Love Inspired December 2014 - Box Set 1 of 2: A Rancher for Christmas\Her Montana Christmas\An Amish Christmas Journey\Yuletide Baby (46 page)

Chapter Twenty-Three

G
reta slipped back under the covers. So what if it was foolish to crave another day of Toby's company. She couldn't help it. She couldn't. She was foolishly falling head over heels for him. He would leave soon, but not today.

Not today. I won't be sensible today. He won't leave today. Please, God, let it snow a few days longer.

She would be sensible when Toby was gone, but not until then.

Marianne was still asleep, but Betsy had gone downstairs. With Naomi and Betsy both in the kitchen, there was no need for Greta to rush down. She sat up abruptly. Except that Toby might be up already, and she would be free to visit with him.

Tossing back the heavy quilts, she quickly put up her hair and pulled on her lavender dress. When she opened the door, Christmas came in. She stooped to pet the cat. “Happy morning, little one. The day you are named for is almost here. We should make it your official birthday and have a celebration for you, too.”

Although she felt like skipping down the stairs, Greta maintained a sedate pace. Her uncle Morris was reading by the fireplace. Although she worried that he would ruin her good mood, she called out, “Good morning,
Onkel.
I hope you're feeling well this fine day.”

“There's nothing fine about it. The cold is seeping into these old bones. I will soon be as stiff as an icicle.”

Yes, he was all doom and gloom, but it didn't affect Greta's mood one bit. Toby was sitting on the couch reading a book. His friendly smile warmed her heart as he wished her a good morning. She entered the kitchen still floating on a cloud of happiness.

Not today. He wouldn't leave today.

She stopped when she saw her grandfather pacing back and forth in front of the kitchen window. The wind howled outside unabated. She knew from the look on his face that he was deeply worried.

Carl was facing the window, too. “I built a half dozen sheds in the pastures for them this fall. Most of them will weather this storm safely.”

“You did a fine job, but they won't all go into the sheds. Sheep are funny that way. Some of them will shelter along the stone walls or in the thickets. Those are the ones that I'm worried about.”

“If the snow drifts over them, will they smother?” Greta asked. She had been so happy to see the snow. She had prayed for it to continue. Now she saw the folly of her selfish prayers.

Her grandfather turned to look at her. “They can smother, but often they huddle together and the heat of their bodies will form air holes to the surface. I'm more worried that the pregnant ewes won't find enough feed. If they can paw down and can get to grass, they can survive for a few days, but if they can't move, they will start to starve and that may cause them to miscarry. They need good feed to have healthy lambs. I pray God watches over them all.”

“And that's all you can do at this point, Joseph,” Naomi said from her place by the stove where she and Betsy were cooking. “Worrying will not help them. It shows a lack of faith in God's mercy.”

Daadi
turned away from the window. “You're right. The storm is by His will. Whatever comes of it is meant to be.”

Naomi smiled at him. “Invite our guests to breakfast and then you should have a game of checkers. I'm sure one of them will take you on.”

Greta's grandfather moved to his place at the table. “I hope it's Morris. I would love to give him a sound beating.”

Naomi crossed her arms as she gave him a stern look.

“At checkers, my good wife. I was talking about beating him at checkers.”

“Sure you were. Greta, call the others. The girls and I have many things to bake. Christmas will be here before we know it and I want to be ready. I don't need a bunch of men in my kitchen today.”

“It's my kitchen, too, you know,”
Daadi
said. “It was my kitchen for twenty years before you showed up.”

“And how many Christmas cookies did you bake in all that time? Well?” she demanded when he stayed silent.

He hooked his thumbs under his suspenders. “Not many.”

“None, I would venture to say. So if you want a delicious assortment this year, go play checkers in the other room after breakfast or put on an apron.”

“If I had known how bossy you were, I would've thought twice about asking you to marry me.”

