The Amish Cowboy's Homecoming Read online

  “Mercy me,” Sarah said.

  “Were their parents with them back then?” Grace asked.

  “Jah,” Isaac replied. “Lucas said he remembered their names, and he knew their address because it rhymed with a place he used to live.”

  “That was lucky,” Grace said.

  “Honestly, it was a hunch at best,” Isaac said. “But Lucas wanted to go after them. Jeremiah, too—I don’t blame him. Before I knew it, there were twenty men ready to form a search party.” He looked at Sarah again. “Your husband led one of the groups. He took them down by the river.”

  “My Amos knows the trails along those riverbanks like the back of his hand,” Sarah said.

  “Did you find them?”

  Isaac was glad Grace wanted to jump to the end of the story, for there were details she didn’t need to know about. What they’d done was dangerous and foolish, and someone could’ve been badly hurt.

  “The hunch paid off, and it was exactly who we guessed,” Isaac said. “They were hiding in the woods outside Weaver’s Feed Mill.” He paused to run a hand down his face. “They’d lit another fire.”

  “Good gracious!” Grace cried, cupping her hands over both cheeks. “Did you put it out in time?”

  “Aye. It did little damage. There were four teens, ten of us men. They fessed up to what they’d done right quick, though they blamed one another, didn’t stop pointing fingers until we dropped the last one off at home.” He paused to shake his head. “Their parents were furious and very apologetic to Jeremiah.”

  “What happens now?” Grace asked.

  “I’m not exactly sure. Lucas and Jeremiah were the ones talking with all the parents. Jeremiah didn’t have fire insurance on the barn, so—”

  “So, he has to pay to rebuild it?” Grace cut in, banging a fist on the table. “That’s not fair. That’s not fair at all.”

  “Grace,” Sarah hushed. “People are trying to sleep in this house.”

  “Sorry,” Grace said, forcing herself to breathe out. But Isaac could still see the fury in her expression. “Why are the Brennemans responsible for something they didn’t do?”

  “You didn’t let me finish,” Isaac said, putting a hand on Grace’s arm, hoping to calm her down. He didn’t care if Sarah approved or not. “The Jacksons—they’re the family with the two brothers—they offered to pay for the rebuild if Jeremiah didn’t press charges.”

  “You mean tell the police on them?”

  Isaac nodded. Then waited.

  “But…” Grace bit her thumbnail. “But plain folks wouldn’t go to the English police anyway.”

  Isaac pulled back a corner of his mouth. “Apparently, the Jacksons don’t know that.”

  Grace’s gaze moved to the side, then up. “You mean…” She covered her smile with a hand. “Is that even…moral?”

  “I suppose that’s for Gott to decide,” Isaac said. “Though Bishop Turner was standing right there with Jeremiah the whole time.”

  Hearing Grace’s giggle made Isaac’s spirits soar.

  “Well, I guess we’re to take the Lord’s tender mercies no matter how they come to us.” Grace walked over to Sarah, offering to help with the oatmeal.

  Isaac leaned an elbow on the table, resting his chin in his palm, allowing his eyes to follow Grace around the room. He wondered if she knew he was watching, because she never stopped smiling while a little pink blush stained her cheeks, a twinkle in her blue eyes. After the third time Sarah cleared her throat, Isaac knew he’d outworn his welcome.

  “I should go home,” he said. “Back to the Chupps’, I mean. Clean up and change clothes for the day. Do you mind if Sadie stays here until she wakes up?”

  “‘Course not,” Grace said. “I’ll walk you out.”

  Isaac couldn’t help feeling Sarah’s disapproving stare following them until he walked out onto the porch.

  “I’m so glad you’re safe,” Grace said, pulling the door closed behind her. The yellow light of the early morning sun gathered around her like she was the sun itself. “I couldn’t stop worrying. Word came back that someone was injured. I was frantic.”

  “Oh.” Isaac rubbed his chin. “Uh, jah. That was me.”

  “You?” Grace stared at him, then her eyes ran down his body. “Are you hurt? What happened?”

