A Season of Change Read online

  He couldn’t stop grinning. She scowled more. “Sorry,” he said. “I’ve heard of kiss and tell, but not kiss and run.” He was surprised how easily conversation came with her, but she amused him.

  After they’d settled on a time, she began to tell him in detail about how to tend to his wound. He found himself hanging on her every word.

  * * *

  Esther and Lizzie were thrilled to hear that Rose was going out with Benjamin on Wednesday night, even though Rose wasn’t cheerfully optimistic like she’d been after their first date.

  “I’m not sure if he’s taking me out because he feels bad that he made me cry. Or maybe he feels guilty. Or—”

  “He’s taking you out because he saw the real you today.” Lizzie spit her teeth in her hand. “Stupid teeth.”

  “Go back to the dentist if your dentures are giving you trouble again.” Esther straightened some magazines on the coffee table just as the clock in the dining room chimed six times. Yawning, she was planning on going to bed extra early tonight.

  Heavy footsteps coming up the porch steps caught their attention.

  “Oh no.” Lizzie groaned. “I’m going to mei room.”

  “Go to your room,” Gus said through the screen door. He eased it open and stuck just his head over the threshold.

  “Um . . . I’ll be in my room if you need anything.” Rose spun around and hurried up the stairs.

  Esther sat down on the couch and crossed one leg over the other. “Well, you can sure clear out a room.”

  Gus was normally red in the face, almost always unhappy about something, but he looked a little pale this evening.

  “Esther, I haven’t had any pie since I’ve been home from the hospital.” He shook his head. “And I sense that you’re mad at me.”

  She let out an unladylike grunt. “And what in the world gave you that impression?”

  Gus looped his thumbs beneath his suspenders. Amish men all wore suspenders. Non-Amish Gus wore them to keep his pants up. “You’re toying with me, and that ain’t like you, Esther. You rushed out of the hospital and didn’t even let me explain.”

  “Ach, I’d heard enough. You faked an injury to have food and air-conditioning.” Esther was ready for this day to be over. “I heard you laughing and enjoying yourself, and you told me yourself why you were there.”

  He hung his head, and when he looked back at her, there was a sadness in his eyes that Esther had never seen. She waved an arm toward the kitchen. “Fine. If you want pie, go get it yourself.” Slightly moaning, she lifted herself from the couch. “Gus, this has been a long day. I’m ready for mei bath and to go to bed.”

  Shaking his head, he said, “I don’t see how you people go to bed when it’s still daylight outside.”

  “Because we get up when it’s still dark outside.” She covered a full yawn with her hand.

  “I don’t want you mad at me.” His expression was sober, as if her opinion of him actually mattered.

  Esther put a hand to her forehead. She wasn’t completely ready to let him off the hook, but he looked so pitiful, it was hard not to feel a tiny bit sorry for him. “Help yourself to some pie, Gus. I’m going to bed.”

  She didn’t wait for a response, but as soon as she closed her bedroom door, she heard the screen and front door close. Then Gus rattled the knob to make sure it was locked. It was the first time he hadn’t taken her up on a slice of pie in all the years she’d known him.

  She walked to her bedroom window and watched him walk back to the cottage with his head hung. Gus Owens was truly sorry for upsetting her. He might not be sorry about deceiving the hospital staff, but there was a level of remorse. Maybe he was still progress in the making. Slow progress.

  Chapter 9

  Wednesday morning, Esther looked out the kitchen window as soon as the sun came up. Gus’s truck hadn’t been parked outside the cottage since Monday. She saw him leave in the early afternoon that day, and she’d checked often to see if he’d returned. And he hadn’t.

  “I think your boyfriend took another vacation.” Lizzie cackled as she stirred the eggs. “He sure has figured out how to play the Englisch system.”

  Esther wasn’t up for a confrontation with Lizzie. “Where is Rose?” She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down.

  “Down at the chicken coop collecting eggs.” Lizzie looked over her shoulder. “I think she’s excited about her date tonight, but she’s not saying much about it. Ach, well, she is . . . talking plenty. Just not too much about her and Benjamin.”

