A Hopeful Heart (4 page)

T
rey followed Hannah through the mudroom to a large kitchen. A long wooden table sat
in the middle of the room and the warm scent of homemade bread filled his nostrils.
Corrine would’ve loved to have been in this Amish home with me!

“I’m finally home.” Hannah crossed the room to the table where a young boy with dark
hair and blue eyes sat smiling up at her. She mussed his hair and then pointed toward
where Trey stood in the doorway. “
Mei
freind
Mr. Peterson gave me a ride when he found me at the bus stop.”

A teenage girl with glasses and hair the same shade as Hannah’s, as well as Hannah’s
big green eyes, brought a large pot to the table and then gasped. “
Mamm!
What happened to you? You’re soaked.”

Hannah ran her hands over her apron. “I was drenched when a car drove through a puddle
at the bus stop.”

“You should go change.” The redhead gestured toward the doorway. “Go on. Amanda and
I will finish setting up for supper.”

Hannah turned to Trey and gave him a warm smile. “Please make yourself at home. I’ll
be right back.”

Amanda straightened the utensils at the far end of the table. “Come in, Mr. Peterson,
and have a seat.” She gestured toward the people around the room. “This is my brother,
Andrew, and my sister, Lillian. She’s my twin, but I’m five minutes older.”

Lillian rolled her eyes. “She likes to remind me of that every chance she gets.” Her
lips formed a tentative smile. “Welcome to our home.”

Although the teenagers were twins, they looked nothing alike. Besides the difference
in their coloring, Amanda was taller. Her arms were rail thin, and her face was also
slim. Lillian, on the other hand, seemed to take after her mother. Her face was rounder
and her arms weren’t as thin. But Lillian wasn’t overweight; she was more “normal”
looking, as Corrine used to say.

Amanda brought over a pitcher of water and gestured toward a man sitting at the head
of the table. “This is my uncle Joshua.”

“Nice to meet you.” Trey shook the man’s hand.

“
Ya.
” Joshua nodded, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes. He had the same dark hair and
blue eyes as Andrew.

Andrew patted the seat next to him. “You can sit by me.”

“Thanks.” Trey sank into the chair next to the boy. “What grade are you in?”

“Fifth.” Andrew nodded toward Lillian. “Lillian teaches in my school.”

“Really?” Trey looked over at Lillian. “You’re a teacher?”

“Not full-time.” Lillian brought drinking glasses to the table. “I’m hoping to become
a full-time teacher. I’m an assistant, so I work two days a week.”

Hannah entered the kitchen clad in a blue dress. “I feel so much better. That rain
was terrible.” She looked at Lillian. “Everything smells
appeditlich.
What can I bring to the table?”

Trey leaned over to Andrew. “What did your mom say about how everything smells?”

Andrew lowered his voice as if telling a juicy secret. “She said it’s delicious.”

“Thanks. I may need your help if she uses Amish words during supper.”

Andrew winked. “Don’t worry. I’ll help you.”

Trey chuckled to himself.

Amanda sank into a chair beside Trey and her sister sat across from her.

Hannah sat across the table from Trey. “Let’s give thanks.”

The family bowed their heads, and Trey followed suit. He waited for someone to say
a prayer. When the room remained silent, he looked up and found everyone sitting with
their eyes closed. Trey closed his eyes and silently thanked God for the opportunity
to eat supper with Hannah and her family. Soon a chair squeaked and utensils scraped
plates. Everyone seemed to talk at once. Andrew discussed school with Amanda while
Lillian asked Hannah about her day.

Trey smiled and filled his plate while listening to the conversations swirling around
him. It felt so good to be surrounded by a family again. He’d missed the conversations,
the confusion, and the happiness for so long. He added applesauce to his plate and
then looked over at Joshua and nodded a greeting.

Joshua returned the nod while chewing. “What do you do for a living?”

“I’m recently retired. I’ve worked in corporate finance at a bank for many years.”
Trey cut up his meat loaf while he spoke. “I’m relocating and want to open a bed and
breakfast.”

“Oh.” Joshua’s dark eyebrows knitted together as he frowned.

