Jake shadowed me. “Evie, I’ll walk you to your buggy.”
“I can make it on my own, denki.”
He paid me no heed. “Be right back, Mamm.” He followed me through the utility room, with its washer and wringer and abundance of tools, and opened the door. At the bottom of the porch steps, he trotted to catch up with me and blocked my path.
“Please don’t rush off.” He took hold of my upper arms. “It’s not what you think.”
I wriggled out of his grasp. “Since when do you know what I think?” I sucked in a deep breath of air to clear my head and sharpen my senses. “That I’m dumb enough to believe she isn’t carrying your boppli?”
“It’s not mine, I promise. She wants to hide from her abusive boyfriend, so she hasn’t told him where she is. She hasn’t even told anyone in her family.”
“Why didn’t you mention her when you stopped by?”
“I was afraid you wouldn’t come—or you would, and we’d have a scene just like this.”
“In other words, your mamm needs my help? You hadn’t come to see me?”
“Of course I wanted to speak to you. Everything I told you was and is true.” He crossed his arms. “Please don’t turn against me. Don’t I have troubles enough?”
“I’d say you do.” I strode into the barn to fetch Autumn, and then we hitched her to the buggy.
Jake took hold of the reins. “Wait, Evie. What happened to the compassionate girl I used to know?”
“Me? You killed her.” I immediately regretted my mean-spirited declaration.
“Hey, I don’t deserve such vicious words. You looked alive and well driving that buggy with an Englisch man the other day.”
I was filled with shame. I’d accused Jake of emotional murder. What exactly had he done other than ditch me? I’d heard the term walking wounded. That’s what I was.
“He’s my boss at the nursery.” I felt compelled to explain. “I came to visit your dat. And I feel sorry for Brandy.” I took the reins from him and steered Autumn out of the barnyard.
TWENTY-TWO
I fretted on the way to my parents’ farm. My disappointment and uncertainty churned like a volcano ready to erupt. But it wasn’t long before I saw our stately windmill, still used for pumping water. I admonished myself for wasting time thinking about Jake. My concern should be with Amos, even though he had always been overly strict and harsh with Jake, particularly after Jake’s older brother died. Amos made no bones about it: His older son had always been his favorite and could do no wrong.
Entering my parents’ barnyard felt comfortable. My tense arms relaxed until I saw Marta staring at me through the pane of the kitchen window.
I unhitched Autumn and tethered her next to the water trough. Then I skirted the house to the door of the daadi haus. It swung open before I could knock.
“Eva, lieb.” Mamm clasped me in a warm embrace. Dat stood behind her awaiting his turn.
“Gut to see you, Evie.” His bushy beard tickled my ear as he hugged me. “I know it was foolish to think we’d have you here with us forever, but the house isn’t the same without you.”
I looked around and noticed Mamm had done her best to decorate the smallish living area, with its woodstove and bookcase. The barren window ledge would be the perfect place for a potted flowering plant. The next time I visited, I would bring an African violet from the nursery to add color and life to my parents’ new home.
“How do you like retirement?” I assessed Dat’s face and saw no joy.
“I still help out when I can.” His hand moved to his hip. “But it’s time to let the next generation take charge. Reuben has big plans.”
“Like what?”
His head shook as he spoke. “He wants to take out a mortgage and build a shop of some sort next to the barn.”
“If our bishop allows it,” Mamm said. “But you know he is elderly and suffers from gout. The poor man rarely leaves his home anymore.”
I added my two cents. “If you don’t want him to, say no.”
Mamm wrung her hands. “As of last week, Reuben’s name is on the title to the property. We have no say. And we wouldn’t want to interfere anyway.”
“But you have more wisdom, certainly. What does Reuben know about running a business?”
“It was Marta’s idea.”
I knew better than to make a negative comment, but I asked, “What kind of business?”
Dat tugged his beard. “We still don’t know.”
“So how’s it going living with Marta?”
“I’m doing my best to keep out of her way,” Mamm said. “I’m grateful to see our grandchildren, for sure, and I try not to interfere in the way she does things.”
At that moment, Marta opened the door without knocking. She wore a shamrock-green dress and black apron, and her kapp appeared newly pressed. “Eva, what a pleasant surprise. I hope you’ll all join us for the noon meal.”
She normally didn’t include my parents?
“Sure, that would be nice. I’m starving.” I should have grabbed a snack earlier when visiting Amos, but seeing Jake with Brandy had soured my appetite.
“Gut. I’ll set another place at the table.” Marta whisked out of the room and left the door open.
Mamm hesitated. “Are ya going to visit Amos later?”
“I already did.”
“Then you know what the poor man’s going through. Not to mention their unusual houseguest.”
“Brandy? Yah, I met her. Quite a shock. I must be the last person in the county who didn’t know. I wish you would have told me, Mamm.”
When we went into the main house for the noon meal, I was surprised to find Reuben sitting at the head of the kitchen table instead of Dat.
I turned to Dat, and he shrugged. “Marta’s idea.”
“Are you sure it’s okay, Dat?” Reuben pushed his chair away from the table and stood. “I don’t feel right about this. You should sit here.”
“You’re the head of the
