Amish Romance Read online

  Miriam was so lost in her own thoughts that she jumped when she realized Tiffany was speaking to her. “I’m sorry, Tiffany. What did you say?”

  “I said that your new horse makes me nervous.”

  Miriam laughed. “He makes me a little nervous, too. He’s just a typical young horse. When he gets some age and experience, he’ll be just as reliable as any other horse.”

  Tiffany looked doubtful. “He looks like he wants to gallop away.”

  “He probably does,” Miriam said, “but he just needs time to learn what we expect of him. He has a good temperament; he’s just a little on the young side. Most young horses can be a little silly.”

  “So what’s the story with Mrs. Yoder?” Tiffany asked her.

  Miriam held onto the reins firmly as a car went past. “She’s a rather independent lady, and until now has insisted on living by herself, so the bishop told me. I had the strong impression that she doesn’t get on well with her daughter, but does with her son, and he’s the one who’s moved back here. You would have seen him at the last two meetings.”

  “So is Mrs. Yoder living with her son now?”

  Miriam shook her head. “No, she’s moving into his grossmammi haus soon. In fact, she should have moved there by now, but the bishop told me that she is fussing over her things and not wanting to leave her own haus. He wants me to encourage her to move to her son’s grossmammi haus as soon as possible.”

  Tiffany gestured to the food on the back seat of the buggy. “So all that food is just our cover story?”

  Miriam was confused, and said so.

  Tiffany hurried to explain. “I mean, you’re pretending to take her food, but your real reason is to help her realize that her son’s is the best place for her to be.”

  Miriam laughed. “We actually are bringing her food, and we would take her food anyway.” Miriam was amused by Tiffany’s Englischer view of hidden agendas.

  Miriam had never been to Mrs. Yoder’s house before, and when she pulled the buggy to a stop outside the house, she understood the community’s concerns. There was not another house in sight, and the steps to the porch were quite steep.

  Tiffany helped Miriam to the door with most of the food, and Miriam knocked. “Come in,” said a strong voice from inside.

  They both went in, to find Mrs. Yoder sitting on a comfortable chair. “How kind of you to bring me all this food,” Esther Yoder said. “Please sit with me, and I’ll make you some lemon tea.”

  Esther stood up. “I’ll help you,” Miriam offered. For a moment, Miriam thought Esther would refuse her offer of help, but she readily agreed.

  “I’ll fetch the rest of the food from the buggy,” Tiffany said, and soon disappeared from sight.

  It wasn’t long before the three of them were sitting in Esther’s small living room, eating cookies and drinking lemon tea. Miriam was wondering how to bring the conversation around to Esther moving to her son’s property, when Esther herself raised the subject.

  “I’ll be sorry to leave my haus,” she said, “but I have to face facts. I’m not as young as I used to be. Last month, I fell down the steps and bruised my legs badly. I had to lie there until help came. That made me realize I can’t keep living here, as much as I like my little haus.”

  Miriam nodded. “It will be sad to leave your house, but I’ve heard you’re moving into your son’s grossmammi haus. It sounds like you will have good times, with your son so close.”

  Esther looked doubtful, but added, “It will be good to have the company, I suppose. It would be even better if he finds a suitable fraa.” She shot Miriam a calculated look, which made Miriam squirm.

  Tiffany barely suppressed a giggle, and Miriam gave her a warning glance. The last thing she wanted to do was to be matched with Esther Yoder’s son. Miriam knew that she was not interested in any mann, any mann but Jonas.

  Miriam saw some boxes in a corner and decided to change the subject. “Have you started packing, Esther?”

  Esther nodded slowly. “I have made a start, but I’m still reluctant to leave. I am in two minds about it all.”

  Just then, the door burst open and a tall man strode into the room. “A double minded man will receive nothing from Der Herr,” he said firmly.

  Esther waved her hand at him. “I’m not double minded, Timothy; I’m just reluctant. This is my sonn, Timothy Yoder. Timothy, you know Miriam Berkholder and Tiffany Bedshill?”

  Timothy gave both ladies a tight-lipped smile, a smile which did not quite reach his eyes. “Denki for helping my mudder.”

