Amish Romance: The Mother's Helper (Nancy's Story Book 1) Read online

  “What? When?”

  “Three summers ago.”

  “I don’t remember.” She was staring at him now, but he didn’t feel fear in her gaze anymore.

  “Why are you here?” she asked. Her long blond hair hung in curls down to her waist. She was alarmingly pretty in the moonlight.

  “I stay with Irene and Philip often,” he said, focusing back on the situation at hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t tell them I was coming this time, and I had no idea…”

  Suddenly, the whole thing seemed hilarious to him, but he knew that if he started laughing, Nancy Slagel would think he was crazy. Or rude. How had he missed the lump in her bed when he’d crept into the room? He must have been dog-tired not to realize he wasn’t alone.

  “Have we been sleeping together?” she asked, and her voice went up a notch.

  Sleeping together? He wanted to laugh again. If his Englisch friends heard her say that…

  “If you mean, was I sleeping in this bed way over here, completely separate from your bed way over there, then jah, we were sleeping together.”

  She seemed to crumple a bit against the wall.

  Luke frowned. He’d put her in a terrible position—at least, in her mind. He could see that now. He’d spent so much time with the Englisch lately, that this slight misunderstanding seemed trivial to him. But not to her. No. Not to her.

  He quickly turned around and whipped his quilt back up over the pillow as if he’d never been there. He reached down to grab his duffel bag. Tiptoeing across the floor, he stopped inches from her. She recoiled, and even though in her mind it was probably justified, it upset him.

  “I ain’t going to harm you,” he whispered. “I’m going downstairs and will sleep on the davenport. Okay?”

  She had wrapped her quilt up to her chin. She nodded, mutely.

  “This never happened, all right?” His eyes were intent on hers.

  Again, she nodded.

  “Nancy…?”

  “What?” she croaked.

  “You were having a nightmare. Before, I mean. When you were asleep. Are you all right? I heard you thrashing…”

  She closed her eyes tightly and didn’t speak.

  Luke studied her for a minute and decided that he’d better get out of there fast. She was upset. And he knew that her upset wasn’t just about him or the fact that they’d been sleeping in the same room. There was something else there. Something was troubling her, but he doubted he’d ever find out what it was.

  He left then, leaving her with her back up against the wall. The house was quiet as he went down the stairs. He was surprised they hadn’t roused anyone, but he was glad. Particularly glad that they hadn’t roused the babies.

  What was Nancy Slagel doing there anyway? And how long had she been there? When he’d taken off a few months ago, there hadn’t been a word about Nancy coming. Perhaps, it was a recent decision. He sank down on the davenport and pulled the afghan from the back of the cushions, covering himself. It wasn’t especially cold, and in two minutes, he kicked the afghan back off. He closed his eyes and thought about what he was planning to do now that he was back. Would he be baptized and join the church?

  Or would he drag his rumspringa on for an even greater period of time? His dat was furious with him for leaving in the first place, which of course, was why he was planning to stay with Irene and Philip, instead of going home. But he couldn’t freeload off them forever. It wasn’t fitting. Although, he could be of help to Philip on the farm. That he knew.

  He’d more than earn his keep, if he decided to stay.

  He let out a heavy sigh. Once he joined church, it would be for good. Forever. No changing his mind. Was he ready for that? Truth be told, he’d enjoyed his association with the Englisch. He’d enjoyed driving a car and wearing jeans. Lying there in Irene’s and Philip’s Amish home, he felt guilty for even thinking such things. His father would come apart if he knew. Luke thought of his sweet mother. She was tough in her own way, but in truth, she often cowered before her husband. There were no two ways about it. Luke’s father was a hard man. His faith was so staunch that he was unable to even comprehend anyone who didn’t feel the same way.

  Luke was a constant disappointment to him.

  Luke flopped over on his other side. If he did join the church, it would go a long way toward mending fences between him and his dad. A long way. And his mother would be so happy.

  He’d been gone from home for going on three years. Maybe, it was time.

  Maybe.

