A Plain Man Page 11

  “Josie, we’ll make room for you down here,” a girl called from the far end.

  “Josie, I’ve got room for you next to me.” April Lapp half-stood and waved her hand.

  But the object of Caleb’s affection seemed not to hear them. Josie’s eyes scanned the room until they landed on his sister, directly across from him and Adam Troyer. Unlike either of the women who’d summoned Josie, Sarah was wedged between people. But that didn’t stop his schwester.

  “Scoot over a smidge,” said Sarah to those on both sides. Using her hip, she banged her way into compliance.

  Josie’s decision had already been made. “Guder nachmittag, Sarah, Caleb,” she greeted. Hastily, she slipped onto the bench as the leader began the next song.

  Throughout two hours of singing, Caleb alternated between periods of contentment and anxiety during the age-old courting tradition. His Deutsch readily came back to him as the hymns oddly soothed his nerves. Singing about a God of infinite power and mercy made his earthly worries seem miniscule. As Scripture attested, nothing was beyond the healing power of God. Then Josie would turn her beautiful eyes his way, and he felt as helpless and out of place as a worm at a robin reunion.

  How could someone as pretty as Josie be interested in him?

  Sarah kicked him under the table each time he stopped singing. He could be in his buggy and on his way home before anybody recognized the streak of lightning as a human being. But cowardice had never done a man a bit of good, whether Englisch or Plain. At long last the leader closed his songbook and invited them to eat the snacks set up outdoors.

  As though on a mission of mercy, the angel across the table looked him straight in the eye and announced, “I’m starving. Let’s run for the desserts.” As tiny as she was, Josie had no trouble extricating herself from the tight fit on the girls’ side.

  Caleb, however, had to squash poor Adam Troyer to get out before their bench unloaded in an orderly fashion. He followed the scent of peaches and cream out of the Miller grain barn and into the cool night air.

  Josie hadn’t been joking about running. She sprinted across the lawn to the tables with trays of brownies, cookies, and pies that had been arranged under a hanging lantern. She picked up a paper plate as he reached the table. “Since I’m first, I can take one of everything.”

  Caleb glanced at her slim figure. “You can, but I doubt you can eat that much.”

  “You’d be surprised by my appetite.” Josie selected a Rice Krispie treat, a brownie, and two peanut butter cookies.

  Because he was incapable of making logical decisions at the moment, Caleb duplicated her choices for himself. “Would you like a cup of lemonade or iced tea?” he asked as they stepped away from the food.

  “Iced tea, please. You fetch our drinks while I find seats away from the crowd.” She disappeared into the shadows as though still in a hurry.

  Caleb discovered his muscular legs would barely bend at the knee. Josie wanted to be alone with him? The paralysis soon spread upward into his chest, turning his breaths into short, desperate gasps. Hopefully by the time he returned with the drinks, his vocal cords wouldn’t be locked in place. With shaky hands, Caleb carried two cups of iced tea to the dense canopy of a maple tree. Little illumination from the barn’s solar floodlight reached into the gloom. “Who are you hiding from, Miss Yoder? I hope it’s not me.” He set the cups down before they spilled.

  Josie ate half her brownie before replying. “Your sister and my three sisters.” With a wink, she popped the other half into her mouth.

  “Why would you hide from Sarah? She’s your best friend.” Caleb picked up a Rice Krispie bar for something to do with his hand.

  “Because she’s constantly pointing out your attributes. Doesn’t Cal look handsome in a navy shirt? Don’t you think that horrid Englisch haircut has grown out nicely? Did I mention that my brother saved enough to buy his own buggy and Standardbred horse? Sarah has appointed herself your PR director.” She sipped her drink.

  “Hopefully she won’t send a bill for her services at month’s end.” Caleb chewed some of the square nervously. The marshmallow practically glued his dry mouth shut. “Don’t you agree with Sarah’s generous assessment of me?” He focused on the dark pasture instead of her.

  “Sarah isn’t known for telling lies, but I prefer to draw my own conclusions.” Josie began to nibble a cookie.

