Caroline's Secret (7 page)

His hands were strong and long-fingered, even if they were perpetually stained. He was an artist. It fascinated Esther that he could take something as simple as wood and make useful, beautiful furniture.

Abe walked up to the wooden fence and propped one foot on the bottom rung. “What do you think?”

She opened her mouth to respond, closing it again as she realized that he was talking about the horses. “Th-they’re beautiful.”

He hooked one arm toward her. “How can you tell from way over there?”

Esther hesitantly approached. Well, she inched forward a couple of feet.

Abe turned those blue eyes so like his nephew’s on her, a frown of confusion wrinkling his brow. “I thought you wanted to see the horses?”

“
Jah
. Of course I do.”

“
Ach
, then get over here and do it.”

She heaved a big breath. “I’m a little afraid of horses.” There, she said it.

Abe looked at her as if she had said she was turning English. “How can this be?”

She shrugged. “They’re just so . . . big.”

He continued to study her. “Earlier you drove the team through the gates.”

“That’s different.”

“Jah?”
Abe asked, but she could tell he was still confused.

She tried again. “They were . . . contained.”

“With bridles and such?”

Esther nodded.

“Here they are behind a fence.”

“But they are still all over the place.” And could knock her to the ground in a heartbeat. “My brother . . . A horse killed my brother.”

Abe cocked his head to one side in that thoughtful manner she found so charming. “I remember that. Well, that was nigh on fifty years ago.”

It was, but when she saw horses like these, running around in a pasture, those memories appeared as clear as if they had happened the day before.

Abe stroked his beard. “What did you do when you and John had your place?”

“He took care of the horses for me, and as long as they were contained . . .” She shrugged.

“This will never do, never do.” He reached his hand out to her.

Esther stared at it a moment, then placed her hand inside his.

His palm was rough from all the years of working with wood, but his grasp was gentle as he drew her closer to him, closer to the fence that separated her from the large beasts.

She took a shuddering breath. It had been a long time since she had trusted a man. A very long time. She allowed him to pull her closer to him, closer to the shiny rusty-colored horse.

The animal had an earthy smell that mixed with the faint scent of leather and the woody blend of the man beside her.

He continued to hold her hand in his as he reached out and ran her fingers down the horse’s nose. The muzzle was as soft as satin, the horse’s breath warm and moist on her palm as he blew out. She moved back, but Abe was behind her, holding her in place even though he only touched her hand.

“He won’t hurt you,” Abe crooned.

And just like that Abe the wood crafter became a different man, and Esther felt herself fall a little more in love with him.

She tried not to relax into him when she wanted nothing more than to melt into his embrace. She fought the urge to snuggle close to him and tell him exactly how much he meant to her. But that was the pinnacle of impropriety.

Besides that, he had never once indicated that they would ever be anything more than friends.

She stiffened. He dropped her hand and stepped away, giving the horse one last pat on his neck before gesturing back toward the house. “Are you ready to call it done?”

What else could she do but nod? With a dip of her chin she led the way up the path to the house.

Once outside, Caroline lowered Emma onto the grass, keeping a tight hold on her tiny hand. “Lead the way,” she said and the trio started off down the thin path of dirt that led toward the stables.

Caroline tried her best not to notice how Andrew slowed his long stride to accommodate Emma’s chubby little legs, or how he showed her a bunny nervously nibbling on a patch of clover just this side of the fence. Tried not to notice how nice he was.

How nice it was being with him.

“Look, Emma.” He swung the toddler into his arms and pointed toward the approaching horse.

The black gelding advanced slowly, sorting out a greeting with a shake of his mighty head. He was easily the biggest horse Caroline had ever seen, but Emma was not afraid.

She clapped her hands together and squealed when the horse shook his mane and snorted again.

“Here.” Andrew took one of her tiny hands into his much larger one and stretched it out until it was almost touching the velvet nose of the beast.

Caroline held her breath. She wasn’t afraid of horses, but this one was just so huge.

The gelding snorted again, then nuzzled Emma’s hand like a cat.

“He wants a treat.” Andrew let go of Emma’s hand to reach into his pocket. Out came a sugar cube, which he allowed the horse to eat off his palm.

Emma was enthralled, clapping her hands and bouncing in Andrew’s arms.

Caroline exhaled, not realizing until that very moment that she had been holding her breath. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Andrew; she was just so accustomed to doing things herself, taking care of Emma and not having to share her with others. It was more than strange to hand Emma over to Andrew and allow him to teach her and guide her in any matter.

“Does the horse bother you?”

Caroline turned toward Andrew, an answer not readily forming in her mind. “I guess I had forgotten how big they are.”

Andrew smiled, a grin Caroline was sure could melt butter in January. “Or how small she is?”

“
Jah
, that too.”

“Follow me.” He gave a small gesture with his head. With Emma still cradled high in his strong arms, he led Caroline into the dim interior of the barn. She heard them before she saw them, their whines and grunts unmistakable.

“They were born sometime last night.” He opened the door to the stall just off to the side of the tack room.

There nestled in the clean fresh hay was a black-and-white border collie nursing a litter of pups. At first count there were six, but a seventh, smaller one pushed its way from the bottom of the pile back to the top in order to get a better spot.

Andrew set Emma on her feet, supporting her until she was steady.

“They are so sweet.” Caroline dropped to her knees on the hay, stretching out her hand for the mother to sniff. Once she had passed the test, Caroline stroked the dog’s silky head.

Emma squealed and started forward, only to be caught by Andrew before she could reach her goal.

