Seasons of Sugarcreek 03. Autumn's Promise (5 page)

“I’m sorry you have to work all day, Caleb,” Gretta said when she came downstairs from her apartment with her purse and cloak. “There’s sure to be a lot of people at the farmer’s market. After weeks of rain, everyone’s eager to be outside.”

Caleb looked at his sister-in-law with genuine fondness as she lumbered slowly down the stairs, holding the rails on both sides of the steps with a steady hand. With every day, she seemed to get a little bit bigger. Joshua had privately told him he was worried Gretta was carrying triplets.

“I don’t mind working,” he said when she joined him at the counter. “I wasn’t planning to go to the farmer’s market, anyway. Besides, Judith will be here soon to help.”

“And Anson, too, I suspect.”

“A lot of good that will do,” Caleb muttered. “Anson is still more trouble than not.”

“I hate to say it, but you are right about that,” Joshua said as he approached, stopping just short of Gretta.

Caleb watched as his brother curved an arm around his wife’s stomach and held her close. They were a picture of contentment, which was good to see. Just months before, they’d had their own struggles.

After brushing Gretta’s cheek with his lips, Joshua shook his head. “That Anson is a terrible lazybones, and that’s the truth. Why, when I was ten, Daed had me here every Saturday morning with the dawn.”

Those memories were still vivid. “I remember. Because then I had to take over your chores in the barn.”

“Now our spoiled brother plays with Ty Allen while Cousin Tim waters the horses and cleans out the stalls in his stead.”

“Mamm and Daed would have never let us be so lazy,” Caleb agreed.

Gretta leaned into Joshua’s arms as she grinned. “Oh, you two. Stop being so judgmental. Anson’s fine. He’s just his own person, you know.”

“He’s his own
lazy
person,” Caleb corrected.

“It’s time he accepted more responsibility.” Joshua looked at Caleb. “You want me to say something to him?” asked Joshua. “I
could
stay.”

“No, I’ve got it. Besides, Judith’s just as irritated with his lazy ways. Carrie is following Anson’s lead, so she’s not doing much around the house, either.”

Joshua grinned. “Hearing that makes me glad I have a home of my own.” After kissing Gretta’s cheek again, he murmured to his wife, “You ready?”

“Not quite yet. Don’t forget, Margaret is going to meet us…”

As if on cue, the door opened, and in walked Gretta’s little sister. “I’m sorry I’m late. Daed didn’t want me driving the horse, so I had to walk.” When she turned his way, she blushed. “Hi, Caleb.”

“Hello, Margaret,” he murmured, trying his best to ignore her stare. For a time now, he’d been aware that she had a crush on him. The idea was embarrassing. The last thing he wanted was an Amish girlfriend. However, she was nice and pretty, and Gretta’s sister, so he didn’t want to hurt her feelings. “Have fun at the market.”

“Danke.”

As Margaret cast another too-long look his way, Gretta winked at Caleb. “I think it’s time for us to go.”

Right before leaving the store, Joshua paused. “Caleb, I don’t know if Daed has told you, but we’ve all noticed how much you’ve taken on. You do a lot here, and you do it well. It’s
gut
,” he said simply.

Caleb didn’t reply but, inside, he felt warm. Hearing praise was rare. It didn’t happen too often. But when it did, he was as gratified as could be.

It was moments like this—when he and his perfect older brother Joshua felt in sync and his efforts were noticed—that Caleb wondered if he was making a huge mistake, wanting to leave the order. Maybe he already had everything he should want? Maybe he fit in more than he’d thought. The idea that he was settling into everything he’d been fighting so hard made his stomach knot.

But, then, he remembered the conversation he’d had with some boys at a recent singing. They had talked about the rumors circling Mrs. Miller. How she’d helped those Amish brothers make their way out of Sugarcreek. Those rumors had spiked his interest. Made him imagine the possibilities that could be in his life.

The door opened. “Good afternoon!” a trio of ladies chirped as they scattered through the store. Five minutes later, another crowd of tourists flew in.

And then finally, from the back, came Judith and Anson. Right away, Judith was all business, darting over to customers and helping them look at fabric. Anson, however, wore a disgruntled look. “Do I have to stay, Caleb? A bunch of kids are at the market.”

