A Joyful Break (Dreams of Plain Daughters) (19 page)

“We wanted to go because we miss Rachel.” Noah removed his straw hat and exhaled a deep breath.

Matthew said in frustration, “We thought it’d be a great chance to see dolphins with our sister.”

Leaning forward in her chair, Judith said, “But she just left a few days ago.”

David paced in front of the boys a few times, trying to absorb why his sons needed so desperately to see Rachel that they felt like leaving their home. “I miss Rachel, too, but it’s her time to have a break from us. She has worked hard to keep us in clean clothes and food on the table.” He glanced at Judith. “And Judith’s been doing a
gut
job making sure all your needs are met.”

“We love you, Judith, but we liked Rachel tucking us in at night.” Matthew brushed a blond lock out of his eye. “She told us stories each night.”

Judith looked hurt. “I read to you every night.”

“We like it that you read to us. You’re a
wunderbaar
sister.” Noah glanced at Matthew as if he was asking permission to continue. At Matthew’s nod, he said, “Rachel tells us how much
Mamm
loved us and how happy she was in the hospital when we were born. She says that
Mamm
was thrilled to have twin boys. At our birth,
Mamm
said, ‘God gave me two
wunderbaar
blessings’ and Rachel said how overjoyed everyone was to see us.”

“Rachel always asks us each night what was good about our day, just like
Mamm
used to.” Matthew’s blue eyes widened. “She asks if anything bad happened, too, and she’s serious and wants to know stuff we do. It’s nice to talk and have this special time with her.”

“We know you have papers to grade, so we don’t expect you to tell us all kinds of things like Rachel does.” A thoughtful expression crossed Noah’s face. “Right before bed and prayers, is a nice time to share. It’s quiet and Rachel’s the best listener.”

David moved a chair closer to the boys to sit on. “I understand better why you were anxious to leave to see Rachel. I should’ve spent more time listening to you two. Losing your dear
mamm
suddenly has been hard on me, but I can see I should’ve shared my grief with you. I wanted to protect you, maybe, too much. Since I don’t want this to happen again, I’m going to give you both an extra barn chore to do this week. What you did today was wrong.”

Judith nodded. “Something bad could’ve happened to you. You are too young to travel by yourself that far. I’m happy you are back home and safe.”

“We have to remember that it was God’s will to take your mother. And He always knows best.” Should he mention how Martha Weaver’s cousin Susan just died suddenly, leaving ten children behind with the youngest one just an infant? They at least had Irene in their lives for a much longer time than some children had their mothers.

“Do you think Rachel will come home? We’ll afraid she’ll forget us and we won’t see her again.” Matthew’s face scrunched up like he was ready to cry.

Noah patted his brother’s knee. “Mattie, don’t worry. We’ll see her again. She might still marry Samuel. And he won’t want to live in Florida.”

Judith shook her head at them. “Rachel will come home to Fields Corner. She won’t stay in Florida. Why in the world do you think she will?”

“She couldn’t wait to see the ocean,” Matthew answered. “I know she’ll love the waves, the sandy beaches and the dolphins.”

“Not the dolphins again,” Judith mumbled. She smoothed her dark blue apron and said in a firm voice, “You know what? I’m going to take you to see dolphins sometime. I’m not sure when but I promise I will.”

“I think we’ve had enough excitement for today, but maybe tomorrow we’ll call Rachel so you two can talk to her.” A thought crossed his mind about the boys’ adventure. “Hey, what were you planning on doing with your scooters if you had managed to get to the bus station?”

“That was a problem but we decided to put them at the back of Samuel’s furniture store, and have Aunt Carrie call you to get them for us.”

David knew one thing he planned on doing that night. He’d spend time in the boys’ bedroom and listen to them talk to him about their
mamm
, if they wanted. Or anything they needed to get off their chests was fine with him.

Apparently Rachel had filled roles of both mother and father. His eyes filled with tears. Her burden would be lighter when she came home. He would start spending time with his boys again. They hadn’t been fishing since Irene had passed on. They hadn’t gone out on the boat last summer either.

This summer they would go boating too. It was time the Hershbergers enjoyed life again.

