A Wedding at the Orange Blossom Inn (10 page)

Since then, things had been a little strained between them, but they were getting better every day. Tricia had come to realize that she wasn't perfect and her aunt Beverly wasn't, either. Everyone sometimes blurted things they wished they would have said with more care.

Tricia was determined to use that strained conversation to her
benefit now. She wanted to talk about things in a quiet, meaningful way. As often as she could.

After they walked another half a block, he answered her earlier question. “I don't mind if my
daed
likes Emma, Tricia.” After another couple of paces, he continued. “My mother was the best. But she was sick for quite a while before she passed away. I don't know what my
daed
wants to do in the future, but if he chose to not remain alone, I wouldn't blame him.”

Everything Tricia could think to say seemed a little too bold and blunt. Though Ben didn't talk about his mother much, she knew he still grieved for her. Therefore, she did the only thing she could think of to show her support. She reached out, took his hand, and gently squeezed.

He turned to her in surprise. Then carefully took her hand in return.

They walked the rest of the way to the inn hand in hand, neither of them caring that they made quite a sight.

All Tricia knew was that she didn't want to let go anytime soon.

A
whole lot of people were coming over after church and Emma was pretty sure she wasn't going to have enough food.

“You shouldn't have invited them over in the first place,” she chastised herself as she chopped up another stalk of celery. “You should have left well enough alone.”

But her practice of leaving well enough alone seemed to be a thing of the past. On Friday when Jay had stopped by to pick up William, they'd wound up sitting on her front stoop for a good hour, talking about nothing important, simply catching up on their week.

It had been so nice.

Remembering how comfortable she'd been, what with the porch's overhang shielding her face but allowing the sun to shine down on her bare feet and calves, Emma knew she hadn't felt so relaxed in ages. She and Jay had conversed about all sorts of top
ics, none of them taxing or particularly important. She'd smiled a lot and laughed some, too. As their easygoing conversation meandered along, each comment had led them off on another tangent. Before she'd known what she was doing, Emma had found herself inviting Jay and his family over after church on Sunday.

Then on Saturday, while she'd been pinning clothes on the line, Ben had stopped by and asked if he could bring Tricia. Of course Emma had said yes. Having Tricia there would make Ben happy, and no doubt help Emma, too. Then, that afternoon, Tricia had shown up to see if she could bring her aunt Beverly. Emma had simply smiled weakly and nodded. She liked Beverly very much, and she knew that she'd be helpful, too, but on the other hand, Beverly managed a whole inn. She was used to entertaining large groups of people all the time. Why, she might look at Emma's meager spread and think that it was hopelessly inadequate.

Which was why Emma now kept staring at all the food, feeling certain she hadn't made enough.

“Maybe I should make some potatoes?” she mumbled. “Or soup? But if I make soup, do I even have enough bowls?” Rushing to the cupboard, she pulled open the cabinet door and started counting.

Lena, who had been sitting at the table, looked at her curiously. “Mommy, who are you talking to?”

“Myself.”

“How come you're talking to yourself?”

Realizing that she likely looked a sight, Emma shrugged. “I do that from time to time. It helps me think better.”

Lena wrinkled her nose. “What are you thinking so hard about?”

“Serving lunch after church. I want to make sure we have
enough food for everyone. Wouldn't it be terrible if we ran out of food?”

Lena, being Lena, took her question seriously and nodded. “William would be sad.”

“We can't have that now, can we?”

“What all did you make?”

“Tuna salad, chicken salad, taco casserole, and oatmeal cookies. And fresh bread. And I bought potato chips from the store and pickles and a relish plate.”

With each addition she listed, Lena's eyes got bigger. “That's a lot, Mommy.”

“It is.” Sheepishly, she added, “Jay and his boys are bringing fresh berries, too.”

“Oh, yum.”

“
Jah
. And, um, Tricia said Miss Beverly was going to bring a chocolate cake and maybe even some banana bread.”

“We're gonna get to have oatmeal cookies, banana bread, fresh berries,
and
chocolate cake for dessert?” Lena now was wearing an expression she usually reserved for her birthday and Christmas.

“We might have all of that, but you certainly can't eat all of those desserts. You'd get a stomachache.” The moment Emma finished her explanation, she giggled. “I'm being silly, aren't I?”

Lena grinned. “Uh-huh. We're gonna have a lot of food.”

