Elijah And The Widow (Lancaster County Weddings 4) (8 page)

Chapter Ten

T
he roar of an engine followed by several rapid loud beeps woke Martha. Startled, she sprang out of bed and ran to the window on the driveway side of the house. To her shock, another large delivery truck was backing into position directly below the window. It was light outside but just barely. Had she overslept?

Windows
, she thought. It was a delivery of the last windows that Samuel had ordered. She couldn’t go down to sign for them. She wasn’t dressed!

Panic set in as Martha debated what to do until she saw Samuel and Eli talking with the deliverymen as they unloaded the windows onto the back lawn. She watched through a crack in the white window curtains. Suddenly Eli looked up, and Martha gasped, pulled back, afraid to be seen. She still wore her nightgown and nightcap.

Did he see me?
She experienced a fluttering as she hurried back into her room to dress. In less than twenty minutes, her hair was rolled, pinned and covered by her white
kapp
, and she was dressed in royal blue, ready to begin her day. She hurried downstairs to put on the coffeepot. Eli hadn’t come to the door as he usually did, but the sound of the truck was loud enough to announce their presence.

As the coffee perked, Martha set about making biscuits. Then she made a double batch of sweet bread, adding chocolate chips to one loaf for Eli. She kept busy, trying not to worry whether or not Eli had seen her in the window.

Once the coffee was ready, Martha took it outside. A ladder was propped against the side of the house. Eli and Samuel stood below, deep in discussion about window replacement.

“Guder marriye!”
she greeted them.
“Coffe?”

Samuel’s face brightened.
“Danki
, Martha
.
”

She gave him a mug. Then she transferred her gaze to Eli and felt the impact of the man’s watchful blue eyes.

“Smells
gut
.” He accepted the cup she offered him.

“I’ve biscuits in the oven, and I made sweet bread with chocolate chips.”

Eli gave her a slow pleased smile that made her nape tingle and her insides warm. He took a tentative sip of his coffee, his pleasure mirrored in his eyes.

“I heard the truck. I’m sorry I didn’t come out to meet it,” she apologized.

“It’s our job to handle deliveries. I didn’t expect this one so early.” Samuel raised his mug to inhale the coffee’s aroma. “But Eli thought we should come just in case.”

She exchanged looks with Eli as his father sipped his drink.
“Danki.”

“You wouldn’t have known if they were the right ones,” Eli said.

“That window there—” She pointed to where she’d stood earlier. “Is that one to be replaced?”

Had they been discussing it when Eli had gestured toward where she’d stood, hidden behind the window curtain? She hoped so.

“Ja.”
But something in his gaze made her face heat.

“I’ll check on the biscuits.” She grabbed her tray and escaped. If Eli had seen her, there was nothing she could about it now. She had to get past her embarrassment and move on.

The biscuits were golden brown when she removed them from the oven. The scent of the baked goods filled the air, making her stomach rumble as she placed biscuits and slices of chocolate-chip bread on plates, which she put on the tray with butter and jam.

As she stepped outside, she saw Samuel and Eli still having a conversation about the windows. “Here you go,” she said as she interrupted them to set down the tray. Their conversation looked intense, as did Eli’s gaze as it settled on her. Leaving them to their work, she went quickly back to the house.

* * *

Eli stifled a small smile as he watched Martha’s escape. He had seen her at the window. It was only a tiny peek, but he liked knowing that she was there, peering down at him.

“We’ll do this one first,” his father said.

“What time are Noah and Jedidiah coming?”

“Anytime now,”
Dat
said. Eli’s brothers arrived within minutes.

“I’ll let Martha know we’ll need to get into the upstairs rooms again,” Eli offered. He knocked on her door.

“Come in, Eli,” she called from inside the kitchen. “Here for coffee?” she said without turning from a cabinet where she was putting away their breakfast dishes. She faced him. “Did Isaac come? I thought I heard his voice.”

Eli shook his head, enjoying the sight of her. “Jed and Noah are here.” He told her of their plans for the day, then started to leave.

“Eli?”

He paused expectantly.
“Ja?”

“Is everything all right with Isaac? I don’t meant to pry, but he’s not here, and Samuel seems upset.” She worried her bottom lip. “I know it’s none of my business—”

His expression softened at her concern. “Isaac has gone
Rumspringa
. My parents worry about him more than they did us.” Eli debated whether or not to tell the rest. “He didn’t come home last night.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Of all of us, Isaac has been the most restless.”

