A Beau for Katie (10 page)

She followed. “You can't roll yourself up that concrete ramp. It's too steep.”

He stopped where he was and looked up at her, clearly amused. “There you go again.”

She stopped where she was. “What?”

“You're being bossy. Telling me what I can and can't do. And you've got that tone.”

“What tone?”

He eyed her.

She gave a harrumph. “Well, you won't be all that concerned with
my tone
if you try to manage that slope by yourself, roll down that ramp, crash and break your head. Maybe an arm or two. Or maybe the other leg.” She pointed. “Then you'll have a matched pair.”

“I hadn't thought about how steep the ramp is.” He looked up at her, the corner of his mouth turning up in a sheepish smile. “So, maybe I do need a little help.”

“I think you do, Freeman,” she said, taking on a sickeningly sweet tone. “We wouldn't want you to be injured, now would we?” She came up to his wheelchair and patted him patronizingly on the hand as she might have done an invalid person. She went on with the same sing-song voice. “So, I think the
best
thing would be for you to wheel yourself to the foot of the ramp and shout for your hired man to come out and push you up.”

She met his gaze and smiled a simpering smile to match the simpering voice.

Freeman took one look at her, burst into laughter and rolled himself out of the parlor. She could still hear him laughing as he went down the hall and she chuckled to herself. She wasn't sure what had just passed between them, but she was certain something had changed. Something for the good, she was quite sure.

* * *

Freeman sat on his porch and watched a very short-statured woman climb his steps, carrying a large wicker picnic basket. While he had never met Ellie, he knew this had to be her when he saw her pull into the mill parking lot in a little pony cart. She was the only female little person in the county.

“Hi, I'm Ellie, Katie's friend.” She smiled at him. She was so small that they were almost eye-to-eye with him in the wheelchair and her standing. “I live with Sara Yoder and she wanted me to run these canned spiced peaches over. And a fresh-baked blueberry coffee cake.”

“Nice to meet you, Ellie.” Freeman smiled at her and then called over his shoulder, “Katie, your friend Ellie is here.”

“Ellie!” Katie pushed open the kitchen screen door, drying her hands on her apron. She was wearing a scarf, rather than her prayer
kapp,
and wisps of blond hair stuck out here and there, framing her face. He liked her in the scarf; it softened her face. “What a nice surprise.”

“I was telling Freeman, this cake just came out of the oven. Sara and I have been baking most of the day,” Ellie explained, “and I thought it would be a nice break to get out of the house and drive over here.”

“Come sit for a few minutes,” Freeman said, indicating the chair to his left.

The little woman, dressed in a bright green dress and starched white
kapp
settled the basket into his lap. “I hope you like blueberries. Because there's blueberry cake and blueberry jam.”

“Love them,” he assured her. He opened the basket to find the cake, two quarts of peaches and several pints of jam. “This is a real treat,” he said. “I know we'll enjoy everything. Tell Sara how much we appreciate her thinking of us.”

It was kind of Sara to send the goodies, but secretly, he was a little disappointed. He hadn't been expecting company, and he'd been hoping that he could persuade Katie to take him back over to the mill. He'd finished most of the backed up billing and computer work yesterday when Shad had helped him up the ramp, but he wanted to show her the interior of the mill. It was already Friday afternoon. Somehow the week had gone by in a flash, and there would be two long days before she returned on Monday.

“Did Sara have a good crop of blueberries?” Uncle Jehu asked.

Freeman introduced his uncle. He and Jehu had been sitting there on the porch, enjoying glasses of lemonade and passing the time while Katie cleaned up after the midday meal. Shad had left work early to go to a dentist appointment, and Grossmama was waiting on a customer at the mill. Friday afternoon was usually a busy one, with locals and tourists stopping to buy stone-ground flour, and homemade jams and jellies from the small shop.

“She did,” Katie said as she lifted the basket out of his lap. “Sara has a lot of blueberries. We've picked and frozen more blueberries than I've ever seen in my life, and we've eaten our share of them.”

