Chapter 13
— chapter thirteen
Jenna knew she shouldn’t be surprised by the number of questions Katie was able to ask while they were in Nelson’s very plush and fancy bathroom, but she was. From the moment Nelson left his bedroom suite, Katie had become a magpie.
She was curious about everything. Nelson’s big, bright, sprawling house.
The carpet in the bedroom, the large, stand-alone bathtub that looked as if it had never been used.
The wide, glass-enclosed shower that held not one but three showerheads.
Katie had been so confused by that, she’d even asked Jenna who Nelson took showers with.
Jenna didn’t know if her face had ever been so red.
Instead of answering, Jenna concentrated on getting them both warm. It was a blessing when she figured out the temperature controls and got into the shower with Katie. She practically moaned when the warm spray soaked into their skin.
Before she knew it, Jenna was breaking her vow to get in and out of his shower in five minutes. The hot water felt too good, and the coconut-lime-scented bath soap, shampoo, and conditioner felt too wonderful to ignore.
Katie was happy to let her finish showering on her own. She got out, successfully wrapped herself in a towel that was as big as she was, and sat on a bath mat, playing with a collection of small soaps she’d found in a basket under one of the two sinks.
Jenna thought it was a strange collection for a man like Nelson to have, but perhaps there was a story there.
Maybe he had once shared this house with a woman.
He was a handsome Englisher man in his mid-thirties.
Perhaps he’d built this house for her. Jenna had no idea, but she had a feeling that Katie would ask Nelson soon.
Maybe later in the evening or tomorrow Jenna would be embarrassed about the direction of her thoughts. Not now, though. It would be wrong to focus on such things when she felt so relaxed and relieved.
That walk home had gotten so bad, so quickly. She’d been afraid for Katie and felt guilty for not taking better care of her.
Reminding herself that they were both all right, Jenna leaned against the shower wall, closed her eyes, and gave thanks.
Before Nelson had picked them up, she’d started to wonder if they should turn back.
It would have been difficult to do. Not only would they have been backtracking, but she would’ve had to listen to Mary fuss over Katie in a way that would somehow put the blame for the sudden storm on Jenna’s shoulders.
Her daughter would’ve been safe and warm, though.
Putting up with a few more hours of discomfort would have been worth it.
Now Katie was safe and warm, and Jenna was enjoying the best shower of her life. The Lord had surely been looking out for them today.
“Mamm?”
She opened her eyes. “Jah, Katie?”
“Nelson has seven soaps in this basket. That’s a lot.”
“Jah, I suppose it is.”
“Four of them are blue. Do you think he likes blue soap?”
“I have no idea.”
“One of the soaps is pink, and another is white.”
“It’s quite a collection.” She smiled. No doubt Katie would soon let Jenna know what color the seventh soap was.
“Mm-hmm. Are you gonna get out soon?”
“Hmm? Oh yes. I should probably do that.” Realizing she was probably using all of Nelson’s hot water, Jenna turned the knob to the right.
Instantly the luxurious spray ceased, leaving her in a cloud of fragrant, warm steam. Jenna paused for another lovely minute before reaching for the second large, fluffy bath towel.
After securing it around her body, she opened a drawer, found a comb, and went about combing both Katie’s and her wet hair, then got them both dressed in Nelson’s clothes.
“Nelson’s shirt is almost as long as a dress on me!” Katie giggled.
“That is true,” she said with a smile. Looking at herself in the mirror, Jenna noticed that she was swimming in Nelson’s clothes too. But his T-shirt, sweatpants, and zip-up felt cozy and comfortable after being soaked to the skin.
“Do we have to put back on our kapps now?”
Both of their kapps were resting on the marble bathroom countertop. Despite the fact that she’d attempted to pat them dry, they still looked rather soggy and flat. “Not yet,” she decided. “After our clothes are dry, we’ll pin up our hair and put them back on. That will be soon enough.”
“Oh, gut. I don’t like tying up my hair when it’s all wet.”
“It’s not my favorite thing to do either, child. But that reminds me, we need to give Nelson our clothes so he can put them in the dryer. You hold your towel.”
Nelson was waiting for them in the living room when they walked out. He’d also changed and looked as handsome as ever in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved light-blue T-shirt. Jenna stopped in surprise. Since when had she ever thought such a thing? He was Nelson. Her friend.
