The Storekeeper's Daughter (5 page)

“I’d sure like to court you, Naomi.”

“You said that the other day, but you know it’s not possible.”

“Because your daed says no, or because you have too much work to do at home?”

“Both.”

Caleb’s stomach clenched, and he lifted Naomi’s chin with his thumb. Her brown eyes were still as large and inviting as he remembered. A man could lose himself in them. “If Abraham had his way, you’d never have any fun. Probably never get married, either.”

Naomi’s eyes filled with tears, and her chin quivered. “That may be true, but I made a promise to Mama before she died, and I aim to keep it.”

“I understand that, but I think we can still be together.” He smiled. “I’ve come up with a plan, and I hope you’ll give some consideration to it.”

“What kind of plan?”

“You can still take care of your family while we see each other in secret.”

“I can’t. Papa might find out, and he’d be furious.”

Caleb shrugged. “I’m not worried about that. We can meet at night, after your family has gone to bed.”

Naomi shook her head. “I’m needed at home, Caleb. I thought I made that clear the other day.”

“You won’t even think about meetin’ me in secret?”

Tears rolled down Naomi’s cheeks, and she swiped them away. “I can’t.”

“But you would if your daed said it was all right?”

Her eyes widened. “Papa would never allow it. And even if he did, I’d still be too busy.”

“Is that your final word?”

“It has to be.”

He grunted. “Fine then. Don’t blame me if you end up an old maid.”

The next few weeks seemed to drag by, even though Naomi had been plenty busy. Maybe that was the problem. There were too many chores to do. Last Friday had been the kinner’s last day of school, which meant she would be taking the three youngest ones with her to the store until the end of August, when they returned to the one-room schoolhouse. Matthew said he’d be in charge of Samuel, who would be put to work in the fields. It was hard for a boy of eight to labor in the fields all day, but Naomi knew he would work well under Matthew’s supervision.

As Naomi bent to grab another towel from the basket by her feet, she made a mental note to be sure and pack plenty of cookies to give her brothers in case Samuel or the others got hungry between breakfast and lunch. She planned to take some cookies to the store as well so the girls and Zach could have a snack. Even though having Nancy and Mary Ann along meant two more children Naomi had to watch, it was nice to know when the baby got fussy or needed to be fed, Nancy could help out. Also, both girls would have jobs to do at the store, like dusting, stocking lower shelves, and sweeping the floor.

Naomi’s thoughts drifted to Caleb and the discussion they’d had when they met at Beechy’s pond. Oh, how she wished they could court. She wouldn’t blame Caleb if he found someone else and married straight away. “I sure can’t expect him to wait for me,” she mumbled.

“Help! Help!”

Naomi whirled around. Mary Ann clutched a basket of eggs as she circled the yard with Hildy the goose in hot pursuit.

“She’s after the eggs!” the child shouted. “Get her away from me, please!”

“Calm down and stop running. She’ll only keep chasin’ if you don’t.”

Mary Ann’s eyes were wide, and several strands of blond hair had come loose from the back of her head. Naomi could see her sister was struggling with the need to keep running, but the child screeched to a halt in front of Naomi’s basket of clean clothes.

“Hand me the basket,” Naomi instructed. “Then get behind my back and stand very still.”

Mary Ann complied, crouching low and whimpering as she clung to the edge of Naomi’s long dress.

Naomi bent down. She grabbed a wet towel, snapped it open, and smacked Hildy on the head. The goose let out a blaring squawk, spun around, and honked her way to the barn.

“That was close!” Mary Ann exclaimed. “I thought that old bird was gonna peck me to death.”

Naomi knelt in front of her sister. “She didn’t draw blood, did she?”

“I don’t think so. Just scared me silly—that’s all.”

Naomi hugged Mary Ann and stood. “I’m going to ask Matthew or Norman to put that nasty critter down.”

Mary Ann’s eyes filled with tears. “You mean to kill Hildy?”

“That’s the only way to keep her from chasin’ folks, and it’s become an everyday occurrence here of late.”

“Please don’t let her be killed. She don’t mean to be bad.”

“I know. We’ll see what Papa has to say.” Naomi handed her sister the basket of eggs. “Now hurry into the house and tell Nancy she needs to have Zach fed and diapered by the time I come inside.”

Mary Ann grabbed the basket of eggs and scampered off.

At least one problem has been solved.
Naomi hung the last towel on the line and turned when she heard a horse trot out of the barn. Norman led the gelding into the yard and proceeded to hitch him to the waiting buggy.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she called.

“What’s it look like? Papa asked me to hitch up a horse so he could leave for the store, and that’s what I’m doin’.”

She frowned. “You’d better think about choosing a different horse. This one’s barely green broke.”

