Ira looked at the wrecked spread of food in front of him. Seeing the pickle juice spilled on the quilt, he grabbed the jar and screwed the lid back on. He could smell the fried chicken, and the coleslaw looked delicious. Although the cobbler had a big dip where Nina had fallen on it, it still looked scrumptious with its brown crust and peach filling bursting through.
But he couldn’t concentrate on food, which was unusual for him. He jumped to his feet and, bewildered, looked in the direction where Nina had disappeared. Why had she run off like that? And why had she brought such a fancy picnic—even if her grandmother wanted her to? Usually they each brought a sandwich and maybe an apple or a bag of chips. But this was a full spread, complete with a wicker picnic basket.
“I hope I didn’t ruin things with you and yer maedel,” Margaret said, walking toward him.
“She’s not mei maedel.” He glanced at the woods again. Should he go after her?
“Oh, I didn’t realize. I figured with you two having a standing fishing date on Saturdays—”
“They’re not dates,” he said with a frown, still trying to figure out if he should go find Nina.
“Okay.” Margaret pressed her lips together and then spread her hands toward the picnic. “Did you forget a special occasion, then? Because this looks like more than a friendly picnic to me.”
Ira shot an annoyed look at her. “Nee, no special occasion.” At least he didn’t think so. Had he forgotten something important? He couldn’t imagine what they had to celebrate that required delicious-looking food—all his favorites.
Margaret shook her head. “She looked really upset, Ira.”
He couldn’t deny that. “I know.” What he didn’t know was why. None of this made sense.
She moved to stand in front of him, craning her neck to look him in the eye. “Why aren’t you checking on her?”
Ira rubbed the back of his neck. “I was thinking I’d let her cool off for a little while.”
His cousin’s eyes widened. “Don’t you want to know why she’s upset?”
“Of course I do.”
“I’m confused.” She frowned as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Still bewildered, he said, “You and me both.”
Margaret tilted her head as she looked at him for another moment or two. Then she pointed to the woods. “Geh find her, Ira. I’ll clean up here and take everything back to yer haus.”
Her words yanked him out of his fog. She was right. He had to find out once and for all what was going on with Nina. “All right,” he said, grabbing Nina’s fishing pole and then turning to her. He glanced at the picnic again. “Sorry to leave you alone like this.”
She smiled. “Hey, I’m a big maedel. Well, not that big,” she said with a chuckle. “But I can manage alone. I might even do a little fishing after I clean up.”
But Ira was already heading for the woods, only half hearing her. “I’ll meet you back at the haus,” he said over his shoulder. “We can geh fishing another time.”
“Ira.”
He turned around but took a few steps backward. “Ya?”
“You might think you and Nina are just friends, but friends don’t geh to this much trouble for a picnic.”
He halted. “She said her grossmutter made her do it.”
“Maybe she’s seen how Nina looks at you, the same way I saw her looking at you when we got here.”
“Huh?”
Margaret shook her head and chuckled. “Never mind. Geh talk to her and make things right.”
Ira nodded and left, wondering what Margaret was going on about. Women. They didn’t make any sense.
* * *
Nina ran all the way back to the inn, and by the time she got there she was gasping for breath. Only when she reached the front porch did she realize she’d left behind not only her fishing pole but the picnic basket, quilt, and food. She groaned. On top of everything else, Grossmutter would be upset with her for that. But she couldn’t go back there. First, she didn’t have the energy. Running all the way from the pond wasn’t a great idea, in hindsight. Second, she was too embarrassed to show her face again to Ira and his freind Margaret.
She plopped down on the swing and took in gulps of air. How was she going to face Ira after what happened? He had to think she was a complete fool. Then again, maybe his opinion of her didn’t matter to him anymore now that he had Margaret. Here she’d been pining away for him when he was already courting another girl. Her jaw clenched.
The front door swung open, and Selah came outside. She raised a surprised brow. “I didn’t expect you back so soon. How did it geh?”
Nina banged her head against the back of the swing. “It didn’t.”
“What do you mean?” Selah sat down beside her.
As Nina explained the disaster, the wind continued to pick up, and a low rumble of thunder sounded in the distance. “Of course, I left the basket, food, and quilt at the pond. Even mei fishing pole.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “Now it’s going to rain on it all.”
