A Simple Vow (26 page)

Asa nodded, his throat tightening with emotion. Confession didn’t come easy. His twin appeared truly remorseful— and perhaps ready to discuss other matters that weighed heavily on him.

“I can also admit that you’ll be a much better
dat
for those kids than I’d ever be, Asa,” he continued in a stronger voice. “I—I sure hope I haven’t messed that up. The Ropps are doing what they think is right, but . . . they’re such unhappy people. Molly couldn’t wait to be married to get away from them. Guess I’ll never know why she left me to take up with Will.”

“May God rest her soul,” Edith whispered. “She must’ve had some regrets, if it was your name she thought she was crying out before she died.”

Asa nodded. This lunchtime conversation had given him a lot to think about—but first he enjoyed every mouthful of his rhubarb pie, and agreed to a second piece when Edith offered it. Drew took seconds, as well. It felt so good to be sitting at the table together again, sharing a meal with Edith and his brother.

“I owe apologies to Will and the Ropps, as well. I had no idea Molly was pregnant, but when I saw how much those babies resemble me, there’s no wiggling out of it. I caused Molly’s condition by being careless,” Drew murmured pensively. “And I owe a huge apology to your
dat,
Edith, because he paid for your wedding meal at the café and the party was ruined.”

“It would be a gesture of
gut
will on your part to speak with them,” Edith agreed. “Don’t be surprised if you stir up their resentment, however. I’ve heard preachers tell Dat he holds a grudge longer than he should.”

Drew shrugged. “If I hadn’t told so many twisted tales, nobody would need to forgive me. Again, Edith, I’m grateful you’ve been so quick to accept my apology.”

“You’ve come to Willow Ridge for a new life—a fresh start,” Edith pointed out. “It’s not easy, leaving all your friends behind, so I hope folks here will give you the chance to settle in and become a respected member of our church district. You and Asa have a lot to offer our little town.”

A little later, as Asa escorted Edith down the lane, he took her hand. “You’re nothing short of a miracle worker, Edith. Would’ve taken Drew and me a long time to come to speaking terms again if you hadn’t brought us together.”

Edith shrugged modestly. “I had to give it a try.”

Asa stopped in the shade just before they got to the gravel road. “There’s something I really want to know, though. You don’t have to answer now.”

Her brown eyes gazed steadily into his. Wise woman that she was, she waited him out.

“Will you still marry me, Edith? I—I want that more than anything, even if the twins don’t make it back to Willow Ridge,” he said softly. “If I have you by my side, I know we can make a life together. I believe God will bless us, according to His will.”

For the longest moment she stood motionless, as though his words had turned her into a statue. Then her face lit up like the springtime sun, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. “
Jah,
I will, Asa,” she replied. “I believe God has truly blessed us today, and He won’t stop. I love you even more now than I did last week.”

Asa’s heart swelled as he embraced her. He couldn’t ask for any better than Edith had just given him—her love, and her life.

Chapter Twenty-One

“You invited
how
many people here?” Dat demanded crossly. “Sunday is our day of rest. It’s the only day I don’t work on clocks.”

Edith glanced at her sisters as they all sat at breakfast. It had been apparent ever since Dat had come to the table that he wasn’t in the best of moods, but she refused to change her plans—and the resolute expressions on Loretta’s and Rosalyn’s faces told her they were looking forward to having guests as much as she was. Rosalyn passed him the platter of lemon cheesecake rolls she’d baked yesterday, while Loretta rose to fetch the coffee pot.

“There’s no church, so it’s a visiting Sunday, Dat,” Edith reminded him gently. “And with Asa, Drew, and Will not having family nearby, I invited them to join us for dinner—along with Nora and Luke, and Bishop Tom and Nazareth.”

“Why do I want to deal with the Detweilers—and Gingerich and the bishop—on my day off? Un-invite them.”

Edith recalled times when her father’s withering glare would’ve made her do his bidding simply to keep the peace. Yesterday, however, she and her sisters had decided to stand firm and face up to him together—so she was determined that Dat’s grumpiness wouldn’t ruin her plans for a nice meal with their closest friends.

