Katie's Redemption (11 page)

He rubbed his chin. “I reckon the State Department would have to have some kind of records. Would you like me to check into it for you? I know a fella that used to work for them.”

“I don’t want to make extra trouble for you.” Katie wasn’t going to get her hopes up. Surely, if they had family anywhere Malachi would have mentioned it.

Dr. White chuckled. “I enjoy a challenge. It keeps me young. Besides, everything can be done on computers these days. Amber, have you drawn blood from Rachel?”

“Not yet, Doctor.”

Katie frowned. “Why does she need blood drawn?”

Turning aside to make a note on the chart, Dr. White said, “It’s just routine newborn screening.”

“Shall I do the extended panel?” Amber asked.

He looked at Katie. “Is the baby’s father of Amish or Mennonite descent?”

Katie shook her head. “No. What difference does that make?”

Gathering her supplies and pulling on a pair of latex gloves, Amber said, “Because the Amish and Mennonites are almost all descended from a relatively small group of ancestors, there are some inherited diseases that show up more frequently in their children.”

Dr. White closed the chart and rose. “It’s unlikely that you’ll have to worry about any of those. Just do the regular lab, Amber. I’d like to see Rachel again in three months and at six months.”

“I may not be here then.”

“Where will you be?” he asked.

“I’m not sure.”

“Well, wherever you settle, she needs her well-baby checkups at least that often.”

Katie had been focused on earning enough money to pay back the people who had helped them. She hadn’t considered where she would go if she left Hope Springs.

Where did she want to settle?

Out in the waiting room, Elam put down the gardening magazine he’d been leafing through and glanced at the clock. What was taking so long? Rachel was a happy, healthy baby. Surely there wasn’t anything wrong with her.

He had work to do. If he’d been thinking clearly, he would have let his mother bring Katie and the baby to town. The truth was, he hadn’t been able to pass up this chance to spend time alone with Katie.

He had no idea how long she’d be staying with them. He had begun to cherish the minutes and hours he spent in her company, knowing it would end soon. It was foolish—he knew that—but his heart could not be persuaded otherwise.

He heard a door open and glanced toward the hallway leading back to the exam rooms. Katie came out with Rachel in her arms. Amber walked beside her. The two women exchanged hugs and Katie turned to him. She was grinning from ear to ear.

He smiled back as his heart flipped over in his chest. No amount of rationalization or denial could change the fact that he was falling for this woman. And those feelings were growing every day.

Rising to his feet, he waited until she reached him. “You look happy about something.”

“I’ve been learning so much about my family. My mother brought us here from Central America.”

With her at his side, they left the doctor’s office. He helped her into the buggy, using the excuse to hold her hand as she stepped up. “Your brother never mentioned this?”

“No, and I can’t imagine why not. Dr. White is going
to find out exactly where we came from and if any of my family still live there. I could have aunts, uncles and cousins I never knew about.” Her eyes sparkled with exhilaration.

“I suppose it’s possible.” If she found she had family in Central America, would she travel there? Sending her to Kansas would be hard enough, but he at least had some hope of seeing her again if she stayed with her brother.

She gripped her hands together. “It’s so exciting.”

He hated to burst her bubble, but he didn’t want her getting her hopes up. “It’s possible, but don’t you think it’s unlikely?”

As he feared, the excitement drained from her face. “I guess it is. I’m being silly, aren’t I?”

“No. I don’t think you’re silly at all.” He maneuvered Judy out into traffic.

She looked at him and said, “I am being silly. It’s just—”

“Just what?” he prompted.

She blushed and looked down. He longed to lift her chin and see what was in her eyes, but Judy shied at a passing car and he turned his attention back to his driving.

Sitting up straighter, she asked, “When will you start planting your pumpkins?”

“In the next week or two.”

The rest of the way home, they talked about everything from pumpkins to his mother’s interest in Mr. Imhoff. It was a pleasant journey, but he got the feeling Katie was deliberately steering him away from her conversation with Dr. White.

