Rebecca woke up to the sound of metal banging on metal. She rolled over, trying to analyze what the sound was, and groaned in pain. Every muscle hurt from her stubborn determination to match Jacob when they’d pounded in the posts yesterday afternoon.
Metal banging on metal—that was the sound of a post pounder banging another T-post into the ground. She peered at the clock. It was barely six in the morning and the sun wasn’t even up yet, though the sky was light. What was Jacob doing, working at this hour?
She stumbled out of bed and went through her morning ablutions, slipping a clean apron over her work dress and pinning her kapp over her hair. Then she emerged into a sparkling fresh morning and made her way toward the sound.
Jacob was working on the fencing around the bee yard, wearing ear protection as he focused on pounding in another T-post. Even more, he had tidied up the hasty job they had done the night before, extended the height of the T-posts with wood pieces to brace the tall deer netting and reinforced the deer netting with field fencing.
Had he been up all night working? How had he accomplished so much? The fence looked much more sturdy and professional.
She stood in the shadow of a tree, watching. She was coming to appreciate that when Jacob focused on a project, he gave it everything he had. Though the morning was cool, she could see a sheen of sweat on his brow and dampness on his shirt. He finished banging in a T-post on one side of what she now saw was a gate. He dropped the heavy post pounder to the ground, removed his ear protection and fished out a handkerchief to wipe his face.
He was doing this for her. Though he might claim he was just protecting his investment in their new business venture, he knew how much the hives meant to her.
Just then, a thought flashed through her mind. Long ago, when she was a youngie, her grandmother had mentioned how men show affection. “They don’t like to talk,” she’d told Rebecca. “They like to act. Men show affection by doing things.”
Somewhere in the back of her mind, Rebecca had tucked away that brief conversation without giving it much thought. Now, as she watched Jacob work so hard to strengthen the fence around the beehives, she suddenly understood her grandmother’s words.
Did this mean he was showing affection? To her?
She wasn’t sure she was ready for such a conclusion. All these years, she thought she was satisfied with her single status, never tempted by any man, and yet it seemed Jacob was trying to prove something to her.
To be sure, their acrimonious relationship had improved, helped along by Caleb’s encouragement. But if Jacob was showing affection by working on the bee-yard fence to please her, she wasn’t sure what to think...or how to react.
Knowing she couldn’t linger in the shadow of the pines all morning, she stepped into the light and walked toward him.
It was a few moments before he saw her. “Guder mariye,” he said.
“Guder mariye,” she replied. “Did you work all night on this?”
“Nein, just got up early. My muscles were sore,” he admitted, and gifted her with a smile so dazzling that her knees went weak. “I didn’t sleep well.”
“I’m sore, too, but I slept like a rock.” She gestured toward the fence. “Apparently what we did yesterday afternoon worked well enough to keep the bear out overnight, and what you’ve done looks wunnerschee. And a gate, too! Danke, Jacob.”
“For sure and certain, I can’t see how a bear could get through this.” He stepped back and glanced at his handiwork. “I think I’ve thought of a way to make a miniaturized version of this when we rent out hives on other properties, too.”
Maybe she was wrong. Maybe Jacob was only interested in protecting his investment in their business venture. She tamped down on anything that resembled disappointment, and strove to be positive. “And I’m going to go into town today and get some flyers made, then drop a stack off at Yoder’s Mercantile in town.”
“I’ve heard about the store from church members, but I haven’t been there yet.”
She was surprised. “You haven’t? Oh, it’s the nicest store. Abe and Mabel Yoder opened it a few years ago, and it’s become one of the most popular places in town, even for Englischers, who like the coffee shop and the bakery. You should come with me,” she added, inviting him on impulse.
“Ja gut, I’d like that.” He tested the strength of the T-post supporting the gate by giving it a little shake. “I think this will hold. Now it’s time for chores. I’ve got to release the horses and chickens. Do you need help with the milking?”
“Nein, I’ll take care of it. I’ll ask Caleb if he needs anything from town, and we can go in after lunch.”
