Seek Me With All Your Heart (14 page)

“
Ya
, I reckon so.” Emily stood up. “I’l bring you some rhubarb jam soon.”

Martha stood up at the same time David rose from the couch. “When?”

“Uh, maybe later in the week?” Emily offered her a slight smile.

Martha folded her arms across her chest. “Hmm.” Then she turned to leave the room. “Wait right here. I’l be back.”

Emily stood quietly beside David, stil too embarrassed to look at him. Martha returned quickly.

“Here.” Martha pushed a piece of paper in Emily’s direction. “My old car is on the fritz, and I can’t get to the market.

Can you pick up these things for me tomorrow and bring them by? You can bring the rhubarb jam then too.”

Emily knew her eyes were as large as saucers. “Uh, Martha, I don’t have my own buggy, but maybe
Mamm
can shop for you soon, or—”

“He can take you.” She pointed to David. “I bet
you
have your own buggy.” She raised her brows.

Before either one of them could answer, Martha handed Emily a wad of cash. “That’s plenty for the groceries and a hundred dol ars for your time.”

Emily’s mind was racing about what she could do with a hundred dol ars. She could use it to buy a wedding gift for Jacob and Beth Ann. “Martha, we wil figure out a way to get your groceries, but I can’t take that much money.”

“Fine.” Martha snatched the money back, counted it and removed a few bil s, then handed Emily the rest. She pushed the rest of the bil s toward David.

“You take fifty for carting her to town and because I need some firewood cut. Otherwise I’l freeze to death in this house, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want that on your conscience, now would you?”

Emily turned to David, brought her hand to her mouth to stifle a grin, and waited to see how he would handle the request.

When David didn’t reach for the money, Martha pushed it closer to him and raised her chin as her brows frowned along with her bright red lips.

David took the money as he hesitantly said, “Okay.” Martha looked so scary, he was probably afraid not to.

“I eat supper at five. I’l need time to heat something up.” Martha tapped her finger to her chin. “Can you both be here at four tomorrow?”

“Uh, I don’t know if
.
.
.” Emily glanced toward David, hoping he’d offer up some help, but he just stared wordlessly back at her. She turned back to Martha. “I have to work at the dry goods store, but I could probably leave a little early. But we’d need time to shop.”

“I guess I could do the shopping, then pick you up at the store,” David said with a shrug.

“No, no, no.” Martha shook her head so hard half her hair fel from atop her head. She pul ed a clip from her hair, bit down on it, then stuffed the curls back and pinned them. “Men can’t shop. You take Emily shopping and then just show up here after that.” She sighed. “There’s a light in the backyard.

Should be enough for you to cut me some wood.” Another sigh. “I’l just eat late.”

Emily and David headed toward the door, stil clothed in their heavy coats. “I guess we wil see you tomorrow, Martha.” She thought about another trip with David tomorrow. Grocery shopping. David pul ed the door open, and Emily walked onto the porch as David fol owed. “Bye, Martha.” Emily waved, as did David.

“See you tomorrow.” Martha waved, and Emily thought she caught a brief smile.

David opened the driver’s side of the buggy. “Guess you can drive, since you have to drop me off.” He waited until Emily got in, then closed the door behind her before he wound around to the passenger side and climbed in. “I’m not sure how we got pul ed into this, but I can use fifty dol ars.” David chuckled. “And what about that bird of hers?”

“Weird.” Emily shook her head as she flicked the horse into action. “I’m saving up to buy something special as a wedding gift for Jacob and Beth Ann, so the money wil come in handy for me too.”

David didn’t look at her as he stared out of the window on his side. “I’m saving up so I can get out of here and move back to Lancaster County.”

Maybe his words shouldn’t have stung, but they did. They rode quietly until Emily turned into David’s driveway and wound between the piles of debris in the yard.

“I’l be glad when the weather clears some so we can get this place cleaned up.” David waited until she came to a complete stop, then turned to face her. “What time should I pick you up?

I’m planning to help
mei daed
around here al day, so I guess I’l ask Lil ian to hold my supper for me while we help out your friend.”

For the first time, Emily was reading Martha’s grocery list. “Uh, what?”

