Nice to meet you.”
She stared up at him. He was at least six inches taller than her, and she was the tallest girl in her family. It was kind of nice, she thought. And he had the bluest eyes and nicest smile. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen Sam smile.
“I moved here a week ago from Indiana. Luke Miller is my cousin.”
“Luke mentioned you were moving here last time we spoke,” she told him. “You’ll be joining him and his dat making furniture.”
“Ya, I’m looking forward to it.” He took a deep breath and glanced around. “I smell honeysuckle. It’s already summer here.”
“We have ridiculously short spring seasons in Paradise,” she said. “They’re over in a blink.”
“Want something to drink?”
“Schur.” They walked over to the refreshment table. There was still a little time before the singing began again.
“You sing many of the same hymns I grew up with. Not everything’s the same in this community, though.”
“Sometimes the Englisch think the Amish are all alike no matter what state we live in.” She picked up a plate of brownies and offered it to him.
He took one and bit into it. “Gut.”
“Danki,” she said with a smile.
“You made these? They’re great. I think I’ll have another.”
She held out the plate just as Anna called everyone back to the singing.
Ben grabbed a paper napkin, wrapped the brownie in it, and stuck it in a pocket. “Talk to you after? Maybe give you a ride home?”
“I can’t tonight,” she said. “I came with my schweschder.” When she saw his disappointment, she felt her spirits lift. “But we could take a ride tomorrow if you like.”
“Ya, I’d like.”
Rose Anna lifted her eyebrows in question as Mary Elizabeth joined the others to sing, but she could hardly talk to her now.
The minute the singing was over, Rose Anna made her way to her side. “So, tell me about the new guy.”
She didn’t have much to tell. They hadn’t had long enough to talk. But her mood was light as they rode home.
The next day Mary Elizabeth knocked at the back door of Lavina and David’s house, then walked inside.
Waneta turned from the stove where she was cooking breakfast. “Well, guder mariye. What brings you here this morning?”
“I thought I’d help Lavina in the garden before it gets too warm.”
“I’ve been helping her some since she’s not feeling gut in the morning,” Waneta said. She turned off the flame under the frying pan. “I’ll go get her.”
“I’ll be outside.”
Lavina came out a little while later. Her face had that same faint greenish tinge like yesterday. “You didn’t have to come.”
“I want to help. Mornings are rough for you, and since it’s getting so warm, I know gardening has to be quite a chore.”
Lavina sighed. “Spring in Lancaster County seems shorter and shorter each year.”
“I can’t agree with you more.” She glanced around. “Shall I do some weeding first?”
“That would be wunderbaar.”
Waneta came out and the three of them got to work, and soon there was a pile of weeds at their sides. David walked over from his work in the fields and looked closely at his wife.
“I’m fine,” she told him. “Don’t fuss.”
He scanned her face, his forehead puckered in concern. “You look warm.”
“As long as you don’t tell me I look green,” she said tartly. She stood, dusting her hands. “I think we’ve done all we need to this morning. Let’s dump the weeds, go inside, and get something to drink.”
“Sounds gut to me,” Waneta said. “My knees are telling me they’ve had enough.”
David hurried over to hold out a hand and she took it gratefully. “You’re not old enough to complain about aging,” he told her, his eyes twinkling.
“I’m old enough.” She glanced around. “Where’s your dat?”
“Arguing with Sam.”
Waneta shook her head. “Those two. Sam’s kind enough to come here on Saturdays and help with the farm. Amos should be nicer to him.”
“They’ll work it out,” David assured her. “Dat and I did.”
“Do you think they ever will?” Mary Elizabeth asked Lavina as they walked inside to clean up and start lunch.
“Like David said, he and his dat did and I think they fought worse than Sam and Amos.”
Mary Elizabeth looked out the kitchen window as she washed her hands. “Sam’s never coming back. He said so the last time we talked.” She dried her hands on a dish towel.
The screen door slapped shut. Rose Anna walked in carrying a basket of food. “Sorry I ran late getting here.”
Lavina and Mary Elizabeth exchanged a glance. Mary Elizabeth couldn’t remember a time when Rose Anna was on time. Their mudder even joked that Rose Anna had been born three weeks past the due date the doctor had given her.
They helped Rose Anna unpack the food. Waneta left them to find Amos.
“Mary Elizabeth’s got a new boyfriend,” she singsonged.
“Oh?” Lavina looked at Mary Elizabeth. “A new boyfriend? Details, please.”
Rose Anna smirked as Mary Elizabeth frowned at her. “Really, Rose Anna, we’re not in schul anymore.”
The screen door slammed again. Mary Elizabeth looked over and saw that Sam and David had just walked in.
* * *
There was an old saying that if you eavesdropped you might not hear something gut.
Sam figured there was some truth to the saying when he walked in and overheard the Zook women talking about Mary Elizabeth having a new boyfriend.
The only thing he could do was pretend that he hadn’t heard, and so he headed down the hall to the downstairs bathroom to wash up.
“I’m sure they were just joking,” David said as he crowded into the small room with him to wash his hands.
Sam looked up and met his bruder’s gaze in the mirror over the sink. “Doesn’t matter.”
