An Amish Arrangement

“What can you tell us, Kitty?” she asked.

“It’s unlikely the closing will go on as planned.” Kitty shot an apologetic look toward Jeremiah.

His face went as blank as the wall behind him, and his gaze refused to meet hers. The pulse of sympathy surging through her was startling. If he closed on the property, her hopes for Come Along Farm would end. Yet, he had dreams for the property, too. Oh, how she wished there was a solution that could satisfy them both.

When the Realtor spoke again, Mercy focused on her. “We’ll need to consult with an attorney,” Kitty said, “to determine what New York law says. I’ve got to admit it’s the first time I’ve been involved with a property transfer where one party died before closing. Mercy, I should have said this before. I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you.”

“Your grandfather was well respected and well liked. I can’t tell you how many times I enjoyed a cup of coffee with him at the Village Diner.”

“Did he mention why he decided to sell?” She regretted the question. Talking about private matters when Jeremiah sat a couple of feet away was unsettling.

Kitty reached over and patted her arm. “He was selling it for you and your daughter.”

“For us? But he promised...” This time she halted herself before she said too much.

“I don’t know what he told you, Mercy, but Rudy mentioned that he wanted you to have a majority of the money. He hoped you’d build a nice home so you’d be close to his assisted-living apartment. He spoke often about you and your daughter and how he looked forward to spending more time with you.”

“Why didn’t he tell me this?”

Kitty shook her head sadly. “That’s something I can’t answer. I’m as perplexed as you are. I’m sure he had his reasons, but he never mentioned them to me or Darren.” Her eyes narrowed. “Have you spoken with Darren?”

“I called him this morning. He said to tell you to call him.”

“I see.” Her lips tightened into a straight line, an expression that said as loudly as a shout she was annoyed. “We should wait on discussing this further until Darren can be here, too, to represent Rudy’s estate.”

“But do you think the contract is valid?” Jeremiah asked.

“We should wait—”

“I think Mercy is as anxious as I am to hear your opinion. I understand we can’t make decisions without Darren’s input, but is the contract valid?”

“From what I’ve read, the answer is yes and no. In some states, the contract would be invalid upon the death of either party.” She glanced from Mercy to him. “But we have leeway in New York. If the heir or heirs are willing, the contract can be completed. However, that is my opinion from a quick read on the internet. Until we have an opinion from an attorney, I don’t think either of you should assume anything.”

Jeremiah turned to Mercy. “You are your grossdawdi’s heir, ain’t so?”

“One of them, I guess. Rudy is my father’s father.”

“Is your father alive?” asked Kitty.

She nodded.

“What about his brothers and sisters?”

“My father has six siblings,” she replied.

Jeremiah sighed. “Kitty, when my daed—my dad—died, everything he had went to my mother. But if she’d died first...”

“The estate would be divided equally among his children.” Kitty bit her lower lip, then said, “Unless Rudy left a written and witnessed will that specifies otherwise.”

Mercy’s heart sank toward her knees as she realized where the conversation was going. If Grandpa Rudy hadn’t left a valid will naming her as his heir, the property would belong to her father, her four aunts and her two uncles.

“Do you have names and contact information for your father and his siblings?” asked Kitty.

“I can find them. All but one aunt have telephones.”

The Realtor smiled. “I’m glad to hear that. It’ll make getting in contact with them much easier. However, paperwork will have to be mailed to them for their signatures. I’m not sure, at this point, whether the signatures will have to be notarized. The probate court will let us know.”

“We have to go to court?” asked Jeremiah.

Mercy heard his consternation and understood. It usually wasn’t the way of plain folks to deal with courts and lawyers. Matters were settled privately and through prayer, but estate matters were different. She wondered whom her grandfather had hired to draft his will...if he had one.

She was out of her depth. Ask her about the needs of inner-city kids and the benefits of them enjoying a summer in the country, and she could expound for an hour. Since Sunni’s arrival in her life, she’d learned a lot about intercountry adoption and physical therapy and the adventures of the little girl’s beloved characters in her favorite books.

But she knew nothing about what would happen with the farm.

