“You are good to give me comfort by your hopeful words, but I do not think my datt will welcome me home.”
Levi narrowed his gaze. “You come asking forgiveness, yah?”
“I do, but my father and I must both bridge the divide between us. I will walk halfway. I hope he will walk halfway, as well.”
“Sometimes the son must walk farther, especially if the father believes he is right.”
Joachim pondered Levi’s words while he added feed to the troughs and watched the horses eat the newly offered grain.
Levi might think his father would be open to Joachim coming home, but what if his homecoming brought back too many memories of what had happened? Maybe when he faced his father again, Joachim would discover that he had been foolish to think reconciliation was possible.
Once the horses were fed, the two men rolled up their sleeves and washed their hands and arms at the water pump, and then ran to the house as lightning split the sky.
Joachim opened the door and hurried into the kitchen ahead of Levi.
Rebecca stood at the stove, holding a pie that she had just pulled from the oven.
“The storm comes again,” he said as he crossed the kitchen to the towel hanging on a hook.
He dried his hands, then glanced up as Rebecca turned to face him. His heart lurched in his chest, sending a new wave of confusion over him. He stared openmouthed at the Amish woman.
Not Rebecca. The face he saw beneath the white kapp made his breath catch in his throat.
Sarah.
“Rebecca provided the clothes.” Sarah’s hand wrapped through the fabric of the skirt. “Your sister said Victor would not recognize me like this.”
“My sister is right.” Joachim struggled to find his voice. “I did not recognize you at first glance.”
“You think I look like Rebecca?”
Her blue eyes reached into his heart. She was beautiful. Not because she was in the Amish dress or because her hair was pulled into a bun but because some of the pain she had worn earlier had eased. The lines that tugged at her face had lifted, and the open honesty of her gaze hit him anew.
“Joachim, you haven’t answered me,” she said, her eyes filled with concern. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong and you do not look like Rebecca, but I am surprised to see you as an Amish woman.”
“Am I offending you?”
He shook his head. “You could never offend me.”
Levi hurried inside and stopped by the door to wipe his feet. Bewilderment washed over his face as he glanced first at Sarah and then at Rebecca, who stepped back into the kitchen.
“You are both staring as if you have never seen a woman in an Amish dress,” Rebecca said with a laugh.
Levi pointed to the stove. “I was wondering if you could spare a cup of coffee and a slice of pie for a hungry man.”
“Yah, of course.” Rebecca’s cheeks glowed with a hint of embarrassment. “But I have ham and cheese on the table, along with fresh baked bread. You need to eat something substantial before you have your pie.”
Levi smiled as he accepted the cup of coffee she offered. “You know what I need even before I do.”
The twinkle in her eyes warmed Joachim’s heart. Rebecca’s interest in the young man was more than evident, and Levi seemed taken with her, as well. Joachim was happy for his schweschder and hoped Levi would start the courting process soon. Perhaps Joachim could chaperone and take them for rides in the country. He would occupy his mind with thoughts of pretty Sarah in her blue dress and white apron while Rebecca and Levi chatted with each other.
If only Sarah was wearing the Amish dress as a woman of their faith instead of as an Englischer who needed to hide her identity and had nothing else to wear.
Joachim and Sarah sipped coffee as Levi ate the lunch Rebecca had provided. Although Sarah said little, her eyes took in the conversation he and Levi had about the farm and what could be done if his datt were open to accepting help to make the fields more productive.
“The Amish Market in Willkommen is a fine place to sell produce and baked goods,” Levi shared. “My uncle goes twice a week as do many of the other Amish farmers. The Englisch come from as far away as Atlanta. They buy handcrafted items, too—including woodwork. You could do well in this area, Joachim, if you opened a shop in town.”
He shook his head and laughed. “I am a carpenter, Levi, not a store clerk.”
“Yet you charge for your labor when you go house to house. How different would that be from selling chairs and tables and lawn furniture to walk-in customers?”
Although Levi had a point, Joachim saw only the folly in his comment. Once his father returned home and Joachim had a chance to talk to his parents, he doubted they would want him to remain at home. In fact, Rebecca would probably be chastised for allowing Joachim to stay in the house while their parents were out of town. There would be no point in Joachim staying in the area and opening a shop if he was shunned by his family.
Suddenly, his mood dampened, and the coffee tasted bitter in his mouth.
“You will have pie?” Sarah asked as she and Rebecca cleared the table once Levi had eaten.
Joachim nodded. “Only a small slice. There is much yet to be done. The fences need repair. The barn, as well. Tomorrow I will go to Victor’s house. Today, I will work here.”
“I’m sure your father will appreciate your help.”
If only that would be so, yet Joachim suspected his datt would be hard-pressed to appreciate anything his son did.
Sarah accepted a small piece of pie from Rebecca and carried it to table.
“Denki,” Joachim said as he took the plate from her.
She glanced at Levi. “I’m sure you would like pie.”
“Yah, but a much larger slice than Joachim,” the younger man said with a grin. He glanced at Joachim. “I must work for my father this afternoon, and tomorrow is the barn raising. Did Rebecca tell you?”
Joachim shook his head.
“The Byler barn burned,” Levi continued. “Samuel had wood delivered, and he has asked us to arrive in the morning. We could use your help, Joachim.”
“Of course. Samuel is a gut man. If he needs help, I will be there.”
As Joachim and Levi ate the pie, Rebecca wrapped cheesecloth around a second pie and tied the edges together. “I baked extra for your mamm. Tell her thank-you for the onions she sent yesterday. They were sweet and will keep in the root cellar.”
Levi smiled. “She will like to hear that her gift was well received.”
“Yah, of course, it was.”
“She always asks about you, Rebecca. You should come to visit.”
“Perhaps when Mamm and Datt return.”
“They will not be gone much longer?” Joachim posed.
“Only a few more days,” Rebecca responded. “But, Levi, I will see your mamm tomorrow at the barn raising. She will be there, yah?”
“Probably not. Her arthritis is bad, especially when it rains.”
Levi bid Joachim and Sarah farewell and accepted the pie from Rebecca. She walked outside with him, and the couple stood talking on the porch.
Joachim glanced at Sarah. She rinsed dishes in a bucket of water at the sink. “You will be all right here in the house with Rebecca if I am working in