An Honest Love (4 page)

She stepped out from behind the counter. “What do you mean?”

“I can build your shelves in exchange for putting some business cards in your store and maybe a label telling where the shelves came from. You could sell them to your customers if you wanted, and we’ll split the proceeds.”

Putting her hands behind her back, she said, “That does make
gut
business sense.”

“Then shall we shake on it?” He held out his hand.

“I haven’t said
ya
, yet.”

“But I can tell you’re going to.” He moved his hand toward her, gratified when he saw the ghost of a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth. She slipped her delicate hand in his. He noticed the warmness of her palm, and he didn’t want to let go.

“And if you don’t mind,” she said, still shaking his hand,” I’ll take you up on the offer to pull out the electricity and put in some gas lighting. I’ll pay you, of course.”

“Of course.” But he didn’t intend to take a penny from her.

“Zeb, you really should be at home. Resting.”

“I don’t need you tellin’ me what to do, Edna Esh.”

Anna stopped washing the store-front window and glanced over her shoulder at her mother and uncle arguing behind the counter. Uncle Zeb had insisted on coming to the shop today and helping out, even though his doctor had told him to take it easy for the next few months after he’d fallen off the ladder in March. Luckily he hadn’t broken anything when he landed on his back, only compressed some vertebrae. Still, he’d spent a few days in Geauga Hospital, giving the nurses fits. At that point the hospital personnel had called Edna, Uncle Zeb’s next of kin, and practically begged her to take him home.

“Zeb, Anna and I can’t help you if you ignore what we say.” Edna put her hand on his thin shoulder.

He shrugged it off, his back bent into a slight C shape. “Didn’t ask for your help. Was doin’ just fine until you came along.”

“You could barely stand up.”

Zeb scowled but didn’t contradict her.

“I promised the hospital I would keep an eye on you.” Edna moved to stand in front of Zeb, her hands on her full hips. “And that’s what I’m going to do. Anna and I are capable of getting the store ready for opening day. Now, get in the buggy and I’ll take you home. Melvin Yoder should have never brought you here in the first place.”

“He was being neighborly.”

“Because he saw you limping on the side of the road. He said he couldn’t let you walk all the way over here, and he was right. I’m glad he did pick you up.” She let out a long sigh.

“You can’t expect me to stay home and do nothin’.” He slid away from her, the soles of his work boots scuffling against the smooth cement floor.

“That’s exactly what I expect you to do. I wish you would listen to me for once.”

“An’ like I said before, I ain’t takin’ orders from you.”

Noting the escalating tone of their voices, Anna went to them. “
Mami’s
right,
Onkel
Zeb. You should
geh
home and rest your back. That’s the only way you’re going to get better.”

“
Mei
back is fine.” Stepping away, he looked at her, his blue eyes surrounded by deep wrinkles in his permanently tan skin. “Just like I told that doctor. Don’t trust them anyway. Yankee docs, what do they know about Amish people?”

Anna wanted to say they knew plenty, but at that moment the door opened and Lukas walked in, a heavy tool belt slung over his shoulder. From the looks of it he’d brought every tool he owned. “
Guten morgen
.” He looked straight at her, then smiled.

Attraction zinged through her but she tried to ignore it. She hadn’t expected to see him so soon after making their agreement yesterday. “Hello, Lukas.”

“We’re so glad you’re here.” Edna’s frustrated expression suddenly melted faster than ice cream on a summer day. “Anna told me you offered to take care of the power.
Danki
again for your help.”

“Glad to do it.” He walked further into the store and nodded at
Onkel
Zeb. “
Herr
Esh. Nice to see you.”

Zeb ignored Lukas’ greeting, turning to glare at Edna and Anna. “So you’ll let this
bu
help you but not me?”

Anna detected a note of hurt in his gruff tone. “
Onkel
Zeb, it’s not that we don’t want your help—”

“You think an old
mann
can’t do his share.”

“
Nee
.” She looked to her mother, catching the flustered expression in her eyes. Why did her uncle refuse to listen to reason?

“Just got finished tellin’ these womenfolk I’m fine.” His gaze narrowed. “But all they want to do is put me out to pasture.”

“Zeb, that’s not true and you know it,” Edna said.

Without missing a beat Lukas jumped in. “Well, if you’ve got the time to spare, I can use all the help I can get.”

Edna shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a
gut
idea.”

“Well, I do.” Zeb shuffled over to Lukas. “I’ve been takin’ out fancy Yankee wirin’ since before you were born, Edna Esh. Could do the job with my eyes closed.”

“That’s not the point and you know it—”

“Why don’t we start in the back?” Lukas gave Edna a quick nod and led Zeb toward the back office. A moment later Lukas stepped out of the office, pulling the door almost closed behind him. In a lowered voice, he said. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t overdo it.” He winked at Anna, then disappeared into the office again.

Anna couldn’t help but smile. Somehow she knew her uncle was in good hands.

“He’s a fine young
mann
.” Edna leaned against the counter, relief washing over her features. “Not too many people can handle Zeb that easily.” She turned to Anna. “He’s quite
schee
, too, don’t you think?”

“I’m not interested.” Anna turned away from her mother and returned to the front window, her good humor dissipating. “I’m sure Lukas isn’t either.”

