A Perfect Match (2 page)

Chester scowled. “The way our luck's been, I'd be surprised if it is.”

“Having problems with the construction?” Zeke asked.

His cousin filled him in, and Zeke nodded. “I'll come with you, if you don't mind.”

“Are you sure you're not too tired from your trip?” his
aenti
asked.

“Thanks to that nap, I'm not.” Zeke put his fork and knife on his empty plate. He'd practically scraped the dish clean. “I'd like to see how the
haus
is coming along.”

Emmanuel nodded. “I'd appreciate your input, especially on how we did the roof.”

Chester stood. “I'll hitch up the buggy. The
haus
is just down the road. We can stop by the Kings' on the way. I need to drop something off at Priscilla's.” He took his yellow straw hat from the peg near the back door of the kitchen and plopped it on his head before leaving the room.

Zeke carried his plate and empty tea glass to the sink.

“You don't have to do that,” his aunt said, jumping up from her chair. She took the dishes from him. “I'll clear the table.”

Zeke started to protest, then caught himself. Living as a bache­lor, he was used to cleaning up after himself. And making his own meals. And doing his own laundry. But he didn't want to overstep his bounds in his aunt and uncle's house, especially after he'd just arrived.

Thirty minutes later he and Chester arrived at the Kings'. There was still enough light in the dusky sky that Zeke could see the large white house and small
daadi
haus
behind it. At the end of the driveway a plain wooden sign hung from two hooks suspended from a wooden frame: Kings' Baked Goods. Underneath the name, in smaller letters, were the words In the Back.

“The Kings have a bakery?” Zeke asked.

“Naomi, Priscilla's oldest sister, does. Does
gut
business too.” Chester pulled the buggy to a stop next to the house. He reached into the buggy and pulled out a pie plate.

“That's what you have to drop off?”

“Um,
ya
.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “She, ah, needs this pie plate.”

Zeke didn't say anything, not wanting to tease his cousin about the flimsy excuse to see his future bride. He imagined he'd be the same way if he were getting married.

“We won't be but a minute,” Chester added as they got out of the buggy.

“Take your time. I'm in no hurry.”

They walked up on the porch, and Chester knocked on the door. A woman opened it.

“Hey, Naomi.”

Zeke didn't move. He'd seen plenty of pretty
maed
in his time, but this was the loveliest woman he'd come across. Her chestnut-colored hair peeked out from beneath her white prayer
kapp
, the deep brown color matching her wide, round eyes.

“Hi, Chester. Come on in. Priscilla's in the kitchen with
Mamm
.”

The men stepped into the living room. Chester headed for the back of the house. Zeke cleared his throat, stopping his cousin in his tracks.

Chester turned around. “Oh, sorry. Naomi, this is my cousin Zeke Lapp. He's visiting from Middlefield.” With that he disappeared.

Zeke grinned. “I think he's in a hurry.”

“I think so too.” Her lips curved into a smile. “When did you get into town?”

“Earlier today.”

“Then you missed the storm. That's a
gut
thing. I wouldn't want you to get a bad impression of Paradise.”

“Actually, I'm originally from here. I'm remembering now how much I missed it when we first moved away.”

An older man walked into the room, shaking his head. “Naomi, I wish you would have told me about the roof sooner.” He stopped and looked at Zeke.

Naomi introduced the two men.

Mr. King glanced at Zeke. “Sorry. Having problems with the
daadi
haus
.”

“The roof just started leaking today,” Naomi explained. “Otherwise it's been fine.”

“That sag in the ceiling isn't fine,” her father said. “It needs to be repaired before the next rain.” He tugged on his beard. “I guess I can get someone out here tomorrow to take a
gut
look at it, since I had to promise your
mamm
I wouldn't get up there. She said I don't need to throw my back out before the wedding.” He looked directly at Zeke. “Just so you know, my back is fine.”

“I'm sure it is.” Zeke took a step forward. “If it's all right with you, I could take a look at it.”

