One less thing to worry about. As for Caleb's drawing away each time she got too close and Jessica's rejection of her peace offering . . . well, she could do nothing about either of those, it seemed, no matter how much they hurt her heart.
She finished sweeping the sidewalk where she intended to place folding tables and paused again, looking down the street with a smile. Even those who had doubts about the success of the project were making an effort. As for those who were outright opposed . . . well, here came Donna now, probably intending to give her another lecture on the subject.
“Looks as if you're getting ready, Katie. Like everyone else in town.” Donna glanced down Main Street with an expression of distaste.
Katie's heart sank. “Ja, I'm doing what can be done today.” She tried to sound positive. “Much of getting ready will have to wait for morning.”
Donna nodded. Frowning a little, she looked at the folding tables that leaned against the building. “I just wanted to tell you something about tomorrow.”
Here it comes.
Katie braced herself.
“If we do get a crowd of people tomorrow, or more likely on Saturday, I'll be around most of the time. If you get rushed, you may need an extra person here to help.”
Katie was so surprised that it was a moment before she could speak. “Denke, Donna. That is ser kind of you.”
Donna waved that away. “I wouldn't want to see anyone ripping you off when you were busy. You know, taking something without paying while you were tending to another customer. That's the danger of an open-air sale like this.”
“I don't . . .” Katie paused. There was no point in getting into an argument about people coming to the sale to steal. It did happen. Or cheat, like the woman who'd cheated Rhoda. Still, Katie didn't ever want to reach the point where she'd expect that sort of behavior. “I don't know how to thank you,” she said. “Your help would be very wilkom.”
Donna gave a short nod. “Least I can do,” she said gruffly, and walked off.
“What did she want?” Lisa, who seemed to be here, there, and everywhere today, came up to Katie as soon as Donna had gotten a little distance down the street. “To give you another forecast of doom and gloom?”
“She came to offer her help, anticipating that there might be vandals around. I'm ashamed to say that I feared another lecture, too.”
Lisa looked suitably surprised. “I guess we both shouldn't jump to conclusions about Donna. I suspect you've had a good effect on her. And on me.”
Katie shook her head, disclaiming any influence. “I know that people do bad things. But how sad it must be to always expect the worst of others.”
“You have a point there. It's no way to live.” Lisa smiled, gaze straying to the clipboard she carried. “I just stopped to see if you need anything for tomorrow.”
“We are fine, I think. Rhoda is inside organizing the things we'll put out in the morning. Otherwise, we're all set.”
“Good, good.” Lisa checked something off the list she carried. “I'd better keep on going if I'm going to finish on time. I'll see you later.”
Katie nodded, watching Lisa stride off briskly. The woman certainly seemed to thrive on busyness. Was she, maybe, trying to fill the hole left in her life after her husband's death?
Carrying the broom, Katie went inside, to be pounced on by both the girls. “Komm, schnell.” Rhoda tugged her hand. “We want to show you what we've done.”
“Ja, komm,” Becky echoed, her eyes dancing.
“Are you sure I want to see?” Katie said, teasing. “What are you up to?”
“Look.” Rhoda propelled her to the archway between the shops.
The entire area was filled with quilt racks, maybe a dozen of them, their wood polished to a gleam, all hung with table runners and baby quilts.
“Isn't it great?” Becky was practically bouncing with excitement. “I brought down all the quilt racks that Cousin William has finished and polished them.”
“And once they were dry, we sorted out the quilted items to hang on them,” Rhoda said. “And everything is clearly marked, so there won't be any mistakes,” she added. “So, do you like it?”
“I love it,” Katie said. “But maybe Caleb doesn't wantâ”
“What doesn't Caleb want?” Caleb asked, surfacing from behind the back counter.
Katie's breath caught, and she felt her heart beating somewhere in her throat at the sight of him. “I just ... I just wanted to be sure you approved of this.”
“Ja, Becky and Rhoda asked me before they did anything. They wanted it to be a surprise for you.”
