Tully touched the brim of his hat. “If it’s all the same, I’d like to stick around for a while and see how she gets on.”
“I’m sure that’s fine.” Becca glanced at Gideon. He nodded.
Tully smiled at her. “Thanks. I feel responsible for causing you folks so much trouble. As soon as I get a job, I’ll repay you for the vet bill.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Gideon said.
“All the same, that’s what I intend to do.”
“Breakfast will be ready soon. I hope you will join us,” Becca said.
He started to refuse, but something in her eyes made him change his mind. “Breakfast sounds great. Thanks.”
Becca grinned happily. “Goot. I will start cooking once we finish milking.”
Gideon looked from Becca to Tully and back. “Tully will help me finish. He has been telling me he wants to learn to milk a cow.”
“That’s right, I do,” Tully said, although this was the first that it had been mentioned. “A man can’t really consider his education complete until he’s milked at least one cow.”
“Are you sure?” She was looking at Gideon.
“Go cook and leave this work to the men.” Gideon dismissed her with a wave of his hand. She looked ready to argue but held her peace.
Tully watched her leave the barn. Gideon clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Come, I will show you what to do.”
“That’s good, because I’m pretty much clueless. We got our milk from the grocery store in town.”
“They charge too much.” He walked to the first cow who was standing in her stanchion patiently waiting. He took a three-legged stool off the wall and showed Tully how to place it beside the cow and sit down.
The first thing Tully noticed was that his hat was in the way. He pulled it off and looked for a place to put it. Gideon chuckled. “Not a milking hat?”
“Nope, but I’m partial to it.” It was a reminder that he’d once had the right to call himself a cowboy. That ranch life and the open prairie were part of his DNA. Although that life was in the distant past, it would forever be a part of him. He handed his hat to Gideon, who hung it on a wooden peg on the wall along with his own.
He took a flat brimless hat off the wall and clapped it on his head. It was Tully’s turn to laugh. “All you need is a red jacket and a hand organ.”
“Are you saying I look like a monkey in my milking hat?”
“There is a vague resemblance.”
“We will see who is the monkey when you can’t fill your pail.”
Gideon showed Tully how to brush the cow’s back legs, tail and udder to prevent any debris from dropping into the pail. Then he showed him how to wash and dry the teats. He stood behind Tully, giving him a few directions on how best to go about milking without hurting the cow before he moved to the adjacent animal and set to work.
It didn’t take Tully long to get the rhythm. He was nowhere near as fast as Gideon, but he filled his bucket before the older man had filled his second one. Tully moved to the next cow. The muscles in his forearms were burning before he was done with her.
“Not bad for an Englischer.” Gideon stroked his long beard.
Tully glanced up at him. “What’s an Englischer?”
“Da Englisch are those who are not Amish.”
“I’m not English. I’m an Okie and proud of it.”
“What is Okie?”
“Means I’m a cowboy from Oklahoma.”
“Okie.” Gideon grunted. “You are still Englisch to me.”
Tully stood with the full pail of milk in his hand after finishing the last cow. “Now what?”
Gideon walked toward the back of the barn with two buckets in his hand. Tully followed him carrying the other two.
In the milk room, they poured the milk into a large strainer that emptied into one of the steel milk cans. They had enough milk to fill two of the large containers. Together they carried one of them out the door and placed it in the back of a cart, where there were already several more cans. Tully was surprised at how heavy they were.
Gideon was taken with another coughing fit. He had to sit down on the back of the cart to catch his breath. Tully suspected something was seriously wrong. “Have you seen a doctor about that cough?”
“It’s getting better.”
Somehow Tully knew that wasn’t the truth. He followed Gideon up to the house. The moment Tully opened the kitchen door, he was surrounded by delicious, mouthwatering aromas. Bacon frying, fresh baked bread and perking coffee. His stomach rumbled like an M2 Bradley fighting vehicle. Annabeth giggled, gave him a shy smile and retreated to stand beside her mother.
Gideon hung his hat and coat on one of several wooden pegs by the door. Tully did the same. Then Gideon showed Tully where to wash up. They might milk by hand, but the family had a modern bathroom with hot and cold running water. When he made his way back to the kitchen, he saw a refrigerator, but Becca was cooking on a wood-burning stove. He took a seat at the table and let his curiosity get the better of him.
“I’ve heard the Amish don’t use electricity, so how is it that you have a fridge?”
“Our church allows members to use propane or natural gas for appliances.”
“Then why are you cooking on a wood-burning stove?”
