Love Redeemed (6 page)

Phoebe leaned over the tub of dirty dishes. It seemed at least ten degrees cooler on the shores of this enormous blue-green lake. A steady breeze wafted from across the water. It felt exactly as she had imagined.
She inhaled the scent of fish and leaves and mud. She knew nothing of trees except that they smelled green and cool. Elam had entertained them on the ride here by pointing out elms, red oaks, hickory, sugar maple, and red bud as they drove into the park. She couldn't tell one from the other, but these things interested her little brother with his guidebook and his magnifying glass.

The sunflowers and goldenrods lifting their faces to the sun—those she recognized. She scraped the last of the bacon grease into a lard can and stuck the skillet in the tub of water she'd lugged over from the spigot. After she washed the breakfast dishes she could join Molly and Rachel and the others for a swim. She shivered at the thought. Despite the August heat, the water was cold. They'd waded in the shallow spot along the shore the night before, splashing each other and screaming with laughter as they dashed back and forth trying to avoid a dunking in their clothes. Even Daed had waded in, his pants rolled up around his knees, his hat pushed back on his head, a grin on his face.

Smiling at the memory, she shoved tendrils of hair from her forehead with the back of a wet hand and plunged back into the work of finishing the dishes. The sooner she finished her chores, the sooner she could have fun. She wished they had one of those beautiful sailboats they'd seen lined up at the marina. She'd love to take sailing lessons. They would rent a pontoon for fishing, but sailing cost too much.
Be content with what you have.
She'd heard those words so many times she could almost hear Mudder saying them aloud.

“Here's the last of it.” Speaking as if she'd read Phoebe's thoughts, Mudder limped across the campground from the cluster of picnic tables where they'd gathered to eat, a stack of plastic plates and bowls in her hands. “Something about being outside makes everyone eat twice as much. I thought we'd have plenty of bread with the dozen loaves we brought, but now I'm not so sure. The kinner want to make mountain pies tonight. That takes a lot of bread.”

“Why are you limping?” Phoebe laid the plate on the towel and studied her mudder's face. She'd never been able to imagine her mudder as old. She had so much bustle in her. But lately, her walk had
slowed. “Did you hurt your ankle? Are you sleeping all right? You look tired.”

“I'm fine, girl. Stop with the twenty questions.” Mudder laughed and slid the stack of plates into the tub. “It's just the arthritis acting up again.”

The doctor had given her mother the news about this disease that made her joints ache when she was still having babies. Still young. “Sleeping on the ground surely doesn't help. Didn't you bring your pills?”

“With all the last-minute rushing around, I forgot them. Besides, I thought all those foam mattresses we brought would be plenty of padding.” Mudder rubbed her hip absentmindedly. “Guess I'm getting old. The other women and I will walk over to Mr. Chester's campsite and ask him to drive us back to the marina. I can pick up some aspirin and a couple more loaves of bread, just to be on the safe side. And we'll need more ice for the ice chests if they get a good mess of fish. I figure we can cook it all and then store it on ice, at least for a day or so.”

Thinking of what fun they would have with a bonfire and mountain pies that evening, Phoebe grinned. “Did you remember the pie filling?”

“I did—apple and cherry.” Mudder smiled back, but she had switched to rubbing her elbow. “I'm so glad we had rain this summer. There's no fire ban. Bonfires and mountain pies are half the fun.” She eased onto a stool they'd brought from home and heaved a big sigh. “I wish Jesse and Nan had come. Then the entire family would've been together making mountain pies. Jesse loves the cherry pies.”

“With Nan's mudder ailing in Bliss Creek, I can see why they decided to go there instead.”

“Jah, it's just…” Her mudder closed her eyes. She looked so weary. “I like having my kinner all together.”

Phoebe studied her face. A second later she abandoned plans to wander in the direction of the Daugherty campsite later in the morning. She'd hoped to run into Michael, but it would have to wait. She needed to help her mudder. That would be her first priority on this trip, just as she'd promised her daed. Mudder looked done-in and it wasn't
even noon. “Are you sure you don't want me to go to the store? Are you sure you want to do the walking on your sore hips?”

Mudder opened her eyes, stood, and stretched. “I think the walk will do me good, working those stiff muscles and all. I want a chance to visit with the other fraas anyway.” She stuck her head inside the tent she shared with Daed and pulled out her canvas bag. “We'll be back in an hour or so. You keep an eye on the little ones. The bunch that went fishing won't be back until late this afternoon—later if the catfish are biting. A fish fry for supper sounds mighty good.”

Her mudder deserved this free time. She so rarely got it. The work frolics they had at home were fun, but this was an adventure in the great outdoors. “Hannah and I will watch the kinner. We can take them on a little hike if they get bored with the playground.”

Which wasn't likely, with its big plastic slides and fort and swings and monkey bars. They'd chosen this site at Cedar Ridge because it had a playground, a beach for swimming, and nearby fishing. If the men got a hankering to hunt, they could do so on the nearby conservation lease. It was perfect.

Emma Brennaman strolled through the clearing with little Caleb and Lilah toddling behind her. Rachel's mother, Cynthia Daugherty, brought up the rear with her three youngest. Watching them approach, Phoebe could only think that she knew exactly what Rachel would look like in twenty years. She had the very same oval face, green eyes, fair skin, and wide mouth.

“Think you can handle these wild and wooly babies?” A hand on her baby-swollen belly, Emma nodded toward the little procession. “They slept really well last night and they're likely to run around like little heathens. The rest of my brood went fishing, lucky for you.”

“Eli, I can imagine fishing, but I can't believe Mary and Lillie went—or Rebecca for that matter.”

“Even Adah went. They'll spend the whole time whispering and driving the boys crazy by making noise when they should be quiet.”