“Of course you have to stay here and work,” he replied. “This store is full.”

“But you and Judith are here.”

“Accept your responsibilities, bruder,” Caleb snapped.

“Both Joshua and I are tired of you acting like you’re five.” Before Anson could whine, Caleb pointed to a group of customers near the bulk food aisle. “Now, you go offer your help.”

“But—”

“Now. And don’t you dart off, either. You’re going to need to help unbox the latest shipment of spices.”

He wrinkled his nose. “I hate doing that.”

“That hardly matters. You’ll do it, and do it well, too. I’ll be watching you.”

With a scowl, Anson folded his arms across his chest. “You don’t have to be so mean, you know.”

Caleb mimicked his brother’s militant stance. “You haven’t even seen mean…yet.”

When Anson finally did as he was told, Judith beamed and, moments later, walked over to join Caleb. “I can’t tell you how happy I am that you said all that. He bellyached the whole way here.”

“Joshua and I agree he’s gotten lazy. I’ve had enough of everyone pampering him.”

Judith chuckled, then smiled warmly. Two women began to ask for her help in the baked-goods section just as three people came to stand in line at the cash register.

Caleb rang them up with ease. Unlike Anson, he’d never been given the choice of how to spend his days.

Unlike Anson, he’d always had to do what was expected of him. Always. For a moment, he couldn’t help but let envy float over him. What would his life be like if he’d had more chances to play? If he hadn’t felt the strictures of this way of life so tightly? Would he still yearn to go away?

Of course, none of that mattered now. Dreaming about what-ifs didn’t get things done. They only led to regret.

After practically slamming the front door behind her, Lilly rushed into Robert’s workshop in a panic. “Am I late?” she asked. “If you’ve been waiting forever on me, I’m so sorry. First my mom started asking twenty questions about where I was going. Then I had to change clothes, and then there was traffic…” Lilly let her voice trail off as she caught hold of Robert’s look. It was full of amusement. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I enjoy the way you always go on and on.”

“
Always
? I don’t always talk about nothing nonstop.” A sinking feeling settled in as he continued to grin. “Do I?”

“Not so much.” Right away, he led the way outside. After locking the front door, he walked her to his horse and buggy. “At least, not that I’ve noticed,” he teased.

Lilly smiled right back at him for a moment before stepping carefully on the small metal platform that hung midway between the buggy and the ground. She swayed a bit. It was higher than she’d realized.

Robert reached out and took her arm. “Easy, now. Some say this step takes a bit of getting used to.”

Feeling more secure now that he was holding her elbow with a firm grip, she scooted onto the bench covered in leather and tried to acclimate herself to the unfamiliar sensation of sitting in a contraption attached to a horse. When Robert easily hopped in next to her, he let go of the brake, then gave a low whistle to the horse. In no time, they were off.

As they clipped along, she felt the air flutter the curls in her hair and luxuriated in the first signs of autumn. Oh, she loved the way the leaves on the trees changed colors and the crisp scent of fall permeated the air.

“Your buggy’s different than the Grabers’.”

“How so?”

“There’s no top. And no Plexiglas.”

He smiled. “I have one of those at home. This here’s called a courting buggy.”

That caught her off guard. “Courting?”

A faint haze of red colored his cheeks. “Um, ‘courting’ is just a descriptive term,” he mumbled. “See, this size is smaller than the one you see at the Grabers’, and it’s a bit spiffier.”

Something told Lilly that he wasn’t being completely honest. But since she already was feeling a little self-conscious by his side, she latched onto another descriptor. “Spiffier, huh?” She bounced a bit in the seat experimentally. “I like it.”

“Me, as well.” Just like he was in a car, he waited for a break in traffic, then turned right on the road. A flick of the reins brought them moving at a fairly quick pace. Of course, it was far slower than the cars zipping by.

Scooting toward him a bit, she murmured, “Hey, Robert? Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

Now that she had his attention, she almost didn’t dare ask it. But how could she not? “Robert…why did you ask me to go to the market with you?”

He glanced her way, before guiding the horse to a stop at a traffic light. “Truth?”

