Her Amish Christmas Gift

Nate hoped that someday he could be the kind of father his dat was. And a leader like him. Some folks within his community thought that one day Nate would be asked to serve as deacon, preacher, or even bishop.

Nate closed his eyes. He hoped not. Being asked to serve as deacon would mean that his father had passed, for the position was lifelong. He didn’t want to think of the day Dat was no longer with them. And he couldn’t see himself as preacher or bishop. He could never live up to the title. Nate didn’t feel good enough to be a church elder.

But he enjoyed farming. His father’s farm wouldn’t be his to inherit. The farm would go to his youngest brother, not the oldest son, as was the Amish way. Not that Nate minded. He would work for what he wanted. He had nearly enough money to bid on that other farm.

Charlie stood, immediately catching his attention.

He watched as she returned to the food table with her sisters Leah and Nell. They were chatting. Charlie laughed at something Nell said, and the change in her features was so startling that Nate was unable to look away. She was even more beautiful when she was happy. She’d always been a pretty little thing, but the way laughter changed her face stole his breath.

She was oblivious to his regard as she filled her dessert plate. He heard Leah chuckle and watched Charlie as she talked animatedly while gesturing with one hand, her movements nearly unseating the chocolate cake on her plate. The women kept up a steady conversation as they headed back to their table. Charlie giggled at something Leah said, but her good humor died quickly when she encountered his glance. Nell spoke and Charlie looked away, her smile restored. Awareness surged inside him. He recalled how he’d felt when he saw the blood on her leg. Anxiety. Anger. The strongest urge to protect her. He scowled. I can’t do this again.

His chest tightened but he managed to eat his lunch before heading to the dessert table with Ruth Ann. He didn’t know why, but he was ready for the day to end.

“Soohns, we’ll be leaving for Indiana first thing in the morning,” his father said as Nate returned to the table. “I’d hoped the two of you would stay home and take care of things here.”

Nate nodded. He’d known about his father’s plans to take the family to see his grandparents. “We’ll take care of the animals and make hay.”

Jacob smiled. “Won’t take us long.”

“We’ll take turns cooking,” he warned his brother.

His brother shrugged. “I can survive on sandwiches.”

He laughed. “I think you’ll get sick of sandwiches, but we’ll see.”

After he finished eating, Nate rose to throw away his paper plate. He turned and caught a glimpse of Charlie standing at her cousin’s paddock, watching the horses at play. Her glorious red hair was like a beacon that called to him. Why couldn’t he stop thinking about her?

He headed in her direction.

* * *

Charlie gazed at the horses and felt a rush of pleasure. What she wouldn’t give to race like the wind on the back of a horse! She smiled. The chestnut mare pranced and chased her companions into a playful gallop. She’d give anything to feel the freedom of riding through the fields with the warmth of the sun against her skin and her hair unpinned without a head covering. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the cool breeze tempered by the afternoon sunshine.

This week she wouldn’t be babysitting for the youngest Peachy children. The family was going out of town, which made her sigh. She loved spending time with them and missed them when she wasn’t needed. She loved children. It was her biggest wish to take over the teaching position at the Happiness School when the current schoolteacher left. That would be in a month or so, when current schoolteacher Elizabeth Troyer and her family moved to Ohio.

I’d make a gut teacher. She had done well in school, and she knew how to break down problems and find fun ways to make children remember what they’d learned. And she was ready. Her birthday was next month and she’d be nineteen. Her opportunity for teaching would be gone if it didn’t happen soon. She planned to approach the church elders this week about her filling the upcoming vacancy.

The sun slipped beneath a cloud, and she felt a sudden chill. She hugged herself with her arms. The sky was only partially cloudy. In a few moments the sun would resurface and warm her again.

“Charlie.”

She stiffened, recognizing his voice. She faced him. “Nate.” The shock of his appearance made her heart flutter. Ironically, she’d come here alone to seek refuge from the feelings he’d churned up inside her.

He leaned against the fence rail with only a few inches separating them. She became instantly aware of the heat his nearness generated. Something within her urged to flee from him; yet, she didn’t move.

She straightened her spine and stared. “What do you want, Nate? What are you doing here?”

