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  “Not a date?”

  “Definitely not! You’ll be doing me a favor, and you’ll find out why when we’re at lunch.”

  She relaxed her shoulders. If it wasn’t a date it might be all right, she considered. She was still conflicted, however, since she’d made a commitment to Elijah. “Okay, I’ll meet you here at one.”

  Donovan left her at the top of the stairs once he'd helped her with the cart. All was quiet at work with Linda and Mrs. Billings gone. Only three groups of people had stayed overnight. Two had checked out and the others were there for a longer stay. From the noise in the first room, the people were still in there, so Jessie began with one of the vacated rooms at the other end of the hallway.

  Jessie cleaned each of the rooms as fast as she could while constantly trying to remember exactly how Linda said that Mrs. Billings wanted things done. When one o’clock came, Donovan found her.

  “Let’s go.”

  She washed her hands and took off her work apron while he waited. Then she walked with him to his car. With a flourish, he opened the door for her and she slipped into the low leather seat. She’d only ever ridden in taxis, never in a car that was this fancy; she knew it must have cost a lot of money.

  Once he'd slipped into the seat next to her, he said, “I hope you’re hungry.”

  “A little bit.”

  “We’re going to check out my opposition.”

  “Oh, that’s the favor?”

  “Exactly. I haven’t been there for a long time. I want to see what they’re up to. I don’t think they’ll know me.” Donovan chuckled. “It’s just five minutes up the road. Don’t worry. I’ll get you back to work on time, more or less.”

  “Is there a B&B next to the restaurant we’re going to?”

  He laughed. “No, it’s a restored farmhouse. They’ve had excellent reviews. I’d like to see firsthand what I’m up against.”

  She looked at Donovan’s hands on the steering wheel just as she had studied Elijah’s hands as he held the reins. Donovan’s hands were masculine as well but lacked the work-hardened appearance of Elijah’s. Now, at lunch, was her chance to learn more about Donovan.

  “Here we are.”

  Jessie looked out the window at the building which appeared to be made out of stone. “It looks very old.”

  “It’s one of the oldest houses around.”

  * * *

  They were shown to a table in a room almost aglow with fancy white starched tablecloths, shining silverware and crystal glasses. Once the waitress left, Jessie looked across at Donovan. “It’s nice.”

  “You haven’t been to my restaurant, have you?”

  “No, I’ve just been to the back door.” In her heart, she had secretly wanted him to take her out to a special lunch. That would’ve been romantic and exciting. Maybe he was too occupied with work to focus on a relationship.

  It was odd that he was spying. Why did he need to do that? Her vadder was a farmer and never spied on neighboring farms.

  “Ha, look at this.” He picked up the menu. “They say they only use organically grown food; no fertilizers are used, and no hormones, antibiotics or steroids in their grass-fed beef. The water they use here is filtered, and all the food is local. The fish are even caught locally.” He laughed. “They’re trying to make out they support the local community.”

  “You don’t believe what they say?”

  “No, of course not; it sounds like something I’d say. In fact, it’s a good idea; I might put something like that on my menu.”

  “Would it be true?”

  Donovan threw his head back and laughed. “My father always used to say don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.”

  Jessie could scarcely believe her ears. “Is this another one of your jokes?”

  His shoulders dropped, and he tipped his head to the side. “Do you really think it matters whether people drink filtered water or whether their meat is free of hormones?”

  “I don’t know, but if that’s what you say it is, then that’s what it should be. Otherwise, you’re a deceiver and wouldn’t there be a law against it?”

  He shrugged his shoulders, looked back at the menu, and murmured, “It’s just business.”

  Jessie could not keep quiet. “No, it’s not just business. If you do business like that, you’ll not have a business for long because no one will trust you.

  He looked up and laughed. “Look at your face. Don’t take everything so seriously, Jessie.”

  “Don’t you take your business seriously?”

  “I do.” He looked down at the menu for a moment. “Come on, do you really believe they use one hundred percent organic food? No, they would get whatever they could at the cheapest possible price to maximize their profit. That’s what any business owner who was worth anything would do.”

  “I don’t agree.”

  “They even say their coffee is organic and fair trade.”

  “Yes, and the coffee shop where I go with my friends has that kind of coffee, and it doesn’t cost any extra.”

  Donovan frowned at her. “Don’t be so sensitive, Jessie.”

  Chapter 22

  They hadn’t even ordered their food and Jessie had already learned that Donovan was unscrupulous. He could change, she figured. Everyone deserves a chance. Everyone has done wrong things. She did her best to overlook his previous comments and was determined to find some good in this man who made her skin tingle and her heart race. Even though warning bells were sounding loud and clear, she didn’t want to end up marrying Elijah and be left wondering if something could’ve worked between her and Donovan.

  “My restaurant is much the same as this one because I modeled mine from it.” He scratched his chin. “I might poach their head chef. Mine’s starting to be unreliable.”

  “You mean, you’ll get their chef to work for you?”

  “Of course, if he’s any good.”

  Jessie was too nervous to eat much, so she looked down the menu trying to find something light. “I might have the roasted pumpkin salad.”