“You know that wouldn’t be polite,” Loretta murmured as she topped off his coffee.

“Polite? Why must I always be polite?” Dat countered.

Rosalyn caught his gaze and held it. “Because, for one thing, Drew wants a chance to apologize,” she said firmly. “When someone who’s wronged us asks for the opportunity to make amends, it’s our place to listen.”

“Puh,” Dat said as he rolled his eyes. “Detweiler can’t face me like a man? Has to have a crowd of supporters?”

“Dat, really,” Loretta murmured as she returned to her seat. “Maybe you should go back upstairs to bed, and then get out of it on the right side this time.”

Their father scowled in righteous indignation. “And maybe you three should remember to honor your father—and your mother,” he added sternly. “Have you forgotten what day this is?”

Edith sighed. She and her sisters had anticipated this topic . . . the way Dat called up his mourning to get things to go his way. “Of course we remembered Mamm’s birthday,” she murmured. “We baked a cake for today’s dessert—”

“And you know how Mamm loved to entertain folks,” Rosalyn chimed in. “It’s only fitting that we celebrate instead of sitting around—”

“Well, you go right ahead and
celebrate,
” he said as he rose from his chair. “Act as if her death means nothing to you. Count me out.”

As he crossed the kitchen floor toward the stairs, Edith sighed. Loretta ran a finger beneath her eyes while Rosalyn blinked rapidly.

Their father slammed the basement door behind him.

“That didn’t go so well,” Loretta murmured.

“Why does he throw his grief in our faces as though it’s wrong to move beyond Mamm’s passing? As though we don’t miss her too?” Rosalyn asked in a tight voice. “One of these days Bishop Tom’s going to insist that Dat find another wife—”

“Especially because we’ll all most likely marry someday soon,” Edith put in. “I certainly won’t miss these unpleasant discussions after I move across the road with Asa.”

“I refuse to remain under this roof with him—even if I don’t marry,” Loretta muttered. “That’s an unkind attitude, but I’ve
had
it with his manipulation. His refusal to move on.”

“
Jah,
we’ve got plenty of incentive to find husbands,” Rosalyn said. “When Dat’s left all by his lonesome, maybe he’ll realize he shouldn’t have driven us away.”

They sat in silence for a few moments. Loretta picked at the rest of her breakfast and then pushed back her plate. Rosalyn held her mug glumly between her hands, gazing at her coffee as though she hoped to find a cure for Dat’s grief there.

Edith stood up to scrape the dishes. “If he stays in the basement all day, so be it,” she said in a low voice. “We’ll just tell the others he’s pouting—”

“Bishop Tom’ll have none of that,” Loretta said with a smile. “He’ll be going downstairs to have a little talk with Deacon Cornelius about his un-Sunday attitude.”

“I wouldn’t put it past Nora to go down, too, saying she wants to see where Dat works on his clocks.” Rosalyn chuckled as she rose to help clear the table. “Dat might think he’ll have the day to himself, but we know better.”

“I figured Dat would likely be in a low mood on Mamm’s birthday,” Edith said as she carried their stacked plates to the sink. “But I was so pleased that Drew asked how best to apologize to him, I planned a gathering anyway. We have to give Drew a chance. If he doesn’t believe folks in Willow Ridge accept him, he’ll never settle in.”

“And if he moves away, Asa—and their furniture business—will never be the same.” Loretta began running hot water into the sink. “Nora’s told me that she and Luke think it’s a positive sign that three young men have recently moved to town. It means Willow Ridge won’t dry up and blow away like other settlements where the young people leave for places that hold more promising jobs and affordable farm land.”

The three of them quickly washed the dishes, discussing how to organize the noon meal and minimize work on a Sunday. As they spoke together, Edith’s spirits lifted. She hadn’t told her sisters about the other topic of conversation she’d raise when everyone got here, and having a secret made her smile as she wiped their plates with her towel....