“I don't think I've eaten my share,” Uncle Jehu said. “And I don't think I ever will.”

“Well, I don't want to keep you from your chores, Katie.” Ellie turned to her. “I'll just be on my way.”

“You don't have to rush off,” Freeman insisted, remembering his manners. “Please. Stay a while and sit with us. Katie?” He looked up at her. “Do we have more of that lemonade left?”

“We do,” she said. “
Ya
, Ellie. No need to go so soon.” She laughed, giving a wave. “Enjoy your summer while you can. Soon enough the
kinder
will be back in school and you'll not have a moment to sit and visit.”

Freeman waved the little teacher to one of the chairs at the old table Katie had brought from the shed. He'd thought it far past its prime, but with a good scrubbing and a pretty blue tablecloth, it made the porch look downright inviting. Katie had added mismatched wooden chairs as well and it had become the perfect spot for their evening meals.

Freeman watched Ellie climb up into one of the chairs at the table. She was so short that her feet dangled just like a child's might. She didn't seem to notice. In spite of her size, Ellie was an attractive young woman with a ready smile, bright blue eyes, and blond hair. Katie had spoken of her often, and he knew the two were fast becoming good friends. Any other time, he would have been glad of Ellie's company, but selfishly, with Shad leaving early, he'd been hoping to have some time alone with Katie. He wanted to explain the workings of the mill, and he thought that she'd be interested in its history.

“I'll just cut this cake and we can all have some,” Katie offered. “Unless you've had your fill of blueberries,” she said to Ellie.

Ellie laughed. “Can't say that I have. Sara has a way with cake.”

“I think I'll take a slice over to Ivy,” Uncle Jehu said. “And some of that lemonade. No need for her to sit over there alone and miss out on the cake.”

“Much traffic on the roads today?” Freeman asked Ellie.

“Not bad,” Ellie replied, admiring the fresh cut flowers in a Mason jar in the middle of the table. “These are so pretty. I love black-eyed Susans.” She returned her attention to Freeman. “But I took the back way. And the pony's car-wise.”

Katie whisked away the cake and Jehu followed her into the house. Jehu was soon on his way to the mill with cake and lemonade, and Katie brought a tray of refreshments to the table on the porch. Soon the three of them were enjoying the snack. Two more cars pulled into the mill and an English woman got out of the vehicle and took a photograph of Ellie's pony and the cart with her cell phone.

“I wonder if the bishop would object?” Katie asked Freeman.

Ellie laughed, and the two of them began relating a story involving Sara and a tourist at Bylers' Store.

“And then,” Ellie explained. “Before the woman knew what had happened, Sara had the woman's camera and was taking a picture of her and her husband. She gave the camera back and hurried away, leaving the Englishers gape-mouthed and without a photo of the quaint little Amish lady.”

“At least Sara thought it was funny,” Katie said with a giggle. “You don't want to get on her bad side.”

“Does she have a temper?” Freeman asked. And at that, both girls laughed even harder. He found himself having a good time, a much better time than he'd expected. He liked watching Katie so at ease and enjoying herself. She looked especially pretty in her tidy scarf and dark green dress. She seemed so happy, and seeing her smile and enjoy herself made him content as well.

Ellie finished her cake and lemonade and the two women carried the empty plates and glasses into the kitchen. Freeman could hear them giggling together like schoolgirls. It was good to hear laughter in the house. For too long, he and his grandmother and uncle had been too serious.

“What's so funny?” he asked when Katie and Ellie came back onto the porch.

Katie looked at her friend and they both giggled again. “Girl stuff,” she assured him.

Ellie walked to the steps and then turned to Freeman. “Thank you for the lemonade,” she said. “I hope your leg is better soon.”

“Thank you.” He nodded. “Come again. Any time. You don't even have to bring cake.” He flashed a grin. “But you can.”

“I'll walk you out to the cart.” Katie looped her arm through Ellie's.

Freeman watched them go, talking. Then Ellie climbed up into the cart, picked up the reins and drove out of the yard. Katie stood watching her friend until she pulled onto the road and then returned to the porch.

