Noah's Sweetheart (9 page)

A young boy’s shout, followed by a woman’s scolding, drew Rachel’s attention. Opening her eyes, she couldn’t help but laugh at what she saw. The second-eldest Peachy boy, eleven-year-old Nathaniel, had grabbed his sister’s head-covering and was parading about the yard wearing Ruthie’s Sunday black bonnet.

“Nate!” Charlotte King reprimanded, trying to look stern, but Rachel could see that her cousin worked hard to stifle her own amusement. “See how upset you’ve made your sister. Where is
your
hat?”

“Over there, Charlotte.” He gazed up at her with wide eyes.

“Why don’t you give Ruthie back her bonnet and put on your hat.”

“
Ja,
Charlotte.”

Charlotte nodded, approving his choice. As Nathaniel ran to do her bidding, she caught Rachel’s gaze. Her eyes twinkled and Charlotte’s lips broke into a grin. Rachel nodded and grinned back at her.

“Charlotte?” Ruthie Peachy drew Charlotte’s attention. Rachel felt a little catch as the grateful little girl offered her hand to Rachel’s cousin, and the two set off to enjoy a walk together.

Rachel closed her eyes again, but this time her thoughts were amused with visions of a little boy in his sister’s bonnet.

“She’ll make a
gut mudder,
” Alta Hershberger said, her eyes narrowing as she watched Charlotte and Ruthie walk away, hand in hand.

“
Ja,
” Aunt Mae agreed. “Charlotte, like my niece Rachel, has a way with children.”

Hearing her name, Rachel opened her eyes. “Charlotte had a good teacher in her
mudder,
” she said lazily. Hannah stirred, and Rachel calmed her with a gentle hand on the back of her head. Katie Lapp had removed her daughter’s
kapp,
as it was too warm for the child to be wearing it, especially when she had no need to wear one at her age.

“Alta, how is your
mudder?
” Katie Lapp asked.

The two women got into a conversation about Alta’s ailing mother, who had problems with diabetes and arthritis, and Rachel listened, only partly hearing.

“Joshua!” Katie called a while later. “Will you find Amos or one of my sons for me?”

“Mam?”
Noah appeared suddenly. “Were ya looking for one of us?”

“
Ja,
Noah. Joshua! No need to go looking for Amos.” And Aunt Mae’s youngest was only too happy to scamper away and play. “Once again, you are about when I need you,” Katie said with a smile.

He had been near but out of sight for some time, watching Rachel as she held his baby sister. She’d looked relaxed and peaceful.
She’ll make a
gut mudder. He could easily see her married and with children. As he’d watched, he’d realized suddenly that he wanted to be her husband. He wanted to be the father of her children. He saw her eyes pop open when she heard his voice, saw her stiffen and sit up straighter. Hannah started to cry but Rachel immediately soothed her.

“Noah?”

He quickly recovered himself.
“Mam?”

“Would you tell your
vadder
that the cleanup is done here and we can go whenever he is ready?”

He focused his attention on his mother. “
Ja.
He is in the north field with Amos.”

As he went to find his father, Noah couldn’t dispel the mental image of Rachel holding Hannah, of the loving way she patted the baby’s back and cradled the child’s head. His feelings for Rachel reminded him of a conversation he’d overheard earlier between Miriam Zook and Alta Hershberger regarding his friendship with Charlotte. Many of the church district women believed that he and Charlotte would court, marry one day and then have a family. He might have entertained the idea a year or two ago…long before Rachel had arrived in Happiness.

But what of Charlotte? Did she expect them to wed? She was a dear friend; he certainly did not want to hurt her. Nothing had changed in their relationship to suggest that she had any intentions to have him for her husband.

He needed to speak with Charlotte and soon. He had to gauge her reaction and be honest with her. He owed her that.

She will make a great
mudder
as well,
he thought as he recalled how she had scolded the youngest Peachy boy. He grinned. She had a strong sense of character and of right and wrong. He knew that Abram would have been distraught to see Nate teasing his little sister. Charlotte knew it as well. She had to be hard on the boy for Nathaniel’s own good. And truth be told, Nate had obeyed without question. He hadn’t seemed to mind at all.

Noah found his father in the north field, where he had seen him last.
“Dat!”