“It's a wonderful-gut surprise,” Katie said warmly, smiling at the girls. “Denke. We'll put them out first thing in the morning, and I'm sure they'll attract buyers.”
“That's what we thought,” Becky said. She glanced out the window and squealed. “Rhoda, look, there's Rachel, and she's brought the baby. And Myra, with little Anna Grace. Let's go help them.”
The two of them rushed outside, and Katie waved through the window at Rachel and Myra. Surrendering babies to the two girls, they set about unloading tables off the wagon.
“I should go and help them.” But Katie didn't move. Somehow she couldn't, not when Caleb was standing so close, looking at her with such affection in his eyes.
“It seems they've brought their husbands to help.” Caleb's hand closed around her wrist. “You can spare a little time for yourself, you know. You've been rushing around for days, getting ready for the sale. Have you taken care of everything you need?”
She gave a breathless chuckle. “Seems like those two girls have done that. I do have to get a few more small items down. They're gut to draw people in and get them looking at the more expensive quilts.”
“Ja, teacher, I remember that from your lecture. We are doing a display of bookends and such-like outside just for that reason.” Caleb seemed so relaxed today, smiling down at her, that she couldn't help but smile back.
Once again her breath caught. Once again their gazes met. But this time Caleb didn't flee. This time he looked deep into her eyes. And then he bent and kissed her, heedless of anyone who might be looking in the shop window.
And she was even more shameless, because her arms went around him as if it were the most natural thing ever, and the world slipped away until she didn't care if all of Pleasant Valley stood outside the window looking at them.
Finally Caleb drew back. To her dismay, she saw the caring in his gaze replaced with that familiar denial.
“I shouldn't. I'm sorry.” He turned away.
“No,” she said, before she lost her courage. She caught him by the arms so firmly that he couldn't pull away without hurting her, and she knew he wouldn't do that. “Stop, Caleb. This is ridiculous. We are both of age, and if we want to kiss . . .” She knew she was blushing, and she didn't care. “. . . well, then, it's nobody's business but ours.”
He shook his head, his eyes darkening. “I'm not free.”
“You're not married,” she snapped back. This was about Mattie, of course.
He shook his head, misery in his face. “Katie, you don't know what it's like, everyone looking at me and knowing. Or thinking they know, which is just as bad. I can't pull you into that.”
“Caleb, that's not true.” She took a breath, trying to find the words for what she wanted to say. “I don't know if we are meant to be together, but I would like the chance to find out.”
She only realized when she said the words how true they were. She had loved Eli, but losing him didn't mean she could never love anyone else. She was ready now for a real new life, and it was being here and getting to know Caleb that had made her so.
“You don't understand,” he said again, and she wanted to shake him.
“Stop it,” she said, astonished by the tartness of her voice. “You are a smart man. You must know, surely, in your heart, that no one condemns you.” Tears stung her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall. “But I think it's true that you can't move forward. Not until you know why it is that you condemn yourself.”
Before the tears could fall she turned and walked quickly away from him.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
B
y
noon on Friday, Katie knew the Pennsylvania Dutch Days had met their hopes and expectations. Through the shop windows, she could see people wandering up and down Main Street . . . so many that Chief Walker had made a hasty decision to close off two blocks to cars and buggies.
The vendors adapted quickly, with many of the stands moving onto the street to provide space on the sidewalks. It was wonderful, seeing so many people working together to make this event happen so quickly.
Katie brought her attention back to the customer she was trying to help. “Now here is the Log Cabin Star pattern in blue, yellow, and white.” She turned back a quilt to expose the next one.
“Oh, it's beautiful.”
Katie would be more encouraged by the words if the woman hadn't said the same thing about every quilt she'd looked at so far.
“Ja, it is,” Katie agreed. “I made this one myself, with a little help from my mother and sisters on the quilting. It's one of my favorite patterns. If you look very closely, you may be able to see a few differences in the quilting stitches, since they are all put in by hand.”