Chapter Seventeen

Rachel bit her lower lip as she read the headline, “A new love match between Senator Robinson’s Amish niece and a family friend.” Below the false headline was a picture of Nick looking at her while they sat on the bench on the beach. “I didn’t know Mr. Sullivan took this picture. I hope Samuel never sees this. We’re sitting close together because the bench is small but you can’t tell that from the picture. We were talking about our mothers. It wasn’t anything romantic at all, even though it looks like it.” She added that information for Violet’s benefit. How could Mr. Sullivan do something so dishonest?

Her uncle had gone to the store and picked up a couple of popular Sunday newspapers. Adam, Violet, and Aunt Carrie were also relaxing on the deck with Rachel. They’d been enjoying the lovely weather and drinking lemonade. Violet had just teased Rachel about wearing flip flops again with her Plain dress and apron when her uncle returned from the store. She didn’t mind Violet’s teasing and loved feeling the sun on her bare feet.

“No wonder Sullivan didn’t call you back,” Aunt Carrie said to her husband.

“I stopped to see his aunt after I saw the pictures, and she said he left yesterday. Apparently, his ex-wife became ill and is in the hospital. The aunt didn’t know he’d sold his pictures and apologized.”

Violet leaned closer to Rachel to look at the pictures. She pointed to one with Rachel walking on the beach. “I bet he took that one our first day here. He lied when said he was taking pictures of the ocean and you happened to be in them. Obviously, he took them on purpose with you in the beach ones. He even managed to get one of us playing volleyball. Your smiling face at Nick supports you’re having fun with him and could be a couple. I wonder how much money Mr. Sullivan got for these pictures.”

“I’m sure he made a great deal of money from them.” Adam cleared his throat. “Rachel, I’m sorry about the picture of you and Nick. Samuel’s a pretty level-headed guy, but if you were my girlfriend and I saw this picture, I’d think there was something you weren’t telling me.”

Violet frowned. “Adam, they aren’t kissing or−”

“But it’s obviously taken on the beach and at night.”

Rachel knew what Adam meant. A romance was implied in the heading, and the picture depicted an intimacy. And the cover-up she wore over her swimsuit didn’t reach her knees. Why had she suggested they talk while sitting on the bench? Bare legs, sitting close to Nick, a lovely night on the beach…Samuel would have every right to question her about this picture. “You make a valid point, Adam. If he sees it, I’m sure I’ll have some explaining to do. But Samuel probably won’t see it unless someone tells him about it.”

“Like Mary Zook,” Violet said.

“Who’s Mary Zook?” Aunt Carrie asked, leaning down to pick up a cookie from a plate in front of her. “I better grab the last cookie. Rachel, you make the best cookies.”

“She’s an Amish girl interested in Samuel.” Violet squeezed Rachel’s arm. “Not that she has a chance with him.”

Aunt Carrie reached for the newspaper. “Let me see the pictures. I want to see if there’s anything for your father to get upset about. I know David likes to read newspapers.” She glanced at her husband. “That’s one thing he has in common with you. But really, Rachel, you didn’t pose for them. Sullivan was sneaky about it. Even though, he mentioned the beach shots, he didn’t say he was selling the ones with you in them to the newspaper.”

“I wonder if his Aunt Donna told the truth about him leaving the area.” Uncle Scott finished his lemonade before putting it back on the table. “He must’ve decided the shots he had were good enough without getting ones of just our family. I get that it’s probably because you’re Amish, but still I wonder why he was so interested in you, Rachel.”

“Dad, you’re big news in the media. The press and many people in both parties predict that you’ll run for president someday, so the fact Rachel’s Amish makes it even more fascinating. Everyone’s interested in how the Amish can live so differently from us.” Adam grinned at her. “Of course, after living with Violet for a few days, I bet you’ll ready to return to Fields Corner.”

She laughed. “You have something in common with Peter. He’s a tease too. And I’ve enjoyed spending time with Violet.”

Violet rolled her eyes at Adam. “You noticed that Rachel didn’t mention you. Her visit went downhill after you arrived.”

Holding the paper in her hands, Aunt Carrie said, “One nice thing in this article is the name of the beach isn’t mentioned. It just says we’re vacationing on a beach in Florida. Hopefully, we won’t be bothered the rest of the time here by photographers and reporters.”

