Patchwork Dreams (17 page)

But maybe he should look for her now. He didn’t want her to be alone. Why had she wandered away without telling him?

“Didn’t take you long to find a new girl,” Matthew commented quietly. His eyes narrowed but then brightened again a moment later. “I did hear Susie’s been seeing someone else, though.”

“Jah, she asked me for a break.” Jacob nodded. But then, he hadn’t written to acknowledge the break. He wondered again if it would it be official only when he did. He shrugged, making a mental note to write later that evening, if possible.

“She asked you?” Matthew’s eyes widened. “I thought she was totally into you.”

Jacob shrugged. “She said she didn’t want to sit home alone. Besides, I was going to ask her for a break. I got here and met Bex.” He glanced around again. Where was she? “Bex is amazing.” He eyed a group of giggling females standing on the other side of the fire. He’d never met Becky’s friend Annie. He had no idea who any of the girls were. He couldn’t remember meeting any of them before—but he might have. He searched from face to face but didn’t see Becky. The one he’d come with. The only one he cared for.

He needed to check on her, especially with her fears and her “reputation,” according to Ben. “I really want you to meet her. But I don’t see her right now. Want to help me look?” He hoped no one had her cornered while he spit insults at her. Though surely no one would be cruel enough for that. Behind her back, maybe. But not to her face.

Matthew raised his eyebrows. “Uh, jah. Blonde hair or dark?”

“Blonde. Blue eyes. Prettiest girl here. Stands about so tall.” Jacob held up a hand slightly below his shoulder to indicate her height. How could he have lost her? He’d thought she was right beside him. He strode back in the direction he’d come. Where exactly had he let go of her? He wouldn’t make that mistake again.

He and Matthew walked all the way back to the buggy, but still they didn’t see her. As they retraced their steps back to the field, they caught up on news.

“Maybe she went inside to use the bathroom?” Matthew suggested when they neared the house.

Jacob shrugged. “Could be.” He could have checked, but his instincts told him that wouldn’t be where he’d find her. “Let’s look in the barn first.”

The lanterns cast a flickering glow across the barn, but that didn’t stop some people from going in there, sitting on hay bales and talking or swinging from the loft on a long rope.

Jacob gave the big room a quick once-over. Not seeing Becky, he headed back to look in the chicken coop, the cow room, the horse stalls, and several other small rooms. There were lofts, too—some high ones—but he didn’t see any sign of her there, either.

Surely she wouldn’t have crawled into a loft to hide.

Another possibility hit him hard. What if she’d been overwhelmed when they’d arrived and had turned around to walk home? Without even saying good-bye? Ouch. He shut his eyes. What would Daniel say about that?

Even more important, what would he say to her when he found her?

That brought him back to his original question: Why would she leave without telling him? She had to know he’d be worried sick about her.

He looked around the barn once more, but she was definitely not in there.

“She’s around someplace. Maybe she went to the haus for some reason,” Matthew suggested again. “Or maybe she’ll be back out by the fire now. Is this girl that important to you?”

Matt was a good friend to help him hunt like this. Kind of reminded Jacob of the time they looked for Mathew’s little sister when she went missing. The child had been there one minute and gone the next. They’d finally found her sound asleep on the floor underneath her bed. They’d been pretty frantic by then.

“Jah, she’s pretty special. She made me rethink my relationship with Susie.”

“Avoiding the
l
word, though, ain’t so?”

Jacob laughed. “Too soon to tell. I am interested in courting her.”

“Whoa, really? This fast? You sure you aren’t on the rebound? I mean, since Susie asked you for a break and all.”

Jacob shrugged. “Not on the rebound. I told you that I was considering a break even before Susie told me about Timothy.” He tried to push aside his concerns about Becky. “Well, like you said, maybe she’s outside. She’s definitely not in here. So, where are you staying?”

“The Stoltzfus family is putting me up, and they offered me a job in their carpentry shop. They have a haus full of kinner, but it isn’t so bad. I’m sharing a room with their two buwe. Kind of reminds me of home.” Matthew chuckled. “They told me that their pond is a gut spot for fishing. Care to check it out tomorrow?”

“Jah, that’d be gut. I haven’t been fishing since last summer.”

They walked out of the barn and headed toward the bonfire. As they passed a tree, Jacob noticed someone sitting there, leaning against the trunk. Becky. She watched the activities but made no attempt to join in. He grinned, relieved he’d found her, yet saddened that she wasn’t with her friends.

