The Wonder of Your Love (A Land of Canaan Novel) (15 page)

Martha pointed a finger at her friend. “No, I haven’t. And don’t you tell him either. He’d feel obligated to come, and I don’t want that. If the man loved me enough, he would have already moved here to be with me.”

Katie Ann blew her nose, which was as red as Martha’s fingernail polish. “That’s not true. Arnold just said he wanted to get to know his relatives again. He’s invited you there several times and asked if he could come here. You always say no.”

“Because saying good-bye is just too hard.” She raised her chin. “I don’t want to talk about Arnold.” She cut her eyes at Katie Ann. “But you’d better not tell him about my diagnosis or I will be very upset with you.”

“I think he needs to know.”

“Katie Ann, do you hear me?” Martha raised her voice.

“Ya.”

They were quiet for a few moments. Then Katie Ann reached for Martha’s hand and squeezed. “I will be there with you for everything.”

Martha returned the squeeze. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

They were quiet again, and Katie Ann fought tears. She knew she needed to be strong for Martha. In the past, Martha had been a hypochondriac, but Katie Ann always knew that her friend just sought attention and love. But this was different. If she was having surgery, her condition was serious, and the thought of anything happening to Martha terrified her.

“Eli is coming to fix my roof tomorrow night,” she finally said.

Martha smiled as she leaned over and pulled Jonas from his carrier. “Is he now?”

“Don’t presume anything, but I am making supper for him for his efforts.”

Martha rocked Jonas as she spoke. “Well, I’m not coming for supper tomorrow night, so the two of you can have some time alone together.”

Images of the kiss flashed through Katie Ann’s mind. “No, Martha. You
must
come.”

“No.”

“But . . . I need you here. You’re here most nights for supper, and especially tomorrow night—”

“No. I’m not coming. I’m sick, Katie Ann. I can’t come over here every single night.”

Katie Ann frowned. “Are you sure you’re not just saying that so that I’ll be forced to be alone with Eli?”

Martha handed Jonas to Katie Ann and shook her head.

“It’s not all about you right now, Katie Ann. It’s about me. I’m sick.”

“Of course, I know that.” Katie Ann elbowed her gently. “But how do you know you’ll feel bad tomorrow night?”

“Because I feel bad now.” Martha let out a heavy sigh. “Meatloaf is not my favorite. Gives me gas.” She turned to Katie Ann. “You know that, and I don’t know why you still make it.”

Katie Ann cradled Jonas as she followed Martha to the door. She waited until she pulled her coat on to give her a sideways hug so she didn’t squash Jonas. “I love you, Martha. And I know everything is going to be fine.”

“I love you too. I guess all we can do is pray.”

Katie Ann watched Martha leave, knowing that praying wasn’t all she would do. First thing in the morning, there was something else she was going to do. Whether Martha liked it or not.

Eight

K
ATIE
A
NN VISITED
L
ILLIAN
W
EDNESDAY
M
ORNING
and told her the news about Martha.

“Can you watch Jonas for a few minutes while I go to the barn and make a phone call?” she asked. She felt inside her apron pocket to make sure she’d brought the number.

“Of course. And you’re doing the right thing.”

“I’ll be right back.” She buttoned her long black coat and stepped outside, expecting a burst of cool air, but just in the hour since she’d been at Lillian’s, the sun had peeked over the mountains and tricked their part of the world into thinking it was warmer than it really was.

She traipsed across the snow to the barn, knowing Martha would be furious with her.

“Hello, Dash,” she said quietly, pleased to see the cat curled atop the quilt. He opened his green eyes and squinted in her direction. She moved slowly, picking up the empty container she’d left on her prior visit. “You must like scrapple after all, no?” She stood up, surprised Dash hadn’t held to his name and sprinted around the corner. She squatted down and eased a bit closer. The cat’s ears went back, and his tail took the shape of a bottle brush. “It’s all right, boy.”

She leaned closer, earning a small hiss from her new friend, and noticed Dash’s protruding belly. “Oh my. I guess I will have to call you
Mrs
. Dash.” Katie Ann reached out her hand. “When are you due, little mama?”

Mrs. Dash made her escape faster than in the past, disappearing around the corner. Katie Ann suddenly wondered if there was a Mr. Dash anywhere.

It’s hard to raise
kinner
on your own, girl
.

She made her way to the phone on Samuel’s workbench and dialed Arnold’s number. He answered on the second ring.

“Hello, Arnold. This is Katie Ann Stoltzfus calling.”

“Is Martha all right?” he asked at once.

Katie Ann could hear the concern in his voice. “
Ya
, she’s fine, Arnold.” She paused. “But . . . she’s . . . well, she’s going to be having some surgery soon, and I thought you would want to know.”

“I’ll come right now. Thank you, Katie Ann.”

“Wait . . . I mean, maybe you should wait until the week after Thanksgiving.”

Katie Ann smiled at Arnold’s reaction. She’d prayed hard about whether or not to tell him, despite Martha’s wishes, but she felt called to let him know. She knew he still loved Martha.

“She’s having the surgery the week after Thanksgiving. I can call you when I know the details.”

