Naomi pulled the canvas out from under her bed and blew the dust into a plume that revealed just how long the painting had been there. She had other paintings stashed in the basement, the ones she didn’t feel were very good, but she wasn’t willing to throw them away. She brushed away more dust, each swipe bringing fall foliage on the other side of the pond into clearer view. This painting had the cornstalks in between the pond and the trees, when the landscape was at its best.
Naomi hadn’t brought much with her when she moved in with Esther and Lizzie, but her paintings made the cut, along with her bedroom furniture, personal knickknacks, and her grandmother’s cedar chest, which was against the far wall in her bedroom. She recalled the times she used to visit Lizzie and Esther, having attained permission to paint on their property whenever she wanted. Those were happier times.
She eyed the painting some more. It was her favorite. And it was something that wasn’t tied to Thomas in any way. For a while everything she’d ever done with Thomas, or any place she’d ever been with him, caused her torment. But she’d painted this scene late one afternoon, months before she and Thomas started dating.
As she recalled being at the pond with Amos, she was surprised that Thomas hadn’t consumed her thoughts since she and Amos had spent time there together.
After she propped up the canvas against the headboard, she walked around to the foot of her bed and tried to decide if it was worthy enough to show Amos. She’d never shown it to anyone, not even Thomas. It was also the largest painting she’d ever completed, rising two feet high and stretching almost three feet wide. As she wondered what Amos would think, her chest tightened. Was it too personal to show him something she’d never shown anyone? She gingerly picked it up and carefully slid it back underneath the bed, making a mental note to at least clear the dust from it every now and then.
Downstairs, dishes were clanking in the kitchen and as the aroma of bacon wafted up the stairs, she realized someone had started breakfast. She glanced at the clock on her wall. She wasn’t late, but she scurried down the stairs, crossed through the living room, and hurried into the kitchen.
“Lizzie, I’ll do that.” Naomi sidled up to the small woman and gently eased the fork from her hand and began flipping the bacon. Lizzie tended to burn it. It was Naomi’s job to get breakfast started, but they never served before eight o’clock when they had English guests. Traditionally Amish women and men started the day around four in the morning. Lizzie said traditions were meant to be altered, and Esther hadn’t argued. Nor had Naomi. Sleeping until seven was a welcomed change after spending most of her life getting up much earlier. Even when they didn’t have guests, they’d all taken to sleeping in until the sun had risen.
“Only the two Englisch ladies for breakfast.” Lizzie took some eggs from the refrigerator and placed them on the counter. “Anna Mae and that handsome sohn of hers left early to have breakfast with Isaiah’s parents.” Naomi detected an odd twinge of disappointment as a heaviness centered in her chest. “I told Esther to stay in bed a while longer. I heard her up in the night with stomach problems again.”
“Maybe she needs to see a doctor.” Naomi began cracking eggs into a bowl.
Lizzie shook her head. “You know she won’t go. Stubborn woman.” She slammed her hands to her hips. “And we talked briefly in the hall after one of her trips to the bathroom. Guess who has a child?”
Naomi gasped. “Is Mary pregnant?” They’d all been hoping she and John would be able to conceive a child soon. Mary was a lovely person, and Naomi had hoped they would become friends. But after Naomi’s split with Thomas, she preferred to be alone. Apparently Mary did too. Esther told Naomi that Mary’s focus was on conceiving a child, so much so that she had detached herself from most everyone and slipped into depression. Maybe if Naomi and Mary had already been friends before Mary and John moved into the daadi haus, they would have been able to comfort each other during these trying times. Now, it felt like too much effort. Naomi didn’t know how to make herself feel better, much less anyone else. But she prayed for Mary.
Lizzie glowered. “Nee.” She waved a frustrated hand in the air before it landed back on her hip. “Esther, being the gut woman she is, took Grumpy Gus a plate of food last night, and she ended up cutting his hair because his dochder is visiting him today.”
Naomi spun around, her eyes wide. “He has a dochder?”
Lizzie wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes. “Just the thought makes me shudder. I mean, what kind of offspring could someone like Gus produce? And who’d have him anyway?”
Naomi turned back to the bacon. “Now, Lizzie, there is someone for everyone.” Her heart sank a little. Maybe not. She used to believe that.
“And that sister of mine actually helped him get all spruced up for the visit and said his haus is even clean.” Lizzie groaned. “She’s too gut to that man.”
“Maybe he hasn’t always been the way he is now. Maybe seeing his dochder will brighten his disposition and make him a happier person.”
