The Gift (35 page)

Sparky barked, as if agreeing with what Leah had just said.

Mom smiled. “I appreciate you saying that, Leah, but it’s our responsibility, as well as privilege, to love and nurture our kinner. Your daed and I have always been thankful that God blessed us with two special children. We love you and Nathan so much and want only the best for you.”

“I know, Mom,” Leah said with feeling.

Mom clasped Leah’s hand. “Well let’s get inside so I can hear all about what’s been going on around here since I’ve been gone.”

Leah wished she felt free to tell Mom and Dad about Adam’s mother, but she was sure Adam wouldn’t appreciate that.

Elaine was about to doze off when she heard a horse and buggy outside. Getting up and going to the window, she was surprised to see Ben’s rig coming up the lane.
He’s here early. Did I misunderstand when he said he’d be coming by this evening?

Elaine hurried to the door.

“I know I’m here a few hours earlier than planned,” Ben said when she greeted him, “but I didn’t want to wait till this evening to talk to you.”

Ben’s somber expression caused Elaine to feel concern. “Is something wrong? You look anxious.”

“Nothing’s wrong, really. I just need to talk to you about something.”

“Let’s go into the kitchen. I’ll fix us some tea or a cup of coffee.”

“Coffee sounds good to me.”

Elaine led the way, and after Ben removed his jacket and hat and took a seat at the table, she poured them both some coffee.

“Hey, that’s nice.” Ben pointed to the hummingbird rock she’d placed on the counter. “Did you make it?”

“As a matter of fact, I did, and it’s nearly finished. What do you think?”

“I’ve never seen anything like it before. That rock looks like a picture of a hummingbird I saw in a magazine once.”

Elaine smiled. “Funny you should say that. I actually used a picture in a magazine as a guide to paint it. I think the colors match pretty closely to what that kind of hummingbird looks like.”

“Very nice, Elaine. You’ve done a good job on it.”

“Danki. The rock is going to be something special for Leah. She gets such enjoyment watching the hummingbirds that come into their yard every year. I thought she’d like something like this.”

“I’m sure she will. That was thoughtful of you.”

“So, what did you want to talk to me about?” Elaine asked, handing Ben his cup and taking a seat across from him.

Ben blew on his coffee and took a sip. “Remember when I told you what Adam had shared with me about his mother running away from home when he was a boy?”

Elaine nodded soberly. “That must have been hard on Adam, as well as his sister and their daed.”

“Jah.” Ben drank some more coffee. “I can’t imagine living through something like that.”

“Me, neither. As difficult as it was to lose both of my parents when I was a girl, at least they were taken in death and didn’t leave the way Adam’s mamm did.”

Ben fingered the quilted placemat in front of him. “Adam and I had a conversation after church today. He found out from Leah that I’d told you what he’d shared with me about his mamm. Honestly, Elaine, I didn’t think you would say anything to Leah about that.”

Elaine nearly choked on the coffee she’d just started to drink. “Ach! You didn’t tell me I wasn’t supposed to say anything. I thought Leah already knew. I assumed Adam had told her. Is he
umgerennt
with me?” Ben shook his head. “I think he was more upset with me.”

“How are we going to fix this?” Elaine asked. “Would it help if I talked to Adam?”

Ben shook his head. “I don’t think so. Just, please, don’t tell anyone else what you know about Adam’s past.” He leaned slightly forward. “You haven’t, I hope.”

“No,” Elaine was quick to say, “and I surely won’t.” She leaned back in her chair with a groan. “This isn’t going to affect Adam and Leah’s marriage, I hope.”

“I don’t think so. Before Adam headed out to check on Leah, he said he’d see me at the wedding.”

Elaine sighed with relief. Now all she had to be concerned about was whether Leah had made the right decision in agreeing to marry Adam for the sake of his nieces. Above all else, she wanted her friend to be happy and blessed.

“There’s one more thing I wanted to say.” Ben clasped Elaine’s hand. “I’ve fallen in love with you, and I know we haven’t been courting even a year yet, but I was wondering if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife.”

Feeling a bit dazed, Elaine sat there, unable to answer his question. She cared for Ben, and he’d become a good friend, but she wasn’t certain that what she felt for him was love. Without a deep, abiding love, she didn’t see how she could say yes to his proposal. “You’ve taken me by surprise,” she said breathlessly. “Could I have a few weeks to think about it?”

“Jah, of course.” He stroked her hand tenderly. “Take all the time you need.”

W
hen Cora got off work Monday afternoon, she felt more tired than usual. On top of that, her lower back hurt again. It made no sense, because working at the clinic was a lot easier than trekking up and down the long corridors at the hospital in Chicago. While she’d had some trouble with her back then, it was nothing like what she’d encountered since she and Jared had moved to Arthur. She wondered if these back spasms had more to do with her stress levels than with being on her feet so much. Even though Jared had made a friend since they’d moved here, he wasn’t doing well in school, and his belligerent attitude toward Cora was more than she could take.