“What’s wrong with my Martha, Katie Ann? How serious is it?”

Katie Ann took a deep breath and blinked back tears. “I think it’s serious. She has a tumor in her stomach that has to be removed.”

“Oh no. Oh no.”

Katie Ann could hear the elderly man’s voice breaking up.

“But let’s don’t worry too much just yet. You know Martha. She’s as tough as they come, and I’m sure everything will be fine.”

“Please call me the minute the surgery is scheduled. Are you sure I shouldn’t come now to be with her?”

“No.” Katie Ann brought a hand to her chest. “Actually, Martha doesn’t even know I’m calling you. She would be very angry with me. I don’t think she wants to worry you.”

“I’ve begged her to let me come visit her, or for her to come here. Surely that woman knows how much I love her.”

Katie Ann wasn’t sure if it was her place to comment, but she’d been as curious as Martha about why Arnold hadn’t moved back here. “I think, Arnold, that since you made a decision to stay in Georgia . . . well . . .”

“I had to stay. At least for a while. It’s a long story. But I will be there as soon as you tell me to be.”

Katie Ann smiled. “I know you will. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving next week, Arnold. And I will call you back as soon as I have the details.”

After she hung up the phone, she peeked around the corner. No Mrs. Dash. She reached into her pocket and left some scraps of bacon in the container, then went back to Lillian’s. She’d never wanted to tell anyone anything as badly as she wanted to tell Lillian about Eli’s kiss, but she knew she couldn’t. It was inappropriate, and she was much too embarrassed. But she did tell her that Eli was coming to repair her roof and that she was making supper for him.

Lillian stomped a foot before she went to the sink to wash her hands. “I told Samuel that he needed to go back and fix that roof correctly!” She joined Katie Ann at the kitchen table and grinned. “But I guess it’s a
gut
thing he never got around to it.”

“No matchmaking, Lillian.”

Lillian pouted. “Why not? He’s perfect for you.”

“No. He’s not. And I’m even less perfect for him. Eli has big plans to travel and do all the things he couldn’t do while he was raising six
kinner
on his own.” She picked up Jonas’s carrier. “I’m heading home. I have much cleaning to do.
Danki
for watching Jonas.”

“I love watching the
boppli
.” Lillian snapped her finger.

“
Ach
, I’ve been meaning to ask you—have you seen a big black cat in the barn lately? That thing scared the daylights out of me the other day when I went to collect eggs.”

“You mean Mrs. Dash.” Katie Ann grinned.

“Mrs. Dash?” Lillian frowned. “You’ve named that poor animal after a spice?”

Katie Ann shifted Jonas’s carrier from one hand to the other.

“A spice? What do you mean?”

Lillian walked to the kitchen cabinet, pulled out a yellow container, and pointed to the name. “Mrs. Dash is a combination of different spices.”

Laughing, Katie Ann said, “Why do you buy those storebought spices when you can get fresh herbs at the market in Alamosa?”

“This is easier.”

“No matter. Next year I think we should have our own herb garden.”

Ignoring the comment, Lillian cocked her head to one side. “That cat is solid black. Bad luck.” She crinkled her nose as she shook her head. “Don’t let it run across your path.” She pointed to Jonas. “And don’t let it near Jonas. I already told the girls not to go near it. It hisses and balls itself up like a porcupine! And he—or
she
—is big!”

Katie Ann knew most of her people were superstitious, a part of their upbringing that had clearly rubbed off on Lillian. “That’s rubbish,” she said. “Mrs. Dash isn’t bad luck. And she’s big because she’s pregnant.”

“Oh.” Lillian twisted her mouth from one side to the other. “Hmm . . . maybe that’s why she’s so skittish.”

“Maybe.” Katie Ann walked toward the door as Lillian followed.

“What did Arnold say? How did he take the news about Martha?”

Katie Ann smiled. “He was ready to leave right this very minute to come and be with her. I told him to wait until the week of the surgery, after Thanksgiving.” She cringed. “Martha is going to be so mad at me.”

Lillian put her hand on Katie Ann’s shoulder. “Martha gets mad about a lot of things, but you were right to call Arnold. I’m glad he’s coming.”

IT WAS TWO
o’clock in the afternoon when Eli loaded up his cousin’s buggy with tools and headed to Katie Ann’s. When he pulled up the driveway, she was carrying firewood from the barn to the house.

Eli hurried from the buggy and tethered the horse. “Wait! Let me help you with that.” He ran toward her and pulled three small logs from her arms. “You should have waited for me to get here.”

“Eli Detweiler, I am perfectly capable of carrying a few logs.” She turned his way and smiled. “But
danki
.”

Once inside, Eli placed the logs in the carrier by the fireplace. Katie Ann already had a small fire going. “It smells
gut
in here,” he said.

“I’m slow-cooking a stew.”

“Well, I’d better get to work then. Elam sent along just about every tool he had, along with some extra shingles he had left over from when they reroofed their house last year, so I’m sure I can get your leak fixed. I just need a ladder.”

“In the barn. Do you need anything else?”