Harvest of Hearts (18 page)

If she were to find a nursing job in Springfield, she would make enough money to commute back and forth. Why hadn’t she thought to look for a summer job in the medical field? She’d probably had more options available to her than she’d thought.

But it had been nice reconnecting with her family. Rediscovering her roots.

And discovering Matthew.

If only there were a chance she could have it both ways. Matthew and a career.

“Shanna?” Mamm’s concerned voice broke into her thoughts.

“Um, jah?” She uncovered her eyes.

“You have a headache, ain’t so? Let me get something for it.”

“Uh, nein. Danki.” She couldn’t explain her thoughts to Mamm. She doubted she’d understand. “The fresh air will help.” She picked up the pie tin full of cookies and started for the door. “I’ll get the buggy ready and go, then, if you don’t mind.”

Mamm waved her hand. “If you’re sure you’re all right.”

Shanna hurried out to the barn. She put the tin of cookies in the buggy, then approached the stall where the family horse, Penny, was kept. She wished she could use her own horse, Cocoa, but Matthew had taken her. Joseph had told her that Daed had as good as given Cocoa to him.

She hadn’t been asked. It didn’t matter.

A little bit later, Shanna was on her way. She turned at a fork in the road, headed away from town, until she came to the Kropf farm.

When she stopped the buggy beside the barn, Amos strode out and marched over to her. “Jah? What can I do for you?” He hesitated a moment, then nodded. “Ach, you’re the maud the bishop promised to send. I thought he’d kum the first time to introduce you, and I’d give you a run-down of the job. Did you plan to start tonight?”

Maud?
She climbed out of the buggy and extended the tin of cookies to him, not sure how to answer his question.

He eyed the cookies curiously before finally taking them, and then he studied her for a long moment. “You look familiar.” He tilted his head. “But I don’t remember seeing you with the maidels. Who are you?”

Shanna took a deep breath. “Levi Stoltzfus’s Shanna.”

He took a step backward. “The one who wrecked my buggy,” he said flatly.

Her shoulders slumped. “Jah. I’m sorry. That’s why I’m here. I want to help. I may not be the maud, but I’ll do whatever you need me to do to make it up to you.” She shook her head. “I have nein money.”

Amos eyed her warily. “You cook? Do dishes? Laundry?”

Of course, she did. She’d been raised Amish. After she’d finished the eighth grade, she’d been trained to be a keeper at home. Staying focused was the problem she’d had then. She was better now. At least she hadn’t burned any cookies yet. “Jah. And I’ll work for free.”

Amos nodded. “Until you earn what the buggy repairs cost. Then, I pay.” He gestured toward the house. “No one is home. You’ll find the kitchen as soon as you walk in. The washer is in there. I should move it out for you, jah?” With a frown, he turned and led the way to the small stone house.

He hadn’t been kidding. The door, with an antique knob and a skeleton keyhole, opened right into a tiny kitchen full of dirty dishes. They were piled on the counter, on the table, on every possible surface. He put the cookies down on top of a wobbly tower of bowls, grunted, and shoved the washer out the door. “I’ll send my bu Will to fill it for you. Be right gut to have a home-cooked meal instead of sandwiches or boxed cereal.”

She opened her mouth to say “Danki” but instead shut it without uttering a word. Three laundry baskets were stacked high with clothes that needed to be laundered. No wonder he needed a maud!

And she didn’t have a clue where to begin.

She stood there for a minute, staring in disgust. This explained why her brother thought Amos needed a frau! The woman who agreed to take this on was a brave woman, indeed.

She glanced up and studied the ceiling. Patched over, like it had started to collapse. There were two small holes that had been missed near the wall, and a brown recluse spider was dangling there, out of her reach. She eyed it, waiting for it to move. It didn’t. Maybe it was dead.

Shanna stepped over to the sink full of dishes and saw the faucet. Ach, there was some hope that this wouldn’t be so bad. At least she wouldn’t have to haul and heat water.

Minutes later, with the first load of dishes soaking in sudsy water, Shanna took a peek out the door leading into the hallway. Two bedrooms. The one directly across from her had two bunk beds. She wandered down the hall. The other bedroom had two bunk beds, as well. And there was a full-sized bed in the living room. There were no chairs, except for two hard wooden rockers, but there was a small, round table with a German Bible on it.

Eight people lived in this tiny, spooky house. Unbelievable.

The rest of the rooms were almost spotless. Except for the floors, which needed to be swept, they were kept to the Amish standard of cleanliness.

She went back into the kitchen to look for a rag to wash the dishes, but before she found one, a bu came in. “I’m Will. Daed said to fill the washer for you. It’s ready.”

“Gut! You kill the spider while I get started.” She pointed at the ceiling, then grabbed a bar of lye soap to grate into the hot water.

He glanced up and located the spider, which still hadn’t budged. Shrugging, he turned away. “If it’s still alive, it’ll get away before I can kill it.” With that, he walked out the door.

He didn’t even try.

Shanna cringed. She’d do what she’d come to do, but the sooner she got out of here, the better.

***

Matthew glanced toward the barn, hoping Shanna would get back before dinner was over so she could share the meal with them. She’d be very late, but at least she’d be there. Instead, her spot sat empty, like it had when she’d first arrived. Only this time, her absence made for a much bigger hole. She belonged there now.

Deborah passed a pan in his direction. “Have some more apple pie, Matthew. There’s plenty.”

“Danki.” He took a small slice, not wanting more, and hoping to save some for Shanna if she did appear. “Was, uh, Shanna called in to work?”

