Dear to Me (9 page)

 “Sounds like a good idea.”

 “I hear a buggy rumbling up the driveway,” Papa Noah said, glancing to the left. “Why don’t you go see who’s the first to arrive?”

 Melinda stood. “Jah, okay.”

 When she rounded the corner of the house, she was greeted by Gabe and his parents, Stephen and Leah Swartz.

 Gabe offered her a friendly smile. “Happy birthday, Melinda.”

 “Happy birthday,” Gabe’s folks said in unison.

 “Danki.” Melinda motioned toward the house. “Papa Noah has the barbecue fired up, and Mama’s in the kitchen. So feel free to go out back or inside, whichever you like.”

 “I believe I’ll go in the house and see if there’s anything I can do to help Faith,” Leah said.

 “And I’ll head around back and find out what kind of meat Noah’s grilling,” Stephen put in.

 As soon as Gabe’s folks left, he stepped up beside Melinda. “You sure look pretty tonight.”

 Heat radiated up the back of Melinda’s neck and spread quickly to her cheeks. “I don’t think I look much different than the last time you saw me.”

 He leaned in closer until she could feel his warm breath tickle her ear. “You’re the prettiest woman I know.”

 “Danki, Gabe.”

 “Do you want to open my gift now or wait until later?” he asked, lifting the paper sack he held in one hand.

 “I guess it would be best to wait and open all my gifts at the same time.”

 “Jah, okay.”

 Gabe leaned closer and studied Melinda so intently her toes curled inside her black leather shoes.

 “Hey, Gabe! What are you up to?”

 Melinda whirled around to face her brother. “Isaiah, you shouldn’t sneak up on people like that.”

 “I wasn’t sneakin’. I just happened to come around the house in time to see the two of you makin’ eyes at each other.”

 Gabe ruffled Isaiah’s hair. “You’re right—we’re caught.”

 “Why don’t you go see if Papa Noah needs any help?” Melinda suggested.

 Isaiah squinted. “I’ve never figured out why you call him that. Can’t ya just say, ‘Papa,’ without addin’ the Noah part?”

 “I was seven years old when Mama married Papa Noah. He’s been like a daed to me all these years, but he’s not my real father. So I’ve always thought it best to call him Papa Noah, and he’s never complained or asked me to call him anything else.”

 “Suit yourself,” Isaiah said with a shrug. “Guess I’ll mosey around back and see what’s cookin’.”

 “We’ll be there soon,” Melinda called to his retreating form.

 Gabe reached for Melinda’s hand and drew her aside. “As I was saying before Isaiah came along—”

 Two more buggies rolled into the yard just then, and Gabe released a moan. “Guess what I wanted to say will have to wait until later.” He gave Melinda’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Maybe after the party winds down, we can take a walk.”

 She nodded. “I’d like that.”

As Susie stepped down from her parents’ buggy, she spotted Melinda and Gabe holding hands as they stood in the yard together.
Oh, how I wish I had a boyfriend,
she thought dismally.
If there was only someone to hold my hand and look at me with the tenderness I see whenever Gabe looks at Melinda.

 “Something sure smells good,” Susie’s dad said, sniffing the air. “I’ll bet Noah’s been cooking up a storm.”

 “Besides whatever meat he’s barbecuing, it’s a pretty good guess that either he or Faith has made some other tasty dishes,” Mama put in.

 Papa smacked his lips. “When I talked to Melinda the other day, she said there would be a batch of homemade ice cream to go with the cake Noah baked for her birthday.”

 “That sounds good to me,” Mama said with a smile. “Don’t you think it sounds good, daughter?”

 Susie shrugged.

 “What are you looking so glum about?” Papa asked as he un-hitched the horse from their buggy. “We’re at a party—a celebration of Melinda’s nineteenth birthday. You ought to be smiling, not frowning like you’ve got a bad toothache, for goodness’ sake.”

 Susie forced her lips to form a smile. “Is that better?”

 “Much.” Mama nudged Susie with her elbow. “Let’s head for the house and see if Faith needs our help with anything while your daed gets the horse put in the corral.”

 As they started walking toward Faith and Noah’s house, Susie cast a quick glance in the birthday girl’s direction. Melinda was so busy talking to Gabe that she hadn’t even noticed them. Susie was tempted to stop and say a few words, but she decided Melinda might not appreciate having her conversation with Gabe interrupted. So she hurried to the house behind her mother, knowing the best thing she could do to get her jealousy under control was to keep her hands busy.

Melinda bit into a piece of moist chocolate cake and savored the moment. Her family and closest friends were here: Gabe and his folks; Grandpa and Grandma Stutzman; Susie; Barbara and Paul Hilty with their six children; and her immediate family—Mama, Papa Noah, Isaiah, and Grandpa Hertzler.

 “Why don’t you open your gifts now, Melinda?” Mama suggested.

 Isaiah bobbed his head up and down and said, “Let’s see what you got, sister.”

 Melinda blotted her lips on the paper napkin that had been lying in her lap. “Which one shall I open first?”

 “Why don’t you start with Susie’s?” Grandma nudged Susie’s arm. “Run on out to the buggy and get it.”

 Susie left the picnic table and hurried across the yard. A few minutes later, she returned carrying a small cardboard box, which she placed in Melinda’s lap. “Happy birthday. I hope you like it.”

 Melinda opened the flaps on the box and grinned when a pair of pretty blue eyes stared up at her and a pathetic meow escaped the tiny white kitten’s mouth. “She looks like a fluffy ball of snow,” Melinda said as she lifted the kitten out of the box and nuzzled its little pink nose. “I think I’ll call her ‘Snow.’ ”

 Susie grinned from ear to ear. It was the first genuine smile Melinda had seen her aunt give all evening. “I’m glad you like it, Melinda. It’s one of Daisy’s busslin.”