Trey shifted in his chair and wondered if Joshua thought he had overstepped his bounds
by staying to supper. Were Hannah and Joshua a couple? Had Trey given the wrong impression
by giving her a ride home?

“You’re opening a bed and breakfast?” Amanda’s eyes were wide with interest. “I talked
to a woman in the store yesterday who owns a bed and breakfast. She was telling me
that she has visitors come from as far away as California. Can you imagine traveling
from Pennsylvania to California? I’ve always wanted to go to California. I’ve heard
it never rains there.”

Lillian grimaced. “I think you’re talking about Southern California where it’s dry.
But it has to rain sometime or nothing would ever grow.”

“That’s true.” Amanda tapped her chin. “Anyway, I think it would be fun to own a bed
and breakfast and meet people from all over the country and maybe even the world.
This woman was telling me she even had a couple come visit from Canada. Wouldn’t it
be fun to talk to someone from Canada? I’d love to go there too.”

Lillian shrugged. “I guess so.”

Trey couldn’t stop his smile. The girls were as different as night and day.

“Where are you going to open your bed and breakfast?” Amanda buttered a piece of bread
and popped it in her mouth. “I imagine there are plenty of pretty houses around here
to consider,
ya
?”

“There are.” Trey described the three houses he’d visited and liked while Amanda listened
with her eyes still wide.

Hannah and her daughters discussed the pros and cons of the locations of each of the
homes with Trey while Joshua began a conversation about horses with Andrew.

When the women switched the topic to friends and relatives who lived near the homes
Trey had perused, Trey looked at Joshua. “You have horses?”

“
Ya.
” Joshua nodded while cutting up another piece of meat loaf.

“This is a horse farm.” Andrew took some bread from the basket in the center of the
table. “My
dat
and
onkel
Josh started it a long time ago.”

“That’s really interesting.” Trey sipped his water. “What kind of horses do you have?”

Andrew squinted while thinking. “Belgians, standards, Dutch Harness, and Dutch crosses.”
He turned to his uncle. “
Ya
?”

Joshua nodded again without smiling. “
Ya
, that’s right.”

“Do you sell them to private owners?” Trey wondered if Joshua was always like this
or if the unfriendliness was only directed at him.

“Mostly at auction, but a few to private owners.” Joshua spoke between bites.

“I bet it’s a lot of work.” Trey noticed a look pass between Joshua and Hannah, and
he wondered if he’d hit a nerve. “But I’m certain it’s a labor of love, right?”

“
Ya
, it is.” Joshua kept his eyes on his plate.

“My grandparents had horses. I used to love visiting them and helping my grandfather
in the stable.” Trey smiled at Hannah. “I’d love to see your horses sometime.”

“
Ya.
” Hannah looked at Andrew. “Maybe you can give Mr. Peterson a tour sometime.”

“I’d like that.” Andrew beamed.

Trey turned toward Joshua and found his frown deepening.
What’s with this guy?

Amanda reached for the bowl of applesauce. “What kind of horses did your grandparents
have?”

Trey told them about memories of his grandparents’ farm during the rest of the meal.

After dessert, Trey walked with Hannah to the porch. “That meal was delicious. Wait.
How do you say it in your language?”

She held a lantern. “
Appeditlich.
I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“Your daughters are wonderful cooks. That chocolate cake was delicious too.” He leaned
on the porch railing. “I really had a nice time. Thank you for inviting me. It’s been
a long time since I’ve had a good home-cooked meal.”

“It’s the least I could do after you rescued me from the wet bus stop.” Hannah gestured
toward the barns behind the house. “You’ll have to come back for a tour sometime when
it’s light out and not raining.”

Trey pulled his keys from his pocket and they jingled in response. “I’d like that.
You have a lovely family.” He wanted to ask her about Joshua’s unfriendliness, but
he knew he shouldn’t. He wondered if all Amish men were reserved. Perhaps it was part
of their culture.

“Thank you.” Hannah set down the lantern and then leaned against the railing. “Gideon
and I were blessed with wonderful children.” She looked out toward his car. “I guess
I’ll see you in the hallway when you lose your key.”

He chuckled. “I have a feeling that will happen again.” He held out his hand and she
shook it. “Thank you again. Have a good evening.”