“Hal!” The woman called to her husband, who stood at the window looking out at the food stands. “Come and see this one. I think it's the one.”
“You thought that about at least six of them.” The man smiled good-naturedly at Katie and dutifully admired the quilt. “Hurry it up, sweetheart. I want to get something to eat.”
Katie's stomach growled in sympathy. She hadn't eaten anything in hours. She didn't mind letting Rhoda or Donna or Molly handle other sales, but she preferred to show the quilts herself.
Besides, it kept her mind occupied enough that she didn't obsess about Caleb. The moment she told herself that, she knew it wasn't true. Caleb was always there, lurking at the back of her mind, so that it seemed he was taking up residence there.
“Let me look at that one with the shades of brown and yellow in it again,” the customer said. “What did you call that design?”
“Sunshine and Shadows.” Katie dutifully flipped back to the quilt made by Caleb's mother. “This was made by an older lady, a widow, in our community. She's a very skillful quilter.”
“Lovely,” the woman crooned, stroking the pattern.
Naomi would be pleased if her quilt sold. She probably wouldn't be pleased to know what Katie had said to her son.
Or would she? Surely Naomi wanted Caleb to come back to life again.
Still, Katie shouldn't have said what she did. It had been hurtful, and even if Caleb needed to hear it, he certain sure didn't need to hear it from her. They didn't have the kind of relationship that would allow her to speak so. Two kisses didn't make a close relationship.
But she and Caleb weren't seventeen-year-olds, trying out falling in love and choosing a mate. They were older; they'd both experienced tragedies in love. Anything that happened between them had to be more serious.
“I just can't decide,” the woman moaned.
“Sweetheart, lunch,” her husband pleaded. “Maybe we could go eat and then come back. That might help you make up your mind.”
And it might make her walk away without buying anything. Katie tried to resign herself. That was all part of running a quilt shop.
“I know what I'll do.” The customer's face lit up. “I'll get both of them. One for our bedroom and one for the guest room. They'll be perfect. You don't mind, do you, Hal?”
Katie held her breath. Two quilts? Surely not.
“Anything that will get me to lunch.” He grinned at Katie again, getting out his wallet. “They are both real pretty.”
In a few minutes the transaction was done, and Katie still felt a bit dazed as she watched the couple walk out the door with the wrapped quilts. Two quilts in one sale. That in itself was enough to make this day worthwhile.
Donna, who'd been helping another customer, hurried over to her. “I thought that silly woman would never make up her mind. Go get some lunch before you fall down. No arguing, now.”
If Donna helped out in the store much, Katie suspected the woman would soon forget whose store it was. Still, Katie did feel as if her belly was bumping her backbone.
“Ja, denke. I will. I won't be long. Shall I bring you something?”
“I'll pop out for a minute when you get back.” Donna shooed her to the door.
Katie stepped outside into warm sunshine and a jostling, cheerful crowd. The mixed scents of funnel cakes, barbecue, sticky buns, corn chowder, and who knew what else assailed her. Every group in town, from the Volunteer Fire Company to the Methodist Ladies Circle to the PTA from the public school, had gotten in on the project. Like volunteer groups everywhere, they were old hands at raising money. Each group had its specialty, and none of them infringed on anyone else's.
“Katie, this is a wonderful-gut turnout, ain't so?” Rachel leaned over the counter of her stand, beaming. “It's so much fun to do this right here instead of traveling to a Mud Sale. We'll probably have even more folks tomorrow, it being Saturday.”
“Ja, I hope so.” Katie was about to ask Rachel how her sales were going when several women who'd been picking among Rachel's herb plants came up with their selections, and Rachel turned to them.
Tempting as it was to stop and visit, Katie had better get her lunch and return to work. She slipped through the crowd and stopped at the Catholic Women's Guild stand. Everyone said their sausage and pepper sandwiches were the best.