Cousin's Challenge (16 page)

Sprawled on the ground, with one foot wedged against the ladder and wet paint running down one arm, Ella stared up at Jake with a bewildered expression. “Wh-what happened?”

“The ladder toppled, and you fell. I tried to catch you, but your foot hit me in the head, and I lost my balance.” Jake dropped to his knees beside her. “Are you hurt? Do you think anything's broken?”

She gave a noncommittal grunt and winced as she tried to sit up. “My ... my head's throbbing, and so's my arm.”

Jake held his hand gently against her shoulder. “Don't move. You might have a broken bone.”

“Jake's right; your arm—especially your wrist—is beginning to swell, and I'll bet it's broken.” Charlene bent close to Ella, her eyes huge.

“It can't be broken.” Tears glistened in Ella's eyes. “How am I supposed to bake if my arm is broken?”

“Let's not put the buggy before the horse,” Jake said. “We need to get you to the doctor so we know if it's broken. Then you can worry about how you're going to do any baking.” He reached up to rub his forehead.

“Are you okay?” Charlene asked, bending close to Jake.

“It's nothing; just a little bump is all.” He looked at Ella and said, “I'm starting to get used to bumps on the head.”

Just then, Verna, Ella's mother, came running out of the house. “Ach! What happened to you, Ella? I looked out the kitchen window and saw you lying on the ground.”

“She fell off the ladder,” Jake explained. “Her wrist is really swollen, and I think her arm might be broken.”

The look Ella shot Jake was as chilling as the crisp fall air. “I can speak for myself, Jake Beechy.”

Verna looked up at the barn then back at Ella. “I knew this painting job was too much for my girls. I should have insisted that we ask some of the men we know to paint the barn for us.”

“I'll take Ella into the house, and we'll get some ice to put on her arm,” Jake said, looking at Verna. “If you or Charlene will go out to your phone shed and call one of your drivers to take us to the hospital, Ella can have her arm looked at.”

Verna bobbed her head. “That's a good idea. I'm glad you're here, Jake. You're thinking more clearly than the rest of us right now.” She patted Ella's shoulder. “I'll call Marge Nelson and see if she's free to take us to the hospital.”

Without hesitation, Jake bent down, scooped Ella into his arms, and started across the yard.

“What do you think you're doing?” she screeched.

“I'm taking you to the house.”

“Put me down! It's not my leg That's broken. I'm perfectly capable of walking to the house by myself.”

“You're full of
hochmut,
you know that?”

“I am not full of pride. Now put me down!”

“No, I'm going to carry you.”

“No, you're not!”

Ella's lips may have told Jake no, but he could tell she was in no shape to walk on her own, so he kept hold of her as he continued walking toward the house.

“Did you hear what I said?”

“I heard you, but I'm not putting you down.” Jake quickened his steps. “You had a nasty bump on the head, and you might get dizzy and pass out if you try to walk.”

“Jake's right,” Charlene agreed as she hurried along beside them. “You hit your head pretty hard, and you could have a concussion like the one you had when you were in that horrible van accident.”

Ella opened her mouth like she might say something more, but then she quickly clamped it shut. When Jake felt her body begin to relax, he smiled and stepped onto the porch.

Jolene hauled several braided throw rugs out to the porch and draped them over the railing. She'd just picked up the broom to beat the dust from the rugs when a pickup truck barreled up the driveway. It stopped near the house, and Jake got out. Why was he driving his truck instead of his horse and buggy?

“Hello, Jake,” Jolene said when he stepped onto the porch. “I'm surprised to see you this afternoon.”

“I came by to tell you about Ella.”

“What about her?”

He leaned against the porch railing, but when his hip touched one of the rugs, he pulled quickly away. “Ella fell off the ladder when she was trying to paint her daed's barn.”

Jolene gasped. “That's baremlich! Is she hurt badly?”

“Not as bad as she could have been, but the terrible thing is she did break her arm.” Jake's eyebrows pulled together. “When Verna couldn't get ahold of their driver, I went home and got my truck so I could drive Ella to the hospital. Then I waited there with Verna until Ella had her arm set in a cast.” He thumped his chin a couple of times. “Ella's really worried about how she'll keep up with that bakeshop of hers now that she only has the use of one hand.”

“Maybe I can help out after I'm done teaching in the afternoons,” Jolene said.

Jolene's mother came out the door just then and stepped up to Jolene. “I heard what you said, and I think helping Ella would be too much for you.”

“How come?”

“Because you're already overextending yourself with the signing lessons you're teaching after school.” Mom touched Jolene's arm. “I've got more time on my hands than you do, so I'll go over to Ella's and help out with the baking a few times a week. I'm sure that once the word gets out, others will help, too.”

