A Season for Tending (28 page)

“It’s not doable.” Jacob stared at his brother, clearly aiming to get a message across.

Eli studied him. “But …” Realization flickered in his eyes. “Oh, ya.” He backed away from the desk.

Leah’s eyes said she understood Jacob’s unspoken message too. “I guess we weren’t thinking as clearly as we’d hoped. Sorry.”

The tension in the room was exhausting, and Rhoda was tired of all the secrets surrounding the King siblings. The partnership wouldn’t work. She glanced at the wall clock. “Landon will be here soon.”

Jacob’s green eyes bore into hers. “We lost our momentum when Samuel was interrupted. He’ll be back. He could lead a group out of a swamp at night and never lose a person. My strong suit is adding levity while he works his miracles.”

Rhoda relaxed a bit. “You admire him.”

“If you tell him that, I’ll have to call you a liar.”

She laughed. Whatever else weighed on Jacob, he had a great sense of humor.

A vehicle door slammed, and she rose. “Landon’s here.”

Jacob stood. “Leah, would you tell Landon that Rhoda will be out in a minute?”

“Sure. Take your time. I’ll show him around.” Leah hurried out the door.

“Just stay right here.” Eli pointed at Rhoda. “Mamm fixed lemonade and cookies. You can’t go without having some, or we’ll never hear the end of it.”

With that he left, she presumed to get the refreshments.

Jacob rubbed the back of his neck. “Today was really important to all of us, much more than it appears. And I can’t imagine how you must feel or what you’re thinking, but could you stay for a bit longer?”

If she left now, Samuel would likely come to her house later tonight. She had to stay, for closure.

So she sat, hoping that he would return soon—and that he’d accept her decision to decline his offer.

TWENTY-SIX

Samuel walked into the barn with Catherine. After they were inside the building, she released his hand, tapped on the door to the office, and entered. “Rhoda,”—Catherine went to her, hand out—“I’m afraid I may have been less than welcoming. I can assure you that my response isn’t a good indicator of how any of us feel. I was unaware of the problems in the orchard. It’s my fault for not knowing. I don’t ask questions, and Samuel tries not to worry me. He made plans to occupy my day, and when I surprised him, I was caught off guard. I was upset that he’d kept a secret.” She fidgeted with her apron. “But he was justified because I’m a skilled worrier.” She smiled, sincerity evident in her eyes. “I hope you’ll understand.”

“I understand.” Rhoda looked at Samuel. “And for your family and business, I wish I could give you the answer you’re looking for, but I can’t. The logistical challenges are too great.”

“The what?” Catherine turned to Samuel.

“She means the planning, fulfilling, and coordinating between her canning facility and Kings’ Orchard is presenting too many issues to overcome.” Samuel glanced at Jacob, hoping to get some idea of what had taken place during the thirty minutes he’d been gone. Jacob appeared as lost as Samuel felt. “But we’d just begun to brainstorm solutions before I left.”

Rhoda offered a polite smile. “I’m sorry.”

Eli came to the door of the office. “Rhoda, we set up snacks on the picnic table. Daed is washing up and said he’d be out in just a few minutes. Mamm and the younger girls are already there.”

“That’s very kind. Denki. I’d like to meet the whole family before Landon and I head home.”

“Landon’s here?” Samuel glanced at the clock. It was past four already?

“Leah took Landon on a tour of the place,” Eli said.

Rhoda walked out of the room as if all had been said that could be said and it was time to part ways. With a sigh Samuel and the others followed her to the picnic table.

Could today have gone any worse?

She met his parents and youngest sisters, then she took a seat on a bench at the picnic table. The group chatted about how delicious the cookies were and how dry the weather had been lately. Samuel couldn’t think of anything that might cause her to change her mind.

Kings’ Orchard needed her.

Jacob stood a few feet away, an uneaten cookie in one hand and a full cup of lemonade in the other. Something had taken the wind out of his sails too, and he stared into the distance. Samuel followed his gaze but didn’t see anything.