“I’m sure Ira gathered everything and took it to his haus.”
“If he wasn’t too busy with Margaret,” Nina huffed.
Selah pressed her lips together and put her arm around her shoulders. “I’m sorry,” she said. “This is mei fault. I should have minded mei own business and let you and Ira figure things out for yerselves.”
Nina leaned her head on Selah’s shoulder. It was nice having a sister-in-law, even though she was a tiny bit responsible for the worst moment of her life. “You’re not to blame. At least not too much.”
“I promise not to interfere anymore.”
“I’ve heard that before.” Nina lifted her head and looked at her. “From Grossmutter. Although I have to give her credit. She didn’t meddle too much. And she made a wonderful lunch.” She sighed. “Then I had to mess up everything.”
“Sounds like Ira ruined it for you.” Selah frowned. “I can’t believe he was dating someone and didn’t tell you.”
“Why would he?”
“Out of courtesy? Because you are friends? At least he could have come up with a better way to let you know.”
Nina shook her head. “He doesn’t owe me anything, Selah. Like you said, we’re just . . . friends.” A fact that had been driven home like a stake in the ground. Or in my heart.
Light rain tapped a soft tempo against the roof of the porch. “I tell you what,” Selah said. “After this rain stops, I’ll head over to the Yoders’ and get everything from Ira.” She smiled. “Would that help?”
Nina nodded. That way she could avoid him—and Margaret, too, if she was still there. “I’d appreciate that.”
Selah stood and dipped her head out from under the porch roof for a second, glancing at the sky. “Looks like a storm is developing,” she said. “I’m going inside. Are you coming?”
“I’ll be there in a minute.”
After Selah left, Nina stared at the rain now falling steadily. At least she wasn’t caught out in this mess at the pond. Although it would have been sort of romantic, her and Ira sitting under the trees, holding the quilt over their heads and huddling together to wait for the storm to pass. He would gaze into her eyes, and she into his, and it would be the perfect time to share a kiss—
Not again. “Stop!” she said, bolting from the swing. Even knowing Ira had a girlfriend didn’t keep her from having useless, starry-eyed daydreams about him. She’d imagined kissing him many times, but how could she even think about that after what just happened? “Just stop it!”
“Stop what?”
She turned to see Ira dashing up the porch steps. He was soaking wet. He stood at the end of the top step, water streaming down his face, his clothes plastered against him, her pole in his hands. Oh boy. No, not a boy. Definitely a man. She bit the inside of her cheek and tried not to pay attention to that fact. Instead she focused on his expression, a mix of confusion and concern. She was too surprised to flee inside. “What are you doing here?”
He leaned the pole against the porch rail, and then he took a step toward her, water puddling around his black tennis shoes. “Nina,” he said, wiping the rainwater off his face, his expression growing stern. “It’s time you told me what’s going on.”
* * *
The deluge had started as Ira neared Stoll Inn. He ran as fast as he could, but he still got drenched. Fortunately, there hadn’t been any lightning, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t coming. His annoyance at the weather disappeared when he saw Nina jump up from the swing. When he heard her say “Stop it!” there was no doubt in his mind that something was seriously wrong, and he wasn’t leaving until she explained what it was.
“Ira, I . . .” Her mouth remained open, and then she clamped it shut and looked away from him.
Whatever was bothering her was giving her a lot of trouble, and that made him worry more. He couldn’t help but move closer to her. “Nina, we’ve known each other a long time. We’re gut friends. You can trust me, whatever it is. I won’t break yer confidence, and you know I won’t judge you.”
She didn’t look at him. “But you’ll probably laugh at me.”
He couldn’t stand hearing the pain and embarrassment in her voice. “Nina,” he said softly. Unable to stop himself, he reached over and touched her chin, gently moving her head so she was looking at him. “I would never laugh at you or make fun of you. You should know that by now.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I shouldn’t have run off like that. I shouldn’t have brought the picnic.” She audibly gulped. “I’m sorry I ruined yer time with Margaret.”
“You didn’t. And Margaret said she’d gather everything and take it mei haus.” He glanced at the water pouring from the eave. “We would have had to cancel our fishing anyway. It’s raining too hard.”
She looked him up and down and then quickly turned away and headed for the door. “I’ll get you a towel before you catch cold.”