“There you are, Bex! I’ve been hunting all over for you.” Jacob crouched beside her. “Are you okay?”

She swallowed. “Jah.”

“Why are you hiding? You’ll never find any of your friends if you stay out of sight.”

She shook her head. “I couldn’t find Annie.”

Was Annie her only friend? Jacob frowned. “Scared of what people might say, Bex?” He stood and held out his hand. “Kum.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Becky put her hand in his and allowed him to tug her to her feet. She glanced at Matthew and blushed. Jacob hoped she wasn’t bothered by what he’d said.

“This is one of my best friends, Matthew Yoder from Pennsylvania,” Jacob said. “He came down to be part of the swap. Matthew, this is Becky Troyer.” He swung an arm over her shoulders and pulled her close.

“Nice to meet you, Becky.” Matthew smiled. “You’re right, Jacob. She is the prettiest one here. Maybe if you change your mind…” he teased.

“Not happening.” Jacob grinned back at him and hugged Becky tighter.

He felt her wince, but she nodded to Matthew. “Nice to meet you, too, Matthew. Welkum to Missouri. Ach, look. There’s Annie.” She pointed in the direction of the buggies, where Jacob saw two girls walking. “Kum, I’ll introduce you both.”

She slipped out of Jacob’s embrace and headed toward a black-haired girl. “Annie!” Jacob and Matthew followed her.

Annie stopped and smiled when she saw Becky. “You came!” She glanced behind her at Jacob and Matthew, her eyes narrowed in confusion. Then, a flush of what looked like anger flashed across her face, highlighted by the flicker of the fire. She straightened, her back stiff. “Shoo. Go sniff after some other girl. Leave Becky alone.”

Jacob stared at her in confusion. Hadn’t Becky said this Annie taught in the one-room schoolhouse? She certainly had the sternness necessary. He felt like a naughty boy being scolded. Nice Becky had a friend willing to look out for her, though.

Becky reached behind her and clasped Jacob’s arm. After a second, she slid her hand down to grasp his. She shook her head. “This is Jacob Miller from Pennsylvania. The one I told you about. And this is Jacob’s friend, Matthew Yoder.”

Annie tilted her head and narrowed her eyes even more. She assessed Jacob, studying him as if judging his worthiness of her friend’s attention. Jacob wondered what Becky had told Annie about him. He hoped it was good.

Annie finally smiled. “Nice to meet you both. Now, I must find Ben and tell him happy birthday.”

“We haven’t talked to him yet, either. We’ll go with you,” Jacob said. He turned to Matthew. “Have you met Ben?”

“Nein, not yet. I came with Joseph; he’s one of the buwe I’m rooming with.” Matthew looked around and pointed toward the fire. “He’s over there. He was going to introduce me, but then I saw you first.”

“I can introduce you around,” Annie offered. “Both of you. Though Jacob might have met most everyone already.”

That was probably true, though he didn’t remember anyone’s name. Except for Ben, and now Annie.

Jacob adjusted his hand so that his fingers intertwined with Becky’s. He didn’t intend to let her out of his sight again.

He supposed that the two of them would be fodder for gossip, but he didn’t mind so much. He’d seen the looks sent their way and the cupped hands concealing whispers. He wasn’t sure if the stir was because of Becky’s attendance or because she and her beau were being so demonstrative, but he shrugged it off. He’d never seen the point in trying to keep relationships a secret, anyway. People always found out. Might as well be up-front and open about it from the beginning. And if it kept people from matching Becky up with men like Amos, so much the better.

“I see Ben, right over there.” Annie pointed to the far side of the bonfire. Then, with a glance around at the three of them that came just short of saying, “Line up now, scholars,” she led the way over.

Jacob resisted the urge to fall in line and march like a soldier. He wondered if Becky and Matt felt the same way.

Matthew glanced at Jacob, eyes narrowed, brow furrowed in concern. Jacob grinned and mouthed “schoolteacher.” Matthew nodded.

Jah, she must be a wonderful teacher.

Ben saw them coming, and his grin widened but abruptly turned into a scowl. Probably because he saw Jacob holding Becky’s hand.

Jacob heard a tiny gasp come from Becky and felt her give a small tug to release herself.

He held on tighter.

