“Ellie.” Charlie stepped into the bedroom and regarded her sister. “I can’t watch Ethan today.”
Ellie turned from the window where she’d been fixing her hair as she’d admired the view outside. “I’ll reschedule work,” she said easily. She’d rather spend the day with the boy anyway. “Better yet, I’ll call Rebecca Yoder to cover for me.” And maybe she’d think about finding someone to take over her business for a while. Sarah still wouldn’t be back for another few weeks yet.
“Are you sure?” Her sister appeared concerned.
“I’m certain.” She smiled.
Charlie looked relieved. “Gut. Danki.”
Ellie regarded her with surprise. “What are you thanking me for? You’re the one helping me.”
Her sister grinned. “Ja. I forgot about that.”
After she left the room, Ellie dialed Rebecca, who, she knew, wouldn’t mind taking over her work for the day. After she had Rebecca’s consent, she called her two clients to inform them of the change. The first one was livid until she explained that her fill-in for the day was also Amish. The second one had no problems at all with the change.
She smirked. Why did Englishers think that Amish women were better at cleaning house?
Ellie glanced at her wristwatch and gasped. She needed to get to Reuben’s before she was late. She grabbed the pie she’d baked for him from the refrigerator, then climbed into her pony cart and headed out.
She arrived five minutes later. She was early but not by much. Charlie was usually fifteen minutes early. As she headed toward the house, Reuben swung open the door, looking worried.
“I thought no one was coming,” he said brusquely. He looked wonderful in a maroon shirt, black suspenders and navy tri-blend pants. She could see the muscles of his arms beneath his short shirtsleeves.
“I’m sorry. Charlie couldn’t make it. I had to make a few phone calls before I came.”
“If ’tis too much trouble...” he began.
“Nay.” She tried to smile, but Reuben wasn’t welcoming. Obviously, he preferred Charlie.
His eyes dropped down to the pie she held.
“Dried apple pie. I baked it last night. I hope you like dried apples.”
His expression thawed. “I do.”
She brushed past him and into the house. Ethan was in the high chair, and she immediately went to him. She caressed the top of his head, then bent to kiss it. The child looked up and smiled.
Reuben was silent. She could feel his gaze and spun. “Don’t you have to work?”
He glanced at the wall clock and grimaced. “Ja, I need to go.”
“You don’t have to worry, Reuben. I’ll take gut care of him.”
“I never doubted that for a second,” he replied sincerely. He grabbed his lunch bag from the counter.
“I’ll see you when you get home,” she said easily as he reached for his hat.
He stiffened. “You’ll be spending all day with him?”
“Ja. Charlie is busy.” She lifted her chin.
“Don’t you have to clean house?”
“I made other arrangements.”
He stared at her hard before he finally nodded. Then he left with mumbled words about being home at four this afternoon. Ellie watched him leave through the side kitchen window. Her heart was heavy as she realized that Reuben had hoped to see Charlie and not her.
She returned to Ethan, ensuring he had enough to eat. Today she’d teach him to drink from a cup, she decided. He was too old for a bottle. Ethan ate dry cereal by himself. Surely, he could learn to use a cup.
Ellie went to a cabinet to search for a cup for him. All she found were several glass tumblers and a small tin cup that she realized was a measuring cup.
“You and I will be going to the store today,” she told Ethan with a smile. “I’m going to buy you a sippy cup.”
Ethan kept eating, not understanding her or concerned with her decision to leave the house. While at the store, she’d also purchase a few groceries.
After breakfast, Ellie changed Ethan’s diaper. She wished she’d brought the buggy. It would have been safer for Ethan to ride in. She called Nell on her cell. Nell was allowed a phone because of her husband’s veterinary practice.
“Can we switch vehicles for the day?” she asked, explaining why.
“I can pick up what you need,” Nell said. “I’m in Whittier’s Store.”
Ellie gave her a list over the phone.
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Nell promised.