She walked up to him and gave him a peck on the cheek. “You never did ask me. I'm the one who proposed because you never had the courage. Tell the truth, now, Joseph.”

“
Ja
, you proposed. Then, quick as a wink, I was shackled.”

She chuckled. “And how many days have you regretted that?”

He tapped her nose with his finger. “Not one single hour. I like snickerdoodles. I like chocolate chip cookies and I like the ones you make with the cherries in the center.”

“My thumbprint cookies?”

“
Ja,
those.”

“Then you shall have all three if you stay out of my kitchen today and let me cook.”

“I will, I will,” he grumbled. “Can I have my breakfast now?”

Greta went up to wake Marianne, but the girl was already up. When they came back downstairs, everyone else was already seated at the table. Although the food was plentiful, hot and delicious, everyone's mood was subdued. When they finished eating, her grandfather leaned back in his chair. “Who is up for a quick game of checkers this morning?”

“Marianne likes to play checkers,” Toby said with a smile for his sister.

Naomi began gathering up plates. “There you go, Joe. Play a game of checkers with Marianne. It will do her good to play someone she can beat.”

He laughed as he left the room with Toby and Marianne. Naomi's smile faded as she watched them. She moved to stare out the window, crossing her arms as if she were cold.

Greta joined her. “You are good to distract him.”

“I don't like to see him worry. I pray this storm ends soon and that God intends to save our sheep. I'm not sure Joseph has it in him to start over.”

“I will pray it ends soon, too.” Greta's gaze was drawn to the living room where the game table was being set up. Toby had pulled a chair over to sit beside his sister. He noticed Greta's gaze, smiled at her and winked. She smiled back, but her heart was heavy. Their time together couldn't go on forever. He would leave and she would be left to wonder if it could have turned into something more for them.

More than a brief flirtation.

That's all it was. She might wish it were more, but she had to be practical. Betsy was right to caution her. She would not lose her head or her heart to someone she had known less than a week. Love at first sight was the stuff of
Englisch
romance novels that she and her sisters had read on the sly when they were teenagers.

Real love had to grow over months and even years of getting to know each other. It took time and prayer to know if that person was the mate God had chosen for you.

* * *

Toby, acutely aware of Greta's sadness, wondered at the cause as the day wore on. She worked very hard at hiding it from others, but sometimes he would catch her when she thought no one was looking. The storm had everyone on edge, but he knew it was more than that. He hated seeing her unhappy. It wasn't until late in the day that he managed to get her alone. Naomi sent her to the cellar to bring up jars of canned fruit. Toby put his book down and said, “Let me help you.”

It seemed for a moment as if she would refuse him, but then she nodded. He followed her down the steep steps to the basement. She switched on two battery-operated lanterns that hung at the foot of the stairs. The dark recesses were bathed in sudden light. Tables and benches were stored along one wall along with an assortment of summer lawn furniture. The other walls were lined with floor-to-ceiling shelving that housed hundreds of jars full of produce.

She walked along the shelves pulling out jars of peaches, blueberries and plums. She handed them to him and tried to reach a jar of quinces. It was just out of her reach.

“Let me get that for you.” He stepped up.

“I can manage.” She rose on tiptoe. She was still an inch shy of her goal.

“I can manage, too,” he said, stepping in beside her. Their shoulders brushed against each other. She took a quick step away. He handed her the jar of fruit.

“Danki.”
She wouldn't look at him.

“Greta, are we still okay?” He asked, wondering if he had done something to upset her.

She turned away. “Your family in Pennsylvania must be worried by now. I'm sure you'll be glad to get back to them.”

“Of course I will.”

“The storm can't last much longer.”

“You don't think it will snow for another month of Sundays?”

She turned back to the shelves. “I hope not.
Daadi
is very worried about his sheep. They can't do without food much longer in this cold.”

“It's hard to remember that other creatures are suffering while we are snug and warm.”

Naomi came to the top of the stairs. “Are you having trouble finding something?”