She carried a plate of bacon and sausage to the table. “Propane is expensive. Wood only costs our labor to cut and haul it. How do you like your eggs?”
“What are my choices?”
“Dippy, hard or scrambled.”
He arched one eyebrow. “What is a dippy egg?”
“One that the yolk is runny enough to dip your bread in. What do you call an egg cooked that way?” She tilted her head to the side. He found the gesture endearing.
“Over easy. The cook turns it over easy enough not to break the yolk.”
“Isn’t it funny that we have different names for the same things?”
“I never thought about it, but yes. I’ll have my eggs scrambled, if it isn’t too much trouble.”
Annabeth sat down at the table across from him. “That’s the way I cook mine.”
He smiled at her. “Is that so?”
Gideon came in and took his place at the head of the table. He spoke to Annabeth in what sounded like German, but Tully recognized only about half the words. He was pretty sure pride was one of them. Annabeth looked chastised and remained silent.
When all the food was on the table, Becca sat at the foot of the table and bowed her head. Tully noticed they all did, but no one said grace out loud. He sat still, feeling ill at ease. Finally Gideon looked up and said, “Eggs.”
Becca passed the plate to him. Annabeth helped herself to a generous portion and handed the rest to Tully. He took some but wanted to leave room for the toast and bacon. Once he started eating, he didn’t want to stop. Everything tasted so much better than it had at the rehab facility or any army mess hall. The bacon was crisp. The eggs were fluffy. The toast was homemade bread the likes of which he hadn’t tasted since his childhood, when his grandmother baked every Thursday. The strawberry jam was bursting with sweetness.
He caught Becca staring at him. He laid his fork down. “This is a mighty fine meal.”
“I’m pleased that you like it,” she said softly.
He tore his glance away from her pretty face flushed with the heat of the stove and looked at Annabeth. “Wie geht es deinen eiern?”
Annabeth’s jaw dropped. “You speak Deitsh?”
“I speak a little. Did I get it right? What did I say?”
“You asked how are my...something. I didn’t know the last word.”
“I was trying to ask, how are your eggs?”
“Oiyah is eggs,” Becca said.
“Oiyah, I’ll have to remember that. I lived in Germany for two years. I knew a woman who taught the language to corporate big shots. She gave me lessons. I don’t think it’s the same German you people speak.”
Gideon chuckled. “I’ve met a few tourists from Germany. I couldn’t understand half of what they said, nor they me.”
“I thought you folks spoke Pennsylvania Dutch.”
“Deitsh isn’t Dutch at all, but that’s what folks call it,” Becca said.
“We Englisch?” he asked.
She looked up and grinned. “Ja, you Englisch.”
“Nee, he is Okie,” Gideon said.
Annabeth’s eyes grew round. “What’s that?”
“Das ist the proper name for a cowboy from Oklahoma,” Gideon said solemnly, as if he had known all along what the term meant.
Tully couldn’t look at Gideon for fear he would burst out laughing. There was a brief conversation in Deitsh between all of them. Becca and Annabeth nodded in understanding, but they didn’t fill him in. It was definitely not the German language he had learned.
“Are you a real cowboy?” Annabeth asked with wonder in her wide eyes.
“Yes, ma’am. I grew up on a working ranch that my family homesteaded in 1893 called the Diamond X. Can’t get much more cowboy than that.”
When everyone was finished eating, Becca stood and began to clear the table. Tully jumped to his feet and began to help. From the expression on everyone’s faces, he figured he’d done something else wrong. “It’s okay if I help with the dishes, isn’t it?”
Becca handed him her plate. “More than okay. Take note of how it’s done, Gideon.”
“I’ll never hear the end of this. I’m going to take the milk to the co-op.” He pushed back in his chair.
Becca grinned at his gruff retort and turned to Annabeth. “You may go along with Gideon.”
Annabeth grinned. “Okay, but I have to go say goodbye to little Diamond first.”
“That’s her name, is it?” Becca asked with a sidelong glance at Tully.
“Is that okay?” Annabeth frowned slightly.
“Maybe it’s a bit fancy.”
“But she has a white diamond-shaped spot on her forehead,” Annabeth said.
“Okay, Diamond it is. Hurry and get your coat. Don’t keep Gideon waiting.”
Becca moved to stand beside Tully at the sink. She dried the plate he handed her and gave him a questioning smile. “Is it permitted to name a calf after your family’s ranch?”
She had a dimple in each cheek when she smiled. He wanted her to smile more often.
“It’s perfectly acceptable to me,” he said. “I’m honored.”
