An Amish Country Christmas (23 page)

Too soon!
her thoughts cried out. And yet, hadn’t they been working their way around to this
subject all along? Wasn’t a visit to his home a logical step in a relationship that
had blown them along like a winter wind? “I—I’ll certainly consider that, Vernon,”
she replied. “And you’ll be meetin’ up with my nephews while you’re here, no doubt.”

“I’d love to. I passed the mill on my way into town, and I sense your nephews have
some interesting things to tell about their new business,” he said. His blue eyes
sparkled when he gazed into hers. “I won’t kiss you right now, because Tom and Nazareth
are watching, but when the next opportunity presents itself . . .”

Jerusalem giggled. “I suspect we’ll get pretty
gut
at makin’ opportunities.”

Chapter Nine

When she’d pulled on her flannel nightgown, Nazareth sat on the edge of the double
bed beside Jerusalem to brush out her hair. All their lives they had shared a room,
and this nightly ritual brought their busy days to a satisfying close before they
slipped between the sheets to sleep. Knowing that their voices might carry to where
Tom and Vernon still sat chatting downstairs, she leaned close to her sister. “So
did ya have a
gut
time on that sleigh ride? Couldn’t tell if your cheeks were rosy from the cold or
from spoonin’ with Vernon.”

“Puh! From what I could tell, you and Tom did your share of spoonin’, too, Sister,”
Jerusalem teased as she let her hair spill down over her shoulder. “It’s a wonder
ya didn’t get dinner all over your dress for gawkin’ at him instead of payin’ attention
to your food.”

Nazareth chuckled.
Years
had passed since either of them had experienced such romantic opportunities with
a man, so she wasn’t surprised that her older sister had changed the subject a wee
bit. “And what if we did? It’s not like Tom and I met just yesterday—or the day before—after
all.”

Jerusalem raised an eyebrow as she pulled the brush through her hip-length hair. “Are
ya sayin’ I’m jumpin’ the gun with Vernon? He’s the one who started makin’ flirty
noises the moment he came in the door.”

“Not for me to judge,” Nazareth replied quietly. It was difficult to keep a schoolgirl
grin off her face, recalling her afternoon on the love seat with Tom. “I’m glad to
see ya lookin’ so happy, is all. Vernon’s a mighty nice fella and he seems sincere
about his feelin’s for ya. Not at all the sort of man Hiram Knepp is.”

“Ya got that right,” Jerusalem replied with a short laugh. “Truth be told, I can’t
recall ever havin’ such a nice time with any of the fellas we knew as young girls.
Maybe this sort of thing gets easier, once ya give up the assumption you’ll be a wife
all your life.”

“
Jah
, there’s that.” As she drew the brush rhythmically through her hair, Nazareth pondered
her options. Part of her wanted to share the exciting highlights of this fine day,
yet she also wanted to savor the sweet, private moments she and Tom had shared . .
.

“I’m in a bit of a tangle, though,” Jerusalem continued. “Of all things, Vernon has
asked me to ride back to Cedar Creek with him. Wants me to see his place and meet
the two aunts and the nephew who live with him.”

“Oh, my! That’s a big step.”

“Maybe more of a step than these short old legs can make.”

Nazareth playfully whacked her sister’s flannel-covered arm with her hairbrush. “Since
when are ya admittin’ to bein’ old, Sister? I’d guess Vernon’s got ya beat by eight
or ten years, but he’s prancin’ like a stallion who’s gotten wind of a mare.”

“
Jah
, the old
gray
mare!” Jerusalem protested playfully. Then her expression waxed more serious. “But
what if those aunts are set in their way of runnin’ things at his place? Or what if
he’s really just lookin’ for somebody to take care of them? And what if his nephew
wants no part of havin’ another biddy hen cluckin’ around the—”

“Since when have ya worried over how other folks’ll feel about ya, Sister?”

“Shhh! He’ll hear us!” Jerusalem whispered as she pointed toward the floor with her
brush.

Nazareth’s hand flew to her mouth, but she was ready to laugh. If Jerusalem had such
a case of the jitters, it could only mean she was more backside-over-teakettle about
the white-haired bishop than she cared to admit. Or was her sister concerned about
something else? Something Nazareth had pondered for a while now. “Maybe you’re just
nervous about sharin’ a room with somebody besides me, ain’t so? I—I’ve imagined what
it might be like, havin’ a man for a roommate . . . but maybe it’s time we both found
out how that works.”

