The Way to a Man's Heart (The Miller Family 3) (13 page)

April cocked her head to one side. “Yeah, right. Anyway, I’m pleased as punch you said yes.”

Leah walked to the large coffeemaker. “Please don’t make a big deal out of this. Jonah Byler thinks I’m rude and incompetent. I need to take him this coffee to try to make up for my forgetfulness.” She filled a Styrofoam cup, added the cream and sugar she knew he favored, and snapped on a lid. On the way out she whispered,
“Danki,
April. I owe you one.”

“Just don’t spill that coffee on him, and I’ll take the one you owe out in pie.”

Jonah was standing where she’d left him with his heavy-lidded and dreamy eyes. She set the cup on the counter to make sure their fingers didn’t touch. His effect on her was unnerving.

“She said
jah
.” The words sounded hoarse but recognizable. Clearing her throat, she said, “I’ll ask Matthew to pick me up here at the diner on his way to the sale.” She pushed the to-go cup toward him. “This is on the house for your ride home.”

Jonah picked up the coffee and headed for the door. “I look forward to the auction even more than my next slice of Peach Parfait Supreme.”

How can he do that? How can he say the most outrageous things as calmly as asking for the time of day?

When Matthew arrived home from work that day he was hot, hungry, and tired. Cooling off in the pond took care of the first problem, and his dinner warming in the oven would take care of the second, but sleep would have to wait until after evening chores. He’d been expecting to find
mamm
in the kitchen, but Leah sat at the table instead, sipping tea.

“Guder nachmittag,”
she said. “Your supper’s ready. I’ll get your cucumbers and pickled beets from the fridge.”

“Danki.
I’m hungry enough to eat a bear.” He slid into his chair and tucked his napkin into his collar. When his sister set a plate of fried chicken down before him, he began to gobble his meal without his table manners as he was the only one eating.

Surprisingly, his
schwestern
sat back down with him. “You don’t have to stay while I eat, Leah. I promise I won’t choke to death on a chicken bone.” He dabbed his mouth with his napkin.

“I need to talk to you. That’s why I waited.”

“No, I will not gather eggs for you. You can’t give all your chores to Henry and me just because you’ve got a job.”

Leah pulled a face. “Henry already gathered the eggs. This has nothing to do with the henhouse.”

“What then?” he asked between forkfuls of mashed potatoes and chicken.

“May I go with you to the summer draft horse sale on Saturday? That is, if you’re planning on going.” She looked him straight in the eye.

He nearly choked on a piece of chicken after all. He set down his fork. “Am I hearing things? You want to go to the Mount Hope auction?

She nodded.

“Leah, only horses will be there. And flies. And you know how your allergies flare up when you’re around all that animal dander.”

“My boss is bringing me over-the-counter antihistamines tomorrow. She said if I take two every four hours I should be able to tolerate the beasts.”

Matthew ate some cucumber salad. “The big question is why would you want to? Your buggy horse is well trained and gentle as a lamb. You won’t find anything better than your gelding. ’Sides, they’ll be selling working draft horses that day, not buggy horses.”

Leah rolled her eyes. “I’m not looking to buy a horse. Will you please let me finish?”

“Sure, but while you’re finishing could you pour me something to drink?”

Leah went to the fridge while saying, “I have a new business acquaintance from Wisconsin who needs a pair of draft horses. He heard from April that you know a thing or two about horses and so he would like your advice on which to bid on.” She set down a glass of lemonade in front of him.

Matthew continued to watch her over his chicken leg. “And…” he prompted.

“And what?” she asked.

“Why would
you
go to the auction if your business acquaintance wants to buy a team?”

“He doesn’t know you. There will probably be dozens of people there. How would he pick you out in the crowd?”

Matthew finished the bowl of mashed potatoes. “Most likely there will be hundreds of people there, but you could always give him an exact time and location to meet me. I’d be happy to help the guy find the best stock for his money.” This was very unlike his sister. Leah didn’t have a devious bone in her body, but she was behaving strangely.

“I want to go because he asked me to come too,” she said simply.

He was tired after dancing around the head trainer all day, so he chose not to pursue this further. “Okay, Leah, if I can get time off work, I’ll pick you up at eleven o’clock at the diner. It’s on my way to the auction anyway.”

“Danki,”
she said, kissing the top of his head before running up the stairs.

The gesture was also unlike Leah, causing more curiosity on his part regarding this “business acquaintance.”

But that question would have to wait until Saturday.

Reluctantly, Jeff Andrews gave him the day off when Matthew asked him on Friday. On Saturday morning he hurried through chores and then helped Henry with his before jumping into the shower. He had just enough time to pick up Leah before the horse sale. He liked to carefully inspect the stock prior to the bidding to form his own opinions.

Leah ran down the diner steps the moment he pulled into the parking lot. She looked different somehow. “That isn’t the same dress you had on this morning, is it?” he asked as she climbed into the buggy.

