Martha sighed with contentment as she closed the door to the room. It was now clean, organized, and ready for new visitors. It was amazing how much easier it was to keep up with everything. No shattered doors. No manure in the couch. No vandalism. It had been remarkably peaceful in Eden ever since Amos had been arrested.
Still, Martha couldn’t quite wrap her head around it. Amos had really and truly set out to hurt Miriam enough to drive her away. And at that, not over a feud, grudge, or any dislike, but all over some old coins and a pirate story. How could someone feel such greed that they would stoop that low? And over something as silly as a treasure hunt. A treasure that could very well be a figment of someone’s imagination.
What was so great about this treasure anyway? It certainly hadn’t done anyone any good. It was stolen by a pirate, who was then arrested and executed. Then it was hidden away, and apparently never spent or there would be nothing to look for. If the treasure even existed, it had to be the unluckiest pile of clutter in the world.
Martha, however, almost hoped someone would find the treasure. The further it was from Eden, the better. Plus no one would have a reason to come and bother Miriam or Eden again. The greedy buffoonery could come to an end once and for all.
Of course, Martha did not want to be the one to find it. As Martha reached the bottom of the stairs, she was jolted from her musings by the sound of someone clearing their throat. She half turned and smiled as she saw James standing there. He was in a fresh shirt, and his boots looked as if they had a fresh shine on them. He always looked good, but something about him gave her the impression he wasn’t there to work.
“Gude nochmiddaag, Martha,” James said with a formal tone that struck her as odd.
Martha returned his greeting. “Good afternoon, James. I didn’t see you today. I thought maybe you were working on something else.”
“Nee. Jonas gave me the day off.”
“That was nice of him.” Martha smiled, although something worried her. James seemed a little different today. “Denki again. I know we kept you busier than you bargained for.”
“That wasn’t your fault,” James assured her, looking like his old self for a moment as he waved off her concern. “We brought Amos with us. I should be apologizing to you for not realizing his involvement sooner.”
“No one could have guessed that he was the one up to no good,” she assured him, and then wondered why Jonas turned to gaze out the window, seemingly distracted by something.
“Martha, would you mind walking to the gazebo with me?” he asked, and that odd, formal edge in his voice made him seem like another person. “If you aren’t too busy?”
Martha nodded, though she wondered what it was that was bothering James today. He had seemed perfectly fine when they had last spoken. The answer didn’t come as they walked quietly side by side. She was at a loss as to what was so different today.
The gazebo looked beautiful. It was freshly painted and the damage had been repaired. New soil was plowed and mixed in a neat ring around it, waiting for the flowers Miriam had ordered to put around it. Miriam had a dozen plans she was eager to add in. Martha suspected that Miriam was wracking her brain to find more for Jonas to do before he finished the job at Eden.
A sad, wistful feeling clenched in her chest as that realization sank in. Now that the vandalism, and investigations, and missing parts were all over, the projects Jonas and James had come to do were finishing up quickly. In fact they were working much faster than when Amos was there to help. It wouldn’t be long before they ran out of things to do and went back home. Home over a hundred miles away.
Martha watched as James paced slowly across the gazebo floor. “You did a great job repairing this. It’s almost as if it had never been damaged at all.”
James gave a distracted nod as he seemed to be struggling to put his thoughts together. He gave a short, nervous laugh, “I knew what I was going to say when I got here.”
Martha smiled encouragingly, “Well, no need to rush. I actually wanted to ask you something, if it’s okay.”
“Oh. Yes. Of course.” James gave a tense nod as he dabbed at his forehead.
That struck Martha as odd. “Well, I just wanted to know...” Martha’s voice trailed away and she felt her face redden as she tried to find the words which she had rehearsed again and again over the last few days. “I enjoy your company. If it isn’t too forward, um —” Martha broke off and then steeled herself to say the remaining words. “Would it be all right if I wrote you sometimes? When you finish your job here?”
There —” she had said it. She felt a rush of triumph, but then, just as quickly, the insecurity set in. It was an innocent enough request. They got along well. They had been through a lot together. It would be natural to want to keep in contact, right?
James shook his head, looking taken aback by the request. “I don’t want you to write.”
Martha felt her heart drop. James had not even hesitated to consider the request. She thought they had shared a moment. A few moments. She thought he would at least have —” she didn’t know how she thought it would go. But certainly not like that.
“I mean I don’t want you to just write. That is I wanted to ask —” I wanted to see if you —” James flustered in a panic, waving his hands helplessly as he apparently tried to put his thoughts together. He took in a deep breath and looked at her. “This all went a lot better in my head. I’m glad you asked me that, though. Let me try again?”
Martha gave a cautious nod, wondering what was going on. He squared his shoulders and regained his composure.
