Elijah And The Widow (Lancaster County Weddings 4) (10 page)

Chapter Thirteen

M
artha tossed and turned most of the night, falling asleep at dawn only to awake again two hours later. She couldn’t stop thinking about Eli. During their time together in the barn, she’d been aware of him as never before.
I have strong feelings for him
,
she thought, frowning.
She would forget him. She didn’t want to make the same mistake as before. He was a young man with plans that didn’t include a widow who had no intention of ever getting married again. She sat up in bed and shook her head.
To spend any amount of time with him would be foolish.

She was in the kitchen brewing coffee when she heard a wagon roll into the yard. She pulled out two coffee mugs and set them on the counter. Then adjusting her
kapp
to set it straight, she went to greet the workers. She was surprised to find her sister-in-law, Mae.

“Martha,
guder marriye
!”

“
Guder marriye
,
Mae! I didn’t expect to see you this morning, but I’m glad you came.” She smiled as she gestured Mae inside.
“Coffe?”

“I can’t stay. I’m heading into town, and I promised Samuel I’d stop here on my way.” She stepped from her buggy. “The Lapp boys won’t be coming today.”

Martha was concerned. “Did something happen?”

“
Nay.
Everyone is fine but busy. The only one who could’ve come is Eli and he has errands to run today. He’ll return to finish up tomorrow.”

She felt relieved. “I appreciate you letting me know.”

“The
haus
is looking wonderful. Samuel and his
soohns
do wonderful work.”

“
Ja
, they do.” She was more than pleased with their skilled handiwork.

Mae gestured toward the barn. “Samuel said the roof leaks.”

The memory of her and Eli’s time in the barn made warmth flood Martha’s face. She hoped that Mae didn’t notice because she wasn’t ready to explain. Fortunately, Mae was eyeing the barn and not her.

“
Ja
, in several places. Eli said that he would fix it.”

“Gut, gut,”
Mae said as she met Martha’s gaze with a smile. “I’d best go. Amos will be wanting an early lunch, and I need to get my shopping in before I head home.”

“
Danki
for stopping by, Mae.”

“’Tis always a pleasure to see you, Martha,” Mae said warmly. She seemed to hesitate. “You’re managing fine on your own?”

“I’m doing well,” she said, meaning it. “’Tis different with him gone. I find that my time is my own.” She smiled to reassure her. “I’m content.” Or she would be if she didn’t have a strange awareness of Elijah Lapp, she thought.

Mae seemed to accept what she was saying. “To enjoy one’s own time. To me, that sounds like a blessing from the Lord.”

Martha reached up to brush a bug away from her face. “That’s how I choose to see it.”

Mae left shortly afterward, and Martha went back into the house. As she puttered about her kitchen, washing up plates and coffee mugs from that morning, then assembling jars of jelly and jam samples to bring to local merchants, she thought of the busy day ahead. If all went well, by this time next month she’d have earned income from her jelly sales with more to follow. The other day she’d noticed an Eggs for Sale
sign on the side of the road. She had some good laying chickens. Why couldn’t she sell eggs, too?

She laughed out loud with joy. This would be a busy summer, making jellies and jams and collecting eggs to sell. These were good ways to earn money. Maybe she’d think of more. And it was all because of Eli Lapp.

* * *

Eli continually thought of Martha as he milled about the carriage shops he visited. He’d been mistaken to believe that staying away from her farm would put things in better perspective. She was still uppermost in his mind.

He’d overreacted in the barn. The storm, the darkness, the close proximity of him and Martha as lightning flashed and thunder crashed overhead had been a bit overwhelming, and he’d panicked.

Things would be different when he saw her again. He would feel comfortable around her, more relaxed. He would tell her how he felt, and she would smile, tell him that she liked him, too.

As he headed for home, Eli found himself looking forward to seeing her again, of getting back to finish the last of her repairs. Once he completed the work, he could put his attraction to Martha aside and focus on his carriage-making business. Today he’d realized with excitement that he had enough money to rent shop space and buy his initial supplies. He was looking to serve his small community; he was not aiming to open a huge business with several employees and a customer base of both Amish and English. Not that he wouldn’t help anyone who came into his shop. But he wanted to keep it simple and small. He was a craftsman with experience from helping friends and neighbors. When he was a teenager, he’d learned a lot about the craft when he’d worked in a carriage shop just outside of Bird in Hand.

