Joseph laughed. “’Tis lunchtime.”
Henry glanced toward the tables that were set up in the yard. “Ja, the women are bringing out the food.” He felt a rush of pleasure when he spied Leah among them. “Sorry, Noah,” he said, unapologetic, as he watched her return to the house. “Food first. Whether or not we have another game will depend on how we feel afterward. Right, team?” He paused. “After all, we’ve already won. We’ve nothing to prove.”
His teammates laughingly agreed. Henry grinned as they all headed toward the food table. Leah came out of the house with a bowl in each arm. She started forward when she must have heard their laughter. She glanced at him and froze. He slowed his steps. His grin stayed in place as he studied her. She seemed to tense up before she averted her gaze and continued toward the table. She set down the bowls and, without looking back, hurried inside.
The grin faded from Henry’s lips. Getting Leah to forgive him wasn’t going to be easy. He’d have to find a way to earn her trust first. Friends first, then forgiveness, he thought. Then maybe something more. He froze with shock. Something more?
“Hey, you coming?” Isaac asked. “I thought you were hungry.”
He smiled at his friend. “I am.”
“Let’s go then.”
The table was overflowing with food. Henry saw cold meats—roast beef, fried chicken and ham. There were a lot of dishes, including a large bowl of macaroni salad, two huge bowls of potato salad, vinegar green beans, dried-corn casserole and many other inviting sides. On a separate table were the desserts. He studied the pies, cakes and other mouthwatering sweets and was glad that Isaac had invited him. His family wasn’t here. His mother and father had been invited, too, but even if they were ready to return to their former church district, his dat’s hospital stay had made it impossible for them to attend. The fact that they probably wouldn’t have come if his father had been well made him feel sad and guilty. He had done this to them. Because of what he’d done on rumspringa, he’d made it difficult for his parents to face all of these wonderful people.
He was glad that Isaac had invited him. Not only did he get to spend time with everyone, he was able to see Leah Stoltzfus again. Henry sighed as he followed the others to the food table. He could see her, but Leah avoided him like he suffered from the plague. He’d have to be patient. Leah would come out of the house eventually.
Ellen Lapp was among those serving the men and children. Isaac beamed at his wife and Henry gave her a tentative smile. “Henry!” she greeted. “I’m so glad you came.”
He relaxed. “I’m happy that Isaac asked me.”
“You don’t need an invitation—ever,” she assured him.
He felt warmth and a fluttering inside his chest. It had been Ellen who’d brought him to his senses and given him the courage to confess what he’d done first to Deacon Abram Peachy, then the rest of the church congregation. “Danki,” he whispered.
“Henry, you’ve got to try my wife’s vanilla cream pie.” Isaac gestured toward the dessert.
“After you both eat a gut meal first,” Ellen said with a narrowed but teasing gaze at her husband. She held up a bowl. “German potato salad?” she offered them. “’Tis a favorite. Leah Stoltzfus made it.”
Leah made it? He immediately held out his plate. “I don’t know that I’ve ever tasted her potato salad before.” As Ellen placed a large scoop on his plate, he discovered that Leah had come out of the house. She was staring at him, and he stared back unflinchingly and arched an eyebrow. She quickly looked away and strode over to where her mother and sisters were talking with Katie Lapp. He hid his amusement. Apparently, he continued to disturb her.
With loaded plate in hand, Henry moseyed on over to where the Stoltzfus women sat. He was eager to test his theory about Leah. “Hallo. The food looks wunderbor,” he said.
Missy, the girls’ mother, smiled. “I’m happy you think so.”
“I’m particularly eager to try the German potato salad,” he commented with a glance in Leah’s direction.
“Ja, ’tis one of our favorites,” Ellie said. “I think you’ll enjoy it.” She flashed her sister a look. “Leah made it.”
“Hmm. Can’t wait to try it.”
Leah eyed him politely. “I suppose you’ll let me know whether or not you like it?”
“Absolutely.” He smiled. “If you’ll excuse me, Isaac is waiting for me.” He gestured toward the table filled with married Lapp brothers and their wives. He could sense Leah’s gaze on him as he left.
“’Tis gut to see him back with us,” he heard Missy say.
“Why?” Leah asked stiffly. “Did you miss him?”
“Leah!” her mother scolded.
As he continued toward Isaac’s table, Henry couldn’t hear Leah’s response. But he was secretly pleased. Perhaps her mother could convince Leah that her reaction to him was unreasonable. He hoped so. He’d need her to unbend a little before he approached her with what he hoped was an offer she couldn’t refuse. And he’d have to figure out a way to secure a few moments alone with her. He suffered a painful lurch in his belly. He had to do this right or he’d ruin all of his chances of winning the woman’s friendship.
* * *
“Why would you say such a thing?” Ellie asked, curious.
Leah shrugged, unwilling to admit that she was attracted to Henry Yoder but was afraid to trust him. “Everyone has welcomed him with open arms. It bothers me after the way he hurt Isaac.”
“That was a long time ago, Leah.” Mam made a tsk sound with her tongue. “Henry Yoder is a gut man. It took a lot of courage to stand before our church congregation and confess. Isaac has forgiven him. Why shouldn’t Henry be here? I’m just sorry that Margaret and Harry couldn’t come, too.”
Blushing, she agreed. “Ja. I’m sorry. I’m just feeling out of sorts.”
“I’m not the one who deserves an apology.” Her mother eyed her with concern. “Are you ill, Leah? ’Tis not like you to be unkind.”
“Ja,” her sister Meg agreed. She had come with her husband, Peter, whom she’d married last November. “Out of all of us, you’ve the sweetest temperament.”
“Maybe I am coming down with something,” she mumbled. She felt guilty. Henry was a gut man, a kind man, and once again she’d behaved badly toward him. Again. But how could she apologize when just the thought made her insides churn with nervous apprehension?
“You’d better make sure you get enough rest, dochter. I know that you didn’t sleep well last night. I heard you get up for a while before you went back to bed. Why can’t you sleep?”
Leah shrugged. “I felt restless, so I went down and drank some hot milk.” But she knew she’d gotten very little sleep since the day she’d found shelter with Henry in the store. Since then, she was unable to forget being the focus of his intense blue eyes.
“The men have their food,” Ellie said. “Let’s get ours.”
As the Stoltzfus women went for their meal, Leah shot a glance toward Henry and her cousins’ table. A frisson of sensation rippled down her spine as she caught Henry gazing at her with an odd look in his eyes. She stared back for a long moment and tried not to think about how handsome he was or that if circumstances had been different, she would have longed for his attention. She turned away deliberately, slowly, and followed her sisters to the food tables, pretending