An Honest Love (6 page)

“That sounds like a great opportunity for you. And how
wunderbaar
you’re working for
familye
.”

“
Ya
. Apparently it was Moriah’s idea. She told Gabe I had a head for numbers.”

“Which you do. She must have thought you would do a
gut
job.”

Elisabeth put her elbow on the table and leaned her chin on her hand. Her mind wandered back to earlier that day. Moriah probably would have taken back her recommendation if she had seen how Elisabeth handled Velda and Ester.

“Is something wrong?” Emma tilted her head as she looked at Elisabeth.

“
Nee
.” Elisabeth sighed. “Well, maybe.”

“What is it?”

Normally Elisabeth wouldn’t voice her doubts about something aloud, but this time she couldn’t help herself. “Working for Gabe and Moriah is a big responsibility.”

“It is.”

“But I’ll be dealing with money, and the blacksmith shop is their livelihood. You know I’m not the most organized person in the world.”

“True.”

Elisabeth rolled her eyes. “You don’t have to agree with me so quickly.”

Emma chuckled. “I’m only being honest,
dochder
. But don’t be hard on yourself. I’ve noticed you’ve been better about being on time to church the past couple of months.”

“I’ve been trying.”

“And while you had a hard time in school, you’ve been a huge help to me since you graduated. I know I can count on you to do anything I ask, and do it well.”

“But what if I make a mistake?”

“You’re bound to. We’re not perfect people, none of us are. If you make a mistake, own up to it and learn from it.” Emma stood up, smoothing the skirt of her gray work dress. “You’ll be fine, Elisabeth. Don’t worry about it. Pray for the Lord to give you a clear mind while you’re working. And to wake you up on time in the morning.”

Elisabeth sat back in her chair and smiled, most of her doubts dissipating with her mother’s encouraging words. Yet as she helped her mother can the spaghetti sauce then make supper, a smidge of anxiety niggled at her. Even though the job was part-time, there would probably be plenty of opportunities for her to screw up. And while she had been on time to Moriah’s this morning, and even to church this past month, that didn’t cancel out all the Sundays she’d been late, making the family wait for her to get ready. Or the times she’d lost her homework or made poor grades on a test because she’d forgotten to study. Then there was the day she neglected to close the gate after feeding the cows. They had walked right out of the barn and into the neighbor’s pasture, two of them taking time to snack on the Mullet’s daisies. That had happened only two weeks ago.

However, that was in the past. She was seventeen, almost eighteen now. Time for her to grow up, to be responsible and take life more seriously, like the rest of her family. Including Tobias, now that he was married. Her oldest brother had always been at least a little similar to her, slightly more carefree than her solemn-minded siblings. But since his marriage to Rachel, he had left some of that waywardness behind. If Tobias could do it, so could Elisabeth. She would hold down this job and excel at it. She would show them. Most of all, she would prove it to herself.

Aaron already had the forge going and was getting his materials out to work on a wrought iron sconce when Elisabeth rushed through the door ten minutes late for her first day at work. Gabe hadn’t arrived at the shop either, which was surprising, considering he was always punctual. Gabe owned the business, so he could show up anytime he wanted to. Elisabeth, however, was a different story, especially since she had barely started the job.

“I know I’m late!” She sounded breathless, and her cheeks were flushed. “I’m sorry. I promise it won’t happen again.” Her gaze traveled around the shop. “Where’s Gabe?”

“He’s running late too.”

Her expression relaxed a bit. “Thank goodness.”

“But normally he’s here. Be sure you’re on time Friday. Gabe doesn’t abide tardiness. He’s a fair boss, but he has high expectations.”

“
Danki
for the warning.” She looked up at him, her blue eyes filled with pleading. “You’re not going to tell him, are you? Because I really don’t want to get fired on my first day.”

Seeing as he was the last person to point out someone else’s mistake, he said, “
Nee
. I won’t say a word.”

She let out a sigh. “
Danki, danki
. You’ve saved me again.” She held up a white plate covered in plastic wrap. “I’m glad I brought extra cookies. Actually, that’s why I was late. I forgot them at home and had to turn back.” She held the plate out to him. “Want one?”

He glanced at the cookies. “Later.”

“Okay, take one or three whenever you want. Where should I put my things?”

She spoke so fast he could barely keep up with her, and she’d already walked past him, heading to the back of the shop. He quickly followed.

“I’m assuming the office is in here?” she asked, standing in front of an oak door with a small, square window cut into it. But she didn’t wait for him to answer; she walked right in. “Oh my. Gabe was right, this place is a mess.”

Aaron glanced around the office, thinking it wasn’t too bad, despite the crooked stacks of papers littering the desk and the dust on top of the filing cabinets. But he had to admit she was right; it did need some tidying up. He dusted off one of the three wooden pegs hanging on the wall to the left of the doorway. Probably a good cleaning wouldn’t hurt either. “You can hang your stuff here.”

Then he watched her remove her black bonnet, revealing a white
kapp
underneath that topped her pale blonde hair. He took the bonnet from her and hung it on the peg.

“Here’s the desk,” he said, feeling dumb for pointing out the only other piece of furniture in the room besides the chair and a short stack of filing cabinets. “The account books are in this filing cabinet, and the cash box is in the bottom drawer. I’m sure Gabe has a key for you.”

She clasped her hands together, looking eager to get started. “What’s that system you and Gabe told me about?”