“Martha, you are an amazing woman.” James stood formally. “You are the kindest, most resilient, hardest working woman I know. I watched you deal with problems that would have sent most people into a frenzy. Then have the grace to make people feel welcome right after. You are truly a woman beyond compare.”
Martha felt her cheeks redden at the praise. It was hard to stay upset when he was looking at her so earnestly. She was at a loss as to how to respond.
James seemed emboldened by her expectant silence. She watched him slowly walk up closer to her. That moment in the living room flashed in her memory as his gold flecked eyes stared into hers, making her heart flutter.
“Martha, if you would —” James stopped speaking for a moment, looking nervous and vulnerable. “I’d be honored. And I’d be the happiest mann alive, if you’d be my fraa.”
His fraa? Martha felt her mind go blank. She was stunned. They had shared several moments together – at least, they had felt like moments to her. So all that stiffness and flustering was because he wanted to propose to her? A wave of joy rose up in her, joy mixed in with a pang of fear. Was this a dream? Was she about to wake up?
James seemed to falter slightly at her stunned silence, and he leaned back slightly as he cleared his throat. “Martha, will you marry me?”
Martha felt a smile stretch across her face as her eyes blurred from the tears that welled in them. She opened her mouth to respond, but no words escaped her. She nodded as she blinked back the tears, watching relief and joy light up his face.
Before she could stop herself, she threw her arms around him with a delighted cry. She felt his arms wrap around her in a tight embrace, enveloping her. She clung to his neck as she buried her head into his shoulder. She couldn’t remember a time when she had felt so many emotions all at once. It was so much like a dream, that it scared her a little. It was as her entire world had changed with that one question.
The hug might have lasted only a few seconds, but it felt more like one blissful eternity. She thought she could have been perfectly content just to stay in his arms like this forever. Right in this moment.
James loosened his hold long enough to lean back and gaze at her. She felt her face redden anew at the loving admiration in his expression. He slowly leaned forward, hesitantly. Almost questioningly.
It was like the whole world stopped as they shared their first kiss. There was just the two of them in the entire world. It was everything she had imagined, and more. Sweet, kind. There were no words to describe it. It felt as if she had been missing a part of herself, and suddenly, she was whole.
James and Martha spent a while in that embrace. And eventually they had moved on to talking about different things. Their hopes. The past few weeks. Eventually they moved from the gazebo to walking hand in hand around the yard.
“Where would we live?” Martha asked, as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
“I’ll build us something if nothing strikes our fancy,” he assured her as they walked along.
“Nee.” She shook her head and looked over at him, “I mean where would we live?”
As James frowned in confusion, she smiled nervously, “To be honest, it scares me a little. I’ve never been far from home. It would be hard for me to be so far from my familye and friends. Miriam really needs me right now too. I’d feel terrible leaving her soon after things finally settled down.”
His face lit up in understanding. He mulled over the question a minute, and glanced back at her. “Actually, Jonas is considering moving our business here. Seems there is a lot of business to be found here, lots of things that need fixing.”
Martha felt a small weight lift off her shoulders. While she would have followed James anywhere, she was glad that they would remain here. Here, where her friends and familye could help her prepare for a wedding, where her own bishop would counsel her as she transitioned into the role of a wife. There were some questions she just couldn’t ask strangers, not even future familye. Some things simply could not be addressed properly in letters and occasional visits.
“I’m glad.” She gave him a concerned look, “But won’t you miss your community?”
“I have everything I need right here,” James rose their joined hands and gave the back of her hand a gentle kiss before lowering her hand. “As for Jonas, he really seems to prefer the company here.”
She looked at him questioningly, and he gestured back toward the gardening shed, where Jonas was building a terrace for Miriam’s garden. Miriam was offering him a glass of tea, and they seemed to be deep in conversation.
It was probably the first time she had ever really looked at the two of them together. They usually talked about work and projects when Martha was around. And they were in a constant flurry between the guests, renovations, and that nonsense with Amos.
She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but there seemed to be something there. As they gestured over the woodwork and pointed toward different parts of the yard, there seemed to be more there than a simple work chat.
Maybe there was more to Miriam’s sudden inspirations and projects than Martha had first thought. She raised her brows and gave James a knowing smile. “I think I see what you mean.”
He returned the smile and gave a little nod as they continued on their walk, giving the pair their privacy, while seeking a little of their own. “I think this town will grow on me just fine.”
Martha grinned and leaned a little against him. “I’m glad.”
She glanced back over her shoulder at the B&B, with its new window panes, new roof, and fresh coat of paint. She didn’t know if there really was a treasure buried under that house where Miriam and Jonas stood sipping their tea. But there was certainly something here. But whatever it was, there was something special in Eden you could feel. But it wasn’t a treasure you could see or touch.
She glanced down at their intertwined hands.
Well, maybe sometimes.
