Plain Promise (12 page)

Sadie and Lillian had just finished a cup of chicken noodle soup when Sadie decided she would walk to the cottage to invite Kade and Tyler for supper.

“Go ahead.” Lillian reached into a plastic bag beside her chair on the floor. “I need to hem these pants for Samuel anyway.”

Sadie pulled her cape and bonnet from the rack. “Maybe it’s not a
gut
idea to invite them for supper, but perhaps Noah and his doctor friend can help Kade with the boy.”

Lillian glanced up at Sadie, then focused on the needle she was attempting to thread. “He is handsome, the
Englischer
.”

“He is odd,” Sadie said in a firm tone. “A rich man who needs many gadgets.”

“Being rich doesn’t necessarily make him odd.” Lillian looked up at her and waited for a response.

Sadie moved toward Lillian as she tied the strings on her cape. “It is not normal to be separated from your spouse for three years or to not have a relationship with your child. It’s also not
gut
to need so many material possessions, and—”

“But he’s
Englisch
,” Lillian interrupted. “The
Englisch
collect possessions.”

“So many of them? I reckon his home is filled with unnecessary items, like his automobile.” Sadie raised her eyebrows. “I’ve never seen such a car. Lights, knobs, and switches everywhere.”

“Sadie . . .” Lillian took a deep breath.

“
Ya
?”

“Only God can pass judgment. Sounds to me like you’re judging this man before you really know him.”

“Why would I want to know him? I’m just trying to help the boy, maybe get some doctors’ advice about how that man should tend to the child. That’s all.” Sadie tied her bonnet and pondered Lillian’s words. “You’re right,” she mumbled. “It is not my place to judge.”

Sadie moved toward the door. “I’ll be back.”

Once outside, Sadie rigidly held her thoughts in check. She didn’t understand why she was picking up unbecoming traits. She’d never been a judgmental person before. It was as wrong as anything she’d been taught. Judging, questioning God’s plan for her life—all wrong. She’d need to pray for strength to keep her thoughts pure and righteous. Maybe even speak with Bishop Ebersol about the matters.

She neared the cottage, and a vision of Kade wearing only his pajama bottoms flashed before her.
Surely not
. The man would have all his clothes on this time of day. But she slowed her pace anyway. She leaned an ear inward as she walked. Nothing.

The curtains were closed. She looked toward the barn, and the fancy car was still parked inside.

The porch steps creaked beneath her feet, and she considered turning around. But she knocked, not wanting to get caught loitering on the porch again.

Kade opened the door. Thankfully, he was fully clothed in jeans and a pullover blue sweater. Sadie could see past him to Tyler, who was sitting on the couch, reading a book.
Interesting
.

“The boy can read, no?” Sadie asked. She stretched her neck to peer past Kade.

Kade looked over his shoulder and then turned back to face her. “Yes, but according to my ex, he can’t understand anything he reads. In her notes, she says he has hyperlexia. It’s a syndrome observed in children who are autistic.”

Sadie knew the confusion registered on her face, but she just nodded.

“It’s a precocious ability to read words far above what would be expected of a five-year-old.” He glanced at Tyler again. “There’s a whole bag of books in his suitcase, but he seems fond of the book you had on your coffee table.”

“The only book in here is—”

“Come in out of the cold.” Kade swung the door wide and waited for her to enter.

“No, I just came to invite you to supper. You and Tyler.”

Kade smiled his crooked smile in a way that made Sadie immediately wish she hadn’t asked him. “We’d love to,” he said in a tone that furthered her regret. She’d need to clarify her invitation.

“
Mei Englisch
friend, Carley, and her husband are bringing guests for supper. They are doctors, and I thought they might be able to help you with your son. I don’t know what this ‘autistic’ is you speak of, but you seem . . .” She paused. His smile had faded, but his eyes were fused with hers, and he was listening intently. “You seem like maybe you need some help with the boy.”

“Come in.” He gently touched her arm and coaxed her inside. “You’re letting in cold air.”

