A Simple Autumn: A Seasons of Lancaster Novel (35 page)

Flames curled around the log in the fireplace as Jonah sat still in a wooden rocker,
staring at the dancing light. He had come down and built the small fire because he
couldn’t sleep.

All the wedding talk had led his thoughts to Annie.

She would be around for the wedding, now that she had decided to stay and help out
until her dat recovered. There was a part of the wedding reception where all the single
young people got paired off, and he wondered if Mary would pair Annie off with him.
Hmm … He would like that, but Annie, not so much.

Or would Annie go along with it because of the friendship that had grown between them
in the past few weeks?

Working with Annie on the Stoltzfus farm, he had seen her in many new ways. Talking
to the horses. Tending the sheep. Nurturing the little ones. Humming as she hung clothes
on the line. She had insights about the animals’ behavior that could come only from
growing up on a farm, and there was a certain way about her—sensitive, bubbly, but
firm, too. She could be strict with a misbehaving sheep when she needed to be.

And when she was around Levi and Sam, Annie’s loving instincts came alive. She enjoyed
teaching them things, and she had a talent for getting them to mind without a scolding.
Someday, she’d be a fine Amish mother to her own children.

The woman he’d come to know in the past few weeks was far different from the girl
he’d watched from afar when they’d been growing up. But for every quality he’d recently
discovered in Annie, he’d come to love her that much more. With her gift for children
and her love of farm life, Annie was heading toward the same life that Jonah had always
planned for himself.

At times, he thought to take her into his arms, kiss her, and tell her that they were
meant to be together. It seemed simple.

But he would never do that to her. He respected her, and he would always abide by
the things she had told him. Always. She had made it clear that she didn’t favor him;
he did not need to hear that again.

The stairs creaked, and Jonah looked away from the fire to find his brother Gabe in
the doorway, his hair mussed, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

“What are you doing down here?” Gabe asked.

“I couldn’t sleep. And you?”

“I just had a nightmare that made me want to go outside and
check the cows.” Gabe went over to the fire and stood there a minute, warming.

Jonah shifted in the rocker, glad for the distraction. “What was the dream?”

“I dreamed that the cows had gone for days without milking while I slept in bed like
a lazybones. When I realized the milking had been forgotten, I hurried out to the
barn.” Gabe shifted the blanket on his shoulders. “Wouldn’t you know, Dat was out
there waiting for me. ‘What happened?’ he asked. I felt so bad to let him down. But
before I could explain, Emma popped out.”

“Emma?” Jonah rubbed his bare chin. “This is getting good.”

“She was standing there all proper in her sweater with her satchel. Emma said that
she knew what happened. ‘I know the terrible truth,’ she said. I figured she’d tell
Dat about the motorbikes, but instead, she took a stack of papers out of her satchel.
‘These are Gabe’s papers from all his school days, and they prove that he didn’t learn
anything.’ That’s what she said. And then she said I would have to return to school
until I got everything right.”

Jonah grinned. “That’s a telling dream.”

“You think it’s funny.” Gabe scowled as he sat down in the chair beside Jonah. “I’d
laugh if it didn’t bother me so much. I never dreamed about Dat before, and he seemed
so disappointed with me. And then Emma … I never want a scolding like that.”

“Teacher Emma can be very strict.” Jonah knew that it was important for an Amish teacher
to have the right balance of control and compassion. “So, is Emma still being strict
with you?”

“She hasn’t even spoken to me since we broke apart. She’s making a big deal about
me riding the motorbikes.”

“Maybe you should give up the bikes.”

“Ach! You sound like a father.”

“Well. Dat’s not here to tell you what you need to hear.” Jonah
rubbed his chin. “You know, those motorcycles are dangerous. People get killed on
them.”

Gabe scowled. “People get killed in farm accidents.”

“Ya, but a plow brings bread to the table. It’s a part of life. A motorbike? Not so
much.”

“But there’s nothing like riding on a motorbike. You feel like a man. At the same
time, you feel like you’re flying, faster than any bird. Dat would understand that.
He loved to watch the birds flying yonder.”

