Finding Love at Home (The Beiler Sisters) (23 page)

A
fter dark that evening, Alvin pushed open the front door of the
dawdy haus
without a knock. This was, after all, his
daett’
s place, and he was expected tonight for supper. Mildred would have told his
daett
by now, and if the truth be told, his
daett
was probably behind Mildred’s invitation. Anything to encourage Alvin’s interest in Mildred and distract him from Debbie.

Alvin squinted in the sudden light of the gas lantern hanging from the ceiling. His
daett
looked up from rocker with a pleased expression. “
Gut
evening, son. I see you decided to come.”

“I told Mildred I would,” Alvin muttered.

Mamm
was sitting on the other rocker, and Alvin approached for a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. A faint smile crossed her face. “You’ve come to visit again.”

“
Yah
,
Mamm
.” Alvin took a seat on the couch. He turned around for a quick smile when Mildred chirped from the kitchen doorway, “It’s
gut
you’re here, Alvin. I’ll have everything ready in a minute.”

“No rush,” Alvin said, even though his stomach growled. The smells drifting from the kitchen didn’t help either.

“I see the deacon was here again,”
Daett
said when Mildred had disappeared.

“Are you happy now?” Alvin made no attempt to hide his bitterness. “They’re wanting me to stay back from communion.”

His
daett
didn’t look surprised. “Sufferings and humiliations are always
gut
for a man. And you could use some. You’ve risen way too fast in life, coming back from your time in the world to take over my farm. If I’d had my say-so, you’d have been left in the
bann
for another year or so.”

“That’s why it wasn’t left in your hands,” Alvin shot back. “And what would we do now if I weren’t here?
Mamm
needs funds for her doctoring and care. And you sure couldn’t supply it for her.”

His
daett
didn’t appear fazed by the sharp words. He shrugged. “I admit you speak the truth, but it’s still not
gut
for you. I’m glad to hear the ministry is taking steps to rein you in. Maybe this will wake you up to what a mistake you’re making by dating that girl Debbie. Those
Englisha
girls always had an awful pull on you, Alvin. I see that now, and I pray you will wake up in time.”

“Bishop Beiler thinks the world of Debbie,” Alvin said.

That seemed to silence his
daett
—at least for the moment. He settled back in his rocker.

Mildred appeared in the kitchen doorway again. “It’s ready, everyone! Can’t be allowing the food to grow cold!”

His
daett
rose with a smile on his face. “She can cook, that girl can. Think about that, Alvin.”

So his
daett
did have a hand in his invitation tonight, Alvin thought as he helped his
mamm
to the table. Well, it made no difference. He was here to eat, and that was all.

Mildred stood by the stove as they found their seats. Then she took the one next to him. Alvin knew it was her usual place, but tonight her presence so close rushed over him. It felt so homey, so comfy, and so pleasantly right. Alvin told himself this was his
wounded emotions speaking, but he kept his gaze away from Mildred, all the same.

His
daett
cleared his throat and led out in prayer. When he finished, Mildred handed Alvin the bowl of mashed potatoes so he had to look her way. She was glowing as she smiled…and he smiled back. Was she now blushing?
Nee
, that must be from the kitchen heat. Not since their school days had he seen Mildred blush. For a moment time stood still. He was back in the schoolroom at his desk and catching her gaze on him.

Alvin dipped out the mashed potatoes.
Yah
, but those days were over, and he must not imagine things. Mildred was being nice to him, but that was because she worked for his
daett
. And Mildred understood about Debbie. Hadn’t Mildred told him so often enough herself ?

“Do you like the potatoes?” Mildred’s voice sounded cautious.

Alvin’s laugh sounded strained. “I haven’t tasted them yet. But they look delicious. And the truth is, I’m starving.”

“Oh, you poor thing,” Mildred cooed. “Doing those chores by yourself every evening. Your
daett
was just telling me tonight I should try to work time into my schedule so I can also help you in the evenings too.”

“You don’t have to,” Alvin managed. He couldn’t accept her help twice a day. Debbie would have enough objections if she knew Mildred was in the barn for the morning chores.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Mildred sounded quite hopeful.

“I’m sure you have plenty of work in the house,” Alvin protested. But the truth was, had he not thought of this very thing himself while he worked on the chores tonight after the deacon left? He’d wished Mildred was in the barn to take some of the load off his shoulders. And off his soul, Alvin admitted. Was he to blame if Mildred had that kind of effect on him?

His
daett
’s voice cut through his thoughts. “Mildred’s helping
you both mornings and evenings from now on. She’s willing, and we can make do at the house. I’ll do a little more myself. And it’s money better spent on the farm than on housekeeping for us.”

His
daett
wasn’t known for his concern for the farm, Alvin thought. But he also couldn’t bring himself to turn down the offer of help. Debbie would just have to understand.

“I’d be glad for the help,” he admitted.

Mildred glowed and grinned from ear-to-ear as she gazed at him. Hopefully she wouldn’t give him that look at the Sunday services. She would surely have enough sense not to. But neither could he bring up the matter with her. That would be tacky, to say the least, and downright indecent if he even suggested that Mildred might be in love with him.

“Then it’s decided!” Mildred beamed. “I’m so glad you’re giving me the chance to help out, Alvin. You’re such a
wunderbah
family.”

“We do have our problems,” Alvin said wryly.

Mildred’s face fell. “Deacon Mast was back again, wasn’t he?”

“
Yah
, he was,”
Daett
spoke up. “And it’s a
gut
thing. Alvin needs to learn a few hard lessons in life.”

Mildred sent a sympathetic look Alvin’s way.