  Luke had attended a few Englisch churches in Indianapolis. He’d been completely out of his comfort zone, but he’d been curious. He couldn’t believe how short the sermons were and how noisy the singing was. They didn’t use musical instruments in his home church, and hearing the keyboard and the drums and the guitars was almost more than his senses could take. But after a bit, he grew to enjoy it. The congregants certainly seemed to like it.

  While he’d been gone, he had yearned for the familiar Amish services more than once, but he didn’t seek them out. Well, there weren’t any in the city as far as he knew, but he could have found some in communities not too far away. But he hadn’t tried.

  In Indianapolis, he’d stayed with Mavis Blackwell, a former Amish woman who’d left the church on her fortieth birthday. He’d expected her to try and convince him to leave the Amish, but she hadn’t. She explained her decision and her reasons behind it, and then never mentioned it again. She’d eventually married an Englisch widower with two young children, but he’d died after only seven years of marriage.

  Mavis had welcomed Luke into her home and had even helped him find work at a local eatery. In return, he’d helped a bit with expenses and had watched her children for her when her work shift extended beyond normal hours.

  But then, Luke lost his job. Downsizing, the manager had said. Luke didn’t mind much. He wanted to go back to his people. He was ready.

  Except for the one thing…

  He knew he needed to make his decision soon. He wouldn’t feel right being back for long unless he was ready to join the church.

  He tossed and turned for another hour before he finally fell back to sleep.

  Chapter Four

  Nancy may have dozed a bit after her late-night episode with Luke Rupp. Now, come morning, her cheeks still grew hot just thinking about it. There she’d been, with a strange man in the very same bedroom. How in the world did Luke not know the room was already occupied?

  When she’d said her name, he’d recognized it. Said they’d met a few years before. It was highly possible, but she didn’t remember it.

  She glanced out the window at the lightening horizon. She needed to get out of bed. The baby was probably stirring. She made sure that she dressed completely before walking down the hallway to the bathroom. As she passed Irene’s and Philip’s room, she heard noises inside. Philip was probably already dressed to begin his chores. Or, he’d already done part of them and had come back in to check on Irene.

  Nancy slipped into the bathroom. She hurried and was out in record time. She heard Zeke now, crying heartily. She rapped her knuckles on Irene’s door.

  “Irene? Has he been fed?” she asked quietly.

  “Nee. I’ll bring him to you in a bit,” came Irene’s answer.

  “I’ll be downstairs, getting breakfast.” She turned to the stairs and went down. She leaned forward, craning her head over the railing, trying to see if Luke Rupp was down there. She didn’t hear anything and wondered whether he’d left.

  At the bottom of the stairs, she glanced further into the front room and saw the afghan wadded at the end of the davenport. So, he must have done exactly as he’d said and finished the night down there. But where was he now?

  She turned around and sucked in her breath. He was standing right there, his boldly handsome face smiling down at her.

  “Gut morning,” he said, his voice quiet but cheerful.

  “G-gut morning,” she answered, feeling a hot flush
work up her neck.

  She did recognize him after all. He’d been right—they had met before. She remembered his thin, angular face with those compelling blue eyes. His lips parted in a dazzling display of straight, white teeth. His black hair gleamed in the early morning light. His massive, self-confident presence made Nancy feel like a young clumsy school girl.

  “I trust you slept well,” he said. His eyes crinkled, and she knew he was teasing her.

  “Right well,” she replied, stretching up to her full height.

  He chuckled. “Glad to hear it.”

  “And you?”

  “Like a boppli,” he said, with a twinkle in his eye.

  They stood, neither moving, until Nancy began to fidget. She couldn’t spend the whole morning staring into his eyes, now could she? She took a step forward, but he didn’t move out of her way. She cleared her throat and gave him a questioning look.

  “Oh, sorry,” he said, stepping to the side and waving her by with a great flourish of his arm. In spite of herself, she grinned. At the door of the kitchen, she turned back. He was watching her.

  “I remember you,” she said simply and then went into the kitchen.