  “Poor maedel was so embarrassed about everything. But that young man asked her out. No matter Rose’s embarrassment, I think Benjamin got a glimpse of the real Rose and liked what he saw.” Esther blew on her coffee, took a sip, then snuck a peek out the kitchen window when Lizzie wasn’t looking. She was sure Gus was soaking up more air-conditioning and free food at the hospital. Perhaps she’d been wrong about him being remorseful. What ailment did he lie about this time?

  The front-door screen closed behind Rose as she came into the living room. When she walked into the kitchen, her face was flushed. “It’s already so hot outside, and it’s barely daybreak.” She set the basket of eggs on the counter. “Seventeen today. Lizzie, do you want me to take over?”

  “Nee, I’ve got it, hon. Just sit.” Lizzie nodded to the kitchen table, which already had platters of biscuits and bacon laid out.

  Rose served herself some coffee and sat across from Esther. “I saw Naomi outside, so I walked over to chat. She said Gus called her again on Monday. She doesn’t keep her mobile phone on, but he left a message asking her to tend to the cats again. I wonder if he is back in the hospital. Why is he doing that? We’ve all suffered through tough summers. Even in Ohio, the summers were hot. Maybe he likes being waited on, having his food served to him.” She shrugged. “I don’t know. It just feels wrong.”

  “It is wrong.” Esther scowled as she shook her head. “And I’ve got a gut mind to go to the hospital and let them know Gus is not being truthful.”

  “You’d think they would see through his shenanigans.” Rose frowned. “I wonder what he’s claiming is wrong with him this time?”

  “He’s overweight, lives on pie, and doesn’t take care of himself.” Esther sighed. “He probably uses high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar levels, or something else to get himself a room. But there would have to be some lying involved because they don’t just admit you to the hospital for those things.” She shook her head. “Or maybe he claims none of those things, and he’s just a gut liar.” Esther heard herself, and she sounded like Lizzie. But her blood boiled when she pictured Gus bellowing at overworked nurses.

  Lizzie set the bowl of eggs on the table, then put her hands on her hips. “This really bothers you, doesn’t it?” When Esther didn’t respond, her sister finally sat down, shaking her head.

  “Let us pray.” Esther lowered her head and hoped Lizzie would stay away from any more talk about Gus.

  After they prayed, she decided to guide the conversation in another direction. “Rose, do you know where Benjamin is taking you this evening?”

  “Nee, I don’t. Last time he asked me to suggest a place, and as you know, we went to Gasthof Village. If he asks me again, maybe I should suggest Stoll’s. They have tables that look out onto the lake. It’s also a buffet, but a very gut one. Or maybe I should suggest pizza. I’m not sure.” She sighed. “Maybe where we eat isn’t important.”

  “I think Stoll’s is a lovely idea.” Esther had eaten there a few times over the years. “Every time I’ve been, the food was gut. And it might be a little romantic overlooking the lake.” She winked at Rose, who smiled.

  “I’m trying not to get mei hopes up too much.”

  Esther suspected that wasn’t true. She silently prayed that it would be a good night for Rose and Benjamin. Then she asked God to rid her of the bitterness in her heart about Gus. But her thoughts trailed back to Lizzie’s comment—This really bothers you, doesn’t it? Of
course it bothered her. Her work in progress had taken several steps backward. That’s all there is to it. She drew in a big breath and repeated the affirmation in her mind over and over again. That’s all there is to it . . . that’s all there is to it.

  * * *

  Benjamin came into the living room nicely dressed and ready to pick up Rose.

  “Look how handsome you look.” His mother gleamed. “I’m so glad you decided to give Rose a second chance.”

  He shook his head. “Your expression looks exactly the same as when I graduated from eighth grade.”

  She shrugged as she moved toward him, then gave him an unexpected hug. “Ach, a little pride slips into all our emotions from time to time. I was proud of you when you finished your schooling, and I’m proud of you for taking this next step with Rose.”

