wrong with you?” She hadn’t intended her words to come out sharp and accusing, but she’d had about all of his contention she could stand. She was only trying to help, after all.

He braced his hands on the tree and tucked his head between his arms. He said something, but she couldn’t quite make out the words.

“What?” she asked, doing her best to keep her temper under control.

He raised his head. “I don’t know.”

She stopped. A little of the starch that had sustained her this far escaped. “I think you do.” She crossed her arms and eyed him. “Why are you so against reading that information?”

He shook his head.

“You’re afraid.” Big strong Elam Riehl was scared. “But of what?”

“You don’t understand,” he whispered.

“Then tell me.”

He braced his back against the tree and slid downward until he was sitting between the roots.

Emily lowered herself to sit in front of him, so close their knees almost touched.

“He was so strong before.” Elam’s voice was quiet, almost hesitant.

“I remember.”

He leaned his head against the tree, its trunk smashing the back of his hat. “He was my everything and to see him like that . . .”

“Now you have to be everything to everybody instead. And everything to him.”

“
Jah
.” The words were spoken so quietly she almost thought she had imagined them.

“You don’t have to always be strong, you know.”

“I’m not.” His eyes were closed, but she didn’t need to see the green depths to know his pain.

“You try to be.”

He didn’t say anything for a long time. He just sat under the tree, his eyes closed, his breathing slow. Emily wondered if perhaps he had fallen asleep.

“
Danki,
” he finally said. His eyes flickered open. He seemed to have recovered in those few moments. His gaze was clear, his shoulders relaxed. He looked like they had just come out for a stroll.

“You’re not alone in this,” she told him.

He nodded. “That’s what
Mamm
keeps telling me. I try to trust her. After all, she’s been my
mamm
since I was eight years old.”

Emily had forgotten that his mother had died when he was so young. Not that she remembered firsthand about Linda Riehl’s illness and death, but she had heard the story many times in the years following. But when James married Joy Detweiller, talk of the past died down and only murmurs about the future could be heard.

“Well, she is right. You are not alone. You have her and God and—”

“You?”

Emily paused, just a half a second between when he spoke and when she answered. “
Jah,
” she said. “You have me.”

 

 

Elam felt a little more in control by the time he and Emily made their way back into the house. Enough so that he managed to read the papers she’d brought concerning his father’s medications.
Ach,
he tried to read them, but there were so many medical terms that he was soon way over his head.

He stroked his chin, a gesture he’d seen his father perform a hundred times. “I don’t understand half of this.” He turned his eyes to Emily, hoping he didn’t sound half as hopeless as he felt.

“I’m no expert either, but the best I can figure, it sounds like your father’s medications may be a little strong for him. He might even be allergic.”

“Allergic?”

Emily nodded. “That could cause all sorts of side effects.”

“Like him being dizzy?” Joy asked.

“Or falling?” Becky added.

“
Jah
. I s’pose.” Though Emily sounded a little hesitant. After all her push to get them to listen, why was she pulling back now?

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell them.”

“
Dat!
” Becky slapped a hand over her heart. “We should put a bell on you like we did the cat.”

True. Without shoes on, his
dat
could make it into the room before anyone even knew he was up and about. All the more reason for them to figure out if the medication was indeed making him worse than his injury alone.

Dat
shook his head, but smiled. “So you can talk about me without me hearing what you say?”

“We are checking into your medications,” Becky said. “They might not be right.”

“And?” James asked.

“Well.”
Mamm
drew the one word out until it seemed like three.

“We’re looking into it,” Elam said, and the relieved expression on Emily’s face made it all worth it.

This was not ridiculous, Emily told herself as she knocked on the door. It was Tuesday, three days after the work frolic at Elam’s house. She’d helped out the Riehls. What difference was there in helping out the Lambrights?

She knocked again on Joseph Lambright’s door, but to no answer. Her only option would be to leave the bread on the rocker out front and try another day.

Emily tucked the linen towels around the loaves. As much as she hated to leave without news from Luke, she didn’t have much choice.

“
Ach,
Emily Ebersol, is that you?”

She whirled around as Joseph came out of the barn, a leather harness flung over one shoulder.

Emily had never noticed how much Luke and his uncle favored one another. They were both not as tall as some men, about five foot eight inches. Which was good for her because Luke didn’t tower over her like other people she knew. Both men had the same inky black hair full of waves that tended to curl under the edge of their hats. But whereas Luke’s eyes were clear blue like the summertime sky, Joseph’s were a stormy gray of the clouds before it rained.

“I brought you some bread, Joseph Lambright.”

He smiled. “I bet you’ve come for news from Luke.”

The heat rose into her cheeks but she kept her gaze steady. “
Jah,
” she said. “I have at that.”

“Come on in the house.” He climbed the porch steps and led the way inside. “You wouldn’t happen to have any pie in that basket would you?”

Emily laughed. “Only bread. But there is a loaf of pumpkin spice.”

Joseph grinned. “We’ll have some coffee and a snack then, while I tell you what my nephew has been up to.”

“Is he doing all right?” Emily asked after the coffee had been brewed, the cups poured, and the bread sliced and served.

“I s’pose so.” Joseph took a bite of the pumpkin bread and smiled around the crumbs. “That’s delicious,” he said and bit off another large hunk. “He called last week. Said something about getting a sponsor for his car.”

Emily didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad one. From the look on Joseph’s face, neither did he. “Did he ask about me?”