“Maybe too much?” Though Lena didn't answer, Emma knew it was.

Then she looked down at her dress. It was dark purple; her girls were wearing matching shades of violet. All three were freshly washed and spotless.

And she'd put flowers in a glass milk jug, displayed on the table.

Ack! It was becoming obvious that she'd put a whole lot of time and effort and planning into this little impromptu meal. And it seemed she'd gone a bit overboard in her preparations. She hoped Jay wouldn't get the wrong impression. Though, who even knew what impression she was wanting to make!

Lena kicked the legs of her wooden chair. “Our
haus
is sure gonna be crowded.”

“It is, for sure and for certain. It's a good thing that it's a pretty day. That way everyone can sit outside at our picnic table.”

“I like sitting outside!”

“Me too, dear.”

“Did Grandmommi get mad about us not going to her house today?”

“Of course not.” But that was a lie. Her mother had been very upset with her. She loved having her granddaughters over on Sunday afternoons. Foolishly, Emma had at first tried to not give any particular reason for canceling their usual plans, but that hadn't gone over well. Her mother had asked so many questions that Emma had had no choice but to be completely honest. Yet the only thing her honesty had done was bring about an uncomfortable conversation.

“I fear you are making a mighty big mistake, Emma,” her mother had said. “You are jumping into a new relationship and putting the needs of your girls second.”

Oh, that had hurt. “I
always
put my daughters' needs first. And they're happy about me seeing Jay.”

She'd blinked. “So, you are
seeing
him. It's serious, and you haven't even introduced me to him and his family?”

She'd never thought of her mother as being manipulative, but after that, it had certainly felt that way. Her temper—a temper she hadn't known she possessed—appeared and she'd let it
fly. “Muder, enough.” When her mother stared at her in shock, Emma said, “You are twisting things around on purpose. I don't appreciate it. I don't deserve it, either.”

That was when the tears had begun to flow.

She'd felt awful for making her mother cry. However, she couldn't deny that she'd been excited to try something new. And, yes, she was now seeing Jay. After years of simply getting through each day, she was finally looking at another man. She was actually imagining that she could one day have another deep and meaningful relationship.

It might not happen anytime soon, or it might happen at lightning speed—only time would tell.

Until that time, she was going to take baby steps. And that first step for her was to host a gathering. It was only a taco casserole and tuna- and chicken-salad sandwiches, of course. But still, it was more than she'd done in a very long time.

“Lena, dear, let's get your sisters and go to church. We don't want to be late.”

Luckily, all three girls were ready and, after giving Frankie a good-bye pat, they were on their way. As they passed the houses on one block, then another, several other men and women joined them. Emma knew everyone well enough to let go of Annie's and Mandy's hands. The girls appreciated the freedom and skipped ahead, chatting with some of their neighbors as they all made their way to the beautiful Pinecraft Amish Church.

Though most Amish never stepped foot in a church, often choosing to worship in each other's houses and barns instead, necessity had led to the building of the gray stone church with the metal roof in Pinecraft. Local Amish residents enjoyed not having to worry about hosting church and instead helped with the church's upkeep and landscaping.

Emma enjoyed the opportunity to worship among other people of her faith from around the country. Everyone was friendly, and it was a rare Sunday when she didn't return home with a new friend in her heart.

When they entered the building, she gathered her girls around her and sat down with the other women while the men sat on the other side of the aisle. As she spied Tricia and Leona Kaufmann just down the row, she smiled and settled in. It was time to cast aside her troubles and give thanks for the Lord's many blessings.

T
WO HOURS LATER,
E
MMA
was walking out of the service when she caught sight of her parents with Sanford's family. All of them stopped and waited for her on the front lawn. As always, the whole family greeted Annie, Mandy, and Lena with loving care. As Lena told them all about her week at school, Annie showed off her loose tooth, and Mandy told them about her skinned knee, her mother pulled Emma to one side.

Emma braced herself for another round. “Hello, Mamm.”

“Emma, I don't want to argue again, but I would be remiss if I didn't caution you to be careful. I spoke with your father, and he, too, fears you're rushing into this relationship with Jay Hilty and his family.”

“I don't want to argue, either,” Emma replied. Measuring her words carefully, she added, “I'm glad you shared with me how you feel. But I don't happen to agree with you.”