“All right. Danki. I mean, thank you.”
“I should get out of your hair.” He handed her the last plate. “I’ll be down at the barn if you need anything.”
“You don’t have to watch over her. We can do that.”
“I feel responsible. I can’t leave without knowing that she’ll be okay...or not.”
“If you feel strongly about it, I won’t try to discourage you.”
He slipped on his coat and settled his hat on his head. He touched the brim as he nodded to her. “Thanks again for breakfast, ma’am. You’re a mighty fine cook.” He went out the door without waiting for her reply.
After Gideon and Annabeth returned, Becca tried to act as if it were any other Sunday without a church service. She listened as Gideon read from the Bible, but her mind kept drifting. How long was Tully going to stay? Where would he go when he left? Her eyes were drawn to the kitchen window, but she didn’t get up to see if he had gone.
Gideon closed the Bible. “Why don’t you sing for us, Annabeth? Perhaps some of the songs you are learning for your Christmas program.”
Annabeth happily sang several carols. When she was done, Becca joined her in singing some of their favorite hymns. It forced Becca to stay away from the kitchen window. When they finished an old German hymn, Annabeth looked up at her with bright eyes. “Maybe Tully would like to sing with us. I can go ask him.”
Gideon shook his head. Annabeth’s smile faded. When noon rolled around, Becca fixed a light lunch for the family. Although it was normal to spend the off Sunday afternoon visiting neighbors or friends, she hadn’t made plans to go out and had quietly asked members of the community not to visit. Becca wanted Gideon to rest.
He finished his sandwich and took a sip of his coffee. “Is the Englischer still here?”
“I don’t know,” she was able to answer honestly. She was dying to find out. She hadn’t heard his car start up, so she was reasonably certain he was still watching over the calf.
“Annabeth, look out the door and see if the outsider has gone,” he said.
The child jumped up, raced to the door and pulled it open. “His car is still here, but I don’t see him.”
Gideon nodded slowly. “I reckon that means the calf hasn’t improved. Becca, why don’t you take him something to eat? I believe I will lie down for a bit.”
Although she was tempted to jump up as eagerly as Annabeth had done, Becca calmly fixed another sandwich and poured some coffee in a thermos.
“Can I come with you?” Annabeth asked hopefully.
“Not this time. You can start on the dishes and then I will help you learn your lines for the Christmas play.”
“Teacher says I have the most lines of anybody. I hope I can remember them all.”
“You will if you practice enough.” Becca put on her coat and scarf and went out.
The sunshine was bright off the snow-covered ground, but it gave little warmth. Winter in their new home had arrived in mid-November and now had a firm grip on the land. She hurried across the yard, pulled open the barn door and stepped into the dim interior. It was noticeably warmer inside the snug barn thanks to the body heat of eleven large cows contently munching on their hay.
Becca heard Tully before she saw him. “Come on, sweet stuff, you can do it. Your mama has all the nice milk you could ever want. All you have to do is latch on and help yourself. That’s it. Now you’re getting the hang of it.”
“How is she?” Becca opened the stall door and slipped inside. Tully was on the other side of Rosie, holding the baby upright with a sling made from a burlap sack.
“She has made a little progress but not enough. I was about to come up and ask for a bottle to feed her with.”
“I’ll get one for you. In the meantime I brought you some lunch.” She held out the plate and thermos. “Church spread and coffee.”
“That was thoughtful, but I’m not hungry. Not after that huge breakfast. The coffee sounds good, though.” He looked up from the calf he was holding. “What is church spread?”
“A sandwich made with peanut butter, marshmallow crème and corn syrup. It’s really good.”
“Sounds good. Okay, Diamond, I’m gonna let you rest now.” He carried her to the far corner of the stall and settled her in a mound of hay. She bawled pitifully. He sank down on the bedding beside her and stroked her head. “This nice lady is going to get you a bottle. You won’t have to try to stand on that sore leg.”
Rosie moved restlessly back and forth. Tully had made a halter from a length of rope and had her secured to the manger. Becca handed him the coffee and the plate. “I’ll milk Rosie. We can give that to the calf. It’s better for the little one than the milk replacer.”
Becca went to the milk room. Inside she found the clean bottles and nipples in a cabinet by the sink. Taking a bucket and a milking stool, she carried her supplies to the stall, where Tully was sipping coffee from the thermos lid.
She saw he had taken a bite of the sandwich. “How is it?”
“The coffee is great. The church spread is a little too sweet for me. I imagine the kids love it.”
She chuckled. “They do. So do most adults, myself included.”
