Naomi’s Christmas (15 page)

“I don’t want money from you, Naomi.”

She stiffened, and he could sense her opposition strengthening. “This is a business
arrangement. It’s not right to mix business and friendship. I have to pay you rent
if I am using your property.”

Frustration had him gritting his teeth at her stubbornness. For someone so outwardly
serene, Naomi had a core of strength that would not be moved when she thought she
was right.

He’d have to find another way around this barrier, but he certainly wasn’t going to
accept money from her.

He studied her face, wondering what she was thinking.

“What will you do if I refuse to take your money?” he asked, trying to measure the
depth of her determination.

Her struggle showed itself in her shallow breath and clenched hands. “Then I would
have to move my beehives again.”

He shouldn’t have pushed her so hard. It wasn’t fair to make her admit she’d give
up something she wanted so much. But what was he going to do with her?

The idea came so quickly that it must have been lurking in the back of his mind. “Ach,
Naomi, what makes you such a stubborn woman?”

She smiled, maybe relieved to hear the light tone in his voice. Maybe assuming that
meant he was giving in. “How would I have raised four siblings without it?”

“All right,” he said. “Here’s how I see it. You having the
beehives on my land is the same as if I was leasing land to a tenant farmer, ain’t
so?”

She frowned a little, considering his words, and then she nodded. “I guess.”

“Well, when I let Harvey Muller, my neighbor, put corn in the field adjoining his
property, I didn’t take money from him. I just took a share of the crop.”

Her frown had intensified. “It’s not the same thing. There’s my using the shed, for
one thing.”

Had there ever been such a stubborn woman? He surprised himself with how much patience
he was showing with her.

“A shed that would be sitting empty otherwise, so that I’d have to keep it clean and
in repair,” he pointed out. “I consider it a fair trade if you provide me with a share
of the honey for my family.”

“Nathan, you know full well that I am happy to do so anyway.” Her tone was lightly
scolding.

But this time he knew how to get around her. “Now who is mixing business and friendship,
Naomi?”

It took a moment, but her expression dissolved into a smile. “All right. I give up.
But it still seems to me that you are getting the short end of the deal.”

His heart seemed to warm at her smile. “Maybe you are underestimating how much we
enjoy honey,” he said. “And now you must go back in the house and get warm.” He touched
her arm, turning her toward the door. “I don’t want to be responsible for you getting
a chill.”

She stepped away and then turned to smile at him. “Denke, Nathan,” she said, and went
into the house.

A smile lingered on his lips as he walked toward the barn. It had taken all his ingenuity,
but he had gotten an agreement from Naomi. She would not be paying him money for something
he intended to do as a friend.

Friend.
He repeated the word. He had always thought of Naomi as Ada’s friend, but in the
past couple of weeks that had changed. After seeing her nearly every day and talking
with her about anything and everything, she was his friend, as well.

Their time together was coming quickly to an end. After today, she wouldn’t be busy
in the kitchen or with the children when he went in the house. Strange as it was to
admit it, he was going to miss her.

Naomi
poured oats into the feed bin in her mare’s stall, gave her a final pat, and headed
out of the small barn behind the quilt shop. It was kind of Caleb and Katie to let
her stable the mare there. Unlike Nathan, Katie hadn’t quarreled when Naomi had insisted
on paying her. Maybe Katie, having much in common with her, understood Naomi’s need
to pay her own way.

She slid the door closed, latching it, and started toward the street. Dusk was drawing
in, and a fine, misty rain had started falling when she was halfway back from Nathan’s
house. She’d be glad to get in where it was warm.

She wouldn’t be driving back and forth to Nathan’s nearly so often now that her work
there had ended. As she’d promised Joshua and Sadie, she would be there to look after
the
bees. Did they realize that wouldn’t be very often during the winter?

Probably not, and she hoped they wouldn’t think she was letting them down. Most likely
they’d be so excited to have their grandmother back that they wouldn’t even notice.

She was getting what she’d wanted—a new life, work to do that didn’t involve raising
someone else’s children, the freedom to make some decisions on her own. So why did
she feel so low today?

Since she didn’t have an answer for that question, maybe it was good that Katie, seeing
her passing the front window, tapped on it. Smiling, she gestured for Naomi to come
in.