“What did I miss?” he asked her.

“Wouldn't you like to know?” She giggled. “What do you think of my friend Ellie?”

“I like her,” he answered.
But I think I like you better.

Chapter Nine

“S
o you're not going to tell me what was so funny?” Freeman asked Katie as she came up the porch steps.

Katie shook her head. “If we'd wanted you to hear, we would have told you.” She cut her eyes at him and teasingly said, “Women's business and not for your ears.”

He uttered a disgruntled sigh that she could tell was more for show than genuine disagreement. “Fine hired help you are. Much too saucy.” He rested his hands on the rims of his wheelchair. “You should show more respect for the man who pays your wages.”

“Should I?” Her blue eyes twinkled. “I suppose you could point out to me a more respectful way of telling you to mind your own beeswax.”

He considered that for a moment. “I doubt it.”

“So...” She rolled her eyes, enjoying the verbal play between them that she was pretty sure was flirtation. “I suppose I'm being too forward again.”

Freeman shook his head. “
Ne
, Katie. In this instance, I'd say you were just right.” His smile became a sheepish grin, and she thought again how very attractive he was. Particularly when he smiled. “I had no right to pry about what was said between you and your friend.”

“Even when you pay my wages?” she teased. She could feel the telltale heat of a blush washing over her throat and cheeks, but she was having too much fun to back down now. Instead, she fixed him with a penetrating gaze.

And it was Freeman who surrendered. “You have me there.” He chuckled. “I'm afraid whatever respect I demanded as your employer is long lost.”

“Not lost at all,” she assured him, her mood changing to one of all seriousness. “I do respect you, Freeman. Even more for being a man of uncommon good sense.”

“Then we're friends?”

She nodded, giving her attention to the folds of her skirt and smoothing it. “Friends.” And maybe, she thought, maybe they were just friends. But maybe Ellie was right that it was something more.

Katie definitely wanted it to be more; she was beginning to realize that. But this was unfamiliar ground for her. Unconsciously, she caught a handful of the material in her skirt and gripped it. She'd never had a beau, never understood what her girlfriends meant when they said they were all giddy or had butterflies in their stomach every time they saw the object of their affection. But she certainly didn't feel like herself in Freeman's presence. Was she right that day they'd played horseshoes? Was she falling in love with him?

A mockingbird's trill song sounded loud and clear from the tree by the porch, and the sweetness of it pierced and enhanced her deep musing.

Ellie definitely thought Freeman was interested in her beyond her cooking and housekeeping skills. “Freeman likes you,” Ellie had whispered when they'd gone into the kitchen together. “It's as plain as the freckles on your nose.”

But if Ellie was right, what did she do about it? Did she do anything? Where did their relationship go from here? And how? What came next? For once in her life, Katie was at a loss.

Freeman gestured toward the entrance to the mill on the far side of the yard, where Ivy and Jehu were standing close together and talking animatedly. “Have you noticed that those two have gotten very friendly lately? More so, I think, since you've come to help out. You've cheered us all up.”

She glanced at them and smiled. “More than
friendly
, I think.” Her heartbeat slowed to near normal as their conversation turned less personal. “Have you noticed how she watches him when he does his leather work at the kitchen table?” she asked. “And how he perks up whenever she comes into the house? They like each other, all right.”

“Of course they do,” Freeman said. “Why wouldn't they? We're family. My grandmother is a good woman, and Uncle Jehu, well, he's Uncle Jehu. Who wouldn't like him?”

“I don't mean
like
each other,” she explained patiently. “Not as you
like
your friends Charley and Eli, but more than that. The way a man likes a woman and a woman likes a man.” She glanced at them. “I think they are both lonely, and it wouldn't take much to convince them that they're good for each other.”

“You mean as a couple?” A frown creased his forehead. “But he's younger than she is.”

“Not so much that it would be indecent.” Katie shrugged. “So your grandmother isn't a young woman. It's no matter. She's still vital and full of life.” She considered Freeman for a moment. “Do you have a problem with the idea of the two of them as a couple? Is there some reason you wouldn't want them to court?”