No doubt she wanted to say something, but she didn’t dare in
Daett
’s presence. But her concern and obvious understanding ran over his bruised emotions like healing oil. And there was nothing wrong with that, he told himself. Hadn’t Mildred stated her true role in their home right now—that of a trusted friend here to help out?

Alvin continued to eat, filling his plate twice while Mildred kept an eagle eye on him. “You sure you don’t want more?”

Alvin gave her a smile. “I’m sure you have dessert yet. Where am I going to put that?”

Mildred’s smile was almost as bright as the lantern light. “Of course there’s dessert, Alvin Knepp! I’d be an awful person if I failed to make at least a decent pie for tonight.”

Mildred stood up with a flourish and went to the kitchen counter,
returning with a whipped-cream-topped cherry pie. Alvin’s mouth watered at the sight. The crust looked like it would melt in his mouth.

“Do you think you’ll like that?” Mildred teased. “My best, if I must say so myself.”

“I’ll take a piece,”
Daett
said.

Mildred didn’t miss a beat. She smiled pleasantly as she cut a large piece. “Is that big enough, Edwin?”

No doubt even
Daett
’s mouth was watering, Alvin thought. And
Daett
has seen many a cherry pie in his lifetime. It wasn’t like his
mamm
hadn’t cooked before her stroke. It had just been so long since either of them had tasted decent cooking.

“How much for you, Alvin?” Mildred smiled at him now.

Alvin gulped hard. “About what
Daett
had.”

“Oh, you can handle more than that!” Mildred said. She cut an even larger piece. “I saw you working in the fields most of the day. Then doing all those chores by yourself. That makes for a healthy appetite, I’m sure.”

“It does.” Alvin nodded. “I’ll eat for the hunger tomorrow,” he laughed.

Mildred joined in as if he’d said the funniest thing in the world. “You do that, Alvin. Now let me get both of you glasses of milk.”

His
mamm
didn’t have a piece of pie yet, Alvin noticed when Mildred was getting the milk. He leaned toward her. “Do you want a piece,
Mamm
?”

His
mamm
smiled weakly. “I don’t have an appetite like I used to, Alvin. But thank you anyway.”

Mildred was a lot like his
mamm
used to be—before she had the stroke—motherly and kind.
Mamm
had written him letters while he was in Philadelphia, always hopeful that he’d return. She’d helped draw him back. That was a lot like what Mildred was trying to do now. Mildred was encouraging him through this hard time in his life, even without knowing all the details.

Mildred returned with the glasses of milk, and Alvin drank a
deep swallow. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his
daett
do the same. He was more like his
daett
than he wished to admit. He had the same temper and stubborn ways; they were just expressed differently.
Yah
, at heart he was his
daett
’s son.

Alvin shifted on his chair as he thought about this. Maybe he should pay more attention to his
daett
’s opinions about the girl he dated. But that would be a leap of logic. Just because they were both comfortable right now after they’d been served supper by Mildred, that didn’t mean he should say the wedding vows with her. Mildred had never fascinated him like Debbie had—and still did. That was likely something his
daett
knew little about. His
daett
’s love of his
mamm
had always seemed more of a steady brook compared to the wild dash of emotions Alvin felt for Debbie.
Nee
, he and his
daett
might have a lot of things in common, but not everything.

They finished their pie, and
Daett
led out in a prayer of thanks before he got to his feet. Alvin jumped up and helped take
Mamm
back to her rocker. Mildred followed them and whispered in his ear, “Do be a gentleman, Alvin, and help me with the dishes.”

“I don’t know,” Alvin said. But he glanced at his
daett
, who motioned with his head toward the kitchen in agreement.

“Please?” Mildred cooed. “I help you with the chores, and I’ll be out there twice a day now. And I don’t bite; you should know that.”

Alvin grimaced but gave in. He already was comfortable working with her. This wouldn’t be any different from when Mildred helped him in the barn.

“Do you know how to dry dishes?” she teased, holding out a dry towel.

He jerked it away from her. “I’ve done this before, you know.”

“Ah… ” She smiled sweetly. “Then we’re all set.”

Mildred filled the sink with hot water while Alvin carried over the dirty dishes. She scraped them clean and slid the plates into the water.

As she began to wash, she gave him a sideways glance. “Do you want to tell me about Deacon Mast’s visit?”

Alvin hesitated.

“You don’t have to.” She gave him another warm smile. “I just thought it might help, you know, being over there in that big house all by yourself with no one to talk to.”

He grunted and began, his words coming in short bursts. “It was about Crystal Meyers and my time among the
Englisha
in Philadelphia. Deacon Mast and the others of the ministry, they have suspicions. Suspicions that are untrue.
Daett
told them of the letters
Mamm
used to write me once the committee took over the farm.
Mamm
asked me to return to run the farm. And to make things worse, I had to tell the deacon how Debbie used to drive past our place long before she joined the community. She’d watch me work in the fields. That was the last straw, I think. They want me to voluntarily stay back from communion this fall as a time of mourning and repentance.”

“I’m so sorry,” she said. “Surely Deacon Mast gives you some hope that the ministry might change their feelings.”

Alvin toyed with the dish towel. “If I humble myself,
yah
.”

Mildred reached over to touch his arm. “I think they want the best for you, Alvin. I know that I do. And I think you’ll make the correct choices. Your heart’s in the right place. You’ve come back from your time in the world. You’ve repented. I believe you belong here, on this farm, working in your
daett
’s place. He can’t see that right now because his heart is still troubled. You’ll make it, Alvin. I know you will.”

“Thank you,” he whispered. “That’s nice of you to say.”

“I’m not just saying it. I believe it.”