The mother hen checking on her chick. Toby smiled at the image, but he understood her concern.

“The quince, but I have it now.” Greta ran up the steps leaving Toby to turn off the lights. He still didn't have a clue what was wrong. He was only halfway up when Betsy appeared in the doorway above him. He stepped aside to let her pass, but she stopped a few risers up.

“You might think that Greta is tough, but she isn't. She is the frailest of my sisters. She has scars you can't see. I was happy to see her enjoying a little flirtation until I realized that wasn't the case. She likes you, but unless you are planning to stay in our community, be careful. Don't make her wish for something she can't obtain. She has had failure thrown in her face far too many times.”

He stared at her in surprise. “I like your sister, too. I honestly do.”

“I'm glad, but that isn't enough. I'll take those jars.”

He handed them over. She smiled. “
Danki
for your help. I'm glad we had this little talk.” She trotted up the steps and closed the door, leaving him in the dark.

So the women of the family were banding together to protect Greta from the big bad wolf. He'd never pictured himself in that role. Were they right to worry? Was this connection he shared with Greta doing her harm?

That was the last thing he wanted.

So what should he do about it?

* * *

Greta pleaded a headache and spent the rest of the day in her bedroom. It was the coward's way out, but she didn't know what else to do. Facing Toby only made things worse. She didn't know how to explain what was wrong. That she had foolishly allowed herself to become infatuated with him. So rather than pretend indifference, she was hiding in her cold bedroom working on her cross-stitching with gloves on her hands. She spent as much time pulling out her mistakes as she did completing a pattern.

When Betsy and Marianne came up at bedtime, Greta was already under the covers pretending to be asleep. Sometime in the middle of the night, she woke listening for the wind, but all she heard was silence. She went to the window, but the glass was frosted over and she couldn't see out.

Quietly, she donned her robe and slippers and went downstairs. She padded silently through the kitchen. At the front door, she pulled on her coat and stepped out onto the porch. The storm was gone. The air was calm and crystal clear. Millions of stars sparkled in the black sky and lent their glitter to the snowy white fields. Her breath rose in frosty puffs in the still night air.

“It seems the storm has blown itself out.”

Greta's heart gave a happy leap at the sound of Toby's voice before she forced it to be calm. She turned to see him standing in the doorway. The only light came from the glow of the snowy fields and the stars. She couldn't see his face, but she knew every inch of it. “I'm sorry if I woke you.”

“You didn't. I think it was the silence. After so many days of wind, it was eerie.”

“That's what woke me, too.” She pulled her coat tightly over her chest. “You'll be able to leave soon.”

He came to stand beside her. “I should be happy, but I'm not.”

“Why aren't you?” The darkness made her bold. If she couldn't see his face, then he couldn't see what was in her eyes. A fierce longing to be held in his arms.

“If the storm is over, the roads will be cleared and we will be on our way to Pennsylvania again.”

“Isn't that what you wanted?”

He reached out to cup her cheek. “It was before I met you.”

She should pull away. A single step back would be enough to tell him he had gone too far, but she didn't take that step. Her heart thudded painfully as she tried to make light of their time together. “We shared an adventure, Toby. That's all it was.”

The pad of his thumb brushed over her lips. “
Nee,
this was much more than an adventure. For the first time in my life, I see my heart's desire. It's true we haven't known each other very long—”

“You don't know me at all, Toby. Not really.”

“But I want to, Greta. I want to know everything about you.”

“And what if you don't like what you discover?”

“I don't see how that's possible.”

“This has to stop, Toby. We don't have a future.” She turned her head away from his hand. He let his arm drop to his side.

“I've spent all day trying to figure out a way to stop caring for you. I can't. I only see one option. I've decided to stay in Hope Springs.”

Her gaze snapped to his face, but it was too dark to read his expression. “What did you say?”

