Plain Pursuit (2 page)

Work would keep her sane.

Lillian popped a loaf of bread into the gas oven. Carley would be hungry when she arrived. Hopefully her friend would like the meatloaf and baked corn casserole
she had prepared, along with the chocolate shoofly pie for dessert. If she hurried, she could have the meal ready before Anna woke up for her feeding.

She scanned the wooden table in the middle of the kitchen. It was covered with a variety of jellies and applesauce and some pickled red beets. For a moment she pondered whether she should have tackled the sauerbraten recipe instead. But the meatloaf was a lot less work, and Anna had been fussy all afternoon. She’d fallen behind on the household chores.

Maybe she should have baked a peach pie instead of the rich shoofly with its filling of molasses and brown sugar.

Or
maybe
she should stop worrying so much about Carley’s arrival. But she couldn’t help it. Their last time together, Lillian had sported blue jeans, a name-brand blouse, stilettos, full makeup and silver jewelry, and a designer handbag.

She tucked a loose strand of hair beneath her white
Kapp
, glancing down at her blue linen dress covered by a black apron. Her plain black leather shoes were a far cry from the spiked heels of her past.

The screen door slammed shut behind her. Samuel.

“It smells
gut
in here,” he said, kissing her smile before tossing his hat onto the rack in the den.

“
Danki.
I hope it’s
gut
.” She breathed in the aroma of baking bread while she mixed the sauce that would go on top of the meatloaf. “I hope Carley likes it.”

“Your friend will be here soon, no?”

Lillian knew Samuel worried about her
Englisch
friend coming to visit. They had discussed it, and although Samuel assured her it was fine for Carley to stay with them for the month of May, Lillian also knew Carley’s visit was an exception to an unspoken rule:
no outsiders allowed.
But it wasn’t that long ago
she’d
been the outsider in the Old Order Amish district. How quickly a year and a half had gone by.

“She should be here any minute,” Lillian informed Samuel. “It’s almost four thirty, and I know you must be hungry. David should be home soon too. He’s at
Mamm
’s doing some yard work.” She stirred the sauce atop the gas range. “I think you’ll like Carley, Samuel. And she promised me the story she writes for her newspaper will include only things we’re comfortable with.”

She caught the uncertainty on Samuel’s face, which he quickly hid with a half smile. “
Ya
, I know,” he replied.

“You said there are a lot of misconceptions written about the way we live. Wouldn’t it be nice for someone to get it right in print?” She challenged his skepticism with a playful wink, hoping to alleviate some of his fear.

“
Ya
, it’s just that . . .” He hesitated, grimacing.

“What?” She turned the fire down under the sauce and slid in beside him at the kitchen table.

“I’m sure everything will be fine, Lillian. I just don’t trust those who print words about our lives, and I don’t know this
Englisch
woman.”

Lillian grasped his hand. “But I do. And I trust her, Samuel.”

“Then I will trust her too.” He gave her hand a squeeze. “Now where’s my little
boppli
?”

“Anna should be waking up hungry any minute. I was just trying to finish supper before Carley gets here.” She returned to the sauce, and Samuel stood. “Carley is a
gut
person, Samuel. Try not to worry.”

As his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, Samuel nuzzled the back of her neck. “
You
are a
gut
person, Lillian. Besides, worry is a sin.”

“
Ya
, it is,” she whispered as she tried to push aside her own worries over Carley’s arrival.

Carley pulled into the dirt driveway off Black Horse Road. In the distance, she could see two gray buggies parked beside a white farmhouse surrounded by colorful foliage. Two crimson barns stood off to one side. Drawing closer, she noticed two horses peeking out the window of the smaller structure. The place was incredibly manicured—neatly trimmed grass in the yard, and the fields freshly cut as well. She could already picture herself watching the sunset from one of the wooden rockers on the large wraparound porch. It would be like living in a postcard.

She continued to scan her surroundings as she parked the white Ford alongside one of the buggies. When she stepped out of the car, she poked her head inside one of the boxlike transports. Black leather seats and room enough for four. She couldn’t wait to go for a ride.

The squeak of a screen door drew her attention toward the house. The woman running down the porch steps—in a blue dress with a black apron, white cap, and black shoes—might have been hard to recognize on the street. But Lillian’s full smile and bubbly bounce gave her away instantly. That was how Carley remembered Lillian, and she was glad to see some things hadn’t changed.

“Lillian!” She hurried across the yard, greeting her friend with a hug. “You look great!” It was true. Her friend’s transformation into an Amish woman worked for her. Dressed in her Plain clothes, devoid of makeup and the accessories of the past, her face gleamed. Carley could only assume it was the peacefulness Lillian had spoken of in her letters.

Carley needed a dose of that.

“I look a lot different than the last time you saw me.” Lillian’s voice sounded uncertain.

“Yes, you do. You look happy. And I’m so glad for you. Where’s the baby?” She couldn’t wait to get her hands on little Anna.

“Inside with Samuel. Come in, come in.” Lillian grabbed Carley’s hand and tugged her toward the house with the enthusiasm she was known for. “You look great, too, Carley. You really do.”

It was a sweet thing to say. And Lillian tried to sound convincing. But Carley knew she didn’t look great. The past six months had taken their toll.

Forcing the thought aside, she clomped up the porch steps behind Lillian. When they reached the top, Lillian stopped and eyed Carley’s shoes. “I’ll tell you a secret,” she whispered. “I miss fancy shoes.”

