A Simple Kiss (The Amish Bonnet Sisters Book 3) Read online

  “Not far from Mark and Christina’s. Just a little further away than their haus.”

  “I hope he finds a job soon, then. How’s he doing with his job searching?”

  “He reckons he’s got a few possibilities.”

  She smiled and nodded, but that didn’t mean anything to her. From what the family knew of Jonathon so far, he was a big storyteller and that was concerning. Mamm had managed to forget how Honor and Jonathon had run away. She’d swept it under the rug, but Joy could tell Florence wasn’t so sure they wouldn’t do something like that again. “Do you think you should move out with him?”

  “Sure. It’ll mean you and I can see more of each other.”

  Joy knew she had to choose her words carefully. “I know, and that’s good, ...but, do you think Jonathon is the kind of person who should become a close friend of yours?”

  “He already is. We get along great and he’s a fun person to be around. We laugh all the time.”

  She looked down at the subtle swirling patterns on the dark rug beneath the couch and coffee table, wondering if she should consider it an issue that Isaac thought Jonathon was suitable as a friend. She’d be happier if he found a friend who was more serious and Godly.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  She looked at him and saw genuine concern in his face. She had to be open and honest with him and not sugar-coat things the way most of her family members did. “It’s just that I can’t stop thinking about how he ran away with Honor. He’s done some things that are not so good. And … you know what the Bible says about surrounding yourself with the righteous, don’t you?”

  The corner of his lips twitched as though he’d tasted something foul. “I thought everybody had forgiven him and moved past that.”

  “I know, but that’s not what I’m talking about.”

  He breathed out heavily. “You’re always saying what the Bible says, and doesn’t Gott tell us to forgive? Even if we have to forgive someone over and over?”

  She was pleased to hear him referring to the Bible. “That’s true, but it also tells us that we need to choose our friends wisely. He that walketh with the wise shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Are you doing that, Isaac?” She folded her arms across her chest. Didn’t he want to be wise?

  He withdrew his arm from behind her and stared at her open-mouthed. Then he slowly rubbed his jaw.

  It was then she remembered someone had told her that men didn’t like being told what to do. “Have I offended you?”

  “You haven’t, quite, but it sounds like you don’t trust my judgement. Jonathon is fine and besides, it took two to run away. Why is it that the man always gets the blame? Your schweschder also ran away. Are you going to disown her—cast her out of your haus?”

  “In this instance, it’s because the man is so much older and should’ve known better. She’s barely seventeen—not even legally 'of age' don't forget—and he’s older than twenty.”

  Slowly, he nodded. “I guess that’s true, but he told me he apologized and your mother accepted his apology.”

  She nodded. He was never going to agree. In a way, they were both right. She could see his point, just a little. “Let’s talk about something else. How has it been, back living with your schweschder and bruder-in-law?”

  When he chuckled, all the tension between them dissolved. “After living in the stable quarters for a few days, I kind of got used to being by myself and I’d like to do that again. It was hard to move back into the haus, but I figured that Christina would’ve been more comfortable with me moving back rather than—”

  “Why couldn’t Jonathon have moved in with his Aunt Ada and Onkel Samuel? They’ve got a big place.”

  “I guess he feels more comfortable around Mark. They do get along well together.”

  That made Jonathon letting Mark down even worse, in her estimation. Jonathon had suddenly left his job at the saddler store leaving Mark there by himself, but Joy considered it wise to leave that subject alone. “Why can’t you get a place by yourself? Why do you need to move out with anyone at all?”

  “I need someone to share the expenses. It’ll be different living with a friend. He was ready to move out when he had a job, and now everything’s reversed—I’ve got a job and he hasn’t.”

  Joy giggled. “Jah, you got his job.”

  “That’s right, and I’m keeping it!” He laughed. “I feel more than ready to live on my own now. When I say, 'live on my own,' I mean with someone my age but away from my schweschder. I can’t wait to get out.”

  “If it’s more money you need just ask Mark for a raise.”

