Rebecca Kertz - Noah's Sweetheart

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After suffering a broken engagement, teacher Rachel Hostetler is looking for a fresh start.When handsome Noah Lapp rescues her from a runaway buggy her first day in town, things seem hopeful. Then Rachel hears talk that Noah is expected to court her cousin, Charlotte.Yet Noah spends all his free time with Rachel. Will Rachel discover the truth without losing her heart? And find a happy-ever-after in Happiness, Pennsylvania?

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“Noah did save me, Jacob,” Rachel said, her breath catching at the mention of Noah’s name. “If he hadn’t stopped the horse, the buggy could have hit someone or something, and I could have been hurt or even killed.”

Jacob’s eyes went big as he listened to Rachel. “Noah saved her,” he said to Joshua. “And he kept Aaron Troyer’s horse from maybe breaking a leg and having to be shot.”

Joshua nodded vigorously, glad that his friend finally understood. “When are we going to eat?” he asked his sister, who’d been listening with amusement.

“Soon,” Charlotte said, handing each boy an apple-walnut muffin. “Go outside and be gut boys. We will call you when it is your time to eat.”

“Would you take this to the table?” Miriam asked.

Rachel nodded. She accepted the large bowl of potato salad and carried it into the front room, where she set it down on one of several makeshift tables that had been constructed for today’s visit. Her thoughts on Noah, she went to the window and peered outside. She couldn’t see him at first, and she started to turn away. Then his father moved and there he was, speaking with two men she hadn’t met. Noah nodded and then smiled at someone’s answer. He turned toward the house as he chatted, and his gaze locked with hers briefly through the glass. Rachel quickly retreated, embarrassed at being caught staring. She hurried back to the kitchen.

“The meal is ready,” Katie Lapp announced to the men outside.

The oldest men entered the house first. They sat down at a table, and then the younger men took their seats. The women had prepared the food earlier in the week. There was cold roast beef and chicken, potato salad, sweetened-and-vinegared green beans with bacon, frosted raisin bread, sweet-and-sour chow-chow, muffins, yeast rolls and coleslaw. There was an assortment of cakes and pies for dessert, including Charlotte’s shoofly pie and Rachel’s chocolate-cream pie.

The men ate without conversation, and when they were done, the women and children sat down to eat. Rachel enjoyed the meal, especially the sliced roast beef and potato salad with peas. Aunt Mae had made the green beans, and they were delicious.

Nancy took a second helping of her mother’s dish before tasting other foods. “Mam makes the best sauce for her beans,” she said.

Rachel smiled. “Everything is wonderful. Did you have some of Miriam’s chow-chow? Sweet and sour is my favorite.”

“Mine, too,” Charlotte replied as she lifted a forkful of the vegetables to her mouth. “Did you see Alta Hershberger’s vanilla pudding? Before the day is done, I’m going to have me a cup.”

“May I have some pudding with you?” A little girl stood at Charlotte’s side.

Charlotte’s expression softened. “I’ll call you when I’m ready to get some. I’ll scoop you a cup so we can eat it together.” The child looked pleased as she turned and ran back to sit with her sister and brothers. “That’s Ruth Peachy,” she told Rachel. “Abram’s youngest.”

Rachel eyed the youngest Peachy child as the little girl ate carefully, mimicking her older sister. “She’s too young for my classroom.”

Charlotte agreed. “She’s not yet four. She’s a pleasant girl. For some reason, she’s taken a liking to me.”

“The reason is simple,” Rachel said. “You’re as pure-hearted as she is, and you treat her nicely.”

“I like her.”

Rachel smiled. “I can tell you do.”

Suddenly, Rachel felt the back of her neck prickle. She turned, only to encounter Noah’s gaze.

Charlotte stood and approached him. “Can I get you something?”

Noah withdrew his gaze, turning his smiling attention to Charlotte. “Not unless you’re cutting the pies.”

Charlotte chuckled. “We’ll be serving them soon, Noah.” Her eyes twinkled. “You’re still hungry?” she teased.

“Only for pie or cake.”

“I’ll bring you a piece after we cut it,” she offered.

Noah shook his head. “I’ll be back to get it myself.” His eyes met Rachel’s briefly as he left as quickly as he’d come.

* * *

Everyone enjoyed the cakes, pies and other sweets provided by the women. Noah had come for his piece of Rachel’s chocolate-cream pie, as promised. He appeared to relish every bite before he was back for more. Rachel couldn’t help feeling pleased that he took so much pleasure from it. Charlotte and Ruth Peachy sat side by side with their bowls of vanilla pudding. It seemed the most natural thing when Charlotte reached over to wipe pudding off the little girl’s mouth when Ruth was done. Rachel ate a tiny slice of shoofly pie and then enjoyed a small taste of Miriam Zook’s butter coffee cake. Soon, with bellies full and the time growing late, families began to gather their leftovers and their youngsters to leave.

Later, only the Amos Kings and Rachel stayed behind to visit a little longer with the Samuel Lapps and to help Katie with the cleanup. As she collected dishes to bring to the kitchen, Rachel saw the older Lapp brothers begin to take apart the front-room tables. She had met all of Noah’s brothers this day. They were a fine bunch of young men and boys who teased each other while they worked together as a team. Hearing them reminded her of her own three brothers back home in Millersburg, and she got misty-eyed for a few seconds. There was at least one Lapp brother close in age to each of her brothers, Moses, David and Thomas, who were all younger than she. Today would be their day for Sunday visiting, too, and it did make her feel a little better to know that, in a way, things were the same here as back in Millersburg.

The kitchen was clean, and the food was put away in Katie’s refrigerator and pantry or in dishes ready for the Kings to take home. The men had gone outside to look at Samuel’s new milk cow. Katie, Aunt Mae, Rachel and her cousins sat on the front porch. Katie bounced her baby daughter on her knee. Little Hannah had been happy and smiling since she’d woken from her nap and eaten. She seemed content to sit on her mother’s lap and gaze at the other women.

Rachel studied the little girl and had the strongest urge to hold her. “May I?” she asked Hannah’s mother.

“Ja. Don’t be alarmed if she fusses,” Katie warned as she surrendered her baby into Rachel’s outstretched arms.

Baby Hannah cuddled against her without complaint. Rachel felt an overwhelming contentment as she rocked to and fro in the front-porch rocking chair, enjoying the warmth of the spring afternoon in the companionship of women she liked and respected.

Soon it was time for the Kings to return home. They didn’t have far to go, but it was getting late and there would be time for the family to enjoy the rest of the day reading, playing games or just resting in the comfort of their own home. Rachel stood and handed Hannah back to her mother. To everyone’s surprise, Hannah fussed a little before she settled down as Katie stood, rocking her against her shoulder.

“Good food and fine company,” Aunt Mae said. “A perfect Sunday visiting.”

Rachel and her cousins agreed. “Ja, and the weather is fine,” Nancy added. They went inside to gather their dishes and the leftovers given to them by their hostess.

“It’s been a gut day,” Rachel said as she prepared to descend the porch steps. There was no sign of the men yet, but she expected them to appear at any moment.

Katie smiled as she continued to pat her daughter’s back. “I enjoyed your company.” Her gaze shot past Rachel toward the barnyard. “You’ll come again soon. Don’t wait until next Sunday’s church services to see us.”

Rachel murmured agreement as she glanced back to see Samuel, her uncle Amos, Noah and three of his brothers as they stepped from the barn and started toward the house. She watched the men’s approach, trying not to look too much at Noah, but it was Noah who drew her attention. When she realized that he watched her, she felt her face warm and quickly glanced away.

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