An Unexpected Christmas Gift Read online

  He cleared his throat and lowered his head. Bart removed his beanie and the women ceased conversation. I did the same. Silas’s minute-long silent prayer seemed to last five minutes. I wondered if he had much weighing on his heart or if he was trying to teach me a lesson by making me wait to eat. Or could he have something else against me? Perhaps he thought Naomi should be charging me for my room and this meal. Not that I blamed him. I tried to think of ways I could make it up to them.

  Or maybe he was tired from his farm work. I calculated what time he, Bart, and Anna must have gotten up to go out and milk and feed the cows. No wonder he was grumpy. Yet I got the oddest feeling he was scrutinizing me.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  How may I help you this morning?” I asked Naomi as we cleared the table thirty minutes later.

  “Now, Maria, you’re our guest.”

  “But today is Christmas Eve. I feel as if I’m intruding.”

  “Well, then, if you’d like to help me with my baking I’ll gladly accept your assistance.”

  “I’ll try. In the meantime, I’ll wash the dishes.” I got busy scraping the uneaten food into a container I assumed would be put to good use by pigs or the compost. I knew little about farming, except that nothing went to waste. I filled the sink, squirted in the liquid detergent, and watched the bubbles expand. Leaning against the sink’s lip, I realized that despite my worries I felt at peace in this home. Why couldn’t Naomi have been my mother? She would have been perfect.

  Rapping sounded at the back door. “I’ll get it.” Nancy flew to turn the door’s handle and swung it open. “Hullo, Isaac.” The name flowed like a melody on her tongue. “And Troy. What brings both of you by?”

  “Troy is going to help me pull Maria’s car out of the ditch with his pickup truck.” Isaac rotated toward me. “If that’s okay with you, Maria.”

  I wasn’t ready to leave this house yet, but I turned to meet Troy. His hazel-brown eyes locked on to mine in a most delightful way, sending a buzz of attraction through me. He wasn’t dressed Amish; he wore jeans, and his turtleneck sweater revealed wide shoulders and defined biceps. His brown hair was cut short. “Hi, Maria, remember me? Troy Bennett. We spoke on the phone.”

  “Uh—yes. Hi.” I must have worn a surprised expression because Troy said, “I have a winch on my pickup at work. I’ll be extra careful with your car.”

  “I hate to trouble you.”

  “No trouble at all. But it will have to wait until the snow lets up. I drove my Suburban today.” He stepped toward me and put out his hand to shake mine. His dreamy eyes never left my face. “My family lives next door, and my father owns the wholesale furniture factory down the road. I work there, too. Well, actually, I manage the place since my father suffered a minor stroke.”

  I was delighted to see him but wore my best poker face. “Nice to meet you, Troy.”

  “Odd we’ve never met in person.” He held on to my hand a beat longer than needed. “I thought I knew everyone.”

  As I withdrew my hand, an idea snaked through my mind. If he knew everyone in the area, he might know about my mother. No, that didn’t make sense. He was only a couple years older than I was—thirty-two, at the most. Which meant he was most likely married. I glanced down at his left hand and was pleased not to see a wedding band. Yet, if he worked with machinery, he might take it off during the day for safety reasons.

  “Naomi, I hear you need someone to pick up your sister,” Troy said. “I could do that, no problem. That way Isaac won’t have to use his family’s sleigh.”

  “Yah, my Dat doesn’t want me driving it very far,” Isaac said.

  “Troy, that would be wonderful. But do you know where she lives?”

  Isaac stepped forward. “I’m pretty sure I know the way.”

  “I could go with them and make sure they don’t get lost.” Nancy’s face beamed up at Isaac.

  “Only if you bring Maria as a chaperone,” Naomi said.

  “Sure, glad to.” Troy’s wide smile told me he was delighted.

  “But will there be enough room for Aenti Linda if we all go?” Nancy asked.

  “We can fit in my bench seat in the front. And back. There’s even a third bench seat. I have shovels and a broom back there in case we need them.”

  Silas stepped into the kitchen from the living room, where he must have been eavesdropping.

  “But the roads will be slippery.” Naomi clasped her hands together.