“Wouldn't want to put you to the trouble.” But there was a glimmer of hope in the man's eyes.

“No trouble at all. I fix roofs for a living.”

“Then I'm glad you're here.” He looked at his daughter. “Naomi, show him the leak.”

For the first time Zeke saw uncertainty in her eyes. It disappeared as she nodded.
“Ya.”

Her father moved to leave the room. “Appreciate your help,” he added, glancing at Zeke.

Zeke glanced at Naomi and saw the hesitation return. While her father might be appreciative, he wasn't sure she was.

Chapter Two

“So your
schwester
is marrying my cousin.” Zeke examined the sag in the ceiling. “How did that come about?”

Naomi told him how Chester and Priscilla had begun courting. “She wasn't too keen on him at first, but I knew he was a
gut
mann
, and encouraged her to give him a chance. I'm glad she did.”

“So am I. He seems really happy.”

“I should hope so. If he wasn't, they'd have a big problem on their hands.”

His low, throaty chuckle sounded in the room. “
Ya
, they definitely would. Speaking of problems.” He pointed at the ceiling.

Naomi stood beside the partially full bucket while Zeke inspected the damage. Since the rain had ceased, the drip had dried up. The only evidence of the leak was the water in the bucket and the dark, sagging spot above.

“Probably a few shingles blew off in the storm last night. Maybe the tar paper underneath them too.”

“Can it be fixed?”

He turned to her. His yellow straw hat was frayed at the edges and pushed back from his face, revealing a mottled port-wine birthmark above his left eyebrow. “Easily. Won't take me long at all.” He strode toward the front door.

“Where are you going?”

“Up on the roof.” He looked at her over his shoulder. “I need to see where the shingles and tar paper are missing.”

“It's getting dark outside.” She tossed a quick glance at the window. “You don't have to do this tonight.”

“There's enough light to see by. It will only take a minute.”

“All right. I'll get the ladder from the barn.”

He shook his head and walked to her. “
I'll
get the ladder from the barn. Just tell me where it is.”

She did, and soon they were both outside. The ladder didn't quite reach the eave of the roof.

“I'm sorry. I wish I had a taller ladder.”

“Doesn't bother me any.” Zeke dashed up the rungs and, planting his palms on the edge of the roof, hoisted himself up with little effort.

Watching him traverse the roof as if it were a playground made her stomach flip. “Be careful,” she called, the words out before she could stop them.

“I always am.” He smiled down at her, his teeth bright in the dusky light.

Naomi watched as he continued his inspection. His birthmark was unusual; she'd never seen one like it before. Yet it didn't detract from his looks at all; instead it drew her attention to his hazel eyes and the wrinkles that appeared in the corners when he smiled.

Which made her pause. Obviously he wasn't in his early or midtwenties. But by his clean-shaven face, she knew he wasn't married. Widowed, perhaps? She doubted he was a lifelong bachelor. Someone as kind and appealing as he would have easily found a wife.

Zeke shimmied down the ladder even faster than he'd climbed up and strode toward her. “The
gut
news is it's an easy fix. Bad news is I'll have to do it in the morning. By the time we'd get back to my
onke
l
's to get tools and supplies, it would be too dark to work today.”

Naomi nodded. “I agree. What should we do in the meantime?”

He looked up at the roof again. “You don't have any plastic sheeting by any chance?”

“
Nee
. I don't have much use for it.”

“Is it supposed to rain anymore tonight?”

“I don't think so. The forecast in the paper this morning said the rain would discontinue in the evening, which it has. Tomorrow is supposed to be cloudy.”

“Okay. I'll wait until morning to fix it. Keep the pail underneath the leak. If it does rain, that should contain it.”

Naomi nodded. “For
gut
measure, I'll pray there won't be any rain.”