Rosalyn elbowed her. “Penny for your thoughts, Edith.”

“
Jah,
somebody’s mind surely isn’t on drying the dishes,” Loretta teased as she nodded toward the open cabinet. “You put those last two plates away without drying them, silly.”

Edith giggled, quickly retrieving the wet plates. “Asa volunteered to bring a ham, but I—I was just wondering what Nora might come with, seeing’s how she doesn’t cook much.”

“
Jah,
sure you were,” Rosalyn said with a chuckle. “Your little grin had Asa’s name all over it.”

Shrugging, Edith allowed herself to smile again. “Is that a bad thing? After our chat with Dat, I’m grateful to have something to be happy about.”

“And I suppose we should also be glad that we’ll have two other unattached fellows to ourselves today,” Loretta remarked. “I heard Katie Zook and Nellie Knepp talking about Will and Drew the other day when I was in the market.”

“Savilla Witmer’s closer to those fellows’ age,” Rosalyn pointed out. “And then there’s Rebecca—”

“Oh, she’s too deep into her computer business to join the Amish church,” Edith said. “Next time I’m in Simple Gifts, I’m asking Nora to show me the new Web site Rebecca designed for Detweiler Furniture Works. Asa says it’s finished now, and he’s tickled with it.”

The morning passed quickly as the three of them put the leaves in the table and set it with a fresh tablecloth and Mamm’s better dishes. They had made a big bowl of potato salad yesterday, along with a cake and slaw, so once the kitchen was ready for guests, they headed for the porch to read the latest issue of
The Budget
. When a piece of paper fluttered out of the door frame where it had been wedged, Edith picked it up.

“It’s a note from Will, saying he got called away on some family business,” she said as she skimmed the note. “He won’t be joining us for dinner, but he plans to stop by later in the afternoon. And then he drew a big smiley face.”

Loretta settled on the porch swing. “At least it doesn’t sound like anyone’s ill.”

“Maybe he and his
mamm
and brothers are getting together—and that would be a
gut
thing,” Rosalyn said. She sat down beside Loretta and handed her a section of the newspaper. “As I recall, they had a falling out when Will’s older brothers took over the family farm.”

Edith smiled as she settled into the wicker chair near the swing. “I’m sure we’ll hear about it, or he wouldn’t have added that smiley face. Now we have something else to look forward to!”

The morning sun and a breeze made the next hour pleasant as the three of them relaxed together. Reading
The Budget
was a great way to catch up on the news from Roseville, as well as the Plain settlements where their far-flung cousins lived and their friends had moved to. They were trading sections of the paper when a familiar voice called to them.

“There’s a picture we don’t often see! All of the Riehl sisters sitting down at the same time,” Nora teased as she and Luke walked up the lane. “Hope you’re ready to try my very first deviled eggs. And I figured I couldn’t ruin a cottage cheese and pineapple salad.”

“Actually, the eggs were a team effort,” Luke put in. “It’s a
gut
thing we boiled plenty of them, because they kept disappearing as we spooned the filling into them.”

“Hullo, you Hooleys and Riehls—and you Detweilers!” Nazareth called out from the road. “Everybody must be getting hungry at the same time.”

“I like the looks of that roaster you’re carryin’, Asa—or maybe it’s Drew,” Bishop Tom added as he waved to everyone. “I take it for a sign we’ve got some serious meat headed for the table.”

As Edith rose to greet their guests, it felt good to have company coming onto the porch carrying pans and platters—and a roaster that gave off the delicious aroma of well-seasoned ham. “Looks like a feast!” she said as she held the door for everyone.

Loretta and Rosalyn got the potato salad and slaw from the fridge, while Nora and Nazareth arranged their deviled eggs, salad, and a big pan of apple slab pie on the kitchen counter. “I baked banana bread yesterday with some whole wheat flour from your mill, Luke,” Nazareth said as she took the covering off her other plate. “Made little sandwiches out of it, with apricot jam and goat cheese for the filling.”