“Nein.” Deborah shook her head. “She took the buggy. I don’t know where she went. Maybe to visit friends.”

She’d said her friends were all married with families and lived in another district. Matthew frowned.

Levi sat up straighter. “She took the buggy?” He smiled as if this were the best news.

Joseph bowed his head to say a silent after-dinner prayer, then pushed himself away from the table. “May I be excused? There’s a frolic at Miriam Shultz’s haus. It’s her birthday. You’re invited, too, Matthew.”

“Danki. Sounds fun.”

If Shanna came, even more so, but there was still no sign of her.

Matthew swallowed the last bite of pie, bowed his head in prayer for a moment, and then stood. “I’ll go put on a clean shirt and get ready.”
And pray Shanna shows up before we leave.

“Ach, Matthew, what happened with the haus you looked at?” Deborah asked as he was about to leave the room.

Matthew shrugged. “I made an offer. Now I wait to see what the owner says.” He tried to sound excited, but his enthusiasm had been tempered by the disappointment of Shanna’s absence. He wanted—nein, needed—her encouragement.

Levi pushed his chair back. “He’ll accept. Cash payment.” He peered out the window. “Where’d you say Shanna went? Seems she should be home by now.”

Matthew smiled. So, he wasn’t the only one missing her.

“I told you, I don’t know.” Deborah started to gather the dishes. “She’ll be back soon, I’m sure.”

“Expect so.” Levi turned from the window and stroked his beard.

“I’m going to get ready for the frolic.” Matthew dashed up the stairs, grabbed a clean set of clothes, and headed for the shower.

When he came down, his heart flooded with relief when he saw Shanna standing in the kitchen. Deborah placed a slice of pie on a plate and filled a cup with coffee. “Shanna, please. Have a little dessert, at least. You have to eat something.”

Matthew couldn’t stop his grin. He pulled out the chair next to Shanna’s empty one and turned to face her. “Where were you?” Ach, he didn’t have the right to ask that. His face heated.

She made no move to sit. Instead, she stretched her arms high over her head and glanced at him, her expression drawn. “I got a job as a volunteer maud. Ach, it was so awful. It’s like no one’s done any work in the kitchen since who knows when. The cupboards were bare. Completely empty. Seriously. Not a single clean dish anywhere.”

Deborah poured Matthew a cup of coffee, but he stared at Shanna, slack-jawed. What kind of family would let their house fall into such bad shape?

“So, after I washed some dishes and did some laundry—not all of it, or I would’ve had nein place to hang it, since the clothesline was full—I looked in the pantry for something to fix for supper, and all I found was one jar of canned corn, and one of beef. I used the last few shriveled potatoes, as well.” She sat down and pulled in her chair. “All they have left is one box of cereal, and it’s almost empty.”

“How awful!” Deborah sat down in the chair on the other side of Shanna. “Which family is this? I’ll ask your daed to talk to the bishop so they can have more help.”

“It’s Amos Kropf, and I’m guessing the bishop knows, since he was supposed to send out a maud.” She lowered her arms and bent forward, touching her toes. “I got quite a workout. I’m no longer used to doing so much in one day.”

Matthew frowned and sat down. He was familiar with Amos Kropf and his reputation for chasing girls. He didn’t want Shanna getting involved in this situation or with this man. But what could he do?

Deborah covered her mouth. “Ach, that poor man. Nein wonder he’s been looking for a frau. I’ll hold a couple of loaves of bread back from my bake sale to give to the Kropfs. Maybe I can spare a few canned goods, as well. Summer’s coming on, and we’ll have fresh vegetables soon enough.”

“He hasn’t even put in a garden yet. Ach, Mamm, I feel so sorry for him. Seven buwe, and they’re all stacked in a two-bedroom house with the roof almost falling in. The kitchen ceiling is sloppily patched.”

Matthew’s frown deepened. “With seven buwe, they should be able to keep the haus up better.”

“His last wife died falling through the ceiling to the bottom level.” Deborah’s gaze bounced from Matthew to Shanna. “The floor had rotted out. Amos found her. Guess that was the patched hole you saw.”

“I didn’t see any stairs.” Shanna straightened and twisted her back from one side to the other.

“There’s an entrance to the attic somewhere. A ladder going up. She kept her sewing there.”

Shanna’s movements intrigued Matthew. He leaned back in his chair and watched the show, though he didn’t know where she’d picked up such unusual exercises. Whenever he needed to stretch his back, he usually arched it until it popped. He didn’t reach up and down or twist from side to side. But it was fascinating to observe.

Shanna sighed and stopped moving. “I feel so sorry for him,” she repeated.

Deborah furrowed her brow. “Well, we’ll do what we can to help, for sure, but Amos is known to be hard on women. Some say he’s abusive. I’ve seen nein proof of that, but the truth is, he’s buried three wives and two daughters so far.”

“It’s the haus.” Shanna started stretching again. “It’s spooky.”

“Well, be that as it may….” Deborah stood abruptly. “I know how you feel about strays. We don’t need you bringing a stray man and his family home.” She patted the table. “Sit. Eat. Joseph mentioned a birthday frolic. Are you going?”

“I am, jah,” Matthew answered, though he was sure Deborah had been asking her daughter. A girl who did have a tendency to pick up strays. A woman who might be inclined to marry someone because she felt sorry for him.

His breath caught. He suddenly feared her coming home with Amos Kropf and his buwe.
Ach, Lord. Don’t let that be so.

He studied Shanna and tried to sound nonchalant as he said, “You’ll go with me, ain’t so?”