“I hope Ella's more receptive to their help than she was with mine today. If she'd gotten off that ladder when I asked her to and let me paint the upper part of the barn, she wouldn't have fallen.” Jake grimaced. “She's the most stubborn, determined woman I know.” He motioned to Jolene. “Nothing at all like you.”

“I don't know about that,” Jolene replied. “I can be pretty determined and stubborn, too—just in a different way than my cousin.”

Ella struggled to keep her eyes open as she reclined on the sofa. The prescription pain medication made her drowsy. It was hard to focus on Mama, Charlene, and the younger children who were gathered around her, wearing anxious expressions.

“Does your arm hurt a lot?” Sue Ann asked.

Ella forced a smile, not wishing to frighten her six-year-old sister. “Not so much.” But her whole arm had throbbed until the medication had taken effect.

Mama took a seat on the sofa beside Ella and motioned to her cast. “I'm awfully sorry that you fell and broke your arm, but I'm grateful you weren't seriously hurt. Don't think I could deal with another tragedy in this family.”

“Me, neither,” Charlene put in. “Our family needs some happy times.”

Ella blinked back stinging tears. Because of her carelessness in coming down the ladder, she'd almost brought more grief to her family. She thanked the Lord that she hadn't been seriously injured. “I'm sorry. I should have been more careful.”

“You shouldn't have been paintin' the barn at all,” Larry chimed in. “I'll bet Jake would've helped sooner if you'd asked, and so would some of the other men in our community.”

Ella grimaced. She didn't want to rely on others for help, and she didn't want Jake hanging around. The next time they needed help, if she couldn't do it, she'd ask someone else.

The days sped by with the delicate shifting of fall into winter. Ella had finally resigned herself to the fact that she needed to accept help from her family and friends. Everyone but Jake, that is. Her irritation mounted every time he came over and offered his help. Charlene said Ella ought to be willing to accept anyone's help no matter how she felt about them personally. Ella knew her sister was right, but it was hard to accept help from Jake when she knew he'd be going back to Montana soon and would leave his family in the lurch.

Ella was also afraid that Jolene might have fallen into Jake's trap. Due to the signing lessons, Jolene had seen a lot of him lately and had told Ella that she was excited about the possibility of Jake and Andrew taking turns signing the message for the deaf people at church. Obviously, Jolene didn't realize that Jake wouldn't be sticking around. He'd probably fed her a bunch of lies, the way he had Loraine. The sparkle in Jolene's eyes whenever she talked about Jake was enough to make Ella sick. He had her believing he was a nice person, but she didn't really know him. Not the way Ella did.

“I wish he'd leave Indiana right now,” Ella fumed as she opened the oven to check the bread she had baking. The intense heat from the oven hit her in the face and made her feel dizzy. Seeing that the bread wasn't done, she quickly shut the door. She was glad that she had the cast off her arm now and could at least do more things on her own.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

“Someone's at the door!” Charlene hollered from the living room, where she'd gone to dust and clean windows.

Ella dropped her potholders to the counter and went to answer the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to find Jake standing on the porch, holding a purple and white African violet with lacy edges.

“Guder mariye. Figured I'd catch you here before you opened your bakeshop for the day.” Jake grinned and handed Ella the plant.

“Morning.” She stared at the African violet. “Who's this for?”

“I bought it for you. Charlene said you liked African violets, so I figured you might like this one.”

Ella's brows puckered. Was Jake trying to butter her up? Did he think she might put in a good word for him where Jolene was concerned?

“That frown you're wearing makes me think you don't like African violets,” he said.

“It's not that. I just wondered why you'd buy me a plant.”

“Just told you—Charlene said you liked African violets. You've been so down lately, and I figured it might put a smile on your face.”

“Okay, well—danki.” Ella took the plant and started to close the door, but Jake stuck the toe of his boot inside, which kept the door from closing. “It's cold out here. Aren't you going to invite me in for a cup of hot coffee?”

Ella contemplated his request. She wanted to tell him to head for home, but that would be rude. Besides, she'd have to answer to Mama if she sent Jake off in this chilly weather without something warm to drink.

She brushed some flour from her apron and opened the door wider. “Follow me.”

When they entered the kitchen, Ella set the plant on the counter and took two cups down from the cupboard. By the time she'd placed a pot of coffee on the table, Jake had removed his jacket and stocking cap and taken a seat.

He sniffed the air. “Something sure smells good in here. Have you got something baking in the oven?”

“It's friendship bread. I sell more of that than anything else in my bakeshop.” She motioned to some loaves cooling on the counter. “Would you like some to go with your coffee?”

