That afternoon, after Nelson went back to the warehouse and started reading Business for Dummies, Malachi surprised him by showing up and offering to help him hack the brush and a few short trees in the woods behind the building. They mostly worked in silence. They weren’t felling larger trees, but the job needed concentration. Two hours later they were sitting on a log having a much-needed drink of water.
“Looks like you’ve got enough cleared to haul off.” Malachi removed his navy blue beanie, his sweaty blond hair mashed against his head.
Nelson hadn’t worn a hat. Or a coat—just a pullover sweater he’d shoved on before work. The short thaw had changed into a typical January freeze, but with the physical activity he didn’t feel the cold. “I’m close,” he said. “I figure when Daed and the rest of the family get back from Pinecraft there’ll be more than enough to fill a wagon.” He turned to his nephew. “I appreciate the help.”
He smirked. “I had some extra time on mei hands.” Then he turned serious. “I’m seeing Junia Saturday night at her haus. Would you like to—”
“Tag along?”
He grinned. “Ya.”
“Junia beat you to it.” He told Malachi about his encounter with her at the store.
“So what do you say?”
“I gave mei word to your mamm that I would watch out for you.” And to Ella, but he wasn’t going to mention that.
Malachi grinned. “Gut. Junia will be—” He suddenly guzzled down the rest of the water.
“Junia will be what?”
He jumped from the log. “Better get back to work.”
Nelson followed him. “What about Junia?”
But Malachi ignored him, grabbing his machete and attacking the brush again.
With a shrug, Nelson joined him, not wanting to waste a minute of his nephew’s assistance. Soon he was immersed in his task, and it was almost two hours later when Malachi had to quit working and go back home. “See you on Saturday,” he said, getting into his buggy.
“You’re not stopping by the store?” Nelson asked. He was sure that Malachi would take the opportunity to see Junia. In fact, that might have been the real reason he was helping Nelson. “Junia’s working today.”
He shook his head. “I’m going straight home. Like I said, we’re serious about slowing down.”
Huh. Seemed like his nephew had his head on straight after all.
After Malachi left, Nelson worked a little longer, then headed over to Jesse and Charity’s. He decided to walk instead of drive. He was leaving well before suppertime, and he had his coat to keep him warm if he needed it and a flashlight to guide him home in the dark. Before he left, he glanced at Ella’s house. Once he’d started talking to her about the business, his trepidation about asking for her help went away. Her confidence and knowledge were rubbing off on him. For the first time, he truly believed he could create and run a business. He should have allowed her to help to begin with.
He continued toward his brother’s when a buggy appeared in the distance, and when it neared, he waved to the driver. Soon it was close enough for him to see who it was. Barnabas, who had a smile on his face. He started to wave again, then saw the passenger in the seat—Wendy Pearson, Jesse’s neighbor. She gave him a little wave too.
The buggy passed and Nelson almost did a double take. That was an unusual sight. Then he shrugged. Barnabas’s business was his own. Nelson whistled as he kept walking, wondering what delectable food Charity was preparing tonight, feeling more relaxed than he’d been in a long, long time.
* * *
Giddy. Wendy’s mother had used the word earlier that day, and it was perfect for how she felt as Barnabas drove past Nelson, whose surprised expression almost made her laugh. She was still a little astonished herself that she was riding in his buggy. When he asked her, she didn’t hesitate—just got her coat and climbed right in, ignoring her mother’s questioning expression.
“You warm enough?” he asked, giving her a glance.
She nodded, the buggy blanket he’d placed over her lap tucked around her. From the moment he’d tapped the reins on the back of the horse’s flanks and they drove off, she’d been delighted and surprised at the different sounds she was hearing—the rolling of the wheels, the jangle of the reins, the creaking of the buggy itself. But the sound she loved the most was the clip-clop of the horse’s hooves on the asphalt road. The rhythm was soothing. There was something to be said for having a calm, steady presence next to her too, even though he hadn’t said much since they left her house.
“This is nice,” she finally said.
“Glad you like it.” A long stretch of silence occurred before he spoke again. “You did say you wanted to ride in a buggy someday.”
He remembered that? She’d almost forgotten, even though it was true. “Thanks for making that happen for me.”
“I also wanted to tell you how much I appreciate what you did for Junia.”
“I wished I’d come over sooner,” she said, still feeling a little guilty she had waited so long.
“You did exactly the right thing.”
She glanced at him, seeing his Adam’s apple bob up and down in his throat. “You don’t have to thank me, Barnabas. I’m glad everything is working out.”
“For now, and hopefully for the future. Only my daughters can determine that. But I learned something from you. Not just that day in the office but also during the other times we’ve talked. For too long I pawned off responsibility for my girls. After my wife died, I had a few rough years.” He paused. “A decade of them. My sisters took over my family after that, and while I needed them to step in, they aren’t the easiest women to get along with. They were particularly hard on Ella, and it was obvious they favored Junia, although they weren’t all that easy on her either. I think they pitted the two of them against each other, then grounded them for fighting.”