  He eased out of the embrace, knowing his mother already had him married off to this woman. “Let’s just see how it goes.” Then he decided to throw her a bone. “I don’t know who I went out with the first time. It wasn’t the same woman I met in the bathroom while I repaired the plumbing at The Peony Inn. Rose was animated, lively, talkative, vivacious, and I could have listened to her talk all night long.” He grinned on the inside as he recalled some of the things she said.

  His mother pressed her palms together. “She’s the one. I just know it.”

  Benjamin kissed her on the forehead. “Like I said, we’ll see how it goes.”

  On the ride to pick up Rose, images of her multifaceted personality swirled around in his mind. There was the painfully quiet woman he took to supper. The angry woman who had raised her chin and stomped away from him after worship service. Then there was the one who snatched his attention with her wit, outspoken personality, and wildly dramatic gestures. That’s who he was picking up tonight. For the first time in as long as he could remember, he was looking forward to a date.

  When he pulled into The Peony Inn driveway, Rose was standing on the porch. The two older ladies were sitting in rocking chairs.

  Benjamin loosely tethered the horse and made his way across the yard. Now that he was here, his stomach roiled with nervous anticipation, and his voice threatened to take a hike. He silently prayed he wouldn’t freeze up around her.

  He tipped his hat at the three women and met Rose at the top of the porch steps. “Wie-wie bischt.” Adrenaline flowed through him like a raging river, and now that he had hope that things might work out between them, he began to worry about saying the wrong things. He’d gone from writing her off completely to being a cowardly mess. And that is not how he wanted to present himself to this woman.

  Benjamin locked eyes with Rose, so beautiful and smiling from ear to ear, and it was infectious. He smiled back at her as she said, “Ready?”

  “Ya, ya.”

  “You two have a wonderful time.” Esther raised a hand and gave a quick wave. The other lady—Lizzie—did the same.

  As soon as Benjamin was seated and had hold of the reins, Rose gave him a sideways glance, grinning. He backed up the buggy, wondering what was on her mind. And more importantly, was she going to tell him?

  “I have five bruders, all older than me. Every single one of them used to race buggies. I don’t know if that is popular here, but there was a place in Ohio that was perfect for it. It was a dirt road out behind an abandoned farmhouse. I used to cheer for mei bruders from the sidelines, along with mei two schweschdere.”

  Benjamin wasn’t sure where she was going with this, but he didn’t care. She was full of energy, talking with her hands, and he found himself smiling along with her as he got on the main road, with no idea where to go.

  “Mei schweschdere are older than me too.” She waved a hand in the air and giggled. “I don’t even know why that matters.” Abruptly, all the animation stopped and she was quiet and turned to him.

  Was she waiting for him to respond? All he could do was look at her mouth, so he faced forward.

  Sighing, she said, “It took all of that for me to say that . . . that mei bruders taught us girls how to race the buggies too. Daed was furious when he found out. He said it wasn’t ladylike for women to buggy race.” She was quiet for a few moments before she cut her eyes in his direction. Benjamin didn’t think she could look any more seductive if she tried. She narrowed her eyes at him, her mouth turning up only a little on one side as a wisp of dark hair blew across her face. Benjamin had chosen the topless buggy for this evening.

  “I like to go fast.” She broke into a big smile. “There is nothing freer than flying down the road in a buggy, the wind in your face.”

  “Um . . . are you saying you want me to pick up the pace?” He looked ahead of him. “On this road?” It was two lanes with side roads off-shooting everywhere.

  “Take the next right.” She obviously wasn’t hungry. At least not for food. Rose Petersheim was craving some adventure. He was happy to do as she instructed, and he took the next right.

  “Better hold on to your kapp.”

  She pressed her hand down on top of her prayer covering and nodded. “Ready.”

  Benjamin flicked the reins repeatedly until his horse was at a hard and steady run. This was a first for him. He had driven his buggy at full capacity before, but not at the request of a woman.

  “I hope that’s not all you’ve got.” She laughed and shook her head.

  Benjamin couldn’t stop smiling as he pushed the horse harder. Rose’s laughter was contagious as she kept her hand on her prayer covering.