  She grabbed the iron skillet from under the sink with a shaky hand. That Luke Rupp disturbed her. What was he doing there, anyway? Why wouldn’t he have gone to his own home? Didn’t his family live around there? She thought that they did.

  The eggs had already been gathered. Had Luke done that? Or Philip? Well, no matter. They were there and ready to be fried up. She scooped a bit of bacon grease out of a small crock on the counter and plopped it into the frying pan. She turned on the gas burner and set the pan over it. It wasn’t long before the grease was popping and sizzling. She broke the eggs right into the pan, and the steam puffed into her face.

  She glanced over her shoulder, wondering what Luke was doing now. She blew out her breath in disgust. What in the world was she doing? Luke’s actions had nothing to do with her.

  “Gut morning, Nancy,” Irene said. She walked closer to the stove, cradling Zeke in her arms. “This little guy was awful hungry this morning.”

  Nancy turned from the stove and gazed at the babe, who was sleeping again.

  “He’s so sweet,” Nancy whispered, touching his cheek with her forefinger.

  “That he is,” Irene agreed. She leaned in. “We have a guest today.”

  Nancy licked her lips. “Jah. I met him.”

  “He slept in the front room of all things.” Irene laughed. “He usually sleeps in the room you’re in. He must have realized you were here and slept downstairs.”

  “Must have…”

  “We didn’t know he was coming.” Irene readjusted the baby in her arms, bringing him up to her shoulder and patting his bottom. “But Luke is always welcome here. I think you’ve met before, a long time ago.”

  “Jah. I remember.”

  She leaned closer still. “He’s been on his rumspringa. A mighty long one, according to the people.” She shrugged. “Perhaps he’s back to stay now.”

  “So, he hasn’t joined church?”

  “Nee.”

  Nancy raised her brow at that. “Really? How old is he?”

  Irene grew somber. “Old enough to have already joined. I guess he wants to be sure. You know, some people do take their time.”

  Nancy did know. One of the girls in Linnow Creek hadn’t been baptized and joined church until she was twenty-four. And that was only because she’d fallen in love and wanted to be married.

  “Why is he here? Don’t his folks live in Hollybrook?”

  Irene nodded and kissed Zeke on the cheek as he snuggled into her shoulder. “Jah. But he and his dat don’t see eye to eye on a lot of things. He helps Philip when he’s here, and Philip likes the company.”

  Nancy slipped the eggs onto a platter and flipped the potatoes one last time in the other frying pan. She stacked the toast onto a small serving plate. “Has Debbie woken up?”

  “Not yet. But any minute now.”

  “I’ll put the food on the table and go upstairs to check on her,” Nancy said. “The water’s hot. Do you want a cup of tea?”

  “I’ll get it,” Irene said. “And thanks.”

  Nancy dished up the potatoes and carried everything to the table. She wiped her hands on her apron and hurried upstairs to get Debbie.

  Chapter Five

  “You’ll come, won’t you?” Irene asked.

  Nancy carried a stack of diapers into the front room, where Irene had set up another changing station.

  Irene went on, “It’s been awhile since I’ve attended a quilting frolic. I felt so horrid during the last months of the pregnancy that I didn’t go much of anywhere.”

  “I could stay here and watch the kinner…”

  “You could.” Irene smiled. “But then I wouldn’t be able to show everyone how precious little Zeke is. Not many have seen him yet.”

  Nancy laughed. “Okay. I get the picture now.” She walked over to Nancy and peered at the little guy’s chubby face. “He is beautiful.”

  “Do say you’ll come. It’d be a help to me.”

  “Now, you’ve gone to begging,” Nancy laughed again. “Of course, I’ll go. It’ll be nice for me, too. I don’t know many people in this district yet.”

  “They’re gut women,” Irene said. “Every one of them.”

  “What time do we leave?”

  Irene glanced at the grandfather clock that Philip had given her as an engagement gift. “Ach! We haven’t much time at all. How soon can you be ready?”

  “Just let me put a clean dress on Debbie, and I’m ready.” Nancy swooped the little girl off the floor. “Will Philip hitch up the pony cart for us, or shall I?”