Naomi was happy to step inside the bright, warm quilt shop for a moment. She rubbed
her arms briskly.

“Do you have a few minutes before you go back to the bakery? There’s something I wanted
to show you, and you look as if you could stand to warm up a little.”

“Ja to both of those,” Naomi said. “Winter is coming on for sure. I just wish it would
decide to snow and be done with it. I’ve had enough cold rain.”

“Komm, let me have your jacket.” Katie helped her out of the damp coat and hung it
on the end of a quilt rack. “You’ll have a mug of cocoa, won’t you? Rhoda just made
some.”

“That sounds gut, but I don’t want to put her to any trouble…”

“No trouble at all.” Rhoda emerged from the back, holding a mug filled with foamy
cocoa. “I heard you come in and poured it.”

“Denke, Rhoda. That is wonderful kind of you.” Naomi picked up the mug, enjoying the
heat against her palms.

Rhoda nodded and glanced at her sister. “I’ll finish cleaning up in back, ja? I don’t
think we’ll have any more customers this afternoon.”

“I think you’re right.” Katie glanced at the gray street. “That will be gut.”

She turned to Naomi as her sister disappeared into the back room. “I had a quilting
class this afternoon. Beginners, they were, and so there’s a mess of scraps to be
cleaned up.”

“Your sister has turned into a wonderful gut helper to you, I think.” Naomi knew that
teenaged Rhoda had had some difficulty adjusting to life here in Pleasant Valley when
she’d come to live with her sister, but now it seemed she’d found her place.

“I don’t know what I’d do without her,” Katie admitted. “It’s funny how things turn
out sometimes, isn’t it? When Rhoda first came, I was dismayed at the very idea of
taking charge of her. Now I think it’s the best thing that could have happened to
me. Best after meeting Caleb, of course.”

Naomi smiled. Everyone in the valley knew how in love those two were. “You said you
wanted to show me something?” she reminded Katie.

“Ja, I’ve been thinking of this ever since I saw the display of your jars of honey
at the bakery this morning. And bought one, too,” she added, smiling.

It was on the tip of Naomi’s tongue to say she’d be happy to give some to Katie, but
she managed to restrain herself. If she were to make any profit from the honey, she
couldn’t give it away to everyone.

It wondered her why Katie had been thinking of something in regard to her display,
though. “Was there something wrong about the honey?” she asked.

“The honey was delicious,” Katie exclaimed. “No, what I was thinking was a Christmas
gift idea I saw in one of the craft magazines. It seemed to me that it would be simple
to do, and it might encourage people, especially Englisch customers, to buy some jars
for little gifts.” Katie stooped behind the counter, reaching for something. “So I
made one up, just to show you how it would look.” She set a jar on the counter.

Naomi picked it up. Sure enough, it was one of her jars of honey. But the top had
been decorated with a bit of red and green fabric and tied with a red ribbon.

“You see, it’s just a circle of bright fabric, cut with pinking shears so that it
won’t fray.” Katie’s cheeks flushed with her typical enthusiasm. “I put a little piece
of quilt batting on top to make it puffy, and then I put the fabric over it and tied
it with a ribbon. What do you think?”

“It’s pretty.” Naomi turned the jar in her hand, considering. “Do you really think
this would make folks want to buy it for a Christmas gift?”

Katie smiled. “It seems foolish, I know, but you’d be surprised at what makes folks
buy something this time of year. You could try it and see, ain’t so?”

Naomi nodded. “Denke, Katie. It was kind of you to think of it. I will try it. Do
you have more of the fabric?”

“Plenty, and the ribbon, as well. Just take a little to try, and then if you need
more, I’ll put some back for you.”

Katie began measuring fabric and ribbon, her hands moving surely.

“I see what makes your shop such a success,” Naomi said. “You’re so enthusiastic that
everyone who walks in probably wants to make something.”

“I love what I do,” Katie said. “This shop is what I always wanted.” She was quiet
for a moment, pulling ribbon from a spool. “You know, in the beginning my mother was
very opposed to my coming here and starting my shop.” Her gaze met Naomi’s. “I know
about your troubles with your daad,” she said. “I didn’t want you to think that you
are the only one.”