He thought of his brother Noah, who owned and operated his successful furniture business.
Dat
had suggested that he should talk with Noah, and that was what he planned to do next. His brother would know the best location. He had to pass Noah’s on his way home. Would his brother be at work or at home?
Only one way to find out.

It was midafternoon when Eli parked his two-wheeled buggy in the parking lot next to Noah’s furniture business. He tied Janey to the hitching post and then took off his hat before he entered through the front door. “Noah! You here?”

Noah came out of the back room, brightening when he saw Eli. “I wouldn’t be leaving the door open if I wasn’t,” he teased. He glanced down Eli’s length, noting his choice of clothes.

“You weren’t at Martha’s?” He looked thoughtful. “Isaac said you were checking out your future competition.”

“I’ve been visiting carriage businesses today, figuring what I’d need.” He hung his hat on the back of a beautifully crafted chair. “I don’t think of them as my competition. I don’t want a shop that big.”

Noah nodded as if he understood. “You’re ready to look for a place.”

“With your help.”

Looking pleased, his brother gestured for Eli to sit in a chair. “How can I help you?”

“How did you know where to open your shop? I have no idea where to look first.”

“Your goal is to service our Happiness Amish community,
ja
?”

“
Ja.
Most of the other carriage makers have a large English customer base. I will certainly help any of our English neighbors, but I want to focus on working for our community.”

“You don’t want a place like Mitch’s,” Noah said.

Eli nodded. He had worked for a time at a carriage shop run by Mitch Logan, an
Englisher
who sold new tackle and carriages to mostly English clientele. Eli had applied for a job there when he was younger after hearing that Mitch was looking for someone to do buggy repairs. Eli had worked on his family’s vehicles as well as their neighbors’ and friends’. He’d known how to change a wheel and replace a part on or mend a carriage body. That one summer he’d worked at Mitch’s before his father had needed him on the farm for the fall harvest.

“I thought I’d need a lot more money, but I realized differently. I want to work to open it soon. The longer I put this off, the higher the start-up cost will be.” He told Noah the amount of his savings.

Noah’s eyes widened. “You’ve saved over twenty thousand dollars?” Eli nodded. “I think you’re right. It’s the right time to look for a location.” His brother looked delighted. “You should have more than enough to open up your small shop. Your customers will supply the rest.”

Eli had hoped that Noah would say that. “So what do you think? Have any thoughts where?”

“I think I have an idea,” Noah said mysteriously, “but I’ll need a few days before I can tell you.” He paused. “In case it doesn’t work out.” He headed into the back workroom with Eli following. “No sense raising up your hopes only to have them dashed.”

He had the time. He’d waited this long. Why not a couple more days? Besides, there was still the work to finish up at Martha’s. “Appreciate it.”

He widened his eyes as he saw what his brother was working on. “Is that what I think it is?”

“
Ja
, a cradle.” Noah smiled. The furniture was a simple piece that was well crafted and beautifully finished. “I just put on a second coast of varnish.”

Eli examined the cradle closely, curious about the customer who’d commissioned the work. “Who’s it for?”

“Rachel.” Noah beamed. “I was afraid to make one for Katy.”

“You and Rachel?” He saw his brother’s joy and felt happy for him. And he understood Noah’s fears. Rachel had miscarried their first child.

“
Ja.
We never thought...”

“Katy is still a baby.”

Noah nodded. “I can’t say that I’m not worried. But the Lord blessed us with a beautiful, healthy daughter, and I’ve been praying that He’s decided to bless us with another child.”

“Do
Mam
and
Dat
know?”

Noah shook his head. “
Nay
, and please don’t tell them. You’re the first I’ve told, and I have to ask you not to say a word to anyone.”

“Not a word,” Eli promised.

Noah looked pleased.
“Danki.”

“Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.” He gazed at the cradle. It was beautiful. One day he hoped to have a cradle like this one with a child of his own sleeping inside. And it was Martha he envisioned holding his baby. “I can deliver this one for you,” he offered with a grin.

