Patchwork Dreams (6 page)

Or maybe enough to support Susie with his own business.

Even if it wasn’t one of his choosing.

Daniel strode back into the shop, his expression drawn, his shoulders slumped. The other man climbed into the buggy outside, and at a word he spoke, the brown horse pulled it down the gravel drive. Daniel didn’t watch the man go. Instead, he went and checked the fire, then headed over to get one of the tools Jacob had just put away.

Without a word.

He picked it up and put it down again, staring at it as if he’d never seen it before.

Jacob flexed his jaw, wishing he knew Daniel well enough to ask him what bothered him. However, they had met just days ago, and he felt sure Daniel wouldn’t want to confide in him.

But he didn’t want to just stand there doing nothing, either.

“Can I help?”

Daniel jumped. “Nein. Go…go see what Grossdaedi is doing.”

Jacob hitched his shoulder. “Jah. Danki.”

Leaving his coat and hat on the hook, he headed out. He’d check the barn first, having no idea how the patriarch of the family spent his days. It certainly wasn’t in the blacksmith shop with Daniel.

He found Grossdaedi in the barn, mucking out the horse stalls. Jacob grabbed a shovel and moved in beside the elderly man.

***

Becky trudged home with Emma bundled in her sling, a basket of cookies hanging on her arm, and her thoughts weighing her down. Amos Kropf had already buried three wives. Becky certainly didn’t want to be number four. She had no desire to marry a man his age. He must be in his early forties, at least.

Daed surely wouldn’t agree to this match, would he? Not even if the bishop recommended it? Was this the only way she could hope to get married? To a man she barely knew? A man she suspected had abused his last wife?

“Lord, I don’t want to marry Amos Kropf. I’d rather remain a maidal all my life. But if it’s Your will, help me to accept it.”

The smoky smell from the blacksmith shop greeted her as she entered the edge of their property, though she didn’t see any cars or buggies outside it now. And she couldn’t hear any voices.

Going up to the house, she opened the door. Daed sat at the kitchen table, staring into a cup of coffee. Jacob was nowhere in sight.

He looked up with a sigh. “Ach, Becky.”

She set the basket of cookies in front of him. “Annie sent these.” They had covered the cookies with pink icing while she’d visited. She unwrapped Emma and headed for the other room. “Are you alright?”

Daed nodded. “I will be.”

“I need to go change her diaper. I’ll be right back.”

“Jah.”

“Where’s Mamm?” Becky paused and turned back. If only she dared ask what bothered him now. Surely, Jacob couldn’t be so inept that it had sent Daed up to the house to brood over a cup of coffee. Besides, if he was truly that bad, then Daed wouldn’t have left him alone in the shop.

“Upstairs working on the mending.”

“And Jacob?” She felt her face flush with heat just saying his name.

A ghost of a smile flickered across Daed’s lips. “Helping Grossdaedi. I needed a break.”

“Ach. Hinnersich, jah?”

“Nein. He’s smart. Wonderful-gut help.”

Ach, if only she could sit down at the table with Daed, have a cup of coffee and some cobbler, and listen to him recite Jacob’s virtues.

But Emma needed attention.

Feeding this foolish fascination with their guest would only cause her more heartache. After all, he’d be leaving in the not-so-distant future, maybe sooner rather than later, and then where would she be?

Best to think about him as little as possible.

With a sigh, Becky draped the pink blanket over the back of the cradle and hurried upstairs to tend to Emma.

And to put all thoughts of one Jacob Miller out of her head.

With the stables mucked, Grossdaedi declared he needed a nap, and since Daniel had disappeared from the blacksmith shop, Jacob hurried up to the house. He walked into the empty kitchen. Bread cooled on the counter, a plate of iced heart-shaped cookies sat on the table, and a full cup of coffee had been abandoned near a half-eaten cookie. The cradle in the corner was empty, except for a pink blanket carelessly tossed over the edge, the only evidence that Becky had returned.

Silence filled the house. Jacob went into the room next to the kitchen, where some chairs were arranged and the big family Bible rested on an end table. Macintosh apple-scented candles were the only decoration in the room, aside from a cabinet full of quilts that stood in one corner. Its doors were open, and colorful material spilled out from the overstuffed shelves. A couple of books and
The Budget
, the Amish newspaper, lay on another end table under a gas lamp.

