An Amish Wedding (20 page)

“I’m an idiot.” Margaret didn’t look at Naomi. Instead she kept her head pressed against the buggy, her hands down at her sides.

“
Nee
, you’re not.” Naomi moved to stand beside her. “It was an accident. And now you’re all right.”

“Thanks to Zeke, I am.” She looked at Naomi, her eyes brimming with tears, her face still red.

Naomi couldn’t tell if it was embarrassment or from her choking.

“I’m sure he thinks I’m a fool.”

“If he does then he’s the fool, not you.” She put her hand on Margaret’s shoulder. “Why don’t you come back inside? I’ll get you a glass of water.”

“I’m not going back in there.” Margaret wiped her cheeks with the tips of her fingers. “I’ve embarrassed myself enough for one day.” She sighed, clasping her hands in front of her. “For a lifetime, actually.”

“Margaret, you’re not the first person ever to choke. And from how quickly he acted, Zeke knew exactly what to do. I’m sure he understands.”

“But it’s not just the choking. I made a fool of myself way before that. I can’t even talk to him like a normal person. I’m always like that around
mann
. It’s like my brain goes
seltsam
or something. I can’t think straight, I trip over my tongue, and I end up doing something stupid.”

More than anything Naomi wanted to give her friend a hug. But she didn’t want Margaret to think she pitied her. Which she did, a little. She’d had no idea Margaret, the capable, confident baker, fell completely apart whenever she was around a man.

“I’m going home.” Margaret moved to unhitch her horse from the buggy.

Naomi followed her. “Without telling Zeke good-bye?”

“Can you tell him for me?” She untied the horse and brought the reins to the front of the buggy, then climbed in and turned to Naomi. “I can’t face him right now.”

“But, Margaret—”

“I’m sorry, Naomi. I appreciate your helping me. I really do. But I think I’m a lost cause.” As Naomi opened her mouth to protest, Margaret guided the buggy down the driveway.

Naomi stood there, watching her go. Now she had to explain everything to Zeke. She’d been so sure he and Margaret would hit it off. How could she have been so wrong?

When Margaret disappeared down the road, Naomi went inside. Her brow lifted when she saw Zeke standing at the kitchen sink, washing the dishes.

“Hope you don’t mind,” he said, up to his elbows in soap bubbles. “I figured we were finished with the meal anyway.”

“You didn’t have to do that.” She went to the sink, then stopped. What was she going to do, pull his hands out of the dishwater?

“I know.” He looked at her and smiled. “But I can’t sit still. Been a problem for me ever since I was a
kinn
. I always had to be moving. Gave my
mudder
and my teachers fits.”

Naomi nodded. “Sarah Mae is like that. My youngest
schwester
. She picked up a dishtowel. “If you’re washing, then I’m drying.”

“Deal.” He rinsed off a plate and handed it to her. “I take it Margaret left?”

“
Ya
. She said to tell you
danki
and that she’s sorry.” Naomi wiped down the dish and set it to the side next to the stove. “I tried to convince her to stay, but she refused.”

He frowned. “Hope it wasn’t anything I did.”

Naomi sighed. She might as well admit the truth. “
Nee
. It’s what I did.” She looked at him as he handed her two dripping forks. “I should have told you about Margaret.”

“
Ya
, you should have. I don’t appreciate being set up without knowing about it beforehand.”

His tone wasn’t overly harsh, but stern enough that her cheeks heated. She rubbed the towel on the forks until it squeaked. “I’m sorry. And you’re right, I shouldn’t have done that without your permission.”

He gave her another dish. “It’s all okay,” he said, his voice softer this time. “I guess I wouldn’t be so touchy about it if it hadn’t happened so many times before. Seems everyone thinks I need to be paired off. Even you.”

When he put it that way, Naomi felt worse. She just assumed he would want to go out on a date. Maybe he had a girl back home. Maybe he was like she was, and not interested in dating anyone. “I shouldn’t have assumed.” She put the dried dish on top of the other clean one. “I’ve really made a mess of things.” Without looking she reached for another plate.

Instead she found Zeke’s hand.

Chapter Five

N
AOMI KNEW SHE SHOULD PULL AWAY, BUT FOR A MOMENT
she didn’t want to. His hand, covered with watery bubbles, was a little larger than hers. She could feel the calluses on his palm. A shiver coursed through her body. She hadn’t felt this sensation since she last held David’s hand. Even then, her reaction hadn’t been this intense.

Her ex-boyfriend’s intrusion into her thoughts jerked her back to her senses. But before she could move, Zeke cleared his throat and pulled his hand away. He thrust it into the dishwater and washed a tea glass. This time when he gave the glass to her, she made sure their hands didn’t touch. They didn’t say anything for a moment.

Finally Zeke spoke. “You didn’t make a mess of things, Naomi. We misunderstood each other.” He paused. “Margaret seems like a nice
maedel
.”

His assessment of Margaret gave her a bit of hope that she could salvage the situation. “She is. You should see her in the kitchen. She’s an excellent baker and a really
gut
cook. She has some great ideas for special Christmas cookies and she’s always interested in trying new recipes and techniques.”

He nodded and pulled the stopper out of the sink. The kitchen filled with the sucking sound of the water swirling down the drain. “Sounds like she’s very
gut
at her job.” He looked at her for a moment.

For the second time that day, a strange fluttery feeling came over Naomi. As her gaze met his, something in his hazel eyes pulled at her.