“He is a
gut
boy,” she assured him. “He will choose the Amish ways in the end.”

“I hope so.”

She seemed genuinely upset for him and his family. Almost as if she understood exactly how they were feeling. Eyes overly bright, she blinked them rapidly. “I’ll pray that the Lord helps him to make the right decision.”

“
Ja
, we all should pray for him.” Eli was reluctant to leave.
“Danki.”

She looked surprised by his thanks. “For what?”

“For understanding and for believing in Isaac...and the Lord.”

“We all believe in the Lord, Eli.” She bit her lip. “You do believe,
ja
?”

“I’ve joined the church,” he said, and he knew she understood his commitment to God and the Amish faith. Men and women most often joined the church right before they married. But there were young people like him and Jedidiah who joined during their teens. They believed in the Lord, the Amish way of life and the
Ordnung
enough to make the decision to become a member of the church well before marrying. It was a big step for a young man or woman. Eli knew he’d be shunned if he ever decided to leave. He wasn’t concerned, for he was happy being Amish and living the life that God intended for him. A life that would mean eventually taking a wife and having children.

“What took you so long,
soohn
?”
Dat
asked when he went back outside.

He shrugged, mumbled some excuse, then went to work.

Chapter Eleven

M
artha was excited. Unable to forget Eli’s suggestion of selling her jellies and jams, she drove to several shops in the area, starting with Whittier’s Store and then moving on to Kitchen Kettle Village and Yoder’s General Store. She spoke with the store managers to see if they would be interested in carrying her jams and jellies. Bob Whittier happily agreed. He gave her the names of other Lancaster County shops that he thought would be interested in stocking her wares, as well. Unfortunately, Bob told her, he had limited space as his was a small convenience store, but there were other larger establishments that could handle more.

Following Bob’s advice, Martha drove her horse-drawn vehicle from store to store. She spoke with the owners or store managers and received a favorable response from the majority of them. But some of the managers wanted to know how many jars she could give them. Martha asked them how much they would need. She left, promising to return with a sample of her wares and the information they requested so that they would feel comfortable doing business with her. All in all, she was happy with how the day went.

As she drove home, Martha was hopeful that she’d discovered a good way to earn money. If not for Eli, she never would have given her jellies and jams another thought.

As she steered her horse toward her barnyard, Martha looked for signs of Samuel and his sons. The sky in the distance had darkened. The air held the scent of oncoming rain. There were no vehicles in the yard, so she decided that upon seeing the change in the weather, the Lapp men had finished for the day.

A heavy breeze stirred up the air as Martha got out of her vehicle. She opened the barn door and pulled both horse and buggy into the barn and shut the door. Once safely inside, she unhitched her mare from her gray buggy and put the animal in her stall.

She went to the opposite side of the structure and slid open the door. The color of the sky was now an ominous black. The storm could be seen brewing in the distance. Martha left the barn for the pasture, checking to see if the animals needed shelter. The goats were in their stalls. She brought in her milk cow. Some of the cattle had taken shelter in another outbuilding.

The sheep entered the barn with a little encouragement. Martha waited until they were in their pens before shutting the doors, secure in the knowledge that her animals were safe. She hurried back inside the barn.

A flash of lightning. A sharp crack of thunder. Martha decided to stay there until the worst of the storm blew over. A stiff breeze entered through the barn slats. The wind jostled the barn door, scaring her with the sudden noise. When the door banged against the outer walls, then started to open, she struggled against the sudden shift in the wind, a force against her as she fought to latch the doors.

The doors resisted on the pasture side. She felt a wash of cold rain spray over her face and neck as she drew them shut and was finally able to lock them into place. The animals were restless, shifting and making plaintive sounds in their stalls. Chilled by the rain that had soaked her hair,
kapp
and clothing, Martha hugged herself with her arms.

She heard a crash near the front entrance of the barn. She froze, her heart beating wildly as she realized that she wasn’t alone. Someone else had sought shelter in her barn.

* * *

The storm came out of nowhere, surprising Eli as he was finishing up the far side of the farmhouse. Caught in the downpour, the only thing Eli could do was to run and seek shelter with the animals.

Martha had been gone all day. He hoped she was all right and hadn’t gotten caught in the storm. He ran to the barn, slid open a door and sighed with gratitude when he slipped inside. There was a buggy inside the building. He frowned. Could it be Martha’s? He didn’t see or hear her come home. And then he heard her voice, and the relief that washed over him was startling to him in its intensity.