“Well, since the dochder ditched him almost four decades ago—when she was fifteen—I can’t imagine why she’s seeking him out now. Esther told him the woman, who is fifty-four, can have a room upstairs.” She chuckled. “For free.” Rolling her eyes, she added, “Did I mention that Esther is too nice for her own good?”
“I can’t wait to meet her.” Naomi stirred the eggs, then added a little salt, pepper, and cheese. “Forty years is a long time. I’m sure she’s nothing like Gus. But if he let Esther cut his hair, and the house is clean . . .” Naomi smiled. “He must be excited about her visit. Does Esther know when she’ll be here?”
“Just sometime today. She filled me in best as she could before she went back to bed. And before I forget, it’s just you, me, and Esther for meals today. The two Englisch ladies only made reservations for one night, so we won’t see them again after they check out this morning. And Anna Mae and Amos won’t be back until after supper time.”
Naomi nodded. “Ya, okay.” She felt a strange and unexpected hint of disappointment again, but it didn’t last long. Today would be an easier day than normal. Naomi would prepare simple meals for herself, Lizzie, and Esther instead of the lavish ones she created for their guests. After breakfast she’d collect eggs and tend to the animals—two goats, two pigs, and three horses. She mentally ran through her list of daily chores. She’d dusted and swept the day before. Washday wasn’t until Monday. After she stripped the beds, there were only a couple mending projects to work on. Then what? Did she really want an easy day? Staying busy was the best therapy, although she knew there was no cure-all for how she was feeling.
Lizzie cleared her throat. “Amos owns his own construction company. His mudder said his fiancée died of cancer.” She paused, and even over her shoulder, Naomi could tell Lizzie was adjusting her teeth. Her words sounded garbled, and there was a sort of spitting noise when she talked.
“Ya, he told me about his fiancée.” Naomi recalled the ease of their conversation the evening before.
“Seems like you have something in common. Not exactly the same, but you’ve both lost someone you love.”
Here we go. Naomi spun around and pointed the spoon at Lizzie, drops of egg hitting the floor. “No matchmaking. Do you hear me, Lizzie?”
Lizzie grunted as she shook her head. “Now, dear. Would I do such a thing?”
This was one area where Esther was as guilty as her sister, but Lizzie always took things a step too far. “Ya, you would. Don’t you remember locking me and that man from Lancaster County in the basement? We were down there together for hours before someone let us out.”
“That was an accident,” Lizzie said under her breath as she batted her eyes at Naomi.
“Ha. That’s a lie.” Naomi turned back to the eggs. “No tricks. And you best ask Gott to forgive you for not telling the truth.”
Lizzie didn’t say anything. Her intentions were good, but Naomi had made it clear to both sisters that she wasn’t interested in a relationship.
“I’ll be anxious to meet Gus’s dochder,” Naomi said to break the silence and change the subject. She wasn’t sure if she’d made Lizzie feel bad or if Lizzie was busy brewing up an attempt to push Naomi and Amos together. It didn’t matter too much. Amos and his mother would be leaving Sunday anyway.
The bigger concern was tomorrow. The wedding. And would Thomas be there?
* * *
Amos enjoyed visiting and getting to know his relatives. He’d thought they were going to hire a driver to cart them around town, but instead, they borrowed one of Esther and Lizzie’s buggies. It was a beautiful day and not much distance between the families they had visited.
Since they were leaving Sunday, his mother was trying to fit in as much visiting as she could during the trip. Amos could barely remember when his great uncle and some other family members decided to leave Ohio to move here. And no matter how many times his mother told him how they were all related, Amos couldn’t keep it straight. He just knew they’d made the move in search of a quieter, less populated community.
“This is a fine animal,” Amos said as he pulled the buggy to a stop in front of the main house. “It was nice of Esther and Lizzie to let us use one of their buggies.” He glanced at his mother, but her eyes were fixed on the house. Amos wasn’t sure she even heard him. When he got out of the buggy, he was surprised to see Esther, Lizzie, and Naomi all looking out the window. “Why are they staring at us?”
His mother stepped out of the buggy and started across the yard, picking up her pace. “I don’t know. I hope everything is okay.”
Amos gave an awkward wave, since it was obvious he and his mother could see the three women peering out the window. When he heard car wheels crunch atop the gravel road that led to the small cottage, he looked over his shoulder at a small white car.
As soon as they walked into the house, Naomi cleared her throat and turned to face Amos and his mother. Lizzie and Esther said hello but kept their eyes presumably on the car.
“We weren’t staring at you.” Naomi’s face turned a delicate shade of pink as she spoke directly to Amos. “We were waiting to see Gus’s dochder get out of the car.”
