Amish Harvest, COMPLETE SERIES: Amish Novella Read online

  Nothing more.

  ****

  Luke suppressed a yawn as he finished mucking the stalls. He’d been up for hours trying to get a leg up on his chores so he could take the time to help Bailey bring in the apples for her father.

  Every so often he would pause without realizing, getting lost in thoughts of Bailey’s copper hair and green eyes that seemed to glow like lanterns every time he gazed into them. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to let his attraction for her cloud his judgment, and that was the last thing she needed right now. He would keep his feelings in check for her sake, knowing that she didn’t need any more distractions.

  It wasn’t going to be easy.

  ****

  Bailey sat across from Hannah at the small table in the center of the kitchen, trying hard to concentrate. All she could think about was her interest in Luke, when she ought to be thinking about her interest in the farm. The deed, however, had suddenly lost its merit. With Luke in the picture, nothing else held as much importance in her heart at the moment. How was it possible that he could mean more to her than the farm she’d worked so hard to convince her father she wanted?

  No matter how hard she tried to wrap her mind around it, her feelings had drastically changed.

  Now all she wanted was Luke.

  Chapter 13

  Bailey entered her father’s temporary room in the main house with soft steps so as not to disturb him. The last thing she wanted was another confrontation with him. Being careful not to let the teacup clink against the saucer on the lunch tray she carried, she nearly tripped on the braided rug near the bed. She took a deep breath, relief filling her.

  In her mind’s eye, she’d envisioned the scene unfolding where her father wore the bowl of soup and the contents of the teacup. Luckily, she was able to catch herself just in time before such a disaster could take place. She suppressed a giggle, thinking of how it would look for such a thing to happen, but quickly chided herself for allowing such negativity to enter her mind. Still, it might have been funny, even if only for a minute.

  Forgive me, Lord, for thinking such a mean thing, and for the anger I feel toward my earthly father.

  Setting the tray on the bedside table, Bailey turned around, hoping to tip-toe back out of the room unnoticed, when her father’s groggy voice stopped her in her tracks.

  “Would you mind too awfully much putting that extra pillow behind me so I can eat?” Jack asked his daughter with a weak voice.

  Bailey reached for the pillow without looking at him. Continuing to avoid eye-contact with him, she plumped it before placing it behind his head. She then placed the tray in front of her father without so much as a word, hoping that would be the end of their conversation.

  How long could they possibly keep this up?

  Perhaps it was better that they didn’t speak as long as it would keep peace between them. But was it really keeping peace, or was it making it easier for them to ignore the tension between them? Bailey knew it was the latter, but at this point, she was too emotionally exhausted to care. All she wanted to do was leave the room and get back to being lost in her thoughts of Luke. It was the only thing that made her happy at the moment.

  ****

  Luke closed his eyes against the warm afternoon sun, breathing in the fragrant orchard air. He pushed a tired hand through his hair and then replaced the straw hat on his head. It had been a long day between his regular chores and helping Bailey pick the apples. Hannah had been busy most of the day canning applesauce and hadn’t been between them for a change, and Luke had nearly worked up the courage to ask Bailey if she would take a buggy ride with him later in the evening. Unsure of whether or not she would agree to such a thing, he’d held back.

  He’d detected a bit of tension in her after she’d returned from checking on her father a few hours ago, and Luke didn’t want to pressure her with his request. Still, he couldn’t help but desire her company. The more time he spent with her, the more he found himself falling for her. He sensed her gaze upon him even now with his eyes closed.

  Wondering if another opportunity would avail itself, Luke dared to sneak a glimpse of her.

  He opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat.

  Chapter 14

  Hannah finished the last stitches of the dress she’d made for Bailey. Though uncertain if her new friend would wear it, she’d made the dress in faith. The admiration for the woman she prayed would become her schweschder, if she should marry her bruder, had kept her mind on task even when she’d felt bewildered over the labor of love.

  For Hannah, her familye was everything she held sacred—especially since her mamm had passed away. She’d missed out on so much growing up without a woman to guide her, and now she clung to Bailey as if she could take her mamm’s place. If Hannah had her way, Bailey would become a member of her familye, and she would be blessed with plenty of nieces and nephews to help raise.

  Holding up the completed dress in front of her, Hannah tried to imagine what Luke would think when he saw her wearing it. Hannah hoped to present to him a Plain version of Bailey. She secretly hoped it would turn her bruder’s head enough for him to get up the nerve to ask Bailey to take a buggy ride. If he didn’t make his move soon, Hannah feared he would miss his opportunity. She knew that city girls tended not to take an interest in Amish guys except out of curiosity, but she didn’t get that impression from Bailey.

  The two of them had become close since Bailey had arrived on the farm, and that friendship had strengthened over the past few days since her father’s accident. Becoming roommates in the small cottage so Bailey’s father could recuperate in the main house had afforded them the chance to act like sisters.

  Until Bailey had arrived on the farm, Hannah had been nothing short of bored and annoyed with most everything in her life. She doted on her daed and bruder, but her life still felt unfulfilled. Her daed would have called her prideful if he’d known her thoughts, but the truth just couldn’t be helped. There was nothing but endless chores, and no hope in sight for any excitement to fill her days.