Jonah sat for a moment as he pictured their dat watching the nightjars or jays circling
over the wavering alfalfa. “Dat was a birdwatcher, all right. But he wouldn’t expect
you to be flying. You don’t have wings, Gabe.”

“Mmm.” Gabe ran a hand through his untidy hair. “I’m tired but I don’t want to go
back to sleep and dream about Emma scolding me again.”

“So … you and Emma are still stuck in the muck. Have you tried to talk to her?”

“What’s the point?” Gabe shrugged. “She’s through with me.”

Jonah leaned forward and pointed to the back lot. “When you have a section of broken
fence out there, do you just leave it be?”

Gabe frowned. “No.”

“Then why would you ignore what’s broken with Emma? Go talk to her. Step up and try
to mend things.”

“I guess I can try.” Gabe rubbed the back of his neck. “And how come you know what
to do when you don’t even have a girl? Or do you?” He squinted at his brother. “Is
that why you can’t sleep?”

Jonah gave a nod. “Now you know my secret.”

“But you didn’t say who she is.”

“It doesn’t matter. She won’t be around here much longer.”

Gabe pursed his lips, nodding. “So it is Annie Stoltzfus. I thought so.”

“Ach.” Jonah pushed back in the rocking chair with a groan. “Don’t tell me tongues
are wagging about me favoring Annie.”

“Don’t worry. Nobody knows, except for the brother who’s watched you go to that farm
day after day. You’ve been downright cheerful about it, and that’s not like you.”

“The Quiet One.”

“Not so quiet anymore,” Gabe said. “So what are you going to do about Annie leaving
for New York?”

“There’s nothing to be done. She’s made her choice, and I need to respect that.”

A quiet growl pealed from Gabe’s throat. “Come on. You can’t mean that.”

Jonah folded his arms across his chest. “It’s the truth.”

“What about mending your fences, like you told me?”

“There’s nothing broken to fix. She doesn’t favor me. She’s leaving Halfway. It’s
not meant to be.”

“I don’t think that’s true.” Gabe squinted at him. “And you need to do something if
you want to stop her from going. Hide her hope chest. Talk to her parents. Lovina
and Aaron have both taken a liking to you.”

“It’s not so simple,” Jonah said.

“Then get crafty.” Gabe rose and tossed another log onto the fire. “Don’t let her
get away, Jonah. If she’s the one for you, don’t watch her slip away.”

Jonah watched as the cinders popped and scattered in the fireplace.
Good advice
, he thought.
If only I could do something about it
.

F
alling back into a rocking chair with a sigh, Emma savored the silence. Dat, Fanny,
and the children had just left to have dinner with Bishop Samuel and his wife, Lois;
and Elsie and Caleb were working at the shop. That left Emma alone in the house—a
rarity for her.

Everywhere she went, someone was talking around her. Her pupils at school, her spirited
younger siblings, her sister Elsie in the room they shared. Sometimes she longed for
a few minutes of blessed silence.

Time to clear her mind. Time to think about Gabe.

When she closed her eyes, she could see him: The hard jaw that lent defiance to his
face. The amber eyes that seemed to read her deepest thoughts. And that half grin,
a crooked smile that hinted at amusement lurking under his cool demeanor.

Oh, she really shouldn’t love him so, but she couldn’t help herself. The feeling hadn’t
faded at all, despite her anger with him for breaking the rules of the Ordnung. She
had talked to Elsie about it—dear
Elsie, who had calmly listened and counseled Emma to be patient. Give the boy time
and he would come around. She appreciated Elsie’s advice, but she did not share her
sister’s patience or faith in Gabe.

How could she be sure Gabe would ever “come around” and follow the rules of their
Amish community? There was always the chance that he would take a different path,
like his older sister Sadie. Or he might even leave the community for years, as his
brother Adam had done.

And where would that leave Emma?

Adrift in her own community. If she waited for Gabe to come around, there was a chance
that she would be waiting alone for the rest of her life.

In her logical mind, Emma knew that it would not be smart to wait for Gabe. But in
her heart, there was no room for any other beau. She loved Gabe, and no amount of
logic was going to change that.

