Chapter 14
A Storm of Emotions
Rain hammered steadily against the farmhouse roof while Hannah hurried across the kitchen carrying another bowl to catch the dripping water falling from the ceiling. Thunder rumbled loudly overhead, rattling the windows hard enough to make Lydia jump near the stove.
“That’s the third leak,” Miriam muttered while moving a chair away from the spreading puddle near the table.
Hannah frowned up toward the ceiling, where water continued to drip steadily through the warped boards overhead. “I thought the patch would last at least until autumn.” Another loud drip splashed into the bowl.
Apparently not.
The storm had rolled in quickly just before lunch, bringing heavy summer rain and sharp winds strong enough to bend trees near the pasture.
Normally Hannah loved summer storms. Today, all she saw was another repair they could not afford to ignore or fix.
Although things were much better since Daniel arrived, they were still a long way from having money to repair everything that was broken on the farm.
The back door suddenly opened against the wind before Daniel stepped inside carrying a toolbox beneath one arm, rainwater dripping from the brim of his hat.
“Is there still only the leak that started over lunch?” His gaze immediately traveled toward the ceiling before it caught sight of all the bowls situated around the kitchen. “I guess not.”
Lydia groaned dramatically. “At this point we should just move into the barn.”
Daniel chuckled softly before setting the toolbox onto the counter. “It’s likely loose flashing near the chimney. If the rain eases before dark, I can patch it temporarily.”
“You don’t have to climb onto the roof during a storm,” Hannah protested immediately.
Daniel looked toward her then. “I know.”
The quiet warmth in his voice unsettled her all over again.
Everything about Daniel unsettled her lately.
Three days had passed since the conversation at the market, yet his words still lingered constantly in her thoughts.
You started mattering to me more than I expected.
Hannah had spent years carefully avoiding hope, and now every time she looked into Daniel’s eyes, it felt within her reach. Dangerously close.
The storm finally eased late afternoon, leaving behind damp earth and heavy gray clouds stretching across the sky.
True to his word, Daniel climbed onto the roof almost immediately, regardless of Hannah’s protests about slipping on the wet roof and breaking his neck.
Determined to make sure he didn’t get hurt, Hannah handed tools up to him from below.
“Careful,” she called unnecessarily as he moved toward the chimney.
Daniel glanced down with clear amusement warming his expression. “You sound worried.”
“I’m practical.”
“That’s not the same thing.”
Hannah ignored the small smile tugging at her mouth. “It is, in a way. If you break your leg or your neck, I’ll need to take care of you, which means two pairs of hands that aren’t working the farm.”
Daniel chuckled. “Fair point, I promise to be careful.” He smiled down at her from the roof in a way that made heat rush through her cheeks.
For the next hour, Daniel called down instructions, and Hannah followed by handing him the tools and what he needed to reseal the roof.
By the time they were done, the clouds began growling overhead again.
It was dusk over the valley, and although Hannah knew Daniel had done the best he could, she truly hoped it had worked.
Daniel climbed down the ladder, and he was halfway down when the ladder sank slightly into the ground. Hannah rushed forward to steady the ladder, grabbing it just as Daniel reached the last couple of steps.
He stepped down, and his arm brushed against Hannah’s. His hand reached for hers, then even as his gaze held hers. “Denke, for a minute there I thought I might have dove face first into the mud.”
Hannah heard his words, but she was too focused on the feel of his warm, calloused hand holding hers to notice anything else.
She didn’t notice the petrichor scent that hung in the air after the rain, she didn’t hear her sisters’ laughter from inside the house, or even notice that the sun had just dipped over the horizon. Instead, she found herself seeing something in Daniel’s eyes she had tried to forget. A future.
For a brief moment, she had a glimpse of what her life could be like if only she weren’t so afraid of losing someone again.
She could see the farmhouse filled with laughter and love.
She could see Daniel waving to her from the fields, with their young son standing by his side.
She could hear her daughter’s laughter and feel the warmth of the sun on her back, and her family’s joy filled her heart with contentment.
For a moment there was no fear, no exhaustion, no grief in her heart. Only joy. She blinked, and suddenly the vision was gone, and all that was left was Daniel searching her gaze with curiosity.
“Don’t deny it, Hannah, you feel this too.”
Hannah was about to shake her head when she let out a sigh. She didn’t withdraw her hand but instead held his gaze.
“Jah, I feel it, Daniel. But it’s different for me.
It’s harder. I have my schweschders to consider, I have the burden of this farm I need to care for, and through all that I’m afraid that if I step back, just long enough to consider my own future, my own feelings – everything I’ve been holding together with nothing but a string and prayers will fall apart. ”
“Prayers have been known to strengthen anything, Hannah. Even strings…” Daniel whispered with a small smile. “And opening your heart to love, sharing your burdens, opening yourself to joy – that might be just the strength you need. If you’re brave enough to reach for it.”
“That’s just it,” Hannah shook her head. “I’m not brave, Daniel. I never have been.”
Daniel frowned. “Hannah, you’re the bravest woman I know. Being brave doesn’t mean stepping into the lion’s den; it means stepping up when you realize you’re already there.”
“I can’t do this, I’m sorry Daniel, but there is too much at stake.” Hannah pulled her hand away, but instinctively, Daniel reached for it once more.
“You’re right, there is a lot at stake, but I would chance even more if it meant the possibility of sharing a future with you, Hannah. Don’t fight this, because I know you feel it too.”
Hannah hesitated for a moment until she felt almost a whisper in her heart.
Take a chance, take a chance on love.
Hannah wasn’t sure whether it was her subconscious or the Lord urging her to do something for herself finally, but she wanted to listen to that voice. “I won’t rush this,” Hannah said firmly. “If you want me to embrace these feelings, you’ll have to be patient.”
Daniel smiled. “I’ve waited my whole life to feel as if I belong, and I know in my heart I belong with you, Hannah. Being patient a little longer is something I’d be happy to do.”
And for the first time in years, hope no longer felt quite so frightening to Hannah Peachy; instead, she found herself wondering if it had been fate that had brought Daniel back to their community…back to her.