  Isaac shouldn’t have brought it up. It had been embarrassing enough in front of the other men. “I, uh, c-came off a horse.”

  “While it was running? Isaac, you could’ve been trampled to death out there in the dark.”

  “Not while it was running.” He sniffed and rubbed his nose. “You know that handkerchief you gave me earlier?”

  “Jah?” Grace nodded, eyes fixed on him.

  “I put it in my pocket before we left. Anyway, we were stopping to water the horses, so I slowed the gelding way down, practically walking.”

  “And?”

  “I wanted to touch the handkerchief, like it would bring me good luck or something.” He paused to chuckle, feeling a bit silly. “I was looking down at it, not paying attention to where I was going. Long story short, a tree branch came out of nowhere and hit me in the face.”

  Grace was holding back pretty well, but after a few seconds, she burst into giggles.

  “I know, I know,” Isaac said, unable to suppress his own laugh. “So much for my ‘Amish Cowboy’ reputation. I’m grateful only half of the group witnessed it.”

  “Oh.” Grace wiped the corners of her eyes. “This is a very forgiving community. I’m sure everyone’s forgotten about it.”

  They stood on the porch in silence. Isaac knew he needed to be on his way but didn’t want to say goodbye. “Well,” he finally said, “I have a lot to do today.”

  “I’ll see you later, then?” Grace said. “We’re going to saddle and ride Cincinnati today, remember?”

  “I hate to miss that, but something important’s come up that I can’t shirk.” He looked down and ran a hand through his hair. “I fear I won’t be available to train as much as we planned this week. Maybe even the week after.”

  “Why?”

  “The Jacksons are paying for the materials for the barn to be rebuilt, but not the actual rebuild. There’s a lot to prepare for, clean up, plan, and draft. Jeremiah has his farm to take care of, re-corralling the loose livestock. Lucas has a busy job, too. The cleanup alone is going to be a community endeavor, not to mention the rebuild.” He paused, hoping and praying he’d made the right decision. “I volunteered to lead the project.”

  “You? But, Isaac, you don’t even live…” Her voice trailed off as she stared at him. Then something seemed to occur to her, and she lifted a little smile.

  “I know,” he said, smiling back. “Feels like home, though.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  It was strange, working with Cincinnati alone. With the other horses, Grace had always been accustomed to being the sole trainer, but Sin felt different.

  “Good boy,” she said, leaning forward to rub along Sin’s shoulder. Just as she’d suspected, he’d taken to the blanket and soft saddle pad without a single issue. The heavier leather saddle with stirrups and the thicker belt around his belly took a bit more time, but by noon, Grace was riding him around the perimeter of the front ring with complete ease.

  Still, with every accomplishment the grand horse made, Grace wished Isaac were there to commemorate it. They were a team. It didn’t feel the same without sharing those moments with her partner.

  Or maybe she simply missed his presence altogether.

  She clicked her tongue and angled the reins. Cincinnati obeyed the prompt and made the turn perfectly. She smiled to herself, daydreaming about what Isaac would have said.

  She’d seen him a few hours ago, just checking in before going out to the site of last night’s fire. Cleanup and rebuilding projects were huge un
dertakings, ending with a barn raising.

  Grace wasn’t surprised in the least by Isaac’s desire to help the village, a community of which he was only a temporary member. Didn’t she see that so often in his personality now?

  Maybe this means he wants to stay? Grace asked herself as she climbed off the horse. Maybe he’s thinking of a future in Honey Brook.

  But Grace knew it was dangerous to let her thoughts drift there. It wasn’t fair to either of them, and it could all end in disappointment.

  Sometimes it’s better to not give your heart away, she’d told herself a million times. But then she pictured Isaac’s eyes and smile, his sometimes scruffy hair, and the way just hearing his voice brought a thrill to her entire being.

  Wasn’t it foolish to have jumped to conclusions? They’d never once talked about marriage. It wasn’t Isaac’s fault that Grace had allowed her worries about the future to get the best of her the night before.

  For all I know, Isaac wants a traditional wife to keep house and have children, be his helpmeet like Mother Eve was to Father Adam. If so, should either of us be wasting our time with even one date?