Jerusalem’s jaw dropped. “You’re gonna start sleepin’ with Tom?”

“
No!
I—”

“Shhh!” Jerusalem pressed her finger to Nazareth’s lips and leaned closer. “Can’t
let those fellas get wind that we’re talkin’ about them, or there’ll be no end to
the mischief they’ll make.”

Nazareth swatted her sister’s hand away. “Why do ya think that? No doubt in my mind
Tom’s got the best of intentions, because—well, we talked about that today while you
were gone. And . . . and it’s only a matter of time before you’re gonna have to get
yourself a different room.” She widened her eyes playfully. “If ya think folks’ll
talk about how the two of us have been stayin’ here after this snowstorm, think what
they’ll say if you’re still sleepin’ with me after Tom and I get hitched.”

“Nazareth Hooley! Talkin’ like that’ll lead ya straight to the Devil’s—”

“Shhh!” Clapping her hand over Jerusalem’s lips, Nazareth had to hold in her laughter.
“I’m teasin’ ya, silly goose. But it’s gonna happen someday, Sister. And I’m just
tickled to pieces about it, even if I’m scared about makin’ such a big change at this
point of my life.”

“
Jah
, I’m with ya there.” Jerusalem let out a long breath. “Vernon and I talked about
. . . sex today.”

“
Ach
, and how did
that
go?” Nazareth’s pulse shot up. While she and Tom had only tried kissing, he would
expect more intimate relations after he married her . . .

“Well, it seems that’s another change comin’ my way, if I go along with his wild,
romantic plans. Truth be told, I nearly jumped out of the sleigh when he started sayin’
how he’d teach me to . . .” Jerusalem cleared her throat nervously. “After all, you
and I turn our backs real modest-like when we’re puttin’ on our clothes and nightgowns.
I don’t think Vernon’ll go along with that.”

“Hmmm . . . and if ya move to Cedar Creek, it’s not like the two of us can help each
other with our jitters, or—”

“Puh! It’d be like the blind leadin’ the blind, for all you and I know about bein’
with a man!”

Nazareth gripped her hairbrush. She’d imagined this part of being married to Tom,
but her sister was right about their lack of knowledge. Sometimes mothers advised
their daughters about sexual matters before they became brides, but Mamma was long
gone . . . and she’d had no occasion to discuss marital relations with them when they
were young. “I’m thinkin’ most fellas have eyes that see in the dark. Or they just
use their hands to—”

“Something tells me Vernon’s gonna have the lamp on. Now
there’s
a scary thought!”

Nazareth giggled out loud and then clamped her mouth shut. The bed shook with her
mirth.

“It’s not all that funny, little sister,” Jerusalem warned. “Sounds like you’ll be
facin’ the same situation. And at our age, some of those body parts don’t work the
way they used to, let alone lookin’—”

“Which explains why Hiram kept marryin’ younger women as he went along.” Nazareth
sat straighter, looking her sister in the eye. “But thank the
gut
Lord we’re not dealin’ with the likes of Hiram anymore, so why not set aside this
talk that’s gonna keep us awake all night? For all we know, we’re makin’ mountains
out of molehills.”

Jerusalem looked down at the chest beneath her flannel nightgown, shaking her head.
“Mountains . . . molehills,” she murmured. “Whatever size Vernon’ll consider these
breasts, they’re not used to anybody payin’ them any attention. He looks at them when
he thinks I’m not watchin’, and I . . . I just don’t know what to make of it all.”

As Nazareth heard the concern in her sister’s voice, she tried to think of something
to get Jerusalem’s mind away from her worrisome thoughts. “Could be, if Vernon wants
ya to meet his family, it’s time to introduce him to our three nephews. You can bet
Bennie, Luke, and Ira will cut him down to size real quick if he’s actin’ too big
for his britches.”

Jerusalem’s eyes widened and she gave Nazareth a quick hug. “Oh, but that’s a fine
idea, Sister!” she replied. “And havin’ them all over for supper will be a
gut
way to pass an evening between now and Tom’s installation at church on Sunday. That
way, none of the neighbors’ll accuse us of spendin’ all this time with two fellas,
livin’ in sin with only our pajamas on.”

Once again Nazareth had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing aloud at the imagery
Jerusalem’s ideas inspired. “A pajama party! Now
there’s
a way to get better acquainted with Tom and Vernon!”

