Jocelyn McClay - The Amish Bachelor's Choice

The men didn’t need further instructions. Workstations were quickly cleaned up and equipment and materials put away for the day. Malachi saw his brothers by the coatrack, outer gear on and obviously ready to go. He frowned. There was some work in the office he wanted to finish before he left today. Malachi walked toward them, intending to instruct them to wait a bit before they hitched up the buggy. One of his new employees, Jacob, a beardless young man with red hair, was visiting with them as he put on his coat and hat.

Practiced at reading Malachi’s expressions, Samuel grimaced when he saw his brother’s face. “ Ach , you’re not ready to go yet. How long must we stay?”

Before Malachi could open his mouth, Jacob spoke. “I live just a mile up the road from the old Yoder place. The house with the corncrib by the end of the lane. You two could come home with me and he could pick you up on the way by.”

Obviously pleased with the offer from Jacob, whose age appeared to fall between Malachi’s and his brothers’, Samuel and Gideon looked hopefully at Malachi. It seemed a reasonable solution and one where they would get to know their neighbors better. Malachi nodded. “I’ll see you there later.”

The young men eagerly headed for the door and pulled it open. They slapped a hand to their heads as the vicious wind threatened to blow their black hats off. Gideon, the last one through, struggled to pull the door shut behind him. It finally closed with a hard click.

Malachi turned to see Ruth, whose workstation was in direct line of the gust, looking at the closed door with wide eyes and arms hugging her shoulders. They were the only ones left in the room. Tools and delicate pieces of wood were neatly arranged about her. She’d still been working.

“Time to go.” Malachi tipped his head toward the door that rattled against the gusting wind.

She turned back to her bench. “I was late getting here. I need to put my time in.”

Stubborn woman. Malachi strode over to the partially assembled desk. “ Nee , not today. I won’t have it said that I let you freeze in a ditch on your way home from work.” Green eyes turned to him and spoke clearly that he did not let her do anything. Fortunately, she was prudent enough not to voice the words. He held her gaze. Really, the woman didn’t need any aid in freezing. The outdoor weather would probably be ambient temperature for her.

Finally, she nodded and efficiently began putting away her work. Picking up a few pieces of oak to hand to her, Malachi ran his fingers over the smooth finish. The surface felt like silk under his experienced fingertips. He ran his eyes over the intricate joints in the desk. It was amazing craftsmanship.

“Beautiful work.” He handed her the wood.

Taking it apprehensively, she flicked a look up at his face, judging his sincerity. “Denki.” The rest of the pieces were gathered up quickly, as if to indicate she didn’t need his help.

Malachi raised his eyebrows. Apparently it had been a temporary truce. The badger had returned. He wove his way through the workshop, now empty and quiet, to the showroom door. At the door, he looked back at Ruth. Once he was out of her orbit, her efforts had slowed and she appeared to be working on the desk again. Malachi frowned and jerked the door open with more force than necessary. Stubborn woman, indeed.

Deciding the tasks he’d hoped to finish could wait for another day, Malachi grabbed his coat and hat from the office and secured the front door of the store. Ruth looked up as he reentered the workroom. She scowled and had the rest of her work put away by the time he reached her.

Malachi waited while she tugged on her cape and tied her bonnet. He was going to make sure she went out the door and headed home. He frowned at the thinness of her cape as he followed her black-clad figure to the door. “I’ll help you harness your horse.”

“I can do it myself. Besides, I have to go to the store first.”

Malachi stopped in his tracks. “What? Conditions are dangerous out there. You need to get home.” The exasperation that colored his tone was a stranger to him. It’d never been there before. “Whatever it is will wait.”

“No, it won’t. I have responsibilities.”

“So do I. I’m responsible for making sure you get home safely.” He was tired of talking to the back of her black bonnet. Fortunately—or unfortunately—she whipped around and he found himself facing blazing green eyes and what looked like a few freckles on the cheeks under the encompassing brim. A dainty chin tipped up toward him above the big black bow.

“No. You are not. I’ve been taking care of myself for some time now. I don’t need you to take care of me on your first day here. I’m going to Piggly Wiggly before I head home.” Turning to jerk open the door, she almost tumbled into the wall when the force of the wind hit the portal. Recovering quickly, she bent her slight frame against the gusts and headed down the street to where Malachi had learned the grocery store was located. Her figure soon disappeared in the whipping snow. Shaking his head, Malachi locked the door and headed for the shed. Stubborn woman, he muttered to himself again. Even a badger was wise enough to get out of a snowstorm.

* * *

Ruth didn’t know what made her cheeks more red, the blasts of wind that threatened to steal her breath or embarrassment and self-disgust at her behavior. Another proverb came to mind as she ducked her head against the blowing snow. It is better to give others a piece of your heart than a piece of your mind. She felt the staccato beat of snow pelting the top of her bonnet, like it was trying to tap the reminder into her head. Well, he had enough pieces of her mind to put together a puzzle by now. A piece of her heart? That was an amusing thought, even beyond the fact that he’d surely been baptized by now, and was therefore remaining Amish. And she wouldn’t be. Therefore, not even a splinter of her heart would be allowed to consider his direction.

Besides, there wasn’t room in her heart and mind for anything right now beyond fretting over the safety and security of the puppy, something she’d been doing all day. Was she responsible enough in her care for him? Was he smart enough to stay out of the weather? Unlike his new owner?

That brought her back to the abrupt discussion at the workshop. As she and the new owner were leaving, she’d had the discomfiting realization that not only would she not be the one to open the shop every day, something she’d done for years, she’d also no longer be the one to close it up at the day’s end. So she’d latched onto the one thing she knew she could handle in accountability, her own care. After the way she’d lashed out at his offer, worrying about herself might be the only thing she had left to do. She might not have to worry about a job anymore, and she wasn’t ready to leave just yet. Dear Lord, please help me keep my mouth shut.

Exiting Piggly Wiggly a short time later, she was almost blown back into the sliding doors. Ruth looked beyond the grocery store’s parking lot to where the road was no longer visible and sent up another fervent prayer. Please, Lord, I hope it is Your will that Bess and I get safely home to the puppy. Please don’t let my stubbornness affect the two animals in my care.

The relief from the blocked wind when Ruth entered the shed housing the horses was indescribable. So was her surprise at seeing Bess almost harnessed. Ruth dropped her bags by the wheel of her buggy and raced over to help. Looking up at her approach, Malachi seemed to take in the snow-crusted cape and bonnet.

“Did you get your important shopping done?” There was a curtness in his voice she hadn’t heard before. Ruth winced, knowing she deserved it.