The Amish Seamstress (20 page)

We made it, and then Ella turned back toward the car. “Oh, goodness. What's he doing here at this hour of the day?”

Luke turned around too, and we all—our little group at the end of the ramp—watched Zed turn off the car and climb out.

His eyes landed on me and a grin spread across his face. I couldn't help but smile in return.

“Hey, little brother,” Ella called out to him. “Shouldn't you be in class right now?”

“I'm always in class. If I miss this once, I'll be okay.”

“Why are you here?”

He shrugged, pocketing the keys and moving toward us. “I called Mom this morning. She said Rosalee had an accident—” His eyes landed on the older woman, and he spoke with genuine concern in his voice. “So sorry to hear that,” he told her, bending forward to get a better look. “You have some serious stuff going on here with all of this.” He gestured toward the cast and the wheelchair, where it held the leg aloft. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine now. It wasn't too fun at first, but the cast keeps it from being very painful anymore.”

“That's good.” He patted her on the arm and then stood straight again and looked me. We shared a broad smile.

“Mom said you arrived yesterday,” he uttered, and it came out almost in a whisper. Then he turned to Ella. “Why didn't you tell me she was coming?”

She shrugged. “I don't know. You were studying for that big test—”

“It was yesterday afternoon. I could have come over last night.”

“Well, you're here now, though you really shouldn't be.”

He just laughed. “College is different than high school, Ella. Skipping class is no big deal as long as you don't do it too often.”

We were all quiet for a moment, and then Rosalee turned to Luke and asked if he could push her back up the ramp. “It's getting a little chilly out here.”

I felt my face flush. Shame on me. Of course she was getting chilled. “I'll do it,” I said, again gripping the handles and tilting the chair back to pivot it around.

“No, no, no,” Rosalee insisted. “Let Luke.”

I glanced down at her, mortified. Was she afraid I wasn't strong enough to get the chair back up myself? I knew I was petite, but this was my job. I was up to it. I could handle all of Rosalee's needs just fine.

“This ramp is perfect,” I said, trying not to sound hurt. “With all of these switchbacks, it's not too steep for me, not at all.”

To my relief, she tilted her head back and gave me a smile. “It's not that,” she said. “I know you can do it. I just want to give him the opportunity to enjoy this fine structure he built.”

I wasn't quite sure if I bought what she was saying or not until she added, “Besides, you're bundled up well, and you could use some more fresh air. I thought you and Zed might enjoy taking a walk.”

Smiling, I moved back from the chair and Luke took my place as Rosalee looked to Ella.

“Don't you agree these two
youngie
should go for a walk?” she prodded.

Ella turned to Zed and then glanced pointedly at her watch. “Sure, as long as they keep an eye on the time. Zed, you shouldn't skip all of your classes today.”

“Not to worry,” he replied easily, brushing his too-long bangs from his eyes. “My next one isn't for a few more hours.

With that, Luke began pushing Rosalee back up the ramp, and Ella gestured toward the bakery. “I'll be working,” she told Zed. “Stop by before you go.”

“Only if there's a sticky bun in it for me.”

“How about a smack on the arm if you don't?”

“That works too.”

Waving us off, she turned to head down the path.

Which left Zed and me standing there alone. How lovely it was to see his handsome face! I drank it in, relishing in the sight. Above us, Luke
was already at the final switchback, and I could hear Rosalee talking about what a fine job he'd done and how handy this ramp would be even after she was better and back on her feet.

“Well, Izzy Bear?” Smiling, Zed thrust his hands in his pockets. “Wanna take a walk?”

I nodded. Usually I hated being out in the cold—but not today. Today, I wanted nothing more than time with Zed, alone. Goodness, I had missed him so badly.

“Ella's right, though,” he added, “I only have a little while and then I need to get back to school. Let's stroll over to the pond. We can loop around and hit the bakery, and then I'll head out.”

He asked me how my family was and I filled him in on
Daed
's table making. That reminded him of the sets he'd helped build for the fall play, and he began telling me about the production. I half listened, mostly just thinking how happy I was to hear his voice. How happy I was to be with him. How happy I was I'd come to Indiana after all.

When we'd circled around to the orchard, he stepped off the driveway onto the mulch that Luke had most likely spread between the rows of apple trees. I followed.

“I know losing Verna was hard for you.” Zed veered closer to me so that our shoulders brushed. A shiver zinged up my spine. “I'm so sorry.”

I nodded. I knew he was. He'd said so in his last letter. Still, just being close to him and knowing he understood how I felt, I couldn't help but tear up. He put his arm around me and pulled me close but didn't say anything. That was one of the things I loved most about him. My emotions didn't scare him.

We came to a stop in the middle of the orchard and once I started talking, I couldn't stop, pouring out my heart about Verna's passing, her service, and
Mamm
's frustration with me.

“Oh, Izzy.” Zed pulled me closer and I put my head on his shoulder, wishing I could spend the rest of the day with him in the orchard, but he had class. Besides, I was cold and I was sure he was too.

“You need to go. We'd better head to the bakery.”

He nodded.

As we walked back toward the driveway, I exhaled, determined to leave
my sorrow among the scraggly branches of the apple trees. “So, how are your classes going?”

“Great. Especially my film class. I aced my test yesterday. And I'm pretty sure I'm going to be able to go to the coast spring term.”

“The coast?

“Yeah, L.A. Remember? We talked about this the night I had supper with your family before heading off to college.”

“Oh, right.”