She inched inside. The door closed hard behind her, and Tyler looked in her direction.

“Hello, Tyler.” She walked to where he was sitting on the couch. “You are reading the Bible, I see.”

Tyler didn’t say anything, but refocused on the Good Book. Sadie turned around to see Kade standing uncomfortably close to her. She backed up a step. “It will not be a fancy meal, Mr. Saunders. Just a simple—”

“Kade,” he interrupted.

“It will not be a fancy meal,
Kade
. Carley and Noah’s guests would like to learn more of the Amish ways, and I’m happy to cook for all of them. And you and Tyler, if you wish. Sometimes I host
Englisch
families in my home for supper.” She raised her chin and shrugged dismissively. “So this is ordinary, quite common, actually.”

Kade folded his arms across his chest. One corner of his mouth pulled into a slight smile. “Sure. Sounds great.”

“Am I amusing you,
Kade
?”
This was a bad idea.

“Yes, Sadie Fisher, you amuse me.” His grin broadened. “I get the point—that you’re not asking me to supper, not as a date or anything. This is something you do for guests.”

In all her years, Sadie was certain she’d never been as embarrassed as she was at this moment. Except perhaps when she awoke on the couch with Kade leaning over her.

“What time?” Kade turned and headed toward the kitchen, but glanced at her over his shoulder. “I was going to make myself a cup of hot tea. Would you like some?”

“No. I must go. Supper is at seven o’clock.” She turned to leave.

“Wait,” he said as he walked back into the den. He stopped in front of her and put his hands in the pockets of his denim breeches. His forehead creased with worry, and then he sighed. “Maybe it’s not such a good idea for us to come.”

“Why not?” Sadie’s response shone with disappointment, which caught her completely off guard.

Kade leaned toward her and whispered. “Tyler might not be ready for a social environment. I don’t know how he’ll do.” His brows drew downward in a frown. “I don’t know how
I
will do.”

Sadie looked over at Tyler, who was still reading. Then she smiled at Kade. “Tyler is special. A blessed gift from God. You have to learn his ways. Although he seems happy and
gut
at the moment.”

“Right now he is.” Kade ran his hand through his wavy, brown hair. “Breakfast was another story.”

“Cereal for breakfast,” Tyler said.

Kade turned briefly toward Tyler. “Yes, cereal,” he said. He shifted his eyes back to Sadie, his expression warm. “He didn’t really like the cereal, but we did okay.”

“You will be fine, Kade. You will learn Tyler’s ways and he will learn yours while he’s here.”

Sadie continued toward the door and was almost there when someone knocked.
Lillian, perhaps?

Sadie turned the knob and pulled the door open.

Her eyes grew wide, her jaw dropped, and she fumbled for words that weren’t coming.
Definitely not Lillian
.

7

BISHOP EBERSOL TIPPED THE RIM OF HIS STRAW HAT back, drew his brows inward, and stared Sadie down the same way her father had when she misbehaved as a child.

“Bishop Ebersol.” Her voice rose in surprise. “How
gut
to see you.”

The bishop shifted his eyes and glanced over her shoulder. Sadie could hear footsteps approaching from behind. She stood, waited, and feared what Kade might say.

“Can we help you?” Kade asked. He was so close behind Sadie that she could feel his breath against her neck.
We?
There’s no
we
, Sadie thought, hoping he’d hush.

She stepped forward onto the porch, forcing Bishop Ebersol to take a step backward. She twisted slightly to face Kade. “Good-bye, Mr. Saunders. I’m glad to see that your son is doing well.” She smiled, then faced the bishop. “What brings you here, Bishop Ebersol?” She headed down the porch steps with hopes that the bishop would follow. He did.

Sadie took two steps into the packed snow and turned to see Kade still standing in the threshold.
Go in the house!

Bishop Ebersol held firmly to the handrail and made his way down the steps. A man in his seventies, he wore a gray beard that stretched to the end of his chest. But he stood tall in his black overcoat and took each step slow and steady.