“Hallo?”

“Martha?”

“Who’s there?”

“It’s me. Eli Lapp.” He hurried toward her voice, saw her huddled against the wall on the opposite end of the barn. She had turned on a battery-operated lantern. He could see her face silhouetted in the golden glow, saw the way she flinched with every lightning flash and clap of thunder. Lightning illuminated the interior of the barn through the hayloft window, brief flashes that came in a series, followed by rumbling thunder or loud cracks.

“Eli!” She saw him as he maneuvered around Ike’s farm equipment. She seemed glad to see him. He was relieved that she was okay as he approached. Dampness made her hair and garments cling. Her head covering was askew, probably caught and shifted by the wind. Raindrops splattered her dress. He’d never been happier that she was here safe beside him.

“I couldn’t close the door,” she admitted with a wry smile.

“The wind out there is fierce.” He felt the impact of being alone with her. “Not to worry—your new windows are shut tight and locked.”

“What are you still doing here?” she asked.

“
Dat
left me to work awhile longer. I was going to walk to Jacob’s and ask him for a ride home.”

“I’ll take you home after the storm passes.” She winced at the loud boom of thunder that continued to rumble on for several seconds.

“Where did you go today?” Eli was curious.

“I took your advice and spoke with several local store owners about stocking my jams and jellies. Many of them were receptive.”

He smiled, pleased for her. “That’s wonderful.” A flash of lightning drew his gaze up to the hayloft window.

“I plan to go out again in the next day or two and bring samples.”

They chatted about her venture until a sudden silence descended, broken only by the sound of the rain on the barn roof. Eli shifted closer, overly aware of the sound made by Martha’s breathing, the scent of her homemade scented soap...and the way she shifted and moved as she stood next to him. He studied her features, liking what he saw. Long lashes surrounded eyes a beautiful shade of brown. Her nose was perfectly formed, her lips pink, but he wouldn’t dare think about trying to kiss her.

Martha shifted uncomfortably, and Eli realized that he was staring. “Finished up the house. That’s why I stayed late. We completed installing the last of the windows, the shutters and the two doors. All that’s left is to caulk a few roof shingles.”

She frowned. “You’re going up onto my roof?”

Eli shrugged. “Better me than Isaac or
Dat
.” There was a heightened sense of awareness between them in the darkened interior of the barn.

He watched and listened as Martha easily calmed the livestock with soft words and a gentle touch. The air held the scent of farm animals, offensive to some perhaps but not to him. Animal smells were part of daily farm life, and he’d lived on a farm since he was born.

A cow mooed, then quieted as Martha murmured to her and rubbed the bovine’s side. The sheep baaed in their pen, and her two goats bleated before they settled down in their stalls.

The rain fell harder. It thundered against the roof as the wind increased, buffeting the sides of the barn. Eli followed Martha to watch how she calmed and managed the animals. She turned, and they nearly collided. Eli instinctively reached out to steady her. They stared at each other a long moment before Martha looked away and put some distance between them.

Eli followed her, unable to keep away. He wanted desperately to spend time with Martha. But a little voice inside warned him that he shouldn’t be alone with her. He stopped and watched her without taking another step.

Martha went from stall to stall, speaking soothingly to her animals. Her voice calmed them, and he understood why. He felt pleased and calmed by her sweet voice, too.

“They should be fine now,” she said with a smile.

He nodded, struck again by how much in her element she seemed. A long silence ensued, filled with only the raging storm outside, which was starting to move away. The sounds faded into the distant sky.

Dampness filled the air with scents and moisture. Martha shifted on her feet and made a move toward the barn door as if to check outside.

He followed her. “’Tis far from over,” he said, coming up from behind. “You may want to wait awhile.”

Startled by his voice, she turned. He saw something flicker on her face, and he stepped away to give her room. The barn was filled with animals and farm equipment—and Martha’s gray buggy. He and Martha were left with a small area of the barn to wait out the bad weather.

“Martha,” he began, unsure of what he wanted to say. She looked at him with confusion.

And then they heard the sound...a
ping
,
ping
,
ping
. He felt a splash of water on his face. He looked up, saw the roof leaking and sighed. “Add ‘patch one leaking roof’ to my list,” he said jokingly.