“If you agree, Jeremiah,” Kitty went on, “I’ll share the contract with my agency’s lawyer. I’d like him to review it and give us advice to aid us in bringing the contract to a closing.” She sighed. “To be honest, this won’t be quick. Obtaining an agreement from seven people will take time, and we can’t be certain of the outcome.”

“Is there another farm for sale in the area?” Jeremiah asked.

“None that I know of. I can make inquiries, if you’d like.”

“Ja.”

Her eyes cut toward Mercy. “I’ll do what I can, Jeremiah, but I can’t make promises. Not about this farm or any other.”

“I know,” he said again.

“And there’s one other complication. Your money in escrow may be held by the probate court until there’s an agreement among the heirs.”

He blanched. “I can’t put in another offer until the money is released.”

“Yes, though if someone is eager to sell, we might be able to work something out.” Kitty sighed. “However, like I said, I don’t know of other farms for sale near Harmony Creek. There’s one over by Scotts Lake, seven or eight miles from here.”

“Too far for me to be part of this settlement.”

“So I figured.” She stood.

Mercy clasped her hands on her lap. If the closing went ahead, Jeremiah would own the farm. If the sale had to be approved by Grandpa Rudy’s heirs, would Dad and his brothers and sisters decide to sell it to Jeremiah? Two of his siblings would be eager to use their share of the proceeds to invest in their businesses. What about the others? And how many had to say no before Jeremiah couldn’t close on the farm? Was it a simple majority or could a single no vote give her the chance to buy the farm herself?

But how? The money she had was already earmarked to fix the house and the buildings to be approved for bringing children to visit. In addition, she needed to buy horses and other farm animals to give the youngsters a true farm experience. Perhaps she could convince her family to let her pay them bit by bit.

She heard Kitty say she’d contact them when she had further information. The click-click-click of Kitty’s shoes headed toward the door, and Jeremiah went, too, talking with his Realtor.

Mercy didn’t move. There had to be a solution to her dilemma, but what?

Unless Rudy left a written and witnessed will that specifies otherwise.

Kitty’s words resonated in Mercy’s head, and she gasped. What if she found a will? There were many rooms, and she hadn’t dared to go into the ones with weak floors. What if she found her grandfather’s will and it proved her assertion he wanted her to have the farm?

She got up and took a single step toward the formal staircase at the front of the house. Pausing, she looked over her shoulder when she heard Jeremiah’s deep voice rumbling in the other room. If he knew of her intention to search the house, would he help her or try to halt her? Until she knew for sure, she couldn’t let him know what she was doing. She didn’t like secrets, but keeping this one might mean the difference between her dreams coming true and their destruction.

Chapter Three

Last night Jeremiah had discovered the tenant house was in worse condition than he’d guessed. It hadn’t taken him long to explore it, using his flashlight. A tiny kitchen and a cozy living room filled the first floor. Upstairs were two cramped bedrooms and a bath. Every ceiling had brown water stains, and one wall of the entry hall was pulling away from the house. He’d been able to see light from the rising moon through the crack, and a puddle of slush was piled on the linoleum beside it.

This morning he woke to find the house cold and damp. He’d been grateful for a woodstove in the living room and a few logs stacked nearby. He’d used the rag rug by the stove as a mattress. He’d folded a blanket as a makeshift pillow. He’d told himself, though it wasn’t likely it’d be comfortable, he’d endured worse when he’d camped in the woods when he wasn’t much older than Sunni.

He’d been wrong.

Every muscle ached, and moving in the icy air seemed to make his bones creak as if he’d aged fifty years overnight. It was dark, but he guessed it was around 4:00 a.m. It was the time when he usually woke to help with chores before leaving for his woodworking shop.

His tools would be arriving today or tomorrow. He should have waited until he closed on the property before he had the crates trucked up from Paradise Springs. But how could he have imagined the debacle waiting for him in Harmony Creek?

With a groan, he pushed himself up to sit. He grimaced as the frigid air gripped him as the thick blanket fell away. Standing, he went to the stove, which was barely warm. He opened the door and saw the banked embers had burned themselves out.

Jeremiah sent up a prayer of thanks when, after he’d started a new fire in the stove, the air close to the stove warmed quickly. Something worked in the house.