Freeman thought for a minute and then said, “Not really. There are no blood ties between them.”

She smiled at him. “So how do we get them together? How do we make them realize how perfect they are for each other?”

Freeman put up his hands, palms out. “We don't. We stay out of their business. It's never wise to interfere.”

She brushed away his argument with a wave of her hand. “Nonsense. Ivy probably feels like she can't make the first move, even if she wants to. And your uncle is shy. We have to find a way to get them together, to help them see that marriage would be in the best interest of them both.”

“Marriage?”
He looked at her as if she'd just said the most absurd thing. “You want me to try and convince my grandmother and my uncle to marry each other?”

She chuckled at his typically male reluctance to grasp what she'd been trying to tell him. “Who else are we talking about? Of course, to each other.”

He shook his head slowly, though she could tell he was thinking about the idea. “It sounds like trouble to me,” he said.

She folded her arms. “But you agree with me that they're perfect for each other.”

“I didn't say that.”

“Freeman.” She sighed and let her arms fall to her sides. “You know I'm right. Admit it. How many men do you know who would think to carry cake and lemonade to a woman? And doesn't Ivy always laugh at Uncle Jehu's jokes, no matter how many times she's heard them?”

“That's a good point,” he agreed. “She does laugh at his jokes.” He looked up at her. “So you think that the two of us should endeavor to bring them together?”

“I do,” she said. “They deserve to be happy.”

Freeman looked doubtful. “And you know what would make them happy?”

“It's a natural thing; God meant us to walk on this earth two by two. She's widowed and he's alone, too. They need someone and they like each other. Why shouldn't they marry?”

He sat there for a moment and then looked up at her. “I guess we've come to the conclusion that there's no reason why they shouldn't. What I'm unconvinced of is that we should have a hand in trying to unite them. I've always believed in minding my own affairs and letting others mind theirs.”

“Even when it would bring about something good and positive?”

“Your opinion,” he reminded her.

She frowned. “If you're so set against them finding happiness together, then you should certainly stay out of it.” She was quiet for a moment and then went on. “I know they aren't my relatives, although I've come to care for them both in the past several weeks. But...” She drew in a deep breath and forged ahead. “I won't be here after today, so I suppose you're right. It's foolish of me to talk about us trying to support a courtship between them.”

“What do you mean you won't be here?” He scowled. Then it dawned on him what she meant. “Wait. You've been here two weeks already? I don't think that's right.”

“
Ya
, it's been two weeks,” she told him.

“Well, I...” He stopped and started again. “I may have agreed to two weeks, but that was only supposed to be a trial. Sara must have told you the job would likely be longer than just the two weeks. You can't leave us now, Katie. I'm not ready to run this household yet. I'm not back on my feet yet. Who would do the washing? And cooking? I don't think Grossmama
's
oatmeal would be good for my recovery.”

She averted her gaze, pressing her lips together in amusement. Obviously, Freeman didn't want her to leave. She wondered if she should tell him that talk of oatmeal might not be the best way to convince her. But the truth was, she didn't want to leave either. “I suppose I could stay on another week,” she offered, looking back to him. “If you're certain you can't manage without me.”

“Another two weeks, at least, and not a day less.”

“I don't know—” she hemmed, mostly because she didn't know that she should give in too quickly to his demands. He was just becoming bearable to live with. She didn't want to put any ideas in his head that he could tell her what to do.

“No buts, Katie,” Freeman insisted, though not unkindly. “If it's a matter of how much we're paying you, then we can renegotiate.”

She shook her head, aghast that he should think that she was greedy. “It was never the money, Freeman. What you pay is more than fair.”

He nodded. “Good. Then there will be no more talk of you leaving us yet. I'll expect you back promptly on Monday morning.”

