“That’s not mine. I made ham sandwiches, macaroni salad and doughnuts. Mine’s the one on the end with the three red tulips,” Lenore said.
The group laughed harder. No doubt Lenore was petrified Dale might bid on the wrong box. Or worse yet, someone else might bid on her box and she’d have to eat supper with them.
“Who’ll give me five dollars for this box? It smells real nice,” Bishop Yoder called.
One of the fathers raised his hand.
Bishop Yoder pointed at the man and the bidding began. “I’ve got five dollars, who’ll give me ten?”
Another hand went up. The bishop got into the groove of the auction, his voice firing off in rapid succession. And just like that, Becca realized this event had been a smart idea. Within two minutes, the first box had sold for thirty-five dollars.
Will Lapp won the box. As Minister Beiler took his money and held the box out to him, little twelve-year-old Emily Hostetler stepped forward to claim ownership. Since she was so young, Will’s wife, Ruth, joined them. And once Ruth’s box was sold to old Dawdi Zeke, the group made it a foursome so there would be no perceived impropriety as they ate together.
The bidding continued and Becca soon realized they would indeed have enough funds to purchase the teeter-totter. She hoped they would make enough to also buy some new baseball equipment and bouncy balls for the playground. If they did really well, they might even be able to install a couple of swings. She couldn’t be happier and counted the day as a great success.
“Ach, this box smells like fried chicken,” Jeremiah called, sniffing the rim of the lid with relish.
Realizing the box belonged to her, Becca’s face heated up in spite of her desire to remain incognito.
“Who’ll give me ten dollars for this box?” Bishop Yoder called.
Ben Yoder, the bishop’s shy nephew from Iowa, held up his hand. With a rather quiet, retiring nature, Ben was large for an Amish man. He stood at six feet four inches tall and weighed about a hundred and ninety pounds, all of it lean muscle. His shoulders were wide as a broom handle and his hands were huge and strong. A lot of rumors followed his name. Bishop Yoder called him Gentle Ben but Becca had heard he’d had trouble with fighting in Iowa and had even killed a man in self-defense, which was why he’d relocated here to Colorado. It seemed that many of their people were trying to escape a shadowed past. With so many members of their Gmay around, she was willing to eat supper with him but had no romantic inclinations toward him whatsoever.
“I’ve got ten dollars. Who will give me twenty?” Bishop Yoder shouted at the crowd.
Becca saw Jesse King lift his hand in the air. His expression was stoic, his eyes unblinking as he gazed steadily at the bishop. As if in slow motion, Becca watched as the bidding bounced back and forth between Jesse and Ben until, finally, Jesse won her box for a price even she could never have anticipated. Did he know that it was her box? Had Abby told him? Or was it just a coincidence? Becca had no idea.
She stared, her mouth dropping open in absolute surprise. On the one hand, she was delighted that Jesse would pay so much for her box. But on the other hand, she was mortified at the outlandish amount of money.
“Sold! To Jesse King for seventy-five dollars,” the bishop cried.
A low murmur of awe swept over the crowd. Everyone recognized what a high price he’d paid. A subtle flicker of a smile curved Jesse’s lips upward as he stepped over to receive his box. Becca didn’t move. She didn’t breathe. Her feet felt as if they’d been nailed to the ground. Finally, Aunt Naomi gave her a slight push forward and she took several steps.
A titter of chatter filled the air as everyone discussed this turn of events. No doubt the entire Gmay would be thinking she and Jesse were an item. That they were sweet on each other. And they weren’t. But people wouldn’t know that. Jesse wasn’t interested in her. Or anyone else, for that matter. That thought brought an aching pain to Becca’s heart. And that’s the moment she realized she loved him. Heaven help her, she truly did. Somehow, during the past months she’d been working with Sam and Jesse, she’d fallen in love with both of them. Not just the love from serving other people, but a lasting feeling that made her want to be with them always. To take care of them and be a part of their life forever. Jesse might not think twice about her. Her box was filled with food that was quickly consumed and enjoyed but then forgotten. But for Becca, she couldn’t think about anything but him.
“I guess I bought your supper.” Jesse spoke low when Jeremiah handed him the box.
She looked at him, feeling trembly and confused by her new realization. She stared up into his eyes, not knowing what to say. She only knew she loved this man and his little boy. Every time she was near him, she felt twitter-pated. And when they were parted, she could think of nothing but seeing him again. Her heart went out to him and Sam, for the pain and sadness they’d been through. She longed to make them happy. To see them both smile and hear their laughter again and again. Over time, the sting of Vernon’s betrayal had eased and she realized she’d never really loved him. Not like what she felt for Jesse. Not the romantic love a woman should have for a man she wanted to marry. Now that she’d had some time away from Vernon to think clearly, she realized her love for her