“I'll add my prayers to yours, then.” He put his hands on his narrow hips, his fingers lightly resting on the waistband of his dark blue broadfall pants. “I'll see if Chester has any leftover shingles and paper at the new
haus
. If not, I'll pick some up on my way here tomorrow.”

“Would you like to come in for some coffee?” Despite the chilly weather, he wore short sleeves. Just looking at him made Naomi hug her own arms.

He shook his head. “Chester is probably ready to
geh
by now. He's supposed to show me the new
haus
tonight.”

“All right.” She felt a tiny bit disappointed he had to leave so soon, and she hid a frown.
Where
did
that
feeling
come
from?

“I'll see you tomorrow, then.” Zeke opened the door and started to leave. But before he stepped outside he turned and faced her. “It's been a real pleasure meeting you, Naomi.”

She stilled at his unexpected words. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked out the door. She followed him, standing in the middle of the doorway as he made his way to her parents' house. Was he . . . whistling? A little off-key, but definitely whistling. As she watched him go, she murmured, “Likewise, Zeke Lapp.”

•••

Despite Naomi's prayers, it started raining shortly after Zeke left. Showers continued the next morning. Waking up well before sunrise, Naomi groaned when she heard the rain pummeling the
daadi
haus
. She threw on a pale gray dress and white apron, thrust bobby pins into her hair and
kapp
, and shoved her feet into her black stockings and shoes. A knot formed in her stomach. Had it rained all night? She said a quick prayer that the leak in the roof hadn't expanded.

She hurried to the living room, glancing out the front window at the curtain of rain and wind pelting the glass. She turned on the battery-operated lantern on the small end table by her chair and held her breath as she looked at the ceiling. As she feared, the ceiling was sagging even more, and now a steady stream of water flowed from it.

A chill hung in the room. Naomi shivered, glancing at the coal stove in the opposite corner of the room. She'd hoped to put off lighting it until mid-October. So much for that idea.

But first she had to tend to the leak. She glanced down at the pail underneath the drip. Water splashed against the rim with every falling drop. She bent down to pick up the bucket.

Whoosh!
The ceiling suddenly gave way.

•••

Zeke had just tied up Chester's horse and buggy next to Naomi's barn when he heard a faint cry come from inside the
daadi
haus
. He quickly tied a loose but strong knot in the reins and ran to the building, leaping over puddles and hurdling the three steps leading to the inside. He threw open the door. As he had feared when he woke up to the pounding rain that morning, more water had leaked into the house. Naomi stood right underneath the leak, her dress soaked through, a steady stream of rain falling on her.

“Z-Zeke?”

His shin rammed into the side of the couch as he hurried to her. When he reached her, he heard her teeth chattering. Without thinking he pulled her out from under the leak. Quickly he whipped off his jacket and wrapped it around her damp shoulders.

“Y-your j-jacket,” she said. “I-it's g-getting wet.”

“Don't worry about it. What happened?”

“Th-the ceiling.”

He looked up and saw a hole the size of a soup can in the center of the sag. He groaned.

“Here.” She started to take off his jacket.

His hands covered hers, stopping her. “
Nee
. You need it more than I do.”

The storms over the past two days must have been part of a cold front. He'd noticed the drop in temperature when he'd left his uncle's house a little while ago. Zeke looked around the living room, dimly lit by the weak light of the lantern. The sun had risen, but the heavy cloud cover prevented much light from coming through the window. He spied a coal stove in the corner of the room. “I'm going to light the stove, okay?”

“Ya.”
She pulled his jacket closer to her, still looking a little shocked. Her white
kapp
hung limp and askew on her head.

Zeke saw a basket of newspapers beside the stove. He picked up a sheet and lit it with the handheld lighter he found on a small shelf near the stove. Holding the lit paper high in the flue, he checked to make sure there was an updraft in the chimney. If not, the house would soon be filled with choking smoke. Satisfied when the wisp of smoke wafted up the flue, he put the paper in the stove, added several more layers on top, and waited for them to catch.

“I can finish that.”