Chapter Twenty-Four

T
oby wanted to gather Greta in his arms. He heard the uncertainty in her voice. What he wanted to hear was joy. Didn't she want him to stay?

“I've decided to remain in the Hope Springs area. I'll find work here, and put down roots. Hopefully, someone will have use for a wood-carver. If not, I'll find something. I know this might offend you, but I don't think I can raise sheep. They stink.”

“No, they don't. But what about your family? What about Marianne? Do you think she will want to stay here?”

“I think if we give her a little time, she will come to love it here. She is already fond of you and your family. As for my family in Pennsylvania, they will have to understand.”

Toby didn't kid himself, his aunt would not like this, but she would come to accept it in time.

“It's such a big decision. You should think it over. I don't want you to do this for me. What if this attraction we have isn't real?”

“I agree that it's a big decision, and I agree I need to think about it and pray about it.” He cupped her face between his hands. “Greta, God brought me here for a reason. I think the reason is you. I'm not going to leave, so we can take our time and get to know each other. If it isn't right, I want to know that, too. Don't you?”

“I'm not sure.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think it might be better to believe it was real but that you had to go away than know it wasn't real.”

“The truth is the truth, Greta. It is neither good nor ill. I think this is real, and I'm going to stick around until you know it is real. Now, we should go inside, it's freezing out here and smart people are in bed this time of night.”

“At least the storm is over and we can find the lost sheep as soon as it is light.”

“Oh, joy. More time with smelly sheep.” She giggled and his heart soared.

* * *

Greta couldn't sleep a wink. Toby wasn't leaving.

It was what she wanted, wasn't it? Of course it was.

She pushed aside the small nagging grain of doubt that told her he had made this decision too quickly. He was a grown man. He was capable of making his own choices. Marianne would grow to love the community the way Greta and her sisters had.

The storm was over and Toby wasn't leaving. That was all she cared about.

Naomi came to her room at first light. “Dress warmly, girls. We have a lot of sheep to find.”

The family assembled in the kitchen shortly after dawn. Greta and Betsy, Carl, Joseph and Toby were dressed in layers of clothing and heavy overshoes. Naomi and Lizzie would stay at the house with Marianne, Morris and Arles.

Carl addressed the group. “We're going to use Duncan to help us locate our missing sheep. We assume they are buried under the snow. I have already checked the shelters and have a head count. We have at least thirty unaccounted for. The sooner we can get to them, the better their chances of survival.”

“What do you need me to do?” Toby asked.

“We will work together in pairs. Duncan and I will locate a likely area and leave two of you to dig them out. The other two will come with us while we look for another pocket of animals. Pace yourselves. Shoveling snow is hard work. If any of the animals are showing signs of distress, try to get them to the barn. I have shovels for everyone on the porch. Are we ready?”

They all nodded and headed out the door. Toby moved beside Greta. “What does a distressed sheep look like?”

“Let's hope you don't have to find out.”

They walked out into a world blanketed in brilliant white silence. Every surface was covered with snow. The trees were weighted down with it, their drooping branches pulled almost to the ground. Every fence post wore a white hat. The glittering brightness of the fields against the brilliant blue sky was breathtaking.

Together, they trudged across the pasture, sometimes breaking through the snow crust, sometimes able to walk along the top of it. The landscape was so changed by the drifts of snow that Greta wasn't certain where the stone fences lay. Duncan worked back and forth at Carl's command, searching for any sheep hidden under the snow.

A few hundred yards beyond the barn, Duncan stopped and began digging. Carl pulled him aside. Toby dug down and hit a stone wall. The snow caved in six inches to the left of it and a sheep's muzzle appeared. Carl patted Duncan. “Good boy. Keep count of the ones that you free. We'll compare totals when we regroup at noon.”

Her grandfather and Betsy followed Duncan and Carl as they went on. Greta and Toby worked to enlarge the opening in the snow until he could reach in and pull the reluctant sheep out. A second and a third animal followed of their own accord. The animals staggered through the deep snow toward the barn.