“Well, okay . . .” she heard Kade say. “Thanks for coming over. I’ll see you at supper tonight.”

Sadie cringed and knew she was about to get a good talking-to. She waited for the bishop to catch up with her and wondered if Kade was ever going to go back in the cottage.

“I think it would be
gut
for us to have
kaffi
, Sadie,” Bishop Ebersol said in a tone that challenged her to argue. He pulled his coat tight around his neck, blocking a blast of cool air that seemed to come out of nowhere. The sun was shining, but it was a reminder of what was to come. By tomorrow, temperatures would be consistently below freezing. By Friday they predicted terrible conditions.

She’d give thought to the weather later. Right now, she suspected Bishop Ebersol had a few things on his mind pertaining to her renter. She got in step with the bishop and took slow strides toward the farmhouse, and then spun her neck around to see Kade wave. She raised her hand briefly in his direction, turned back around, and prepared herself for the harsh words to come.

They were almost to the house when she saw the mailman pull up to her mailbox, open the flap, and push an envelope inside.

She hoped the bishop wouldn’t take too long.

Lillian watched out of the window of the shop as Sadie walked alongside Bishop Ebersol toward the farmhouse, a gloomy expression on her face. Lillian hadn’t known what to say when the bishop questioned Sadie’s whereabouts, so she had stumbled around saying Sadie was tending to errands around the property. It was the truth, however slightly stretched it might have been. But Lillian saw Sadie walk inside the cottage, and she knew the bishop was already uncomfortable about a single man as her renter.

Lillian shook her head. Sadie should have stayed outside on the porch.

She’d barely sat back down to finish hemming Samuel’s pants when she heard the
clip-clop
of hooves. She set the project aside and walked to the front window.
Oh no
.

Lillian walked outside and met her grandfather at the buggy. Before he had time to step down, she said, “Grandpa, does
Mamm
know where you are?”

Jonas Miller scrunched his face in irritation. “Lilly, I am a grown man. I do what I want, when I want.” He climbed out of the buggy, opened his black coat, and slipped his thumbs beneath his suspenders. “And
ya
, Sarah Jane knows where I’m at.”

“
Gut
, Grandpa.” She patted his arm tenderly. “We worry and love you, that’s all.”

“I know you all think I’m
ab im kopp
, but I reckon I just get confused sometimes.” He started walking toward the shop.

Lillian put her arm through his and walked beside him. “No one thinks you are off in the head, Grandpa.”

“
Gut, gut
.” He looked her way and smiled. “I was testing your Pennsylvania
Deitsch
, to see if you have kept up with your studies since marrying Samuel.”

“
Ya
, I have.” She opened the door and motioned her grandpa in. “Are you here just for a visit?” Lillian was still skeptical that her mother knew he was here.

“I reckon I can come just to visit
mei kinskind
, no?”

Lillian closed the door behind them. “You can visit me anytime.”

“I see that Bishop Ebersol is here. Sadie get in some trouble for housing that single
Englisch
fella?”

“I don’t know. Sadie was a little concerned about that, but Bishop Ebersol said it would be all right for her to rent the cottage. There weren’t any specific rules about
who
to rent to, but—”

“Then what’s he doing here?” Grandpa placed his hat on the counter.

“I think he’s just checking on her, and . . . uh, then she happened to be inside the cottage when he came, and I really don’t know what’s going on.” Lillian shrugged and took a seat on the stool behind the counter.

“I’ll tell you what’s going on. Trouble. I saw the way the
Englischer
was looking at your friend. You look out for her, Lilly. He don’t strike me as the converting type, and he’ll steal our Sadie away to the
Englisch
world.”

“Grandpa! That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. They barely know each other!” Lillian slapped him playfully on the hand and grinned.

“You didn’t know Samuel either.”

“That was different.”

“I don’t know about that, and—”

The bell on the door chimed, hushing Grandpa.