“Must be an acquired taste. Have you ever tried fry bread?”
She put the stool beside Rosie, sat down with her head pressed to the cow’s warm flank and began milking. “I haven’t. What is it?”
“It’s a type of dough that’s deep-fried. I love mine covered with powdered sugar or cinnamon and sugar. Sometimes I dip it in honey. It works to make tacos, too.”
“We have tacos once in a while.”
“You should try using fry bread instead of taco shells.”
She looked his way. “You must send me the recipe.”
“I’ll do that.”
She finished milking Rosie and poured some of the milk into the bottle. “Where are you going when you leave here?”
“I’m on my way to visit a friend in Caribou.”
She handed him the bottle as she sank to her knees on the other side of the calf. “Will he or she be worried that you haven’t arrived?”
Tully shook his head. “I wasn’t sure how long it would take me to drive there from Philadelphia, so Arnie isn’t expecting me just yet.”
“Is Philadelphia your home?”
“It was temporarily. I’m sort of between residences right now.” He gave the calf his attention as he tried to insert the nipple in her mouth. A lot leaked onto his hands before she figured out how it was supposed to work.
His face lit up with a bright smile of relief. “I think she’s got it. Her chances of getting better just improved.”
The words were barely out of his mouth before the calf let go of the nipple and began coughing. Her head sank to the hay. He rubbed the white patch on her forehead. “It’s supposed to go suck, swallow, breathe. Don’t be so greedy.”
“How is she?” Annabeth asked from outside the stall.
Becca scowled at her. “I thought you were practicing for your school play.”
“I got worried when you didn’t come back in. You said you would help me.”
Becca realized she had been gone much longer than she’d expected. “I guess I lost track of time.”
She held out her hand, and Annabeth came into the stall. She sank to her knees beside Becca and stroked the calf’s neck. “Is she getting better?”
“She’s not feeling the best,” Tully said. “I don’t blame her. Having a broken leg can’t be any fun.”
“I had a splinter in my foot once. It wasn’t any fun at all,” Annabeth said solemnly.
Becca shared an amused glance with Tully. He managed to keep a straight face. “That must have been awful for you.”
“Mamm got it out with her tweezers. Daadi said I hollered up a storm before it was over.”
“I imagine I would holler, too,” he said, letting a tiny smile slip out.
Annabeth didn’t seem to notice as she continued to stroke the calf. “Is she going to get better?”
Becca slipped her arm around Annabeth’s shoulders. “We will do what we can for Diamond. The rest is up to Gott.”
“What if He’s too busy looking after people to take care of a little calf?”
“Gott is never too busy. He cares for all creatures. We can’t know His plan for Diamond or for any of us.”
“Did He plan for her to get hurt?”
Becca had struggled with that same question when her husband died. How could such a thing be part of God’s plan for her family? She hugged her daughter and closed her eyes to hold back the sting of tears. “He allowed it to happen. We must accept His will even if we don’t understand why.”
Annabeth sighed. “Okay. Are you coming in to help me practice my part for Christmas?”
Becca nodded. “You run along. I’ll be in shortly.”
Her child jumped up. “Danki for taking care of Diamond, Tully.”
“I’m happy to do it,” he said.
After Annabeth left Becca wiped her eyes, got to her feet and dusted the hay from her coat. “If you want to be on your way, Tully, we can look after her.”
“I know that. I know it wasn’t my fault she was in the road and that I hit her, but I feel guilty about it anyway. I don’t mind staying. I’ve missed being around cattle. I didn’t realize how much until now.”
“In that case, you are welcome to stay as long as you like. Come up to the house when you get hungry.”
“Can I ask you a personal question?”
She nodded. “I may not answer, but you can ask.”
“What happened to your husband?”
She stared at him intently and saw only compassion in his eyes. She crossed her arms and stared at her feet. She didn’t have to tell him anything, but she felt compelled to share her story. “My husband, his parents and his brother were coming home from visiting some neighbors when their buggy was struck by a speeding pickup that ran a stop sign. I saw it. My husband and his brother died instantly. My mother-in-law died a short time later. Gideon spent many days in the hospital.”
She opened her eyes and saw a stricken expression cross his face before he looked away. “I’m sorry.”
“Gott allowed it. I have accepted it.”
“What happened to the driver of the pickup?”
“He didn’t have a scratch on him,” she said, letting an edge of bitterness out with her words and regretting it instantly. “I have forgiven him.”
Her throat closed with grief. She hurried out of the stall before Tully could see her tears.