“Oh, I doubt that.” Edna came up behind her. “It looked to me that he’s
definitely
interested.”

Anna turned to her mother. “Don’t,
Mami
.”

“Don’t what?”

“You know what I’m talking about. I’m not ready, or willing, to get involved with someone again.”

“Oh, Anna.” Edna’s voice lowered and turned soft. “I know Daniel hurt you deeply. But you have to forgive him sometime.”

“I have.” She nearly choked on the words, even though they were the truth. She had been raised to forgive others, seventy times seven if necessary. “Forgiving isn’t the problem.”

“Then you have to move on. You’re twenty-four years old,
dochder
. Time to be thinking about marriage and a family.”

“What if that’s not what I want?” She turned her attention back to the window and started wiping it with a paper towel dampened with cleaner.

“You wanted that at one time.”

“Not anymore.” She moved the towel back and forth over the glass with such force the towel started to fray. “This new business holds so many possibilities, and I’m excited about that. I love the idea of being independent.”

“Now you sound like Zeb.”

“Maybe I’m more like him than you think.”

Edna moved to stand alongside her. “
Nee
. I think you’re hiding.”

“And I think you’re prying.”

“Well, at least there’s one thing you and Zeb have in common.”

“Which is?”

“Stubbornness.” She smoothed the skirt of her navy blue dress. “You are both
sehr
stubborn, and there’s no talking to you.” Turning around, she walked back to the counter.

Anna pressed her lips together and stared out the window. Esh’s Amish Goods was one of a small strip of stores that faced the side of a large quilt shop. She imagined a steady stream of customers coming into the store. She loved the idea of not having to depend on anyone. She would be her own person, with her own money and her own business. That was what she wanted.

But if that was the case, then why didn’t she feel satisfied? She refused to believe her mother was right—that she was hiding her true desires for a husband and family. That had been her dream once, before Daniel Hochstetler had crushed it into a thousand pieces by breaking their engagement last November. They had been together for over three years, although she had been in love with him for much longer than that.

With a shake of her head she cleared her thoughts. After Daniel had left her two days before their wedding, then married someone in another district only months later, she had redefined her goals. God must have agreed with her choice, because He had given her this new opportunity. Moving from Maryland to Middlefield and purchasing this shop had been almost seamless, save for Uncle Zeb’s cantankerous attitude.

“Anna.”

She turned around at the sound of Lukas’ voice. She had been so deep in her own musings she hadn’t heard him approach. He had come up directly behind her, and now they were face-to-face, so close she could see tiny flecks of gold interspersed with the green in his hazel eyes. She felt her pulse thrum and blurted out, “You’re done already?”

“
Nee
. It’s a bigger job than I thought. Plus we still have to take out the fixtures.” He glanced up at the ceiling at the gold-pendant lights. “Too fancy for the shop, don’t you think?”

He had left his hat in the back room, and his black, wavy hair hung down to his eyebrows and over his ears. “
Ya
,” she said, tearing her gaze away from him. “They are too fancy.” She strode past him to the opposite counter.

“Once Zeb and I get them down and finish with the wiring, we can hook up the propane.”

She turned around. “Are you sure he’s not bothering you?”

“Bothering me?” Lukas chuckled. “He knows this stuff inside and out. I’m glad he wanted to help out. He tells me what to do, and I do it.”

“Sounds like my uncle. He’s great at giving orders, just not so
gut
at taking them.”

“He’s a
gut mann
. A little gruff, but who wouldn’t be after falling off a ladder? Especially at his age.”

“So you heard about his accident.”

“He filled me in.”

“That doesn’t surprise me. But I don’t think he’s gruff only because of the accident. According to
Mami
he’s been crabby pretty much his entire life. Or so she tells me. I hadn’t met him until we moved here. He’s almost twenty years older than my father was.”

“Was?”

“He died a few years ago.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” Lukas shoved his hands in his pants pockets, the tool belt dangling around his trim waist.

“I appreciate you working with him. Not everyone can handle
Onkel
Zeb.”

“I will say he’s unusual, being a lifetime bachelor and all that. But the Lord created all kinds of people, because He knew we all had to be a little different or we’d drive each other
ab im kopp
.”

Anna grinned, unable to help herself. Lukas Byler was definitely different than Daniel, not only in looks but in manner. Daniel had been shy and reserved, at times even unsure of himself. That description definitely didn’t apply to Lukas, who exuded confidence and was quick with a smile. A very attractive smile.

Not that any of it mattered, because she didn’t want to be attracted to Lukas. She couldn’t afford to be attracted to him.

Chapter 3

A
aron grunted as he lifted another crate of horseshoes into his buggy. It must have weighed about eighty pounds, and he was thankful he had a vehicle to transport it in. His feet had been his transportation for the past couple of years, but when he took over the farrier part of the business for Gabriel last fall, he finally broke down and bought one. Many of their clients lived within a few miles, and though he could borrow Gabe’s buggy when he needed to go to a job, having his own was quicker and more practical.

He walked back to the shop and saw Gabe busy at the forge, pounding out another horseshoe. “Why don’t you knock off for the day?” Gabe brought the hammer down on the hot metal, the clanging sound vibrating through the shop. “There’s only a few more of these left to do.” He looked up at Aaron. “How many horses do you have to shoe tomorrow?”