After thanking her sister, Ellie hung up the phone and smiled at Ethan. “Wouldn’t you like to be outside and enjoy this delightful summer breeze?” she asked softly. The boy laughed and she grinned. “What’s so funny, little man?”
After she cleaned him up, she grabbed a quilt and took Ethan outside to play just outside the side door. On impulse, she brought the pot and spoon he loved. The summer breeze was pleasant. It had rained during the night, and the temperature had cooled down to the upper seventies.
Ethan loved being outside. He sat on the quilt, banging on the pot with the spoon. Watching him, Ellie got an idea. She stood and reached down for him. He looked at her and his lips quivered. “Nay, sweetheart, we’re not going inside.”
He appeared on the verge of tears, and she hugged him close. The sudden stark realization that she was here with Ethan when his young mother was cold in the ground made her feel sorry for Susanna. For Reuben, who had lost the woman he loved.
She closed her eyes as she held Ethan tight. The boy struggled in her arms, clearly wanting to get down. She crouched, set him on his feet, then, holding on to his hands, she kept him upright and urged him to take a few steps. Ellie took joy as Ethan tried, putting one foot in front of the other. He would have fallen if she’d let go, but she kept a close, loving eye on him as she held on to him. When she sensed he’d grown tired of the game, she set him down, then handed him his spoon and pot. She watched with a smile as he went back to hitting the bottom of the pot with the spoon handle.
A while later Ellie could tell Ethan was tired. Glancing at her watch, she was startled by the hour. “Lunch, Ethan, and then nap time.”
She fed him cooked mashed carrots for lunch, which he clearly enjoyed, as he ate every bite. She then gave him a handful of Cheerios. Ethan devoured them, then leaned back in the high chair with heavy-lidded eyes. “Time for a nap,” she said.
Ellie put Ethan in the bed in the next room. The child turned on his side and promptly fell asleep. With a smile, she returned to the kitchen, made herself a sandwich, then cleaned up.
Nell arrived and handed her the requested items. Ellie paid her, then waved as her sister left to join her husband at a nearby farm.
Knowing that Ethan would sleep for an hour and a half, at least, Ellie put away the groceries and set the blue-and-white child’s sippy cup on the kitchen counter. Next, she took out a broom and swept the kitchen floor. Should she cook the beef roast? The day was cool enough for the oven. The breeze wafting through the open windows would help modulate the indoor temperature. Ellie then wiped down the countertops before she headed upstairs to collect dirty laundry. As she carried the clothes basket downstairs, she experienced the strangest feeling. Doing Reuben’s laundry felt like something only a wife would do. But Sarah had done the wash, she thought. And so could she.
She frowned as she filled the washer with colored clothes.
Would Sarah call today? She hoped so. Maybe she should call and leave a message for the girl. It would be good to talk with her, to ask after Reuben’s mother. Yet she hesitated about calling. If Sarah was returning, then Reuben would no longer need her.
She froze. The thought of leaving shouldn’t bother her, but it did.
The downstairs chores complete, Ellie made a cup of tea, then sat at the kitchen table and sipped from it. She didn’t want to think about the time she would no longer get to see Reuben daily. She didn’t want to think about leaving Ethan, the sweet child who’d captured her heart.
She took a swallow of tea, then paused. She thought she heard the sound of running water. She didn’t think much of it at first, believing it to be the washer in the back room. But then she heard the washer spin and realized that the steady sound of water flowing had continued when it should have stopped. She got up and went to check on the washing machine. The machine had stopped, yet the sound of water continued—and it wasn’t coming from this room.
With a frown, she headed toward the stairs and paused at the bottom, where the sound of water was louder. She raced up the steps and found the source. Water sprayed from under the sink and flooded the floor. Heart racing, Ellie wondered how to turn off the main water line. The leak appeared to be from the other side of the sink’s turnoff valves. She ran downstairs and found the main valve in the mudroom where the washer and drier were located. She turned it and was relieved when the sound halted.
Ellie hurried to check on Ethan, who stirred as he woke up. She gasped. Water had leaked through the great room ceiling not far from where Ethan had slept. We can’t stay here.
