A Hope Springs Christmas (4 page)

What he wanted was for her to go home. The workshop was his sanctuary. How could it be a place of peace with Sarah in it? She disrupted everything, including his thinking.

He said, “Nothing I can’t handle.” Now maybe she would leave.

“I can at least clean up.” She turned around, grabbed a red rag from the box he kept them in and began straightening his workbench, moving his tools around and brushing at the bits of loose wood on the countertop.

He didn’t like people touching his stuff. “Don’t mess with my tools.”

She paid him no mind. “I’m not messing with them, I’m cleaning off your workspace.”

“Stop,” he pleaded.

She held up a lone drill bit. “Where does this go?”

“Take it home with you,” he snapped abruptly.

He shut his mouth in horror. He’d never spoken harshly to anyone.

Sarah stared at him for the longest moment and then chuckled with delight. “You are so amusing, Levi. And Grace told me you don’t have a sense of humor. Take it home with me, how funny. I’ll find where it goes. You get back to work and pretend I’m not even here.”

Like that was possible. He turned away before he said something he would surely regret.

She kept dusting. “I’ll have this cleaned up in no time. I remember how to do inventory, too. It won’t be long before the end of the year. Might as well get a jump on it. I’ll start on that when I’m done with this.”

“No need.” Inventory would take days. Days with Sarah underfoot wasn’t something he wanted to endure. He needed to be able to concentrate. She didn’t take the hint.

“I don’t mind. I’d forgotten how much I enjoy being out here. Don’t you love the smell of leather and wood? It’s comforting knowing that each piece on the walls around me has a place and a function. I’m glad I told Grace I would help. This place could use some sprucing up, though.”

Jonas had often said that Sarah had a one-track mind when she wanted to do something. Levi didn’t know how true that statement was until three hours later when she was using a long-handled broom and an overturned bucket to reach cobwebs that had hung from the rafters longer than she had been alive.

Unless he took her by the arm, led her to the door and locked it behind her, he was going to be stuck with Sarah until Grace returned.

Please, Lord, let Grace’s visit be a short one.

Levi drew a deep breath. It was almost lunchtime, and he hadn’t gotten nearly enough done. His eyes were constantly drawn to where Sarah was working.

He had orders to fill and much to do in the coming weeks. When there was snow on the ground, many Amish families brought their farm wagons and buggies in to be repaired while they used their sleighs. With Christmas less than a month away, he was sure to get swamped with work soon.

Moving to the carriage body he was working on, he studied the list of accessories Grace had written out for him to add. The buggy was for Daniel Hershberger’s new bride. The well-to-do businessman was sparing no expense for his wife’s buggy. As Levi marked out the wood for the extra-sturdy seats to be added, Sarah began humming a hymn. After a few bars, she began singing softly. She had a lovely voice, soothing and sweet.

Levi gripped his handsaw and drew it back and forth across the board. The sound blocked Sarah’s voice and he stopped.

She must have noticed because she asked, “Does my singing bother you?”

He looked toward her and found her watching him intently. “
Nee,
it’s nice.”

She gave him a sweet smile and went back to work, humming as she did so. Maybe having her around for a few weeks wouldn’t be so bad after all.

The outside door opened and Henry Zook walked in. He nodded to Sarah and crossed the room to stand in front of Levi. “I must speak with Grace. Is she about?”

Levi could feel his throat growing tight. This was not a conversation he wanted to have. He cast a speaking glance at Sarah. This was her doing. She would have to make it right.

Chapter Four

S
arah caught the look Levi darted at her. It was imploring, half-accusing. He clearly wanted her to take over the conversation with Henry. Instead, she retreated to his small office to give the men some privacy.

Yes, it was her fault that Grace had left town so quickly, but Levi needed his eyes opened to exactly how serious Henry was about Grace.

The office had four walls but no ceiling to separate it from the rest of the building. She had no trouble hearing their conversation.

“Please, Levi, I must to speak to Grace. It’s important.”

