The Wonder of Your Love (A Land of Canaan Novel) Page 8

  She grinned, but Katie Ann was not fooled. Martha was the first one to complain about the slightest ailment, and it was disturbing that she wasn’t offering up much information.

  “Did he give you some medicine? Is it the flu?”

  Martha tugged Katie Ann toward the door. “Yeah, yeah. I’ve got medicine.”

  Katie Ann shook free of Martha’s grip and squinted her eyes as she spoke. “Martha, are you not telling me something?”

  “Oh, good grief. I’m fine, Katie Ann. Go and have fun today.” Martha opened the door and pushed the screen wide as she stepped out on the porch in her robe. She cupped a hand above her brow and peered across the yard. “Although this weather isn’t the best.”

  Katie Ann moved onto the covered porch, pulled her black coat around her, and glanced up. “Ya. It’s snowing even harder now.”

  Martha chuckled. “Good snuggling weather, I’d say.”

  Katie Ann narrowed her eyes at Martha. “What did I tell you? Eli and I agreed to be just friends.”

  “Whatever.” Martha rolled her eyes, then her expression suddenly changed. “Hey, real quick. What did Lucy want? Money, huh?”

  “I’ll explain later.”

  “I knew it.” Martha shook her head. “The tramp wanted money, and you probably gave her some.”

  “We’ll talk about it later. I have to go.” Katie Ann turned her back to Martha and eased down the porch steps. She glanced over her shoulder. “Stay out of the weather and get well.”

  “Katie Ann Stoltzfus!” Martha yelled, and Katie Ann cringed. “Did you give that woman money?”

  Katie Ann raised her hand and waved Martha off as she neared the car.

  “I knew it!” Martha yelled as Katie Ann opened the door and crawled back in.

  She’d deal with Martha later. Today she was looking forward to seeing some sights in the San Luis Valley, although as it snowed harder she started to worry about having Jonas out in the cold.

  “I’m afraid most of our sightseeing may have to be done from the car.” Eli twisted in his seat and smiled.

  He smiled a lot, and Katie Ann thought again about what Martha said, that the man was just happy. Katie Ann knew it couldn’t hurt her to have a bright light in her world, and as Eli waited for her to answer, she wondered if she should have agreed to this outing. She reminded herself that a person can never have too many friends and that as long as she kept her relationship with Eli in perspective, all would be well.

  “It’s snowing harder,” she said softly, wondering if he was going to cancel their outing.

  “There’s a diner about fifteen miles north of here,” Wayne said. “If you folks are hungry, they have the best pancakes in the area. Maybe this snow will ease up while you’re eating.”

  Katie Ann could see Wayne struggling to see through the flurries coming harder now. She waited for Eli to respond.

  “I could go for some pancakes.” Eli patted his stomach in the front seat before twisting around to face her. “Katie Ann, what about you?”

  She’d eaten cereal that morning, but a cup of hot coffee sounded nice. “Ya. That’s fine.”

  Jonas stretched in his seat, his eyes wide, but Katie Ann was glad that he appeared content. On the way to the diner, Eli questioned Wayne about the area . . . and about farming. Katie Ann had heard Samuel talk about the challenges of farming in Colorado, since the state only had a few months of frost-free weather. Wayne told Eli that he farmed a few acres just for his family.

  “It’s not so bad once you get used to the climate,” the older man said.

  Eli stroked his beard. “Lots of solar panels here, ya?”

  Katie Ann nodded but quietly listened as Wayne answered.

  “Yep. Since we have over three hundred days of sunshine on average per year, the solar panels make sense.” He turned slightly to face Katie Ann and smiled. “And they are permissible for you folks.”

  Katie Ann had considered purchasing some of the solar panels for heating, but hadn’t as of yet.

  Wayne pulled into the diner. “I’ve got to go to the post office while we’re near town, if that’s all right with you. And I need to stop at the pharmacy to pick up something for the wife.” He put the car in park. “So, okay if I’m back in about an hour? Maybe the snow will have eased up by then.” He leaned his face closer to the windshield and looked up.