“How’s your knee?” he asked, his eyes soft with concern.

She swallowed hard. “Fine. Your first aid helped.” She bit her lip. “Danki.”

He nodded with satisfaction. “You like to play ball.”

Charlie drew away, putting several more inches between them. “Ja, so?”

A tiny smile hovered on his lips. “You play well.”

“Then why were you trying to distract me?”

“My bruder was on the other team.”

She gaped at him for several seconds then laughed. She watched as his mouth curved into a grin before he joined in her laughter.

It felt good to laugh, yet strange to laugh with him. The fact that she liked the feeling made her stop laughing. Suddenly tense, she quieted and leaned against the fence and returned to her study of the horses.

They stood silently for a few moments. “What do you hope for, Charlie?” he asked. “In your life.”

She hesitated. “I like children. I’d like to teach.”

Clearly surprised, Nate raised his eyebrows. “You want to teach at our Happiness School?”

“Ja,” she whispered. “I know there are some members within our community who won’t think I’m good enough—”

“I believe you’d be an excellent teacher.”

“You do?”

“Ja, I do.” His gaze seemed intense as he studied her.

“What is it?” she asked.

“You surprise me.” He paused, looking thoughtful. “I can help you.”

“Help me what?”

“Become a teacher. My father is deacon. I could speak with him.”

“Nay!” she gasped. “You mustn’t.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want or deserve the job if I can’t earn it on my own.”

He shook his head as he watched her, as if he’d learned something new about her that stunned him.

“Charlie!”

She glanced back to see Ellie waving at her. “Time to head home. I’ve got to go,” she told Nate. “I—ah—danki again for helping me today.”

“You’re willkomm.”

“I’ll see you next Sunday,” she said.

Nate nodded without saying a word, and Charlie turned and hurried toward their buggy, where her family had gathered to leave.

Her heart hammered within her chest. Nate Peachy was a complex man, and she didn’t understand him. With one breath, he’d told her she’d be a good teacher, but then in the next, he’d proven that he didn’t believe it unless he stepped in to help. She sighed with sadness. If Nate felt this way, then there was every chance that no one would consider her seriously for the soon-to-be vacated teaching position. Maybe I’m being foolish to try.

When she was younger, her tendency to be impulsive frequently got her into trouble, but she was older and wiser now and she’d learned from her mistakes. She’d meant what she’d told Nate. If she couldn’t get the job on her own, then she didn’t want—or deserve—it.

Chapter Two

As his family left for Indiana, Nate watched the hired car that carried them until the vehicle disappeared from sight. He turned toward the house and saw his brother on the front porch, gazing after the car as if he, too, was affected by their departure.

Nate strode toward the house and climbed the porch steps. “Ready to make hay?”

“How about some breakfast first?” Jacob suggested.

“Didn’t you eat earlier?”

“Nay, busy helping our sisters with their luggage.”

He smiled with amusement. “You, too? I helped Mam, Dat and Harley with theirs.”

The brothers headed inside for coffee and freshly baked muffins.

“I spoke with John King. His dat is lending us his hay mower for as long as we need it,” Jacob said as he finished up his coffee a while later.

“It will make the job easier.” He eyed his brother with approval. “Do we need to go get it?”

“Nay. John said he’d bring it by first thing. He should be here anytime now.”

Amos King, John’s father, was also his stepmother’s dat. He was a good man with a kind heart.

Nate washed the breakfast dishes while Jacob put the remaining muffins back in the pantry. The sound of horse hooves drew them outside to discover John King’s arrival with the mower.

After John left with his brother Joshua, Nate hitched his father’s two black Belgian horses to his dat’s equipment for his brother to use. He would mow the front field with Amos’s mower while Jacob started work at the back of the property.

It was a busy workday. By late afternoon they’d mowed just over a third of the hayfields. He and Jacob put away the mowers. They ate leftovers for dinner, before heading to the barn to make sure all of the animals were settled in for the night.

There was a definite new chill in the air when Nate arose the next morning. He dressed, made coffee and waited for his brother to rouse and join him. The kitchen filled with the rich scent of the perked brew as Jacob entered, looking sleepy-eyed with tousled hair.

