Chapter 34
Adam kept scootering. He’d passed his grandparents strolling along on the other side of the road quite a while ago, but they were so engrossed in each other neither of them saw him.
He wanted what they had someday. A love like theirs.
When he was little he’d taken his grandparents’ love for granted—their love pats and stolen kisses. And their hugs for him.
It wasn’t until he was older that he realized other Amish couples didn’t act the way his grandparents did.
His mother and stepfather never showed any affection for each other in public—or even in their own house in front of their children.
Nor did his stepfather ever show affection for Adam or even for his biological sons.
As he reached the Pequea Creek house, the sun was low in the sky. They couldn’t sell the property without taking down the barn, and when the property included nine acres it needed some sort of large outbuilding. But Mammi Becky was right. The cost of building a barn would tank the projected profit.
That morning, Jacob had told Dawdi Ike, rather loudly in the middle of the warehouse, that he’d like to buy the business anytime Dawdi was ready to sell.
Thankfully Joanna had already left to clean the rental and hadn’t heard him.
He guessed Jacob thought his grandparents’ announcement on Monday that they wouldn’t take on another project until the Pequea Creek house was almost ready to sell was an indication the business was struggling.
Perhaps Jacob thought he had a chance to buy the business. Maybe his uncle planned to help him.
The thought of Jacob owning what his grandparents had built over the years made Adam cringe.
On the other hand, his grandparents had said they wanted Adam to take over the business, but if they needed him to do it soon, would he be ready?
Jacob had worked for them for three years.
He knew the business better than Adam did.
Adam didn’t feel as if he was doing a great job managing the Pequea Creek house, but he didn’t think he was failing at it either.
But he most likely wasn’t living up to his grandfather’s expectations.
Maybe Jacob was the right man for the job.
And maybe his grandparents needed the money from the business now.
Adam parked the scooter by the barn door and then stepped inside.
Swallows flew up into the rafters and out the holes in the roof.
A mouse—or maybe a small rat—scurried to the back of the building.
Even though the barn couldn’t be repaired, much of the timber could be repurposed.
It would take time to demolish the building and sort through the materials.
He’d also need someone to draw up plans.
But he couldn’t afford to pay for all of it from his savings and no one would give him a loan.
He knew barn raisings in Lancaster County were common, but not for an investment property.
He didn’t want to ask the community to help his family turn a profit, and he knew his grandparents would be mortified if he did.
The evening light filtered down through the roof. Adam turned back to the open door and then scootered back up the driveway. The sun was setting over the covered bridge and between the fir trees, shooting streaks of orange and pink both ways. Adam turned toward home.
He doubted Joanna would keep working for the business if Jacob bought it.
Perhaps she’d end up going to Maine after all.
Perhaps that had been her plan all along.
Just because she hadn’t gone when her father returned didn’t mean she wouldn’t eventually.
Maybe she was waiting for his grandparents to retire.
There would be no reason for Adam to stay either.
He could ask his grandparents to come to Florida every winter—they would love it.
He could imagine them chatting with Amish and Mennonite people from all over the country in the park, playing bocce ball, kayaking on the creek, spending their mornings at the beach.
He could see Dawdi buying a boat and going deep sea fishing.
And Mammi organizing gatherings with her new friends.
They would be the life of the party. “What happens in Pinecraft stays in Pinecraft” would take on a new meaning.
But he doubted Joanna would come down to Pinecraft from Maine. He’d most likely never see her again.
The next morning, Dawdi Ike gathered a few files full of paperwork at the warehouse to go over back at the house.
As Dawdi started to leave, Jacob strode to his side and said something to him, this time quietly.
No doubt it was about buying the business.
Dawdi replied, loud enough for Adam to hear him, “Nee, I haven’t. ”
Jacob patted his back and said, “My offer still stands.”
After Nick dropped everyone off at the Pequea Creek house, Caleb and Jacob returned to painting the outside trim once they had everything set up. Adam joined them.
Caleb asked Adam about the barn.
“I’m not sure what we’re going to do,” Adam answered. He didn’t want to talk about it in front of Jacob.