  It was a crazy way to start the evening. And Benjamin loved it.

  * * *

  Rose had decided to be herself since Benjamin seemed to prefer the real Rose. If things didn’t progress past this date, then it wasn’t meant to be. It would be another heartbreak, but since Benjamin had still wanted to go out with her after hearing everything she said in the bathroom, it felt worth the risk.

  She hadn’t gone this fast in a buggy in years. It was exhilarating and a fun way to loosen things up right from the beginning. As she held her prayer covering in place, she was taken back to a time in her life when things were good—most of the time—when all her siblings still lived at home. They all suffered the same treatment—in varying degrees—from their father, but there was a secret code to protect each other and not speak about it.

  When the horse became visibly tired, Benjamin slowed the pace.

  “That felt wonderful.” She thought she probably looked a mess and began stuffing loose strands of hair beneath her prayer covering. “I love feeling the wind in my face like that.” She closed her eyes and breathed in the warm air, the smell of freshly cut hay, and someone barbecuing far in the distance. When she turned to Benjamin, he smiled.

  “Would you like me to suggest somewhere to eat?” She folded her hands in her lap.

  “Ya.”

  So far he was, indeed, a man of few words. Shy, as she’d been told. Rose wasn’t going to push him to be anyone different than who he was, and she’d given a lot of thought as to how to find out more about him. Slowly, she’d decided.

  “Stoll’s is a restaurant with a lake view. It’s also a buffet like Gasthof Village, but the food is very gut. The banana pudding is some of the best I’ve had. I like desserts. I probably eat too much sugar. They have a lot to choose from—both entrée items and desserts. They also have a small gift shop. It’s popular with the tourists, but the locals eat there frequently too. Or we could eat pizza. I’m fine with anything. You choose.”

  He still had a half smile on his face that hadn’t gone away. She didn’t recall seeing that expression on their last date. It was no wonder. They had both been miserable.

  “Stoll’s sounds nice.” He held the expression.

  “Ya, okay. Gut. You can take the next right to get back on the main road, and it will be on the left. You can see it from the highway.”

  He nodded. Rose was quiet for a few moments, pondering what it must be like to be shy. Why was he? She wondered if he had suffered some sort of abuse. In
the back of her mind, Rose always wondered if her childhood had caused her to be more outspoken than most people. Her brothers and sisters all had husbands and families. Her father had died not long before Rose made the decision to move to Indiana. She communicated with all of her family, even her mother. But maintaining a one-on-one relationship with just her and her mother in the house had become too difficult. They might not speak about certain things, but her mother had witnessed everything that took place in that house and had done nothing about it. But in Amish families, the man was the head of the household. Perhaps her mother was under his thumb as much as the rest of them.

  She tossed the thoughts from her mind. Maybe Benjamin’s shyness was just who he was and it didn’t stem from his childhood. Either way, she wanted to keep things upbeat, and she wanted him to feel relaxed. Diving into anything too heavy might not be the way to go.

  As they pulled into the restaurant parking lot, she pointed to where the hitching posts were, then she laughed. “You know, the more I think about it, the more sure I am that bathroom wasn’t leaking. I think Lizzie did something to the pipe so she could call you to come fix it.” She covered her face and shook her head. “Then you heard all of my ramblings.”

  He eased the horse to a stop, then turned her way. “It looked like someone bashed the pipe with a crowbar or something similar.” He grinned.

  “The things those women do.” Rose smiled back at him. “They love to play matchmaker.”

  His expression stilled as he gazed into her eyes. “And I’m happy that they did.”

  Rose’s heart flipped in her chest. She had high hopes for this evening. And she planned to be herself. Benjamin would either like her for who she was, or not. There was only so much Esther and Lizzie could do. Now it was time to see if their efforts had been worth it. Rose felt hopeful.

  * * *

  Esther emerged from her bedroom, marched to the mantel, and clutched the vase filled with flowers. She might wonder for the rest of her life who sent the gift and note, but she didn’t need a reminder on the mantel right now. And on the off chance the arrangement was from Gus, she definitely didn’t want the flowers in the house.