A seed catalog was open on one of the chairs, with notepaper and a pen beside it. Some notations were visible on the paper.

A creaking sound came from the stairs, and Jacob turned to see the youngest girl coming toward him, clutching a faceless doll. “Katie?” He made a guess at the name. “Where’s your daed?”

“Daed wanted to talk to Mamm, and I’m Mary. M-A-R-Y. I’m four. My birthday is in two days.” She held up five fingers.

“Danki, Mary. Um, where is….” Jacob hesitated, not sure whom to ask for next.

“Abbie won’t play with me.” The child gave a small huff. “She’s making a quilt for her doll.”

“I’m sorry. Perhaps she’ll play with you later. What about your other sisters?”

“Ruthie is reading, Katie went to visit a friend, and Becky is feeding Emma.”

Jacob nodded. “Danki.” His family always took a brief quiet time during the afternoon, too, and again in the evening when the work was done, so they could relax before bed. Daed always claimed he could work better if he took several breaks throughout the day. “I guess I’ll, uh….”

“Have a cookie? That’s what Mamm told me to do. She said that Becky brought them home from Annie’s.”

“A cookie sounds ser gut.” With a cup of coffee, especially.

Mary nodded, her braids bouncing against her shoulders. “My dolly is going to have one, too. Her name is Rachel, the same as my friend. And my friend named her dolly Mary, like me.”

Jacob smiled. “That’s nice.” He glanced up the stairs again, willing someone else to come, but no one made an appearance. “Let’s go get that cookie, then. Would you like a glass of milk with it?”

“Jah, and one for my dolly, too.”

Jacob blinked, not quite sure how to handle that one. But maybe by the time he was ready to pour the milk, someone else would have come downstairs. He followed Mary into the kitchen and headed for the refrigerator. He took out the milk, then turned and saw Mary place two little cups on the table. Little toy dishes, really, like his sister had played with when she was little. “Does your dolly want her milk in this?” he asked.

Mary nodded. “Jah. And me, too.” She plopped herself down in a chair. “Why’d you kum here?”

Jacob shrugged, not sure what to tell a four-year-old. How much had she heard, anyway? He seemed to remember her being in the kitchen during the initial conversation, but she might not remember any of it. And even if she remembered, she probably had not understood.

“My daed said I had to kum.” He filled the two little cups with milk and then returned the milk jug to the refrigerator.

“Are you sad?” Mary asked.

Jacob smiled. “I miss my home. But your home is nice.” He moved over to the stove and poured some coffee into a mug. When he heard a swish of a skirt, he turned to see Becky step into the room without Emma. His heart rate increased.

“We’re having cookies, Becky.” Mary bounced on the chair. “And Jacob poured me and my dolly some milk.”

“Jah. I see that.” Becky nodded, and her gaze briefly landed on Jacob. “Make yourself at home.”

Was that a bit of sarcasm he sensed in her voice? He quirked an eyebrow. “Want to join us, Bex? I’ll pour you some coffee.” He didn’t know whether to hope she would accept or decline. Honestly, this woman seemed to tie his brain up in knots. It’d be good to get back to Susie and their comfortable romance, where the only knots were caused by Daed’s refusal to accept Jacob’s decision.

A look of discomfort flitted across her face, and she glanced toward the door she’d just come through, as if she was trying to think of a reason to leave. Maybe a chore she had to do. Or maybe she listened for Emma.

He poured another mug of coffee and set it down on the other side of the table, deciding he’d rather she stayed. “There you go.” He dared to wink when she looked back at him.

She blushed, hot red flooding her checks. Twisting her skirt with her hands, she lowered herself into the chair. “Danki.”

“No problem. Care for a cookie?” He pushed the plate toward her.

“Nein.”

“I want one. And so does my dolly.” Mary reached out and snagged two. Jacob grinned at her.

“So, you must miss your sweetie, jah?” Becky asked in a tight voice. “Tell me about her.” Her face turned an even brighter shade of red, and she dropped her gaze to the table.

His sweetie? It took him a moment to realize she meant Susie.