  “They’re not that bad,” Troy said. “The snowplows were out all night.”

  “Well, then, we’d best be on our way,” Isaac said. “The weather forecaster said there’s more snow moving in this afternoon.”

  Naomi spoke directly to Troy. “I’m not sure my sister will even come with you. She’s a bit of a recluse, living on her own all these years.”

  “But she knows me,” Nancy said. “And if she’s low on food she might be willing.”

  “Maybe you should just bring her food,” Silas said.

  “No.” Naomi’s hands clasped her hips. “One more reason for her not to come with them.”

  Silas leaned against the counter, crossed his legs at the ankle. “If she decided to stay home it wouldn’t break my heart.”

  “How can you say such a thing?” Her eyes narrowed, Naomi flashed a look of anger in his direction. “She’s my sister and I can’t desert her today, of all days. What would the bishop say?”

  Silas stiffened. “Don’t use that tone of voice with me. Maybe we should just leave things as they are. It seems your sister never has a good time over here anyway. Plus, she always brings her little dog, which I won’t allow in the house.”

  “How can you say that? She loves coming to visit her nieces.” Naomi worked her lower lip. “We must make sure she has food. We can’t desert her just because of a little snow.”

  “You call this a little snow?” Silas folded his arms across his barrel of a chest.

  “All the more reason to get her. She can spend the night until it’s safe for us to bring her home. We are admonished in the Bible to take care of widows.”

  “Don’t ya go quoting the Bible to me.” Silas’s voice grew hard. “It also says in the Bible that a wife should submit to her husband’s wishes.”

  “And what is your wish? That Linda be all by herself, possibly out of food and wood for heat?”

  Silas’s face reddened, and he seemed to be containing a surge of anger. “Okay. I know you put up with my family when they visit, too.”

  “I love your family.”

  Silas clamped his lips together, I assumed to mask his irritation. “We appreciate your help, Troy,” he finally said. “But please use extra caution.”

  “Absolutely, I will.” He glanced to me. A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. My, what a handsome man. But the last thing I needed was a relationship with anyone. Yet without him today my chances of meeting this woman who might be a relative were slim. I cautioned myself not to let my hopes get too high. I couldn’t take another disappointment.

  Isaac shifted his feet. “We’d better leave before the next snowstorm.”

  “Then come by for coffee and cookies later.” Naomi brought me the same black wool coat, bonnet, and scarf I’d worn yesterday. “Use a pair of boots by the back door. You know the drill.”

  “But did you need my help in the kitchen this morning?” I asked, feeling guilty that I’d offered and now was leaving.

  Naomi patted my arm. “There will be plenty of baking to do when you get home.”

  “Perfect.” Troy rubbed his palms together.

  “What about these dirty dishes? I can’t just leave them in the sink.”

  “Anna will take care of them.” Naomi practically scooted us out the back door.

  Silas called after us, “Nancy, I expect you home when Troy comes back. You hear me?”

  “Yes, Dat.”

  “Hmmph, you’d better.”

  As I stepped outside, icy air bit into my cheeks. Someone had shovele
d the back steps, yet I tread carefully for fear of slipping. In the barnyard stood Troy’s gray metallic Suburban with snow tires—or maybe all Suburban tires came with gigantic treads. At least someone in Lancaster County owned a vehicle that could brave the storm.

  Troy opened the passenger door and helped me climb inside. A gentleman. Nice. I clicked on my safety belt as Isaac and Nancy slid in the back seat.

  “I sure appreciate this, Troy.” Isaac glanced up at the house.

  “They’re watching us from the kitchen.” Nancy giggled.

  “There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for your folks.” Troy gave them a wave. “They’ve been good to my family—especially when the electricity goes out—even though we’re not one of you.” Troy craned his neck to see over his shoulder as he backed out of the drive, the tires crunching on the snow.

  The moment we were out on the road, Nancy slid over to sit next to Isaac. She leaned against his arm and gazed up at him.

  Troy glanced into the rear mirror. “Nancy? Where exactly does your aunt live?”

  She straightened her back. “Not very far. On the other side of Route Thirty.”

