Finding the Way (The Amish Millers Get Married Book 5) (9 page)

“It’s so kind of people to donate so many
things,” she said. “This mud sale should raise a lot of money.”

Benjamin agreed. “It’s needed; the fire
trucks need updating, and the building is quite old; they want to
replace it as soon as they can.”

Just then a rowdy group of
Englischer
teenagers ran past them, knocking Sarah over. They didn’t stop, but
disappeared into the crowd. Benjamin helped her to her feet, and
held onto her arms, his face full of concern. “Are you hurt?”

Sarah shook her head. “
Nee
, just
shaken up. What happened?”

“I’m not sure; it happened so fast. Are you
sure you’re okay? You’re trembling.”

Sarah was, in fact, trembling because of
Benjamin’s close proximity to her. “Sorry.”

“What for?” Benjamin finally released her
arms.

“You’re always helping me up.”

Benjamin smiled warmly. “I’m not
complaining.”

Is he flirting with me?
Sarah
wondered.
I don’t understand him. He acts if he likes me, but he
never follows through
.

Benjamin took Sarah’s arm, which sent tingles
coursing through her and set off what felt like a thousand
butterflies to flight in her stomach. “You’re still shaking; you’d
better sit down.” He looked around and then pointed, “Over
there.”

A sign, “Chicken corn soup take outs and
chicken pot pie,” hung from a small, beige painted wooden building
with a gray tiled roof. Visitors streamed in and out.

Sarah went to walk but her ankle gave way
under her, and she would have fallen again if not for Benjamin
seizing her around her waist. His muscular arm around her waist set
Sarah off into a fresh bout of trembling.

Benjamin appeared alarmed. “I’ll fetch a
doktor
.”

Sarah hurried to reassure him. “
Nee
,
nee
, Benjamin, I’m all right. I can walk I think, slowly. I
must’ve just twisted it when I fell.”
I can hardly tell Benjamin
that he’s the one making me tremble
, she thought,
and no
doktor can fix that
.

With Benjamin’s hand on her arm, Sarah walked
slowly to the building. They managed to find a little, vacant table
pushed up against the far corner, with two seats, which they
quickly claimed. “How is your foot now?” Benjamin asked.

“Better now that I’m sitting down. It will be
all right, I’m sure.” Sarah was grateful for Benjamin’s concern.
He would make a wonderful husband
, she thought, and then
silently chided herself for thinking such a thing.

Benjamin went away to see what food was on
offer, and then soon returned. “There’s chicken corn soup, chicken
pot pie, pretzel log rolls, and you can have the pretzel stuffed
with ham, roast beef, or sausage, with cheese. Oh, I forgot the
rest. I’ll be right back.”

Sarah smiled at him. “
Nee
, that’s
fine. Would you get me a pretzel stuffed with sausage, please and a
hot tea with sugar, no cream?” Sarah opened her purse but Benjamin
waved his hand at her.

“
Nee
,
nee
, allow me.”

“
Denki
, Benjamin.”
Oh why doesn’t
he like me
, she lamented, watching Benjamin’s back depart.

Benjamin returned with the food, and the two
enjoyed easy conversation for a while. “How is your ankle now?” he
asked when they had finished their meal.

Sarah stood up to test it. “A little sore,
but it’s taking my weight fine now.”

Benjamin nodded. “
Gut
. Well, we must
be getting you back to Mrs. Miller.”

Sarah and Benjamin walked away, slowly, Sarah
downcast that her time with Benjamin was drawing to a close.

Before they reached the fire hall, Benjamin
stopped walking, so Sarah did the same. “I’ve enjoyed this time
with you, today, Sarah.”

Sarah smiled, encouraged by his words. “I
have too, Benjamin,” she said shyly.

He smiled tenderly, and then continued
walking.

That night, Sarah lay in bed, watching the
rain fall through the window. She jumped as a lightning flash
lighted up the night sky, and then jumped again when it was
followed soon after by a deafening crack of thunder.
I hope the
lightning doesn’t strike anything
, she thought.

