Ties That Bind (2 page)

Twenty years later…

T
he mid-August air trilled with the sound of insects, and the clammy breeze played with the tattered beige sheers hanging from the lone window. Ariana glanced at the faded numbers on the clock that had hung on the bedroom wall as far back as she could remember. The clock and sheers matched most of what was inside her home—useful but having seen better days. Singing softly, she ran a comb through her hair and pinned it up anew.

Date night. For almost three years she'd been going out with various young men. It used to be little more than a pleasant distraction from thoughts of Quill, but lately dating held new feelings and hopes. The cause for that was Rudy Herschberger, a kind and handsome twenty-one-year-old who had moved to this area a year ago.

Maybe he could make her forget the heartache…the confusion…

“Ariana?” Mamm tapped on the bedroom door.

“Kumm.” Ariana put on her prayer
Kapp
and secured it with two white bobby pins.

“So”—Mamm closed the gap between them—“let me check on my handiwork.” She ran her fingers across the shoulders of Ariana's pale-green dress. “I managed to hide the worst of the threadbare seams, but it gives you less room to move your shoulders.”

“It's fine, Mamm.” Ariana turned to face the dresser mirror. Streaks and spots of discoloration on the old glass made her face look as tattered and worn as her dress. “If Rudy's head is turned by a girl wearing better clothes, I need to know that now rather than later.”

What money she earned was earmarked. All of it, because from her earliest memories, she'd had a strange, determined hope to get her and her family free from poverty. When she was sixteen, God had changed her dreams to a set plan to purchase a café. The place was as old as historic Summer Grove, and it sat on Main Street, sharing walls with the buildings on each side of it. She loved the two-hundred-year-old interior brick walls, maple hardwood floors, and huge staircase that led to an upstairs storage room with endearing character in every nook and cranny.

But she had only forty-seven more days to finish earning the needed money. With a lot of help from Abram, she had managed to save $16,257. All of that would go toward the mandatory down payment at closing. She needed $6,843 more.

To reach that goal, she and Abram would have to save nearly $1,000 a week between now and then. She barely made $200 a week. After Abram met his financial obligations, he had between $150 and $250 a week, depending on whether he could get any overtime. Their combined money was a far cry from the needed $1,000 per week. How were they going to make up the difference? There had to be a way. God simply hadn't revealed it yet.

Right, God?

Mamm adjusted the back of Ariana's black apron, redoing two of the straight pins. “After what the last ten days have been like for you with the responsibility of Berta and helping even more than usual with Salome's children, I hate to ask, but I need you to be home by ten tonight.”

Disappointment pricked her heart. “Why?”

She'd worked really hard this week, doing extra cooking and laundry preparation so she could have a free evening, one that lasted until midnight or after.

Mamm peered around Ariana, looking at her in the mirror. “Salome is showing signs of early labor.”

Ariana loved her siblings dearly, and her four sisters were her best friends. She couldn't imagine a day without any of them. Sometimes their lives were as interwoven as threads on a loom, and sometimes they competed with each other. But for the last year, Salome had consistently needed more than her sisters or Mamm were able to give. Because Berta was now in the hospital and Ariana had promised to be the one to tend to her horse twice each day until she returned home, it would give Ariana and Rudy even less time to while away their evening. Still…“I'll be home by ten.”

Mamm repositioned herself and cupped Ariana's face. “You're a keeper.”

Ariana lifted her chin, giving her best regal look as she smoothed her well-worn apron. “I know.”

“And you're humble too.” Mamm grinned, and they both chuckled.

A burst of humid wind zipped through the room, making the sheers dance wildly. Was that the faint rumble of thunder?

“Hallo.”
Her
Daed
's louder-than-usual greeting caught her attention. She went to the window and pulled back the beige sheer to see if Rudy had arrived.

Instead, Daed had two of his grandchildren in his arms, responding to their arrival as if he hadn't seen them just last night. It made her smile. The crowded yard echoed with the dull roar of her large family talking to one another. The Brenneman summer tradition continued in full swing even as August was halfway over. More than two dozen family members were busy talking and playing—her Daed, eight of her nine siblings, the married ones' spouses, and all her nieces and nephews.

Her family spent their summer evenings here. The Brenneman homestead wasn't much, but a nice breeze flowed almost constantly across the yard, and there was a large flat area where little ones could play. Long picnic tables and lawn chairs sat under the huge oaks, and that's where they ate dinner most summer evenings. Being indoors was way too hot this time of year, especially when the women canned during the day.

Watching the commotion, she was reminded of the family tradition that had taken place each summer of her life. The adults talked and took turns looking after the little ones. Children played until bath time—tag, hide-and-seek, badminton, horseshoes, and various games with a beachball.

Rudy's carriage entered the driveway, and Ariana's heart jumped. “He's here.” Ariana released the beige sheer. “I have to go.”

Mamm gave that motherly I-love-you smile. “You really like this one, don't you?”

Ariana had been months past her seventeenth birthday when she went on her first date, but since then she'd dated a lot. Few young men had lasted more than two or three weeks before she simply didn't wish to go out with them again. Rudy was the exception.