O
ver the next weeks, Elam found himself constantly making excuses to spend time with Katie and Rachel. Holding the baby and playing with her became his normal evening pastime. He was pleasantly surprised by Katie’s aptitude and fast-growing skill at weaving. She had a good eye for color combinations and weaving patterns, and she had nimble hands. Some of her pieces were as good as Ruby’s, and his sister had been weaving for over a year.

Late one evening, he was leaving the barn after tending to a sick colt when he passed the workroom and saw a light shining from under the door. He opened it to find Katie seated at the table with pen and paper in front of her, making a sketch. He almost left without disturbing her, but something drew him in.

“What has you up so late, Katie?”

Her gaze shot toward him. She laid both hands over her drawing. “I couldn’t sleep. I had an idea and I wanted to see if I could make it work.”

“Let me see this idea.” He entered the room, but she snatched the paper and held it behind her back before he could get a peek.

“It’s nothing. You’ll think it’s silly.”

“I’ve been making baskets for many years. If the idea has merit, I will know.”

He approached the table and took a seat across from her. It was just the two of them. The lamp made a cozy circle of light. For an instant, it was almost possible to believe they were alone in the world. She was so beautiful it hurt his heart to look at her, but neither could he look away.

Nervous under his scrutiny, she licked her lips.

Ah, Katie. You have no idea how much I want to kiss you.

He forced his eyes away from her full red lips and held out his hand. “Let me see it. I may save you hours of frustration later.”

Unfortunately, there would be no one to save him from the frustration of having her near and not being able to touch her. He’d been foolish to give her this job, to let her stay in his home. The price he would have to pay for such foolishness was becoming more apparent day by day. His heart was breaking by inches.

She smiled shyly and pushed the paper across the table. On it he saw a sketch of a bowl basket with a spiral weave curving around the sides like the stripes on a peppermint candy. “I saw one like this a long time ago and never forgot it. Is it possible to make one like this?”

As he studied it, he could see how a new mold would need to be made to shape the bowl just so. It might take some trial and error to find the right angle to form up the ribs. “What type of wood are you planning to use?”

“I don’t know. What do you think?”

“Maybe a mix of light and dark maple. I could make a solid wood lid with a wooden knob on it for a top. It would be very fancy.”

“Too fancy?” She reached to take the paper from him, but he held on to it.

“Not too fancy to sell.”

It was definitely different from anything he’d seen in the gift shops. It was an eye-catching piece. “If they do well, I’ll have to give you a larger commission.”

“You really think it’s
goot?
” The delight in her eyes shone as bright as the lamp.

He couldn’t believe how happy it made him to see her smile. “
Jah,
Katie. It is very
goot.
”

She dipped her head. “
Danki,
Elam. More money is what I need.”

His smile faded. Allowing Katie to earn more money meant that she would leave that much sooner.

It was the thing he wanted…and the thing he now dreaded.

Katie watched the play of emotions across Elam’s face. What was he thinking? She knew the local gossips were linking his name with hers. His mother and his sisters tried to downplay the impact of the talk, but she wasn’t fooled. They were beginning to worry. The family had suffered so much when their father was shunned. She didn’t want to cause more pain.

He rose to his feet and picked up the lamp. “It is late. You should get some rest.”

She stood and walked to the door with him. “Rachel
will be awake soon. Once I’ve fed her I’ll go back to bed and try to sleep.”

“What troubles your sleep? Or is it that our beds are not as soft as the English like.”

“The bed is fine. I just have a lot on my mind.”

“Give your cares over to God.”

Pulling her coat from a peg by the door, she slipped into it. “Good advice, but hard to follow.”

As she walked out the door he nodded. It was true for him, as well.

At the house, they found Nettie reading her Bible in the living room. She held Rachel in the crook of one arm. Peering over the top of her glasses at them, she asked, “What have you two been up to?”

“Katie has been drawing up plans for a new basket design.”

Blushing, Katie said, “I was just playing with an idea. Elam saw how to make it work.”

“I’d like to see this plan. Elam, would you take this child. She’s put my arm to sleep.”