When Ben’s eyes met his, Jacob lifted his chin, daring Ben to make something of it.
Just don’t get involved with Daniel’s Becky
…. The refrain rose to the surface of his memory.

The way Becky tensed up beside him, he knew she remembered it, too.

“Proverbs thirty-one, Ben,” Jacob said with a grin. “Might want to read it sometime.”

Ben’s eyes widened slightly, and he glanced quickly at Becky.

So did Jacob. Color flooded her cheeks, and she dipped her head. Beside her, Annie fixed her gaze on Jacob with something like respect shining in her eyes. A small smile appeared on her lips.

But her words were directed toward Ben. “Happy birthday.”

Jacob, Becky, and Matthew chorused the words after her. Then, Jacob gestured toward Matthew. “This is one of my best friends from Pennsylvania, Matthew Yoder. Matthew, this is Becky’s cousin, Ben Troyer.”

“Nice to meet you, Ben,” Matthew said.

Ben found his manners. “Nice to meet you, too, Matthew. Glad you could kum. Food’s set up over there by the haus. You should have some cake. Mamm made my favorite. It’s a white cake with Jell-O poured in.”

“Sounds gut,” Jacob said. “We’ll see you later, then.”

“Jah. I’m going to see about getting a volleyball game going.” Ben nodded toward the net set up on the near side of the barn.

Jacob turned, still holding Becky’s hand, and they headed toward the tables piled high with finger food. He couldn’t hold back a grin. Ben had heard his message about Becky loud and clear. And, hopefully, that message would get around.

After filling their plates, he and Becky, along with Matthew and Annie, found a place to sit where they could watch the frolic yet still visit.

Jacob didn’t know how much time passed while they sat and talked, getting to know each other better. Neither he nor Matthew went to join the volleyball game. But with the rosy glow of the sunset long gone, and Annie yawning, it was probably time to head home. Several Amish teens had already left.

Jacob stood and stretched.

“Time to go?” Becky looked up at him.

“Jah,” Annie said, getting to her feet. “I’m going to go straight to bed. Our rooster has got his internal alarm clock off and has been crowing at awful early hours. Daed is threatening to make him our dinner.”

Matthew chuckled. “I see Joseph over there playing volleyball. Guess I could work my way into the game until he’s ready to go.” He nodded toward Annie, then Becky. “See you later. Tomorrow, Jacob.” He strode off.

“You ready, Bex?”

Becky nodded, helping Annie gather the paper dishes before she stood. “Jah. Just let me throw these into the fire.”

Jacob trailed the girls to the fire, then found Ben to say good night. Finally, he tucked Becky’s hand into the crook of his arm and escorted her out into the darkness where the buggies waited. He tried to remember where they’d parked and, when he couldn’t, wondered how they’d find Daniel’s buggy.

Becky didn’t seem to have that problem. She led him right to it, taking the time to pat the gelding on the nose and hand it a bit of carrot. “Gut, Shakespeare. Did you have a nice visit with the other horses?”

Jacob laughed, amused at Becky talking to the horse as if she expected it to answer. “Shakespeare, huh? Why’d you name him after some playwright?”

Becky gave him a mischievous glance. “That is what Daed brought home from the library the winter he gave me the horse. A big, thick book.”

Jacob shook his head. “And you actually read it?”

“It took me a while. Daed had to renew it twice.”

“You still want to go to McDonald’s for that fancy coffee, ain’t so?” Jacob asked when Becky was settled in the buggy.

She shook her head. “It’s awful late for a cappuccino. That would keep us up all night.”

“I should have taken you there first.” He quirked his mouth. “But you’re right. Some other time. Besides, Matthew and I talked about going fishing tomorrow. How about you and Annie going with us?”

“I have too much work to do in the kitchen tomorrow. This weekend is a church Sunday, and we’re hosting it.”

Back home in Pennsylvania, the houses were designed with partitions that slid back to make one big room out of several smaller ones for church. Daniel’s house wasn’t designed that way. “Where will you hold it?”

“The barn.” Becky shrugged as if to say, “Where else?”

“Well, you’ll have some spare time, ain’t so? I’ll need you to show me how to get to the haus where Matthew is staying.”

She was quiet a moment, then nodded. “I’ll go with you and Matthew tomorrow, after the work is done.”

***

Jacob definitely affected her mind. Did she really think that she’d have time to go out and not only show him where his friend lived but also go fishing, when she had her chores to do and her baby to care for?