Carley looked down at her friend’s feet. “You always did have a thing for shoes. But I bet those are a lot more comfortable than these.” She pointed to her brown, pointy-toed pumps.

“Oh, I’m sure they are. But if you catch me trying on your shoes while you’re here, don’t tell anyone.”

“It’ll be our secret.”

The two of them giggled like schoolgirls. It felt good. As Lillian ushered her into the house, Carley wondered if Matt had been right. Maybe she did need a vacation. Being around Lillian might provide a much-needed reprieve from the grief that had blanketed her in Houston.

They entered the house through the kitchen. Backless benches on each side of a wooden table stretched long enough to seat at least ten people. While there were no ornate carvings on the table or benches, the colorful display of various foods complemented it.

Plain whitewashed walls and white countertops were enhanced by vibrant blooms on each of the three windowsills. No microwave or electrical gadgets. With the exception of a large rack holding various pots and pans next to the stove, there were no wall hangings. The room was functional yet charming.

Carley glanced up at the lantern dangling from the ceiling above the middle of the table. “Wow.”

Lillian stood at a gas range against the far wall, swirling a spoon in a large pot. Wonderful aromas emanated from that part of the room. “It’s a lot different from the kitchen I had in Houston,” she said sheepishly as she set the spoon on the countertop and motioned for Carley to join her at the kitchen table. “But you know how much I like to cook. And one thing is for certain: Samuel and David like to eat.”

“Do you miss it—your life before, I mean?
The modern conveniences?”

“Nope,” Lillian said without reservation, then paused with a twinkle in her eye. “Only the shoes.”

Carley heard footsteps approaching. Lillian jumped up. “Be right back,” she chirped and headed toward the other room.

It was only a few seconds before she returned holding a baby, with a man by her side. “This is Anna and my husband, Samuel.”

Carley stood up and moved toward them. Samuel met her with a handshake and greeting, but it was the beautiful bundle in Lillian’s arms that Carley homed in on.

“Oh, Lillian. She’s beautiful. May I?” Carley extended her arms.

“This is a dear friend of mine, Anna,” Lillian whispered. She placed the baby in Carley’s arms.

“Look at you,” Carley cooed, snuggling Anna closer.

“Our
boppli
will be six months old on Tuesday,” Lillian said, pride evident in her tone.

“
Ya
, I reckon she’ll be baking bread and canning vegetables before we know it,” Samuel added.

Lillian nudged him. “Let’s don’t rush it.”

Anna’s bright blue eyes fused with Carley’s. She squirmed. “Oh dear. She isn’t going to cry, is she?” Carley looked up at Lillian.

“If she does, it’s because it’s near feeding time,” Lillian assured her, reaching down to softly stroke Anna’s head. “Such a gift from God,” she whispered.

“Yes,” Carley agreed. She squelched the thought of having her own child.

The screen door slammed, and they all turned their attention to a smaller version of Samuel walking into the room. The boy had the same solid build, bright blue eyes, and square jawline as his dad, minus the full beard.

“Well, hello there,” Lillian said. “Carley, this is our son, David. David, this is my friend Carley I told you about.” Lillian reached down to take Anna. “I’m going to feed Anna so we can all sit down and eat in peace. It won’t take long. Help yourselves to what’s on the table. I’ll be right back to serve supper.”

Reluctantly Carley gave up the soft bundle then extended her hand to David. “Nice to meet you.”

“
Gut
to meet you too,” the boy answered, removing the straw hat from his head. His bobbed haircut was similar to his father’s, but a lighter shade of brown. Both father and son wore black pants, dark blue shirts, and suspenders. They had each put in a hard day’s work as evidenced by the stains on their clothes.

Samuel and David both sat on the bench across from Carley. “Lillian has been lookin’ forward to your visit,” Samuel said.

“Thank you for having me in your home.” Carley knew it was uncommon for the Amish to host an outsider. She wondered how Samuel truly felt about it, particularly since she was there in part to write an article about the Plain ways.

Samuel nodded in acknowledgment before turning to his son. “How are
Daadi
Jonas and
Mammi
Sarah Jane?”

“Today was a
gut
day for
Daadi
Jonas,
Mammi
said.”

Before Samuel could reply, Lillian reentered the room. “Back already. Would you believe Anna fell asleep again, so I’m going to let her lie while we eat. David, did you say Grandpa had a
gut
day? And
mei mamm
is okay too?”

David nodded.

Lillian placed a loaf of freshly baked bread on the table and turned her attention to Carley. “Remember I told you that my mom moved in with my grandpa? Well, David goes over there every day and helps with the chores. It works out well during the summer, but when David goes back to school, it will be a challenge. There’s a lot to do at both households, and David can only go after school. Thank goodness this next year will be his last.” She paused. “Here in the district, children attend school through the eighth grade.”

She placed a pan of meatloaf on the table, followed by a casserole and several other side dishes.

“Lillian, this all looks great. You shouldn’t have gone to so much trouble.” Carley inventoried the table.

“
Ach
, it may look like a lot. But trust me, it takes a lot to feed these two.”

Again Lillian smiled at Samuel with a warmth Carley found endearing. Maybe someday she would find that kind of love. Although after the way Dalton had dumped her, she’d lost her faith in relationships.

Besides, what man would want her?

All heads bowed in silent prayer. Carley discreetly glanced around at each of them.

What a lovely family.