After his quick inspection his first night at the house, he knew not much else did. No water had flowed into the sinks, and flushing the toilet had resulted in strange creaking sounds in the walls as if the pipes were trying to break out. The propane tanks by the back door must be empty, because the kitchen stove had refused to light.

He hoped he would have better results this morning. He opened a door to what might have been a laundry or storage room. A rusty washer lurked beneath shelves covered with dust and droppings. In a closet, he found a lantern but no kerosene.

Brushing the kitchen table off as best he could, he grimaced when it rocked. Were the legs uneven or the floor? That answer and a whole lot more would have to wait until he could see beyond the narrow circle from his flashlight.

He made the same meal he’d eaten last night. A peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich. He thought fondly of the large meal of eggs and sausage and home fries he would have eaten at home. After he said silent grace, he ate standing up. He found a napkin Mercy had added to the bag. He sighed, wondering if it would have been much easier if she’d been rude or snarled like an angry dog. Instead, she’d made sure he had blankets to keep him warm and food to eat.

And she’d been stubborn.

Did she have ideas of her own for the farm? Most likely, as she’d started work on the house. He appreciated that, because he’d spent hours putting together his plans, something his brothers had helped him with while they teased him for trying to look at every possible angle. Taking another bite of the sandwich, he wished his brothers were nearby. He could have used their insight.

A knock startled him. Why would someone come to a house that must have been deserted for years? Setting his sandwich down, he brushed crumbs off his hands and tossed them in the sink before he went to the door.

He opened it and saw a face he recognized. The man who had recruited others to come to Harmony Creek.

“You’re Caleb Hartz, ain’t so?” Jeremiah asked, remembering how Caleb had spoken at a gathering in Paradise Springs, telling about the fallow farmland on small family farms awaiting anyone who was willing to work hard to improve it.

The man nodded, then swept his too-long blond hair out of his dark green eyes. “Ja. I thought I’d stop by this morning to see how you’re settling in.” His tawny brows lowered. “I assumed you’d be at the main house, but the woman who answered the door told me I’d find you here.”

“Things are a bit complicated.” After he invited Caleb into the house, he gave him a quick overview of the situation.

Caleb, who would be one of his neighbors if the sale went through, listened with widening eyes. “I got to know Rudy pretty well. He was a gut man. He wouldn’t have signed a purchase contract with you if he didn’t intend for you to buy the farm.”

“Maybe he should have mentioned that to his granddaughter.”

Caleb’s frown deepened, drawing lines into the thin angles of his face. “It’s a puzzle. I’ve been here a little over a month. Everyone I’ve talked to—both Amish and Englisch—has praised Rudy’s honesty. He sold me a battered skid loader I’ll need to move hay bales. He didn’t make any bones about how much work it would need, and he sold it at a fair price.”

“My dealings with him were gut, too. I wish I knew why he didn’t let Mercy know he was selling the farm.”

“I hope you won’t have to leave Harmony Creek. We need every family we can convince to join us in order to make this settlement a success.”

Jeremiah didn’t need that reminder. From the moment he’d expressed interest in joining the Hartz family and the Waglers as well as other founding members of the Harmony Creek colony, he’d been told he must be very sure about his commitment. Each family was vital to the rest.

“I’m not leaving. I’m going to farm here.” Saying the words aloud was like taking an oath in the presence of the Lord, though God was well aware of what was in Jeremiah’s heart.

“Aren’t you a woodworker by trade?”

“Ja, but farming is too much in my blood.” He surprised himself by chuckling. “My late daed would be shocked because I hated to get out of bed to do chores.”

Caleb chuckled. “My daed used to threaten to dump cold water on me and my brothers to get us up in the morning.”

“Sounds familiar.”

“I can ask around and find out if anyone is thinking about selling.”

“Danki, but I’ve got to wait and hear what my Realtor learns from her attorney. As my mamm has said more than once, there’s no need to look for trouble before it finds you.”

“Sounds like something my mamm would have said, too.”

“My brothers believe mamms have a special language filled with platitudes for every occasion.”

Caleb laughed heartily. “Why is it dark in here?”

“I couldn’t find oil for the lantern.”

