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“Help me find a wife for Levi.”
Chapter Two
Sarah stared at Grace in stunned disbelief. “You must be joking. How could I find a wife for your brother? I’m no matchmaker.”
“But you are,” Grace insisted. “Didn’t you convince your cousin Adrian Lapp to court Faith Martin?”
“Convince him? Nee, I did not. If I remember right, I cautioned Faith against losing her heart to Adrian because he was still grieving for his first wife.” Sarah knew how it felt to mourn for a spouse.
“And that was exactly the push Faith needed to see beyond his gruff behavior. They married, and they are very happy together. Besides, you’re the one who convinced me to give Henry a chance.”
“I don’t remember saying anything to you about going out with Henry.”
“If you hadn’t told me how your Jonas settled down from his wild ways after you were married, I never would have given Henry the time of day. But I did, and now I’m in love with him. I want to marry him. You have to help me. I will just die if he marries someone else.”
Sarah leveled a stern look at her young neighbor. “That’s a bit dramatic, Grace.”
Drawing a deep breath, Grace nodded. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do. I can’t leave Levi and the boys, but I can’t expect Henry to wait forever, either. I’m caught between a rock and a hard place with no way out.”
“I hardly think finding a wife for your brother is the answer.”
“It’s the only one I can come up with. I’m afraid if I ask Henry to wait much longer he’ll find someone else.”
Sarah took pity on her young friend and tried to reassure her. “Henry Zook will not marry anyone else. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”
“I believe he loves me. He says he does, but he wants an answer.”
“Henry is used to getting his own way. His mother has done her best to spoil him. He will be a good man, but right now he has the impatience of youth. What you and Henry need is a cooling-off time.”
“What do you mean by that?”
The last thing Sarah wanted was to see her friend pushed into something she might regret. “You two have been seeing each other almost daily. I think both of you could use some time apart. Rushing into marriage can cause a lifetime of misery.”
Grace shook her head. “Oh, Sarah. I don’t know. What would Henry think?”
Sarah could see that Grace’s dilemma was taking its toll on her friend. There were shadows beneath her eyes that didn’t belong on a girl who was barely twenty. Her cheeks were pale and thinner, as if she’d lost weight. There had to be some way to help her. Suddenly, an idea occurred to Sarah.
“He can’t object if you tell him you’re going to visit your grandmother in Pennsylvania. I know you’ve wanted to see her for ages. It will give Henry a chance to miss you while you’re gone, and it will give you a chance to relax and think about what you want to do without worrying about Henry or about your brothers.”
“But what if Henry doesn’t miss me?”
“Wouldn’t you rather know that before you are wed?” Sarah asked gently.
“Grossmammi has asked me to come for a visit many times. She’s getting on in years. I would like to spend some time with her, but that means I would miss the quilting bee for Ina Stultz and the hoedown that’s coming up.”
“I’ll take your place at Ina’s quilting bee, and there will be other hoedowns. Of course, once you marry, that kind of fun is over.” To marry, an Amish couple had to be baptized into the faith, which meant their running-around time was ended. Barn parties and such gatherings would give way to family visits and community events that bound together all members of their Amish faith.
“What about the business?” Grace asked.
“Levi will understand that you need some time to make up your mind about marrying. Besides, he’s a grown man. He can manage without you for a few weeks. I can help if worse comes to worst. I used to work there every day.”
“Oh, it’ll come to worse very quickly. I don’t doubt you could do all that I do, but what about your job?”
“The fabric shop is closing for a few months, so I have some extra time on my hands.” A lot of extra time, but was working beside Levi the way she wanted to spend it?
Grace’s face lit up. She grabbed Sarah’s hand. “You are so clever. You can work with Levi and find out what kind of wife would suit him all at the same time. I won’t feel a bit bad about leaving him, knowing you’re there.”
Sarah held back a smile. If this is what it took to get Grace to leave town for a few weeks, Sarah would agree. “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but you may be right. In spite of the fact that Levi was Jonas’s friend and has been my neighbor for years, I don’t really know him well.”
Grace sat back with a satisfied smile. “I can tell you anything you want to know about him. Go ahead, ask me something.”
“All right, what does Levi like to do for fun?”
A furrow appeared between Grace’s eyebrows. “He doesn’t really do anything for fun. He doesn’t have a sense of humor, that’s for sure. He works in the shop all day and sometimes late into the night.”