“’Tis colder today. We’d best grab our woolen hats and jackets before we head out.”

Jacob nodded as he turned from the stove with a mug of coffee. “Think we’ll finish today?”

“We’ll be pushing it. Didn’t get much more than a third done yesterday.”

His brother agreed. “We can do it.”

Nate smiled. “We can try.” The mowed hay would be left to dry in the fields before they baled it.

“Let’s move,” Jacob said as he set his mug in the sink.

* * *

Charlie drove down the road toward Whittier’s Store. It was a chilly November morning, but she didn’t mind. She wore her black bonnet and woolen cape with a heavy blanket across her lap. Her mother’s list was on the seat beside her with the apple pie Mam had baked for Leah and Henry. She would stop first at Yoder’s Country Crafts and Supplies, her sister Leah’s shop, to deliver the pie before continuing on to grocery-shop.

The sunshine was bright across the surrounding farmland. A farmer cut hay in the fields ahead and she watched him as she steered her horse closer. The man maneuvered his horse-drawn mower down the length of the hayfield before turning to mow the uncut section.

Charlie smiled. She knew how to use a mower. With five daughters and no sons, her father had been glad of her help, once she’d convinced him that she could handle the job. Dat had objected the first time, until her repeated requests made him finally relent enough to show her how. She’d been pleased by his smile of approval after she’d mowed in neat, even rows across their field. After that he’d allowed her to relieve him while he’d completed other chores.

It had been a while since she’d mowed hay. Watching the farmer work made her smile and long for another chance on the back of a mower.

She returned her attention to the road. She had gone only a short distance when she heard someone bellow sharply in alarm. Startled, she drew up on the reins to stop her horse. Her heart went cold when she saw that the mower had tipped and the farmer lay on the ground. A second man raced toward the fallen farmer, and with a gasp, she recognized Nate Peachy. She pulled her vehicle off the road and secured her horse before she sprinted across the field to help.

She briefly locked gazes with Nate before she turned her attention to the man on the ground—his brother Jacob. “Jake, are you hurt?” she rasped, out of breath.

“Charlie.” Jacob met her gaze and smiled. “I’m fine.” But when he tried to stand, he cried out with pain and fell back.

Nate’s brow creased with worry. “Stay still. You are not fine.”

Charlie hunkered beside the injured man and experienced the impact of Nate’s startling blue gaze. She glanced away. “What hurts?” she and Nate asked simultaneously.

“My foot.”

“Can you walk?” Nate asked.

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

“My buggy is right there,” Charlie said, gesturing. “Maybe we can lift him into it...” She bit her lip as Nate rose. He stared down at her thoughtfully until she stood. “I can bring it closer.” She returned her attention to the man’s brother. “Jake?”

“I can make it with help.”

Her gaze met Nate’s. “Where do you want me to park it?”

“Leave it,” he said sharply. “Your vehicle is fine where it is.” He narrowed his eyes. “Go back there and wait. I’ll bring Jacob.”

Unwilling to argue, Charlie stood by her buggy and waited. Jacob gave her a weak smile as the brothers approached. The young man was obviously in pain, and she worried about him. Nate bore the brunt of Jacob’s weight as he half carried him with an arm securely around his brother’s waist.

She wondered how to help, but knew instinctively that Nate would mutter something cutting if she tried. Charlie watched silently as he lifted his brother into the back of the buggy.

“We should get him to the clinic.”

Nate flashed her an irritated look. “I’ll take him after I see to the horses and equipment. Drive around to the front of the haus,” he ordered. “I’ll meet you there.”

His tone irritated her. She had to bite her tongue to keep from arguing with him. “I can take care of the horses and equipment for you.”

“Nay,” he snapped. “Absolutely not.”

Charlie reeled back, offended. “I know how to handle farm equipment, Nathaniel Peachy. I’ve mowed hay for my vadder.”

“I don’t want you touching ours, Charlotte Stoltzfus. If you want to help, then get my bruder back to the house. I’ll meet you there.”

“Fine,” she agreed as she abruptly turned away. She didn’t bother to look to see what Nate was doing as she climbed into the buggy and checked on Jacob. “How’re you doing, Jake?”