  Isaac moved uncomfortably in his seat. “It doesn’t work like that. He’s only got a small business, remember, and I’m blessed to have a job there. There are plenty of people who’d love to have that job and would probably even work for less than he’s giving me.” He shook his head. “It’s totally out of the question.”

  “Surely there’s someone else you could move out with? Maybe someone who already has a job?”

  “I don’t know anyone else.” He was quiet for a moment, and she could see something was bothering him. “Joy, why don’t you trust my judgement? Jonathon is a perfectly fine and decent man. He made a couple of mistakes, but haven’t we all? Your Mamm allowed your older sister to marry his bruder, Stephen, so doesn’t that say something about the family he came from?”

  “It says something about Stephen, but it doesn’t necessarily say anything about Jonathon. The two of them are way different. Anyway, I’m sure Florence feels the same as I do even if Mamm doesn’t.”

  They stared at one another for a moment, and then Isaac said, “Who’s this 'special guest' who's coming to dinner? You haven’t told me.”

  Joy knew he was trying to change the subject and she didn’t mind. They’d never agree about Jonathon. She’d forgiven Jonathon already, since he’d apologized formally to Mamm and Florence, but that didn’t mean she wanted the man she saw as a potential husband to be best friends with him. It was a recipe for disaster. “Just someone Ada and Samuel know. He’s staying with them for a week or so.”

  When they heard a buggy, Joy was pleased for the interruption and jumped to her feet, hurried over, and looked out the window. “It’s Honor and Favor home from the markets. I hope they had a good day. But not too good because I’ll have to better it tomorrow.” She giggled and spun around to face him while her long dress swished about her knees.

  “Do you have competitions between yourselves?”

  She sat back down next to him. “Not really, but I always like to have a good day of sales when I’m serving on the stall.”

  “I can understand that. I feel like that when Mark leaves the store for half a day. I try hard to make good sales—otherwise he’d maybe think I wasn’t trying.” He looked over toward the window. “Should I help them unhitch that buggy?”

  “Nee, stay here and talk to me.”

  He chuckled. “Okay.”

  Chapter 3

  Once they were all sitting in the living room, Joy returned to the kitchen to see how close dinner was.

  “Is everyone here already?” asked Florence, looking a little anxious.

  “Nee,” said Joy. “I was just wondering. We’re still waiting on about half of the people; Ada and Samuel, Ezekiel, Mark and Christina, and Jonathon too.” Joy noticed how worried Florence looked. Fine lines appeared on her forehead, and then she noticed Florence’s soiled apron. It wouldn't make a good first impression for Ezekiel to see Florence like that. “Do you want me to take over while you get ready, Florence?”

  Holding a wooden spoon in one hand, Florence looked down at her clothes. “I was going to change my apron, naturally.” She looked back up at Joy. “Is this dress okay?”

  “I think you should wear one of your better dresses, don’t you? This is just an everyday dress. It’s a dress you’d wear to pin out the washing.”

  “Jah, you’re right. I’ll get changed now befo
re the rest of them arrive.”

  “Jah, that’s best.”

  Florence turned to Mamm and handed her the wooden spoon. “I won’t be long. I was just about to make the gravy.”

  “Take your time. I’ll do the gravy in a minute.”

  “And I’ll help Mamm with that,” Hope said, stepping forward.

  “Denke.” Florence felt good that all the girls were coming together to help. That was what family did when it was needed, but sometimes her sisters needed prompting.

  Florence briefly greeted Isaac in the living room as she hurried past to walk up the stairs. She hoped the night wouldn’t be too dreadful. Now she was grateful for all the extra people who’d been invited. With more people, there was less chance of awkward pauses in the conversation at the table.

  She pushed open her door and then with both hands flung open the double wooden doors of her closet. Her sudden burst of strength popped a nail and dislodged the top hinge and now the right-hand door was hanging down. Florence sighed. Another job to add to her list of things for tomorrow. With no man in the household, it was Florence’s job to do all the fiddly maintenance work, and the list for those tasks had become never-ending. She’d become well-acquainted with her father’s old tools and had taught herself to use them.

