Ellie was already smitten, but her love for him grew during the evening. The man had been attentive since he’d asked her to supper. The fact that he’d bought the meal, set up the blanket and bought her daisies made him all the more special to her. She cut herself a small piece of cake, then sat down to enjoy the treat with the man seated across from her.
It was as if they were friends who found pleasure in each other’s company. Ellie wished they could be more than friends, but she would enjoy whatever time she had left with him—while dreaming of things that could never be.
They ate their cake and drank their tea. When they were finished, Ellie rose and placed the dirty dishes into the wash basin in the sink. She turned on the water and reached below the cabinet for dish detergent, but Reuben stopped her. He came up from behind, gently removed her hand and closed the cabinet door. Then he reached over her shoulder to turn off the water.
“I’ll take care of the dishes.” His voice rumbled near her ear, making her tingle where his breath touched her skin.
“I don’t mind—”
“This is my night to do something for you. ’Tis the least I can do. You’ve done so much for me.”
He stepped back and she could breathe again, but she was still hyperaware of his scent, his nearness. She turned. “If you’re sure...” He nodded, and she said, “I’ll go, then.”
She grabbed her bag and left the house. Ellie was aware that he followed her closely, escorting her to her vehicle to see her safely inside. It was that time of night when dusk was beginning to settle and darkness was soon to follow.
Ethan was sleeping only a few yards away in the house. Ellie experienced a hitch in her breath as Reuben reached for her hand. She felt the warmth of his fingers against hers as she was assisted inside her buggy.
She felt her face heat as she reached for the leathers and hoped he didn’t notice. She breathed evenly, then faced him. “Danki again for a lovely night.”
“I had a gut time.”
“Me, too.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow?”
She inclined her head. “If for some reason I can’t make it, I’ll make sure Charlie comes in my place.” She sensed when he stiffened. “What’s wrong?”
He gave her a rueful smile. “Just tired,” he said. His smile widened.
“Enjoy the rest of your night.”
“The same to you, Ellie Stoltzfus. I’ll see you again soon.” The way his eyes warmed as he studied her made her feel happy inside.
As she pulled away, she knew she was in deep trouble because she seriously wanted to marry that man. And if she didn’t discover a way to change her affections, there was every chance there’d be a broken heart in her future.
For the rest of the week, Ellie babysat for Ethan. Each day, while he was napping, she made phone calls, first to Rebecca to offer her clients, then to help her find someone else to handle the ones the girl couldn’t take. Most of her clients were accommodating. They simply wanted someone to clean for them and do a good job. Rebecca took five of her clients, and the rest were divided between others who cleaned house for a living. The Broderick household Ellie kept for now until she could introduce Olivia to Rebecca. She knew the two would get on well.
Since their picnic supper, Reuben had started to come home for lunch. The first time he’d entered the house, she’d gaped at him in shock. She had cooked sliced carrots for Ethan and run them under cold water to cool them down. Ethan was in his high chair, eating the carrots, content with his new food. She’d filled his sippy cup with milk, and he drank from it easily.
Apparently noting her reaction, Reuben apologized for coming unexpectedly.
She scowled at him. “’Tis your haus, Reuben. You’ve a right to come home for lunch.”
“The job we started today is just up the road.”
“You’ll be home for lunch every day, then?”
Reuben hesitated before replying. “Ja, if you don’t mind.”
Her expression softened. “I don’t mind.”
Reuben continued to come home at noon every day, and Ellie looked forward to his midday visits. She liked figuring out what to make him, and enjoyed his company for the forty-five minutes he had to spend with her.
Friday morning, she was downstairs while Ethan napped in his room when she received a phone call from Olivia Broderick, who pleaded with her to come this afternoon.
“I have company coming, and I need to get the house ready. There’s so much to do and I have no energy.”
Ellie thought longingly of her anticipated lunch with Reuben. “I can be there at two.”
“Thank you, Ellie,” Olivia expressed warmly. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”
After she hung up, Ellie finished cleaning the downstairs, then went into the kitchen to prepare lunch. Ethan would be getting up soon. He’d already outgrown the cradle that Reuben had made for him. She didn’t mind going upstairs periodically to check on the little boy. It was easier to get things done around the house when Ethan wasn’t sleeping in the great room.
She decided to make BLT sandwiches, but as she looked inside, she saw only two strips of bacon, and she didn’t want to give something to Reuben that she wouldn’t also be eating. He would be the gentleman and insist that she eat the BLT while he settled for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She knew he’d had way too many of those while Sarah was here.
Ellie hadn’t had a chance to grocery shop for Reuben. She called her sister Leah, whose craft shop now included a small general store. The building that housed Leah’s craft shop had once been a general store owned by her in-laws.
The phone call to Leah at the store went through immediately. When her sister picked up, Ellie explained what she needed. “I know you’re busy, but do you think you could find someone to bring them to me? Ethan is napping...”