“Still . . .” Her mother's voice drifted off, and when she bit down on her bottom lip, Emma felt her irritation leave. Her mother was worried about their relationship changing.

“Mamm, it's going to be okay. You raised me to be a careful woman. I still am that way.”

“But serving them all dinner sounds like a big step.” She
glanced at her granddaughters worriedly. “Are you sure you know what you are doing?”

Sure
seemed to be a bit too heavy-handed, but she did know that she wasn't making a misstep. “I know I am serving lunch to some friends today. Is that what you are referring to?”

Her mother frowned. “Of course.”

“It is just lunch, Mamm. That is all.”

“Still . . .”

She hated that her mother wasn't pleased with her decision but she wasn't going to back out of her plans. She was glad she had invited Jay and his boys and Tricia and Beverly over. She was looking forward to entertaining her new friends. “Would you and Daed like to join us?” she asked reluctantly.

“What would I tell Sanford's family?”

“Simply that I've made some new friends.” Just then, Emma saw Jay visiting with William and another family. She'd meant to rush home so she'd arrive at least a few minutes before they arrived. “I need to get home to set everything up for lunch. But there's plenty. Why don't you and Daed join us?”

“
Nee
. I don't think that would be a
gut
idea. I'll come over to see you later this week.”

“All right.” She knew what her mother's visit would entail, too. A firm talking-to and a reminder of her place in the world as Sanford's widow. And though she knew her mother's advice would be given out of love, Emma was just as certain that her advice would be difficult to follow. She was growing closer to Jay and his boys every day and definitely did not want to give them up.

But despite this new resolve, little by little, all the good, warm feelings she'd gained from the service began to slowly drift away. In their place were a multitude of misgivings.

As she picked up her pace, encouraging the girls to run along in front of her, Emma felt even more flustered. Maybe hosting this meal actually had been a mistake. Maybe she should have listened to her head instead of her heart.

Oh, if only it were that easy.

A
GREEING TO GO TO
the Keims' house after church was a huge mistake.

As Jay walked down Kaufmann Avenue with Mark and William on the way to lunch at Emma's, he felt as if every person they passed was watching them with interest—and an occasional sly, knowing look. And who could blame them?

Word had spread around Pinecraft like wildfire that he and his sons were going to have lunch with the Keims.

He was a grown man with one almost-grown son, one teen in the middle of his rumspringa, and one boy who was still missing his mother. He was too old to be dressed in his best shirt and visiting single women.

He also knew better than to make himself a target for gossips. Hadn't everyone's interest in his private life been one of the reasons he'd left Ohio, anyway? He had been tired of always being viewed as Evelyn's poor husband. Or the sad widower with his hands full of boys.

“Wait a sec, Daed,” William called out as he ran over to talk to one of his school friends.

Jay was happy to have an excuse to stop. Anything to delay what he shouldn't be doing in the first place.

Mark shifted restlessly. “Can I go on ahead?”

“Sure. I'll be right along in a minute.”

“Everything okay there, Jay?” Michael Knoxx called out from the sidewalk.

“Oh,
jah
,” Jay said as he walked over to say hello. “I'm just waiting for William.” Though the man was fifteen years younger than him, Jay couldn't help but feel a little in awe. Until recently, Michael had traveled all over the world preaching to large groups about his experience of being trapped in a ravine several years ago. He'd lost the lower portion of his leg in the process, though one never would know it since he usually walked faster than most people.

“It was a nice service today.”

“I enjoyed it.” Looking for something to say, Jay said, “I heard you are writing a book.”

“I am. I thought it was going to be easy, but I'm stuck at the moment.”

That surprised Jay. “What's wrong?”

Michael sighed. “Have you ever had to do something that you know should be fairly easy but you keep thinking of reasons to doubt your progress?”

Since that was happening to him at that very moment, Jay nodded.

Looking down the sidewalk, Michael said, “See, I know what I want to say and what I want to write about, but I'm feeling afraid.”

“What would you be afraid about?” He couldn't imagine Michael being afraid of anything.

“I'm worried my words are going to sound too simple. Or that my reasons for wanting to share my story might be misconstrued.” Shaking his head in a self-deprecating way, he said, “What is striking me as odd is that I never had these doubts or worries when I toured with my family. I simply got up on stage, looked into everyone's faces, and spoke from my heart.”