Norman waved his hand. “Aw, Midnight will be fine. All he needs is the chance to prove himself.”

Naomi shook her head, wondering if it was the horse that needed to prove himself or her nineteen-year-old brother. She gathered the empty laundry basket and started across the yard. Without warning, the horse whinnied, reared up, and kicked his back hooves against the front of the buggy.

“I refuse to ride to the store with that horse!” she shouted.

“Whoa there! Steady, boy.” Norman stepped in front of the gelding and reached for his harness.

“Look out! You might be the next thing he kicks.”

“He’ll settle down soon.” Norman’s face was cherry red, yet he continued to struggle with the boisterous animal. Midnight alternated between rearing up and kicking out his back feet. The buggy rocked back and forth.

Naomi covered her mouth to keep from screaming, which would rile the horse more. Things were getting out of control, and if Norman didn’t do something soon, she feared the buggy would overturn.

“Let that horse loose!” Papa’s voice shattered the air like a gunshot, and Norman quickly did as he was told.

He led the panicked horse back to the barn and returned a few minutes later with one of their gentle mares. “Guess Midnight wasn’t quite ready yet,” he mumbled.

“You think?” Papa shook his finger. “If you were a few years younger, I’d take you to the woodshed for a sound
bletsching
.”

Norman hung his head. “Sorry, Papa. I didn’t expect Midnight to act that way.”

“Jah, well, use your brain next time.” Papa turned to face Naomi. “You and the kinner ’bout ready to go?”

She nodded. “I’ll run inside and see if Nancy’s got Zach ready.” She figured now probably wasn’t the best time to tell Papa about Hildy.

Jim Scott heard his cell phone ringing in the distance, and he glanced around to see where it was. He usually kept it clipped to his belt, but he’d been on a ten-foot ladder and didn’t want to take the chance of the phone coming loose and falling to the ground. That had happened several months ago, and since he hadn’t been smart enough to buy insurance on the phone, it had cost him plenty to buy a new one. Today, he’d put the phone in a safe place. He just couldn’t remember where.

“Your phone’s on the lid of that paint bucket, and it’s ringing like crazy,” Ed called from across the yard. “Want me to get it for you?”

“Sure, if you don’t mind.”

Jim climbed down the ladder, and his feet had just touched the ground when his employee handed him the phone. “The guy says he’s your lawyer.”

“Thanks.”

When Ed kept standing there with his hands in the pockets of his painter’s overalls, Jim nodded and said, “You can finish up with the trim on those windows now.”

“Oh, sure. Right.” Ed sauntered off, and Jim turned his attention to the phone.

“Hello, Max. How are you?”

“I’m fine, and I have some news that I think will make your day.”

“Really? What’s up?”

“My friend, Carl Stevens, is a lawyer in Bel Air, Maryland. He called this morning and said a young woman came to his office the other day. She’s a single mother and can no longer care for her one-year-old boy, so she’s decided to put him up for adoption.”

Jim’s heart skipped a beat. Did he dare believe this baby might be theirs? Should he risk telling Linda and getting her hopes up, too?

“Jim, are you still there?”

“Yeah, Max. Just trying to digest this bit of news.”

“Carl said he’d be meeting with the woman again in a few weeks and should be able to tie things up then. My question is, would you and Linda be interested in a child that old? I know you had wanted a newborn.”

Jim blew out his breath and sank to the grass. “Whew! This is so sudden, and I’m not sure Linda would want an older child.”

“One isn’t that old,” Max said with a chuckle. “He’s still pretty much a baby in my book; and at his young age, it shouldn’t be that difficult for the little guy to adjust to his new surroundings.”

“What about a father? Is there one in the picture?” Jim asked.

“No. Carl said the woman severed ties with the baby’s father, and he’s married to someone else and living in another state. He’s signed away all parental rights to the child.”

“Hmm...”

“Talk it over with your wife tonight, and then give me a call with your decision.”

Jim frowned. “I hate to get Linda all fired up about something that might not even happen. It’s not a done deal with the mother yet, right?”

“Not quite.”

“And you’ll know something definite in two weeks?”

“I believe so.”

“Then I think it would be best if I wait to tell Linda until we know for sure that the woman is actually going to give up her son.”

“Sounds fair to me,” Max said. “I’ll get back to you as soon as I hear from Carl again.”

“That’d be great. Thanks.” As Jim hung up the phone, his mind swirled with mixed emotions. If the woman in Maryland decided to give them her child, they would have two reasons for making a trip to the East Coast—one to pick up their son and the other to visit his folks.

He was sure it would be a vacation they would never forget.