Noah laughed. “
Nay, bruder.
This delivery is mine to make.”

Chapter Fourteen

A
s he drove to the King farm the next morning, Eli was alone. Despite his misgivings regarding her, he looked forward to seeing Martha again. Why should he worry about spending time with her when it looked as if he was close to finally opening his business? Perhaps the strange tension in the air between him and Martha during the storm was due to the intensity of the lightning and the thunder. Anyone would have been affected by the bad storm.

It was a beautiful morning that promised to be warm. The birds had been chirping merrily when he’d gotten up that morning, and upon exiting the house, he had detected the scent of the roses and honeysuckle that his mother had planted by the front porch.

Today,
Dat
and his younger brothers had farmwork to do. His mother and Hannah were in
Mam
’s greenhouse, checking on the herbs and vegetable plants
Mam
had planted from seeds before the onset of spring. Katie Lapp, noted for her garden plants, often gave them away to family and friends. Occasionally she earned a little money when she sold them to the English.

Earlier in the week, he had seen Martha working in her vegetable garden. Would she be gardening today?

Martha King’s farm loomed into view ahead. Eli slowed his horse, then steered Randy, their gelding, onto the dirt driveway. There was no sign of the widow in the yard when he pulled up near the barn and parked the buggy. With a tentative smile on his face, he stepped down from his vehicle and crossed the yard to knock on her back door. As he had in the past, he didn’t wait for an answer before he opened the door and stepped inside, shutting it behind him. And then he saw her at the stove. He couldn’t see what she was cooking, but it didn’t matter. The sight of her nearly stole his breath. “Martha.”

“Eli!” she gasped. She spun to face him and cried out as her hand caught the side of a hot cast-iron skillet.

“Ach!”
He rushed to her side to immediately turn on the faucet. He let the water run while he gently captured her hand and carefully examined her burn. “I frightened you,” he said huskily. “I’m sorry. I thought you heard me close the door.”

“’Tis not your fault. I was woolgathering and didn’t hear you come in,” she said as Eli gently moved her burned hand under the faucet. She winced as the cold water hit her damaged skin. She withdrew her hand within seconds, and he frowned at her red and blistered skin.

“Where can I get ice?” he asked. He felt terrible for causing her injury. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her.

“Back room.” She put her hand into the running water again, then jerked it back, wincing again as she studied the burned flesh.

Eli turned off the faucet and placed the tea towel that was lying on the counter along the edge of the sink and under her dripping fingers. Then he hurried to get ice from the freezer in the back room. He popped two ice cubes out of the tray, his fingers instantly feeling the chill, and returned to gently take her hand. He took hold of her wrist with one hand, and with the thumb of his other against her palm, he pressed the ice lightly against her wound. The ice melted and dripped and he hoped brought her some relief. “Maybe we should hold it over the sink.” He studied the burn wound with growing concern before he shifted her hand so that the water dripped into the sink rather than on the dish towel. He firmed his lips as he gazed at her. She didn’t look well, and he’d prefer it if she could sit down. “Do you have any burn salve?”

Martha nodded. “’Tis not my first burn.” Her crooked smile affected him deeply.

Eli studied her pale features. He didn’t like the knowledge that she’d suffered burns in the past when he hadn’t been here to help her.
But Ike was.
He didn’t like being reminded that Martha was still a grieving widow. He wanted things to be different. He wanted them to be friends.
Perhaps more than friends.
“Where is it?” he asked, referring to the salve.

“In the top cabinet near the stove.”

“Makes sense.” He smiled at her warmly. “Hold this in place.” He watched as she used her opposite hand to keep the ice on her burn. Satisfied, he went to the cabinet and retrieved the burn ointment. He recalled when Jacob had suffered a nasty burn when he first started working at the forge. The wound had been extremely painful, and he had felt sorry for his brother. He couldn’t recall a time when he’d gotten burned, but, according to his mother, apparently he had when as a five-year-old child he’d reached for a cupcake from a hot tin
Mam
had taken out of the oven.