She could only imagine how hard this was for him to admit.
“I don’t want to blame my sisters for all our problems, and they were there for us when we needed them. But when my grief started to clear, they were in control of things. The girls were arguing a lot at that time, although less than they do now. Every time I tried to step in, either Tabitha or Cora—sometimes both—would cut me off, telling me they had everything under control.” He looked at her. “Neither of them ever married, and I wonder sometimes if they saw my daughters as the children they never had. Both Junia and Ella have some of their traits. The stubbornness. Thinking that they’re always right.”
“It sounds like a difficult situation.”
“It was. When Ella talked to me about moving to Marigold, and I agreed to it, Tabitha and Cora were so upset they refused to speak to me. I don’t know if the girls are in contact with them either.”
“Did you move to get away from your sisters?”
“At the time I didn’t think so.” He nickered to the horse, and it slowed its steps. “Now I can see that was part of it. I’m embarrassed to say I took off instead of confronting them and standing my ground, because it was the easier thing to do. When I saw what Junia did, how she took responsibility for her words and actions, I was—” He faced straight ahead. “We’re not supposed to be prideful . . . but at that moment, I was proud of my daughter.”
Wendy knew all about the Amish emphasis on humility and avoiding pride. But she didn’t blame him for feeling that way about Junia. She was proud of her too.
“I’m going back to Lancaster,” he said, turning the buggy down her road.
Her breath caught. “You are?”
“For a few days. Maybe a week. Business is slow during the first of the year, and the girls can handle it themselves now that Junia is committing to the job.” He coughed into his hand. “I don’t want to be more of a bother to you, but I have a favor to ask.”
“You’re never a bother, Barnabas.”
He looked at her, and his smile warmed her more than the buggy blanket. “Would you mind checking in on them a few times while I’m gone? Their truce is still fresh. I plan to talk to Nelson about it too, but I don’t want to put the responsibility all on him. The girls respond well to you. Maybe you can teach them some more conflict mediation if the need arises.
“I have to clear the air with my sisters. For their sakes, but mainly my own. I appreciate everything they did for me. I don’t know how Ella and Junia—or I—would have made it without them. But things are different now.” He smiled. “I’m different, in no small part thanks to you.”
Wendy didn’t know what to say. He did seem like a changed man, although with all the same good qualities. He had a confidence that she hadn’t sensed before. Not a blustery one, like she’d seen in many of the men she worked with in Manhattan. Just a man who’d figured out something very important and was acting on it. “I’m so glad, Barnabas. And of course I’ll keep a watch out for them, if they’ll let me.”
“They will. I’ll see to it.” He smiled. “What do you think about your first buggy ride?”
There was something natural about sitting in the buggy, and she was experiencing the same feelings she’d had when she changed her style of dress, started sewing, and began living a simpler life. The silence that had dotted their conversation had given her time to notice the scenery and to marvel at all God had created. She’d even talked to God during those moments, feeling the closeness that she was experiencing more and more lately.
Yet all she said was, “I like it.”
He nodded, and she stared at his profile for a moment. There was also something more she liked than just riding in the buggy. It was the man sitting next to her. Once again, he needed her help, and she was happy to give it to him. If friendship was all they had between them, she would accept that . . . and be content. It was better than not having Barnabas Yoder in her life at all.
* * *
“You think that’s enough food?” Junia teased.
Ella looked over the plates of snacks and treats covering the counters and nodded to Junia. “Nelson’s coming over, remember?”
She grinned. “He does have a big appetite. I’m going to see if they’re here.” She dashed out of the kitchen.
Chuckling, Ella unwrapped a plate of potato chip cookies, one of her favorites. She hoped the men would like them too. Sometimes she dipped half of them in melted chocolate, but she remembered Nelson didn’t like chocolate, so she refrained. She also sent a batch with her father yesterday before he caught the bus to Lancaster. Both she and Junia had been shocked when he said he was going back to see Aenti Tabitha and Aenti Cora. “There’s some personal business the three of us need to sort out,” he said. Then he asked, “Have either of you two talked to them since we moved?”
Ella shook her head. So did Junia.
He frowned. “They sure are stubborn. Maed, you don’t know how sorry I am for not being there when you needed me. I was so broken up over your mamm . . . but that’s not an excuse.”
“It’s not your fault we had so many problems,” Ella said, not wanting him to blame himself.
“Ella’s right. It was ours.” Junia kissed him on the cheek. “We’re to blame.”
He hugged them tight. “I’ll be back in a few days, or maybe next week. Depends on how things geh. Stay out of trouble, ya?”
Both Ella and Junia nodded, and he finished the conversation by telling them that Wendy would check in from time to time. “Nelson too. I talked to him about it yesterday.”
Although Ella wanted to protest, mostly because they didn’t need two people to make sure she and Junia were behaving like adults, she held her tongue. Not enough time had passed for either of them to be trusted. They both had a lot to prove. Hopefully by the time Daed returned, he would have settled things with his sisters, and maybe they would all be on speaking terms again.