“Three. It's a start,” Greta said.

He leaned on his shovel. “That's all we need, isn't it? A start?”

She knew he wasn't talking about the sheep. She smiled and allowed happiness to rise in her chest. “A start and God's helping hand. The rest is up to us.”

“I see Carl waving. I think he's found some more.”

They began trudging through the snow toward a group of trees with limbs sagging to the ground under their load of white. “You don't really think sheep stink, do you?” Greta asked.

“I don't wish to speak ill of them.”

She laughed. “You get used to it.”

“You're talking to a man who carves fragrant cedar and sweet apple wood. I don't think I'll get used to the smell, but I can put up with it.”

Although it was the hardest day's work that Greta had ever done, she had never enjoyed anything more than working beside Toby. Naomi and Marianne brought them hot coffee and tea in the morning. At noon, they came in to warm up with hot soup and sandwiches. Marianne seemed at ease being without her brother although Naomi told them the child had stayed glued to the upper story windows in order to keep watch on them.

The lines of stress around Greta's grandfather's eyes disappeared when Carl announced their final tally just before dark. They'd found all the missing sheep. Only one was sick enough to need extra care, but Carl was optimistic about her chances of recovery.

As they filed into the house, Marianne flew to her brother and threw her arms around him. “You're safe. It was getting dark and I was worried.”

“You are very brave to stay with Naomi while we found the missing sheep. We saved them all, aren't you glad?”

“Does this mean we can go home now?”

Greta met Toby's gaze over his sister's head and read the hesitancy in his eyes. He leaned away from his sister to look her in the eyes. “Not yet,
lieschen.
We're going to be here a little while longer.”

The nagging grain of doubt came back to rub against Greta's happiness. Was Toby doing the right thing for the right reason?

* * *

It was noon the next day when Duncan suddenly ran to the door and began barking. Greta looked out but didn't see anything. She opened the door and stepped onto the porch. In the distance, she heard the faint jingle of sleigh bells. Duncan raced down the lane barking a welcome.

The sound of the bells grew louder. She stepped inside the house. “Arles, I think your tow truck may be coming.”

“I haven't had a chance to call for one. How can that be?”

“Come see.”

Her brother-in-law, Ethan Gingerich, was driving his huge team of Belgian draft horses up the lane. Four abreast, the caramel-colored animals with blond manes and tails leaned into their collars as they pulled a snowplow, raising flurries of powder with every step. Off to one side, a colt running free frolicked alongside his working mother. Ethan stood on a platform just in front of the blade. Behind him, on a separate platform, stood Clara and the children all clinging to a large steering wheel that could change the angle of the blade.

The children waved when they caught sight of Greta. She waved back. Ethan didn't pause. He sent the team in several wide loops around the yard clearing a path between the house and the barns. Only when he was finished with the job did he stop the team. Clara and the children climbed down, their faces rosy with the cold.

“Go in the house, children, and warm up. I imagine Naomi can whip up some hot chocolate and cookies.” Clara sent her brood inside.

Smiling brightly, Clara clasped Greta's hands. “I'm so happy to see you. How was your trip?” She glanced toward the house, and her smile dimmed. “How is
Onkel
Morris? And who are those people?”

Toby and Arles were watching from the porch. Greta didn't see Marianne. She made the introductions and then said, “Go inside and warm up, Clara. I will tell you everything, but first I must speak to Ethan.”

Greta walked out to Ethan who was checking over his team and patting each one as a reward for their hard work. “Good morning, Ethan. I have another job for you if your team is up for it.”

“I'm glad to see you made it safely home before the storm. Clara was worried. A few minutes rest and my team will be ready for anything. What do you need?”

“Ethan, this is Arles Hooper and Toby Yoder. Arles is the driver who brought me home. His van ran off the highway north of our lane and hit the stone wall by the creek the night the snow started. Do you think you could see about pulling him out?”