He closed his fingers over the melting ice, taking over for Martha, who seemed grateful for his help. They locked gazes, and he smiled again to reassure her. Then he removed the ice and dabbed carefully at the burn with a paper towel before he gingerly spread the ointment over her wounded skin.

“I think we should cover the burn with a bandage,” he said. Fortunately, he thought her wound small enough that a couple of bandages would do.

“Oll recht.”
Using her good hand, she opened the closest cabinet door, where she took out a box of fabric bandages before she handed them to him.

Eli unwrapped the bandage and placed it over her burn with gentle fingers. After setting another one beside it to ensure the wound was fully covered, he looked up to gauge the depth of her pain. There were tiny furrows on her forehead as she eyed his handiwork. When he experienced the strongest desire to draw her into his arms to comfort her, he was startled, even shocked, at the depth of his feelings. “I’m sorry.”

She gave him a weak smile. “I was thinking of other things, Eli. This wasn’t your fault.”

“But if I hadn’t startled you...”

“I heard a knock and vaguely remember the door closing. I simply didn’t react like I should have, especially with an unlocked door.”

“Is there anything else I can do?” He wanted to stay and spend the day with her, but wouldn’t...couldn’t.

“Your
dat
and
bruders
...?”

“Didn’t come with me this morning. I should be able to finish the remainder of the repairs without them.
Dat
and Isaac might stop by, but I doubt it.” He felt his gaze drawn to her features—her smooth skin, her bright brown eyes...her upturned nose...her full pink lips. There was warmth in her expression despite the pain of her burn. A tiny smile played about her lips and entered her gaze, but then it faded. Eli realized that he must have frightened her with the intensity of his concern for her.

He felt his heart slam into his throat and wondered if she could hear it.

She looked away as if suddenly nervous.
Why?
Had she guessed that he was struggling with newfound feelings for her? Was she uncomfortable with the knowledge? With his presence? The thought made his chest burn.

“Better?” he asked, hoping that she was. He was relieved to see her nod. He attempted to lighten the mood. “What’s in the pan?” He bent closer to look. “Were you making sweet corn bread?”

She regarded him with sudden amusement.
“Ja.”
She flexed her hand and winced. “Would you like to try some?”

He wanted to prolong his time with her but knew it was wise to go. “
Nay.
Perhaps later? Before I leave? I should get to work now.”

She’d be hurting for a while, he thought, but eventually the burn should heal and the mark would disappear. Eli sniffed the corn bread and closed his eyes at the delicious aroma. “Save me a piece for later?”

“Nay,”
she teased. “I plan to eat the entire pan myself.”

He grinned, delighted with her teasing, while his heart seemed to skitter and dance inside his chest. He murmured something about seeing her later before he left the house and headed toward the barn. He was breathing rapidly as he crossed the yard. He stifled the urge to look back. Would he see her in the window?

Despite spending the day away from her to refocus on his future carriage shop, he’d known that there would be no escaping his growing feelings for Martha King. But he doubted she felt the same. First, there was the fact that Ike had died only last autumn, and then there was the seven years difference in their ages. A difference that didn’t bother him, but he knew instinctively that she would be upset by it. Soon he would open his buggy shop. Then he might try to court her. Then he’d make her forever his...if she let him, and therein lay the problem.

* * *

By the time lunchtime rolled around,
Dat
and Isaac were working with him to repair Martha’s barn roof.

“You’ve done a
gut
job here, Eli,” his
dat
said.

“We all worked hard. The
haus
looks better than it did,” he admitted. Isaac and Jedidiah had painted the house shutters and the rest of the house exterior earlier in the week.

His father narrowed his gaze as he looked up the siding toward the roof shingles. “
Ja
, and after today, we should be done. Glad you waited before attempting to fix this yourself.”
Dat
met his gaze. “Given the state of other things around this farm, the roof may not have been sturdy enough to take weight.”

Eli shifted the ladder against the side of the barn. “I started to climb the ladder to fix a shutter but then thought of Horseshoe Joe.”

“Joe learned a
gut
lesson.” Samuel Lapp tightened his tool belt and reached out to push on the barn siding. “Looks like a couple of these boards are loose. Better fix these. Isaac, hold the ladder for Eli while I hammer in a few nails.”