Catherine picked up little Hope and put the puppy in Rhoda’s arms, doing everything she could to be welcoming and friendly.

Rhoda remained polite, but the excitement Samuel had seen in her eyes when they were in the orchard was gone. He’d had a window of opportunity to talk up the good things and discount the obstacles, but now all that momentum was lost.

If Landon and Leah had already returned from their walk, Rhoda would have said her good-byes and been gone.

Daed smiled at Rhoda. “What do you think of Kings’ Orchard?”

She set the puppy on the ground. “It’s the most lovely acreage I’ve ever seen.”

Jacob tossed the contents of his cup on the ground. “Rhoda’s been great, coming here today, but it’s not practical or reasonable for her to consider canning for us.”

Samuel cringed at Jacob telling his parents of Rhoda’s decision. The finality of it all made him sick.

“Well, we appreciate your coming,” Mamm said. “It’s been so nice to meet you, and I’d like to see you again. We have a family gathering in Lancaster next Friday night.”

“We do?” Eli asked.

“Remember?” Mamm said. “It’s the King yearly gathering.”

“Oh ya.”

“Only family comes,” Mamm said. “And the cousins who are seeing someone special often bring them. The youth always enjoy volleyball, a bonfire, a hayride, and lots of food.”

Daed brushed cookie crumbs off his shirt. “We gather at my brother’s house. It isn’t too far from Morgansville, maybe twenty or so minutes by horse and buggy. Would you allow my boys to come by your place in a buggy and bring you over? It’d mean so much after you took the time to come here and talk business.”

Rhoda wiped drops of condensation off her cup. “That’s very nice, but—”

Mamm placed both hands on the table toward Rhoda, forestalling her refusal. “We’d love for your family to come too.”

Samuel wasn’t fooled. His parents weren’t ready to accept Rhoda’s answer, but Rhoda wouldn’t even look at him.

“My parents won’t be home next weekend. They’re going away Friday morning to spend a few days with relatives while looking for houses for my brothers.”

Mamm patted her apron. “You’d be all alone for dinner, and we’ll have plenty. The boys could pick you up around seven and take you home a few hours later. You won’t miss any work time, and if you enjoy it half as much as I think you will, you’ll be ever so glad you came.”

“Maybe. I guess. But I’m not good at gatherings.”

Jacob walked to the table and shooed a fly away from the plate of cookies, and it seemed to Samuel that he’d shaken himself free of whatever was haunting him. “Which explains why you’ve never come to district-wide youth events or tri-county singings. I’ve been wondering about that.”

“My presence has a way of stirring discomfort.”

Jacob straddled the bench on the far end of the picnic table. “It’s up to you, Rhodes. But there won’t be a lot of youth there, mostly cousins. And I say that anyone who feels the least bit uncomfortable with you being there, whatever their reason, should get over it or go home.”

“I know that tone and my brother,” Eli chuckled. “If someone gets out of line, Jacob will escort them off the property, even if it’s their own place.”

Katie giggled. “But he’ll tell them something humorous and be ever so polite while he’s doing it.”

The family laughed.

“Denki, I’ll think about it.” Rhoda looked at the driveway and saw Leah and Landon heading their way. “Landon’s back, and we should be going.”

A few minutes later she was in the truck, and Landon was backing out of the driveway as Samuel’s family waved to her.

Catherine picked up Hope. “Rhoda’s certainly good at saying no under pressure. I would’ve caved a dozen times and given the answer everyone was looking for.”

Samuel slid his hands into his pockets. “She knows how to handle herself in awkward situations, and that’s what she was in.” He still didn’t understand what had happened while he was out of the office. He’d thought she was on the verge of saying yes before he left.

He turned to Eli. “What happened while I was gone?”

His younger brother pointed at Jacob’s retreating back. “Our ideas ran head-on into his past, whatever that black hole is.”