Jerusalem swatted her and then put out the bedside lamp. “You’re just full of fine
ideas tonight, Sister. Better pray real hard about that.”

“Made ya laugh, though, didn’t I?”

Jerusalem’s quiet chuckle reverberated in the darkness as they settled into the bed.
“
Jah
, ya did. And I love ya for it, too, Nazzie.”

Nazareth smiled as she turned onto her side to face the wall.
Ya blessed us with a lot of new ideas today, Lord, and we thank Ya for that. Give
us the grace and courage to accept Your gifts and make the best of every one of them.
Especially the kisses.

Chapter Ten

Tom stepped into the kitchen and inhaled the warm, wonderful aromas of breakfast .
. . sausage and freshly percolated coffee and something sweet and chocolate, he was
guessing. “I���m gettin’ spoiled, Vernon,” he remarked as they stomped the snow from
their boots in the mudroom. “Most days I come in from the milking to an empty house
that smells like burnt toast. Havin’ the girls here has been a real treat.”

“I sometimes forget how blessed I am that Aunt Nettie’s a willing cook and Aunt Florence
can keep a conversation going even when our lives change little from one day to the
next.” The bishop removed his stocking cap and smoothed his snowy-white hair. “And
of course Abner’s always on hand to help with the cattle chores, too. Living alone
would be a real challenge for me, as I’m sure it’s been for you, my friend. But this,
too, shall pass.”

“Lookin’ forward to Naz bein’ here full-time,” Tom said as he tossed his coat onto
the nearest peg by the door. “The trick will be in the timing, so’s other folks won’t
think I’m jumpin’ the gun . . . or that I’ve been hidin’ my relations with her.”

“It’ll all work out, Tom. And nobody’s happier for you than I am.”

When Vernon clapped him on the back, it was like a benediction, a blessing on the
marriage Tom longed for now. But that was putting the cart before the horse, as Nazareth
deserved to be courted and given some say about how she wanted the house . . . how
she wanted
him
. That thought put a smile on his face as he and Vernon stepped into the kitchen in
their stocking feet, shoes in hand.

“And did the cows cooperate with ya this morning?” Jerusalem asked as she turned a
loaf of dark, sweet-smelling bread out of its pan.

“Soon as these eggs cook, we’ll be ready to eat.” Nazareth’s smile radiated with contentment.
“Might be a
gut
day to venture over to Zook’s Market for a few groceries. We’ve run you low these
last couple of days.”

“
Jah
, we can do that,” Tom replied as he took his place at the table. The eggs were crackling
in the skillet and the platter of bread Jerusalem set beside him looked like chocolate
with chunks of fruit and nuts. “We can give Vernon a tour of Willow Ridge, if he’s
up for that much excitement.”

“And we were thinking to invite the nephews over some night soon—along with Ben and
Miriam, if they’re not out collectin’ wedding gifts,” Jerusalem said.

Tom caught the look that passed between her and Vernon and smiled to himself. Introducing
this fellow from Cedar Creek to her family might be the first step toward the altar.
“Maybe spendin’ some time with the bishop will convince Luke and Ira to join the church,
ain’t so?”

“We live in hope of that!” Nazareth replied with a shake of her head. “Never seen
such holdouts. Most fellas of twenty-eight and thirty would have jumped the fence
or committed by now, but our nephews have never followed the path anybody else laid
out for them.”

“Independent thinking seems to run in the Hooley family,” Vernon teased as they all
sat down. After they’d bowed in silence for a moment, he reached for the plate of
sausage patties in front of him. “With fellows like that, I usually see how the conversation’s
going before I challenge them about church membership. I suppose I should be more
insistent, more direct with folks who drag their feet about declaring their faith.
But there’s no sense in driving your nephews away by hammering them with Old Order
expectations, either. I imagine they’ve gotten plenty of that from their family.”

“You’re absolutely
right
, Vernon,” Jerusalem said with a teasing wag of her finger.

When Vernon laughed out loud, at a joke they had obviously shared before, Tom laughed,
too. It was wonderful to see two of his favorite people having such a good time together.
While Tom hadn’t invited the bishop to Willow Ridge specifically to get acquainted
with Jerusalem Hooley, the match had been in the back of his mind . . . mostly because
he sensed Nazareth would feel much freer to fall in love with him if her sister had
some romance in her life, as well.