“I reckon I could. Even if we get you out, the highway hasn't been plowed so you aren't going anywhere. Some of the drifts are five feet high.”

Arles nodded. “I figured it would take a day or two. I doubt my van will run, but I sure would feel better having it somewhere safe.”

“Dress warm and we will go see what can be done.”

“Bless you, Ethan.” Greta waved.

“Mind if I come, too?” Toby asked from the porch. He was slipping into his coat.

Ethan motioned him to come on. “I never turn down extra help.”

Toby stopped beside Greta. “I figure I should meet all the family. Do you mind?

“Not at all.”

Arles came out with his coat on. Marianne came rushing out behind him. “Wait for me. I want to come, too.”

Toby shook his head. “I'm going to help pull Mr. Hooper's van out of the ditch.”

Greta said, “You should stay here and visit with the children who just arrived. The men have work to do.”

“I don't want to talk to the kids. I want to go with Toby.”

Greta glanced at Toby, expecting him to second her suggestion and insist Marianne stay home. Toby looked to Ethan. “Do you mind?”

* * *

Toby knew he should have insisted Marianne stay at the house. Working around big horses pulling heavy loads could be risky, but he didn't want Marianne to make a scene in front of Greta's family.

Thankfully, the job turned out to be easier than he thought. It took less than ten minutes for Ethan's Belgian team to pull the crippled vehicle out of its snow-covered grave once they located it.

Arles walked around the front of it, brushing off the snow, and looking over the damage with an assessing eye. “It may not be as bad as I thought, but it sure is gonna need some work before it's roadworthy.”

Ethan handed the reins to Toby and joined Arles. “Would you like me to tow it back to the farm, or do you want to leave it here?”

“How long do you think it will take to get a tow truck out here?”

“The county plows the road between here and Hope Springs pretty quickly. Depending on how many other cars are in the ditches, I'd say maybe late today or early tomorrow.”

“Where did you say that phone booth is?”

“Hop on, I'll take you there. It's about a quarter of a mile up the road.”

Toby was familiar with shared telephones located between Amish farms. Often solar powered, they normally contained a phone and a message machine. Amish farmers could contact feed stores and produce buyers with a minimum of interruption in their workday. The landowners around the phone shared the expense of its upkeep, but no one would claim to own it.

Ethan pulled the horses to a stop in front of the booth. A small gray building not much bigger than a closet sat back from the road near a cluster of trees. As Toby expected, a solar panel extended out from the south side of the roof. If there was a path to the door, it was obscured by drifts of snow. At least the booth itself was accessible.

Marianne, her cheeks red with the cold, pointed to the phone booth. “Are you going to talk to
Aenti
Linda?” The cold made her voice hoarse, too.

“Not unless
Aenti
Linda happens to be at the bakery. Elsa and Karen should be working there today. They can give our aunt a message, but Mr. Hooper needs to use the phone first.”

Toby waited with his sister and Ethan while Arles made his call. Toby looked Greta's brother-in-law up and down. A mountain of a man, he almost matched his horses in size. “I understand you recently wed Greta's sister. May God smile on your union.”

“
Danki
, I was a blessed man the day Clara showed up on my farm with my troublesome nephew in tow. She could see that I had no idea what to do with my brother's three children. It was fortunate for me that she decided to take us all under her wing.”

“How does she feel about her uncle coming to stay?”

“She was not thrilled, but she will do everything she can for him. He made their lives a misery. It has taken a lot for her to find forgiveness in her heart. I imagine it's the same for the others. The good Lord causes our lives to take some very strange turns.”

“That He does,” Toby said, thinking of all that had changed in his life and was about to change again.

Arles tromped through the snow on the way back from the phone. “They will have a tow truck out here by two o'clock. He said the snowplow is headed this way now. I'll ride into town with a tow truck so the mechanic and I can look her over together. I don't trust just anyone with my livelihood.”