  Least of all present in Hannah’s life was the prospect of a beau. All the other girls in the community had pretty much picked over the lot in her age group, and Hannah didn’t feel there was anyone left worth having—unless you counted Jeremy Zook. Jeremy was the sort of boy that was unattainable to any girl in the community—especially to Hannah. The trouble was, even if she had the time to pursue a beau, she lacked the confidence to go after a boy like Jeremy. He was what Englisch girls would refer to as “cool”, but to Hannah, that meant he was off limits.

  With Bailey around, Hannah felt suddenly more confident that she could go after her dreams that didn’t include spending the rest of her life strapped to the farm and her responsibilities. It wasn’t so much that she had begun to adapt to a more worldly view of her life, but more that Bailey’s influence on her had made her see there was more to life than what she had accepted for her life.

  All she needed now was a chance to learn about “woman stuff” from Bailey, and she might stand a fighting chance at having the same sort of “normal” life that her friends had surpassed her in enjoying. If Hannah had been the jealous type, she’d have been jealous of each of her friends for possessing the sort of freedoms to choose their own futures the way she wanted to.

  Chapter 15

  “Are you sure about this dress?” Bailey asked Hannah as she fidgeted with the waistline.

  Something was sticking her in her side and she dared not ask Hannah for fear she would insult the girl. It was obvious Hannah had spent a great deal of time sewing it for her, and no matter how awkward she felt, Bailey was determined to wear it.

  “You look wunderbaar,” Hannah said. “But there is something missing.”

  Hannah unpinned her kapp intending to give it to Bailey, but she refused it. “I don’t think I’m supposed to wear that unless I’m Amish.”

  Pinning it back in place, Hannah’s expression changed to a m
ore melancholy look.

  “Perhaps you are right. I could still pin your hair up so it doesn’t hang down your back. It would be more humble and conservative like mine.”

  Bailey reluctantly agreed. She’d seen Luke admiring her hair on more than one occasion, and she didn’t like the idea of hiding it under a series of pins that would only stick her scalp. But for the sake of the girl who’d made such an effort for her, Bailey would consent.

  ****

  Luke finished harnessing the young gelding to the buggy before approaching the cottage to ask Bailey if she would like to accompany him on an evening ride along the country roads. He adjusted the lanterns, making certain they had strong batteries. It wouldn’t do well to have them go dark if they should find themselves some distance from the haus.

  Then again…it might just create the romantic setting he hoped for on this trip.

  Ach, what was he thinking?

  He couldn’t even be certain she was interested in him. She might not even consent to taking a buggy ride in the first place. Perhaps a walk would be more appropriate.

  Luke couldn’t stop the worry from invading his thoughts. It was now or never. They would all be leaving at the end of the week if Jack Parker had his way. He didn’t seem like the type to let a few broken ribs keep him down long. If Jack still intended to revoke his deal with Bailey that would put an end to Luke’s time with her. There would be no reason for either of them to remain on the property and that worried him.

  Luke patted the gelding on his neck. “Wish me luck, Jeb.”

  The horse whinnied as though he was happy to help.

  Luke walked toward the cottage noting the dim light in the windows that flickered from the fireplace in the front room. He could see light coming from the back of the small haus indicating Bailey and Hannah must have retired early.

  Worry pricked his heart, causing him to wonder if he’d taken too long in hitching Jeb to the buggy. One look over his shoulder at the sinking sun let him know it was only dusk. They had eaten the evening meal less than thirty minutes before, but he knew how worn out he was from all the extra work in the orchard, and he could only imagine how much more it probably affected Bailey since she wasn’t used to the workload.

  Luke stood on the porch of the cottage, pacing back and forth across the wooden slats trying to decide if he should knock on the door or try for the following day.

  Why hadn’t he just asked her earlier?

  At least then she would have been expecting him.

  The door suddenly swung open; Luke’s breath caught in his throat as he came to a sudden halt, his feet so heavy he couldn’t move. Bailey stood in the doorway, her copper hair pinned at the base of her neck. Blue pleats flounced at her waistline as she grabbed at the Amish-made dress nervously.

  Her plain beauty was bewildering.

  Was it the dress that had him in such a daze? Or was it the pink flush in her cheeks that mixed with the blue that suddenly made him see her as his bride?

  Luke barely blinked as Bailey moved toward him, closing the space between them. He could see by her soft countenance that their thoughts had merged. One step forward and Luke met her. His hands instinctively raised to her warm cheeks, pulling her toward him.

  Their lips touched softly, and Luke felt his knees go weak.

  “Luke…Luke,” Bailey said from the doorway. “Are you just going to stand there gawking at me, or did you have something to say?”

  Luke shook out of his reverie, feeling more than a little embarrassed.

  How long had he been standing there?

  That kiss had seemed so real.

  How could he ask her for a buggy ride now after he’d made such a fool of himself?

  “I think what mei bruder is trying to say,” Hannah said. “Is that he’d like to ask you to take a buggy ride with him.”