“Naomi?” he said, his voice low and husky.

“Ya?”
The word came out of her mouth in a breathy sound.

“Could I have the towel? To dry my hands?”

She yanked her gaze from his and looked at the damp towel in her hand. “Oh.
Ya
.” Handing it to him, she made sure she didn’t look at him. Instead she moved to the oven a few steps away and opened the door. Warmth covered her face, but it wasn’t completely from the low heat of the oven. “Would you like some apple pie?” she asked, more to the oven than to Zeke.

“Sure.”

She grabbed the potholder near the stove. She pulled out the pie and set it on top of one of the cold burners. Behind her she heard the scrape of the chair as Zeke sat down. She sliced into the flaky crust, steam curling up from the piping-hot pie filling. She handed him a piece, making sure she didn’t look into his eyes again. She seemed to lose her senses every time she did. “Be careful, it’s hot. It also might be a little runny. The longer it sits the more the filling sets up.”

“I don’t mind.” He took the pie from her. She dished herself a small wedge and joined him. She cut into her piece and blew on the rising steam. When she heard him groan she looked up.

His eyes were closed as he chewed, seemingly unaffected by the temperature of the pie. Then he shook his head and opened his eyes, looking at her directly. “Hands down the best apple pie I’ve ever had.”

Naomi smiled. “Really?”

“Absolutely. Naomi King, you know how to cook.” He dug back into the pie with relish.

Naomi couldn’t help herself. She watched him eat, glad he appreciated her cooking. It was different from baking for her business. His reaction was more . . . personal. And other than her weekly cooking class, she didn’t have anyone to really cook for, other than herself. Occasionally she helped her mother cook in the main house, especially when they hosted church or other gatherings. But when she ate alone at her house, she usually didn’t go to the trouble to make a complicated meal.

“Does all your
familye
live in Middlefield?” she asked.

“
Nee
. Three of my
bruders
live in Holmes County with their families. One
schwester
lives in Ashtabula with her husband and
kinner
. The other two
schwesters
live in Middlefield.”

“So they’re not married?”

“Oh, they’re married. All my siblings are.” He paused. “Between them I’ve got twenty nieces and nephews.”

“Twenty?”

“
Ya
. And they’re all terrific
kinner
.”

Naomi smiled at the pride in his voice. Although humility was a prized quality among the Amish, it touched her to know how much Zeke loved his family and wasn’t afraid to express it. She was more convinced than ever that he was widowed. She couldn’t imagine him not ever having had a wife.

“What about you?” he asked. “You seem to know a lot more about me than I know about you.”

“Besides Priscilla, I have two other sisters. Hannah is already married and expecting her first
kinn
. Then there’s Sarah Mae. But we’re not holding a wedding for her anytime soon.”

“Why not?”

“She’s five.” Naomi chuckled. “My parents call her their little surprise.”

“So how long have you lived here?” Zeke asked between bites.

“In Paradise? My entire life.”

“
Nee
. I mean here.” He tapped on the table with his finger. “In this little
haus
.”

She dipped the side of her fork into the warm pie. “About two years. Our grandparents passed away when we were young, and it seemed a shame to leave this house empty. So after my younger sister Hannah married, I moved in.”

She ate the bite of pie, savoring the explosion of apples and cinnamon in her mouth. Zeke was right, this was good, one of her best pies yet. Then she frowned, feeling bad that Margaret didn’t get the chance to enjoy it.

Zeke paused in his eating. “Something wrong?”

“I wish Margaret hadn’t left on such poor terms.” Any good feelings Naomi had before disappeared at the thought of how miserable her friend looked when she left. “I’d hoped she would have stayed.”

“Me too.” Zeke polished off the last bite of pie.

Naomi looked at him for a moment. Could it be that he’d seen past Margaret’s awkwardness to the sweet woman beneath? If so, why did the idea suddenly bring on a twist inside her? Wasn’t this what she’d wanted—to help Margaret? Maybe they both would be open to a second chance, but she would have to go about it a different way.

“You mentioned you wanted to have a ride around Paradise.”

He nodded. “
Ya
. I’d like to take a look at the town, to see what’s changed, visit old places. It’s been a long time since I was last here.”

“That sounds like a
gut
idea.” She put down her fork. “When were you planning to do this?”

“Any time in the next week or so.”

“Would you like a tour guide?”

Z
EKE GRINNED
. H
E FELT BAD THAT
M
ARGARET HAD TO
leave, but he wasn’t too disappointed. It gave him more time to be alone with Naomi. He thought about how their hands had touched. How she hadn’t moved away. But uncertainty had flashed through her eyes, and he didn’t want to take advantage of the moment, even though he easily could have.

Everything about this woman felt right. God had to have a hand in this, he was certain of it. He’d prayed for a woman like Naomi. And it had been a long wait, but now she was sitting right in front of him.

Yet he had to be careful. Although unlike Margaret, Naomi didn’t seem to scare easily. He tempered his emotions before he spoke. “I’d appreciate some company. I would get pretty bored talking to the horse while I drove around.”

When she smiled, his heart did a tiny backflip.

“I know the perfect guide for you.” Naomi’s smile grew larger.

“Ya?
And who might that be?”

“Margaret! She knows Paradise inside and out.”

Zeke’s smile deflated. “I don’t think she’d be interested, Naomi.”

“I know she feels bad about this evening. This would be a
gut
way for you two to get back on track. If you’re agreeable to that, of course.”