Walking away to start her morning chores, she fought off a feeling of satisfaction. It would be fun showing Jacob the tiny town of Pierce, which had been so welcoming to their new Amish neighbors.
“Ja, I wouldn’t mind some lemons,” said Caleb after lunch, when asked if he might need something from town. “And some fresh ginger.”
Rebecca nodded as she laid a sheet of paper on the table. “Here are the flyers I designed. Let me know if I should add anything.”
Jacob and Caleb bent over the paper, examining it. The sheet had bold lettering, a listed price for summer beehive rentals and a crude drawing of a beehive.
“Looks gut to me,” said Jacob after a moment.
“Ja, me, too.” Caleb smiled at her. “Your sketch of a hive isn’t bad.”
“I might have Eva Hostetler draw me a nicer version at some point,” replied Rebecca. “She’s a true artist. But this gets the point across, and hopefully we can start distributing hives next week.”
At that moment, Caleb got up and made to go wash the dishes.
“Oh, no, you’ve been cooking the last few meals. It’s my turn,” protested Rebecca.
Caleb waved a hand. “Go on, off with you two. Just don’t forget my lemons.”
After gathering her flyer and some money, Rebecca walked with Jacob toward the barn, where the buggy was stored.
“I’ve got to get out more,” remarked Jacob, as he began hitching the horse to the buggy. “To think I’ve been here for a couple weeks and haven’t really seen town, except when Caleb picked me up at the bus stop.”
“You’ll like Pierce. It’s a nice place.” Rebecca climbed into the buggy after Jacob led the horse and rig out of the barn, then he stepped up and took the reins.
The day was clouding over and it looked like it might rain later on. “Typical spring weather,” she pointed out. “It means the bees won’t be active. They tend to hole up in inclement weather.”
“Does that mean we should wait for rain before moving some hives?” asked Jacob, directing the horse onto the side road passing Caleb’s farm.
“Nein,” she replied. “Bad weather makes them grumpy. The best time to move them is after a nice warm afternoon, when they’ve gone into the hive for the night.”
Jacob chuckled. “I didn’t know bees could get grumpy.”
“If that bear had gotten into a hive, you would have seen a lot of classic grumpy behavior,” she retorted. “Not just from the hive he was attacking, but from other hives as well. Remember how I said bee suits are white because the color is not perceived as a threat? Well, if you wore a bee suit that was dark brown, like a bear, the bees wouldn’t be nearly as docile when working with them. In fact, they’d attack you quite ferociously. To them, you would just be a two-footed bear.”
“They’re a lot smarter than I would have given them credit for,” he said thoughtfully.
“Honeybees are some of the most wondrous creatures Gott ever created,” she said seriously. “I don’t know why more people in the church haven’t gotten interested in them.”
“Well, if they start getting hives on their farms, that might change.”
“Ja,” she said. “You’re right. I’m excited by this new business idea, Jacob. The more people who appreciate bees, the better.”
“Well, you’re the best ambassador,” he replied, offering her a cheeky smile. “Enthusiastic and pretty.”
She was so stunned at his words that she stared at him. However, he continued watching the road and didn’t look at her.
“I-I’m not p-pretty,” she stuttered at last. “All you have to do is ask Jeremiah.”
Jacob was stunned by her reaction. Had her betrothed dumped her because he thought she wasn’t attractive enough? What a heartless cad.
“Is that why he left you?” he asked gently. “Because he didn’t like the way you looked?”
“Th-that’s what I heard. I never spoke to him directly after he left the community to work in the Englisch world. But my friend Leah said she heard through the grapevine that was his reason. Or at least his excuse.”
Jacob kept his eyes on the road, but he was aware of her rigid posture, as if she was literally bottling up the humiliation of that incident. “It sounds like you dodged a bullet,” he offered. “I can’t imagine such a man would have made a gut hutband.”
“Ja. I know that now, though it took some time to recover from the blow. Now I thank Gott he left. But it’s not what any woman wants to hear.” She added in a dry tone, “It damaged my pride.”