“I know he is hard-working, but does he like to hunt or play checkers or other board games?”
“I don’t think so. I mean, I’ve known him to go hunting in the fall when we need meat, but I don’t think he enjoys it. The boys and I like board games, but Levi doesn’t play with us.”
What kind of wife would want a husband who didn’t interact with his own family? Sarah said, “He used to go fishing with my husband. Does he still do that with his friends?”
“He goes fishing by himself sometimes. Levi doesn’t really have friends. Everyone says he makes right fine buggies, though.”
Sarah knew that for a fact. She drove one he and Jonas had built together. It was solid and still rode well after eight years. However, Levi had to have other traits that would make him attractive to a potential wife. “What does your brother like to read?”
“He reads the Bible every night, and he reads The Budget.”
The Budget was a weekly newspaper put out by the Amish for the Amish. Everyone read it. It was good to know he read the Bible. A devout man usually made an excellent husband. “Does he read other kinds of books?”
“Books? No, I don’t think so.” Grace shook her head.
Sarah never suspected Levi was such a dull fellow. What had her outgoing husband seen in him?
“You’ve been a big help, Grace. I’ll look over my list of single friends and think on who might find him appealing.” Right off hand, she couldn’t think of anyone.
“Do you really believe I should leave town?”
“I do. It will do you, your grandmother and Henry a world of good. Trust me on this.”
Grace nodded bravely. “I do trust you, Sarah. I’ll do it.”
Sarah grinned. “That’s the spirit.”
Grace jumped to her feet. “I must ask the Wilsons down the block if I can use their phone. I need to find out when the bus leaves and call my grandmother’s English neighbors so they can tell her I’m coming.”
“But it’s getting late, child. You should go home and talk this over with your family.”
“Nee. If I’m to do this it must be now.” She leaned down and pressed a kiss on Sarah’s cheek. “You’re the best friend ever, Sarah Wyse.”
Without a backward glance, she rushed out as quickly as she had rushed in, slamming the door behind her.
“I’m not sure your brothers are going to feel the same,” Sarah said to the empty room.
* * *
Levi tugged his suspenders up over his shoulders as he walked down the stairs from his bedroom on the second floor of the house. When he reached the kitchen, he paused. Instead of the usual aromas of toast, bacon and scrambled eggs, the forlorn faces of his twin brothers sitting at a bare table greeted him.
A suitcase sat beside the front door. His sister, Grace, entered the room, tying her best bonnet beneath her chin. “I left sliced ham in the refrigerator for sandwiches. You boys can heat some up in a skillet for breakfast if you’d like or make oatmeal. After today, you’re on your own as far as getting something to eat. There is plenty of canned fruit and vegetables in the cellar along with canned meats. If you don’t want to cook, the Shoofly Pie Café serves good food, and it’s reasonable.”
She picked up her suitcase and gave her younger brothers each a stern look. “I expect the house to still be standing when I return.”
Levi found his tongue. “Grace, what are you doing?”
“I’m going to visit Grossmammi for a few weeks.” She had a smile on her face, but it was forced.
He scowled at her. Grace was impulsive, but this was odd even for her. She hadn’t said a word about visiting their relative. “Is Grandmother ill? Is that why you’re going?”
“Nee, she’s fine as far as I know.”
“You can’t take off at the drop of a hat like this.”
Atlee spoke up, “That’s what we told her.”
“But she told us she was going and that’s that,” Moses added.
Grace’s smile faded. “Please, Levi. Don’t forbid me to go. I need you to understand that I have to get away for a while.”
How could he understand when she hadn’t told him anything? He opened his mouth but nothing came out. She took it as his consent and her smile returned. He never could deny her what she wanted. She and the twins had lost so much already.
She rushed to his side and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, Levi. Sarah said you would understand. I’ve got to run or I’ll miss my bus. This was a wonderful idea. I’m so glad she suggested it. I can’t wait to see Grossmammi again.”
Sarah suggested it? He should have known. “Grace, who will take care of our customers?” he asked as panic began to set in. He couldn’t deal with people. Words froze in his mouth and he looked foolish.
“Sarah will help you. Be kind to her.” Grace gave him a bright smile as she opened the door. A flurry of cold air swept in as she went out.