She’d take Ethan home with her. They couldn’t stay here without water. She’d make sure they were back before Reuben was expected home.
She would try to reach him first so he wouldn’t worry. She dialed the construction company, but the call wouldn’t go through. She waited a few minutes, then tried again.
She called her sister Leah at her store, Yoder’s Craft Shop and General Store. Her sister and her husband, Henry, had recently started carrying groceries again. The shop had been a general store until Henry’s parents had turned it over to Leah for a craft shop. Henry, a cabinetmaker, kept furniture items as well as sample kitchen and bath cabinets in the store, as well.
“Yoder’s Craft and General Store,” her sister announced as she answered the phone.
“Is Henry there?”
“Ellie! He’s up at the house.”
Ellie bit her lip. “Do you think he would mind trading vehicles with me? I’m watching Reuben Miller’s son, and there’s been a water pipe leak. I had to shut off the main water valve, and I’d like to take Ethan to Mam and Dat’s, but I have the pony cart.”
Leah chuckled. “I’ll send Henry over with a buggy seat,” she said.
“A buggy seat?”
“Just something Henry made with our future son or daughter in mind.”
“And it will hold an eight-month-old?”
“Ja.”
“Danki.”
“I’ll call up to the house and tell him.”
“I appreciate it.”
“I’ll expect you to watch your niece or nephew when needed.”
Ellie grinned. “It would be my pleasure.” She loved children. She had yet to watch Meg’s baby, and now with her two other older sisters pregnant, there would be more little ones to love.
Henry arrived twenty minutes later. He grinned as he saw her in the yard with Ethan. “Special delivery,” he said.
She gave him a wide smile. “I’m happy to see you and your thing—whatever it is.”
He took out a wooden seat, which he strapped onto the pony cart seat beside her. It was the perfect size for a child. Once it was in place, he met her gaze. “All set. He’ll be safe in this.”
“Danki.”
“You’re willkomm.”
“How is Leah feeling?”
He beamed at her. “Wunderbor.”
“You’ll be a gut vadder.”
“I hope so.”
“No doubt about it.” She shifted Ethan in her arms. “I should go. I want to get to Mam and Dat’s and back before Reuben gets home. You know they’re going to want one of these.”
Henry grinned. “I’ll be glad to make them one.” He helped her onto her cart. “I’ll see you on Sunday.”
Ellie nodded, then watched him get into his own vehicle and leave. Minutes later, she arrived home. Her parents were surprised but happy to see her and Ethan.
“What’s wrong?” her father asked.
Ellie explained the situation.
He listened carefully, then asked for the house key. “We’ll get it fixed up for you.”
She gave him the key, and he immediately left to get his brother-in-law, her uncle Samuel, to see if they could fix the leak.
Dat and Uncle Samuel returned an hour later. “We were able to fix the leak,” her father said.
“And you turned the water back on?”
“Ja, we had to check to make sure the repair held, and it did.”
Ellie released a sharp breath. “I should get back, then. I tried to call where Reuben works but I haven’t been able to get through. The phone lines must be down.”
“We saw a car accident between here and the house,” her uncle said. “Looks like the driver hit an electric pole.”
“I hope no one was seriously hurt.” She murmured a quick, silent prayer that the driver and any passengers were well.
“There was an ambulance on the scene. I don’t know how many were in the car.”
Ellie nodded. “I’ll be careful going back. Should I take a different road?”
Her father agreed that it would be best if she drove back via a different avenue. He told her which way to go. She nodded in agreement before she picked up Ethan, then left.
Despite the seat that kept Ethan safe, Ellie steered her vehicle slowly back to the Reuben Miller house. She left the pony cart in her parents’ yard, opting to take the family buggy instead. The wooden seat that Henry made fit well in the buggy, and she was glad she’d called Leah to ask for help.
It took her a little longer to get back to the house since she was forced to take a different route. She was relieved when she caught sight of the house ahead. She’d approached from the opposite direction, and she turned on the directional signal and pulled into the yard. To her shock, she saw a buggy parked near the hitching post. Reuben was already home.