  “Gern gheschen,” Miriam said. You’re welcome. Tiffany simply nodded. After a few moments’ awkward silence, Miriam added, “Esther was telling me she has started packing.”

  “Jah, and that’s the problem,” Timothy snapped. “She should have finished packing by now, not just started.”

  Miriam’s heart went out to Esther, but Esther folded her arms over her chest. “Ferwas bischt allfatt so schtarrkeppich?” Why are you so stubborn? She waved one finger at him. “I’ll get to that packing, all in my good time. For now, Timothy, sit down and have some of these cookies and some lemon tea. Miriam has gone to a lot of trouble to bring me all this food.”

  “Tiffany helped me,” Miriam hurried to say.

  Esther looked at her shrewdly. “And you’re a widow, aren’t you, Miriam?”

  Miriam squirmed in her seat. “Jah.”

  Esther nodded her approval. “You must be a hard worker, running that Bed and Breakfast business all by yourself.”

  “All Amish are hard workers,” Timothy said, but Miriam could not help but notice that he shot her a calculating look.

  The conversation was making Miriam quite uncomfortable. She hadn’t expected that Timothy would be there, and his presence seemed to turn what would have been a pleasant conversation between three women into something more unsettling. There was something about Timothy that Miriam couldn’t somewhat take to, but she couldn’t quite figure out what it was. Maybe it was his forbidding manner.

  “I have seen you at the meetings,” Timothy said to Miriam, “but we have not yet had a chance to speak.”

  Miriam nodded. She hoped Timothy did not see her as a potential and suitable fraa. She wilted under Timothy’s gaze. She could tell he was sizing her up, much like she imagined he would size up a prize cow for his farm. Miriam was wondering how to beat a hasty retreat. She was just about to say that she had to get back to her guests, when Esther spoke up.

  “I insist you and Tiffany stay for lunch.”

  Miriam protested. “That’s very kind of you, but we must be getting back to my guests.”

  “Nonsense.” Esther waved a hand at her. “We’ll have an early lunch, and Timothy and you can get to know each other better.”

  Miriam expected Timothy would object, but to her dismay, he said he thought it was a good idea.

  The lunch proved to be most uncomfortable. Not only had Miriam not had a chance to encourage Esther to move to Timothy’s grossmammi haus sooner, but it was clear to her that Timothy had taken some sort of an interest in her. He asked her many probing questions about how long ago her husband had died, and when she had moved to Eden from Ohio, and asked about her daughter, Rachel, and how long Rachel had been married to Isaac. Miriam was a private person and did not like answering such prying questions, but to refuse or deflect would have been rude, so she had no choice but to answer them.

  Finally, she was able to leave, and breathed a sigh of relief. Timothy stood on the front porch and waved to her. Miriam drove away a little faster than she should have, given that the horse was young and inexperienced.

  Chapter 6

  When the time came to have dinner that night, Miriam was in two minds. Miriam as a rule served all the guests dinner twice a week, and tonight, all the guests would be in attendance, but so would Jonas. James would be there, too, with his wife, Martha, who used to work for Miriam, and Jonas’s other worker, Ethan, would also be there, a fact that would make Tif
fany quite happy. The bishop had told Miriam he was pleased with Tiffany’s progress, but Tiffany and Ethan were not yet allowed to date. Still, everyone knew that they soon would be able to date, and that had the two of them in a state of happiness.

  If only Miriam could be as happy. The last thing she wanted to do was to be sitting for hours in what felt like a familye situation with Jonas, when she had no idea what she meant to him, or even if she meant anything to him at all. Still, she cherished every moment she was around him, despite the pain it caused her.

  Finally, Miriam and Tiffany served everyone pork chops with sauerkraut and potatoes, and filled their glasses with spicy lemonade.

  Bruce Hanson, in particular, appeared pleased with the lemonade. “What tart, sweet lemonade,” he said. “It’s a good old fashioned drink, with a delightfully intense lemon flavor.”

  His wife agreed. “Did you make it yourself?” she asked Miriam. “If so, may I have the recipe?”