  “That sounds fine.” Eli opened his door, and before Katie Ann could climb out of the car, he already had Jonas’s car seat out and was hurrying toward the diner entrance with the umbrella protectively shielding Jonas from the snow. Katie Ann hurried behind them.

  Eli pushed the door open, got Jonas safely inside the warmth of the diner, and held the door for Katie Ann. “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “I should have waited for you.”

  Katie Ann smiled. “No. I’m glad you didn’t. You made sure my Jonas was warm and protected.”

  Eli’s face reddened a bit as he pulled his eyes away from her. “Habit, I guess. Tending to the kinner.”

  A young waitress asked them to follow her to an empty booth toward the back of the diner. Eli got Jonas situated on one side of the booth, waited for Katie Ann to sit beside her son, and took a seat across from them.

  After they scanned the menu, Eli ordered pancakes, and Katie Ann opted for coffee and a banana nut muffin. Then they slipped into a conversation with surprising ease, and Eli’s infectious smile set the tone as he talked about his children and grandchildren.

  “Did I tell you that Ida Mae has twin boys?” Eli raised a brow. “Luke and Ben are almost a year old.” He chuckled as he reached for his coffee. “Cutest little fellows in the world, but they’re a handful, like most kinner that age. Luke is already walking, but Ben hasn’t quite gotten there yet.”

  Katie Ann was mesmerized as she listened to him go on about his other grandchildren. It was so unusual for an Amish man to carry on this way, and she found it endearing. She felt so at ease with him, she even shared some of her fears about motherhood. Eli was polite and affirming, assuring her that she was a great mother.

  “It’s just wonderful the way you’ve raised your kinner.” She paused, unintentionally locking eyes with him. “And very . . . touching, the way you talk about your grandchildren.”

  Eli kept his eyes fused with Katie Ann’s. “The Lord saw fit to take Sarah, but He sure did bless me in other ways.” He looked down for a moment and shook his head. “Believe me, there were many days when I didn’t think I would make it. Days when I needed to work the fields, but two or three of the kinner would be sick and I couldn’t leave them. Or there was the time when Jake toyed with the idea of leaving the community, and . . .” Eli took a deep breath. “I don’t know what I would have done.” Then he grinned. “Do you know what Frieda did when she was seven years old?” His hazel eyes grew round as his voice rose an octave.

  Katie Ann smiled. “I’d love to hear.”

  “She cut her hair!”

  Katie Ann brought a hand to her mouth in an unsuccessful attempt to stifle a laugh. If she hadn’t felt the laughter all the way to the warm pit of her stomach, she might not have recognized it. It had been so long. “What did you do?”

  Eli grunted. “What could I do? The damage was done.” He chuckled. “She had a bob for a long time until her beautiful blond hair finally grew past her shoulders.”

  “Did she say why she did it?” Katie Ann leaned back a bit as the waitress arrived with their food.

  Eli gave a nod of thanks as the young woman put his pancakes in front of him. “She said that it took too long to dry and that long hair was hot in the summertime.”

  “But surely she knew that it is not our way to cut our hair.”

  “Ya. She knew.” He shook his head. “But that’s my Frieda. Always thinking practical.”

  Katie Ann bit her bottom lip.

  “Go ahead and laugh. I know it’s a bit funny.” Eli took a big bite of his pancakes. “Did I mention that she cut it about fifteen minutes before church
service?”

  Katie Ann put a hand to her chest, but a giggle escaped just the same. “Oh no.”

  “Ach, I’ve got about a thousand more stories I could share, but I don’t want to bore you.”

  “I can’t imagine getting bored hearing stories about your kinner.” She glanced down at Jonas, who was sleeping soundly. “I’m sure Jonas will fill me with surprises. I can’t wait.”

  “He will grow to be a fine boy.”

  Katie Ann circled the rim of her coffee cup with her finger. “I hope I’ll be a gut mudder.”

  “You already are.” Eli’s voice was gentle, his eyes soft. “Jonas is blessed to have you.”

  As she added a pat of butter to her muffin, Katie Ann struggled to ignore the other thoughts fighting for space in her mind. Was it possible that Ivan had been coming back to her on the day he died, as Lucy thought? Would they have been a family again?

  “You look a million miles away,” Eli said after a few moments. “And I bet I know why.”