“It needs to be razed.” Jacob dipped his paintbrush in the bucket hanging from his ladder. “The sooner the better. I can probably find someone to take the wood.”
“Nee.” Adam concentrated on the trim. “It belongs to Dawdi and Mammi. And it’s valuable.”
Jacob scoffed. “Not really.”
Adam bristled but didn’t reply. Jacob was a cheat in more ways than one.
A voice from above called down, “Let’s have a barn raising. We can incorporate the good wood from the old barn into it.” It was Joanna, of course, leaning her head out the window above them.
“Mammi and Dawdi wouldn’t be okay with that,” Adam called up to her. “It’s for their business, not their home.”
“They don’t have to know until it’s happening.” Joanna pulled her head out of the window. “I’m coming down.”
Jacob yelled, “I don’t think Ike and Becky would be in favor of it either. It’s a bad idea.”
Joanna didn’t respond verbally. However, she slammed the window shut. Jacob glanced at Adam and shrugged. At least he didn’t have a smirk on his face, but now Adam wanted to do whatever he could to support Joanna—not Jacob.
Joanna must have run down the stairs because immediately she came marching along the side yard.
Holding up one of her ubiquitous yellow legal pads, she addressed Adam.
“Do you have any idea how much your grandparents have helped people? They’ve paid medical bills.
Bought new desks for schools. Reroofed houses for free.
Loaned people money. Do you get the idea? ”
Adam nodded. He knew Dawdi Ike and Mammi Becky were generous but he hadn’t known the extent of their generosity.
“Everyone will want to attend a barn raising for them, even if it’s on a property they’re selling. I guarantee it.” She gripped her notebook. “When should we do it?”
“I really don’t think this is a good idea.” Jacob stared down at Joanna.
She ignored him, speaking to Adam. “When?”
Adam cleared his throat. “A couple of weeks?” What exactly was he agreeing to?
“How about a month?” she answered.
He laughed. She was right. It would take a fair amount of planning and work to be ready for a barn raising.
“We’ll have the cabinets in by then and the floors will be done,” she explained. “We’ll only have finishing work left. How about Saturday, September 20? I’ll get the word out.”
Adam asked, “How will we keep it a secret?
“Easy.” Joanna smiled. “I’ll tell everyone not to tell. And I’ll make a list of everything we’ll need to do to make it happen. I’ll help you recruit enough men to take down the existing barn. You contact the barn builder. All we have to do is figure out how to pay him.”
“I have an idea.” Adam didn’t want to say more in front of Jacob.
She gave him a questioning look. He shrugged. She nodded. Without saying another word, she turned and marched back into the house.
As Adam continued painting, he thought about Joanna. He longed to tell her how he felt, to talk things through with her, but he wouldn’t pester her again.
He’d write her one more letter, explaining everything. There was no way he could be as eloquent as Captain Wentworth in Persuasion, but he’d do his best to be honest.
He wouldn’t give it to her now. He didn’t want to make things uncomfortable if she reacted negatively to what he had to say, not when they had over a month left to work together to finish the house.
He’d wait until the barn raising, which meant he was committed to staying in Lancaster County at least until then. Evidently, so was she.
That evening as Adam did the chores and Dawdi Ike helped a little, Adam asked about Jacob’s offer to buy the business. Dawdi said, “It’s not a serious offer.”
Adam wondered, regardless of Jacob’s proposal, if his grandparents feared Adam wasn’t the right person to run the business after all. He scooped out oats for the horses. “Do you plan to hang on to the business for a few more years?”
“Until you can take it over?”
Adam’s face grew even warmer. “I need to figure out what to expect.”
“At this point, it depends on my recovery, how soon the Pequea Creek house sells, what we get for it, and if we can find the right next project.” Dawdi shrugged. “Sorry I don’t have a solid answer for you.”
“That’s all right.” Adam hesitated a moment.
“What about my work? Do you have any pointers? Helpful criticism?” He thought of his stepfather and his constant unhelpful criticism.
Dawdi hardly ever commented on Adam’s work except to say he was doing a good job, but it was hard for Adam to silence the voice in his head that insisted he wasn’t.