The Healing (31 page)

“Do you have a hammock at your place?”

He shook his head. “But my folks had one when I was a boy.”

“Well, feel free to take a nap in the hammock after you’re done picking the beans.”

He grinned. “I might just take you up on that.”

For the next hour, they worked in silence, until each of them had their containers full. Then they carried them up to the house and Esther poured two glasses of lemonade and fixed a plate of cookies. “Should we take our snack outside?” she asked.

“Sounds good to me. My mother always says everything tastes better when it’s eaten outside.”

Esther smiled. “I think she might be right about that.”

They sat in the chairs on the porch, and Allen took a drink from his glass. “This lemonade is sure good, Esther, and it does hit the spot.”

“Yes, I agree.” Esther handed him the plate of cookies. “Would you like to try one of these?”

“Thanks.” He grabbed a cookie and took a bite. “Umm … This is really good. I’ve never tasted anything like it before. What kind of cookie is it?”

“They’re called boyfriend cookies, and the ingredients include butter, whole wheat and soy flour, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Oh, and there’s also oatmeal, salted peanuts, and carob chips in the recipe.”

He wiggled his eyebrows playfully. “Not only real tasty, but they’re a healthy kind of cookie.”

She gave a nod. “Boyfriend cookies are one of my all-time favorites.”

“How come they’re called boyfriend cookies?”

“I don’t really know for sure. I guess maybe it’s because they’re good enough for a girl to serve her boyfriend when he comes to call.”

“Speaking of boyfriends … Do you have a boyfriend, Esther?” he asked.

She shook her head. No, but I wish I did
.

“That’s odd. I would think a pretty girl like you, who’s also a great cook with a pleasant personality, would have a string of suitors just waiting in line to court her.”

Esther’s face heated. She wasn’t used to receiving such compliments—especially from an attractive English man like Allen.

“Sorry if I embarrassed you,” Allen said. “I’m just surprised that you don’t have a boyfriend, because you certainly have all the attributes most men would like if they’re looking for a wife.”

Esther stared out into the yard, thinking about Ethan Zook and knowing how he appreciated her cooking abilities and would no doubt start courting her tomorrow if she showed him the least bit of interest. But she wanted a man who would appreciate her for more than her cooking skills. She wanted someone who thought she was fun to be with and liked her personality. The man she wanted was Samuel, but he didn’t seem to notice any of her attributes.

As Esther and Allen sat in pleasant camaraderie, they continued to visit. Allen told Esther about a new house he’d been contracted to build over in Trigg County. “It’s going to be a big one,” he said. “Over four thousand square feet.”

“Will Samuel be doing the painting on that one?” she asked, curious to know if he’d be keeping busy, which would allow her to continue watching the children.

“I think he will.” Allen set his empty glass on the table. “Samuel was a big help to me when I was recuperating. He worked extra hard and helped out wherever he could, and if he’s willing to do the painting on the house, then as far as I’m concerned, he’s got the job.”

“Samuel seems to like keeping busy,” Esther said. She remembered Bonnie saying she thought Allen was a workaholic. Well, from what she’d observed, Samuel was one, too. But that was good in many ways. It allowed him to earn a living so he could support his children, and it meant Esther would continue to be employed by Samuel. At least she hoped she would. She’d be very disappointed if he ever found someone else to watch the kids.

“You’re right about Samuel,” Allen said. “With four kids to feed and clothe, he needs a good income.” He set his empty glass on the table and stood. “Now that I’ve had a little snack, I think I’ll take you up on that offer to relax in the hammock … unless you’d like to lay claim to it first.”

“You go right ahead,” Esther said. “I’m going inside to wash the produce we picked. Then I’ll probably sit outside and listen to the birds awhile. When they sing, I like to think they’re serenading me.”

“All right then, if I fall asleep, wake me in an hour. I really should bid on a couple of jobs before this day is out.”

Esther watched as Allen settled himself in the hammock. He looked so relaxed and at peace with the world. If Allen really was a workaholic, as Bonnie had said, then he probably didn’t take much time for himself. She could relate to that, because here of late she hadn’t been able to take much time for herself either, but she didn’t really mind. She liked keeping busy.

Portland, Oregon

“Never thought I’d admit this, but it’s been nice having you here.” Bonnie’s dad gave her a half-smile from across the breakfast table. “I appreciate you coming to take care of me. Sure couldn’t have managed without you these weeks.”

She reached over and placed her hand over his. “I love you, Dad, and I’m glad I could be here to help out.”

He lowered his gaze to the table. “Don’t know how you can love me. I haven’t been the best dad.” He pulled his fingers through the sides of his thinning brown hair. “It’s hard for me to deal with the fact that you chose to move to Kentucky—especially when you knew how things were between me and my folks.”

“Whatever the problem was between you and Grandpa and Grandma, you need to forgive them, Dad. Holding a grudge will only make you sick, and if you’re not willing to forgive your parents, then God won’t forgive you.”

He blinked a couple of times. “Forgive me for what? I’m not the one who forced their only child to leave his friends in Oregon and move all the way to Kentucky, where he hated it.”

“I can’t understand why you’d hate Kentucky. I think it’s beautiful there.” Bonnie reached for her cup of coffee and took a drink. “Besides, from what you’ve told me before, you were only seventeen when your folks left Oregon. I’m sure you made other friends after you moved.”