Sarah was glad the rain had not fallen
earlier that day and ruined her time with Benjamin. Yet what good
had that time alone done her? Benjamin was attentive and sweet, but
it seemed he did not want to court her. He had certainly made no
move to do so and he had certainly had every opportunity.

Colossians 3:12-15.

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and
beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and
patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint
against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven
you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love,
which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the
peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were
called in one body. And be thankful.

Chapter
17

Sarah had spent a restless night thinking
about Benjamin. She had, in fact, spent many a restless night
thinking about Benjamin, but this time it was different.

Benjamin had been acting like he was
attracted to her, and he had asked her if she was pleased that he
was staying. Yet he had still not asked her on a buggy ride, even
after their time alone together at the mud sale, not to mention the
little café earlier. Why? That was the question that had kept Sarah
awake most of the night. Did Benjamin have another girl? If he was
staying in the community, then it followed that any such girl would
likely be in the community. And while it was common for courting
couples to keep their courtships secret, Sarah was sure she would
have heard whispers if indeed Benjamin was dating a girl from the
community. This community was not too good with secrets, unlike her
community.

Sarah had spent the morning helping at
Hannah’s
haus
, and returned after lunch. She was unprepared
for the shock that awaited her. There were three people sitting in
the living room: Mr. Miller, Mrs. Miller, and her
vadder
,
Samuel Beachy.

Sarah gasped in dismay. Her
vadder
was
clearly there to fetch her back. What would she do?

The tension in the room was palpable. Mr.
Miller had an unusually stern look on his face, Mrs. Miller was
wringing her hands, and Samuel Beachy looked cross. He at once
stood up. “Sarah, I’ve been so worried about you. Why didn’t you
let me know that you were all right?”

Sarah stood there, not knowing what to say.
“
Err
, didn’t Benjamin tell you?” she said lamely.

“
Nee
. At first he did say you were all
right and staying with the Millers, but he refused to say any more,
and I haven’t had a letter from him in a very long time.” Samuel
Beachy shook his head in annoyance.

Sarah’s heart leaped. So Benjamin hadn’t been
reporting back to her father after all! Despite the situation, a
wave of happiness washed over her.

Samuel Beachy walked over to Sarah. “Sarah,
child, I was so worried. I know we parted on bad terms, but it’s
time for you to come home now. The Millers have told me that you
know everything now.”

“I’ll make us all a nice meadow tea,” Mrs.
Miller said, and hurried to the kitchen.

“I’ll get some firewood,” Mr. Miller said,
and, although it was spring and the weather was warm, he hurried
outside.

Sarah jutted out her chin in defiance. “I’m
not coming home.”

Samuel Beachy rubbed his
baard
. “I
know you’re angry with me, but your
mudder
made me promise
not to tell you. We argued about it many a time.”

“It’s not that,
Datt
. My home is here
now. I like living here.”

Mr. Beachy sighed in exasperation. “You can’t
refuse to come home.”

“I do refuse,
Datt
.” Sarah’s tone
turned to pleading. “I’m not a child any more, and I won’t go back.
My life is here now.”

Mr. Beachy turned bright red and his eyes
bulged. “We will speak about this later today. Think this over
until then, and I trust you will come to your senses. I’m going to
walk to the B&B now, and I’ll be staying there. I also want to
speak to Benjamin about how he let me down.”

“He let you down?” Sarah knew she shouldn’t
continue the conversation when her
daed
was in this mood,
but curiosity got the better of her.

“
Jah
,” he snapped. “I sent Benjamin to
encourage you to return and to bring you back. I didn’t come to
fetch you because I knew you would only run away again. The bishop
of this community knows all this. When I sent Benjamin here, I gave
him a letter to take to the bishop.”

Sarah shouldn’t have been surprised, as what
her
daed
said was only to be expected, but she sat down and
fought back the tears. She had made a nice home for herself here
with the Millers, and was
gut
friends with the Miller
schweschders
. This was the first happy
familye
life
she had ever known. Her upbringing had been lonely, with being the
only child, and her
mudder
had been stern and
undemonstrative.