“Truth.” She never failed to enjoy pushing his words right back at him. “I’m glad you asked me. I’m just curious.”

“All right.” For a moment, he looked to be gathering his courage. Lilly watched in some amusement as his cheeks puffed up. Finally he blurted, “The fact is, I don’t know.”

That surprised a laugh from her. “What?”

When the light turned green, he flicked his horse’s reins. With a jerk, the buggy rolled forward. “That’s the truth. There’s something about you that has struck my fancy. I wanted to see you more. I wanted to get to know you more than just at work. There’s only so much coffee a man can drink.”

“Have you been coming to the inn so much because I worked there?”

“Did you really doubt it?”

“I never thought about it.”

“If you never thought about it, why did you say yes, Lilly?”

His question was legitimate. What they were doing wasn’t a common occurrence, and no amount of pretending would change the fact that most Amish men and English girls did not go out together on a whim.

“Probably for the same reasons as you. I wanted to spend more time with you.” Daring to be even more honest, she added, “When you asked, I didn’t want to say no.”

“I thought you might refuse me. A friendship between us, it would be unusual…”

“Probably.” She fingered the denim fabric on her jeans. They were loose and dark. Far from the slim-fitting jeans she used to wear in high school. But they were jeans all the same. The long-sleeved T-shirt and fleece jacket were modest enough…but again, a far cry from the clothes Robert wore. From the dresses the women in his life wore. “On the surface, I’d say we are pretty different.”

“We
are
different. But that is no surprise” He cleared his throat. “Even though I don’t know why I asked, and you don’t know why you said yes…even though we are so very different…I’m still glad you came.”

“I am too,” she murmured.

She said nothing more as they turned right again, and slowly made the way to an open barnlike structure lined with a large maze of booths, tables, and displays. As Robert guided his buggy, the buzz of people and activity sounded like a beehive.

All the activity was exhilarating. And a relief. The market was going to be too noisy to have another serious conversation. Too crowded to even try.

As she glanced at the array of people in attendance, Lilly was struck by the many differences among them. Amish. English. Young kids. Grandparents. Most were grouped in clusters of two or three. With the exception of families, most were walking with their own kind. Teenagers with other teens. Amish men together. She saw no pairs of English women and Amish men walking together.

Perhaps it was a natural thing to look for commonalities and be suspicious of differences. That’s what she and her girlfriends had been taught to do. Look for friends who lived in the same area. Who attended the same schools. Who liked the same activities. Belonged to the same churches.

Although it wasn’t said outright, it seemed the message was to stay away from people who were too different.

“We’re here,” Robert announced, shattering her reverie. He hopped out easily, then wandered over to his horse and tied her reins to a post.

Lilly slowly scrambled down and swung her purse on her shoulder. As an afterthought, she picked up Robert’s basket and looked out at the orderliness that was an Amish market.

Just beyond was a large cornfield. A hand-painted sign was posted at the front, inviting all gathered to try the maze. Smells of horses and hay and popcorn filled the air, reminding Lilly of a carnival.

She was excited. More excited about going with Robert on this simple outing than she had been about any activity in ages. “Where do you want to go first?” she asked in a rush. “What are you looking for? Anything special?”

He almost smiled.
“Nee.”
“Should we plan our route? I, for one, am hoping to find some quilt fabric. I’m going to give quilting a try.”

“You’ll find plenty of fabric and quilting supplies here.” They walked two or three steps, then he suddenly stopped. “My cousin is here. With his wife.”

“Okay,” she said slowly. Robert looked incredibly ill at ease. “I’ll look forward to meeting them.”

If anything, he looked more pained. “They might not be
verra
kind. They tried to persuade me not to bring you here.”

Lilly didn’t have to ask why. “What do you want me to do if they approach you?”

“Do? You can do whatever you want. Just be Lilly.” He looked so perturbed, she couldn’t believe it. “Are you sure?”

“Very sure. I just wanted to warn you, that’s all. They may not be especially friendly. I didn’t want you to be offended.”

“I won’t,” she promised. “Besides, I’m sure they’re just curious about us.”

“Oh, they’re curious, all right.”

His sarcastic tone made her laugh. “I get it. They don’t want you keeping company with me.”