  She turned her attention back to her clothes, and reached for the green dress. "Nee!" she said aloud. That was her best and she didn’t want to look like she was trying too hard. If it turned out she liked him, she could wear her best dress at the Sunday meeting.

  After she pulled off the ‘pinning out the washing dress,’ she took hold of the grape-colored dress—her second-best—and decided on that one. She'd been told the color made her eyes "light up."

  As she stepped into her dress, she was filled with dread over the night ahead. There wasn’t much chance of this man being everything for which she’d hoped. For one thing, he lived in the wrong location, and she doubted he’d willingly leave his farm to move closer. Leaving her orchard wasn’t an option either. She’d rather stay single forever than do that. Amongst her apples she was at peace, contented. Surrounded by her trees, she felt close to her parents and the life she’d briefly shared when they'd both been alive.

  Once she’d dressed, fixed her hair and placed on her kapp, she sat down on her bed and closed her eyes.

  Dear Gott, I’m ready for you to find me someone who suits me.

  That was her prayer and although it was brief, it said everything on her heart. Then she lay down on her bed thinking, as her head sank into her pillow.

  The thinking soon turned into worrying, as it so often did. What if the man who suited her wasn’t the one she wanted? God might think she needed trying and testing over things and the last thing she wanted was to face complications. She’d seen her best friend Liza struggle trying to make her marriage a happy one. Now, Gott had blessed her marriage with happiness, but Liza had been sad for years.

  Florence would rather be tested in other ways. Being close to Liza and seeing what she’d been through was the main reason she’d cautioned her sisters into taking their time to make sure the men they married were just right for them.

  It wasn’t until Mercy got married that Florence thought about marriage as a reality for herself. Time had passed her by so quickly. The couple of men she’d liked in her younger days had not looked twice at her, neither one of them, and now they were married. After that, Florence had put love and marriage out of her mind.

  Florence got up and moved to the window and stared out. In the distant semi-darkness, the lights of a buggy came into view. She watched as it came closer, and then she moved back so no one in the buggy would see her.

  The first person out of the buggy was a man. Not Samuel, although it was Samuel and Ada's buggy. It had to be Ezekiel Troyer. He was tall, a little on the heavy side and from the distance she was to him, she wasn’t repulsed at all like she’d expected. In fact, she was pleasantly surprised by the kindness of his face. Ada had done well. She’d chosen Stephen for Mercy and that had worked splendidly. Now, Florence only hoped Ezekiel’s personality would be as pleasing as his looks.

  Tying her kapp strings under her chin, she backed away and then hurried downstairs to be the first to meet him. By doing so, she’d feel less nervous.

  When she reached the bottom of the stairs, her stepmother had her hand on the front door handle. She turned around and said to Florence, “Do you want to open the door?”

  “You do it,” Florence said, changing her mind on the spot.

  Her mother flung open the front door before Florence could step aside, and the next thing she saw was Ezekiel smiling at her. Florence stepped forward and reached out her hand. “Hello. Ezekiel, is it?”

  He took off his hat and offered his large hand for her to shake. It was delightfully warm. “That’s me, and you must be Florence?” His accent was a little different from what she was used to. He spoke with slightly drawn-out words, almost sounding melodious.

  Removing her hand from his, she said, “That’s right. Florence Baker.” To take the attention off herself, she introduced her stepmother and then Samuel and Ada joined them. Everyone else came out from the living room, eager to meet the visitor.

  After all the introductions were done, Ezekiel said to Wilma, “How many girls do you have, Mrs. Baker?”

  “Please, call me Wilma. I have six, but the oldest is married and has moved away. My youngest is staying with her aunt for a time.” She lightly touched Florence’s shoulder. “Seven dochders counting Florence. She’s my step-dochder.”