Ariana wiggled her eyebrows. “Seems so, doesn't it?” Without pausing another second she bounded down the stairs and out the side door. Rudy stood near the carriage, talking with Salome's husband. After seven months of dating, Rudy knew the routine. He had to stay close to the carriage or they would never get away, which was fine sometimes, but they were both itching to talk uninterrupted.

Her Daed strode to her. “What's on the agenda for tonight?”

He was doing what he did best, using small talk to gauge how she was. He did that with all his children. “We'll ride to Summer Grove and waste a few hours, probably get some ice cream and browse the stores that stay open on Friday nights.”

“You could stay here tonight.” He shrugged. “Just to visit with your old Daed.” His familiar, lazy smile indicated he already knew her answer, but he had to ask. The man loved having all his family around.

A beachball that was hurled from the pack of nieces and nephews bounced its way toward the road. Mark, Ariana's third oldest brother, chased it. Ariana put out her foot, stopping the ball. Then she grabbed it and tossed it back.

Mark waved.
“Denki.”

“I need to go, Daed. You and I will get some time later this weekend.” She glanced at Salome, who was in a lawn chair, rubbing her protruding belly. “Maybe.”

He chuckled. “Ya, maybe.”

She hurried to the rig. “Rudy, you ready?”

He turned, his eyes reflecting the liveliness that drew her. “Absolutely.” He excused himself from his conversation with Emanuel and opened her door to the carriage.

She climbed in and yelled a farewell to anyone who was listening and received a chorus of good-byes.

Rudy took the reins in hand. “You look great, even on a sultry summer night. How do you manage that?”

“Maids, swimming pools, and a date with you.”

His soft laughter filled the carriage. “Which means today you cleaned houses and swimming pools for the Englisch, and now we're going out.”

“Apparently it makes me look great.”

“Evidence does point in that direction.” He clicked his tongue, tapping the reins against the horse as they began going up a hill. “All week I've been looking forward to tonight. Care for some ice cream?”

“Most definitely. So, tell me the weirdest thing that happened this week.”

Rudy helped his uncle build backyard sheds, and they ran into some interesting people along the way.

“Hmm. The weirdest…. ” His brows furrowed. “Wait. I got it…”

They started talking and barely paused, even while getting out of the rig or ordering ice cream. Thunder rumbled in the distance as they walked through town eating their ice cream and laughing at the smallest of things. They peered into the filthy window of the abandoned café before finally returning to the carriage. Rudy let the horse amble along the many roads around old town Summer Grove. Before she knew it, the sun had slipped into hiding, leaving a trail of darkness.

“Hey.” Rudy gripped the reins. “Let's go to Little Falls.”

“What?” She laughed. “That would take at least an hour one direction.”

Even through the darkness of a cloudy summer night, his grin and wildly curly hair were apparent. “The last time we made that trip was with a group after a Sunday night singing.”

The word
singing
was Amish code for “approved method for spouse hunting.” Like a lot of Amish traditions, singings were fun. She loved the Old Ways and found them very fulfilling. She wished she didn't need to go home early tonight.

“An answer…”—Rudy leaned in, his adorable smile in place—“pretty please.” His whisper caused a tingle to run down her spine. Was she more attracted to him than she knew?

“I would love that…”

“Yes!” His raised voice caused the horse to snort and wag his head in protest. Rudy slowed the rig and turned on his left blinker.

“If we'd thought of it earlier, maybe we could have gone, but I've got to be home by ten, and we need to stop by Berta's place first.” She held out her hands for the reins. “Give them up.”

Disappointment showed on his face, but he gave them to her. “Are you in trouble or something? You've never had to be home this early.”

She grasped the leather straps as her Daed had taught her. “Salome will go to the birthing clinic tonight, if she hasn't gone already. And two of her four little ones tend to get up during the night, so I need to be there to help.”

“Okay. Sure. I didn't realize that.”

She should've mentioned it earlier. Since Rudy was such an agreeable guy, it didn't dawn on her to forewarn him. His good nature about having a short date and his willingness to help tend to Berta's place made her want a kiss from him. What would it be like to kiss Rudy? She'd wondered about it before, and it seemed time to find out. The side road up ahead was the perfect place.

Rudy stretched his legs. “Have Salome and Emanuel always lived under the same roof as your parents?”

“No. She and Emanuel had their own place from the time they married, about eleven years ago, until they sold it because of some sort of financial issues last year.” She pulled off the main road and onto a homeless, dead-end street.

“Oh. I like Emanuel.” He leaned back, looking totally relaxed. “Where are we going?”

She shrugged and guided the carriage to make the circular turn in the cul-de-sac. Before the economy tanked a few years back, a developer was going to build houses down this short block.

“I thought…” She brought the rig to a halt.

Rudy's brows knit. “Did you expect this road to go all the way through?”

“Nee. I know all the roads in Summer Grove.” She looped the reins around the stob on the dashboard of the carriage and turned to face him. Rudy waited, studying her. She touched his face, and his eyes indicated he understood. He leaned in until his mouth met hers. The warmth of his lips on hers was more welcome than she'd expected. That was good. Moreover, his respectful, gentle moves made her feel beautiful and protected. She hadn't anticipated either of those.