  Katie Ann picked at her muffin but didn’t say anything. He reached across the table and put his hand on hers. She was too stunned to move.

  “I know this isn’t how you thought your life would unfold, but I know God has big plans for you. You’re going to do just fine.” He pulled back his hand, but Katie Ann could still feel his touch long afterward.

  “I hope so,” she finally whispered. Fearing the conversation was drifting to a place she didn’t want to go, she decided to change the subject. “So tell me more about your plans to travel.”

  “I will still work hard. I won’t be traveling all the time.”

  Katie Ann waited while he finished off his last bite of pancakes.

  “I have cousins in Indiana, and I know folks who have traveled to Florida, so I think I’ll start with those two places.” He shrugged. “I haven’t decided where else.”

  “Lots of folks in Lancaster County travel to Florida to vacation. They love spending time at the beach.”

  “Did you always live in Lancaster County before you moved here?” Eli laid his fork across his plate.

  “Ya. But my folks aren’t alive anymore. I don’t really have family there, but I have Ivan’s . . .” She glanced up at Eli. “. . . Ivan’s family there. His sisters, Rebecca and Mary Ellen, live there with their families. And Ivan’s brother Noah and his family live there.”

  “You don’t have any bruders or sisters?”

  She thought about Annie. “No.”

  “What made you move to Colorado?”

  So many questions. She wasn’t sure how much to share. “I guess you could say it was a fresh start for me and Ivan.” She paused but avoided eye contact. “A fresh start that didn’t work out.” She finally looked up at him. “Did Vera or Elam tell you what happened?”

  “Ya.” For the first time since they’d been at the diner, Eli frowned. “I can’t imagine an Amish man shirking his duties.”

  She knew she should be embarrassed, but something about the warmth in his tone coaxed her to just accept the compliment. “Danki for saying that.”

  They were quiet for a few moments, then Katie Ann said, “The woman you saw at my house, Lucy, she is the one who . . .” She lowered her chin, surprised at how easily she revealed the information, but caught off guard by it too.

  Eli folded his arms across the black coat he was still wearing. “Does she live here in Colorado?”

  “No. She traveled from Paradise, Pennsylvania, to see me.”

  Eli’s brows lifted, and Katie Ann surprised herself even more by telling Eli about most of her conversation with Lucy, except for the part about giving Lucy money.

  “I see.” Eli nodded. “And she’s pregnant?”

  “With Ivan’s child.”

  “I think the woman had a lot of nerve to seek you out to ask about a haus.” Eli accepted the bill when the waitress returned, and he quickly pulled cash from his pocket and placed it on the table. “Today it is my goal to make sure that your mind is not on anything to do with Ivan or Lucy. We are going to enjoy this day . . .” He strained to see out a nearby window. “Snow or no snow.”

  Katie Ann leaned to her left to see outside too. “Look, the sun is shining.”

  Eli nodded. “Ya. It will be a gut day.”

  ELI WATCHED KATIE Ann take Jonas with her to the ladies’ room for a quick diaper change before they got back on the road. He couldn’t believe how easy she was to talk to, or had he just gone so long without female companionship that he’d forgotten? She seemed like a good Amish woman, too, who deserved a husband and someone to take care of her and the boppli. Eli knew he’d need to tread carefully, always making it known that he only had friendship to offer her. It was dangerous territory for him because he was the type to nurture, no matter how uncharacteristic it was for an Amish man. He’d spent much of his life tending to the needs of others, and even at this point in his life it came naturally to him.

  He sat a little taller, resolved that he had his life planned out and there was certainly no room for romance with a new mother, no matter how beautiful she was.

  When Katie Ann returned, they glanced out the window and saw Wayne waiting in the car outside. The hour-long ride seemed to fly by as the three of them talked. Wayne shared the history of the Great Sand Dunes, and Eli was glad to see Katie Ann involved in the conversation, laughing and appearing to have a good time. He might not be able to take care of her the way she needed, but it gave him satisfaction to bring some joy into her life.

  Before they reached the National Park and Preserve, they could see the majestic dunes nestled against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and as Eli peeked over his shoulder, he saw the twinkle in Katie Ann’s eyes as she peered through the window.