  An enormous snowplow headed our way from the opposite direction, shooting cascades of white onto the side of the road. Troy slowed down and swerved to let it pass, then pulled in behind several other vehicles and a horse and buggy.

  Nancy leaned into Isaac to look out his window. “If I could ride around like this all day, I might not tell you where she lives. No heaters in our buggies.”

  Troy chuckled. “In that case we’ll run out of gas.”

  Finally relenting, she gave Troy the directions. “After we cross Route Thirty, head north for a few miles.”

  “This is the perfect vehicle for a day like today.” My gaze swept the landscape. “Look, there’s another horse and buggy.”

  “You’d better get used to seeing them.”

  “My parents never brought us down here as children.” And now I knew why.

  Troy glanced my way and gave me a quizzical look. But I wouldn’t give him personal information about myself. This could be a wild-goose chase for all I knew. Still, I was glad to get away from Hartford, which no longer felt like home. And this area was beautiful, what with its magnificent barns and towering silos. Troy edged around a pickup covered with snow, no doubt abandoned last night. Several cars sat in ditches near it.

  After ten minutes, Nancy leaned over the front seat. “Take a right here on this little lane.”

  Troy slowed, then maneuvered around the corner. Up ahead stood a cottage surrounded by pine trees. Snow concealed the bottom half of the front door and all windows were hidden behind shades. Only a thread of smoke ribboned out the chimney, alerting us to the presence of a person.

  Troy and Isaac hopped out. As Troy opened the rear hatch and removed a couple of shovels, a block of icy air entered the SUV. He handed one shovel to Isaac, and the two men got busy digging out the front steps and door. Finally, the door cracked open a few inches.

  “Who’s there?” Trepidation filled the middle-aged woman’s shaky voice. Then she coughed.

  In my excitement, I opened the Suburban’s door and slid out so I could hear.

  “It’s Isaac Stoltfuz and my friend Troy Bennett, who drove us here. Your sister asked us to fetch you for Christmas.”

  “But I’m not ready. I haven’t done my baking.” She had Naomi’s eyes, but her face looked weathered and her hair was graying at the temples, beneath her black scarf.

  A scruffy pint-sized black-and-white pooch scampered to Linda’s feet. “There, there. Everything’s okay, Saucy.”

  Isaac leaned down to pat the dog, but it yapped at him. He retracted his hand and straightened his spine.

  “Naomi will have my hide if we don’t bring you with us, and we needed to come before the next storm rolls in.” Isaac glanced to the Suburban. “Nancy is here.”

  “And who else?”

  “A guest who’s staying with the Millers.”

  The woman covered her mouth with her hand as she coughed. “Well, like I said, I haven’t done my baking. You can just leave me here. I’m perfectly fine by myself.”

  Through relentless icy snowflakes, I strode to the front door, mounted the three steps, and stood next to Isaac. Without an invitation, we moved into the cottage. The air inside was scarcely above freezing and felt damp. A moment later, Nancy joined us.

  “Brrr.” She rubbed her upper arms. “Aenti Linda, it’s freezing in here.”

  “I’m low on wood and propane for my space heater.”

  “You should have let us know.”

  “The phone shanty is buried in snow. . . . And it’s so far away.”

  I inched toward Linda. “Hello, there.” I peered into her eyes, hoping for some sign of recognition, but saw none. She scooped up what appeared to be a terrier mix and cradled it.

  “How old is this little Hund?” Isaac asked.

  “I have no idea. She straggled here several years ago not wearing a collar or identification tag.” The woman’s mouth formed a half smile, but she didn’t actually look at me.

  I scanned the room. Her home was the opposite of Naomi and Silas’s in size and content. And temperature. One small fire burned in the fireplace of the cramped living room. A kerosene lamp illuminated the space, but the shades kept the room dark. I guessed they also prevented frigid air from penetrating the windowpanes.

  Nancy stood at my side. “Come stay with us over Christmas, Aenti. We have plenty of room now that my brothers are gone.”

  “They’re gone?”

  “You went to their weddings, remember? They and their new wives all moved to Ohio.”

  “Vaguely.” She stepped back. “Nancy, I don’t want to give you this cough.”

  “How long have you had it?”