She glanced up and frowned.

“Bucket in the same place?” he asked.

“
Ja.
In the front of the barn near my buggy.”

He quickly went for the bucket before she had a chance to move. He returned to place it on the floor under the leak. “Do you have another one?” Water dripped from above, splashing on Martha’s and Eli’s upturned faces.

She looked thoughtful. “I have a large stainless bowl that I use for canning vegetables. It’s up front.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Where?”

“On a shelf near the door. It’s too big for a kitchen cabinet.”

“Wait here. I’ll get it.” He started to leave.

“Eli.” Her call stopped him in his strides.

He turned and waited. She held up a small flashlight, clicked it on. “You may need this.”

He nodded, pleased when she met him halfway. He could use the flashlight; it had gotten dark in the barn. He took the battery lamp, aware of the heat left by her fingers on its metal base. Attraction sizzled between them.

He knew he was in trouble. If he were smart, he’d get out of the barn and away from Martha as quickly as he could run.

But he didn’t want to leave.
Nay.
He was starting to like Ike King’s widow more than he should, and there was nothing he could do about it but pray for the feeling to pass.

* * *

Martha stood in the golden glow of her lantern and watched as Eli left to fetch her canning bowl. She heard the sound of water striking against metal. She groaned. Rain was coming through the roof and hitting Ike’s new farm equipment.

The rain hammered in a steady roar against the barn. Alone, Martha felt the intensity of the storm more so than when Eli Lapp stood by her side. She was glad that he was near. The thought of being alone during the storm was unnerving. And while his appearance had frightened her at first, she had quickly become relieved once she knew the intruder wasn’t an intruder at all.

Her cow mooed, and Martha stepped into its stall to soothe her. Eli came back as she left the cow and returned to where she’d waited.

He held up a large stainless steel bowl. “This it?”

“
Ja
, that should catch the water for a while.”

Ping. Ping. Ping.
They exchanged looks. “Another leak,” she said.

“I’ll take a look.” He headed toward the sound, disappearing from sight as a bright flash of lightning lit up the barn, seeping in through every tiny crack in the barn siding. The ensuing thunder was loud and startling even though Martha expected it. “Eli?”

“Coming!”

She knew immediate relief when she saw the light from his flashlight beaming across the barn floor. He appeared just when she felt like she could no longer stand to be alone. Her heart picked up its pace when he loomed ahead and grinned at her. The effect he had on her whenever he was near worried her.

Ping ping ping!
He gave her wry smile as he shook his head. “It’s the bowl, not the equipment. I found your canning pot and used that, too.”

“’Tis
gut
that you’re here,” she admitted, and he looked delighted. “I don’t like being alone during thunderstorms.”

His expression changed. “’Tis frightening, isn’t it?”

She nodded, but she no longer was afraid now that he was here. She wondered what it would be like to be young and have someone like Eli Lapp in love with her. Would he make a
gut
husband? She already suspected by his obvious affection for his nephew that he would make a good father.

Her rampant thoughts made her feel slightly ill. She liked Eli Lapp; of course she did. He was a kind man who had helped her on more than one occasion. But these thoughts she was having of him were wrong. She didn’t want another man in her life. And even if she did—which she didn’t—Eli Lapp was too young and too much of a charmer for her. When he was eventually ready to settle down, he could have his pick of the girls in their Amish community. Still, just because he wasn’t right for her—and she didn’t want to be hurt by another man—didn’t mean that she couldn’t appreciate a good-looking man.

Horrified by her continuing thoughts about how attractive Eli was, she moved away toward the far wall, where she hugged herself with her arms. There was a wooden bench that Ike had used as a small workbench, and she sat down on it. If he thought it strange that she didn’t say a word, Eli didn’t let on. He simply followed her and sat beside her. She felt his presence in his scent, the warmth of him sitting close. Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked them away. Even if things had been different, there was little chance of winning such a man’s heart...and there was every chance that she couldn’t give him, or any man, a child.

“Martha.” His voice startled her. “Are you all right?”

She nodded silently even though inside it felt as if her heart were breaking in two. “I’m fine.” At least, she was trying to be fine.

He didn’t comment. There was a long silent moment during which she could feel his intense regard. She refused to meet his gaze. “The storm is moving away,” he finally said. “Before we leave for
gut
, we’ll make sure this roof is fixed. I don’t want you to worry about your animals or equipment.”