Amos hung his hat on the rack by the front door, again wondering if he should take off his boots. But there were never any shoes near the entryway. Probably since they often had English guests staying at the inn. Lizzie, Esther, and Naomi were barefoot most of the time, even though the temperatures were dropping. Amos took off his shoes as a courtesy.
“Well, the wait is over.” Lizzie stomped a foot. “And it isn’t Gus’s dochder who stepped out of the car.”
Amos wasn’t sure why the visitor’s arrival was so important to the ladies, but Lizzie groaned. Esther turned to Naomi and sighed.
“It’s a man, and there’s an insurance name written on a sign on his car. I’d hate to be a solicitor and have to face off with Gus. Whether it’s someone selling insurance or Gus’s insurance agent, it definitely is not Gus’s dochder,” Esther said before she turned to Amos’s mother. “Mei apologies that you caught us gawking at our neighbor this way, but we’ve known Gus a long time, and we never knew he had a child. A grown woman now, and she’s due to arrive today.” Esther smiled and waved an arm toward the kitchen. “I know you said you were eating with family, but there are plenty of leftovers in the refrigerator, and I left two pies on the table—apple and pecan. Please help yourselves to anything you’d like.”
Amos and his mother thanked Esther at the same time. As the sun began its descent, Amos recalled his pleasant conversation with Naomi down by the pond the day before. He wanted to invite her to walk to the water again, to sit on the bench and talk more. But it sounded forward in his mind, and he worried she might think he was making an attempt at courting.
His mother covered her mouth as she yawned. “Pardon me,” she said before she lowered her hand. “I’m going to excuse myself and retire for this evening. Danki again for letting us use your horse and buggy. We had such a lovely time and are looking forward to seeing many of our cousins again at the wedding tomorrow.”
Amos wasn’t looking forward to that part of the trip, and the only one who seemed to understand was Naomi.
As his mother started up the stairs, Amos wondered if he should excuse himself as well. He lingered, though, and walked to the window, then commented about what a nice view they had of the sun setting.
“You two should go take a walk,” Lizzie said, grinning.
Amos turned around. It was difficult not to chuckle when Lizzie spoke sometimes. She seemed to have a hard time with her false teeth, which was comical, but he never allowed himself to crack a smile, which might hurt her feelings. But she was also clearly playing matchmaker by suggesting the walk. What Lizzie didn’t know was that he and Naomi had already set the boundaries for their relationship. Friendship. But he wouldn’t mind having someone to share his feelings with about the wedding tomorrow.
He turned to Naomi, but she avoided his eyes as she put a hand on the back of her neck. The rejection was coming. He reminded himself that it didn’t matter, but his male ego kicked in and he forced a yawn.
“I think I’m going to have to pass.” He kept his eyes on her to catch her expression, which didn’t give away much. She just lowered her arm and nodded. But then her eyes softened, and she parted her lips slightly.
Amos told his feet to move toward the stairs, but there was almost a longing in her beautiful eyes, and he found himself drawn to her in a way that surprised him. He opened his mouth to tell her he’d changed his mind.
“Gut nacht,” she said and moved toward the stairs.
He watched the graceful way she carried herself, even caught her looking back at him once, her eyes meeting his . . . and he realized he’d made a mistake. It wasn’t longing in her eyes. It was sorrow. He recalled their conversation.
It would be impossible not to think of Sarah the entire time. But Naomi might have to actually face the person who broke her heart. Sarah snuck into Amos’s dreams, and seeing her was always wonderful. Until he woke up and stretched his arm across an empty bed.
He wasn’t sure what to pray for Naomi. Maybe if her ex—Thomas was his name, he remembered—showed up, there would be a chance for them to work things out. But if the guy did show up and with no desire to get back together, that would be even worse for Naomi.
When he got to his room, he sat on the bed, then lit the lantern. He decided all he could do was pray that God’s will be done tomorrow. But, please, Lord, help Naomi and me both stay strong.
* * *
Esther waited until she heard Lizzie snoring in the bedroom next door before she eased out of bed. She tiptoed to the living room and took her black cape from the rack. The October days had been warmer than usual, but the night air would be crisp and chilly, so she chose to put on her black bonnet as well.
She’d seen Gus’s lantern in the cottage and knew he was still up. Unless he’d fallen asleep in his recliner inside. If he could fall asleep in a wooden rocker on the porch, she supposed he might be asleep. Esther had worried for years that Gus would knock over a lantern one day when he fell asleep without extinguishing it.