  “Fair enough,” he said, downing his tea. “What about your schwestern? I would guess your reasons for avoidance aren’t the same.”

  Josie didn’t bat a single long eyelash. “Quite the contrary. Why are you hanging out with wild Caleb Beachy? Anyone separated from the fold that long will never commit. Why waste your time on a man who’ll run back to Cleveland the moment he builds up his bank account?”

  Caleb dropped the rest of his dessert onto the plate. He couldn’t have eaten another bite if someone put a gun to his temple. “I had no idea the other Yoders held me in such low esteem.”

  “Rest assured each of my sisters spoke to me in private—not in front of my parents. They aren’t ganging up on you.”

  “I suppose I should be grateful for small blessings.”

  Josie laughed as though she hadn’t a care in the world. “Jah, we all should.”

  “What about you? Do you hold the same opinion as Laura and Jessie?”

  “If I did, would I be sitting with you now?” She consumed her Rice Krispie treat in three bites and then licked her fingertips. The stickiness apparently wasn’t a problem for her vocal cords. “I told them the same thing I said to Sarah: Please let me make up my own mind.”

  Caleb released his death-grip on the plastic cup before he destroyed it. “Another blessing—this one not so small.”

  “You’re not saving money to head back to the city, are you?”

  Loud laughter and chatter carried on the breeze from the young people clustered around the barn, but Caleb heard her clear as a bell. “I certainly am not.”

  “Are you planning to commit to the Amish faith?”

  “I intend to take membership classes the next time they’re offered.”

  Josie finished the last dessert on her plate. “Gut. Then why don’t you stop beating around the bush and ask me out on a real date?”

  Caleb coughed as saliva slipped down his windpipe. “What would you like to do, Miss Yoder? Your wish is my command.”

  “Funny that you should quote one of those storybook Prince Charmings. Since we’re both still on rumschpringe for a couple more months, I want to go to the movies in Wooster to see one of those animated fairy tales on the big screen. Plus I want a tub of buttered popcorn. Then let’s stop for a deluxe pizza in Shreve on the way home.”

  “I won’t even ask if you can eat all that.” Caleb grinned at her empty plate, relaxing for the first time that evening.

  Josie scrambled up. “Let’s get more sweets for the ride home.”

  “Would you let me drive you home tonight?” He rose to his full height.

  “Hmmm,” she murmured. “I guess so, as long as nobody better asks between here and the parking area.” She grasped his arm on their walk back to the snacks.

  “I’ll hold them off with a rake if need be.” At the table, Caleb loaded his plate with six Rice Krispie squares.

  “Looks like you were hungry after all.”

  He reached for a piece of foil. “These are for Sarah; they’re her favorites. My PR director is about to get her Christmas bonus early this year.”

  Josie stood at the front window watching for Caleb’s buggy. She wanted to know the moment he pulled into their driveway to avoid any unpleasant scenes with her family. Her parents weren’t happy about her dating Caleb, while her sisters were downright hostile. But since the Bible was full of stories about people getting second chances, they couldn’t easily forbid them from seeing each other.

  Caleb deserved a second chance. Since he’d returned from Cleveland he resembled an old hound, scolded once too often for jumping on the fu
rniture. It couldn’t be easy having Eli for both his employer and father. The bishop struck her as unyielding at best. Not a good match for someone as spirited as Caleb. At least, he used to be spirited. Now he just seemed sad. What was it like to not fit in anywhere?

  Her oldest sister asked if she was courting Caleb out of pity. Josie had been stuck for a quick reply but had since thought carefully. Even though his situation seemed pitiful at times, she was dating him because of the way he treated her. If some men wore their hearts on a sleeve, Caleb used every stitch of clothing he owned. There was nothing quite as irresistible as somebody’s adoration. No one had ever looked at her the way Caleb did.

  “A watched pot never boils.” Her mamm spoke from over her shoulder.

  “I want to leave the moment he arrives. It’s a long ride to Wooster. If it had been anyone else, Daed would have permitted a hired van.” Josie didn’t turn to face her mother.