The sun was bright as he approached, and he tugged down the brim of his black felt hat.

“Noah.” His father waited patiently for him to join the men who had gathered to admire the field.

“
Mam
said that the cleanup is done and she is ready to leave when you are.”

Samuel Lapp nodded and then turned to Amos. “You’ll be getting ready for the singing.”

Amos King agreed. “Jedidiah and the twins are helping BJ prepare the barn.”

The singing held on the same Sunday as church service was a gathering of young people for the purpose of singing hymns from the
Ausbund
and for girls and boys to spend time together in an appropriate manner. A large table would be set up with seats prepared for the boys to sit on one side and the girls across from them. The singing would begin early evening and end about 10 p.m., but the young people would often stay longer to visit. The young men would take their sisters, but not the girls they were sweet on…although looks would definitely be exchanged between a young man and the girl he liked. Sometimes, the young man would ask to take his prospective girlfriend home. “You’ll be attending the singing, Noah?” Amos King asked.

He had an immediate image of Rachel sitting at the table, her voice raised in song. “
Ja,
I will be there.”

“Then I’d better see how the barn is coming,” Amos said with a smile.

Samuel nodded. “And I’d better gather up my family and take them home.”

Noah would attend the singing and gladly. He wanted the chance to spend time in Rachel’s company. He couldn’t take her home this night, as this was her home and she would not need a ride. Still, he would enjoy the opportunity to be near her.

Chapter Seven

T
hat evening, Rachel stood outside the Kings’ barn with her cousin Nancy, greeting the young people as they arrived for the singing. Amish teens from another church district would be joining them. There would be sixteen attendees in all, but it was Noah and his brothers who drew her attention as the Lapp buggy pulled into the yard and stopped. Rachel felt her insides begin to thrum as Jedidiah, Elijah, Jacob and finally Noah alighted and then approached. She tried to look away, but she couldn’t keep her eyes off Noah.

“You have brought your singing voices?” Nancy teased with a smile.

“Ja,”
Elijah Lapp said shyly.

“What singing voices?” Jacob eyed the cousins with a grin. “Who said anything about singing voices? I thought we were here to—”

“Jacob!” Jedidiah scolded. “Mind what you say to Nancy and Rachel.”

Unembarrassed by the exchange, Rachel grinned at Jacob and then Jedidiah before she greeted Elijah. Lastly, she felt a little thrill as she spoke with Noah.

“Did you bring your appetite?” she teased Noah. “There are chocolate brownies and fudge candy.”

Noah grinned. “
Ja,
I’m always hungry for chocolate.”

Several other buggies pulled into the yard, drawing their attention. Rachel remained conscious of Noah beside her as Annie Zook, her brother Josiah, her sister Barbara and Mary Hershberger got out of a carriage and approached.

“Annie,” Jedidiah greeted, “I heard you have a new dog. How is she doing?”

Annie regarded him with bright eyes as she nodded. “Millie is doing fine. She follows me all about the yard and house.” She lowered her voice. “
Dat
lets me keep her inside.”

The Miller sisters, Rebekka and Mary Anne, and their brother Reuben joined the gathering, and Nancy introduced them. Rachel stood and greeted the Millers and then each person she met: the Troyer brothers—Ron and Wayne, along with the Mast twins—Mark and Martha. She tried to remember their names, but her thoughts were filled with Noah, who had chosen to stand next to her.

“The Mast twins love M&M candy.” Noah leaned close to whisper in her ear, and Rachel could detect his lemon-scented shaving soap. “Martha and Mark—M and M. Remember that and you’ll know their names. They’ve probably brought some of the candy with them.”

She chuckled. “Any other helpful hints?” she asked him.

Noah looked thoughtful. “RW for the Troyer brothers? Ronald and Wayne.”

“RW? How am I to remember that?” Rachel stuck a hand in her apron pocket.

He shrugged but looked amused. “It was the only thing that came to mind.”

The young people stood outside talking and teasing one another. The younger Lapp brothers, Elijah and Jacob, moved away from the group to speak privately. Rachel saw Elijah nudge Jacob as he gestured toward someone—Nancy, she thought—in the gathering of young women. Jacob scowled as he listened to his brother before he and Elijah headed back toward the barn. They stopped to let the girls go first, and then crowded each other in the doorway as Elijah tried to beat his brother inside, probably to find a seat at the table nearest to the particular girl he had his eyes on.