“No, I changed after the breakfast rush.” She smoothed down her skirt and began rubbing lotion onto her hands.

“Why would you put on a nice dress to come to an auction? It’s just dusty old barns, dusty bleachers to watch the promenade, and dusty parking lots. I think you have the wrong idea of what this will be like.”

She slanted him a glance. “I know exactly what it will be like.”

“Okay, then tell me about your business acquaintance—the key to this mystery. He has to be the reason you’re coming to a horse sale.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She stared off at the passing scenery.

“Come on, Leah. I’m not stupid. You can tell me if you like this guy. I won’t run and tell
daed.”

She pursed her lips. “There’s not much to tell. I think I like him, but it’s too soon to say for sure.”

“That figures! My younger sister is going to start courting before I do.” He shook the reins and the gelding picked up his pace.

“Nothing is stopping you. You could always work up your courage and ask Martha if you could take her home from a singing.” Leah made a clucking sound exactly like a hen.

He laughed in spite of himself. “I am a chicken. But who told you I have my eye on Martha Hostetler?”

She swatted his arm. “Nobody did, but I have seen you staring at her at preaching services.”

He felt color rise up his neck into his face. “I’m that obvious? Do you think she’s noticed?”

“I’m pretty sure she has.”

He thought his case of mortification might be fatal. “Oh, great. I’ve probably scared her off.”

“I don’t think so. The few times you weren’t staring at her, I noticed her watching you.” Leah pinched his forearm.

Matthew felt momentarily dizzy. “Don’t tease me, Leah. That’s not right.”

“I’m not. I’m perfectly serious. Why wouldn’t Martha be interested in you? You’re handsome and nice, most of the time, and you’re a hard worker.”

He looked at his sister from the corner of his eye to make sure she wasn’t joking. She seemed earnest. “So you think I should ask to take her home sometime?”

“Jah,
before someone else does. She’s not going to wait for you forever, Matthew Miller.”

He chewed on that thought for the short ride into Mount Hope. They joined a long queue of buggies entering the tie-up area beyond the auction barns. While Matthew watched the horses being paraded around the grounds in hopes of catching the eye of buyers, Leah almost fell out of the buggy craning her neck. She appeared to be searching the crowd for her business associate.

And something told Matthew this acquaintance, looking to replace the family team, wouldn’t be the elderly
dawdi
-type.

“My goodness. There he is.” Leah raised her hand in a little wave. She’d seen Jonah mainly because he was a head taller than everyone else. He was wearing black trousers and his black felt hat, but at least his shirt wasn’t Sunday best. She hadn’t been the only one to overdress for the occasion.

When he spotted them, he began pushing his way through the crowd. Matthew had been right about the large number of attendees at the summer auction.

“Hi, Leah,” Jonah said when he reached them. “That is a very nice dress. I don’t think I’ve seen that one before.”

“You haven’t,” she said abruptly. “Jonah, this is my
bruder
Matthew. He’ll help you pick out some decent teams to bid on. You can ask him as many questions as you like.”

Jonah turned toward her
bruder.
“Hi, I’m Jonah Byler.”

“Matthew Miller, as you heard. Please to meet ya.” The two men shook hands. “Let’s go get programs. That’ll tell us what’s up for sale today and what kind of lineage the horses come from. It’ll also explain what kind of trainin’ each horse has had, if it’s young, and how it has been worked if it’s not.”

“Sounds like a good place to start,” Jonah said. “I don’t suppose they’d be nice enough to indicate at what price the bidding will start.”

Matthew scratched his chin. “That would be nice, wouldn’t it? But what would really be helpful is an idea how high the bidding will go. So we’re not waiting around till midnight for horses we can’t afford anyway.”

The two men laughed like old friends.

Leah interrupted them with, “Until midnight? This horse sale might go that late?” She didn’t think she had enough antihistamines to last until the wee hours.

They turned toward her—Jonah looked indulgent, but her
bruder
already looked peeved.
“Jah,
it usually goes well past midnight. There are a lot of horses to sell. What did you expect, Leah? It would be over in a couple hours and then we’d all go for coffee and pie?”

Leah fumed inside. “Well…
jah.”

Both men laughed again. “Don’t worry yourself,” said Jonah. “Maybe the pair that catches my eye will be one of the first sold.”

“Don’t count on it,” said Matthew. “They love to get rid of the duds early on to newbies who don’t know any better.” To his sister he said, “When you get tired, you can rest in the buggy. I threw one of
mamm’s
old quilts in there for you.” Matthew stretched on tiptoes to scan the grounds. “Let’s go register and get programs. I’ll take a buyer’s number too in case I see something I can’t resist bidding on. Follow me, Jonah. Keep up, Leah. Don’t get separated from us in the crowd.” He began walking toward the office, where people milled in groups outside the door.

“You can hang on to my arm if you like,” Jonah whispered to her. “This is a lot more commotion than I expected.”