“Oh, no, wee one. They are much too small for even your little hands.”

Caroline pushed back to her feet. “What did you call her?”

“Wee one.” A frown of concern puckered his brow. “Is that a problem?”

She swallowed back the longing clogging her throat. “
Nay
, it’s just that I call her that too.” How ironic that they had both chosen the same endearment for her daughter. It was a connection that she didn’t want to examine.

“Does that bother you? I can call her something else. Just Emma. Wee one seems to fit her.”

“It is fine, Andrew Fitch. Of course you may call her wee one.”

Andrew smiled and Caroline tried not to notice the brilliance in it all. He bounced Emma in his arms until she squealed. “Wee one, it’s time to head back to the house. If I know my
onkle
, he’s started ice cream and it should be just about ready.”

Caroline felt a little strange trailing behind Andrew as he carried Emma back to the house. She wasn’t used to seeing Emma in the arms of a man. Watching the two of them together made her realize the need to fortify her heart. She and Andrew had agreed to be friends. It was only to be expected that they would be around Emma together, and he was such a helpful and kind person that it stood to reason that he would help Caroline with the toddler. But having his help was one thing she would have to be careful not to get too accustomed to. Who knew how long before some
schee
Amish girl took Andrew’s heart away.

“Uh-oh.” Andrew motioned toward the porch as they neared the house. “Do you think something happened?”

Just as he had predicted, Abe had started the ice-cream maker and was cranking the handle on the side. What looked to be a cinder block wrapped in a towel set on top of the ice-cream bucket. Abe sat on the stairs and cranked while Esther pushed herself in the swing.

“I don’t know,” Caroline quietly replied. “But it doesn’t look
gut
.”

Maybe their matchmaking days were over. And that would mean not seeing Andrew as much, just church and the afternoons that he might stop by the bakery for a snack.

The idea didn’t set well with Caroline. But that was ridiculous. They were friends. They had committed to the relationship of
freinden
and helping Esther and Abe find love. Surely that had to mean something. It wasn’t like they couldn’t see each other if the romance fell through between Abe and Esther, but it was a good excuse.

“You get Esther,” Andrew said. “I’ll see what I can find out from
Onkle
.”

Caroline dipped her chin in agreement and made her way past Abe and onto the porch to sit in the swing next to Esther. Andrew stopped in front of his uncle and placed Emma on top of the towel-wrapped cement block. “Emma, sit here and help,
jah
?”

The toddler gave a small nod, but squirmed all the same as Abe continued to crank the handle on the old ice-cream churn.

Caroline leaned in closer to Esther to make sure her words were only heard by the other woman. Not that Abe would be paying attention to them. He seemed completely engrossed in the art of ice-cream making. “What happened?” she whispered.

Esther shrugged.
“Nix.”

“If nothing happened, why do you look like you just lost your best friend?”

Esther’s mouth twisted into a grimace and she shook her head. “I’ve been widowed for nigh on thirty years. I just realized today that if Abe Fitch had feelings for me that are stronger than friendship, he’s had a very long time to act on them.”

Caroline frowned. “So you think because he hasn’t asked you on a date in the last thirty years that he doesn’t want to be more than friends with you?”

“It makes sense,
jah
?”

“No.” Caroline shook her head. “Abe is . . .” She looked over to Andrew’s
onkle
. He had allowed himself a rest and let Andrew take over the cranking while he sat nearby and sanded on what looked to be a small wooden horse. “Abe is Abe.” She didn’t know how else to say it. She had never met anyone like him before. He was smart and talented but as distracted as they came. “I think if you’re going to capture his heart, the first thing you’ll need to do is let him want it.”

Esther shook her head. “I can’t do that. That would be most improper.”

Caroline glanced back to where Abe and Andrew sat. “Improper or not, it may just be the only way.”

Half an hour later, Abe scooped up the semi-soft ice cream into bowls and passed them around.

“Yum . . . banana,” Caroline said, taking her first bite after their silent prayer’s ending
aemen.
“My favorite.”

“I like strawberry the best,” Andrew said, settling down next to her.

Esther accepted a small bowl from Abe and took it over to where Emma was playing quietly in the grass with the horse Abe had just finished.

Caroline was astounded by his talent and generosity, but he insisted that Emma take it home with her.

“You know if you give her that to eat by herself, she’ll have it all over the place in no time,” Caroline warned.

“
Jah
, but she’ll wash up.” Esther handed the bowl to the toddler, then plopped down on the grass next to her.

“You know what would be
gut
with this?” Andrew asked.

Caroline spooned a bite into her mouth and nearly sighed as the yummy concoction melted on her tongue. “What?” she asked, scooping up another bite.

“Cowboy cookies.”

Caroline laughed. “You think everything needs cowboy cookies.”

“
Jah
. Everything does.” Then he lowered his voice. “What happened between the two of them?”

“I have no idea,” Caroline whispered in return. She looked from Esther, sitting in the yard next to Emma, back to Abe.

When they had arrived at the house after church, everything had seemed fine. Between then and now, something had Abe acting like Abe, and Esther acting like he was invisible.

Normally Esther would be staring at the furniture maker with lovesick puppy eyes. Now she wouldn’t even look at him.

The upside was Esther managed to get more of the ice cream in Emma than on her dress. At least the toddler wouldn’t be too sticky for the ride home. And that was a
gut
thing. The slow ride back to town would be uncomfortable enough with the chasm that had cracked between Esther and Abe.

The rift that had formed between Esther and Abe seemed to grow by the yard all the way back to town.