Noah waited outside when Rachel hesitated about entering the barn. “Would you like to go in?” he asked.

She nodded.
“Ja.”
She was overly aware of the fact that they were the only ones in the group remaining outside. She felt a fluttering in her stomach. Noah looked wonderful in his white shirt and black vest. She glanced away from his intense regard, her gaze dropping to his black shoes, traveling up his black trousers to stare at his neck.

“A
gut
night for a singing,” he said softly.

“Ja.”
Was that all she could think of to say? She could sense his amusement, which bothered her, so she pretended to be indifferent. “We should go inside.”

Charlotte came out of the King house and waved as she crossed the yard. Spying her, Noah immediately excused himself. “I need to speak with Charlotte,” he told Rachel. “Go ahead inside and we’ll join you in a few minutes.” He hurried from Rachel’s side to meet Charlotte halfway across the yard.

Rachel felt her heart grow heavy to realize that he hadn’t even waited for her answer. Unable to watch the two deep in conversation, she turned and slowly entered the barn.

* * *

Noah hurried toward Charlotte. “May I talk with you?” This was the first opportunity he’d had to discuss privately the community’s expectation of their courtship and marriage.

Charlotte frowned. “Is something wrong?”

Waving her to follow, he moved away from the barn so that their conversation couldn’t be overheard. “We have been friends a long time,
ja?
”

“
Ja,
Noah. Since we were children.”

“The community expects us to marry.” He pushed back his hat and locked eyes with her.

She scowled. “Noah, you’re not going to ask to court me, are ya?”

He waited a heartbeat to search for the right answer. “Have you been waiting for me to ask you?” This was Charlotte, his closest friend for many years. He didn’t want to offend her.

“Nay.”
She shook her head, her expression concerned as she gazed up at him. “Noah, may I tell you what is in my heart?”

“
Ja,
you can tell me anything.” He stood leisurely with his hands in his pockets, waiting for her to respond, but he felt anything but calm.

“I care for another. At one time, I thought we might one day court and wed, but not now—”

Relieved, Noah grinned. “I too care for another,” he confessed. He glanced toward the barn, at where Rachel had been standing earlier.

“My cousin Rachel.”

He was surprised by her perception.
“Ja.”

“Gut.”
She glanced briefly toward the barn, as if she was eager to join the others.

“You don’t mind?” he asked, wondering if it was true. Was she glad that he liked Rachel?

She regarded him with twinkling blue eyes. “
Nay.
How can I mind when my heart wants Abram?”

Noah chuckled, happy with her revelation. “Abram Peachy.” He raised his eyebrows. “And his five children. The little ones do love you. Has Abram shown an interest?”

“Not yet.”

“Maybe I can help you—” He grew thoughtful. “What if I arrange it so that you get to spend time in Abram’s company?”

She nodded, pleased. “And I tell Rachel about all your good qualities. I’ve seen the way she looks at you. She may like you but is too shy to show it.”

He shrugged. “She doesn’t seem shy to me.”

“She doesn’t know you as well as I do,” Charlotte said as the two headed toward the barn. “But she will after she spends more time with you. What if we plan a trip into town? She’ll feel comfortable with me there and it will give you a chance to talk with her.
Mam
‘s been wanting me to shop for her. Are you busy tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow will work. Do you want to ask her or should I?”

“Let’s see who has the first opportunity. If you get a chance first, you ask her. If the opportunity comes my way, then I will.”

“All right. Let’s hurry. I’d like to sit across from Rachel if the seat isn’t already taken.”

“Noah?” Charlotte said, and he halted, faced her. “Be yourself…and you’ll win her heart.”

He grinned at her as they continued toward the barn. “I can say the same about you and Abram. Abram is a shy man. He will open up more if he is comfortable. You’ve done a wonderful job with his children. They already love you. I think that Abram may care for you, but he is not yet ready to admit it to himself…or you. Let me think about it, and I’ll see what I can do to help you to spend more time with him, and
not
cleaning his house or watching his children. Something more enjoyable for the two of you.”