Phoebe laughed at the thought and wiped her hands on the towel. She swung Lilah onto her hip. The towheaded toddler squealed in delight and then stuck her thumb in her mouth as if suddenly shy. “Where are Molly and Rachel?”

“Molly will be over after she finishes the book she's reading.” Cynthia held up both hands in a
what-do-you-expect?
gesture that made them all laugh. That sounded like Molly. With a big beautiful lake in front of her, she had her nose stuck in a book. “She'll drag Rachel over with her as soon as that one gets through taking a walk with Daniel.”

“She's walking with Daniel?” A nasty green snake of jealousy slithered through Phoebe. She wanted to take a walk with Michael. She swatted the thought away. Her friend had been sweet on Daniel her whole life—she should be happy for her. “What does her daed say about that?”

A frown on her face, Rachel's mother shook her finger. “He'd already left for fishing and I'm not supposed to have seen them so I'm trying very hard to put the sight out of my mind.”

Emma patted her friend's arm. “I'm not looking forward to Rebecca's rumspringa, either.”

An awkward silence fell as the three woman glanced at Phoebe and then away. She couldn't think of a thing to say. She hadn't done anything on her rumspringa other girls didn't do. Wasn't that the point? Besides, she'd almost finished her baptism classes. Finally. It must be hard for her parents. The whole community waiting and watching to see if each daughter or son joined the church. It was as if that was how they gauged their success as parents. Her parents were good. Their oldest three sons had joined after enjoying their rumspringas to the hilt. She would join in September and everyone would stop watching the Christner family until it was Elam's turn.

“We should go so we can be back before the fishermen bring us a mess of fish to fry.” Fortunately Mudder always knew what to say. “Keep the kinner away from the water.” She patted Caleb's head. “And don't let them eat the dirt. You know how Sarah loves a good mud pie.”

The awkwardness gone, Phoebe laughed with the women, feeling a part of this close-knit group of women who thrived on taking care of children. She didn't have her own yet, but she would. “You three go on. Hannah and I have it covered.”

Hannah, hearing her name, waved from her spot on the grass in the shade of two white oaks. She'd thrown down several blankets back to back and had Sarah playing with a stack of wooden blocks in every color. The children trotted to the playground. Lilah crowed and
flapped her hands so Phoebe set her on her two bare feet and released her. The girl toddled after her big brother, Caleb, as fast as her fat legs would carry her.

Laughing at how cute they all were, Phoebe waved goodbye to the women and joined her sister on the blanket, flopping back with her eyes closed. She might catch a catnap if the kinner cooperated. She let herself drift off for a few minutes, enjoying the sound of the chatterboxes on the playground. Their giggles as they climbed on the playscape were like music. Happy, contented music. “Ahh, this feels good, doesn't it?”

“Jah. It's restful.”

The words sounded so funny coming out of the mouth of her twelve-year-old sister that a chuckle burbled up in Phoebe. The leaves rustled in the tree over her head. Sunbeams burst through now and again as the branches moved in the breeze.
Beautiful, Gott, beautiful.

“What's so funny?” Hannah frowned over Sarah's head. “Are you laughing at me again?”

“It's just that you try so hard to be all grown-up. Lighten up.”

“I'm twelve. I am grown-up. Just because you act like the kinner still doesn't mean I have to act that way.”

“Give it a few years and then come talk to me about how fun it is to be grown-up.”

“I thought you had a special friend.”

“I don't have a special friend,” Phoebe protested.

“Do to.” Hannah tugged on Phoebe's apron. “It's a sin to lie.”

“Courting is private.”

“Then why is Michael Daugherty walking over here to talk to you in broad daylight?” Hannah tugged harder. “Sit up.”

“What? Now?” Phoebe sat up and swiveled to look behind her. Sure enough, Michael was striding toward them. His hat hid his face. She'd give anything to see his expression. “I wasn't expecting…”

“No, but you were hoping.” Hannah tried to look sage, but mostly she looked sly. “While the cat's away, the mice will play.”

“Don't be silly. I'm no mouse.” Phoebe dusted leaves and grass from her dress as she scrambled to her feet. She straightened her kapp and
tried to look nonchalant. “Michael, how are you? What are you doing here? Why didn't you go fishing?”

Michael's gaze traveled to Hannah, who stared back with unabashed curiosity written across her freckled pink face. He cleared his throat. “I…I didn't feel like fishing this morning.” He stopped, cleared his throat again. “I thought maybe I'd…you'd…we'd…”

Hannah giggled.

“Hannah, hush!” Phoebe tried to think. This was exactly what she'd been wanting, wasn't it? Time alone with Michael. “Keep an eye on Sarah and the others.”

Ignoring Hannah's halfhearted protest, she started toward the picnic tables.

“Phoebe, push me, push me!” Lydia's high voice mingled with the chatter of two blue jays perched on the boughs of an oak tree. “I wanna go higher.”

“In a little bit,” she called back. “Go down the slides again.”

“Push me.” Lydia's whine turned into a wail. “Please, schweschder.”

“Give me one minute.” Phoebe smiled at Michael and pointed to the wooden bench at the table. “Have a seat.”

“I can come back some other time, if this isn't a good time.” He sounded almost eager. “I can see you have your hands full.”

“Nee, nee, this is a good time. Just one minute.” She couldn't let him get away now that he'd finally made the first move. She trotted across the grass, aware of his gaze following her. She gave Lydia's swing a big push. The girl barely weighed more than a gnat, and the push sent her sailing into the air. She shrieked her approval. “There you go. I got you started. The rest is up to you.”

“Higher! Higher!” Lydia hollered. “Make me go higher!”

“Me too! Me too!” Philip scrambled toward the swing set on short, chubby legs. His little sisters, Ruthie and Naomi, who did everything he did, were right behind him. “Push me too.”