“Ja, Dat.”

Eli checked the ladder weight against the barn roof edge. Satisfied that it would hold, he climbed up and studied the condition of the roof shingles.

“Eli, how does it look?”

“Bad.” Checking his nail bag, Eli saw that he had enough nails, but what he needed was the caulk gun. “Forgot caulk.”

“I’ve got some in the buggy,” his father said and left to retrieve it.

“Looks like it’ll need replacing by next year, but we can patch her for now.” Now that he saw its condition, Eli was leery about climbing onto the roof without some type of bracing. He came down a few rungs and smiled at his brother as he waited for his father to return with the caulk gun. “How’s Nancy?” he asked casually.

Isaac grinned. “
Gut.
I’m going to meet her today.”

“
Dat
know?”

“
Ja
, and he is fine with it.”

“Has he met her yet?”

“
Nay
, but he will soon.”

Eli studied his younger brother, worried that in his lovesick state he might be blinded to the girl’s true self. He didn’t want Isaac to get his heart broken. “I’m sure she’s nice if you like her, but English girls are not like Amish—so be careful.”

A myriad of emotions flickered across Isaac’s expression. He looked as if he didn’t know whether to be angry with his brother’s warning or if he would take it as it was meant—an older brother’s concern for a younger sibling.

Apparently, Isaac understood Eli’s intent because his brow cleared suddenly and he nodded. “Nancy is a nice girl. She wants to meet our family. I thought I’d bring her by for Saturday supper.”

That was two days away, Eli thought. “Did you tell
Mam
?”

“Not yet, but I will. I thought I’d ask her when I get home.”

Eli smiled. “
Gut.
Knowing
Mam
’s loving heart, she’ll be happy to have Nancy join us.”

Isaac returned his grin. “I thought this, too.”

Dat
returned with the caulk gun and a new tube of caulk. Eli climbed back up the ladder to repair what he could safely reach.
Dat
and Isaac decided to check and fix, if necessary, the rest of the barn.

Martha came outside, bringing food and drink, and they stopped what they were doing to meet her.

Eli climbed down the ladder and took off his tool belt.
Dat
and Isaac came out of the barn and did the same before they all happily accepted the sweet iced tea and hot ham and cheese sandwiches that Martha had made for them.

“You spoil us, Martha,”
Dat
said with a smile.

“You’ve been working hard,” she said. “’Tis the least I can do.”

Dat
leaned to study the food items on Martha’s tray. “Corn bread?” he guessed.

“
Ja.
And I bought you four samples of my jellies and jams that will be sold locally.” She named three shops that they recognized, including Whittier’s and Yoder’s. “I think customers might be more inclined to buy my products if they tried them on crackers or my sweet corn bread.”

“The corn bread you made this morning,” Eli murmured.

Martha met his gaze. “
Ja.
Try a piece.”

“I’d love to.”

He saw that his father and brother were just as eager to taste it.

“Delicious!”
Dat
exclaimed. “What kind of jam is this?”

She blushed. “I call it sweet mixed berries. It’s something new. I mixed strawberries, raspberries and gooseberries together. It smelled wonderful when I was making it, but I haven’t actually tried it myself yet.”

“You’ve got another winner,” Eli declared before he took another bite.

He was delighted to see her expression light up with happiness.

They tasted all four jellies and jam and decided that all of them would sell well.

“I’m going to buy some of this for Katie,”
Dat
said of Martha’s hot pepper jelly.

“I have a fresh jar inside I can give you for all you’ve done.”

Dat
shook his head. “I’ll not be taking any of your store-ready jellies or jams unless I can pay for it.”

A twinkle entered Martha’s eyes. “Then I’ll go inside and get the lid for this jar. You can take this one home,” she insisted.

His father laughed. “You sure know your mind,” he said. “I know Katie and I will be enjoying hot pepper jam for breakfast tomorrow morning.”

They went back to work while Martha went inside. She returned to her vegetable garden about an hour later. She seemed comfortable in his presence today, not like in the barn during the storm. As he’d thought, it was the lightning and thunder that had bothered her, not him.