“Foot hurts, but I’ll live.”

She frowned. “What happened?”

“I got distracted.” He seemed embarrassed.

She flicked the leathers and the horse moved. “What distracted you?”

“I don’t know. One minute I was mowing and the next I felt a sudden jerk on the reins. It threw me off balance.”

“Do you see any blood?”

She heard Jacob take in a breath. “Nay.”

She shot him a glance over her shoulder before she returned her attention to the road. “Do you feel like you’re bleeding?”

“My foot feels odd. I could be, I guess, but I can’t tell for sure. I don’t think so.”

Charlie sighed with relief. “Gut. That’s gut.” She could only hope that he wasn’t. She knew what could happen if farm equipment tipped over. Injuries could be as mild as simple bumps and bruises to severe loss of limb or life.

It took ten minutes or more for her to drive to the Abram Peachy house. She pulled her vehicle onto the dirt drive and parked close to the barn just as Nate exited the building. At his approach, Charlie experienced a constriction in her chest.

“Hold on a minute, and I’ll move him into our buggy,” he told her as he drew near.

“Use mine. There’s no need to move him.” She hesitated. “You might aggravate his injury.”

He sighed. “You’re probably right.”

It was clear that the last thing Nate wanted was for her to accompany them. “I’ll wait for you here,” she said quietly.

Something dark briefly crossed across his features. “The house is unlocked. You can warm up inside. Make yourself tea or something.” He paused. “You know where everything is kept.” And that bothered him, she realized.

Nate stepped back and waited for her to climb down. She watched as he got onto the seat she’d vacated before switching her attention to Jacob in the back. “You still oll recht in there, Jake?”

Jacob’s face was whiter than it had been earlier, but he nodded.

“Don’t worry. The doctor will fix you right up.” She gave him a reassuring smile. “I’ll see you when you get back.”

“I don’t know how long this will take,” Nate said. “We could be gone awhile. Are you sure you don’t want me to move him so you can have your buggy and leave?”

“Nay. There is no place I have to be.” She stepped back and waited for them to leave.

Nate suddenly glanced down. “You’ve an apple pie in here.” He speared her with his gaze as he lifted it for her to see.

She shrugged then approached to get it. “I was going to take it to Leah, but she doesn’t know. I’ll bring it in and you both can have a piece when you get back.”

Nate handed her the pie through the open window along with her shopping list. “Pie smells gut.” He gave her a twisted smile. “Did you make it?”

She stiffened. “Nay, Mam did.” She knew instantly what he thought—that the pie wouldn’t be edible if she’d made it. His look of disappointment surprised. “You should get going. Jacob doesn’t look well at all.”

Charlie watched until the vehicle was out of sight before she returned to the house with the apple pie. She debated whether or not to make tea, as Nate had suggested. But then she thought of the fields yet to be mowed and the forecast for rain for the next few days and she headed toward the barn instead. Without thought, she readied the smaller of the two mowers. It wouldn’t take her long to finish the work that Jacob had started.

As she climbed onto the seat and urged the horses forward, she thought of Nate. He’d be upset with her for doing what he’d considered a man’s job. She drew in and released a sharp breath. The benefit of a job well-done was worth risking Nate’s anger. Once he realized how efficient she was in cutting hay, he’d be glad to see that she’d mowed a substantial amount of ground.

The task went smoothly. Charlie enjoyed herself as she worked to finish the back section of Abram Peachy’s farm. Time flew by and she realized that she’d been out longer than she’d expected. She stabled the horses and left the mower right where she’d found it.

There was no sign of her buggy in the yard as she headed back to the house. Her relief was short-lived as she became concerned about Jacob. The brothers had been gone a long while. Was Jacob that badly hurt?

Charlie put on the teakettle then set the table with the pie in the center. She made a fresh pot of coffee with the hope that the brothers would return soon enough to enjoy a hot cup. When she was done, she stepped outside. As the buggy pulled into the yard and parked near the house, she descended the porch steps.

“How is he?” she asked as Nate climbed out of the vehicle.