“The house has electricity. Rudy mentioned both houses were wired.” With a wave of his hand, he added, “Let’s find the fuse box and see if we can get you some light. More important is powering the well pump so you can have water.”

Jeremiah followed him into the cellar. As they crossed the dirt floor to where a metal box was affixed to the wall, he wondered why he hadn’t considered checking the well pump. Exhaustion could be a reason, because he felt as if he carried the house on his shoulders as he trudged after Caleb.

His neighbor whistled a single note as he popped open the door on the metal box. “A circuit breaker box. Who’d have guessed Rudy had updated his tenant house?” Reaching in, he flipped a switch.

A low rumble came from the far side of the cellar. Jeremiah aimed his flashlight in that direction and saw the well’s holding tank. His fatigue fell away as he realized he could have water to brush his teeth once he’d let it run long enough to make sure any rust washed out.

“Danki,” he said.

Caleb shrugged. “Glad to help. I’m sure this circuit breaker box isn’t the first surprise you’re going to find.”

Jeremiah was tempted to say the breakers were far from the first surprise he’d had since his arrival, but grousing wouldn’t get him anywhere. He needed to be patient until Kitty had answers for him. That had to be his plan. Wait and see.

A sense of calm settled over him as he realized he had a clear path...for now. He thanked God for helping him see that. He must be patient. Not an easy task when his dream was so close to realization.

Several lights were glaring against the water-stained ceilings when he went upstairs with Caleb. He switched off everything but the fluorescent ceiling light in the kitchen, though he despised its glare.

“Let us know if you need anything before your stuff arrives,” Caleb said as he reached for the doorknob. He glanced outside. “Looks like we’re in for another big storm.” Grimacing at the crack in the wall, he added, “We’re living in the barn while we get the house repaired, and our barn is better than this. Feel free to come over if you get tired of shoveling snow out of your house.”

“Danki.” He knew he wouldn’t abandon the house, because that might injure his fragile claim on the farm. “I appreciate it.”

“We may be snowed in for a while, because we’re one of the last roads plowed by the town. I don’t think Rudy sold his sleigh, so if you or anyone at the main house needs something, you can use it.”

“Danki.” He appreciated Caleb’s helpfulness, which made him more determined to be a part of the nascent community. Amish folks assisted one another. Did Mercy feel the same?

“Oh, one other thing I should let you know.” Caleb turned the knob. “Wayne Flaud from the settlement north of here in Whitehall is acting as our temporary bishop. If you want me to contact him to get his thoughts on what you should do...”

“Let’s see what my Realtor has to say before we bring the bishop into this. I’m sure this will work out for the best. God didn’t bring me to Harmony Creek so I could turn around and leave again.”

With another nod, Caleb bid him gute mariye and let himself out as a burst of cold and a swirl of windblown snow slipped in past him.

Jeremiah guessed Caleb believed his words. Too bad he wasn’t so sure himself.

* * *

Any hopes spring might have made an early appearance overnight were dashed three days later when Mercy awoke to discover two feet of new snow. She dressed hastily, because the house was cold in the fresh light of dawn.

Peeking past Sunni’s door and glad her daughter was asleep with the blankets pulled up to her chin, Mercy tiptoed down the stairs. They creaked beneath her, and she hoped Sunni wouldn’t wake up until Mercy figured out what was wrong with the heat.

Despite herself, she glanced out the window that gave her a view of the trees separating them from the tenant house. She hadn’t spoken to Jeremiah since he’d left after the meeting with his Realtor. She’d seen big delivery trucks in the yard the following day and watched him accept delivery of a horse, a buggy and a dozen large wooden crates, which he’d moved into an outbuilding. He’d spent time inside, coming out with pieces of wood, so she guessed he was unpacking what he’d shipped to the farm.

That was a sign Jeremiah intended to stay.

No surprise, but if he thought she’d give up because he was making himself at home, he was in for a big surprise. She’d waited years for an opportunity to host city kids on a farm.

She’d thought her grandfather comprehended her need to pay forward the gifts she’d been given. Instantly, she was contrite. She couldn’t fault Grandpa Rudy for his change of heart about what should happen with the farm after he died, but she wished he’d talked to her before signing a deal with Jeremiah.