“I’ll bring them,” Leah said. “Henry is here, and I could use a break. He’ll watch the store for me.”
“I don’t want to cause you any trouble. I can come after he wakes up.” She’d be tight for time if she did that, though—she needed to have lunch ready for Reuben, then she’d head over to the Broderick home after he left. She’d take Ethan to her parents and Charlie could watch him. Then she’d pick him up on her return to the house, and get back before Reuben’s arrival in the afternoon. She told Leah of her plan.
“I can stay with Ethan,” she offered. “I’m having one of my own. I’d like to spend time with the little one.”
“Henry...”
“He won’t mind,” Leah assured her. Her voice lowered to a whisper. “He loves me.”
Ellie smiled. “Ja, he does,” she said, then paused. “Leah, Reuben will be home for lunch.”
There was silence on the other end of the line. “You don’t want me there when he comes.”
She felt her face heat. “’Tis not that I don’t want you here.” She drew a calming breath. “Reuben doesn’t know I have to work this afternoon.”
She could envision her sister’s eyes widening. “Why not?”
“Because he wants me to be here, and I will be again...after I finish at the Broderick haus.”
“He wants you.” There was a pregnant pause. “Does he like you?”
Ellie’s mind raced to formulate the right words. “I don’t know, but he might.”
“I think that’s wunderbor!”
“Please, Leah. You can’t tell anyone. Not even Henry.” Her stomach burned. “Especially not Meg.”
She could sense her sister’s disapproval. “I don’t keep secrets from my husband, and I don’t like keeping them from my sisters.”
“’Tis not your secret,” she told her. “’Tis mine, and I don’t think anything will come of it.”
“Fine,” Leah said sharply, and Ellie closed her eyes. The last thing she wanted to do was upset her sister.
“I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize.” Her sister’s tone had softened. “I understand.”
Leah told her when she could come, and, relieved, Ellie decided she’d make Reuben custard for dessert since she already had the ingredients on hand. She’d placed the last of the custard cups into the refrigerator when her sister arrived.
Leah looked wonderful, and Ellie told her so. Her sister entered the house with a bag of groceries, and Ellie scolded her for carrying them. “Does Henry allow you to carry in the groceries?”
Leah blushed. “Nay. But ’tis only one bag. There are more in the buggy.”
Ellie suspected that Henry had wanted to be the one to make the delivery, but Leah had insisted that it be her.
“Please sit down. Would you like tea? I can put the kettle on, then get the rest of the groceries.” She hoped that Ethan continued to sleep while she was outside.
She was back in less than a minute with two shopping bags. She paid her sister for the groceries, then put them away. Leah had turned off the stove and was preparing two cups of hot tea. “I see you found the stash of tea.”
Leah grinned. “In the pantry, where we keep tea at home.”
Ellie nodded. She had done some rearranging in the pantry earlier this week.
The sisters talked about Meg, Charlie and Nell.
“Everyone seems to be doing well. Happy and content in their marriages,” Ellie said.
“They are. We all are.” Leah eyed her thoughtfully, and Ellie was afraid she’d bring up the subject of Reuben, but she didn’t. Ellie offered up a silent prayer of thanks.
Leah glanced at her watch and stood. “I need to get back. Henry will worry, and Reuben will be home soon,” she said, adding the last bit with a mischievous smile. “Why don’t I stop by Mam and Dat’s and ask Charlie to come and watch Ethan for you.”
“I don’t know if she’s free to come.”
“I’ll call you if she can’t make it. If she’s busy, you can take him for Mam to watch him. She’d love it.”
Ellie worried that she’d be imposing too much on their mother and said so.
“Nay. She watched Meg’s baby one afternoon before they left for New Wilmington.” Leah smiled. “She made out just fine.”
Ethan cried out from upstairs.
“Get him. I can see myself out.” Her sister grinned at her. “I’ll call you to let you know if Charlie can’t babysit. If not, maybe you’d like to bring him to the store. ’Tis closer, and Henry and I can both keep an eye on him. It will be on-the-job training for when our baby arrives.” She patted her stomach.
“Danki,” Ellie murmured.
She went up to get Ethan and smiled when he started babbling when he saw her. She thought she heard him say “da,” as if trying to say Dat, but she couldn’t be sure. Still, she beamed at him, choosing to believe that he’d called out to his father.
After she changed his diaper, she fed him downstairs. A quick glance at the wall told her it was nearly noon. Reuben would be home any minute. As she sat close to his son, watching him eat, she felt anticipation. She liked spending time with Reuben. She couldn’t wait for him to come. With that thought, she rose and grabbed the bacon that Leah had brought for her and what was left in the older package, then she began to make lunch. She fried the bacon until it was crispy but not overdone, then took out the lettuce and tomato and the jar of mayonnaise. She sliced homemade crusty bread, ready to toast on the stove. And she waited for Reuben.