“I asked what time I should pick you up tomorrow?”

“I guess four, although we’l probably be traveling in the dark part of the way.” Emily cocked her head to one side as she continued to stare at Martha’s list. “I can’t believe she pushed us into doing this, but
.
.
.” She took a deep breath. “This list bothers me.” She handed it to David. “Look at this food.”

Eight

KATIE ANN POURED EGGS INTO A SKILLET WHILE IVAN read the newspaper at the kitchen table. It was a repeat of almost every morning since they’d moved to Canaan. Katie Ann fought the bitterness that threatened to seep into her heart and ruin the day. Today she was not going to wear her feelings on her shoulder, and she was going to be chipper and happy around her husband. Even if he seemed more interested in that newspaper than anything Katie Ann might have to say.

“Thanksgiving was nice yesterday, no?” She glanced over her shoulder briefly, then returned to stirring the eggs. “I like Vera and her family.”

“Seem like fine folks.” Ivan continued to peer down through his reading glasses at the newspaper.

“When we get things unpacked and the house readied for company, maybe we can have them over for supper one night.” She adjusted the flame under the eggs when they started to stick. “And of course, Lil ian, Samuel, David, and the girls too.”

Ivan looked up. “Where would we put al those people?” He glanced around the kitchen table, only large enough to seat six.

“Sounds like a
gut
excuse to buy a larger table and chairs. This
haus
is bigger than our home in Lancaster County. It might need work, but there’s surely room in this kitchen for a bigger table and more chairs.”

Ivan didn’t say anything and went back to reading. She kept stirring the eggs. “I sliced a little ham for breakfast this morning, to go with the eggs. I’l need to get some bacon at the market next time I go.” She twisted to face him. “I hope we have our own pigs soon.”

Ivan kept his face buried in the paper and nodded.

She finished the eggs, then spooned some on a plate for Ivan, along with two slices of ham. “Do you want some toast?” Katie Ann put the plate in front of him.

“No. This is enough.” He closed the newspaper as Katie Ann joined him at the table. They both bowed in prayer.

“I’m planning to help Samuel and David with the yard today. There’s lots of junk that the girls can get hurt on.” Ivan took a bite of eggs but didn’t look at her when he spoke.

“I’l see if there’s anything I can help Lil ian with. That
haus
needs much more work than this one.”

They ate quietly, and Katie Ann was sure she could hear her heart cracking as loneliness settled in, despite her best intentions. She took a deep breath, refusing to be defeated.

“I think David has taken a fancy to the Detweiler girl.” She wiped her mouth with her napkin, then kept her gaze on Ivan until his eyes met hers.

“Remember when we were that age? When we were young and in
lieb
?”

Ivan smiled. Not a lot. But hope surged through her. “
Ya
, I remember,” he said. Then his eyebrows narrowed, and he kept his eyes on his plate as he spoke. “Seems like such a long time ago.”

Katie Ann’s heart sank. There was no mistaking the sadness and regret in Ivan’s voice.

They were quiet again for a while.

“I was thinking that I would like to get a dog,” she said after she finished her breakfast.

“What kind of dog?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. We haven’t had a dog in a long while. Not since Bear died.” Katie Ann tapped her finger to her chin as she remembered their German shepherd who was hit by a car.

“Get whatever you want.” Ivan stood up from the table, then pul ed his hat from the rack. “Guess I’l go round up Samuel and David and see where they want to start.”

Katie Ann nodded.

She watched Ivan close the door behind him.

Then she just sat and cried.

DAVID WAS WORN out by the afternoon. He’d spent al day helping his father and Ivan haul junk to the barn, things that were lying around the yard that Anna and Elizabeth could get hurt on. He had two cuts on his finger from a piece of jagged tin as proof. After bandaging them, he would get ready for his trip with Emily, which he had mixed feelings about.

First there would be shopping, which seemed odd. He’d never done grocery shopping except to pick up a few things here and there for Lil ian, plus he’d be doing it with Emily. Martha had a long list of things she wanted, and her list was as strange as the woman herself.

After a quick bath, he told Lil ian where he was going.

