Courting Buggy: Nurse Hal Among The Amish (31 page)

“
Time goes fast. He and Daniel can use it to go
to the singings. Before you know it, Noah will have a girl in the
seat with him,” Jim said.

“
That's what worries me,” Hal said
dryly.

“
What do you think about this, Noah?” John
asked.

“
I would like to have the buggy to drive,” Noah
said. “I'll take gute care of it.”

Jim said, “Three things you need to know if you use
my buggy to cinch this deal. So you better think about this a
minute, Noah.”

“
Jah, tell me, Dawdi Jim.”

“
One is I want the buggy well taken care of and
my horse, too. I already know you can handle that. Next, I get to
use the buggy when I come back on vacation like it's still my
buggy. Third, when you don't need the buggy anymore Daniel gets his
turn to use it. He can pass the buggy on to whoever is next in
line,” Jim said.

“
I agree,” Noah said eagerly.

“
Maybe I should have said four things. I want
to pay for the horse's feed,” Jim said to John.

“
That is not necessary,” John
protested.

“
That's nice of you, but if I took Mike home
with me, I'd have to buy his feed or pay to board him. I think I
owe you that much for the pleasure I'll have when I'm here,” Jim
insisted.

The next morning, Jim, Nora and Tootie left early,
hoping to make it back to Titonka that evening. After they left,
the house was quiet. Too quiet without the extra people around.

After dinner, Hal stared at the dish pans. “Emma,
which one of us is going to wash and which one wipe this time?”

“I have wiped for a long time. I do not mind washing
dishes if you wipe. Just one thing. I am not sure I want to wash
the slop pail. This morning, my Aendi Tootie warned me I should dry
from now on. Washing the slop pail was a bad job to have,” Emma
said and broke out in a smile.

Hal giggled. “Aunt Tootie is one of a kind.”

“That's why we're going to miss her,” Emma said
sagely. “She had a way of livening things up around here.”

Hal laughed. “Ach nah! You think?”

After supper, the Lapp family formed a circle in the
living room so John could read devotions. Hal said, “I have
something that's been bothering me that I want to bring up before
you start, John. Before our company left this morning, my father
said I should as he put it let Noah and Daniel off the hook about
their dog's name.”

“He said that?” Noah asked, surprised.

“Jah, he told me that Biscuit is not considered a
gute name for a dog,” Hal said as she looked from Noah to Daniel.
“I told him I already knew that. I've watched the two of you
struggle with the dog's name to please me. You should know I picked
the name Biscuit because you were bribing me by giving me the
privilege of naming the dog so you could keep him. Your father said
I was being mean. I said I meant to be. Now I'm feeling less mean.
I'm willing to let you pick a name for the dog that suits you on
one condition. From now on when you want a pet or anything else,
you just say so instead of worrying about what I will think.
Deal?”

“Jah,” Daniel said sheepishly.

“That is a deal, Mama Hal,” Noah agreed.

“Now your turn, John,” Hal said, winking at him.

For bible devotions, John finished by reading, “All
ye have done for the least among you, you surely have done unto me.
That is devotions for tonight.”

Hal declared, “John, I can't think of a single reward
we received from hosting Aunt Tootie.”

Emma defended Tootie. “Hallie, Peter might have
disagreed with you.”

John grinned, “Who knows? Maybe your Aendi Tootie was
an angel in disguised sent to teach us the patience of Job.”

Hal snorted. “I don't think so. If that was so, it
didn't work on me.”

“Do not be so hard on, Aendi Tootie,” Emma scolded
playfully. “I think this time she was busy being Peter's angel not
ours.”

Hal gave that a moment's thought. “Great, Emma! Whose
angel is she going to be the next time she come?”

About The Author

Hello! I'm Fay Risner, and I go by booksbyfay online.
I enjoy writing about the life of Nurse Hal while she struggles to
understand Amish life. My books are designed to offer some humor
along with the serious moments.

As well as these books, I write a historical mystery
series set in Iowa and westerns. Also, I've written two books about
Alzheimer's disease. I worked for many years in a local nursing
home and helped my mother care for my father which gave me insight
about what caregivers deal with. Switching genres, when an idea
comes to me, gives me flexibility as a writer.

I write in 12 font to make reading my books user
friendly.

My husband and I live on an acreage with chickens,
rabbits , cats and through the summer months a flock of goats. We
enjoy raising a large garden and flowers. For fun, we go fishing in
the summer and read a lot in the winter.

Fay Risner's books sold by her at her bookstore at
[email protected], on Amazon, B&N, Smashwords
and Kindle

Nurse Hal Among The Amish Series

A Promise Is A Promise

The Rainbow’s End

Hal’s Worldly Temptations

As Her Name Is So Is Redbird

Emma’s Gossamer Dreams

Amazing Gracie Historical Mystery Series

Neighbor Watchers

Specious Nephew

The Country Seat Killer

The Chance Of A Sparrow

Moser Mansion Ghosts

Locked Rock, Iowa Hatchet Murders

Poor Defenseless Addie

Westerns

Stringbean Hooper Westerns

The Dark Wind Howls Over Mary

Small Feet’s Many Moon Journey

Tread Lightly Sibby

Ella Mayfield’s Pawpaw Militia

Christmas books

Christmas Traditions - An Amish Love Story

Leona’s Christmas Bucket List

Children Books

My Children Are More Precious Than Gold

Nonfiction

Alzheimer’s disease

Open A Window - Caregiver Handbook

Hello Alzheimer’s Goodbye Dad-author’s true
story