He turned around at the sound of Naomi's voice. He hadn't heard her leave the room, but she had changed into a dry, long-sleeved dress and a light blue kerchief. At least she wasn't shivering anymore.

“It's okay. It will only take a minute.” The newspapers lit quickly. He laid a bed of coal over the glowing embers, then shut the front of the stove and faced Naomi. “I'm so sorry. I should have fixed the roof last night.”

She shook her head. “It would have been dangerous to do that in the dark, with just a flashlight.”

“Still, I could have put some plastic over the ceiling. That would have held the water back.”

“Considering we didn't have any, I don't see how you could have.” Naomi walked over to the leak and wiped a droplet of water off the end of her nose.

Still feeling guilty, he moved beside her and picked up the pail. “I'll take care of this.” Making sure not to spill any water on the dry part of her wood floor, Zeke carefully carried the pail to the door and tossed the water onto the grass just beyond the front porch. He went back inside and put the pail back under the leak. The rain had started to let up a bit, and the water was now coming down in a thin stream.

He looked at her. If she was angry, he didn't blame her. Although he had to admit she looked cute in her kerchief. If he'd been thinking, he would have come back last night with Chester and put something over the hole, instead of counting on the weather report. If he had, the ceiling would have held.

“I'll get a mop and clean the floor.”

Surprised, he turned and looked at her again. More light filtered into the room, revealing her calm expression. If she was mad, she had a strange way of showing it.

“When Margaret gets here, I'll have her get started in the kitchen.” She faced him, consumed with the confidence he'd been attracted to from the moment they met. “We won't have a normal workday, but that's all right.”

Zeke couldn't help but smile. He couldn't say he wouldn't be irritated after being doused with cold rainwater. Yet after the initial shock, she now seemed unfazed. He'd never met anyone like her before.

“Goodness, what happened?”

Zeke turned around to see a blond-haired woman walk through the open door, her steps hesitant. Physically she was Naomi's opposite—light blue eyes, fair skin, and about an inch shorter than he was. But both women seemed to be about the same age, which he guessed to be in their early twenties.

“More problems with the leak,” Naomi said. She crossed her arms over her chest.

The other woman's gaze darted to the stream of water coming out of the ceiling. “I can see that. What are you going to do?”

Zeke listened as Naomi gave the woman, who was apparently her assistant, instructions. Not wanting to interrupt, he slipped past them and went outside to the buggy. The rain seemed to have lightened up. If it stopped completely he could get up on the roof and replace the tar paper and missing shingles. But until then, he'd have to make a quick repair job inside using the plastic sheeting he'd gotten from Chester that morning. He slipped on his tool belt, then grabbed his supplies.

When he went back inside, Naomi had disappeared. The blond woman stood by the stove, holding her hands above it.

“Where's Naomi?” he asked.

“Getting a mop. Downstairs. I was just trying to get warm.” She looked at her feet for a moment, then met his gaze again. “I'm Margaret,” she said, her voice cracking on the last syllable of her name.

“Zeke Lapp.” He didn't mean to sound curt, but he wanted to repair the ceiling. “Do you know if Naomi has a stool or an old chair I could stand on?”

“Sure. It's in the kitchen. I'll be right back.”

A few moments later he climbed on the small step stool. He glanced at Margaret, who watched. “Could you give me a hand?”

“Sure!” She hurried over to him. “What do you want me to do?”

“Hold this,” he said, giving her the plastic sheeting. He grabbed three nails out of one of the pockets of his tool belt, then slipped the hammer from its leather loop on the other side of the belt. “Now hand me the plastic.”

He couldn't be sure, but when she gave him the plastic, he thought he heard her giggle. He glanced down at her and stifled a sigh. Being one of the few bachelors in his community had made him a target for single females between the ages of nineteen and thirty. He'd heard that shy giggle more than once.
Naomi, hurry up!
He had come to Paradise for his cousin's wedding, not to find a wife.