“I did make a few, but I was in my senior year of high school when we moved, and it was hard to start over again. It was even harder to leave my girlfriend, Trisha, because we planned to get married after we graduated from school and found a job.” Deep wrinkles formed across Dad’s forehead. “After I moved, she found another boyfriend and ended up marrying him instead of me.”

Hearing the name Trisha caused Bonnie to remember the letter she’d found in Grandma’s pie cupboard. She’d brought the letter along, planning to give it to Dad, but in all the busyness of caring for him, she’d forgotten about it until now.

“I’ll be right back, Dad. I have something I think you need to see.” Bonnie rose from her seat and went to get her purse in the other room. When she returned, she handed him the letter. “I found this in an old pie cupboard down in Grandma’s basement. It was stuck in the middle of some newspapers.”

Dad’s brows furrowed as he stared at the envelope. “Was it open when you found it?”

She shook her head. “Since I wasn’t sure what it was, I went ahead and opened it. Sorry. I didn’t mean to be snoopy.”

Dad pulled the letter from the envelope, and as he read Trisha’s message, his eyes turned glassy. He sat silently for a while before he spoke, as though letting what he’d read sink in. “I—I had no idea Trisha was planning to break up with me even before I moved. If she’d only had the nerve to say so, I’d have probably been glad I was moving. All those years I spent mad at my folks were for nothing.” He thumped the side of his head. “What a waste of time, and now it’s too late. I can’t bring Mom and Pop back, and I can’t tell them how sorry I am for giving them such a hard time. I had a chip on my shoulder, and we argued about everything because I thought they were too strict. As soon as I graduated from high school, I joined the army. Then later, I came back here. By then, Trisha was already married, of course, and soon after that, I met your mom.”

“Did you love Mom?” Bonnie dared to ask. “Or did you marry her on the rebound?”

“Yes, I did love her, but I guess in my mind, she was second choice.” He grimaced. “As you well know, your mom and I argued a lot. She never understood why I didn’t want to visit my folks, and when she insisted on taking you there so you could get to know your grandparents, it caused even more friction between us.”

“I’m sorry you disapproved, but I wouldn’t have wanted to grow up never knowing your parents—especially since Mom’s parents were no longer living by the time I was born. Grandma and Grandpa Taylor may have been a little strict and old-fashioned in some ways, but they were good people.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I guess your mom did a good thing by taking you to visit them in Kentucky, even sometimes when I refused to go along. I just wish you weren’t living there now. I miss you, Bonnie.”

“I miss you, too, and you’re always welcome to visit me there. Of course, I’ll come here for visits whenever I can, too.”

He gave a nod. “I’ll look forward to that.”

“You know, Dad, since I’ve been living in Kentucky, I’ve gotten to know several Amish families there. They’re family-oriented, and they’ve taught me a lot about putting God first and then the needs of family and friends.”

“Guess that’s something I’ve never really done,” he said with a tone of regret. “I sure didn’t put your needs first after your mother died, and when I forced you to give up your baby, I thought you might hate me for the rest of your life.”

She shook her head as tears gathered in her eyes. “After I became a Christian, I forgave you for that. And looking back on it now, I’m sure that you did what you thought was right.”

“Would you pray with me, Bonnie?” he asked as his own eyes filled with tears. “I need to ask God to forgive me for the ill feelings I harbored toward my folks, and I need His forgiveness for all the times I yelled at your mom.” He took Bonnie’s hand and gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry for everything I’ve ever done to hurt you as well.”

Bonnie swallowed around the lump in her throat. “I forgive you, Dad. Now let’s pray so you can seek God’s forgiveness and find a peace in your heart that only He can give.”

Pembroke, Kentucky

Samuel had just dropped the kids off at the Zooks’ home so they could play with Ethan Zook’s younger siblings and was heading over to the B&B to pick up Marla’s sneakers, which she’d left there last night. It seemed like his oldest daughter had become forgetful lately. This was the second time in less than a week that she’d left something at the B&B. He was beginning to wonder if she was doing it on purpose so he’d have to go after her forgotten items.

But why would she do that? he reasoned. She sure can’t enjoy watching me inconvenience myself
.

When Samuel pulled into Bonnie’s yard sometime later, he was surprised to see Allen sleeping in the hammock. He was even more surprised to see Esther sitting on a blanket near the hammock, with a glass in her hand. They looked very cozy.

I wonder why Allen’s here and why he’s sleeping in the hammock. Could there be something going on between Esther and Allen?
Samuel frowned. Come to think of it, while he and Allen had worked together a few times, Allen had mentioned that he thought Esther was very nice and would make a good wife for some lucky man. Could he have been talking about himself?

Samuel had never admitted it until now, but in the last few weeks, he’d begun to realize that his heart was beginning to heal. He still missed Elsie, of course, but the raw ache he’d felt for the first several months after her death had finally faded, and he felt like he might be ready to open his heart to love again. He’d even thought Esther might be the one. But if Esther was interested in Allen, then there was no hope for the two of them. Should he make his feelings known or keep quiet and see what happened between Esther and Allen? If Allen wanted Esther, then he’d most likely expect her to leave the Amish faith, because Samuel was sure Allen would never give up his modern way of life to become Amish. Or would he?

T
he tail of Samuel’s horse switched back and forth, letting Samuel know the impatient animal was tired of standing in the driveway.