“The ham’s warm and ready for a platter,” Asa said as he set the enamel roaster on the stove. “Hope everybody likes it with barbeque sauce.”

“That’s why it smells so
gut,
” Bishop Tom said as he clapped his hands on the brothers’ backs. He glanced around the kitchen and then into the front room. “Cornelius must be upstairs makin’ himself presentable,
jah?
”

Edith and her sisters glanced at one another as they placed serving utensils on the plates of food. “He was cranky at breakfast, so he excused himself to the basement,” Rosalyn explained. “Today would’ve been Mamm’s birthday, you see.”

“Those sorts of anniversaries can affect ya in ways ya don’t anticipate,” Tom replied as he headed for the basement door. “I sure hope he’s not workin’ on a clock or—”

The door opened, and Dat stepped up into the kitchen. “
Gut
morning to you, Bishop. Happy to see you Detweilers and Hooleys, too,” he added. His smile looked tight, but he appeared ready to tolerate guests for their noon meal. “I’ve heard English fellows call their getaway places
man caves
—and with three daughters in the house, I need to slip into my cave every now and again.”

Luke and the Detweilers chuckled and went over to greet Dat while the bishop shook his hand. Edith was relieved that her father had come upstairs before Tom had gone down to check on him. She suspected Dat secretly did some clock repairs or cleaned his shop on the Sundays when they didn’t attend church—and she and her sisters knew better than to catch him at it. When she lifted the lid of the roaster, however, all distracting thoughts of her father drifted away with the spicy-sweet steam that rose from the ham.

“Oh, this smells really yummy,” Edith said as she placed some of the thinly sliced meat on a platter.

“We figured a spiral-sliced ham would be easy to fix—and something everyone would enjoy,” Asa said. He held the sides of the roaster for her so it wouldn’t move as she picked up more slices with her fork. “It was Drew’s idea to separate the slices and add the sauce before we warmed it.”

“Wow, this reminds me of something the Witmers would serve at the Grill N Skillet,” Nora said. “We’ve got quite a nice meal to enjoy.”

“
Jah,
better than Tom and I would’ve been eating at home,” Nazareth said with a laugh.

While Edith placed the platter of ham with the other food on the counter, her sisters set pitchers of tea, water, and lemonade on the table. “Shall we pray before we fill our plates?” she suggested.

It felt special to have their closest friends gathered in the kitchen, and Edith couldn’t help smiling as she bowed her head.
Be with Will and his family today,
she prayed,
and we ask Your presence with Drew as he seeks reconciliation. Bless Dat with an open heart—and a happier attitude—as we entertain our friends on Mamm’s birthday. Thank You for surrounding us with Your love.

Happy chatter filled the kitchen as everyone spooned up their food at the counter and sat down at the table. Edith sensed that having ten people here for dinner made the meal much more pleasant than it would’ve been with just the four of them—even if Dat wouldn’t admit it. He sat at the head of the table with Bishop Tom and Luke on either side of him, and they were asking Asa and Drew about how their furniture business was doing. Edith relished having all the women together so they could hold their own conversation, although it was a special treat to be seated next to Asa. Every now and then he smiled at her as though waiting for the right time to share their special news.

“I—I really appreciate you Riehls inviting us for dinner today,” Drew said in a voice that prompted the other conversations to stop. “And while we’re all together, I’d like to say again that I’m sincerely sorry for the trouble I’ve caused—the wedding I ruined and the way I betrayed everyone’s trust. I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me—especially you, Cornelius. You had a lot invested in Edith’s wedding day, and I made it all go wrong.”

Stillness settled over the kitchen. Dat sat up straighter as he set down his utensils. “I can’t recall ever feeling more humiliated than at the moment Will Gingerich brought your brother into our wedding gathering,” he said in a low, stern voice. “It hurt me a great deal to see the pain on Edith’s face—and the expressions of disbelief and shock our guests wore—when we realized what you’d done, Detweiler. But it’s the bride and groom who need your apologies.”