 “Danki,” Melinda said.

 “I can hold the kitten while you open the rest of your gifts,” Susie offered. “That way you’ll have both hands free.”

 Melinda handed the kitten to Susie, and Susie took a seat on the bench to the left of Melinda. Gabe occupied the spot to Melinda’s right. “Who wants to be next?” Melinda asked, glancing around the table.

 “I will.” Papa Noah placed a cardboard box on the picnic table in front of Melinda. “I had this made especially for you, and after you see what it is, you’ll probably know who made it.”

 Melinda lifted the flaps on the box. Inside she discovered an ornate birdhouse with a little door on it. She looked at Papa Noah and smiled. “Danki. I really like it.”

 “I’m glad you do, and now you can thank Gabe for all his hard work.”

 “You made this for me?” Melinda asked, glancing over at Gabe.

 He nodded and smiled, looking rather pleased with himself.

 She opened the little door on the birdhouse and peered inside. “What’s this?”

 Gabe’s smile widened. “It’s a separate compartment I added so we can keep sending notes to each other and not have to worry about the birds making a nest on top of our messages.”

 “That’s a good idea,” she said.

 “Why don’t you open mine next?” Gabe handed Melinda a smaller cardboard box. “I hope you like it.”

 With mounting excitement, Melinda tore open the box. Her breath caught in her throat when she lifted out a little carved fawn that had been glued to a small piece of wood. “It’s beautiful, Gabe. Danki so much.”

 He smiled and reached under the table to take her hand. “I attached the piece of wood to the deer, thinking you might be able to use it as a doorstop.”

 “That’s a good idea, but it’s so nice, rather than using it as a doorstop, I might decide to set it on my dresser so I can look at it every morning when I first get out of bed.”

 Melinda was about to open the rest of her gifts, but the wind became restless and clouds raced across the sky. Minutes later, it started to rain. Everyone grabbed something off the table and dashed for the house.

 “Whew! What a downpour,” Mama said as they entered the kitchen. “It amazes me how swiftly the weather can change during the spring.”

 Melinda placed her kitten on the floor, and it scurried under the stove. The older guests found seats around the kitchen table, while the younger ones went to the living room to play games. Melinda, Gabe, Susie, and Aaron headed outside to watch the storm from the safety of the front porch.

 “I like watching the way the
wedderleech
zigzags across the sky,” Gabe commented with a sweep of his hand.

 “I’ve always been afraid of the
dunner
,” Susie put in.

 “It’s not the thunder that can hurt you,” Aaron asserted. “It’s those bolts of dangerous lightning you’ve got to worry about.”

 Melinda shivered and rubbed her hands briskly over her arms.

 “Are you cold?” Gabe asked in a tone of concern.

 “A little. Guess I should have grabbed a sweater before coming outside.”

 “Want me to get it for you?”

 Melinda raised her voice to be heard over the thud of more thunder. “I’ll be okay.” She glanced nervously into the yard. “I hope all my critters are doing okay. Most animals don’t like storms.”

 “At least we know Snow’s all right,” Susie put in. “She’s probably curled up in someone’s lap by now.”

 Aaron turned around. “I’m tired of watching the rain. Think I’ll head back inside and see what the kinner are doing.”

 “Maybe I should, too,” Susie said with a nod.

 Melinda smiled. She figured their friends had decided to give her and Gabe some time alone. Gabe must have known also, for he reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

 As soon as Aaron and Susie entered the house, Gabe led Melinda over to the porch swing. Once they were seated, he pulled her close to his side. “Happy birthday, Melinda.” He lowered his head and brushed his lips against hers.

 Melinda melted into his embrace. Their first kiss was even sweeter than she had expected.

 Suddenly the front door opened, and Isaiah stuck his head out. “Oh, yuck! I’ll never kiss any girl ’cept Mama.”

 Melinda’s cheeks burned hot as she shook her finger. “You say one word about what you saw here, and I’ll tell Papa Noah that your dog ate out of a pie pan the other day.”

 “Aw, Jericho didn’t hurt a thing.” Isaiah wrinkled his nose. “Besides, the plate got washed.”

 Melinda jumped up, ready to tell her little brother what she thought of his juvenile antics, but a flash of fur darted over her foot, raced across the porch, and dove inside the open doorway.

 “Cinnamon!” she shouted. “How did you get out of your cage?”

Chapter 8

M
elinda dashed into the house after the runaway squirrel, and Gabe followed right on her heels. He couldn’t believe the way things were going tonight. First, the rain had put a damper on their plans to take a walk. Then Melinda’s younger brother had interrupted them when Gabe was on the verge of proposing. Now a silly critter had come along and ruined things.

 Pandemonium broke out as soon as they entered the living room. Not only was the squirrel skittering all over the place, but Melinda’s new kitten seemed to be the squirrel’s prey. The two animals circled the room, darting under chairs, banging into walls, and sliding across the hardwood floor. When Snow crawled under the braided oval throw rug, Cinnamon pounced on her. The kitten sailed out and zipped to the other side of the room.

 “You get the cat, and I’ll corner the squirrel,” Gabe shouted to Melinda as he waved his hands.

 Aaron, Susie, and the children, who’d been playing games in the adjoining room, came on the scene and became part of the chase, but no one had any luck catching either animal.

 “Have you got any paper sacks?” Gabe called to Isaiah.

 “I think there’s some in the kitchen.”

 “Get four of the biggest ones you can find!”

 When Isaiah returned a few minutes later, the older folks were with him.

 “What’s going on here?” Noah asked with a look of concern. “Isaiah said something about a squirrel.”