“You can’t.” Levi’s reply was barely audible.

“What do you mean, I can’t?”

“She’s gone.”

“Gone? Gone where?” Henry demanded.

“She took off with her handsome English boyfriend early this morning.” A new voice entered the conversation.

“
Ja,
he was driving a fine red car.”

Sarah was so startled to hear the voices of the twins that she leaned around the doorway to see where they were. She hadn’t heard them come in. How long had they been inside?

“Yup, bright red his car was,” Atlee agreed with his brother. “Took off with the tires throwing gravel every which way. Grace didn’t look none too sad to be leaving this place.”

They both sat on the seat of a wagon waiting for repairs with identical smirks on their faces. They elbowed each other with mirth.

Poor Henry. He looked from Levi to the twins with growing disbelief. “Grace would not do such a thing.”

The boys hooted with laughter. Moses said, “Proves you don’t know our sister as well as you think.”

Why didn’t Levi say something? Sarah was ready to intervene when Levi spoke at last. “Enough!”

The twins fell silent, but didn’t wipe the smiles off their faces. It was clear they didn’t think much of their sister’s suitor.

“Grace went to visit our grandmother.” Levi walked away from Henry as if the conversation was over.

Henry wasn’t about to leave without more of an explanation. He followed Levi into the office, forcing Sarah to back into the corner. “Grace never mentioned going out of town for a visit. Has your grandmother taken ill?”

“Nee,”
Levi replied and pulled open a drawer to search for something. Sarah found herself stuck in the small room with both men for there wasn’t enough room to get past them. They both ignored her.

Henry raked a hand through his thick blond hair. “Then I don’t understand. Why would she suddenly leave without letting me know? We had a disagreement, but I didn’t think she was that upset.”

Levi jerked a thumb in Sarah’s direction. “Ask her.”

Levi found the sheet of paper he was looking for and walked out of the office, leaving Sarah to face Henry alone. He waited for her to speak, confusion written across his face.

Sarah squared her shoulders and indicated the empty chair beside the desk. “Henry, sit down.”

He took a seat. “When is Grace coming back?”

“I’m not sure when she’ll be back.”

“But she will be back, right?” His eyes pleaded for confirmation.

“Of course. She needs some time to think things over without feeling pressured.”

He blew out a long breath. “I’m a
nah
. I shouldn’t have pushed so hard.”

Sarah smiled gently. “You are not a fool, Henry. You’re in love. You are impatient to be with her as a husband. That is only natural. Grace has many concerns, but she says that she loves you. If she is the woman God has chosen for you she is worth waiting for.”

“I could accept that if I knew how long she wants me to wait. She won’t set a date.”

He glanced over his shoulder and lowered his voice.
“I know she is worried that her family can’t manage without her. Can you convince her she has to start thinking about what is best for her?”

“That’s exactly what she is doing. If you love her, you must trust her. I suggest you write her and tell her how you feel.”

“I feel confused.”

Sarah gave him a sympathetic smile. “Do not fret. Things will work out. Now, go home and write Grace a long letter telling her how much you miss her, how sorry you are for your impatience and how you look forward to seeing her again.”

“I’m not all that good with words, Frau Wyse.”

“They are in your heart, Henry. Look for them there.”

He nodded and rose to his feet. “
Danki.
I will do that.”

When he left, she walked out into the area where Levi and the twins were putting the top on a buggy. When they had it set in place and bolted on, she said, “I have chicken stew simmering at my house. Levi, if you don’t have other plans you are welcome to eat with me for I know Grace usually does all the cooking.”

The twins rushed toward her. “We’re starving,” they said, together.

She held up a hand to stop them. “Psalm 101:7.
He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight
.”

The boys looked at each other. “What does that mean?” Moses asked.

Levi walked by with a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. “It means you’re on your own for lunch.
Danki,
Sarah. I’ll be happy to break bread in your home.”

“But we were only teasing Henry,” Atlee insisted.