That startled and touched Naomi. It was inevitable that Katie would know about the
situation with Daad. Probably most in the valley knew.

“The shop is such a big job. How did you manage if you didn’t have support?” Her jars
of honey seemed minuscule in comparison.

“My daad interceded for me. Usually he lets Mamm have her way where the girls are
concerned, but not this time.”

“Unfortunately, my daad is the problem. And my mother isn’t here to step in.”

Katie nodded. “Maybe your stepmother…” She let that thought trail off.

“I hoped that might be the case.” Naomi’s throat tightened at the memory of how she’d
parted with Betty. “But she just wants Daad to have his way.”

“That’s a shame, for sure.” Katie’s gaze met Naomi’s, and her eyes were filled with
understanding. “I just wanted you to know you aren’t alone. If you want to talk about
it anytime, I’m here.”

“Denke, Katie.” She blinked, afraid she’d embarrass herself with tears. “I just pray
I’m doing the right thing. If Daad goes to the bishop about me—”

“Surely he wouldn’t do such a thing,” Katie said.

“I hope not, but Betty said he was thinking about it.” Her worry probably showed in
her voice, but she couldn’t seem to help it.

“Bishop Mose is always fair,” Katie said. “I’ll never forget how he supported me when
we had that trouble with vandals. You know, maybe you ought to talk to him first.
I’m sure he’d give you gut advice.”

“I…I’ll think about it.” She would, but she shrank from being the one to bring their
family troubles to the bishop’s notice. And what if Bishop Mose said she should do
what Daad said?

She made an effort to push that possibility from her mind. “You said your mamm opposed
your coming here and opening the shop. How does she feel now that the shop is such
a success?”

Katie grinned, handing her the bag of materials. “She’s happy now. To hear her tell
it, the whole thing was her idea. But it’s not because of the shop. It’s because I
finally got married.”

Naomi smiled, as she knew Katie had intended. “I don’t think I can count on that to
solve my problems with Daad.”

“You never can tell. I thought marriage was out of the question for me, too,” Katie
said. “But I’ve learned that sometimes God has surprises in store for us.”

Nathan
nailed a replacement fence board into place, satisfied that the barrier along the
road would last another year, at least. With cars and the milk tanker going by regularly,
this fence had to be secure.

He stood, stretching a little, and glanced back toward the house and barn. Now that
Emma was back from her trip, life was returning to normal. Joshua and Sadie missed
Naomi, but they’d been happy to see their grossmammi this morning and hear all about
their new little cousin.

Normal, he thought again. Only the rectangular white boxes of the beehives reminded
him of the past few weeks.

It wasn’t that he was ungrateful to Naomi. She’d been a blessing when he’d needed
someone to care for the children. But Emma knew and understood his ways. Besides—

A high voice cut through the cold air, and Nathan swung toward the sound. It was Joshua…running
toward him along the road, calling out to him.

Nathan dropped his hammer and headed for the boy, his heart pumping. Something must
be wrong. Joshua shouldn’t be out on the road.

Even as he thought it, a car rounded the bend coming toward him. Coming toward Joshua.

“Joshua, get back!”

His son didn’t give any sign of hearing him, but fortunately he was well off the side
of the road. The car whizzed harmlessly past.

Nathan rushed to Joshua, grabbing his shoulders. “Was ist letz? What are you doing
out here? The road is dangerous.”

Joshua gasped for breath. “Grossmammi.” He stammered the word, his face white. “Komm,
schnell.”

Snatching his son up in his arms, Nathan ran toward the house. “What happened?” He
got the words out over the pounding of his heart.

“She fell.” Joshua buried his face in Nathan’s neck, and Nathan felt a hot tear against
his skin. “She fell down, and she can’t get back up again.”

“It will be all right.” Maybe that wasn’t true, but it was all he could say.

He pounded up the lane toward the house as Daad rushed from the barn. He must have
heard Joshua shouting.

They reached the porch at the same time. Nathan pushed Joshua toward his grandfather
and hurried inside.

Emma lay on the kitchen floor, an overturned chair next to her. Someone had brought
a blanket and pillow to her, and Sadie sat on the floor beside her, holding her hand.