With a flashlight illuminating the ground in front of her, Esther made the trek to the cottage. She tried to step softly as she held the handrail and ambled up the steps.
Gus flung the door open before she had a chance to knock. “What do you want?”
Esther drew in a calming breath. Lizzie would be furious she’d come to check on Gus. And by the tone of Gus’s voice, Esther wished she hadn’t bothered. “I didn’t see your dochder arrive today. We had a room prepared for her. I-I just came to see if you were all right.”
Gus clenched his fists at his sides, and even in the dim lighting, she could tell his face was as red as a freshly painted barn. “Why wouldn’t I be all right?” He grunted, but relaxed his hands, then looped his thumbs beneath his suspenders. With his new haircut, he almost looked Amish, minus the beard. Esther shivered at the thought. She didn’t even know if Gus believed in God, and she was sure a man like Gus would never be able to adhere to their ways. She’d been shocked when he first moved into the cottage and didn’t fuss about not having any electricity.
“Ach, very well. I’m glad you’re fine.” Esther fought the urge to roll her eyes, but when her stomach began to churn, she put a hand across her stomach and bent slightly at the waist. She always carried a tissue in the pocket of her apron, but she didn’t have her apron on, only her cape over her dress.
“Yeah, well I am.” Gus dismissed her with the wave of his arm, but Esther couldn’t move, and when she coughed, blood spilled into her hand.
“What the . . . ?” Gus narrowed his bushy gray eyebrows and leaned his head over.
“I need a tissue,” Esther managed to say as she spit in her hand again, unintentionally.
Gus growled and mumbled something under his breath as he went into the house, leaving the door open. He came back with half a roll of toilet paper and pushed it toward her.
Esther pulled off several squares and held them to her mouth. “Danki,” she said in a whisper before she tore off a longer wad this time, dabbing her chin and avoiding Gus’s glare. When she finally looked up at him, his cold dark eyes pecked at her attempt to regain her dignity.
“What’s wrong with you?” He scratched his cheek where a shadow was already laying the foundation for the beard he would probably grow back. There was a hint of concern in his expression, but the scowl on his face remained.
“I don’t know.” She’d been having stomach troubles for a while, but she’d only coughed up blood like this one other time, about a week ago.
Gus folded his arms across his chest, his stomach doubling as a perch. “Maybe you need a doctor.” His tone was husky and stern, but not completely uncaring.
“Ya, ya. We’ll see.” Esther was terrified of anyone in the medical field and had been since she was a child. She’d managed to go seven years without visiting a doctor. Wagging a finger at him, she said, “Gus Owens, don’t you speak a word about this to anyone, especially Lizzie.” Esther’s sister had gone to the doctor for a splinter once. Another way they were complete opposites.
Lizzie wasn’t afraid of doctors—or much of anything—and she disliked having anything wrong with her. She always bypassed any natural remedies and went straight to the English doctors, saying God would understand and that they’d had more training than the holistic people here. She’d have a fit if she knew Esther was having this much trouble with her health.
Esther shot Gus her fiercest attempt at rage, pressing her lips together and squinting her eyes at him. He needed to understand that this was her business, and she’d share it if and when she was ready. “I mean it. Not a word about this to anyone.” She’d probably overshot her point, since Gus smirked.
“I’m glad you think this is funny.” She spun on her heels, clutching the toilet tissue, and pointed the light in front of her as she stomped down the steps. Her emotions spiraled, caught somewhere between fear and anger.
“I won’t tell her.”
Esther turned around on the bottom step. “Danki, I appreciate that.” She wanted to believe him, but she had her doubts. Her stomach still roiled, and she just wanted to get home.
“You make pies every day. One generous slice per day, and I’ll keep my mouth shut.” He puffed his chest out as he lowered his arms to his sides, grinning.
Esther bristled with indignation. From anyone else, this request would be a shock. It was a stretch even for Gus. Why couldn’t he just do something out of the kindness of his heart? But Esther managed a coy smile. “Of course, Gus. I’ll bring you a slice of pie every day.” She paused, her eyes crinkling in the corners. “Aren’t you worried I might poison you or something?”
He chuckled. “Nah, you ain’t got it in you.” Now he was the one pointing a finger at her. “But that wicked sister of yours, I wouldn’t put it past her to lace my pie with arsenic.”
“Nor would I.” She shook her head and started home.
“You gotta be the one to bring it every day, not ol’ Lizzie. At the very least, she’d spit on it.”
Esther didn’t turn around, but she smiled. Gus was right. Esther could never poison anyone, and in reality, neither could Lizzie. But spit on his pie? Now, that was tempting.