  As Grace let that thought settle, it didn’t feel quite right. After all, wasn’t Silver Springs New Order? She didn’t know all the differences between their two Ordnungs yet, but so far she’d surmised that Isaac’s home was more progressive in rules like technology use and worship services…not to mention their courting restrictions were much more lax.

  At the same time, Grace also understood that didn’t necessarily mean the same for rules about wives staying home or other Amish traditions.

  But what if it did?

  Maybe he wants to pair himself with a more independent woman. Someone who matches his talents and intellect.

  Yes, that sat much better in Grace’s mind. She could always ask Isaac about it, flat-out. But how embarrassing would that conversation be? Instead, she decided to follow his lead—after all, he’d been an amazing teacher so far.

  Grace felt herself smiling as she brushed Cincinnati, feeling the warmth of the noonday sun on her face, also feeling warmth spread through her soul. After releasing the horse into the back pasture, she headed to the house. She’d slept only a few hours last night and was beginning to feel the weariness of tired muscles.

  When she entered the house, Sarah was in the kitchen, mixing something in a bowl, gazing out the window over the sink. Amos was seated at the table, looking down into his plate of chicken casserole. To Grace, it appeared that neither was acknowledging that the other was in the same room.

  It made her heart ache to see her brother and sister-in-law unhappy. She didn’t know what else to do—or if anything she might do would make a difference.

  “Hallo,” she said, walking to the sink to wash her hands.

  “Want lunch?” Sarah asked without looking at her.

  “Danke, yes, please.” She walked over to Amos, gesturing at his food. “This looks delicious. I’d love some if there’s any left.”

  Sarah uncovered a casserole dish that was sitting on the counter. “Bring me your plate.”

  Grace quickly obeyed, wanting to show her gratitude. “Yum.” She put her nose over the steaming dish and inhaled. “Did you make this last night?”

  “Jah.” Sarah handed her the plate. Her face looked drained of energy, eyes red and weary.

  “Danke.” Grace sat across from her brother and took a heaping forkful. “Sarah,” she said with her mouth full, “this is so good. Mmm…did you add celery?”

  “Aye.” Sarah finally turned to her. “It’s nice to hear some appreciation once in a while.” She looked at Amos, but he didn’t even twitch.

  “I really appreciate this—and you,” Grace quickly added. “You know cooking isn’t my favorite. I appreciate every time I don’t have to make a meal.”

  “You’re welcome, Grace,” Sarah said, still looking across the room at her husband.

  When Amos didn’t offer a single word, Grace’s heart sank. Were they so angry at each other that not even one kind sentiment could be shared between them?

  Grace ate slowly, wanting to ask Amos to share his story about last night but fearing saying anything might cause a fight between them.

  “Sadie woke up at about eight,” Sarah said, pouring batter into a round cake pan. “She’s upstairs with Jane.”

  “Oh!” Grace said, alarmed that she’d almost forgotten Isaac’s daughter had spent the night. “I’ll go get her. She needs a bath and change of clothes.”

  “Don’t worry,” Sarah said. “I took care of it.”

  “You gave her a bath?” Grace asked.

  Sarah opened the oven. “Janie and Leah too. I put them all in the big tub together, let them play in the water for a while with some paper boats I folded. They were having fun.”

  Grace couldn’t help being shocked.

  “She’s a little smaller than Jane,” Sarah continued, “but she’s wearing one of her old dresses. I double-wrapped the apron ties.”

  “You…” Grace knew the tone of her voice sounded much too surprised. “You did all that?”

  “Why, ‘course!” Sarah said. “She’s a guest in our home. Or did you think I don’t know how to take care of kinnahs?”

  “Nay,” Grace said, lowering her fork. “I just—” She cut herself off before she said something she shouldn’t. “Danke, sister. That was really wonderful of you.”

  Sarah merely shrugged and continued her routine.

  Grace slid her gaze over to Amos, startled to see that his eyes were fixed on his wife, looking first confused and then…pleasantly surprised?