Sarah looked around the living room in the
haus
she had grown to love. There was a wood fire against
one wall, a wall which was white like the others throughout the
haus
. The only colors to be seen were brown and blue, the
brown being the heavy wooden furniture. The old, comfortable
armchairs were blue, and had various quilts and crocheted rugs
thrown over them. Yet while to an outsider, the room may look plain
and sparse, to Sarah it was filled with the love of
familye
.

Mrs. Miller returned with mugs of tea.
“
Denki
, Rachel,” Samuel said, “but I had best be going to
the B&B to settle in, and have a word with Benjamin
Shetler.”

“I hope you will return soon,” Mrs. Miller
said.

“
Jah
, I would like to return in a few
hours to speak with Sarah again, if that would be all right.”

Mrs. Miller nodded. “That would be
gut
.”

As soon as Samuel left, Sarah walked over to
sit at the kitchen table and Mrs. Miller joined her. “He’s gone to
the B&B to speak to Benjamin.” Sarah was doing her best not to
cry.

“Do not worry; it’s all
gut
,” Mrs.
Miller said.

“But
Datt
wants me to go home with
him.”

“Sarah, you’re a grown woman now. Your
vadder
can’t make you go home with him; he can simply try to
pressure you to. The decision is entirely yours.”

“I’d like to stay here with you, that is, if
you’ll allow me too?”

Mrs. Miller looked pleased. “Of course you
may stay with us, as long as you like.”

Sarah was relieved. It was as if a huge
weight had been lifted off her shoulders. As soon as her
daed
had shown up, Sarah had been harboring the fear that
Mrs. Miller would ask her to leave. Sarah had worried that Mrs.
Miller might think it was the right thing to do, for her to be with
her
vadder
.

Luke 6:35.

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend,
expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you
will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and
the evil.

Chapter
18

Benjamin had been outside, enjoying the
spring air, when Jessie Yoder approached him. “I need to speak with
you in private,” she said.

Benjamin was perplexed. “What is it?”

Jessie motioned him to move to the side of
the building, behind a cluster of trees. “I think you should know
about a new booking.” Her voice was low and hushed.

Benjamin was even more puzzled, but waited
for Jessie to continue.

“Samuel Beachy has booked here for the week,
and he arranged a cab to collect him from the bus station this
morning,” she whispered.

Benjamin gasped. “Is he here yet?”

Jessie shrugged. “Not as far as I know. I
figure he’d have gone straight to the Millers.”

Benjamin thought for a moment. “So you know
all about Sarah?”

“
Jah
.” Jessie nodded. “I know she’s a
Miller, and all that, and that you were sent here to fetch her back
home. Fannie Graber, the bishop’s wife, told my
mudder
and
told her she mustn’t tell anyone. My
mudder
told me and told
me I mustn’t tell anyone. Nash told me too, but I already knew.
Don’t tell Nash though; I don’t want him to know that I already
knew ages before he told me.”

“Oh.” Benjamin was still perplexed, even more
so at Jessie’s matter-of-fact tone and then again by the fact that
she was trying to trick Nash, when the two of them always seemed to
be as thick as thieves. “Well,
denki
for telling me. It was
gut
of you.”

Jessie narrowed her eyes at him. “Do you want
some advice?”

Benjamin would have liked to say,
No, not
really
, but instead said, “Okay.” He was far too polite to
speak his mind, especially to such a puzzling and forbidding person
as Jessie Yoder.

“Have you asked Sarah on a buggy ride
yet?”

“
Nee
.” Benjamin didn’t see it was any
of Jessie’s business, and what’s more, it was a question rather
than the promised advice, but he did not know how to avoid
answering her question.

“Why not?”

“
Err, um, err, um
.” The situation was
growing even more uncomfortable. Benjamin had never been so
embarrassed in his whole, entire life. What on earth could he
say?

Jessie persisted. “You want to, don’t
you?”