Naomi grabbed a stack of invoices Papa had asked her to go over. She had to take this time to get caught up on paperwork. Summer was not far off. Then there would be carloads and busloads of tourists flocking to their place of business. Some would be coming in merely to gawk at the curious Plain folks who ran the general store. Others would drop in to purchase something made by one of the locals. Papa didn’t care much for English tourists, but he said it was a free country, and it did help their business.

When the front door opened, Naomi looked up from her work, and her heart skipped a beat.

Caleb removed his straw hat and offered her a dimpled grin. “Gude mariye.”

She slipped from behind the counter and moved toward him. “Good morning. What can I help ya with?”

He glanced around the room. “Are we alone?”

Naomi nodded. “For the moment. Papa’s out back with the kinner. He could come inside at any moment, though.”

Caleb shrugged. “I’ll take my chances.”

“What are you needing?” she asked, feeling a bit impatient.

“I’m sorry about last Sunday and sayin’ I thought you were gonna end up an old maid. I didn’t mean it, Naomi. I just spoke out of frustration.”

She sniffed. “It’s okay. I understand.”

Caleb smiled. “Since this Sunday comin’ is an off-week and there won’t be any church, I’m plannin’ to go fishing at Miller’s pond. Want to join me there?”

Naomi released an exasperated groan and moved back to her wooden stool. “I can’t. You know that.”

Caleb leaned on the edge of the counter and studied her intently. “It’s not fair, Naomi. A woman your age should be having fun, not babysittin’ her brothers and sisters and be expected to slave away here as well as at home.”

Naomi felt her defenses rise, and she stiffened. “For your information, Caleb Hoffmeir, I like workin’ in this store.”

“That may be, but you should still have a little fun now and then.”

The back door creaked open, and Naomi jumped. “That’s Papa and the kinner
.
Look as if you’re buyin’ something,” she whispered.

Caleb grabbed a straw hat off the rack nearby and plunked it on the counter. “I’ll take this one,” he announced in a voice loud enough so Papa could hear. “My old hat’s seen better days.”

Naomi had just put Caleb’s money inside the cash register when her father came sauntering up front. He held Zach in his arms and was followed by Naomi’s younger sisters. He spotted Caleb right away and gave him a nod.

Caleb smiled in return and pointed to his new hat. “Last time I was here, you said I should buy a new one. Finally decided to take your advice.”

“I’d say it’s high time, too.” Papa set the baby on the floor, and Zach crawled off toward a shelf full of wooden toys. “Watch your brother now,” he said to Nancy.

Nancy and Mary Ann both knelt next to Zach, and Caleb turned his attention back to Naomi, giving her a quick wink.

She shook her head, hoping he would take the hint and leave. He just stood there gazing at her, however. “Want me to dispose of your old hat?” she asked.

“Naw. Think I’ll hang onto it awhile. I might decide to wear it for everyday and keep the new one just for good.”

“Makes sense to me,” Papa said.

Caleb grabbed the new hat off the counter, gave Naomi another wink, then headed out the front door. “See you around, Abraham,” he called over his shoulder.

Papa’s only response was a muffled grunt, and Naomi almost laughed out loud. Sometimes it amazed her the way a twenty-two-year-old man could act so big and smart one minute, and the next minute he was carrying on like a little boy.

As soon as Caleb pulled into his yard, he realized something was amiss.

Timmy, one of their goats, had gotten out of his pen and was running around the yard,
baa
-ing like crazy.

“Get back in your pen, you stupid animal, and leave my buggy alone!”

Caleb jumped down from his rig as his dad whizzed past, brandishing a buggy whip and hollering like the barn was on fire.

“What’s goin’ on?” Caleb called.

“That stupid goat was in my buggy, and he chewed up the front seat.” Pop jumped to one side as the goat whizzed past him and leaped onto a tree stump. He raised the buggy whip, but the critter took off before he could take aim. Timmy jumped onto the front porch, toppling a chair in the process. He raced back and forth two times, then ran down the other side and headed straight for Pop’s buggy.

“Oh no, you don’t!” he railed.

When Pop climbed in after him, Timmy hopped into the front seat and made a beeline for the back. Out the back side the goat went, tearing the canvas cover in the process.

Deciding to join the chase, Caleb sprinted after Timmy, with his dad right behind him. They cornered the goat near the barn, but when Caleb reached for him, the animal skirted away and took off again. Pop was on his heels, with the buggy whip swishing this way and that.

Caleb ducked to avoid being hit, but it was too late.

Snap!
The whip caught Caleb’s left shoulder, and he winced. “Hey, it’s Timmy you should be after, Pop, not me!”

His dad halted. “I hit you?”

Caleb nodded and reached up to rub the welt that had already formed on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Son. Sure didn’t mean that to happen.”