  “But it’s not anybody else; it’s Caleb Beachy.”

  Did those three little words sum up the entire district’s opinion? “There he is,” she said, hurrying toward the door. “See you later.”

  “Enjoy your movie, dochder.”

  Josie heard Mamm’s final comment while halfway down the steps. She jumped into Caleb’s buggy before he could brake to a stop.

  “You seem eager for some hot buttered popcorn.” His smile lit up his whole face.

  “I’m anxious to get there before the matinee starts. If my father had allowed a hired car, we wouldn’t have to leave so early.”

  “I’m glad he didn’t. I get to spend that much more time with you.” With a flick of the wrist, Caleb guided the horse in a circular arc. “Besides, I’ve had the week off since we finished the Millersburg warehouse. What a lovely way to spend my day.”

  “Will we find enough to talk about for the next two and a half hours?” Josie braced her feet against the wooden buggy slats.

  “Are you joking? The last time we really talked you were barely sixteen. I want to hear everything that happened since then.” Caleb slicked a hand through his hair before replacing his straw hat.

  “Okay, I’ll touch on the high points—all six or seven of them. Then you can tell me where you found this gorgeous horse and buggy. Your father must pay well.”

  Caleb laughed in a companionable way. “He does, but this rig took most of my pay from the last four weeks. Good thing this movie will have an early-bird special price.”

  “In that case let me pay for the popcorn.” When he started to object, Josie held up her hand. “Stop. This is the twenty-first century, even in our community. You can save your money for the pizza tonight. I have a taste for every topping plus extra cheese.”

  “You’ve got a deal, Miss Yoder. But I warn you, I’ve been known to steal pepperoni when folks aren’t looking.”

  “Good thing I have eyes in the side of my head, according to my sister Anna. You don’t stand a chance getting mine.”

  One would think people would run out of things to say during that long a drive to Wooster. But not her and Caleb. When one mouth grew tired, the other picked up the thread of conversation. At no point was she bored or uncomfortable. Caleb was attentive, entertaining, and utterly charming. Yet during the entire drive, he didn’t mention God or his faith once. And for an Amish man on the verge of baptism and joining the church, that was rare.

  Few mountains can be scaled during a single afternoon, so Josie sat back to enjoy his company, the animated movie, and the largest tub of popcorn she’d seen in her life. Caleb never tried to hold her hand or drape his arm around her shoulders like many men would have done. Just the same, when their fingers touched in the barrel of popcorn, she felt a jolt of electricity that had nothing to do with pity.

  “How did you like the movie?” he asked on their way out of the theater.

  “It was wonderful! I can’t believe they created such perfect expressions and mannerisms for the animals.”

  “Are you acquainted with lions and wooly mastodons?” His smirk deepened the lines around his eyes.

  “No, but I own both a dog and a cat and can imagine what they would say if they could.”

  “I noticed some of Shep’s body language on the big screen as well.” Caleb took her arm as they crossed the stony, unused portion of the parking lot. They had left the buggy off the pavement so the horse wouldn’t create a mess.

  Josie peered at the sun. “We’ve still got plenty of daylight, which is gut. Shreve isn’t exactly around the corner.” Pulling away from him, she ran the rest of the way.

  “Starting a date early has its advantages.” Caleb helped her up and loaded the water bucket into the back.

  Josie thought about the pizza shop in Shreve. She couldn’t eat another bite if her life depended on it. The popcorn, followed by a sixteen ounce soda, had expanded her belly to capacity. If she were a horse, she would founder. But if she said, “Let’s skip the pizza,” their evening would be cut short. And this was one date she wanted to last until noon tomorrow.

  Caleb entertained her during the drive as he had earlier. He described a beach close to his Cleveland apartment so beautifully, she longed to see Lake Erie for the first time in her life. Hundreds of seagulls diving for fish, sailboats bobbing on blue waves, and children soaring kites in the air currents—Caleb had a gift with words as well as with wood. Yet most of his time spent as an Englischer remained a mystery. And for now, that was how Josie preferred it to stay.