With nothing left to do in the kitchen, Ella went to the living room where Junia was peeking out the front window. She hadn’t said much about her date this week, although she had mentioned Nelson would be coming. Ella didn’t bother to tell her she already knew that. Now that the time was here, she was grateful he’d agreed to come over. If he hadn’t, she would be a third wheel. An awkward one too.
“They’re late.” Junia stepped from the window, worrying her hands.
Ella glanced at the clock. “Three minutes late. Don’t fret, they’ll be here.” For some reason she felt a little self-conscious and started smoothing the front of her plum-colored dress. It was an older one but still nice. Junia said they were planning on playing cards all night, so she didn’t bother putting on one of her best ones. Tonight wasn’t anything special anyway. Just some cards with her sister’s boyfriend and his uncle. A plain ol’ Saturday night.
Junia glanced at Ella’s moving hands. “Don’t fret, Ella.”
She rolled her eyes, putting her hands behind her back. “I’m not fretting, because I don’t have a reason to. It’s only Nelson.”
“Only Nelson.” Junia grinned. “Right.”
Her sister had been acting like this all day—like she had something up her sleeve. Teasing, giving her knowing looks, saying weird things. But maybe that was how she dealt with her growing anticipation for Malachi. She hadn’t seen him for over a week—the longest they’d been separated since they first met.
Three raps on the door and Junia threw it open. “Hi, Malachi.” She ducked her head and looked at him through her lashes.
He stared at her. “It’s been nine days—”
“Seven hours,” she said. “And—”
“Fifteen minutes.” He was grinning so hard Ella thought he’d permanently break his smile.
Behind him was Nelson, shaking his head and chuckling. Junia and Malachi went straight to the kitchen as he walked in. “Should we geh after them?”
Ella looked in the direction they went. “Nee. It’s been nine days, seven hours, and twenty minutes—”
“Fifteen.” He lifted his index finger. “But who’s counting.”
They both laughed . . . and it felt good. Easy too. She would have offered to take his coat, but he wasn’t wearing one, of course. “How’s the reading going?” She walked over to the couch and sat down.
“I’m almost finished with the business plan book.” He sat down next to her but kept plenty of space between them.
She tried not to be disappointed. “Great.”
“Then it’s on to the written plan. I jotted down some notes, so I’m a third of the way there.” He leaned back. “Danki again for loaning the books to me.”
“Happy to do it.”
Nelson tilted his head. “You are, aren’t you? You really do like to help people. That’s why you’re so gut with your customers.”
Ella hadn’t thought about it, but now that he mentioned it, he was right. “It’s just gut business,” she said, resisting the prideful urge to bask in his compliment. She needed to switch the subject. “By the way, you don’t have to check on me and Junia while mei daed is away. We’ll be fine.”
He didn’t reply right away. Then he met her gaze. “What if I want to?”
“Are you two going to hang out here or are you going to play cards with us?” Junia said as she entered the room. “Ella made a ton of food just for you, Nelson.”
“I made it for everyone else too.” She shot a look at Junia, who was grinning. What was up with her tonight? It was almost as if she were plotting something—what that might be was anyone’s guess.
“Don’t want to miss out on that.” Nelson got to his feet and headed for the kitchen.
Ella followed, and soon they were munching on corn chips, mixed nuts, and potato chip cookies.
Nelson particularly liked those. “Never had a cookie with potato chips in it. Seems unnatural.” He downed another one. “But appeditlich.”
For the next several hours, they played different card games—Dutch Blitz, rummy, and Crazy Eights. Malachi and Nelson were particularly competitive, but it was Junia who ended up winning the most hands. When it was time to go, she said, “Is it okay if we spend a little more time in the living room?” She gave Ella a pleading look. “Alone?”
Malachi held up his hands. “We’ll behave ourselves. Promise.”
Ella exchanged a look with Nelson, who nodded. “Jesse’s expecting you back in an hour,” he said, glancing at the clock, which read nine thirty.
“I understand.”
When they were gone, Ella started clearing the table. “Is the whole family chaperoning now?”
Nelson helped her. “Unofficially. Considering recent events, it’s not a gut idea for him to break curfew.”
She nodded, and they both cleaned up the kitchen, much like the first time they’d had dinner together. He put the cards into the box and Ella covered the half-empty bowl of mixed nuts with aluminum foil. When he picked up the glasses and put them in the sink, she said, “I’ll wash those later.”
“Won’t take any time to do them now.” He turned on the water and let it run.
She walked over to him, feeling a little cheeky. “This is mei kitchen, by the way.”
“Oh, that’s plain as day to anyone with eyes and ears.” He put the stopper in the sink.
“If I say I’ll wash something later,” she said, moving closer to him. “Then that’s what I’m gonna do.” She reached over and turned off the tap.
He turned it back on.
She turned it off.
He grinned and turned it on again. But when she reached out to turn it off, he grabbed her hand . . . and didn’t let go.