  She glanced to the threadbare throw rug. “A couple of weeks.”

  “I’m not worried about it.” Nancy brushed the air with her hand. “Everyone in our family has had a cold over the last few months.” She draped a lap-blanket over Linda’s birdlike shoulders. “Have you met our friend and neighbor Troy before?”

  “I can’t remember.” She squinted up at Troy.

  I waited for someone to introduce us but decided I’d let Nancy and Isaac first orchestrate the expedition, lest Linda change her mind about coming with us.

  “Hurry and pack your bag,” Nancy said. “I’ll help you.”

  “I can’t leave my little Saucy.”

  “Dat doesn’t like dogs in the house. Especially one that’s bitten him in the ankle.” Nancy turned to Isaac. “I guess we can put her in the barn.”

  “Nee, that will be too cold.” Linda hugged Saucy. “And I can’t leave her here.”

  “We won’t let her starve or freeze, Linda.” Isaac strode into the kitchen and came back with a sack of dog kibble. “Nancy, please pack your aunt’s bag. We’ve come all this way.”

  “I appreciate it, but I’m better off right here.” Linda made no move. I wondered if she was mentally ill or just kooky.

  “We won’t leave without you.” Nancy stood akimbo. “Mamm is expecting you, and it’s much too cold.” She moseyed into the small kitchen and opened the refrigerator. “You hardly have any food.”

  “I have enough.”

  Nancy disappeared into the bedroom and came back a few minutes later, holding an aged suitcase. “I’ve packed some clothes and you can borrow anything you need from me, Anna, or Mamm, who will have a fit if you don’t come with us right now. Please.”

  “Your Dat will have a conniption when he sees my Saucy again.” Linda cracked a smile.

  I had to chuckle to myself about the dog’s name. Perhaps at one time that dog was saucy, but not anymore.

  Linda put the dog down, and it wandered over to me. I’d always loved dogs but felt wary about petting this one. Yet when I put out my hand it snuggled up to me.

  “Well,” I finally said, “is anyone going to introduce us?”

  “Ac
h, I’m sorry, Maria.” Nancy checked for stray hairs escaping her white cap. “This is Saucy.”

  I contained a smirk. “I was referring to your aunt.”

  “Sorry. This is Maria Romano. Maria, this is our favorite Aenti Linda.”

  Linda stiffened and looked away from me, as if she’d been slapped in the face. Apparently, her temperament was the opposite of Naomi’s, too. Not a woman I’d wish to know. But I reminded myself that she’d been stuck in this icy house all night and might not have even had coffee or breakfast. Judging from her hollow cheeks, she was underweight, with no spare body fat to help warm her.

  “Oh, I almost forgot the presents.” Linda spun around, gathered wrapped presents, and stuffed them into a couple of brown paper bags.

  “So many.” Nancy passed the bags off to Isaac. “You shouldn’t have.”

  “Not bring gifts?” Linda glanced to the ceiling. “I hope I didn’t forget anything.”

  My gaze tracked to the corner of the room, where bookshelves housed dozens of stacks of neatly folded fabric and a rack containing a plethora of thread. Next to them stood an old treadle sewing machine.

  “Aenti Linda provides quilts for the shop,” Nancy said, noticing my stare. “Hers are the absolute best.”

  “Now, now, you mustn’t exaggerate.” Linda’s eyes met mine for the first time.

  “And she sews clothes for Anna and me.” Nancy wrapped an arm around Linda’s shoulder. “Don’t tell Mamm, but she makes the best clothes.”

  “Naomi is busy, and I’m glad to fill in for her, my only sister.” A moment of silence filled the air, and I wondered if Linda would refuse to go with us after all. But she finally consented.

  Five minutes later, Isaac and Troy helped her down her front steps and into the back seat of Troy’s Suburban between Isaac and Nancy. I carried the dog, as no one else offered. I wondered how Naomi would feel about having this scruffy pooch in her house, especially if Silas didn’t allow dogs.

  “Here you go.” I set Saucy on Linda’s lap, and her arms encircled her. Still no thank-you or even a smile in my direction. I reminded myself not everyone was going to like me. I was a complete stranger and this woman was standoffish, to say the least.