“I can see why. But I hope that wasn’t what scared you away from the idea of marriage.”
“That’s none of your business,” she retorted with heat. “My reasons are my own.”
“Ja, you’re right. But I still think your old betrothed was a fool.”
“I won’t argue with that.” She sighed. “I just wish my mamm and tante hadn’t been so insistent that he was the right man for me. They couldn’t have been more wrong.”
“I’m sure they meant well.”
“Maybe so, but the end result could have been disastrous. That’s one of the many reasons I love Caleb so much—he rescued me from a very awkward situation and allowed me to rebuild my life here in Montana.”
“Ja, Caleb is one of a kind.” Jacob paused and added, “And he’s a gut listener.”
“Oh, he had to listen to me a lot when I first arrived in Montana,” she agreed with wry humor. Glancing at him, she then focused on the road ahead. “I think you can understand why I was half expecting him to leave me the farm.”
“Maybe so. But I also hope you can understand I had nothing whatsoever to do with his decision. For me, it was a true gift from Gott.”
“I see that now.” She shrugged. “It just leaves my future a bit more unsettled than I’m comfortable with.”
“Well, the bees are your passport for staying on the farm as long as you want.” The words sounded awkward even as he said them.
“But for how long?” She averted her face to watch the passing landscape. “I guess things suddenly seem even more...temporary. I don’t want to ever leave the farm. I’ve grown to love it as my own, which I know is clearly unreasonable. But someday you might marry and want privacy for you and your fraa, and I can’t blame you.”
“Don’t borrow trouble,” he replied. “Who knows what the future might bring?”
More and more often he was thinking about the future, and for whatever reason, Rebecca seemed to feature largely in those thoughts.
Reins held loosely in his hands, Jacob looked up and saw the town in front of them. “We’re getting close. Where is Yoder’s Mercantile?”
“Right on Main Street. You can’t miss it. They have parking for buggies right in front.”
Within a few minutes, Jacob pulled up alongside another horse and buggy and saw a charming storefront with a broad porch. Buckets held bouquets of spring flowers for sale—narcissus and daffodils. It had both stairs and a ramp leading to the main doors.
“We can park here, but I want to walk a couple blocks that way to get copies made of this flyer,” said Rebecca as she climbed down from the buggy and pointed. “Do you want to go into Yoder’s while I do that? It won’t take me long.”
“Ja sure.” Curious about the inside, Jacob secured the horse and climbed the stairs to the store.
It was as charming as Rebecca had claimed. The first thing that hit him was the delectable smells of fresh coffee and baked goods. Jacob glanced around and saw a small café, a play area for very young children and a bakery with glass-fronted displays with a mouthwatering selection. There was a hum of conversation as Englischer customers browsed the goods or sat at tables, drinking coffee.
“Guder nammidaag, Jacob,” said a woman behind him. “First time in the store?”
He turned and saw a plump middle-aged woman. “Ja. Mabel Yoder, right?”
“Ja. And you’ve met my hutband, Abe.” Her husband, who had a long beard, walked over to them.
Jacob shook hands with both. “I haven’t seen anyone since the last church service. Rebecca had an errand here in town, and scolded me that I hadn’t been in your store yet. I see why everyone speaks so highly of it.”
“Danke.” Abe Yoder’s eyes crinkled as he smiled. “The townspeople have been very gut to us.”
“Even the bishop likes to stop in once in a while to have a coffee. He’s right there.” Mabel lifted a hand, and the church leader—who had been watching them—waved in response. “You might join him until Rebecca gets here,” the woman added.
“Ja gut.” Courtesy demanded he greet the bishop, so Jacob walked over and shook the older man’s hand. “Guder nammidaag, Bishop.”
“Won’t you join me?” Samuel Beiler invited, laying down his newspaper. “If you have time.”
“Ja sure. I’m waiting for Rebecca, who’s running an errand down the street.” Jacob ordered a drink from the young man working the coffee machines, then pulled out a seat and joined the bishop at his table.