***

Becky didn’t want to hear a word about Jacob’s girl, not a single word. But if she had to be in the same room with him, with no family but Mary between them, then it seemed better to bring up the person he loved, helping herself to remember that someone else had a prior claim on him.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jacob reach out and take a cookie. He remained silent for a time that seemed to stretch by endlessly but might have been only a minute. Finally, he sucked in a deep breath. “Look at me, Bex.”

She looked up, and he grinned. “I don’t like talking to the top of a head. I want to see your beautiful face when I talk to you.”

Ach! A smooth talker, for sure. He’d probably upset all the girls back home when he’d picked one to settle down with. The type of guy who would leave a chain of broken hearts here in Missouri when he boarded the bus to return to Pennsylvania.

Hers would not be one of them.

She had to get away from him. But, incredibly, she couldn’t think of a single reason to call her away.

What chores had she done already? She tried to reverse the list to see what she’d have to undo. The laundry could be checked, since it was hanging out on the line. It would probably be frozen solid by now, cold as it was. Or maybe, she could…um….

She glanced around frantically.

“Am I so terrible to look at, Bex?”

“What?” She jerked her attention back to him.

“That’s better.” His grin deepened, causing a dimple to appear on his left cheek. Ach, he was so cute.

“Your girlfriend?” She prompted him when he seemed to be content sitting there gazing into her eyes.

“My girlfriend? Ach, Susie Chupp.” He reached for another cookie. “She’s pretty, with strawberry blonde hair and brown eyes. Lives down the road a bit.”

He took a bite of the sweet.

“Her daed will be planting lots of celery this year, jah?” She thought of the long rows of the traditional wedding food that would never be planted for her. That was like a knife to the heart.

Jacob squirmed a little, discomfort crossing his face. He frowned. “Jah, that was the plan.”

Becky doubted she’d get any more information from him. Amish were, by nature, closemouthed, and sharing details about courting was verboden, even though most people could figure them out. She searched for something else to say. Before she could come up with anything, though, a puddle of milk flowed toward her.

Becky jumped to her feet and hurried around the table to grab a rag.

Mary frowned at her doll. “You need to be more careful. Now I need to change your clothes.” She stood and darted from the room.

Becky ran the rag over the spill, quickly wiping it up. Jacob reached out and put his hand over hers, stilling it. Shock waves raced to her heart. Her gaze jumped up to meet his.

“You’ll go with me to the singing tomorrow night, jah? For moral support?”

Like he’d need moral support.

“Introduce me around?”

That would be the polite thing to do. Daed and Mamm would want her to. But still, she’d been serious when she’d said she’d never go to another one. She started to say “Nein,” but the grip of his hand tightened.

“Please? You’d have fun.”

She’d have fun. Right. What had happened at the last singing had not been her idea of a good time.

Becky swallowed hard. “Nein.” It came out harsher than she’d intended it to. Yet, not feeling inclined to apologize, she jerked her hand from under his and turned, dashing from the room after her sister.

***

Ach, she was stubborn.

Jacob frowned, staring at the doorway she’d disappeared through.

She would go with him. If not tomorrow, then the next time. Or the time after that. He had to get her out around people, although if her own family wasn’t enough to make her smile, then he didn’t know how being around her peers would. But that just seemed to be the next natural step—forcing Becky out of her comfort zone so she could meet other men. Surely, Leah would babysit her granddaughter while Becky went out and had fun.

He figured he should check on that before assuming anything, though. Somehow, he had to get everything worked out so that she’d have a hard time saying no.

For her own good.

And maybe his. This sequence of rejections was beginning to wear on him.

He forced himself to calm down as he reminded himself of reasons why she’d refused so quickly.

She didn’t know him. Didn’t trust him. And he’d expected her to warm up to him quickly? Plus, he had a girl back home.

Ach, he was befuddled. Besides, Becky needed time.

Time, he had plenty of.

Maybe he should back off some and let her get to know him. To learn to trust him and realize he would not hurt her. And maybe then she’d agree to go.

Jacob drained his coffee and moved to put both his mug and Becky’s in the sink. He picked up Mary’s two tiny play cups and set them there, as well, then wiped the table.

If it would help Becky thaw out a bit, he’d willingly do women’s work.

He laid the damp rag on the edge of the sink, then straightened, turning back around as Daniel and Leah came into the room, talking quietly.