  “More chicken?” Sarah asked, addressing Amos.

  “Uh, please,” he replied, holding up his plate. “Danke, Sarah.”

  Something changed in the air—maybe only slightly, but Grace felt it as she looked back and forth at Sarah and Amos. She didn’t want to move, fearing she’d break the mood, but she also thought it best that she get out of that room as soon as possible, in case they wanted to talk to each other.

  “More milk?” Sarah asked her husband.

  That was the last thing Grace heard before she snuck out of the house. While standing on the porch, she closed her eyes, offering a sincere prayer of thanksgiving, then asking Gott to please continue to bless her brother and sister-in-law, to help them forgive each other, to remember the wedding vows they’d made, and how they’d once been crazy in love with each other.

  “Grace?”

  Recognizing the voice, warmth immediately filled her chest, happy little flutters in her tummy. “Hi,” she said, opening her eyes.

  “How is your day so far?” Isaac asked, walking to the porch.

  “Shhh,” Grace hushed, padding down the stairs and taking Isaac at the elbow, leading him away from the house. “I think they’re talking.”

  Isaac hunched his shoulders, as if trying to shrink his body. “Who?” he whispered.

  “Shhh—Sarah and Amos.”

  “Ahh.” He nodded a few times. “And that’s good?”

  Grace glanced over her shoulder at the house. “I don’t know.” She held her shoulders up in a shrug. “Maybe.”

  “Grace.” Isaac spoke the single word, lifting a big smile.

  “What?”

  “I just…” He chuckled softly, shaking his head. “I sure do like you.”

  “Oh.” Grace knew she was blushing, but she’d stopped feeling self-conscious in front of Isaac long ago. “I like you, too.” Playing it safe, she removed her hand that was still clutching his arm. “And if I didn’t tell you yesterday, what you’re doing is making me like you more and more.”

  “What am I doing?” he asked, leaning his face toward hers, making Grace’s lips tingle.

  “The b-barn,” she managed to sputter. “Rebuilding.”

  “Nah,” he whispere
d. “Folks in Honey Brook have been so kind to Sadie and me. I reckon she has more friends here than she did back home.”

  Grace tried to not make that daydreaming leap about Isaac staying in Honey Brook. One step at a time.

  “Sadie’s inside playing with Jane,” Grace said. “Do you want to say hello?”

  “I thought the house was off-limits.”

  “Well…”

  Isaac smiled. “I’m sure she’s fine, and I wouldn’t want to interrupt…um, anything. I do have time before I’m meeting with the cleanup volunteers. How’s Sin?”

  Grace grinned, and she couldn’t talk fast enough, reporting everything to Isaac about how well that morning’s training had gone, as they strolled toward the stables.

  “Amazing job,” Isaac said, after easily mounting Cincinnati, the horse finally behaving like the champion thoroughbred he was. What Grace thought was amazing was how elegant and poised Isaac looked atop the horse.

  “How did you do it so fast?” he added, leading Cincinnati to make a right-hand turn.

  Grace shrugged. “Something my father taught me. ‘Training with the Spirit,’ he used to call it. Do you know he prefers to hear ‘I’ll Do a Golden Deed’?”

  “Your father?”

  “Nay—Sin.” Grace giggled. “He’s calm as a summer’s day after I sing the second chorus. I think it puts him in the mood to be taught.” She reached out and gave the horse a tender pat. “Always does for me.”

  “Grace.”

  “Aye?”

  He didn’t continue right away, but simply kept those intense hazel eyes fixed on her, causing her heart to skip a beat. “Don’t make me say what I’m thinking right now.”

  “That bad?” she grinned. “Or that good?”

  “Very good.” He chuckled and adjusted his hat. “Mind if I ride him a while?”

  “He’ll love it.”

  While Isaac took all the spare time he had to work with Cincinnati, Grace led Daisy, one of the new mares, into the pasture. They weren’t working together, but at least she could watch him, wave as he rode by. But it wasn’t long before time was up, and Isaac had to leave. He insisted on removing the saddle and tack and then brushing out Cincinnati before returning him to the back pasture.