“I was going to ask you to visit anyway, just to see how you’re settling in at Caleb’s place.” Samuel took a sip of his coffee.
“I’m settling in very well, and like what I’ve seen so far of Montana. I’m also remembering how fond of Caleb I was while growing up. I’m more grateful than I can say that he chose me as his heir.”
“Are things better between you and Rebecca these days?”
“Ja, ja.” He rubbed his chin. “We seem to have come to a reconciliation. Things are better now.”
“Gut. I know Caleb thinks the world of her, and she’s known throughout the settlement for her bees.”
“That’s why we’re in town today,” said Jacob. “She’s getting some flyers printed for a new business we’re starting, which is to rent out hives for pollination purposes.”
“Really!” Samuel’s eyes gleamed. “That’s a gut idea. Rebecca is smart. This should do well.” Samuel sipped his drink. “I’m glad you’re getting along better. I’m sure it’s important to Caleb that you and Rebecca aren’t enemies. And, perhaps, someday you can be more than friends.”
Jacob eyed the church leader with suspicion. “Meaning...?”
“Meaning I’m an old man who likes to see people happy.” Samuel waved a hand dismissively. “Ach, pay me no heed. Look, here comes Rebecca now.”
Feeling uneasy about the undertones of the bishop’s remarks, Jacob turned to see Rebecca engaged in conversation with Mabel Yoder, a stack of flyers in her hands. He saw Mabel nod and take about half the stack, which she placed behind the cash register. Then Rebecca turned and scanned the store, making her way over to the coffee section.
“Guder nammidaag, Bishop.” Uninvited, she pulled out a chair and sat down. “I assume Jacob has told you about our new little business venture?”
“Ja. I think it’s a smart idea. May I see?” The bishop pointed to the flyer.
“Ja sure. I didn’t want to hand them out on Sunday since that’s the Lord’s day, so I thought Mabel could give them out to church members as she sees them.”
Bishop Beiler scanned the flyers. “Let me have a few, too. I can pass them out as I see people.”
“Danke, Bishop. That would be most helpful.” Rebecca handed him a generous portion of the remaining flyers. “I only had fifty copies made. Maybe I should have made more.”
“Nein, I’m sure this will be plenty. But I wouldn’t be surprised if you were able to rent all your hives out, if that’s what you want.”
“Well, I only have fifty-five hives, and I—that is, we—are renting them in pairs, plus I don’t want to ship all the hives out, so probably we can only take, what, twenty customers, Jacob? That would leave fifteen hives in the bee yard.”
“You know more about this than I do,” he replied. “But if nothing else, having the hives distributed in many different places means all your eggs aren’t in one basket in case a bear gets to them.”
“I chased a bear away from the bee yard yesterday,” she explained to the bishop.
“Did you now!” The older man’s bushy eyebrows shot upward into his hairline. “That was brave.”
“Nein, it was schtupid,” retorted Jacob, “but what’s done is done.”
“Anyway, we’re going to put in fencing to protect any rented hives from bears,” concluded Rebecca.
“Well, it sounds like you’re off to a gut start.” Bishop Beiler glanced at the clock over the bakery section. “I must go. I have an appointment with the Kings shortly. I’ll be sure to leave them a flyer,” he added.
“Danke!” said Jacob.
After the bishop had departed, Rebecca said, “I’ll get the lemons and ginger Caleb wanted, then I’ll be ready to leave.”
“Ja gut,” he replied. He watched her walk away, assessing her rather tall figure and her strong features under the modest kapp. So now even the bishop was interested in matchmaking? It seemed everyone was trying to push him and Rebecca together.
It was a concept he wasn’t completely against. But she was a tough nut to crack. She’d been hurt and humiliated by the circumstances back in Indiana. Trying to convince her to let him court her could take some time.
But time was something he had plenty of. Suddenly feeling more optimistic, he drained his coffee, deposited his mug in the shop’s dishwashing bin and went out to unhitch the horse.
He had a farm now. He had a way to support a family. All he needed was a wife to make the vision complete.
Was Rebecca the woman for him?