“Oh, that would be this.” He pulled out the top drawer of the filing cabinet, which was filled with Ziploc bags that held receipts, purchase orders, and other paperwork. “There’s a bag for everything,” he said, pulling one out. “Let see, this one holds receipts from, um, three years ago.”

She walked over and peered into the cabinet, frowning. “How do you know where anything is?”

“It’s written on the bag.” He showed her the words written in faded marker on the label. He could barely make out the print, but it was there. “See?”

Elisabeth squinted. “Oh,
ya
, now I can. For a minute there I thought I might need glasses. Where did you say the file folders are?”

“I didn’t.” He glanced around for a few moments. “I know we got a box of them here somewhere. Just can’t recall where I put them. Oh, wait.” He crouched down underneath the desk, then retrieved a brand-new box of folders. He blew on the top of the box, sending more dust flying. She really did have her work cut out for her. “Here you
geh
.”

She accepted the box from him, then set it on top of one of the leaning stacks of papers. “Are all the cabinets filled with baggies?”

Aaron nodded. “The desk drawers too. I’ve also got a couple boxes of papers over there.” He pointed into the far corner of the office. “Those date back years. Seems Gabe and John didn’t have a much better system than I did.”

“It’s going to take me forever to sort through all this. Not that I’m complaining. I don’t mind this one bit.” She tapped her finger on her bottom lip. “I just need to figure out where to start.”

He watched her as she continued tapping, noticing for the first time how delicate her hands were. She wore a light green dress, which complemented her fair skin. During his teen years he had thought Amish clothing to be drab and frumpy, especially the Amish dresses. When he had gone through his
rumspringa
, he had spent time with plenty of girls who had dressed far less modestly and had no problems wearing short skirts and baring tops that showed a lot of skin. As a fifteen- and sixteen-year-old, he had enjoyed the view. But now that he was older and had joined the church, he had a new appreciation for the modest dress of Amish women. Their clothing left everything to the imagination, which he found far more appealing.

Not that he’d ever had such thoughts about Elisabeth. He hadn’t paid much attention to her growing up. They were a couple of years apart and, of course, had run around with different people. Besides, she was so innocent, sheltered by her family, something she didn’t seem to mind. He, on the other hand, was far from pure. They had little in common, other than being related to Tobias and Rachel.

Gabe walked in the office, breaking into Aaron’s thoughts. “Sorry I’m late. Moriah and Ester aren’t feeling well, so I was up most of the night with the
boppli
.” He put his hands on his hips and did a quick scan of the small space. “I see Aaron has already showed you everything.”

Elisabeth nodded. “I promise I’ll get the place in tip-top shape.”

With a chuckle Gabe said, “I know you will. That’s why I hired you.” He turned to Aaron. “Lukas stopped by last night. He had an order for six sconces from Anna Esh. She and her
mudder
took over that little shop, Trinkets and Treasures, and she wants to sell some of them in her store. I thought it was a
gut
idea.”

Aaron nodded. “We better get started.” He looked at Elisabeth, who held a baggie full of yellow, white, and pink papers. “Any other questions?”

She shook her head and smiled. “I’ve got it under control.”

But just as Aaron turned away, he saw her expression change from confident to doubtful. Which surprised him, since Elisabeth always seemed to be sure of herself, except for the other day when she babysat Velda and Ester.

Gabe had already left the room, and Aaron had intended to follow right behind him. Instead he paused. “Elisabeth?”

She turned to him, her bright smile back in place. “
Ya
?”

“If you need anything, let me know. Okay?”

“That’s nice of you, Aaron, but I’ll be fine. I can do this.”

As he left the office he thought he heard her whisper the same words again.

Chapter 4

T
here. Toilet’s fixed.” Lukas stood up in Esh’s Amish Goods’ small bathroom and put his wrench back in the tool belt on the floor. He turned to Anna, who was standing in the doorway. “You’re lucky; it was a slow leak. I thought you might have to replace the subfloor, but it’s fine. You’ll still need some new flooring in here, though.”

Anna nodded, stifling a sigh. Another expense she hadn’t budgeted for. It was October, and Esh’s Amish Goods was open for business. Since she and her mother had bought the store, her bills had mounted and her savings had dwindled. Business hadn’t been as steady as she’d expected, or needed, it to be. She also hadn’t received a lot of help from her mother, who still had her hands full with Zeb. Just the other day he’d been caught up on the ladder again, trying to fix the broken latch on one of the windows, and this morning he had insisted on mucking out Marge’s stable. He refused to part with the old cow, even though she no longer gave milk and was too tough to eat. She was more like a pet than anything else, but a pet that required work, and she and her mother were both afraid he would overdo it and hurt himself again.

So while her mother was busy keeping Zeb out of trouble, Anna had spent almost every waking moment at the store, save for Sundays. Hopefully someday she could hire someone to help her out, but right now she couldn’t afford it.

She looked at Lukas, trying not to stare at the dimple that deepened on his right cheek when he smiled. She also tried not to notice his broad shoulders. Or the warmth in his eyes when their gazes met, which had been frequently, since he’d volunteered to help with more repairs in the shop. Over the past few months he had spent several evenings and every Saturday afternoon fixing and replacing almost everything in the store. She wondered where he got the energy to do the labor in addition to his carpentry job. More importantly, why he would even bother? But she was grateful he did. If he hadn’t, her business would have gone under before opening day.