“Good night.”

Trey jogged to his car and climbed in. He spent the ride
back to the hotel thinking about Hannah and her family and wondering if he’d ever
be able to be a part of a family like that again.

Josh stood inside, a little way from the open back door, and watched while Trey Peterson
and Hannah said good night. He gritted his teeth as Hannah smiled and laughed with
the man. If only Gideon could see her now. He would never approve of such behavior.
To make matters worse, Peterson studied Hannah with an intensity that had caused Josh’s
stomach to roil during supper. The
Englisher
hung on every word Hannah spoke. The whole situation was completely inappropriate
and made Josh very uncomfortable.

“
Onkel
Josh?” Andrew sidled up to him. “Do you want to go check on the animals with me before
you leave?”

“
Ya.
” Joshua tousled Andrew’s hair. “That’s a
gut
idea.” How he loved that boy. He loved all of Gideon’s precious children. “Let’s
head outside now before it gets any darker.” He turned to the girls, who were washing
dishes. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“
Gut
nacht
,” they called in unison.

Joshua grabbed a flashlight and followed Andrew out to the porch, where Hannah was
waving at Trey’s fancy car as it sped away down the driveway.

“Your
freind
was nice,
Mamm.
” Andrew walked over to his mom.

“
Ya
, he is nice.” Hannah smiled down at him. “I think he liked supper.” She turned to
Josh. “Are you two heading out to check on the animals?”

“
Ya.
” Josh motioned toward the porch steps. “Want to walk with us?”

“That sounds nice.” She picked up the lantern from the porch railing and followed
Andrew down the steps.

Armed with a smaller flashlight, Andrew ran ahead of them toward the row of barns.
Josh looked up and silently marveled at the clear sky and bright stars.

“It’s a
schee
night,” he said. “There’s no sign of the rain from earlier. Spring is upon us.”

“It’s warming up nicely during most afternoons, but it’s still cold at night.” Hannah
shivered and rubbed her hands over her arms. “I should’ve grabbed my sweater.”

Josh pointed back toward the house. “Would you like me to run in and get it?”

“Don’t be
gegisch.
” She rubbed her arms. “I’ll be okay.”

“I don’t mind at all.”

“
Danki
, but I’ll be fine.”

“I’ll go check the horses!” Andrew ran into the barn.

Josh started after his nephew and then stopped. He wanted to talk to Hannah about
Trey Peterson. He couldn’t stop wondering why she’d opened her home to a stranger.
He had to say something before his frustration devoured him.

He faced Hannah and found her eyebrows knitted together while she studied him. She
looked adorable with her ivory skin and green eyes shining in the light spilling out
from the lantern.

“Joshua?” She took a step toward him. “
Was
iss letz
?”

He paused while choosing his words carefully. Although seeing her talk and laugh with
the stranger upset him, he didn’t want to come at her with accusations and cause her
to be upset with him. He longed to draw her to him, not push her away. “I
was surprised that you brought home an
Englisher
for supper tonight.”

“I explained why he came home with me. I was soaking wet at a bus stop, and he stopped
out of pity. He gave me a ride home.”

“But why would you let a man you don’t even know give you a ride home? You could’ve
been hurt.”

“I could’ve been hurt?” Hannah tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“You don’t know him.” He enunciated the words as frustration boiled within him. “He’s
a hotel patron,
ya
?”

Hannah nodded.

“Therefore, you don’t really know him. He’s not even Amish, Hannah.” Josh shook his
head and wondered how he could get through to her. Was she blind? Didn’t she see Josh
cared about her? “I don’t understand why you would get in the car with Mr. Peterson
and invite him into your home to meet your family if you don’t really know him.”

Hannah frowned. “Amanda invited him to stay for supper. I thought it would be okay
since you were here.”

Josh studied her and contemplated how she felt about him. He thought it was obvious
he was worried about her and wanted to take care of her and the children. Would she
ever see what was right before her face?

“
Onkel
Josh!” Andrew jogged up beside him. “All of the horses are
gut.
I checked all of the barns.”

“
Wunderbaar.
” Josh placed his hand on Andrew’s shoulder. “You’re a
gut
helper.”