They chatted over breakfast and decided their trip into town should wait until afternoon,
when the sun would be warmer. Tom chuckled because it was only six in the morning
and they’d already done half a day’s work before the market would even open. While
the sisters redded up the kitchen, he put more logs on the fire and spent some time
carving a figure of Joseph for the Nativity set he’d been working on. Vernon was setting
up the Scrabble board . . . probably setting up Jerusalem, too, the way his eyes were
twinkling.

“If ya don’t mind, I think I’d enjoy sittin’ over by the fire with Naz,” Tom said
as she came out of the kitchen. “You two can go at it over the game board.”

“That sounds nice,” Nazareth replied, and as she slipped her hand into his, Tom’s
heart swelled. “We can figure out our list for the store.”

“Puh! Like either one of ya has shoppin’ on your mind.” Jerusalem took the chair across
the table from Vernon. “Ya just can’t stand the heat of this game when the bishop
and I start layin’ down seven-letter words.”

“You’re absolutely right, Jerusalem,” Vernon replied, and their chuckling started
up again.

As Tom sank into the love seat, it felt so perfect to stretch his legs over the coffee
table . . . to let Nazareth rest her head on his chest as he slipped his arm around
her. He closed his eyes in a silent prayer of thanksgiving for such simple pleasures
. . . cozy moments in a home that felt lived-in again and smelled heavenly from breakfast.
The fire popped and crackled as he and Nazareth talked, vaguely aware that at the
other end of the room, Vernon and Jerusalem sparred gleefully over their game. Nazareth
smelled like the sausage she’d been frying, and Tom was trying to make an opportunity
to kiss her—

A door banged in the kitchen.

“My
gut
ness, would you look at all these cookies!”

“Huh! I can’t think our
dat
’s been doin’ all this bakin’ or cleanin’, so who do you suppose—”

“Dat! What are ya doin’ with that—that
woman
?”

Tom’s mouth went dry. As Nazareth sprang away from him on the love seat, he searched
frantically for the right words to stop the storm that was about to cut loose. “Sarah,
Lavinia,” he began in a strained voice. “Nice of ya to come over and—”

“
Nice
is not my word for it,” younger Lavinia retorted as she stalked toward them.

“Here we came over to see how you were doing after you got that letter about Mamm,”
Sarah retorted. “And we find you hanging all over this total stranger, as though—”

“As though you’ve been seeing her for quite some time now!” Lavinia finished. His
daughters stood together, crossing their arms exactly the way their mother used to
do.

Tom felt his face go six shades of red as he stood up. His girls resembled Lettie
to the point that his ex-wife might as well be standing alongside them, joining in
their accusations.

“This is Nazareth Hooley,” he stammered. “She and her sister came over to—”

“
Jah
, we can see that!”

“And here Sarah and I have been coming all this way each week to cook and keep up
with your laundry—”

“Feeling bad about you being here all alone—”

Something inside him snapped: this insolence toward Nazareth was something he refused
to tolerate. “Well, you two can stop feelin’ sorry now—”

“
Jah
, as of this minute I don’t feel much of anything but angry, Dat!”

“And shocked!” Sarah spat. “And ashamed—”

“Ladies, I’m Vernon Gingerich, from Cedar Creek,” the bishop said in a quiet but purposeful
voice. He came to stand beside Tom while Jerusalem joined her sister. “We had a meeting
of the bishops from nearby districts here, and these two sisters, Jerusalem and Nazareth
Hooley, made our meals for us. When the snow closed all the roads—”

“Jerusalem? Nazareth?” Lavinia repeated in a voice that rose even higher than her
eyebrows. “Those are two made-up names if I ever heard any!”

“
Jah
,” Sarah chimed in. “These two—
ladies
—do they keep ya company all the time, Dat? Sounds like what Hiram used to—”

“That’s enough. From the both of ya.” As Tom took each of his girls by the shoulder,
it required all of his strength not to shake some sense into them. “Your
mamm
and I taught ya to respect your elders, and I’ll not have ya lippin’ off to the bishop
that way. Understand me?”

Sarah and Lavinia shut their mouths in surprise, but it was clear they weren’t finished
speaking their minds. They shrugged out of his grasp.