“
Ja,
it was a joke,” Moses added.

“It was cruel, and you took pleasure in his discomfort. But I forgive you, and I’m sure Henry will, too, when you ask him.” She turned to follow Levi out the door.

“So we can eat with you?” Moses called after her.

Sarah paused at the door and looked back at their hopeful faces. She smiled at them. “No.”

Their shocked expressions were priceless. She softly closed the door behind her.

* * *

Levi opened Sarah’s front door and allowed her to go in ahead of him. The mouthwatering smell of stewing chicken and vegetables made his stomach grumble. His poor breakfast had been hours ago.

Sarah said, “You can wash up at the sink. It will only take a few minutes to get things ready. Are you upset that I refused to feed the twins?”

His family never asked him if their actions were upsetting. He wasn’t sure what answer Sarah wanted to hear. He chose, hoping for the best.
“Nee.”

“I’m glad. I don’t want you to think that I intended to discipline them without asking your permission. I simply wanted to make it clear to them that actions have consequences. They were intentionally unkind to Henry.”

He turned on the water and picked up a bar of soap from the dish. As he washed his hands, the scent of lavender mingled with the delicious smell of the cooking meal. He held the bar close to his nose. It smelled like Sarah, clean, fresh, springlike.

He put the soap down and quickly rinsed his hands. He dried them on a soft white towel hanging from a rod on the end of the counter. It didn’t feel right using her things.

When he turned around, Sarah was staring at him. She asked, “You do understand, don’t you?”

He hadn’t been listening. “What?”

“Why I told the twins they couldn’t eat here.”

“Sure.”

She waited, as if she expected him to say something else. Nothing occurred to him. He slipped his hands in the front pockets of his pants. Could he feel more awkward? Not likely.

Nodding, she said, “
Goot.
Sit.”

She indicated the chair at the head of the table. Jonas’s place. Okay, that was going to feel more awkward.

Levi pulled his hands from his pockets and took a seat. Sarah moved around the kitchen, gathering plates and silverware. He rubbed his hands on the tops of his thighs. He was hungry, but he hadn’t realized how intimate it would feel eating alone with Sarah. They weren’t doing anything wrong. He knew that, but being this close to her set his nerve endings buzzing like angry bees.

Even sitting in this chair felt wrong. It was Jonas’s chair. It didn’t matter that Jonas was gone. It didn’t seem right to take the place that was once his. Memories of their last hours together poured into Levi’s mind.

He could hear Jonas’s hoarse whisper as plainly as if they were back in the upstairs bedroom before his death.

“Watch over Sarah when I’m gone, Levi. Promise me you’ll watch over her until she decides to remarry.”

“You’ll get better.”

“
Nee,
my time is up, my friend. God calls me home. I want Sarah to find happiness with someone again, though I pray she doesn’t remarry in haste. I know women who have and regretted their decision.”

“Sarah was wise enough to choose you in the first place. She’ll be fine.”

“You know my Sarah well. I’d rest easier knowing she loved someone strong, from a good family, with a fine farm or business. Promise me you’ll watch over her until she meets him, Levi. Promise me this. It’s all I ask of you.”

Sarah set a glass of fresh milk on the table, jarring Levi’s mind out of the past. He picked up the glass and took a long drink. Her gaze remained focused on his arm.

He stopped drinking. “What?”

“I can mend that rip in your sleeve right quick if you’ll slip your shirt off.”

He turned his arm trying to see what she was talking about and splashed milk out of his glass in the process. Embarrassed, he looked for something to clean it up with. She was quicker, placing a kitchen towel over the puddle and trying hard not to laugh. Why was he so clumsy when she was around?

“Sorry,” he muttered.

“Don’t worry about it. Accidents happen. Shall I fix your sleeve?”

He didn’t care if his entire arm was hanging out of his clothes. He wasn’t about to take his shirt off in front of her. He muttered, “Grace will fix it later.”