  Florence fixed a smile on her face. Why did Mamm always have to make that distinction? Why couldn’t she just say she had seven daughters? Was it necessary to announce to all that Florence wasn’t her biological daughter? Was she ashamed of her? It was something Wilma had always done and there hadn’t been one time that it hadn’t bothered Florence. It made her feel second-best.

  “Can I help you in the kitchen, Wilma?” Ada asked.

  “Nee. We’re all done. Is everyone hungry?”

  “I’m starving,” Favor said, earning a glare from Mamm. “Well, I am.”

  Hope said, “Mamm, we’re still waiting for Jonathon as well as Mark and Christina.”

  “Oh, that’s right. They’re not here yet,” Mamm said looking around.

  “Here they come now,” Samuel said, looking out the still-open front door.

  While they waited for the rest of the guests, Isaac and Joy talked to Ezekiel. Florence backed into the kitchen to start placing the food into the serving bowls. Whenever the family had many guests, it was always a help-yourself affair with the food placed down the center of their long table.

  When the final guests arrived, another lot of introductions took place, and then Florence called everyone to their dining room, a room that was adjacent to their kitchen. With having no allocated seats for the guests, Florence was the one who suggested where everyone sat. Since Mamm and she were the ones doing the serving, they sat closest to the kitchen. When Florence was only halfway through her seating suggestions, Ada butted in and told Ezekiel to sit down right next to the chair where Florence was to sit. Florence had planned to put at least one person between them.

  Once everyone was seated and their silent prayers of thanks for the food had been given, the bowls of food were passed around while everyone helped themselves.

  Immediately, Florence noticed that Honor and Jonathon were talking exclusively to each other. It had been a mistake to seat them together.

  “Did you have a good apple season this year? I mean, last year?” Ezekiel asked Florence, seeming to feel just as awkward as she felt.

  “It was one of our best. We always try to do better than the previous ones, but that is dependent upon the weather.”

  “And Gott,” Joy butted in.

  Florence looked over at Joy sitting to the other side of Ezekiel. She hadn’t even realized Joy was listening. “Jah. And Gott’s will,” Florence agreed.

  “That’s
something that normally goes unsaid,” Ezekiel commented to Joy. “I’m sure Florence—”

  “It shouldn’t go unsaid. When we talk about Gott that brings Him into our presence, like He’s sitting at the table with us. Matthew 18: 20 says, where two or more of my people are gathered I am in their midst.” Now everyone stopped their conversation and all eyes were on Joy. She lowered her head slightly. “That’s what I think anyway.”

  Ezekiel said, “It’s good to talk about Our Lord and Savior.”

  Florence smiled, pleased he was supporting Joy.

  Isaac said, “Jah, and it’s gut that we can all be free to have our say.”

  Favor snickered. “You don’t know the half of that.”

  Everyone looked at Favor and Florence had no idea what she meant. Was it because Joy was constantly telling them all what the Bible said?

  Suddenly Samuel’s voice broke through the stunned silence, the second in less than three minutes. “These potatoes are delicious.”

  “They’re just normal everyday potatoes,” Mamm said.

  “I think they taste creamier than usual.”

  “Nee. They’re just the same.”

  Ada joined in. “I think they’re good too and I love this crispy-skinned chicken.”

  “I’ve already given you the recipe for that,” Mamm told Ada.

  “Jah, and you’ve given it to me too,” Christina said. “But I must remember to make it sometime. I’ve been too busy with other things.”

  Florence was grateful that everyone was talking now, rather than Joy dominating. It made things tense having to watch what she said around Joy every day.

  Ezekiel rested his knife and fork against his plate, “I see you’ve got a shop down by the road. When does that open?”

  Mamm said, “We open that in the warmer months. It does especially well at harvest time.”

  “I see.”

  “That’s why we have the market stall in the colder months,” Honor said.

  “You don’t have it all year?”

  Florence explained, “We have been at the markets all year, but this has been the first year to try it, so we’re not sure if we’ll keep going with that. It needs two people, and it’s a lot of travel there and back every day.”