  Luke flashed Hannah a look of reprimand, but before he could say anything, Bailey’s smile distracted him.

  “I’d love to,” Bailey said with such enthusiasm, Luke forgot that he was both mad and embarrassed.

  Luke held out his arm, and Bailey tucked her hand in the crook of his elbow. As he led her down the steps of the porch, he turned his head and mouthed the word “Denki” to Hannah.

  VOLUME FOUR

  Chapter 16

  Luke steered the gelding toward Old Mill Road, wondering how long he could keep up the small-talk with Bailey. It wasn’t that he wasn’t enjoying her company; he was a little nervous he would run out of things to say, and then they would suffer through awkward silence.

  That’s the last thing Luke wanted was more embarrassment than he’d already endured. He enjoyed Bailey’s company so much he prayed she felt the same about him as he felt about her. In his mind, he knew it was probably too soon to think he actually loved Bailey, but his heart was telling him a different story. In fact, he was hoping to brooch the subject of courting—if he could muster up enough nerve to do so. He feared her leaving the farm and never seeing her again—at least before he had a chance to tell her how he felt about her. Though he didn’t doubt his strong feelings, Luke was concerned Bailey would doubt they could have a future together.

  The harvest moon interjected the horizon with splashes of amber and ginger and a bit of buttery daffodil mixed with the indigo sky.

  Luke focused on Bailey, thinking she was much prettier than the view from the open buggy. A slight breeze caused her to shiver, and he instinctively grabbed the lap-quilt and draped it across her shoulders. His arms lingered around her as she leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder. He almost didn’t dare breathe for fear she would move away from him.

  “I didn’t think it would get so chilly yet,” she said quietly.

  Luke cleared his throat nervously. “It probably wouldn’t feel so cold if it wasn’t so damp. The fall rainy season is about to be upon us.”

  Bailey couldn’t help but think about how nice it would be if Luke were to kiss her, but she didn’t hold out any hope for such. She knew she was taking a risk cuddling against him, but she was genuinely cold. If her father could see her, he’d more than likely start handing out lectures and reprimands. He probably wouldn’t approve of her falling for the help.

  Luke’s humble nature and hard-working character was what had turned her head to give him a second look. If not for that, she might tend to automatically think the same way her father did about him. Thinking the opposite of her father was very important to her.

  Yet another reason Luke appealed to her so much.

  Chapter 17

  Bailey packed up the last crates of apples for the day, feeling a bit discouraged. She was sad that her father was so eager to be rid of the only thing left of her family. Her mother’s family had been the tenant farmers back when there was over one hundred acres to the land. Now, all that remained was a small frontage on Goose Pond and twenty-five acres. The small house her mother had grown up in sat nearest the pond, and her aunt’s house and cottage was situated at the back end of the remainder of the apple orchard. Over the years, portions of the land had been sold off, and even the home where her father had grown up now belonged to someone else. She grieved deeply to think that her heritage could be lost so easily.

  The sound of horse hooves clip-clopping along the shoulder of the road entered Bailey’s ears. She glanced over at Hannah, who’d stopped what she was doing and turned a little ashen.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  Hannah tried to mouth the words, but simply pointed to the road where a cloud of dust alerted them to a visitor coming up the long dirt drive toward the barn.

  “Who is that?” Bailey asked.

  “Jeremy,” Hannah said quietly. “Zook,” she added as she watched him steer the horse toward them.

  Bailey watched Hannah shake and fidget as though she was about to bolt.

  “Are you going to be alright?” she asked Hannah.

  “Don’t leave me here alone with him,” she begged. “I never know what to say to h
im.”

  “Does he know you like him?”

  “Nee,” Hannah answered. “I can’t tell him that I like him any more than you can tell mei bruder how you really feel about him!”

  “Why are you dragging me into this?” Bailey asked. “And who says I like Luke?”

  Hannah looked at her and smiled. “Your eyes tell on you every time you look at him.”

  Bailey couldn’t deny what Hannah said. The girl had called her out, and it was time to face her own feelings before picking on Hannah for hers.

  “I plan on telling Luke tonight when we take another buggy ride.” Bailey announced. “What about you? You’ve been in love with Jeremy for how long?”

  “About a year now,” Hannah admitted.

  Bailey giggled. “Don’t you think you should tell him before he gets tired of waiting on you?”

  Hannah grabbed an apple out of one of the crates and rubbed a shine on it with her apron. “He isn’t waiting on me.”

  “Is he courting anyone else?” Bailey asked.

  “Nee,” Hannah said. “He’s never courted anyone.”

  “It seems to me he might be waiting on someone, and I have a feeling by the look in his eyes that it is probably you!”

  Jeremy pulled the buggy around the circular drive that dead-ended at the barn. His gaze fell upon Hannah as he tipped his hat toward her.

  Bailey watched as the two magnetically gravitated toward one another and began to make small talk, smiling and fidgeting equally. They conversed as though Bailey was nowhere near them, and it made her chuckle inside to know that he was obviously as infatuated with her as she was with him. With a little coaching, Bailey could help Hannah to gain the confidence she needed to make her feelings known to Jeremy before his interest in her waned.