“All right.” Sarah then carried a steaming black kettle to the table and placed it in front of him. She returned a few seconds later with a plate of freshly sliced home-baked bread and a tub of butter, setting them within his reach. She took her seat and bowed her head.

Levi did the same and silently said the prayers he dutifully prayed before every meal. When he was finished, he looked up and waited. Sarah kept her eyes closed, her hands clasped. He cleared his throat. She took it as the sign the prayer was finished. Looking up, she smiled at him and began ladling steaming pieces of chicken and vegetables into his bowl.

She was so pretty when she smiled. It did funny things to his insides.

She said, “I hope you like this. It was one of Jonas’s favorites. The recipe belonged to his mother.”

Levi suddenly found his appetite had fled. He laid his spoon down

Sarah’s eyes filled with concern. “Is something wrong?”

“This is Jonas’s place, his chair. I shouldn’t be here.”

“Levi,” Sarah said gently, “I miss him, too, but his place is with God in heaven. You are free to sit in any chair in this home. You were Jonas’s friend, and I hope you are my friend, too. He would welcome your company as I do. I know you were very fond of him.”

He had been more than fond of Jonas. He had loved Jonas like a brother. When Jonas gave him a job, Levi had no idea what a great friend and mentor Jonas would become. All these things ran through his mind, but he had no idea how to tell Sarah what Jonas meant to him.

She patted his arm. “It’s okay. He was fond of you, too. He would like it that you have come to eat at his table. He would be upset that I haven’t invited you sooner. Now eat, or your food will get cold.”

Levi nodded. He was here for a meal and nothing more. He wasn’t here to try and replace Jonas. He could never fill those shoes.

After eating in silence for a few minutes, he said, “You should give Grace this recipe. It’s a whole lot better than her chicken stew.”

Sarah laughed. Levi felt his face grow red. Had he said something stupid? Once again she touched his arm. It was as if touching came easily to her. It wasn’t that way with him. He felt the warmth of her hand even through the sleeve of his shirt. It spread to the center of his chest and pooled there.

She chuckled and said, “I have given this recipe to Grace. She has assured me that everyone in the family enjoyed it. Maybe what she needs is a few cooking lessons.”

She wasn’t laughing at him. Levi was able to smile, too. “She needs more than a few. Her biscuits are as heavy as stones.”

He fell silent again.

Sarah said, “I hope you’ve saved room for some peach pie. I made it last night.”

“Peach is my favorite.”

“Mine, too.” She smiled warmly at him.

They finished the rest of the meal in companionable silence. When he was done, Sarah rose and began gathering up the dishes. “I’ll bring the rest of the stew to your house this evening. I’m sure the twins will be even hungrier by supper time.”

He pushed back the chair and stood. “The meal was
ser
goot
, but I must get back to work.”

“I will be over as soon as I finish these dishes. Is there anything special you need me to do?”

He shook his head, but then changed his mind. “If customers come in, I would appreciate your help finding out what they want so I don’t have to stop work each time.”

“I can do that. I’ll keep watch out the window while I finish up here. If I see anyone I’ll come right over.”

Levi nodded his thanks and walked out the door.

* * *

Sarah watched him go with a strange sense of loss. There hadn’t been a man at the head of her table since Jonas’s passing. While it felt odd, it also seemed right that Jonas’s best friend should have been the one sitting in his place. He’d been like a little brother to her husband. Levi grieved for Jonas as strongly as she did.

Since Jonas’s passing, she often felt that Levi was avoiding her. Maybe it wasn’t because he disapproved of her. Maybe it was simply that she reminded him too much of his loss.

Sarah shook off the sadness that threatened to bring tears to her eyes and instead concentrated on a plan to see which one of her single friends might be right for Levi, and most important, how to get them together.

It wasn’t like Levi was going to attend the singings or gathering that were held on Saturday and Sunday evenings so the young people of the community could mingle and met potential mates. He was past that age and so were the women she had in mind for him.