Seek Me With All Your Heart (12 page)

“Sorry about the other night, after the singing.” He placed his black felt hat on the rack by the door, alongside his coat.

Her face brightened. Then she giggled. “You mean that cold, dark ride in the middle of nowhere with only a blanket and portable heater?”

David smiled back at her. This woman could transform herself back and forth quicker than anyone he’d ever known. Timid and afraid one minute, then glowing, beautiful, and poised the next. He couldn’t help but wonder, and be angry about, what happened to strip her of the qualities she must have possessed on a ful -time basis some time ago.

“
Ya
. I’l plan better,” he whispered as he felt his own cheeks take on a flush just as his father and Lil ian came into the room.

Lil ian brushed past David and went straight to Emily, a smile stretched wide. “You must be Emily. I’ve heard so much about you.”

Careful, Lillian
. David knew he’d mentioned Emily’s name more than he should have the past few days. Something else that puzzled him. He glanced at Emily to see her smiling. He wasn’t sure if it was from Lil ian’s comment, or just because everyone seemed to smile in Lil ian’s presence. She had that effect on people.

“
Ya
. I’m Emily, and I’ve heard much about you also.” Emily offered to take Lil ian’s coat at about the same time Vera walked back into the room, fol owed by Elam, Jacob, and Levi.
Onkel
Ivan and
Aenti
Katie Ann walked in, and Vera made introductions. Then she suggested the men warm themselves in front of the fire while the women put the finishing touches on the meal.

David took a seat next to his father on the couch. Elam and Jacob each sat in a rocker on the other side of the room. Levi stood near the fireplace with his arms folded across his chest, and Uncle Ivan stood nearby.

“So, Samuel . . .” Elam began. “I hear there is much work to do at your home.”

Samuel nodded his head, then grinned. “I reckon that is an understatement.” His father shook his head. “I should have traveled this way before I moved
mei
family here, and tried to do some work before we made the trip.”

“We’re a smal community, but I know everyone wil pitch in to help you. You can count on me and my boys.” Elam nodded toward Jacob and Levi, then smiled. “And that brings me to another point. I know your girls wil be starting school soon, and I don’t know if you’ve heard, but we don’t have a schoolhouse. Classes are being taught in a barn right now.”

David’s father nodded. “I did hear that from Lil ian.”

“Plans are to start construction on a new schoolhouse when the snow begins to clear. And I know you have your hands ful with your own place, and—”

“Count David and me in,” his father interrupted. “We’re available to help.”

Elam nodded. “We wil work some on the schoolhouse and some on your place as the weather al ows. We have an
Englisch
fel ow named Arnold who wil lead us with the project. He’s a fine carpenter.”

David watched his father nod, then he glanced around the room at the Detweilers’ cozy den. It was much smal er than the den in their current home, and smal er than the den they’d had in Lancaster County. He wondered how they could possibly hold worship service in such a smal house, but then he remembered where he was. Probably weren’t more than forty or fifty people in the district here.

“We haven’t met the bishop,” David said, glancing from his father to Elam.

“He’s a fine man.” Elam sat up tal er, but Levi grunted. Elam turned toward his son, then narrowed his brows and cut his eyes sharply at him. He turned back to David’s father. “He’s a bit strict, but a
gut
leader in our smal community.”

“We had a strict bishop in Lancaster County too,” David said as he glanced at his
daed
, who nodded.

“
Ya
, Bishop Ebersol was firm, but he was also a
gut
leader.”

David’s chest tightened at the mention of Lancaster County. He wondered how
Mammi
Sarah Jane was doing, and Noah and Carley, and Mary El en, Linda, and al his other relatives he’d been forced to leave behind.

EVERYONE RAVED ABOUT
Mamm’s
dressing. Everyone but Emily. She couldn’t bring herself to enhance her mother’s zestful spirit, something that Emily resented more with each passing day, as if nothing in their world had changed. Maybe nothing in
Mamm’s
world had changed, but it certainly had in Emily’s.

“Lil ian, these sweet potatoes are so
gut
. I must get your recipe.”
Mamm
took another bite of the candied yams.

Emily figured
Mamm
was secretly wondering if everyone liked Lil ian’s potatoes more than her dressing. Emily helped herself to more of the potatoes, intentional y bypassing a second helping of dressing. She tried to feel guilty about her attitude toward her mother, but nothing.