“That’s nice of you and Emily to get her groceries for her since she can’t get out.” Lil ian opened the door of the oven and peered inside. “This roast wil be ready before you get home, and you know how your
daed
likes to eat right at five.” She closed the door and turned to face him. “But there wil be plenty left for you to have when you get home.”

David reached for his heavy coat on the rack. “I like to eat at five too.”

“
Ya
, I know. Like father, like son.” Lil ian smiled. “Is the woman as cranky as Emily and Vera said?”

“Uh,
ya
. I would have to say so.” David pul ed his hat from the rack, put it on, and was almost out the door when he turned around. “She’s paying me and Emily to go to town for her and for me to chop some firewood for her.” He paused. “Do you think that’s wrong, for us to take money for helping her?”

Lil ian folded her arms across her chest. “What do you think?”

David shrugged. “I guess it’s al right. No different than other chores I’ve done for the
Englisch
in the past in Lancaster County.”

“As long as you feel
gut
about it.”

He was trying to feel good about it because he needed the money, but something didn’t feel quite right about taking money from an elderly woman whose car wasn’t running. He gave Lil ian a quick wave and was glad to see it wasn’t snowing. Hopeful y, he and Emily could get to Monte Vista and back to Martha’s before the sun set and the temperatures dropped. Doubtful, though.

Emily was on her front porch when he pul ed up.

“We have to hurry,” she said as she climbed into the buggy. “It’s going to be dark before we get back to Martha’s. And cold.” Emily pul ed the door closed and reached to the floorboard to turn on the portable heater. David grabbed a blanket he had in the backseat and handed it to her. “
Danki
. I forgot to grab one before I left the house.”

He put the horse into a quick trot and waited until they had crossed the main highway before he said what was on his mind. “How do you feel about taking money from Martha?” He shrugged. “If she needs our help, maybe it ain’t right.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” She turned toward him. “As much as I want to save my money for Jacob and Beth Ann’s wedding present, to take money from an older woman whose car won’t run . . . it just doesn’t seem right.” Emily pul ed the brown blanket tighter around her. “I have an idea, though.

A way we can help Martha, not keep the money, but not give it back either.”

“This is about her list of groceries she wants us to get, no?”

Emily nodded. “It made me so sad. Every single thing on that list was something frozen or unhealthy. There were no fresh vegetables, no fruit, no flour or sugar for baking, and no meat.”

“I reckon I don’t know much about shopping, but I wouldn’t want to eat that stuff.”

“I’m going to get everything on Martha’s list, but add my fifty dol ars and get her some extra things. Some fruit, vegetables . . . healthier foods.”

“Why don’t we just skip the stuff on her list and get some meat, fruits, and vegetables?”
I really don’t want to give up my fifty dollars
. He looked over at Emily and saw her scowling.

“Do you real y want to return to Martha’s and tel her we didn’t get anything on her list?” she asked. “Somehow I think she would be angry.”

David groaned slightly. “I guess I better throw in my fifty dol ars too.”

Emily twisted in the seat to face him. “You sound like it would kil you. Maybe you should keep your money.”

“Nah. I wasn’t feeling right about it anyway.” He picked up the pace, which caused Emily to bounce in her seat. “Sorry,” he said with a grin.

She didn’t say anything, but faced forward until they reached the market in Monte Vista about twenty minutes later. But his eyes kept drifting in her direction.

EMILY LET DAVID load the grocery bags into the backseat of the buggy. Between them, they had fourteen dol ars left out of the hundred they were supposed to keep. Martha had given them a hundred dol ars for the items on her list, plus they’d picked up al kinds of fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat. David had mostly trailed behind her as she walked down the aisles, as if he’d never been to market before. It was an uncomfortable experience and one Emily didn’t want to repeat.

“She might be mad we did this,” David said as he loaded the last bag, then raised himself onto the seat.

Emily pul ed the brown blanket around her. “Can she be any worse than she already is?”

“I guess we’l find out soon enough.” With a flick of the reins, they were back on the road. Nightfal settled around them. He cut his eyes toward her, his teeth chattering. “Maybe you could share that blanket?”

She turned her head toward him. “Here, you can have it.” She started to pul the cover from around her shoulders.

“You’re being sil y. Just scoot over here and share it with me before I freeze.”