“I'll be able to visit majors and mini majors while I'm there.”

I had no idea what he meant, but it sounded like more movie talk to me.

“And I'll get some hands-on experience, more than what I can possibly get in either Pennsylvania or at Goshen.”

I was relieved when we reached the bakery. He stopped talking and opened the door for me. Inside, an English woman was waiting at the counter as Ella filled her order. The only other customer was a man in a tweed suit, sitting at one of the tables and eating a sticky bun.

We got in line behind the woman, and then Zed surprised me by tapping her on the shoulder. She turned and a broad smile broke out on her face.

“Zed, how nice to see you!”

“Hello, Penny,” he said, and then he gestured at me. “This is Izzy Mueller from back home.”

“She's here to care for Rosalee,” Ella added as she tied string around a pie box.

“Nice to meet you,” the woman said, shaking my hand. She seemed to be around my
daed
's age. She was short and a little plump, with dark hair that looked as if it were dyed. She wore a long down coat and jeans.

Ella moved to the front counter and set down the box. “I lived with Penny when I first moved out here to Nappanee.”

“Ella's like my daughter,” she said with a smile. “So if you're a friend of hers—and Zed's—you're a friend of mine. Let me know if you need anything, especially a ride somewhere. I specialize in those.”

I couldn't imagine I would, but I thought it incredibly kind of her to
offer and I thanked her. With a smile, Penny grabbed the box and then told all of us goodbye.

As the door fell shut behind her, Zed asked Ella if we could have some coffee to warm us up.

“Sure, and how about some sticky buns too? I have more than enough today.”

“Hmm.” Zed held out both hands, palms upward, and raised and lowered them as if he were weighing his options. “Sticky buns or a smack in the arm? So hard to choose.”

Ella responded by making a fist and punching him right in the bicep. “There, now you can have both.” She gave me a wink as she walked away and began to gather our orders.

Once we were served, Zed and I took our mugs and plates to a corner table and sat. I dug into the delicious confection while he gave me a rundown of all the movies he'd seen in his film criticism class thus far. Of course, I hadn't heard of any of them.

“Sounds like you're becoming quite the film buff,” I said, pleased that I'd remembered the term.

His eyes narrowed, almost as if he were scoffing at me. “Uh, I prefer cineast.”

“Oh,” I said, surprised at his tone. My face flushed, but he didn't seem to notice. I wrapped my hands around my mug, as if I might be able to draw some comfort from it.

The English man finished his food, dumped his trash, and walked out, leaving Zed and me alone in the seating area.

Zed continued talking, rattling off several more titles, not from his class, but films he'd seen on his own. He pulled his phone from his coat pocket as he spoke, checked the time, and stopped in midsentence. “I have to go,” he said, pushing back his chair. “I didn't realize how late it was. I can't miss my next class.” He reached for his plate.

“I'll clear the table,” I said.

“Thanks.” He stood and turned toward the counter, calling out to Ella, who was filling the case with pastries. “Thanks, sis. Maybe I'll see you this weekend.”

Maybe?

“Okay. Drive carefully,” she called back.

He said a quick goodbye to me and dashed out the door. I sat for a moment, in shock, both at his abrupt departure and at how he'd acted. Sure, he had been his usual sweet self when he'd been listening to me, but what had come over him when he was talking about his classes? That person bragging about what he was learning and his plans for spring term wasn't the person I knew and loved.

“Are you okay?” Ella asked from the counter.

I nodded, but I wasn't. I was so confused. Had I been wrong to come to Indiana?

After stacking the two plates, I stood and headed toward the gray bucket on the stand along the wall, depositing everything there. “
Danke
for the coffee and snack,” I said to her.

“Of course.”

“I'm going back up to Rosalee.” I returned to my chair for my cape and wiggled it over my shoulders, fastening it in the front.

“I'll be up by eleven or so,” she said.

As I neared the door, a Plain woman with a little girl of about two came inside. Ella called out a hello and then said, “Izzy wait. This is Luke's
mamm
and sister, Cora and Annie. Their farm is next door.”

After Cora greeted me, she gestured down at Annie and said, “She's a shy one. But only at first. She'll warm up to you in no time.”

“Coming to the bakery is Annie's favorite thing to do,” Ella said.

Annie nodded, her little
kapp
bumping against her
mamm
's back.

“How long will you be staying?” Cora asked me as she slipped out of her cape and put it on the back of the closest chair.

“For a few weeks, until Rosalee is back on her feet.”

“I hope you'll have a chance to meet Tom while you're here,” Cora said, helping Annie out of her cape. “He's our oldest.”

“And quite the catch,” Ella murmured as an aside to me.

I smiled in return, not sure how to respond. If he was anything like Luke, I could imagine he would be a catch, but that made absolutely no difference to me. I wasn't interested. I loved Zed, no matter how rudely he had just behaved.

Annie ran forward and wrapped her arms around Ella's legs. I knew
the girl didn't have any idea she would soon be an aunt. How fun for Ella's baby to have a playmate—and
aenti
—so close by.

I told Cora I looked forward to seeing her again soon and meeting the rest of her family. Then I left the bakery and went back up the path to the house. When I entered the kitchen, Rosalee greeted me from the table, where she was sitting and working on the recipes. I sat down to help her, deciding I would do my handwork after lunch while she rested.

“Zed is such a nice young man,” she said, giving me a glance.

Still confused and not wanting to talk about him, I just nodded and changed the subject, telling her I'd met Cora and Annie in the bakery.