“Betsy, don’t you like turkey?” Lil ian eyed Betsy’s plate, fil ed with dressing, potatoes, candied yams, cranberries, green beans, and everything except for turkey and ham. “Anna and Elizabeth love turkey.” Lil ian looked at her plate piled high with turkey and giggled. “We al do.”

Emily liked Lil ian right away. She’d barely spoken to the woman, but there was something about her. David had said everyone loved Lil ian, and Emily could see why. Her smile made you want to smile along with her.

“I’m a vegetarian.” Betsy sat tal er, her expression serious.

Emily watched as Lil ian nodded. “I see.”

“Betsy is not a vegetarian.”
Mamm
put her ful fork down on her plate. “Betsy, get you some turkey or ham. You’ve always liked both.”

“Not anymore.” Betsy shook her head. “Not since I’ve turned vegetarian. Now I don’t eat meat. I wil have less chance of having coronary artery disease, gal stones, cancer . . .” Betsy took a deep breath and continued. “Particularly colon cancer, and kidney stones, and high blood pressure.”

Emily cupped her hand over her mouth, wondering if
Mamm
might pass out, then she glanced around the table.

Most were stifling a grin. Except for her mother and Levi.

“Betsy, you ain’t got a clue what you’re talking ’bout.” Levi frowned as he reached for another rol .

Mamm
forced a smile. “Betsy likes to read, and sometimes she takes things to heart.” She leaned toward Betsy who was seated on the bench to her right. “I’m sure Betsy wil be back to eating meat by the end of the week. Right, sweetheart?”

“No,
Mamm
. I’m done with al meat. It wil help keep my bowels regular, too, I reckon.”

Emily burst out laughing. Hard, gut-wrenching laughter that almost caused her to spew her food. Everyone looked shocked at her outburst—except for Lil ian, whose eyes were watering in her effort to control herself. But Emily wasn’t sure if Lil ian was tickled about Betsy or Emily’s inability to contain herself.

“Betsy!”
Mamm
said in a loud whisper. “What is wrong with you? That is not proper talk for the dinner table.”

Emily glanced at David. His eyes were wide as he glanced around the room, final y locking eyes with Emily. Embarrassment flooded over her. She looked down at her plate and pinched her lips together.

“I’m going to be a vegetable too!” Anna said proudly.

“VegeTARIAN.” Betsy shook her head. “Not a vegetable!”

Mamm
forced another smile, but Emily was sure that her mother was ready to yank Betsy from the table and cart her out to the woodpile for a spanking.

“That’s enough, Betsy. Eat your—your vegetables.”
Mamm
lowered her chin.

Emily glanced around the room again, her gaze landing on David last. Their eyes met for a long moment, then David winked at her. Slow. Intentional.

She felt her left eyelid wink in response, as if it had a mind of its own. She quickly looked away, unable to fathom why she would act in such a forward manner—so flirtatious, so completely unladylike, and in very poor taste.

And yet the way David smiled at her sent her heart to racing in a way she hadn’t felt since she was on her date with James, and her visions of that night plowed to the front of her mind. James had seemed like a good man too. How could she trust David? How could she trust anyone?

Emily excused herself from the table and rushed out of the room.

Seven

DAVID SILENTLY CHASTISED HIMSELF FOR WINKING AT Emily. He finished off the last of his turkey and dressing in one fork load, knowing he’d been the one to cause her to bolt from the table. However, she’d returned the gesture by winking back, which was confusing. Emily baffled him, for sure.

After the meal, al the men retired to the barn while the women gathered in the kitchen. His father and Elam each puffed on a cigar, something David only saw his
daed
partake in on holidays. Uncle Ivan, David, and Jacob stood near them, but Levi leaned against the far wal , one foot propped up behind him. David noticed him holding an inhaler and caught Levi glaring at him several times. It was quite clear that Levi didn’t like him, but David wondered if Levi liked anyone. He was a sour fel ow, unlike Jacob, who was always friendly. But today Jacob seemed antsy, and David suspected he was ready to head to Beth Ann’s house. He’d mentioned several times throughout the course of the day that he would be going there this afternoon.

David shivered along with the rest of the men inside the cold barn as they al stood around sharing jokes.

“I’ve got one,” David said as he recal ed a joke he’d heard in Lancaster County. “A man once asked God, ‘What’s a mil ion years to You?’ God said, ‘A second.’ Then the man asked God, ‘What’s a mil ion dol ars to You?’ God said, ‘A penny.’ The man asked God, ‘Can You do me a favor?’ God said,

‘Sure,’ so the man asked God, ‘Can You give me a penny?’” David smiled. “God said, ‘Sure. In a second.’”