  He craned his neck to see her menu. “Where’s that?”

  “About halfway down.”

  “Ah, comes with poached beetroot, goat feta, apple and pear vinaigrette tossed with lettuce. Interesting combination.”

  “What looks good to you?”

  “I’ll try their surf and turf. You can tell a lot about a chef by how he cooks the steak. I can also see if he’s fussy about using fresh seafood. I can tell whether the seafood’s fresh or not.”

  “They wouldn’t use seafood that’s not fresh would they?”

  “Some use frozen seafood rather than fresh, but I can taste the difference. If the head chef doesn’t care too much, he’d use frozen.”

  Jessie nodded and closed the menu.

  Donovan picked up the wine list. “Shall we order a bottle of wine?”

  “No, I don’t normally drink, and I’ve got to go back to work, remember?”

  “Well, you don’t really have to go back to work with Linda and my mother not being there. I’ll have a word with Yvonne. She’ll keep quiet.”

  Jessie leaned back. “I couldn’t do that.”

  Donovan laughed. “I can see I’ve got to teach you a few things about life.”

  The waiter came to take their order, interrupting their conversation.

  When the waiter left, Jessie asked, “You will have me back at work on time, won’t you? I can take an hour for lunch if I work half an hour later, but generally I only take half an hour for lunch.”

  He reached over and took hold of Jessie’s hand. “Trust me, Jessie. Let’s just enjoy our lunch and see what happens. I promise you, you won’t get into any kind of trouble.” Donovan let go of her hand and leaned back.

  She looked into his eyes and saw that she could get into a lot of trouble with him if she wasn’t careful. She forced a smile and wondered if she should have stayed firm and said no to lunch.

  “Now that we’re alone,
tell me about yourself.”

  “I don’t know if there’s much to tell.”

  He tilted his head to one side. “What do you like and dislike?”

  “I like the snow; I love having coffee with my friends, which we do about twice a week if we can. I like playing volleyball and I love children.”

  “You’re the only Amish person I know. I’m considering starting an Amish restaurant. I know there are plenty around these parts, but I figure there’s always room for one more. I’ll make it bigger and better than all the others.”

  Jessie raised her eyebrows and wondered if that was why he had asked her to lunch, to find out more about the Amish. If so, she’d be disappointed. “How far have you gotten with your plans?”

  “It’s all in my head so far, that’s all. What I figure is I’ll have one side as an Amish market where people can buy Amish products, such as relishes and handcrafted foods. The other side will be a family-focused restaurant. I’ll be open all day from seven in the morning, and every meal will be large. What do you think?”

  She put a hand to her mouth to cover a giggle. She couldn’t help laughing at the excitement on his face.

  He smiled. “What’s funny?”

  “It’s funny to see you so eager about your ideas.”

  “I’m a very passionate person.” He stared into her eyes so intently she had to look away. “Anyway, what do you think of my idea?”

  “Seems good. I didn’t know you were so interested in the Amish.”

  “I wasn’t until I met you, and then I got to thinking about the Amish style of food.”

  She wanted to ask him his belief in God, but how would she approach the subject? Could she ask him straight out? “You seem to like our food, but what do you think of the Amish lifestyle?”

  Donovan scoffed. “Do you want the truth?”

  Jessie nodded.

  “I think it’s completely ridiculous. Why would people keep themselves away from others? The children don’t have a decent level of education, and you women are nothing but unpaid housekeepers and child-bearers.”

  Jessie was shocked at his vicious response. “I didn’t expect you’d think such things.”

  He leaned in toward her. “It’s a plain fact.”

  “Why would you want to open an Amish market and restaurant if you despise us?”

  He leaned back in his chair. “It’s about dollars. If people want that kind of thing, then I’ll be there to provide it. I told you I’m going places.”

  “I don’t like what you just said.”

  “Jessie, it’s nothing personal. I just thought you might like the experience of going to lunch with a normal man before you get married and have ten babies. You Amish don’t believe in contraception, you could have twelve children and ruin your figure.” His eyes traveled down her body.

  She stood up. “I don’t care to eat with you. Goodbye.” She walked to the door. Donovan sprang to his feet and followed close on her heels.

  “Wait, Jessie, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”

  She asked the waiter, “Could you please call me a taxi?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” The waiter picked up a nearby phone.

  Donovan waved his hand in the waiter’s face while he said to Jessie, “No. I’ll drive you back.”

  She turned to face him. “Finish your meal, Donovan, and you can have mine as well. I’ll send you the money.”

  Donovan plucked a one hundred dollar bill from a thick wad he pulled from his pocket and threw it into the waiter’s hands. He placed his hand on Jessie’s elbow and ushered her out of the restaurant. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am. My big mouth always gets me into trouble. I’m sorry I was offensive. I’ll drive you back.”

  Jessie had been taught to forgive, so she accepted his offer to take her back to work. On the drive back, Jessie knew it was not Gott’s plan that Donovan would join the community. How could she have been so naïve?

  “Do you forgive me?” Donovan asked.