When Levi blinked he was still standing in his kitchen not really sure what had just happened. He looked at his brothers. They both shrugged.
Atlee said, “I’d like dippy eggs with my ham.”
“I want mine scrambled.” Moses folded his hands and waited.
Levi stared at the black stove with a sinking feeling in his gut. How on earth would they manage without Grace?
An hour later, Levi left the house and headed for his retreat, his workshop, where nothing smelled like burnt ham or charred eggs and he couldn’t hear his brothers’ complaints. He’d left after telling them to do the dishes.
A body would have thought I told them to take the moon down and polish it the way they gaped at me.
When he left, they were arguing over who should wash and who should dry. He didn’t have time to referee because he was late, and he was never late opening his business.
He still didn’t know why Grace had to leave town so suddenly. He hoped she hadn’t gotten herself in trouble. That wasn’t the kind of thing a man wanted to ask his sister. All Atlee and Moses knew was that after an argument with her boyfriend, Grace had decided to visit their grandmother for a few weeks. How many was a few? Three? Four? She didn’t intend to stay away for a month, did she?
One thing Grace said stuck in Levi’s mind. She’d said Sarah had suggested it. He suspected that Sarah Wyse was a whole lot better informed about his sister’s abrupt departure than he was.
Two men in Amish clothing were standing in front of his store when he approached.
“Did you decide to sleep in today, Levi?” one man joked.
Levi tried to think of a snappy comeback, but nothing occurred to him. He kept his eyes down and wrestled with the key that refused to unlock the door.
“Reckon he wants to start keeping banker’s hours,” the second man said with a deep chuckle.
Levi hated it when people made fun of him. He searched his heart for forgiveness and offered it up to God, but he still felt small. He always felt small.
When the stubborn lock finally clicked open, he rushed inside. He hadn’t had a chance to get the stove going and the building was ice-cold. The two men waited by the counter while he stoked the fire. When he had a flame going, they both stepped up to warm their hands.
Levi cleared his throat and asked, “How can I help you?”
The outside door opened, but Levi couldn’t see who had come in. The men blocked his line of sight. He hoped it was the twins because he didn’t like dealing with customers. Not that the twins would do better. They were likely to pull some prank and then disappear, leaving him to deal with the fallout.
The taller of the two men said, “We’re wanting to order a pair of courting buggies for our oldest boys. They’re good sons and they are willing to help pay some of the cost. Before we place any orders, what kind of deal can you give us for ordering two buggies together?”
Levi scowled. “A buggy costs what a buggy costs.”
“That’s not what Abe Yoder over in Sugarcreek told us. He’s willing to take ten percent off for a double order.”
Levi struggled to find the right thing to say. Grace always knew just what to say. Why did she have to take off and leave him to work alone? She knew how much he hated dealing with people.
Abe Yoder’s offer was a good one, but Levi didn’t want to send these men back to his competition. He couldn’t cut ten percent off his price or he’d be making the buggies for free. He cleared his throat again and felt heat rising in his face. Why was it always this way? Other people didn’t have trouble talking.
Behind the men, a woman’s voice said, “If Abe Yoder says he can cut ten percent off he’s overcharging to begin with.”
The men turned around as Sarah Wyse approached the stove. She was looked straight at him. “Isn’t that right, Levi?”
He nodded and followed her lead. “Ja.”
She waited, as if expecting he would say more, but when he didn’t she gave her attention to the men. “Come up to the counter, neighbors, and let us talk about what you think your sons will like and what they can live without. Once we have an idea of the amount of work that will be needed, we can give you a fair estimate. You’ll find our prices are as good as Abe Yoder’s and our quality is better.”
Levi blew out a breath of relief. Everyone’s attention was on her and not on him. Now he could think.
She stepped behind the counter and began opening drawers. “If I can just find our order forms.”
“Top left.” Levi supplied the direction she needed.
She opened the correct drawer and said, “Ah, here we are. Changes can be made later, but that may affect the price once we’ve started work. Do you know what color of upholstery they want on the seats? Do they want drum brakes? How about cup holders and storage boxes? I assume these will be open buggies as you said they are for courting.”
She waited, pencil posed, with a friendly smile on her face that could charm anyone. Levi was grateful for her intervention until he remembered that she had sent Grace out of town in the first place.
Once again, Sarah seemed bent on making his life difficult.