He lifted Rachel from his mother and carried her to the sofa where he sat down. “You are getting heavy. What are we going to do about that? Oh, I see. It’s your eyelids that are getting heavy. Well, don’t mind me. Go back to sleep.”

Katie smiled at the pair. Elam was so good with Rachel. He was never impatient, always gentle. It was easy to see he cared a great deal for her daughter. He would make a good father someday.

He glanced up at her. As their eyes met, an arch of awareness passed between them. She knew by the look
in his eyes that he felt it, too. How had this happened? When had she fallen in love with Elam?

On the last Saturday in April, Elam packed his baskets into the back of the buggy and prepared for the three-hour round trip into Millersburg. He wasn’t surprised when Nettie announced that she and Katie would be joining him.

Attired in her newest dress and her Sunday bonnet and cape, Nettie climbed into the buggy. “What a nice spring day we have for our trip. I can’t believe it’s already the middle of April.”

Elam found it hard to believe that Katie and Rachel had been with them for over a month. Katie had proven herself to be a hard worker and he knew she was making his mother’s life easier by helping her with household chores. “I’ll be able to get started with planting soon if the weather holds.”

“And I need to get my garden in, but first we’ll have a fine shopping trip. I want to go to the superstore and then I may need to stop at the fabric store. What are you needing, Elam?”

“Some new drill bits and blades for my wood plane. I also want to pick up some new dyes and coils of maple splints.”

“Maple?” His mother looked at him in surprise. “I thought you only used poplar and ash in your baskets.”

“We are trying something new with Katie’s design. What about you, Katie? What are you needing in town?” Taking the baby from her, he helped her in and then handed up Rachel when Katie was settled.

“A few things for Rachel and a new pair of jeans. It shouldn’t take me long to find what I need.”

“
Goot,
then we will not have to spend much time in the city.”

The buggy rocked in his direction when he stepped in, tipping Katie toward him. With Rachel in her arms, she couldn’t catch herself. He threw up a hand to steady her. It landed at her waist. Her cheeks flamed crimson. When she regained her balance he withdrew his hand, but the feel of her slender torso remained imprinted in his mind.

Katie moved as far over as she was able, but it was still a tight fit with her sandwiched between him and his mother. It was going to be a long ride. He didn’t know how he’d keep his attention on the road with her soft body pressed against his.

Each jolt in the road threw them against one another and sent waves of awareness tingling along his nerve endings. The sweet fragrance of her hair was like a tempting flower beside him. Judy tossed her head anxiously each time a car passed them, and he knew he was communicating his nervousness to the animal. Fortunately, they soon turned into the lane leading to Ruby’s home.

Ruby had volunteered to keep Rachel so Katie would be free to enjoy her shopping trip. She came out of the house to meet them. “Sally is wanting to go with you, Elam. Do you mind one more?”

Sally came flying out of the house. “Please say I can go!”

Elam cast his gaze skyward. “What do you need in the city?”

“Some new shoes.”

He frowned at her. “You can’t find them in Hope Springs?”

“They’ll be cheaper in Millersburg. I won’t be any trouble. I promise.”

“You’ll have to squeeze in back with my cargo.”

“That’s fine. Thank you.” She quickly climbed in the backseat, pushing aside several of the baskets.

Ruby moved to stand beside Elam. “Thanks for taking her. Can I have that fine baby girl now?”

Katie handed Rachel to him, a look of apprehension on her face. “I’ve never left her for so long.”

Elam knew exactly how she felt as he handed the baby to his sister. “Don’t let the boys turn her into a porcupine.”

Gathering Rachel close, Ruby smiled at her. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep a good eye on her.”

Katie handed out a bag with diapers and formula in it. “I know you will. Thanks again for watching her.”

“My pleasure.” Ruby waved as Elam turned Judy and drove out of the yard.

Back on the highway, the mare managed a brisk trot, but she was no match for the cars that went zinging past. It wasn’t the local drivers he minded. They shared the road with only occasional complaints. It was the out-of-towners and teenagers he worried about. The ones who didn’t know enough to slow down when they crested a hill, in case a buggy was just over the rise and out of sight. At fifty-five miles an hour, a car could run up on an Amish vehicle before the driver knew it. In such crashes, the car always won.