Noon passed, then twelve fifteen. She had to leave after lunch. How late would Reuben be? Finally, she heard his buggy through the open kitchen window. She smiled, pleased, her heart beating with nervous excitement. She turned on the gas, buttered the bread lightly, then set about making toast. Reuben came through the door as she was putting together their BLT sandwiches.
“Ellie,” he said warmly. His smile lit up his blue eyes. “Something smells delicious.”
“I made BLTs.”
His blue eyes brightened. “I love BLTs. I can’t remember the last time I had them.”
She gestured toward the table. Reuben stopped to ruffle his son’s light cap of soft hair. “What would you like to drink?” she asked.
“Is there iced tea left?”
“Ja, I made a fresh batch this morning.”
“I’ll get it,” he offered, and he surprised her once again as he took the iced tea pitcher from the refrigerator, then started to reach over her shoulder for two glasses as she turned with plates in hand.
Ellie froze as she found herself face-to-face with Reuben, and so close she could detect his scent combined with soap and water. He must have washed up outside before coming home.
Home. How would it feel if this were her home as Reuben’s wife? He hadn’t mentioned marriage again. Had he changed his mind? The thought saddened her. But then she recalled the picnic they’d shared at the beginning of the week. He’d been kind, almost romantic. The evening hadn’t been arranged by someone who didn’t care.
Was he silently courting her? Trying to change her mind? Brightening, she experienced warmth in her heart. There were still problems to work out. He had difficulty accepting help for one, and the other, the big one—he didn’t want more children, and Ellie desperately wanted a large family.
She put the sandwiches on the table. Reuben had sat down after fixing each of them a glass of iced tea. It was almost as if they were married. The feel in the kitchen was of a family—father, mother and son—eating together. Only Reuben wasn’t her husband, nor Ethan her son. A longing rose up in her that nearly stole her breath.
Reuben narrowed his gaze on her after apparently noting the change. “What’s wrong?”
She gave him a genuine smile after fighting back the myriad emotions she felt. “I’m worried about my parents,” she said, because it was another obstacle in her marrying.
“Are they ill?” he asked with concern.
“Nay, but I can see them aging. Mam needs my help in the kitchen and with doing chores.” She looked down at her plate, unwilling to be drawn deeper into her attraction toward him. “Dat is doing well enough, but he still worries me.”
“Why?” Reuben’s voice was soft.
She glanced up at him briefly. “I don’t know. ’Tis something that I feel.”
He was silent, but she could feel his gaze. She transferred her attention to Ethan, smiling as she gave him another carrot slice and watched as he bit into it.
“Ellie.”
She locked gazes with him. “Ja?”
He shook his head. “Never mind.”
She frowned. “What is it?”
“I think you may be worrying more than you should. ’Tis gut that you want to help your parents. I’m glad of that.” His voice became husky. “I’m grateful you’ve given up time with them to be here. For Ethan.” He paused. “And for me.”
Ellie blinked. She couldn’t let him see what was in her heart, especially if he was no longer interested in marriage. But he wasn’t looking at her like she was just a friend. She was confused. She knew what she wanted to do, but she was worried her choice would lead her down a spiraling path to heartbreak and unhappiness. Not that Reuben wasn’t an honorable man. She was sure if she married him he would treat her right.
She pushed everything out of her mind. She was here with Reuben, and she needed to enjoy his company before Sarah came back. She looked at his plate and smiled at him. “You liked your BLT?”
He nodded, his smile a little slower in forming. “Delicious.”
“Do you want another one?”
Reuben shook his head as he stood. “’Tis getting late. I need to get back to work.”
Ellie watched as he bent to place a gentle kiss on his son’s forehead. Her heart melted. He loved his son. Now if only he would love her.
She watched as he grabbed his hat from a wall peg before he headed toward the door. After a quick glance at Ethan to ensure he was fine, she followed him to the door and outside. He started toward his vehicle. Suddenly, he halted and faced her.
“I hope you’re still thinking about my marriage proposal,” he said.
Ellie drew in a sharp breath as she nodded.
His face lit up as he spun back to continue to his buggy. He climbed in and steered the horse back to the road, then glanced at her and waved as he continued on. Ellie felt breathless and excited and worried and scared as she reentered the house.
Ethan babbled to her, and she lifted him from his chair and hugged him. “I’d love to be your mam, little man, but I don’t know if I can. While I love you—and your vadder—I want you to have brothers and sisters. But your dat wants you to be an only child.”
A quick glance at her watch had her gasping with stunned disbelief. She hadn’t heard from Leah so Charlie must be on her way. She needed to gather her cleaning supplies and get ready for her arrival. She had a cleaning job to do for a sick client, and she didn’t want to upset her by being late.
The image of Reuben’s expression after she confessed with a simple nod that she was still considering his proposal warmed her from the inside out. How she loved that man and his little boy! Yet that didn’t mean she’d settle for less than she wanted, needed. She’d have to come to a decision soon, and she feared either choice would be a difficult road to travel.