He was as much an innocent victim of this mess as she was. Of course, if he withdrew his offer, that might make a difference for her aunts and uncles. Would they be more willing to give her time to find funds to set up the farm if they didn’t have an available buyer?

Mercy had discussed that with her parents last night. Her father had sympathy for how her plans for the farm might have died along with Rudy, but he’d also emphasized that he’d go along with what his siblings decided.

“I’ve got to admit,” Dad had told her before they’d hung up, “I’d really like to have you and Sunni closer to the rest of the family.”

“But there’s no place near your house where I could afford to buy land.” She’d tried not to sound like a petulant child who hadn’t gotten her way.

“If that’s what God wants you to do, He’ll help you find a way.”

She agreed and was sure God had led her to Harmony Creek and the farm. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have uprooted Sunni, leaving behind trusted specialists and physical therapists who worked with her daughter.

Now...

Mercy winced as she entered the kitchen and felt the cold wind that had found its way into the house. Opening the cellar door, she heard silence. Why wasn’t the furnace running?

A quick check of the fuel tank gauge showed it was half-full. Next, she went to the furnace, which was raised up so high off the floor she had to stand on tiptoe to see the dials. Why wouldn’t it start? She tried flipping the emergency switch at the top of the cellar steps.

Nothing.

If possible, it seemed colder when she returned to the kitchen. She needed help. She glanced at the snow sparkling as if stars had fallen along with the flakes. The road twisting through the hollow had vanished. If she called someone, how long would it take them to get to the house?

Her gaze settled on the tenant house. Should she ask Jeremiah to check the furnace? She’d ignored him for three days, but she wasn’t sure who else would be able to help them. She didn’t want Sunni getting sick from the cold.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Mercy reached for the phone, an old avocado-colored unit she’d found in a drawer. She’d hung it on the wall. The long cord allowed her to walk around the kitchen while she talked. She looked at the faded numbers on the wall beside the phone and dialed the one for the tenant house.

“Hello?” Jeremiah sounded astonished to be answering a phone.

She knew many Amish didn’t keep phones in their houses, but had them in the barns or a phone shack shared by multiple families.

“Jeremiah, it is Mercy. Mercy Bamberger.” Who else named Mercy would know he was living at the tenant house?

“Ja. Gute mariye, Mercy.” He sounded awkward and uncertain as he went on. “I hope my work hasn’t disturbed you or Sunni. I—”

Not wanting to let the conversation drag along, she said, “I don’t think my furnace is working. Will you look at it?”

She could almost see him nod before he told her he’d be over in a few minutes. Thanking him, she hung up.

Starting the coffeemaker, she sighed. If Jeremiah took over the farm, he’d strip the electric wires out of the house. She wondered what it’d be like to live without electricity.

A knock on the door told her Jeremiah was as good as his word. Taking a steadying breath, she opened it. She forced a smile, which she hoped looked more welcoming than it felt.

Knocking snow off his boots, Jeremiah stepped inside. He unwrapped a blue-and-green scarf from around his face and let it hang over his shoulders as he unbuttoned his black wool coat. Lifting off his hat of the same fabric, he placed it on the counter near the door.

Her heart beat a bit too fast when she stood close to him again. She’d thought of him as a problem, but with him an arm’s length away, she couldn’t help noticing, as if for the first time, his strong jaw and the intelligence in his compelling blue eyes. As he pulled off worn work gloves, she stared at the nicks on his knuckles and stain on his fingertips. He was a man accustomed to hard work.

Graham, her former fiancé, popped into her mind. A fastidious man, his hands always looked as if he’d just had a manicure. She’d been surprised to discover he had his nails done when he took his mother to the beauty shop. When he’d told her it made Mrs. Rapp happy, Mercy had, at first, seen it as a sign of him caring deeply about others. She hadn’t guessed he’d cared more about his mother than he’d ever care for her.

“Thanks for coming over,” Mercy said, holding out her hand for Jeremiah’s coat.

He handed it to her, and waves of cold washed over her. It must be more frigid outside than in the house. Maybe the furnace hadn’t gone out too long ago and fixing it would be easy.