They al laughed, and even Levi grinned.

Ivan was standing right beside David, across from the rest of the men, so David was pretty sure he was the only one who heard the vibration coming from Ivan’s pocket. He watched his uncle discretely reach into his pocket and silence the noise before excusing himself.
Why is
Onkel
Ivan carrying
around a cell phone?

None of David’s family had cel phones when they were in Lancaster County. He knew plenty of Amish folks who did, but mostly because their businesses required it. In some instances Bishop Ebersol had al owed it, but David had never known his uncle to need a cel phone.

EMILY CARRIED SEVERAL glasses to the kitchen. Her mother, Lil ian, and Katie Ann were chatting as she placed the glasses in the sink.

“Martha is her name,”
Mamm
said to Lil ian and Katie Ann. “She’s an
Englisch
woman who lives alone. Sometimes I take her homemade bread and such, so I thought I’d run her a plate of food later.”

“I’l do it,
Mamm,
” Emily said. Martha was the crankiest
Englisch
woman Emily had ever met, but it would get her out of the house. This sil y flirting and winking with David had her stomach upset. “I’l take Martha a plate.”

Her mother raised a brow. “Real y? Hmm. That surprises me, Emily. But al right.”

Lil ian straightened in her seat at the kitchen table.“Nonsense. We’d be glad to carry Martha a plate when we leave. There’s no need for Emily to have to hitch the horse to the buggy.”

“Or Ivan and I can drop off the food to your friend,” Katie Ann added.

“No, real y. I don’t mind.” Emily paused, hoping to sound convincing. “Besides,
Mamm
wil tel you, Martha is a bit, wel
.
.
. grouchy.”

“She’s right.”
Mamm
shook her head. “Martha is difficult sometimes. In the three short months we’ve known her, I don’t think the woman has ever smiled. She’s different than most folks around here,
Englisch
or Amish.”
Mamm
turned to face Emily. “That’s nice of you to offer, Emily.”

“I’l go ask Jacob to get the buggy ready.”

Emily excused herself, found Jacob, and told him that he could either hitch up a buggy for her or stop by Martha’s on his way to Beth Ann’s. He quickly agreed to hitch up both buggies. Luckily they had two covered buggies, or Jacob would have complained about having to take his topless courting buggy in this weather. No snow so far today, and even with the frigid temperatures, the sun shone brightly, and it seemed warmer than thirty-eight degrees. A drive would be good, clear her head.

“Here. This is for Martha.”
Mamm
handed Emily a bag when she walked back into the kitchen. She leaned closer to Emily and whispered, “I’m surprised you are offering to do this, Emily. It’s cold, and Martha isn’t the friendliest
.
..”
Mamm
twisted her mouth to one side. “Surely you don’t have other errands to run on Thanksgiving Day?”

“No. I just feel like going for a drive.” Emily shrugged.

“I suppose we should be leaving too, Vera.” Lil ian stood and hugged Emily’s mother. “
Danki
for having us. What a wonderful time we had.” Lil ian chuckled. “I can’t imagine having to cook the Thanksgiving meal in our kitchen.”

“Next year.”
Mamm
eased out of the hug. “I’m sure that by next year we’l have your new home in tip-top shape.”

“I hope so.” Lil ian grabbed a bag from the counter. “
Danki
also for sending home some leftovers.” She turned toward the den.“Anna, Elizabeth, are you ready to go?” Both girls were sitting with Betsy in the middle of the floor putting together a puzzle.

Katie Ann offered
Mamm
her thanks for the meal as David crossed through the den to the kitchen.

“We leaving?” David addressed the question to Lil ian, but quickly glanced in Emily’s direction.

“
Ya
. I reckon so.” Lil ian cal ed to her daughters one more time, then refocused on David. “It’s almost two thirty, and I know the girls are tired.” She smiled. “I’m a bit tired too. Can you go round up your father?”

David’s eyes once again shifted to Emily, but when she didn’t say anything, he looked back to Lil ian. “Sure.” He turned to walk out the door, but then hesitated and swung back around. “Emily, Jacob said you’re going for a drive, that you need to drop some food off for a neighbor.” He stuffed his hands inside his overcoat. “Think maybe I could get a ride, if it’s not too much trouble? Otherwise I’l have Anna or Elizabeth in my lap, and
Onkel
Ivan said the backseat of his buggy is fil ed with empty boxes.”