  Wayne pulled into the entrance of the park. “Amazing, isn’t it? These dunes are a landmark for travelers. Did you know they are the tallest dunes in North America? They cover nearly twenty thousand acres.” He chuckled. “Just a little history for you.”

  Eli glanced at the massive dunes for as far as he could see, but his eyes kept veering back to Katie Ann. As her smile widened, her eyes glistened like the tiny specks of snow-covered sand that stretched before them, and Eli smiled along with her. She seemed so different from the first couple of times he was around her. She seemed happy, and her fulfillment sparked something inside of Eli that he hadn’t felt in a long time.

  He forced himself to look away from her and focus on the beauty of the mountains.

  Then she leaned forward and touched his shoulder. “Look, Eli!” She pointed to her left, but Eli’s eyes were on her hand on his shoulder. “There are two elk.”

  Eli glanced to where she was pointing. “Big elk,” he said as his eyes drifted back to her hand. Her touch sent a thrill up his spine, and he was again reminded how long it had been since he’d been in the company of a beautiful woman. As his eyes trailed up to her lips, Eli pictured his mouth pressed tightly against hers, a vision that he suspected he would replay in his mind long after this day ended.

  After about thirty minutes, they got back on the road. Wayne explained more about the dunes. “You folks really should see them when the weather is better and they aren’t covered in snow. Each time you climb over one of the dunes, there is another one waiting on the other side. They go on forever.”

  “They’re beautiful, even covered in snow,” Katie Ann said, keeping her eyes on the mountains as they pulled out of the park.

  She was chatty all the way back to her house, talking about the garden she planned to have in the spring, the black bear she’d seen a couple of weeks ago out her window, and the repairs she needed to do on her house, most importantly a leak in her roof that Samuel had tried to repair twice without success. She mentioned several times how fortunate she was to have her brother-in-law and his wife living next door.

  It was almost three o’clock when they pulled into her driveway, and little Jonas was beginning to fuss. Couldn’t blame the poor fellow. He’d been cooped up for
hours in the car, but he’d fared well, not even a whimper until now.

  Eli opened the door, unhooked the car seat, and lifted Jonas out. He met Katie Ann on her front porch and waited for her to open her front door. Once she was inside, he handed the carrier to her, wanting more than anything to step inside. He waited, but she merely thanked him for a wonderful time.

  “Why don’t I have a look at that leak in your roof? I’m a pretty good carpenter.”

  Katie Ann peered over Eli’s shoulder. “Wayne is waiting for you. Besides, I can’t let you do that. I’m sure Samuel will have another look at it.”

  “Do you have any tools?”

  She nodded. “Ya, a few, but . . .”

  “If I send Wayne home, I can walk to Vera and Elam’s haus from here.” He pushed back the rim of his hat. “And I’m willing to have a look at your roof in exchange for a hot cup of kaffi.”

  She tapped her finger to her chin, grinning. “Hmm . . . I do need to get it repaired before the next storm.” She nodded. “All right.”

  Eli shuffled down the porch steps to the car. He quickly paid Wayne, thanked the man, then started back to the house. He stopped and looked up at the roof, causing a burst of adrenaline to shoot through him. In truth, he preferred to keep his feet on solid ground.

  Katie Ann had left the door cracked, so he walked in. She wasn’t anywhere in sight, so he busied himself by starting a fire. She walked in a few minutes later.

  “Jonas went back to sleep. Hasn’t he been a gut boppli today?” She folded her hands in front of her, eyes glowing.

  “Ya. He’s like Maureen.” He added another log to the fireplace. “Maureen was happiest when I had to hire a driver to take us somewhere.”

  As he built the fire and finally got it lit, he thought about Katie Ann having to do this by herself every day. “Why don’t you invest in some solar panels for heat?”

  “I’ve thought about it.” She shrugged. “I guess I just haven’t gotten around to it.”

  Eli blew underneath the logs until a small flame caught onto the wood. “What about in Jonas’s room? Is he warm enough in there?”

  “I have a small battery-operated heater that I keep in there, plus once the fire is going, it heats this small haus nicely.”