So … it was time to settle in for a long winter, and a long wait.

She got out of the chair to find her satchel. The rumpled stack of papers peered out
at her, calling for attention, very much like her young scholars. But the afternoon
sun on the window beckoned her.

“I’m going to work outside,” she said, grabbing a sweater for when the sunlight faded.

The two-story house just outside town was built on a small lot, but there was a natural
boundary of bushes on one side of the yard. When they had moved in to the house, Fanny
had set out four chairs and a table that Emma and Elsie had covered with a mint-green
rust-retardant paint. Surprisingly, the little table had become the hub of family
activity in good weather. Some summer nights, when the weather was hot, they brought
out dining room chairs and ate their dinner out here.

She took the top essay from the stack in her satchel and leaned
into the last of the day’s golden sunlight. Leaves shimmered in the hedge behind her,
and she imagined that they were Gott’s own wind chimes.

She was reading an essay about an afternoon of fishing when a whirring sound buzzed
in the distance.

A large wasp?

She looked around, but saw no insects crossing the swath of sunlight. And yet the
sound grew louder. It was some kind of vehicle. A vehicle on the road?

Sparked by curiosity, she stood up. Her papers ruffled in the breeze, and she quickly
shoved them under the satchel so they wouldn’t blow away. She moved closer to the
hedge to peer through the bushes. A motorcycle was passing on the main road. A moment
later, it turned down the lane, a whining beast.

The rider was dressed Amish in dark broadcloth trousers and blue shirt, suspenders … and
a helmet that covered his whole face.

Gabe.

The breath caught in her throat. What was he thinking, coming around here, and on
a motorbike? The boy didn’t use the brain in his head.

She tended to her papers, shoving them back into her satchel as a strange mix of excitement
and agitation brewed inside her. Her heart raced at the sight of him, and yet she
knew he had brought trouble with him.

With a whir of the motor, he pulled off the driveway onto the grass and rolled to
a stop beside the little table. Her fingers worried over the pins of her apron, as
she watched him dismount.

He turned off the bike, swung his leg over the side, and rose to his full height.
Why did her heart soar at the sight of him? He pushed a little spike down with the
toe of his boot, and the bike stood on its own, all glinting metal in the sun.

Emma frowned. That bike might as well be cow manure, but
Gabe … he was still so handsome, lean and tall. There was no denying the glow she
felt at the sight of him.

Still … she couldn’t have him here like this. On a bike. Her conscience whispered,
“No, no, no …” But standing this close to him was like stepping into the sunshine
after a week of night.

He pulled the big black helmet off and shook his head as he came toward her. “Emma … Did
you know it was me?”

“It wasn’t so hard to figure out,” she said. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to give you a ride. I brought one of the bigger bikes so that we can ride
together.”

“Gabe, are you verhuddelt? I can’t be riding a motorbike.”

“No one will know.” He lifted the helmet toward her. “You can wear the helmet so no
one will know it’s you.”

“I would never do that. It’s against the rules.”

“Can’t you just stop worrying about the rules for once and try something new? I want
you to see how much fun it is, Emma. Just see for yourself.” He came toward her with
the helmet, but she held up a hand, pressing it into his chest.

“Stop, just stop it! I don’t want anything to do with your bike, Gabe.” She pulled
her hand back when she saw the forlorn look on his face. He seemed stunned … but how
could he be surprised? She was standing by what she had told him all along. “Why are
you looking at me that way? You know the rules as well as I do.”

“I thought you would understand.” The hurt in his eyes tugged on her conscience. “You’ve
always tried to understand. When my parents were killed, you were the only one who
talked to me about it … the only one who listened.”

“This is different, Gabe.”

“Is it? This is something good I’m trying to share with you. Something
that makes me feel strong but light … like an eagle soaring over the land.”

Torn between her desire to reach out to him and her faith that she had to stick to
her beliefs, she studied his face, wished she could make him understand.

“I would love to soar with you, Gabe.” She swallowed over the lump in her throat.
It would be so easy to give in and go with him. Put on a helmet and pray that no one
would recognize her so that she and Gabe could be close again. One small concession
would mend their relationship.