“Stephen’s orders,” Beatrice had said.
“Yah, he already told me to not walk there alone. As well as my dat.”
“Do you want to sleep in the big house with me tonight?” Her question caught me by surprise. My head swung around to see her serious expression.
“That big old house has a guest room Rose’s sister and husband use when they visit. It has a nice, comfy queen-sized bed.” Beatrice watched me lock the café and double-check the door.
“Thanks for the kind offer, but I’m content in the cabin with all my things.” Including my book. The heroine had returned to Great Britain and the story lagged, but I wanted to finish it.
“Do you miss Italy?” I asked her.
“Often. But I remind myself my relatives came here for a purpose. This is where I belong. Are you thinking you’d like to visit Italy?”
“It sounds so beautiful.”
“So is Lancaster County. If it’s a change of scenery you’re seeking, maybe there’s somewhere closer by. You’re not thinking of leaving the café, are you?”
“No, I just got started. Oh, I don’t know what I want. I thought I did growing up, but now I’m conflicted.”
“Everyone goes through that. Particularly unmarried women your age. Well, even if they’re married.” She patted her cheek, as if deep in thought. “Or were married…”
I imagined she was thinking of her deceased husband.
“I wasn’t in love with my husband when we married,” she said. “Maybe not for the first five years. First impressions can be wrong, don’t you think?”
“Yes.” I recalled meeting Beatrice and not liking her one bit, but I’d been wrong about her. “Life is so confusing sometimes.”
“Are you talking about Jake? Or Stephen? I couldn’t help but notice Stephen is infatuated with you.”
“Yah, those two men, and about joining the church.”
“Sometimes I find my answers in the Bible. Proverbs 3:5 says, ‘Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.’ ”
“Hey, are you the one who put the Bible by my bed?”
She smirked. “Guilty as charged.”
“Thanks. I’ve been reading it. I want to trust God, but when I pray, he doesn’t tell me what I should do.” I thought about all the nights I’d lain in bed praying the Lord would bring Jake home. But would that have solved all my problems?
“And then there’s the Ordnung,” I said. “So many rules that make little sense when you think about it.”
“You should talk to Bishop Harvey about that. The Catholic church isn’t perfect either, but don’t tell anyone I said so.” She winked. “I’m glad you came here. At first I had my doubts, but I was wrong. You’re a fine, hard-working girl.” She grinned when I winced. “Yes, you’re a girl compared to me. But I’m the one who acted immaturely.”
I recalled how judgmental I’d been. “Ach, I’m certainly less than perfect.” No need to hurt her feelings by telling her my initial reaction.
“Aren’t we all?” She hugged me. A real hug. And I hugged her back.
“Now, about tonight,” she said, releasing me. “You want Heath to stay with you?”
“Better not. If he ran off—oh my, what an uproar.” I recalled my first night here. “Do you think Minnie would stay with me? She’d bark if someone were prowling around.”
“Are you hoping Jake will come see you?”
“No, and if he does—if anyone does—I’ll simply refuse to open the door so Minnie can’t escape.” I was in no mood to see Jake even though he’d been kind enough to give my brother a ride home. “But I do want to visit Amos again one day.”
“I’ll ask Stephen to drive us over there after work tomorrow. If he’s free. Would that be okay?”
“Yah, I’d appreciate it. Amos could die before I say goodbye.”
“I’ll make something to take Ruth. That poor woman.” She tilted her head. “Whether you call Jake and tell him we’re coming with Stephen is up to you. But I don’t want those two men arguing in front of Amos and Ruth.”
“I think we’re better off just showing up.” At least I was.
“Did I mention I’ve known Amos all my life? Ruth too. My parents rented a small house between their childhood homes. Stop me if I’m repeating myself.”
“Did Amos and Ruth love each other way back then?”
“Smitten is a better word. They used to meet secretly in our small apple orchard…”
“Sounds romantic.”
“Yes, it was. But over the years Amos’s heart grew bitter. I saw less of him, so I don’t know the cause of his anger.”
“But you lived right next door to him.”
“Well, Amos went to his Amish one-room school and my parents insisted I go to Catholic school. I got a good education, even if one nun hated me.” She gave the back of her hand a fake swat with her first two fingers. “Can you believe I’ve held on to that grudge so long?”
“Maybe she was mean to everyone.”
“It didn’t seem that way. She probably wanted what was best for me, but I was a strong-willed adolescent. That’s why my parents arranged my marriage, even though I loved another young man.”
Her dismal reality struck me like a slap on my face. “I’m so sorry.” What else could I offer her? “Is the other man still around? Not that it’s any of my business.”
“We actually eloped, but my parents caught up with us and had the marriage annulled. And then they forced me into an arranged marriage I didn’t want. Of course, after that, my boyfriend gave up on me. He still lives in these parts.”
“Was it Amos?”
“No.” She grinned and wagged her head. “You’ve been reading too many romance novels.”
“Was he not Catholic?” I knew I was being nosy, but my curiosity was riled up.
“Yes, he was Catholic, but from a poor family. After my parents had our marriage annulled, he joined the military so he could go to college, where he met his wife. All that seems a lifetime ago.” She expelled a lengthy breath.
“Do you ever run into him?”
“Occasionally, but we