“He broke his foot,” Nate told her. “There’s a nice-size slice in it, too, which the doc stitched up.” He reached in to lift Jacob into his arms. “He’s been advised to stay off the foot for a while.” His brother looked groggy as Nate carried him toward the house.

Charlie raced ahead to open the door. She made a sound of concern at Jacob’s pallor.

“The doctor gave him a shot of pain medication,” Nate explained as he carried Jacob inside.

“Do you need help?”

“I can manage.” He shifted Jacob within his arms and brought him into the kitchen.

When she saw Nate looking for a place to set Jacob down, she rushed to pull out a chair. “Unless you want to take him into the great room.”

“I’d like to sit here a bit,” Jacob murmured sleepily. “Do I smell coffee? And what about that pie you promised us?”

She fretted as she studied him. “Jake, you don’t look good. Wouldn’t you rather lie down?”

“Nay. I will soon, though.” Jacob frowned up at his older brother, who stepped back after setting him down. “I’ll be of no help to you for a while, I’m afraid.”

“I’ll manage,” Nate assured him.

Charlie felt her throat tighten as she went to the stove. “Nate, do you want coffee, too?” she asked easily, pretending that she wasn’t upset by the morning’s events.

“Ja, please.” Nate took the chair next to his brother, as if he wanted to keep a close eye on him.

She could feel Nate’s gaze as she poured two cups of hot coffee then set one before each man. “Apple pie, or do you want a sandwich first?”

Nate’s study of her made her self-conscious. “Pie will do.”

Her lips curved slightly as she nodded. Charlie cut two large slices of apple pie.

“Aren’t you having any? Or do you have to leave?” Nate asked as she pushed a plate in his direction.

“I should go,” she said, stung by the question. “But I won’t until after I have some pie.” He looked amused when she gave him a false smile.

It was quiet as they ate. Glad when Nate didn’t make a smart remark, Charlie glanced from her plate to Jacob, who slumped in his chair. She was about to express her worry to Nate then caught him studying his brother with a frown.

“Time to rest, bruder,” Nate said gently. “Let’s get you into the other room where you’ll be more comfortable.”

While they were absent, Charlie quickly cleaned up the kitchen. She covered the remainder of the pie with plastic wrap and left it on the counter for them to finish later. She washed the dishes but left the coffeepot on the stove in case Nate wanted another cup.

She felt his presence as Nate reentered the room and sensed him watching while she put away the last dish.

“He settled in?” she asked, turning to face him.

“Ja, he’s already asleep.”

“I’m going to head out. I need to pick up a few things at the store for my mudder.”

He eyed her with consternation. “We’ve kept you a long time.”

“’Tis fine. Mam doesn’t expect me home yet. She’ll think that I decided to spend the day with Leah.”

“You had an unusual day today,” he said.

She chuckled. “That’s for sure.”

He sobered. “It wasn’t fair to ask you to stay.”

“I didn’t mind.”

He seemed relieved. He followed her as she headed toward the door. “Charlie? May I ask you one more favor?”

She halted and faced him. “Ja, of course.” He seemed to have difficulty choosing his words.

“What do you need, Nate?” By the look on his face, she figured out what he wanted to ask. “Shall I come to stay with Jacob tomorrow while you cut hay?”

Nate released a sharp breath. “You wouldn’t mind?”

She paused near the threshold. “Not at all.”

Warmth entered his blue eyes. “Are you sure?”

Feigning annoyance, she tapped her foot and crossed her arms. “I’m absolutely sure, Nate.”

“Danki.” His expression became serious. “But I need you to promise that you won’t tell anyone what happened,” he said. “You know that our neighbors like to natter.” His lips firmed. “Especially Alta Hershberger. If she or anyone finds out, word could get back to my eldre, and Dat will insist on cutting short their trip.” He paused. “He’s been waiting a long time to visit my grandparents. I don’t want to ruin his plans.”

“I understand,” she murmured. “If anyone asks why I’m here, I’ll tell them I’m cleaning house for you while you work in the fields.”

“Doesn’t your sister Ellie clean houses?”

“Ja, but I’ve spent enough time in your house helping your mam that it makes sense that I be the one to do it.”