Katie tried to hide her delight. He wanted her to stay as much as she wanted to be there. “
Ya
, Freeman, if you think that's best,” she murmured before looking up at him through her lashes. “But there's one stipulation. If I do come back for another two weeks, you'll let me move that bed out of the kitchen. It...it's too...” She grimaced. “It takes up too much room and it gathers dust. You'll get far better rest in one of the downstairs bedrooms.”

“Agreed.” He nodded. “So you'll stay on at least another two weeks. It's settled.”

She lowered her gaze to her bare feet. If he saw her eyes, he'd know how pleased she was. She wanted to shout with joy—rush down to the millpond and leap in, fully dressed. She was staying on here with Freeman, Jehu and Ivy.

“And maybe there's one more condition,” she ventured.

“Oh? Another?” His voice showed amusement. “What more could you ask of me?”

“That you'll consider what I said about your grandmother and your uncle. That you'll think about helping me find ways to make them see how much they need each other.”

He stroked his chin. He was clean-shaven, but he'd missed a spot on the left and a small clump of reddish whiskers had sprung up. She found the mishap as endearing as his argument for keeping her on in order to avoid his grandmother's oatmeal.

“I'll think about it,” Freeman allowed. “But I'm making no promises.”

“That's all I ask,” she said. “Because, if you do think about it, I know you'll come to the conclusion that I'm right.”

“Woman, have you ever considered that you usually think you're in the right?”

She smiled sweetly. “It's because I am. And you know it.”

* * *

The following morning dawned rainy and wet, but it didn't stop Freeman from repeatedly wheeling himself to the screen door to look out into the yard. Uncle Jehu was at the sink washing the breakfast dishes, and Ivy had gone to the mill to tend the store.

“Your coffee's getting cold, boy,” his uncle warned. “What are you doing by the door? Katie doesn't come again until Monday.”

“I'm not looking for Katie,” Freeman answered, trying to ignore the fact that his uncle called him a boy. He knew it was said out of affection, but it still rubbed like a rough spot under a harness. Maybe Katie was right. Maybe it would be better for them all if Uncle Jehu married his grandmother and he moved into her house and out of this one. Maybe they were too much in each other's shoes for comfort.

“So who are you expecting?” Uncle Jehu persisted.

Freeman tried to find patience. His uncle's curiosity was normal enough. But it made it hard when a man could find no privacy with a delicate matter in his own house. Did he always have to discuss everything with his uncle and his grandmother?

“Too wet for horseshoes,” Jehu said when Freeman didn't answer right away. “Not Eli or Charley. The way that wind smells, it will rain all day and into the night.” He found a clean hand towel to dry the bowls and spoons on the sideboard.

“You're right. No horseshoes today,” Freeman agreed.

Uncle Jehu dropped the clean spoons into the knife and fork drawer. “Make for damp traveling to church tomorrow. Not too far. At Big Peachy's. Not too far to walk for Ivy and me, but if it's still wet, we'll take the buggy.” He turned his head as he would if he were sighted. “Unless you've a mind to come to worship with us. Then we'd take the buggy regardless of the weather.”

Freeman shook his head. “I'd not thought to go. It would be too much to ask for someone to come for me on the Sabbath. Help me in and out of a buggy. Too much,” he repeated.

“It must be a trial to you, missing service and the company of the community.” Uncle Jehu carefully hung the towel on a hook near the sink. “Not to mention Big Peachy's wife's raisin-nut bread.” He grinned. “I'll smuggle you home a few slices if there are any left after the second sitting.”

Freeman nodded. He'd missed several Sabbaths since the accident and it did trouble him. All his life church Sundays had been a solid part of his life, and he found it difficult to stay at home while his grandmother and uncle went to worship and to hear the word of God as revealed to the preachers and the bishop.

“So who are you expecting this morning?” Uncle Jehu persisted. “Some of the church elders come to bring you spiritual comfort?”

Freeman gritted his teeth. He should have just told his uncle, but he hadn't been sure he was ready to speak his intentions aloud. Not that he could go on much longer that way. If he didn't speak his intentions, how would he ever know what chance he had? “Sara Yoder,” he answered under his breath.