  Miriam frowned. “I did make it myself, and I will try to write a recipe for you, but I simply throw in a bit of this, a bit of that.”

  Heather seemed displeased with that statement, so Miriam turned to her food. She had only just popped a piece of potato into her mouth when Jonas turned to her. “So then, what have you been doing with yourself, Miriam?”

  Miriam couldn’t speak with her mouth full, so swallowed quickly before answering. “What do you mean?”

  Jonas shifted in his seat. “I mean, what have you been doing lately?”

  Miriam was puzzled. “Doing lately?” Why would Jonas ask such a thing? He worked there, at Eden, most days of the week doing the renovations, and what’s more, she saw him every second Sunday at the gathering. If anyone were to know what she was doing, it was Jonas, so why did he ask?

  At this point, Isaac entered the conversation. “Today, Miriam and Tiffany helped the widow Yoder.”

  Rachel nodded. “Yes, but Mrs. Yoder didn’t really need their help now that her sonn, Timothy, has moved to town to help her. You probably don’t know him too well, Jonas, because he’s just arrived in the community. He seems very nice. He’s a widower, about the same age as my mother.”

  What is Rachel doing? Miriam thought. Is she trying to help me by making Jonas jealous? Perhaps she should have a word to her dochder. Rachel knew how Miriam felt about Jonas as she had confided in her, but she didn’t think Rachel would say anything quite so obvious.

  Miriam hoped that Jonas wouldn’t see through the ploy to make him jealous, but when she looked up, his face was beet red. “Timothy? Why do you mention him, Rachel?” he asked.

  Rachel simply shrugged and put down her fork. “Mamm and Tiffany met him yesterday when they went to help his mudder. Mamm spoke highly of him.” She popped a piece of potato in her mouth.

  Miriam shot Rachel a warning look. She had not spoken highly of Timothy Yoder at all—she merely had polite words to say about him.

  “You’re not planning to visit the widow Yoder again now that her sonn is there to help her, are you?” While Jonas apparently addressed the question to both women, he looked directly at Miriam when he spoke.

  Both Rachel and Jonas stared at Miriam, which made her even more uneasy. No one spoke, and an uncomfortable silence settled over the group.

  Kevin and Susan Smith were sitting at the other end of the table, and apparently had not been following the conversation. Susan leaned forward. “How long have you two been married?”

  Rachel looked up, and gestured to her husband. “Us?” she asked.

  Susan shook her head. “No, Miriam and Jonas.”

  Miriam was beyond embarrassed. A wave of nausea hit her, and she clutched at her stomach. “We’re, we’re not married,” she managed to stammer, all the while avoiding Jonas’s eyes.

  Isaac spoke up. “Jonas is doing the renovations on Eden, and he’s a widower. My mother-in-law is a widow.”

  While Miriam was grateful to Isaac for trying to help, she felt his statement made things even worse. Why would Susan think they were married? It made the situation too uncomfortable. To make matters worse, Jonas abruptly stood to his feet. “Thank you for the meal, Miriam and Tiffany. I must leave.” With that, he stood and hurried out of the room.

  Miriam was shocked, and she could see Tiffany’s mouth hanging open. Isaac and Rachel exchanged glances, as did James and Martha. Was the thought of being married to her so horrible that Jonas would leave the room? What was going on with that mann?

  Miriam had no idea how she would manage to continue with the dinner, but she had no other choice. Her heart was beating out of her chest and her palms were sweaty. It was all she could do to continue sitting at the table.

  Susan Smith seemed oblivious to the stir that her words had caused, and continued to chat away, but Miriam was relieved about that. At least it turned the attention away from her.

  “And was that your little dog I heard making noises last night?” Jake asked Ava.

  Ava shook her head. “No, I doubt it. Do you think there was a thief outside the building?”

  Heather Hanson gasped. “Yes, how could I have forgotten? The sheriff said to keep all our valuables under lock and key. Of course, no one really takes their valuables with them when traveling, but I’m sure a jewelry thief would take money as well.”

  Miriam sighed. She didn’t know what was worse, talking about her uncomfortable relationship—or lack of relationship—with Jonas, or talking about the jewelry thief, as that could scare visitors away from Eden. Miriam sent up a silent prayer to Gott to help her get through the night.

