Rebecca Kertz - Her Forgiving Amish Heart

“Henry, you’ve got to try my wife’s vanilla cream pie.” Isaac gestured toward the dessert.

“After you both eat a gut meal first,” Ellen said with a narrowed but teasing gaze at her husband. She held up a bowl. “German potato salad?” she offered them. “’Tis a favorite. Leah Stoltzfus made it.”

Leah made it? He immediately held out his plate. “I don’t know that I’ve ever tasted her potato salad before.” As Ellen placed a large scoop on his plate, he discovered that Leah had come out of the house. She was staring at him, and he stared back unflinchingly and arched an eyebrow. She quickly looked away and strode over to where her mother and sisters were talking with Katie Lapp. He hid his amusement. Apparently, he continued to disturb her.

With loaded plate in hand, Henry moseyed on over to where the Stoltzfus women sat. He was eager to test his theory about Leah. “ Hallo. The food looks wunderbor ,” he said.

Missy, the girls’ mother, smiled. “I’m happy you think so.”

“I’m particularly eager to try the German potato salad,” he commented with a glance in Leah’s direction.

“ Ja , ’tis one of our favorites,” Ellie said. “I think you’ll enjoy it.” She flashed her sister a look. “Leah made it.”

“ Hmm . Can’t wait to try it.”

Leah eyed him politely. “I suppose you’ll let me know whether or not you like it?”

“Absolutely.” He smiled. “If you’ll excuse me, Isaac is waiting for me.” He gestured toward the table filled with married Lapp brothers and their wives. He could sense Leah’s gaze on him as he left.

“’Tis gut to see him back with us,” he heard Missy say.

“Why?” Leah asked stiffly. “Did you miss him?”

“Leah!” her mother scolded.

As he continued toward Isaac’s table, Henry couldn’t hear Leah’s response. But he was secretly pleased. Perhaps her mother could convince Leah that her reaction to him was unreasonable. He hoped so. He’d need her to unbend a little before he approached her with what he hoped was an offer she couldn’t refuse. And he’d have to figure out a way to secure a few moments alone with her. He suffered a painful lurch in his belly. He had to do this right or he’d ruin all of his chances of winning the woman’s friendship.

* * *

“Why would you say such a thing?” Ellie asked, curious.

Leah shrugged, unwilling to admit that she was attracted to Henry Yoder but was afraid to trust him. “Everyone has welcomed him with open arms. It bothers me after the way he hurt Isaac.”

“That was a long time ago, Leah.” Mam made a tsk sound with her tongue. “Henry Yoder is a gut man. It took a lot of courage to stand before our church congregation and confess. Isaac has forgiven him. Why shouldn’t Henry be here? I’m just sorry that Margaret and Harry couldn’t come, too.”

Blushing, she agreed. “ Ja. I’m sorry. I’m just feeling out of sorts.”

“I’m not the one who deserves an apology.” Her mother eyed her with concern. “Are you ill, Leah? ’Tis not like you to be unkind.”

“Ja,” her sister Meg agreed. She had come with her husband, Peter, whom she’d married last November. “Out of all of us, you’ve the sweetest temperament.”

“Maybe I am coming down with something,” she mumbled. She felt guilty. Henry was a gut man, a kind man, and once again she’d behaved badly toward him. Again. But how could she apologize when just the thought made her insides churn with nervous apprehension?

“You’d better make sure you get enough rest, dochter . I know that you didn’t sleep well last night. I heard you get up for a while before you went back to bed. Why can’t you sleep?”

Leah shrugged. “I felt restless, so I went down and drank some hot milk.” But she knew she’d gotten very little sleep since the day she’d found shelter with Henry in the store. Since then, she was unable to forget being the focus of his intense blue eyes.

“The men have their food,” Ellie said. “Let’s get ours.”

As the Stoltzfus women went for their meal, Leah shot a glance toward Henry and her cousins’ table. A frisson of sensation rippled down her spine as she caught Henry gazing at her with an odd look in his eyes. She stared back for a long moment and tried not to think about how handsome he was or that if circumstances had been different, she would have longed for his attention. She turned away deliberately, slowly, and followed her sisters to the food tables, pretending she didn’t care that he was watching her. Inside she felt a jumble of nerves, but she wasn’t about to let the man see how much he rattled her.

A short time after she finished eating her lunch, Leah had risen to help clean up when she caught sight of Henry’s approach, his gaze focused on her. She stiffened even while her heart fluttered in appreciation of how handsome he was.

“Leah,” he greeted softly. “May I have a word?”

“I’m cleaning up.”

“I’ll take care of this,” Ellie offered as she grabbed the plates Leah held. She hurried away before Leah could object.

Leah shifted uncomfortably as she watched her sister stride away. She arched an eyebrow as she turned toward Henry. “Do you need me for something?”

His lips curved in a smile that stole her breath. “It’s not what I need. It’s about what I may be able to do for you.” He paused. “Walk with me?” When she hesitated, he added softly, “Please?”

When he asked so nicely, how could she resist him? She nodded and fell into step beside him. Thoughts of an apology hovered in her mind.

They started toward the fields beyond the barn. Leah didn’t look back, afraid to discover that others might be watching them. She experienced a tingling at her nape as they strolled some distance away from the gathering. She stopped, unwilling to go any farther.

“What do you want, Henry?”

He halted and turned her to face him. “I want to help you with your craft shop.”

She gasped. “What? Who told you about it?”

“Isaac,” he said calmly. “One of your sisters told him.”

A ball of hurt fisted inside her chest. “Ellie.”

Henry nodded. “Don’t be angry with either one of them. It came out accidentally when Isaac and Ellie were talking. Isaac mentioned it because he thought I could help you. I know what it takes to run a store—about inventory, purchasing, merchandise displays, bookkeeping...”

Leah knew she should be angry, but for some reason something in Henry’s expression softened something inside of her. “I’m not ready to open a store just yet.”

“Will you think about it when you do? Me helping you?”

“That’s nice of you, Henry, but—”

“You don’t trust me enough.”

Leah shook her head because, for some reason, she trusted him in this. “’Tis not that. I don’t have enough capital to look for a place yet.”

“I understand.” But something in his blue eyes had dimmed. He turned as if to head back toward the main yard.

She felt the uncontrollable urge to stop him. She grabbed his arm to halt him. “I’m telling the truth, Henry. I’ll be happy to accept your help when the time is right.”

Henry grinned, and Leah reeled back under the bright warmth in his eyes. “ Gut. I’ll be pleased to help you. And if you need assistance looking for a place when the time is right, I’m your man.”

Leah felt her face heat. I’m your man. She had a sudden mental image of him working with her, smiling at her, making her feel special. She glanced away. “We should get back.” She started to walk and he fell into step with her.