Rebecca Kertz - Noah's Sweetheart

The Kings’ gelding trotted down the lane and turned into the yard. Noah felt an odd sensation in the pit of his stomach as the family alighted from the buggy and crossed toward the house.

He nodded to Charlotte’s father as Amos climbed the porch steps and joined them. “Fair weather this day,” he said, and the man agreed. Conscious of the women, especially Rachel, who got out of the buggy last, he turned his attention first to little Joshua, who had run up to the house. “Have any ice cream lately?”

“Nay.” Joshua scowled. His eyes suddenly lit up. “Can we go this week?”

“If there is time for a trip into town.”

“Joshua!” Charlotte scolded as she climbed up the stairs. “What did I tell you about bothering Noah?”

“I wasn’t bothering him.” He looked up at Noah with big eyes. “Was I?”

“Nay, Joshua,” Noah replied and then grinned at Charlotte. “What’s that you’re carrying?” he asked her. “Could it be chocolate cake?”

Charlotte’s eyes twinkled. “Shoofly pie.”

Noah knew the exact moment when Rachel climbed the first step of his family home. She was wearing a blue dress with black apron and cape. This day her bonnet and the prayer kapp covering her dark hair were both black. She was lovely, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her sweet face. “And what do you have there?” he asked, casually, forcing himself to study the pie in her arms. “Another chocolate-cream pie?”

“Ja.” She met his gaze but then quickly glanced away.

“I think I’d like some of that pie,” he murmured softly for her ears only as she hurried past, following in her cousin’s footsteps.

“That was the new schoolteacher?” Jedidiah said.

Noah narrowed his gaze on his older brother. “I thought you saw her when she came to help Mam.”

Jedidiah, watching the arrival of another buggy, shook his head. “Dat and I were finishing up at the schuulhaus.” His attention fixed on Abram Peachy as he climbed out of his buggy and helped his five children to alight. “I heard you got your fields planted,” he called to Abram.

Abram waved his children into the house. “The weather held, thanks be to God.”

“You meet the new schoolteacher yet?” Jedidiah asked, and Noah glanced at his brother sharply before turning to gauge Abram’s response.

“Nay,” Abram said. “I hear she’s a King cousin from Ohio.” He seemed to exhibit only polite interest.

Noah felt himself relax. “Ja. Rachel Hostetler.”

“Nice girl,” Noah’s father said.

Jedidiah elbowed his brother. “I hear you were the great rescuer the other day.”

Noah shrugged. “’Twas nothing.”

“Not from what my daughter tells me,” Amos King said.

Abram suddenly looked interested. “Something happen in town?”

“Ja,” little Joshua piped up, as he returned from inside to stand with the men. “Aaron Troyer’s horse spooked, and Noah saved cousin Rachel from crashing.”

Abram smiled. “From crashing what?”

Joshua pulled himself up and tugged on the bottom of his small black coat. At seven, he was a miniature version of his father. “The buggy! The horse was galloping right down the middle of the road, and he took Rachel and the buggy with him. Noah had to jump onto the horse’s back while he was still running to stop him. The horse’s eyes were rolled back in his head, all big and white, and he was sweaty. Aaron Troyer came running up to take care of his horse Josef and to see if Rachel hurt herself!”

Noah felt himself the object of several male gazes. He was uncomfortable with this particular discussion and being the center of attention. “It wasn’t anything one of you wouldn’t do.”

“That’s not what cousin Rachel said,” Joshua replied. “She said she could have been killed if Noah hadn’t come to save her.”

“Ja.” Abram removed his hat, pushed his hair back, and then settled his wide-brimmed black-felt hat back on his head. “Could have been. One of Obadiah Fisher’s daughters out in Missouri—she got killed last summer when her horse ran away. Terrible thing for the family, and her just fifteen. Lucky for the new teacher you were there.”

The Zook family arrived at that moment, putting a temporary end to the topic of conversation. As he greeted “Horseshoe Joe” Zook’s wife, Miriam, Noah could feel Jedidiah watching him. He pretended not to notice, and soon Jedidiah’s attention turned to the middle Zook daughter, Annie.

Five families had come to visit. The men stayed outside while the women inside readied the midday meal. Moments of the men’s conversation intermingled with periods of silence, as the weather was good and there wasn’t a need for talking.

“The cousin was grateful,” Jedidiah said to Noah. “What does Charlotte think? Must have put a fright into her, seeing it.”

“Rachel is Charlotte’s first cousin. She’s glad I was there to help.”

Noah wondered how Rachel was getting along. She’d been here less than a week, and she must have feelings about their Happiness community.

“Charlotte is an understanding girl,” his brother persisted. “Good head on her shoulders. Make some man a mighty good wife.”

Noah glared at him, wondering where Jedidiah was headed with this conversation. “And why are you telling me? Charlotte and I have known each other a long time.”

“Ja,” Jedidiah said, “and well you should remember this.”

His older brother could be annoying at times, Noah thought. They were close in age—Jedidiah was only a year and a half older than he was. What was Jedidiah implying? That Charlotte was jealous? That he shouldn’t have saved Rachel because he and Charlotte were friends?

Noah shook his head. Sometimes Jedidiah made no sense.

“He did save her!” He suddenly heard Joshua shout from across the yard. “Ask him. Better you should ask cousin Rachel! Cousin Rachel!” the little boy called as he ran from the barn toward the house, followed closely by Jacob Peachy.

The boys rushed inside before Noah could stop either one of them. The last thing he needed was for Rachel to become embarrassed by all the attention—no matter how innocently it began.

“Cousin Rachel!” Joshua cried.

Noah cringed. All he did was stop a runaway buggy. Why couldn’t everyone just leave things be?

* * *

“...And the little Englisher was caught stealing a brownie from a pan cooling on Elisabeth Schrock’s windowsill,” Alta Hershberger was saying.

Miriam Zook’s eyes widened. “What did she do?”

Alta grinned. “She gave him a piece of her mind and then handed him another brownie.”

The women chuckled in response as they unwrapped the food they’d prepared previously.

“Abram’s children are growing fast, like weeds,” Mae commented as she sliced bread and arranged muffins. “Such a shame that those precious children have no mudder to guide them.”

“Abram’s doing the best he can, Mam,” Charlotte said.

“Ja, daughter. But the deacon can’t be all things to everyone. It’s hard when there are children to raise alone and a farm to run. It’s time he thought about marrying again.”

“I’m sure he will when he is ready,” Katie said gently. She unwrapped a plate and set it on the table. “A shame Sarah couldn’t come.”

“Ja,” Aunt Mae said. “I was sorry to hear David came down sick—”

Two young boys burst into the kitchen and stopped, the door slamming shut behind them. “Rachel! Cousin Rachel!”

“Son!” Aunt Mae scolded. “We walk, not run, into a room!”

Rachel grinned as Joshua searched the room and found her. “Little cousin, what’s wrong?” She tossed each boy an apple from a bowl on the counter.

“Jacob doesn’t believe that Noah saved you!” Joshua exclaimed before he took a big bite.