  “I forgave you when you first asked me. I’m just shocked you think so little of my community. There’s a lot more to us than those things you mentioned, and everything you mentioned is a benefit not a disadvantage.”

  “My biggest concern is, how can it be good not to have a proper education?”

  “There’s no point me trying to explain our ways to you and I don’t wish to get into a debate. Tell me one thing though?”

  “What?”

  “Do you believe in God?”

  “I have above average intelligence and no thinking person can believe those fairy stories about God and Jesus and all those things. It’s not plausible.”

  “Who do you think made us, made the stars, the sun, the moon and everything else?”

  “I suppose there could be some higher power, but I’m not about to believe something that I’ve not seen or experienced myself.” They arrived at the B&B and he parked the car in the usual place. “Only a fool believes something he can’t see, taking it by faith alone. Someone could make up anything and tell you to believe it by faith.”

  Things were going from bad to worse. “Donovan, you think of me as a fool?”

  “No, that’s not what I meant. I meant…”

  “Best you don’t explain.” Jessie got out of the car and looked up to see Elijah standing there next to his onkel. She gasped for air, as it caught in her throat. “Elijah, what are you doing here?”

  “I told you, I was doing some work with my onkel.”

  Donovan got out of the car. “Ah, you’re the people I called for a quote? You’re early.” Donovan shook hands with both men and turned to Jessie, who was still standing there dumbfounded. “I’ll see you soon.” As he walked away with the two men, Jessie heard him say, “I didn’t expect you so soon; I was just having lunch with my girl.”

  Jessie took a deep breath to still a wave of nausea that washed over her. This was not good. How could she explain the situation to Elijah? She stood near the car and watched the three of them walk away. Elijah glanced over his shoulder at her and then turned away.

  Chapter 23

  The rest of the afternoon, Jessie did not see Donovan or Elijah. She wanted to explain to Elijah that she was not Donovan’s girl. What would he think of her now? She had agreed to see him more and then he heard Donovan calling her ‘his girl’ shortly after.

  She couldn’t go to Olive’s house and tell her what happened because Elijah would be there. She had only been waiting one minute when she saw her father’s buggy at the end of the road heading toward her.

  On the ride home, she was grateful her father never had much to say. It allowed her to be alone with her thoughts.

  Blake sat with his new friend, Ian Hilty. Ian was in his early thirties and helped work the family dairy. It was hard and grueling work and sometimes the stench was overwhelming. If he could just get through this period of testing then he would have the life he dreamed of with Olive. The community was the perfect place in which to raise Leo away from the harsh realities of the world. There was no better woman for him than Olive and he was pleased she felt the same about him.

  Once he’d taken the final instructions, he’d be baptized and then he’d be able to marry Olive. He’d make a proper life for them. He’d been keeping his eye open for a suitable house whenever he’d had spare time. Secretly, he’d put a down payment on one and he hoped Olive wouldn’t be upset with him when she found out. It was a surprise that he’d show her after his status as an Amish man was official, and then he’d propose to her properly. He thought about that day every night as he was drifting off to sleep. When he woke each morning, instead of thinking of the work before him, he’d be pleased because his new life had already begun.

  * * *

  Olive was careful not to visit Blake too often and they still couldn’t be truly alone. It was permissible for her to visit him at the Hiltys’ so that’s what she did, knowing it was before the afternoon milking. When she pulled up in the buggy, she looked over and sa
w him sitting with Ian. She waved at them both. By the time she’d walked over to them, Ian had politely made himself scarce.

  “Sit down with me,” Blake said.

  She was relieved to see he was still there and hadn’t changed his mind about the whole thing. That was her secret fear. She bunched her dress in her hands and sat down next to him on the top porch step. “How are you?”

  “Brilliant.”

  “That’s good. And how’s Leo liking it here?”

  “Loves it. This is the perfect life for a child. He gets to play with all the baby animals, dig in the dirt, make mud pies and he’s even been helping Mrs. Hilty with the cooking. He wants to help with the cows, but he’s a little young for that even though he doesn’t see it that way.”

  Olive giggled as she imagined Leo doing each of those things.

  “He loves it here.”

  “And you?”

  “I’m going through the motions here. It’s a means to an end. Having a dairy is not the life I’d choose.” He leaned into her. “I don’t know how anyone does it.”

  “Dat and my brothers do it. It’s what they’ve always done. You do what you have to do, I guess.”

  Noticing it was strangely quiet, she looked around. “Where’s Leo?”

  “Betty’s taken him into town.”

  She hoped Leo would behave and not go running off like he had for his grandmother. “Have you heard from your mother?”

  “I saw her last week. She still hasn’t recovered from my decision, but she’s pleased you’ll be in my life.”

  “I’m in your life now.”

  He chuckled. “I know, but I meant when we’re married.”

  A tingle of delight rippled through Olive’s body. He still intended to marry her and stay within the community. “When do you start the instructions, have you heard yet?”

  “Next week.”

  “Oh, good.”

  “Shall we go for a walk?” He sprang to his feet.