  “Let’s have Luke do it,” Irene said.

  Luke stood next to the pony cart by the front porch. Debbie was already in the back, giggling. Irene was perched on the bench, ready to take Zeke from Nancy. Luke turned and held out his hand to help Nancy and Zeke up and onto the bench. The cart wasn’t big, and frankly, Nancy didn’t need a hand up. She gazed at him, painfully aware that she was already flushing. She grimaced. She didn’t like Luke’s effect on her, not even a little.

  She wanted to ignore his hand, but she knew that would make an even bigger deal out of it, so she put her hand in his and let him help her in. The minute they touched, a zapping flash ran up her arm. She forced herself to act normally. But his hand was warm and gentle, and she fought the urge to stare into his eyes.

  Instead, she murmured her thanks and handed Zeke to his mother. She grabbed the reins and clucked her tongue. With a gentle lurch, the cart moved forward.

  “Mama, fun!” Debbie gurgled from behind them.

  Irene laughed. “Jah. A ride in the pony cart is always fun, now, isn’t it?” She looked at Zeke, who lay in her lap, wide-eyed. “What do you think, little man?”

  Debbie tried to stand up, but she promptly fell back on her bottom and started to cry.

  “Now, now,” Irene cooed, turning to her. “You’re fine. But stay seated, won’t you?”

  “Shall I hold her on my lap?” Nancy asked.

  “It’s hard to drive that way. She’ll be fine.” Irene looked again over her shoulder. “You okay, Debbie?”

  Debbie wiped her eyes with her fists and nodded.

  “You’re going to have to direct me,” Nancy said. “I’ve no idea where the Smuckers live.”

  “Keep going this way. I’ll tell you when to turn in.”

  Nancy settled comfortably on the bench and let herself enjoy the surroundings. Spring always offered up a million different hues of green, and Nancy reveled in each one. Along the side of the road, she saw wild grape hyacinth already in bloom. Clumps of dandelions offered their brilliant yellow. The birds were more active, and Nancy kept her eye out for signs of new nests.

  She smiled. After the winter she’d had, spring was as welcome as a fresh piece of berry pie. In truth, as far as the winter weather went, it hadn’t b
een that bad. But mixed with her beau’s and her sister’s horrible revelation, it could hardly have been a worse season. She shuddered, remembering her dream the night Luke had arrived. She’d had that very same dream—no, nightmare—before. Sometimes, she feared going to sleep, dreading its recurrence.

  But she couldn’t seem to control it.

  Maybe she’d had the dream this time because of her sister’s letter. She frowned slightly, knowing that she needed to write Linda back. The girl would be waiting … she could imagine her flying down the drive every day to fetch the mail, and then her disappointment because nothing was there.

  Nancy squared her shoulders. She’d write Linda as soon as she got home.

  Nancy couldn’t keep up with all the names Irene tossed at her. She smiled and nodded at every woman, trying to imprint their identities on her mind, but she knew it was hopeless. There had to be nearly twenty women there. Not to mention the children.

  Debbie toddled off immediately, following one of the teen girls who was watching the tiny ones.

  After Irene had properly showed off Zeke, Nancy took him so that Irene could join the circle around the large quilt. Within minutes, the needles were flashing, dipping in and out of the fabric at startling rates.

  “So, Luke Rupp is back,” one of the women stated.

  Irene’s eyes darted around the circle. “His mamm isn’t here today?”

  “Nee. She said she was too busy at home. They’re digging up a new section to expand their garden.”

  “More than likely, she didn’t want to face the embarrassment,” interjected another woman.

  Nancy’s ears perked up. Embarrassment? Why? What had Luke done?

  “That’s not kind, Ellen,” scolded an older woman.

  “Perhaps not. But true enough.”

  Nancy frowned. She wanted to know exactly what they were talking about, and she didn’t have to wait long to find out.

  “But can you imagine how you’d feel if your son finally returned from his rumspringa only to go to a friend’s house instead of yours?” asked the first woman who had spoken.