They had been on the road for an hour when a white
van came flying past and honked loudly. The noise spooked the horse, but Elam was able to keep her under control. His temper was harder to hold in check. “Foolish English. They’re looking to get someone killed.”

“Calm yourself, Elam,” his mother said.

She was right. What good did it do to show his temper to his family?

The next car that passed them slowed when it drew alongside. As soon as he saw the camera aimed his way, he pulled off his hat to shield his face. The Plain People felt photographs were graven images and forbidden by the Bible. His mother turned away, as well. To his surprise, so did Katie. As the car sped on, he looked at Katie with a new respect. It was good to see she still practiced some of the Amish ways.

After another half hour of travel, Sally, sitting behind him, leaned forward. “Does anyone know some new jokes?”

For the next mile they exchanged funny stories and jokes that had all the women laughing. Elam put up with it.

Finally, Katie prodded Elam with her elbow. “Knock, knock.”

“This is silliness,” he stated firmly.

“‘A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones,’” his mother quoted from
Proverbs.

Katie repeated, “Knock, knock.”

He rolled his eyes heavenward. “Who’s there?”

“Amish.”

He glared at her from the corner of his eye. “Amish who?”

She playfully draped her arm around his shoulders. “Ah, I miss you, too.”

Katie regretted her impulsive hug the moment she felt Elam stiffen. Self-consciously, she withdrew her arms and folded her hands in her lap. Nettie and Sally were laughing, but he wasn’t. Had she made him angry with her forward behavior?

“That’s a good one,” Nettie declared.

“A bunch of silliness,” Elam stated again, but as Katie glanced his way she saw the corner of his mouth twitching.

She said, “The English don’t think the Amish have a sense of humor.”

“Oh, but we do,” Nettie declared, still chuckling.

“Have you heard the one about the Amish farmer with twin mules?” Elam asked.

“No.” Katie relaxed and listened to his joke with a light heart. It felt good to be included and accepted by Elam and his family. The trip into town became a happy jaunt as they all tried to outdo each other with funny stories. Katie was sorry when the outskirts of Millersburg came into view.

The first stop was a busy gift shop where Elam carried in his baskets. Katie followed, eager to see how her weaving design would be greeted. Of course, it had been Elam who perfected the pieces, but she had had a hand in their creation. The owner showed enough interest to order a dozen more bowls and to add a photo of one to his online catalog.

With the cargo disposed of, Katie joined Sally in the backseat. Sally, eager to see as much of the small city as possible, rolled up the rear flap and was almost hanging out. “Did you see the dresses in that store window?”

“I saw them.” Katie was sure the prices were well above what she could afford.

Sally checked to make sure Nettie and Elam weren’t listening. In a low voice she said, “My friend Faith has clothes like that. She sneaks out of the house and goes out on dates with English boys. They go to movies and smoke cigarettes. Faith says she’s going to make the most of her
rumspringa
.”

It was a common enough occurrence in Amish communities. Teenagers often rebelled against their strict upbringing. Most families in Katie’s more liberal district tolerated such behavior and waited for it to end. When the teenagers reached marrying age, most settled down, made their baptisms and led quiet lives. Most, but not all.

“Is that what you want to do?” Katie asked.

Sally averted her gaze. “I don’t know. It sounds like fun, but my folks would be so disappointed and ashamed if I was caught doing something like that.”

“Only if you were caught?”

Sally’s eyes snapped to meet Katie’s. She didn’t reply, but her mood became pensive. After a while, she said, “I noticed you weren’t at the last church service. Will you be going tomorrow?”

“I’m not sure.” Katie had been considering it but she didn’t know if she was ready to face Bishop Zook again. He was sure to ask if she was ready to start instructions for baptism.

At the superstore, Elam secured Judy to one of the dozen hitching rails in a special section of the parking lot, and the group headed through the large sliding glass doors. By unspoken consent, the women became reserved
and quiet. When they were out in the English world, they did nothing to attract attention to themselves.