“Sure, that sounds good, but let me cut it for you.” Jake jumped up, cut several slices, placed them on a plate, and set it on the table.

“Danki,” Ella mumbled, and then she took a seat two chairs away from him.

Jake picked up a piece of the bread, and his mouth watered when he took the first bite. “Umm ... this tastes
wunderbaar.
”

“I'm glad you like it,” Ella mumbled, staring at the table. Why did she always avoid looking at him?

They sat silently as the minutes ticked by. If Jake had known what to say, he would have offered more conversation.

Finally, Ella pushed back her chair and hurried over to the stove. “I need to check on my bread.”

“Need any help with that?”

“No, thanks. I can manage.” Ella grabbed a potholder and opened the oven door. She removed some nicely browned loaves and placed them on the cooling racks she'd set on the counter.

“How come you're baking in here and not in your bakeshop?”

“I sometimes do my baking here in the mornings before going out to the shop. Having the oven on for a while helps warm the kitchen without having to light the stove we normally use for heat.”

“Guess that makes sense. Is there anything you'd like me to do while I'm here?” Jake asked. “I've got a few hours before I have to be back home.”

She shook her head. “I can't think of a thing that needs to be done.”

Jake had a hard time believing that, but he decided not to push it. He glanced at the counter across the room. “I'd like to buy a loaf of that bread, and also some doughnuts if you have some to sell.”

“I have some doughnuts in the shop,” she said, “but there'll be no charge.”

“How come?”

“With all the chores you've done around here in the last few weeks, I should pay you.”

“No way! You need to make a living.”

“We're getting along okay, and I won't take any money from you today.”

Jake took a drink of coffee as he pondered things. Ella's fierce independence both amused and irritated him. He wondered what was behind her unwillingness to accept his help or his money. Was she like that with everyone or just him? Whenever he said anything to her, she acted so defensive, and he was getting tired of it.
“Ferwas bischt allfat so schtarkeppich?”
he asked.

Her lips puckered as she glared at him. “Why am
I
always so stubborn? You're the one who's stubborn. Stubborn and...”

“Jah, well, I'm stubborn because my daed taught me to be that way. He's the most stubborn man I know.”

She smiled, but he suspected she was gritting her teeth and wishing he would go.

“I'll tell you what,” he said, carefully choosing his words. “I'll accept the bread, but I insist on paying for the doughnuts.”

To his relief, Ella gave a quick nod then quickly launched into telling him about the success of her bakeshop.

Jake was happy to talk about the bakeshop. It seemed to put her at ease. She seemed almost like the old Ella he'd known when they were children.

They talked about the bakeshop a few more minutes, and then Jake made a huge mistake. He mentioned Ella's dad, and what a nice man he'd been.

Unexpected tears spilled over and dribbled down Ella's cheeks. She quickly grabbed a napkin and blotted them away.

Oh, great, now I've made her cry.
Jake left his seat and sat in the chair beside Ella. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned your daed. I wasn't thinking about how it'd make you feel.”

She blinked a couple of times, and the heavy sadness in her face finally lifted. “It's okay. I can't allow myself to fall apart every time my daed's name is mentioned. He's gone and he's not coming back, so I may as well get used to the idea.”

“It still has to hurt,” Jake said. “I know I'd feel awful if something happened to either one of my folks.”

She nodded slowly. “It does hurt, but I can't waste time feeling sorry for myself when there's so much work to be done. I need to focus on taking care of my family.”

“You're right, family's important, but you have to think of yourself, too.”

She didn't reply.

“My daed's legs have taken much longer to heal than the doctor had hoped, but he'll finally be getting his casts off tomorrow,” Jake said, moving their conversation in another direction. “Then he'll begin physical therapy.”

“How long will it be before he's able to shoe horses again?”

Jake shrugged. “Can't really say. Guess it all depends on how well he responds to the therapy.”

She opened her mouth like she might say something more, but then she closed it again. It seemed like she'd been doing a lot of that lately—at least whenever Jake was around.

After several more minutes of silence, Jake pushed back his chair and stood. “Guess I'll head out now, so if you'll get the bread and doughnuts for me, I'll be on my way.”

The look of relief that came over Ella's face told Jake all he needed to know. She still didn't like him and probably never would.

He followed Ella out to her shop, and as soon as she'd put the bread and doughnuts in a paper sack, Jake paid her. He'd just opened the door to leave when Lonnie stepped into the bakeshop. He seemed to be coming around here a lot lately. At least he'd come by nearly every time Jake had been here. It made Jake wonder if something was going on between Lonnie and Ella. Well, if there was, it was none of his business.