  Miriam was greatly relieved when it was time to fetch the Peachy Baked Apples along with the salty pretzels and ice cream. That proved to be enough of a distraction to turn everyone’s thoughts to food.

  “I don’t like pretzels,” Susan Smith said. She held one out to Ava. “Would your little dog like it?”

  Ava held up a hand. “Thank you, but no. Salt is bad for dogs.”

  Kevin popped five pretzels into his mouth at once. “Yum,” he said when he had finished his mouthful. “The taste of the salt is amazing with the ice cream.”

  “Yes, salted caramel used to be my favorite ice cream,” Tiffany said, a faraway look in her eyes.

  Miriam wondered once more if Tiffany was regretting leaving her old life, but then she saw the tender look that passed between Tiffany and Ethan.

  “There’s more if anyone would like some,” she said. “And there are sugar cookies to have with our coffee.”

  Miriam found it hard to concentrate on dinner. Why did Jonas rush out like that? He had never left halfway through a meal before. Clearly, he was embarrassed that people thought he was married to Miriam. Was it simply because he thought he might be suspected of some impropriety? Or was he really so against the idea of marriage and perhaps thought he’d been leading Miriam on? What if he turned up the following day and quit his job doing the renovations?

  Miriam shook her head to try to dismiss the worrying thoughts that were coming quickly, one after another. It also seemed strange that Jonas appeared to be jealous of Timothy Yoder. What other explanation could there be for the way he acted when Rachel mentioned her visit to the widow Yoder? Miriam bit her lip. She knew that menner often said that women were hard to understand, but Jonas was certainly very difficult to understand. Very difficult indeed.

  By the time Miriam and Tiffany were back in the kitchen making the coffee and setting the sugar cookies onto plates, Miriam was still somewhat distressed about the way that events over dinner had unfolded. She would love to ask Jonas what had happened, but she knew she couldn’t. They were good friends, and could discuss everything—everything, but that.

  Timothy Yoder certainly seemed to like Miriam, but Miriam didn’t feel the same way about him. Sure, he was certainly attractive. Years of working on the farm had given him broad shoulders and well-muscled arms. He had a strong jaw line, but there was just something about him that Miriam hadn’t taken to. Was it because of her own feeling
s for Jonas?

  Miriam shook her head to clear it. Miriam didn’t like to admit her feelings for Jonas to herself. What was the point, when they did not seem to be reciprocated? She had known Jonas almost from the time she had first set foot in Eden, but he had not asked her on a buggy ride. She was a widow, and he was a widower, so there was nothing to keep them apart. The only possible reason Miriam could think of was that Jonas was not interested in her at all. He had not shown any interest in any of the other single ladies of his age in the community, so that put her heart at rest. Or maybe he had friend-zoned her.

  Miriam laughed aloud.

  “What are you laughing at?” Tiffany shot her a quizzical look.

  Miriam smiled in return. “I’m beginning to pick up some of your Englischer expressions.”

  Tiffany laughed, too. “Don’t forget, I’m Amish now.”

  Miriam nodded. “You are, indeed.”

  “I know it’s not for me to say, but did you notice that Jonas seemed upset at the mention of Timothy Yoder?”

  Miriam felt her cheeks flush beet red, and muttered something incomprehensible. “Come on, Tiffany, we must return to our guests.”

  Chapter 7

  Miriam had not had much sleep that past night. Lately, she had been missing her husband—not so much her husband himself, but missing having a mann around the place. It had been hard for her, as a single woman, to run Eden and deal with all the guests. It had been even harder since her daughter, Rachel, had left to marry Isaac. Martha had been a good worker, but then she had left to marry Jonas’s worker, James. Tiffany had promise to be an able replacement, but she still didn’t work as hard as an Amish person.

  Miriam shook her head to clear her thoughts. Truth be told, she was missing male company. She just wanted to rest her head on a tough shoulder. She wanted to be held by a pair of strong arms and have all her worries taken away by a capable man. She wanted more than anything for that man to be Jonas, but as her father always said, You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.