Samuel went to the picnic table and dumped the ice and liquid out of plastic cups. The girls made quick work of taking all the items inside, leaving him at the table, engulfed by defeat. Should he search for Jacob or leave him alone? Could he find the key to unlock what had happened today if he asked Jacob the right questions? He sighed. Could talking to Jacob ever reveal anything?

Catherine came out of the house and sat beside him. “All Amish women know how to can goods. Why not find someone else?”

“It’s not that simple. She’s had years of practice, and she has contacts in place for selling the goods in numerous stores across several states, a reputation for excellence, an understanding of how to get permits, and a knowledge of marketing.”

“I didn’t think about all that.” Catherine reached down and petted Hope. “Maybe she’ll reconsider.”

“I know what
I
did wrong. And you. Maybe after a few days, I can patch up the holes we caused. But I need to know what else happened.” Samuel rose. “I’ll be back in a bit.” He went after Jacob, heading toward the area his brother had been staring at. Once Samuel rounded an island of underbrush, he spotted Jacob sitting on a fallen tree, staring at the summer kitchen.

Samuel moved in closer. “Mind if I join you?”

Jacob didn’t answer, so Samuel sat beside him. Neither spoke. The loud chirp of cicadas and soft birdsong surrounded them as the sun dipped behind the trees. “What’s your take on today?”

“Several missteps on our part. But it was a long shot with too many obstacles to overcome.”

Despite the sense of defeat, Samuel wanted to find a new angle to work, one that would convince Rhoda that partnering with Kings’ Orchard was as great as he believed it would be.

“She has to be confused about what took place.” Jacob put his hands on each side of him on the log. “I know I am.” He crossed his legs. “Did you tell her you had a girlfriend?”

“That had nothing to do with business.” Samuel plucked a piece of bark from the log. “You think it mattered?”

“She seemed surprised.”

“I came down pretty hard, asking her whether she had someone. Does she think I misrepresented who I am? Or that I have double standards for men and women?”

“Do you?”

“Maybe.” Samuel tossed the piece of bark on the ground. “Probably. I’ve
never considered working with a woman before, and being prejudiced seems a natural King trait. But it’s one that can change with a little practice and hearing a woman’s perspective. I’m willing to learn.”

“Catherine caught her off guard.”

“Unfortunately, the way Catherine pounced would have caused unease even if Rhoda had known about her. And I’m none too happy about that.”

Samuel fought the irritation trying to build. Catherine should’ve trusted him and respected him enough to let him explain later. He had always known that she relied on him too much, but her fix-it-and-fix-it-
now
ways had to stop.

In the two years they’d been dating, their relationship had always been stressed during the harvest. The work absorbed his time and energy, and she usually accepted it. What they didn’t need was for stress to start early, but with the issues on the back tierce, that’s exactly what was happening.

He plucked another piece of bark from the log. “Do you think that’s why she turned us down?”

“By itself, no. But it was a bad situation, and between that and my baggage, Rhoda never got a chance to see the benefits of working with us.”

“Your baggage?”

Jacob’s fingers trembled as he sat more upright and tapped them together. “Leah suggested we remodel the summer kitchen for Rhoda.” Jacob used his thumb to wipe sweat from his forehead. “You should’ve seen Leah’s confidence when she came up with a plan that could help us. And Eli jumped on board, volunteering to do all he could to assist me.” His eyes glistened as if he were tearing up, but surely not. Not Jacob.

Samuel’s heart pounded. He hadn’t thought of remodeling the summer kitchen. It had been designed for canning and cooking for large families. “It’s a solid idea. And since we can’t afford to hire a carpenter, maybe—”

“I can’t.” Jacob got up, staring at the broken-down summer kitchen. “I just can’t.”

Samuel stayed seated. He gritted his teeth, fighting to keep from screaming,
Of course you can
!

Several minutes ticked by, and finally Samuel stood. “Then we’ll find another way.”

But he knew there might not be any other way. He had money put back for building a home, but he couldn’t use that on a gamble they’d make enough profit to pay the property tax
and
replace his savings.