  The buggy rolled in to Shreve. When they entered the town’s sole pizza parlor, barely a head turned in their direction. Amish people were so common that the proprietor installed a hitching post out back with a water trough refilled from his garden hose.

  “What’ll it be, Miss Yoder?” Caleb perused the menu as the waitress set down two glasses of water. “An extra-large deluxe pie with double cheese?”

  With a groan she pressed both palms against her belly. “How ’bout a medium with mushroom and onions?”

  “Mushrooms sound fine, but why don’t we skip the onions? I don’t want breath like that dragon if you get the urge to kiss me goodnight.” He fastened his dark brown eyes on her.

  “If I get the urge?” Josie nearly choked on an ice cube. “You are absolutely horrible, Caleb Beachy.” She felt her face and earlobes grow warm.

  He leaned back in the red vinyl booth. “Do you mean horrible in a good way?”

  After glancing around the shop, Josie relaxed in their private enclosure. “In absolutely the best way.”

  They talked for hours in the restaurant until finally able to eat a slice of pizza. With the remainder boxed up for their siblings, Caleb clamped the battery lights on his buggy for the drive back to Fredericksburg. It was two o’clock in the morning when they arrived home. As expected, her house was dark and silent when Caleb walked her to the door. As unexpected, his presumption proved correct. Without waiting for him to utter the standard post-date niceties, Josie stretched up on tiptoes and kissed him fully on the mouth.

  “Thank goodness we didn’t get the onions,” she whispered, and fled through the kitchen door.

  On Saturday morning, Adam walked onto the porch with his second cup of coffee. His day off from the furniture factory stretched before him like a gift. He had a perfect spring day and all he could think about was seeing Sarah that evening. But after she put in her shift at the Englisch bed-and-breakfast, she would be too tired to take a walk or play a game of volleyball with his family. She would be too tired for much of anything other than a buggy ride to the old grist mill. And the last time they went there, Sarah had fallen asleep during the drive back. So much for romantic conversation or making plans for their future.

  Adam gazed across the hayfield, where the first crop was already up and doing well. With three brothers, his daed didn’t need his help to plant corn and soybeans on their farm. He could busy himself in the barn since there would always be another horse stall in need of cleaning.

  “Son?” his mamm called through the ope
n kitchen window. “Would you mind splitting another half-cord of firewood?”

  “This time of year?” he asked. Everyone teased his mother about being the freeze-baby of the Troyers.

  “The nights have still been chilly.” She offered a sweet smile.

  “I would be happy to. It’ll save me from mucking stalls until later.” Adam left his coffee mug on the porch rail and headed to the woodpile. Chopping firewood gave him an excellent way to burn away his impatience and frustration. He was now twenty-three years old and still single—the last unmarried Troyer except for his sixteen-year-old sister. At this rate, even she might beat him to marriage vows. He had been baptized and joined the church several years ago, hoping his beloved Sarah would soon follow in his footsteps. They couldn’t get married until she joined their church. Then her decision last fall to track Caleb down in Cleveland delayed their plans by a full year.

  What would he do if Sarah changed her mind? Not about accepting the Plain way of life. She’d never given him any reason not to believe she loved being Amish. With her father serving as bishop, that part of her future seemed assured. But what if she had changed her mind about him? Tall, willowy, and blond, Sarah was lovely to look at. He, on the other hand was short, stout, and as appealing as a goat. How many tall women married shorter men? He’d once torn an advertisement from a magazine for elevator wedges for his boots, making himself the laughing stock among his bruders for a week.

  I ’spose you’re about as tall as God reckons you should be. His father’s sage conclusion put an end to their teasing and any plans he had for plastic inserts. At least Sarah had sought him out at the Yoder barn raising. How he longed to make her his bride, to build a cabin near the road with a small barn for their horse and a fenced garden for her. With his job as a furniture craftsman, he didn’t need to buy a farm. He only needed her…and a way to spend the next eight hours without obsessing about her.