I wonder if Leah would be free this evening to give me another reflexology treatment,
Cora thought as she approached her car. She slid into the driver’s seat, pulled out her cell phone, and punched in Leah’s number.
Hopefully Leah will check her answering machine and return my call before the evening is out. But just in case, I think I’ll stop by there after supper and see if she’s free to work on my feet.

Cora started her car and pulled out of the parking lot. Before she headed for home, she needed to stop by the hardware store she passed on her way to work and pick up some lightbulbs and an extension cord. Besides the outlets for the stove and refrigerator, the home she’d been renting had only one other outlet in the kitchen. She was getting tired of unplugging the toaster or coffeepot in order to plug in the electric can opener and blender. Maybe she should look for a power strip, too. That might work well, especially in the kitchen. Cora remembered how, in Chicago, Evan had used a power strip in his garage, and he’d said that it even protected against power surges.

“Chicago? Why am I even thinking about that place?” Cora berated herself. For some reason, that city had been on her mind lately. She had thought moving to Arthur would be the right change for her, but was she, once again, only thinking of herself?

Maybe I should have discussed it more with Jared and opened up to him about how I was feeling. But if I had, would he have even cared or understood?

Cora knew the reason she hadn’t. She was sure that Jared’s response would have been negative. And what good could have come from her expressing how she felt about the divorce? At the time, Cora thought she was sparing Jared the ugly details and an explanation of why she felt the need to start over at a place where she could use her nursing skills the way she’d always felt called to do. She couldn’t really tell Jared that she’d wanted to move in hopes that it would solve his behavioral issues. That would have made him angry and perhaps even more belligerent. Cora had hoped that by now Jared would have adjusted to their new surroundings. She certainly felt comfortable and at home here. It was much more laid back than living in Chicago, but then, what kid would find that important? It didn’t seem to matter to Jared. He complained that there was nothing exciting to do. Having too much time on his hands could get Jared into trouble. She was pleased that he’d made a new friend but wondered what the boys did and where they went when they spent time together.

In any event, Cora wondered if going back to the city would be the best thing for Jared. At least then his father wouldn’t have any excuse for not spending time with him.

Although not keen on the idea, Cora figured she could probably get her old job back at the hospital or perhaps find something else in her field in the city. She could take the house off the market, and things would go back to the way they were before she’d come up with the idea of starting over in a new place. The more she thought about it, the more sense it made. She hadn’t received even one offer on the house, and since Jared had become increasingly rebellious since the move, what was the point in staying here? She just wished that God, if He cared about her at all, would give her some direction as to what she should do.

When Cora entered the hardware store, she wandered up and down the aisles for a bit, curious as to what was for sale. Since there were just gas lamps overhead, it didn’t take long for her to realize this was an Amish-run store. She’d just begun to browse, when a tall Amish man came up to her and asked if she needed any help.

“I’m looking for an extension cord and some lightbulbs, and also wondered if you have any power strips. But since this an Amish store, you probably don’t have any of those, right?”

The young man raked his fingers through the sides of his thick blond hair, while giving Cora a quick shake of his head. “We never carried the power strips, but we did have some lightbulbs and extension cords for our English customers. Unfortunately we’re out of those right now. You should be able to get all of the things at the hardware store in downtown Arthur, or even at the grocery store.”

“Thanks. I’ll head over to one of those places right now.” Cora hesitated a moment. There was something familiar about this Amish man, making Cora wonder if she’d met him before. But that wasn’t likely, since this was her first visit to this store. Of course, he could have been a patient at the clinic, she supposed.

“Is there something else I can help you with?” he asked.

“Umm… no. Guess I’ll be on my way.”

As the man walked away, Cora felt even stronger that she’d met him before. His dark eyes and striking blond hair, reminded her of someone she used to know, but who? Well, she couldn’t waste time thinking about it now. She needed to finish running her errand and get home to make sure Jared was there. Then as soon as they’d had supper, she would head over to Leah’s and see if she had time to give her a reflexology treatment.

“Have you ever seen that woman who was just here?” Adam asked Ben, after he’d finished waiting on one of their regular customers.

“What woman was that?” Ben asked.

“The middle-aged English woman with short brown hair. She came in looking for lightbulbs and an extension cord and mentioned something about a power strip.”

“Did you tell her we were out of those things and to go to the hardware store in downtown Arthur?”

“Jah, I did. Said she could probably find what she’s looking for at the grocery store, too.” Adam tapped his chin thoughtfully. “It was kind of odd, though. She looked at me so strangely. Made me feel uncomfortable.”

“Maybe she’s new around here and has never seen an Amish man before.” Ben chuckled. “Some of the tourists who stop by the store can’t seem to keep from staring at us.”