“And I’ll thank you to take control of your loose talk, too.” Vernon gazed sternly
at the two younger women, allowing a few moments of silence for his words to sink
in. “Nothing sinful or contrary to God’s law has gone on here, and you needn’t drag
these
ladies’
reputations through the gutter simply because your own hearts and minds seem to be
there right now. They are indeed ladies in the finest sense of the word.”

When had Tom ever felt more embarrassed? His heart ached for Nazareth and her sister
even as he wished his daughters hadn’t walked in to find him in such a . . . compromising
position. But there was nothing to do now except clarify what his daughters had seen—not
that he figured they’d keep this juicy information to themselves once they got home.

“As a matter of fact, those other bishops and I have determined that your
dat
should be the next bishop of Willow Ridge,” Vernon went on. His voice remained low
and deceptively calm as he drove his point home. “You and your brothers are welcome
to join us on Sunday as your father takes on his additional responsibilities.”

Lavinia, always quicker with a retort, rolled her eyes. “
Jah
, Dat’ll be
responsible
, all right.”

“Rudy and Pete will see to that when we tell them what we walked in on,” Sarah said
with a nod.

Nazareth clasped her hands in front of her and stepped closer. “You—you girls are
welcome to join us for some coffee in the kitchen so we can talk about these misunderstandings—”

“Oh, we understand, all right,” Lavinia said. “Our
mamm
’s barely dead and buried and here
you
are. Thanks, but I’ll be heading home all the same.”

“
Jah
, seeing is believing,” her sister agreed as they both turned toward the kitchen to
go.

“And do you recall how our Lord Jesus reminded Doubting Thomas that it was more blessed
to believe without having to see?” Vernon asked quietly. “It would seem a more proper
attitude to at least give your father the benefit of the doubt. After all, he forgave
you both many times while you were growing up, just as he forgave your mother for
divorcing him.”

Sarah turned in the doorway for one last glance at them. “Whatever you say, bishop.”

“I’ll have to think on that for a
gut
long while,” her sister replied.

The back door slammed. The house rang with their rancor for several moments.

“I’m mighty sorry for the way those girls came bargin’ in here, sayin’ such hateful
things,” Tom murmured. “But I can see why they’d assume the worst about . . . what
they saw.”

“The timing was unfortunate,” Vernon agreed with a sigh. “But it’s often this way
with adult children. They don’t want things to change at home after a parent passes,
regardless of how the remaining parent needs comfort and companionship.”

“And we sure can’t hold ya responsible for what your girls said,” Nazareth added as
she slipped her hand into Tom’s. “It wasn’t what we wanted to hear, but there’s no
gettin’ around what we were doin’ when they came in.”

Tom let out a long sigh. “Couldn’t help but think how much like their
mamm
they are, jumpin’ on every little bug to peck at it,” he said sadly. “I’ve always
been glad to have my preachin’ position as a
gut
reason not to go live with any of my kids after Lettie left.”

“And you have your dairy herd, your livelihood,” Vernon pointed out. “Not to mention
your home and property. You’re not nearly decrepit enough to need anyone’s assistance
getting from one day to the next, Tom!”

“Not by a long shot,” Nazareth added with a laugh.

Relief and love washed over Tom as he gripped her slender hand. “Sometimes older eyes
and slippin’ vision work in our favor, ain’t so? We can’t see our friends’ faults
so clearly,” he remarked. “Even now that Lettie’s dead and gone, the four kids’ll
have a hard time seein’ me as marriage material, so I hope folks around Willow Ridge
will be happier that I’ve found Nazareth.”

“Came all the way from Lancaster County to be with ya, Tom,” she replied quietly.
“There’ll be no sendin’ me back now, kids or not.”

Jerusalem chuckled. “
Jah
, your girls haven’t seen faith in action until they’ve been around us Hooley sisters.
We’ve had a lot of practice at workin’ things through. God had His reasons for makin’
Willow Ridge look so
gut
to us, just like the nephews put their money toward a mill as soon as Bennie told
them to come out here.”

“And I, too, believe the Lord has been working out His purpose,” Vernon added as he
slipped an arm around Jerusalem’s shoulders. “Just as I know He’ll show us the next
best moves to make, and give us the words and the strength of soul to carry them out.
The road won’t always be straight or smooth, but we’ll get where we’re supposed to
go.”

Tom nodded. “Those are
gut
words to see us toward Sunday, when everybody’ll hear a
lot
of news during the Members Meeting. Let’s hope folks think we’ve made the right decisions.”