“Since I’m leaving tomorrow morning, I hope you’re right.” Uncle Scott’s looked at Aunt Carrie. “I might surprise everyone and leave politics.”

“Don’t do that, Dad. I want to work this summer with Nick.”

“If I get out of politics, it’ll be after I finish this term.”

At the sound of Aunt Carrie’s cell phone, she glanced at the caller ID. “I don’t recognize the number and it says unknown caller. The area code is Fields Corner’s. I better answer it. Maybe it’s David returning your call.”

Rachel hadn’t gotten to talk to anyone last evening when she called Peter’s phone. After she left a message, she’d been disappointed no one had called her back.

Her aunt’s forehead creased as she said, “David, it’s you. When I saw the number on my caller ID, I wondered who it could be. Is everything okay?”

How could my daed learn about the pictures so quickly? Maybe it was something else. Did he want her to come home early? It must be too much for Judith with teaching and going home to take care of the house.

“That’s wonderful news,” her aunt said. “I’m glad you put a phone in.”

“What? My
daed
actually got a phone,” she said in a surprised voice while Aunt Carrie continued her phone conversation. She figured he had called from Peter’s.

“Well, that’s good the boys are back home and safe now. I’ll let you talk with Rachel. I don’t want to run up your first phone bill too much.” Aunt Carrie walked across the room, handing her the phone.

What had Matthew and Noah done now? She told them to behave while she was gone. Putting the phone next to her ear, she said, “Hello,
Daed
.”

“Hi, Rachel. Sorry I didn’t know you called until today. Peter and Ella got home late last night. Peter and I built a shanty and the phone was just installed Friday afternoon.”

Her
daed
spoke in such a rush which was unusual for him. He must be nervous using his new phone. Or was he uncomfortable talking to her? She needed to tell him soon how she didn’t blame him any longer. In the past, she’d been curt whenever she said anything to him.

“It came in handy already. I was just telling Carrie how Matthew and Noah decided yesterday to get on a Greyhound bus to Florida. They wanted to see you and the dolphins.” He chuckled. “I think you were the first priority in wanting to go to Florida, but the dolphins might have been a close second.”

“I guess you used the phone to find them.” She glanced at Aunt Carrie putting the empty glasses on a tray. Uncle Scott slid the door open for her as she carried them toward the kitchen.

“Instead of wasting time to see if they took off for Peter’s, I called him and he called Samuel to see if he’d seen them. Fortunately, Mary Zook had seen them in town.”

She was disappointed that her father hadn’t called Samuel. She missed him and wondered how Samuel was doing. Maybe she should call Mary and ask her about Samuel. She seemed to be everywhere. Mary Zook’s name kept cropping up a lot lately. “I’m glad they didn’t get a ride and were safe.”

“Wait a minute, Matthew. He’s pestering me to give him the phone. Before I do, how are you?”

“I’m fine.”
Should I mention the pictures?
Just as quickly that question occurred to her, she decided not to because she hadn’t posed for them, and that could wait until later. “Did you get my postcard?”

“We got it yesterday afternoon. I promised the boys they could talk to you today, and Judith is here, too, so she wants to say hi after the boys’ turn. Here’s Matthew.”

The next several minutes she talked to both Matthew and Noah. She loved hearing about their dolphin papers and their latest adventure into town. She cautioned both boys not to try again to get a ride to Florida, but she reassured them that they’d get a chance to visit the ocean too. And it might be soon.

When Judith got on the phone, she said, “I sent a letter out to you on Thursday after school. It has something important in it.”

“I can’t wait. What is it?” She hoped Judith decided to go to the Sunday singings. Her sister needed to get away from books once in a while and meet new people.

“It’s about the whole phone thing.
Daed
told me that he wanted to put a phone in but
Mamm
didn’t want it.”

“Why in the world wouldn’t she want a phone? She had to go to Maddox’s house a lot to use their phone.”

“I think she liked getting out of the house and visiting with Mrs. Maddox. They had a
wunderbaar
friendship and remember how
Mamm
loved babies. She seemed to especially like to visit Mrs. Maddox after she had her last baby.”

“I guess I didn’t realize how often she visited with Mrs. Maddox when she had a new baby.”

“You were busy working at Weaver’s Bakery and falling in love with a certain furniture maker.”