She pulled in next to his vehicle and closed her eyes briefly in preparation for the coming confrontation. The man wouldn’t be happy to have her gone from the house with his son.
Breathing deeply to calm herself, Ellie got out, then skirted the buggy to take Ethan from his seat. When she turned, Reuben stood outside near the side door.
She approached. “Reuben.”
“Where have you been?” he demanded harshly.
“With my parents.”
“Why? Because you can’t manage to stay a whole day?”
She brushed by him to enter the house. He followed her but she refused to answer him.
“Elizabeth!”
She spun to face him. “I’m not a child, Reuben.”
“You left.”
“I had a gut reason.” She felt Ethan struggle within her arms. She could sense his upset, and she quickly soothed him with a gentle caress on his head and back.
Reuben eyed her skeptically. “What reason?” He didn’t look as fierce, but his expression hadn’t softened either.
“You had a water leak. I had to shut off the water to the house. ’Tis hard to care for a child without water.”
His blue eyes darkened. “Where?” His tone suggested that he didn’t believe her.
“In the upstairs bathroom.” She marched with Ethan into the gathering room and pointed toward the wet ceiling.
Reuben followed her. It was only after he saw what she meant that he frowned. He gave a heavy sigh. “I’ll get my tools.”
“No need,” she said stiffly. “The leak is fixed. My father and uncle took care of it.”
“What?” His tone was soft, as if he was trying to control anger.
“I said—”
“I know what you said,” he cut in. “What right did you have to allow strangers into my home?”
“They’re not strangers—”
“They’re your family, not mine! You had no business inviting them into my haus. I could’ve fixed the leak.”
She strapped Ethan into his high chair. “Reuben, they offered and I couldn’t say nay,” she said softly. “It took them less than an hour—and that with time to get here and back.”
“The time it took is irrelevant. It’s up to me to take care of my house. I don’t need your interference.”
“Why is it so hard for you to accept help, Reuben?” she cried. “I don’t understand you at all. My father and Uncle Samuel were trying to help you. You have a lot on your mind. They thought they were doing a gut thing!”
“I can take care of my own!”
“Apparently.” She sighed. “It’s getting late. I should leave.”
“Fine.” His tone was sharp, the one word abrupt.
She released a cleansing breath, then turned to run a caring hand over Ethan’s shoulder. “Take care, little man. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“There’s no need for you to come back tomorrow,” Reuben said evenly, making her blanch.
Ellie nodded and left, wondering how a simple helpful gesture had gone so wrong.
She blinked back tears as she climbed into her buggy and headed home. She wouldn’t tell her father about Reuben’s reaction. Her dat had done a good thing, and no one was going to make him feel bad about it.
Hurt, she tried not to think of the near future. She would miss Ethan. More than she should, she realized. She had gotten too emotionally involved with him and his mercurial father. It was probably for the best that she didn’t go back.
Yet a painful constriction in her chest told her differently. That she’d rather spend time with Ethan—and his father—than clean house. These last two weeks, she’d felt so alive.
Was this how Charlie felt when she was with Nate? And Leah with Henry? Nell with James? Meg with Peter?
She thought of her parents. They had a good marriage. She saw the subtle looks they exchanged, which suggested a solid relationship. A partnership. That was what she wanted with a husband some day. She sighed. Was that why Reuben was a bitter man? Because he’d lost that time, that partnership, with his young wife?
That night, as she climbed into bed, she decided that it didn’t matter if Reuben didn’t want her to come. She would go anyway. The man and his son needed her, whether he liked it or not. With that decision made, she went to bed and slept well.
When she woke the next morning, she wondered if it was still a good idea—going to Reuben’s as if he hadn’t dismissed her the day before.
She was at the kitchen table eating breakfast when there was a knock at the back door. Ellie rose to answer it, her eyes widening as she saw Reuben with his son on her doorstep.
“Reuben?”
“I need to talk with you.”
She stepped back and allowed him to enter.