He lightly grabbed her arm. “I won’t catch cold in the middle of summer. Stop dodging me, Nina. I’m not going anywhere until we talk.”
Nina whirled around. “Fine. You want to know what’s wrong? I like you. That’s what’s wrong.”
He frowned. She was making even less sense than before. “I like you too. I thought that was obvious. If I didn’t, we wouldn’t be friends.”
She shook her head, her hands flapping furiously. “That’s not what I’m talking about. Ira, I like you. As in romance. As in wanting to geh out on a date instead of fishing. As in . . .” Her lower lip trembled. “Anyway, that’s what’s wrong with me. And I know I’m ruining everything between us, and I didn’t know you and Margaret were together, and I don’t think we should see each other anymore.” She dashed into the inn, the screen door slamming behind her.
Ira couldn’t move. He tried to process what she’d just said, the last part of the conversation a whirl in his brain. She liked him . . . like, liked him? And what was that about him and Margaret being together? And now she didn’t want to see him anymore? Despite his confusion, that last statement hit him like a ton of bricks. Wait, she was ending their friendship too?
He flung the screen door open and stormed inside. Two older English couples were sitting at one of the tables, playing cards in their hands, all their gazes on him. They must have seen Nina run past them, and now he was standing in the lobby, which doubled as a common room, his clothes dripping wet. In his haste to get to Nina, he’d forgotten this was a place of business, and the people gaping at him were the inn’s guests. “Sorry,” he mumbled, backing out the door.
Ira stood there on the porch, wondering what to do as sheets of rain gushed in front of him. Nina’s house was behind the inn. Should he run over there and try to talk to her again? He doubted she would agree to that. But how was he supposed to leave things the way they were?
After deciding he didn’t have any real choice, he dashed out into the warm rain and went home. He didn’t think it was possible to be more wet, but now he felt like a drowned rat, and he probably looked like one too. He walked into the mudroom, took off his sopping tennis shoes, and left them on the mat. Then he peeled off his shirt and squeezed the water out of it into an old bucket by the door. He’d have to go through the house with wet pants on, but that couldn’t be helped.
When he entered the kitchen, Margaret was sitting at the table, looking at a seed catalog. She glanced up, and her eyes widened. “What happened to you?”
He’d forgotten all about her. Clutching his shirt against him, he shook his head and hurried upstairs to dry off and change clothes.
After he dressed, he sat on the edge of his bed. What was he going to do? Nina had romantic feelings for him. Now her behavior made sense. The way she stared at him last Saturday, the elaborate surprise picnic today . . . Even Margaret had seen it, and she didn’t even know Nina. He pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead. How could he be such a dummkopf?
A soft knock sounded on his door. “Ira?” Margaret said. “Are you okay?”
He hesitated but then got up from the bed and opened the door. “I’m fine.”
Her pale-blond eyebrows lifted. “You don’t look fine. You also don’t sound fine.” She gestured to the hallway. “Mei mamm always said kaffee and company help soothe anyone’s troubles.”
“Do you believe that?”
“Maybe. Enough that I made kaffee. It’s fresh and hot. I can dish out some of Nina’s peach cobbler too.”
Normally he wouldn’t turn down food, especially peach cobbler, but he didn’t feel right eating Nina’s dessert. “I’ll take the kaffee,” he said.
“You might want to brush yer hair too.” She chuckled. “You look like you got hit by lightning.” She paused. “You didn’t, did you?”
“Nee. At least not the way you think.”
They went downstairs, and Ira sat at the kitchen table while Margaret poured the coffee. “Are you sure you don’t want the cobbler?”
Ira nodded. He stared at the steam rising from his coffee, but he didn’t pick up his mug.
“Did you talk to Nina?” Margaret sat down across from him.
“Ya.”
“I guess it didn’t turn out well.” She took a sip of her coffee. “I’m sorry about that.”
He looked at her. She reminded him of Ivy, and not just because they were both petite. Although there was nearly a decade between him and his oldest sister, he could often talk to her about things, and she had always given good advice. And like Ivy, Margaret wasn’t pressing him for information. She even picked up the seed catalog and started looking at it again, as if nothing was amiss.
“You were right,” he said, placing his hands palms down on the table.
She glanced up at him. “About what?”
“Nina.” He sighed. “I have a big problem, Margaret, and I don’t know what to do.”