You are a widow, yes, but you still have eyes, a silly, nagging voice in her head reminded her. She blinked. She was tempted to be ashamed but then realized that it would be silly to be embarrassed by nothing more than a passing thought.
She should have no problem recognizing Nelson’s good looks.
It was the same as appreciating a beautiful flower or admiring the scent of fresh-baked bread.
She simply had a friend who was exceptionally handsome.
And kind. And good with Katie. And who made her smile.
Why, she should be grateful to have such a person in her life.
And she was. She was grateful for Nelson. Nee, she was glad to have him as a friend.
There was nothing wrong with their friendship or her feelings for him. Was there?
“Jenna, did you hear me?”
Things were getting worse and worse! She shook her head. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
He frowned. “I was telling you where the laundry room is, but maybe you don’t have one in an Amish home?”
“We do.”
“So . . .”
Katie giggled. “Nelson already took my towel.”
“Of course. I mean, yes, please let me know . . .”
“I’ll take you there.”
To her surprise, the laundry room was near the bedroom off the hall.
The door had been closed when they’d walked by.
She’d supposed it was a closet. When he opened it, she was shocked to see a sizable room with not only a washer and dryer but also a small refrigerator, a countertop, and lots of cabinets.
“This is a big room for laundry, Nelson.” And so very fancy.
He smirked. “Yeah, I guess it is. When I first went over the plans with the architect, I told him that I’d never need anything like this.
But he reminded me that a wife and two or three children would take up a whole lot more laundry space than I could imagine.
But as you can see, I’ve put it to good use. ”
She tossed her clothes in the dryer and put the used towels in the washing machine. “I’ve always thought that one cannot have too much storage space.”
“I agree.” He turned a knob, pushed a button, and the dryer set to work. “I bet everything will be dry in fifteen minutes or so.”
She hadn’t thought it would be so fast. “I guess I should now ask if you happen to have a hair dryer?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t. As a bachelor, there aren’t a lot of feminine touches around here, I’m afraid.” Looking sheepish, he added, “The only thing I have for women is a basket of soaps someone from work gave me three Christmases ago. His wife made them, and I’ve been afraid to give them away.”
Well, there was the answer to Katie’s question.
And hers. “That’s all right. Katie and I can pin up our hair before we leave.
” She noticed then that he was gazing at her hair.
For a second, she considered apologizing, but there was nothing to apologize for.
He’d invited her to use his shower, and she had long hair.
“I guess it must be strange for you to see my head uncovered.”
“Um, yes. But really, I was just thinking that I hadn’t realized how long your hair was.”
Feeling self-conscious, she smiled at him. “When one doesn’t ever cut one’s hair, it grows and grows.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Thank you,” she whispered before she realized that she probably shouldn’t have acknowledged the compliment.
Nelson met her gaze. Inhaled. Then, seeming to collect himself, he smiled at her daughter. “Yours is too, Katie.”
“I like when I don’t have to wear my kapp. It feels gut not to have any pins in my head.”
“I bet.” His gaze warmed when he glanced Jenna’s way. After a second, Nelson looked away again. “How about some coffee and hot chocolate?”
Katie’s eyes widened. “You have hot chocolate here?”
“I do. Plus, I brewed a fresh pot of coffee.”
Just as aware of the new tension that seemed to be flowing between the two of them, Jenna cleared her throat. “That would be nice, Nelson. Danke.”
After noticing how nice his living room furniture was, Jenna suggested that they sit at the kitchen table.
Nelson had tried to encourage them to relax, but Jenna knew better.
“Little hands and hot chocolate cups are practically begging to have accidents, Nelson. Your ivory couches won’t appreciate the messes. ”
“Understood.”
After Katie sipped about half her drink, she asked Nelson if she could lie down on the couch and use the blanket that was tossed over it. When Nelson agreed, she crawled around on the couch, made a little nest, and then promptly fell asleep.
Jenna was surprised but knew that she shouldn’t be. It had been a long evening, and now Katie was warm and clean and felt safe and relaxed. It was no wonder she didn’t want to leave.
She felt very much the same way. Which wasn’t good. “Nelson, if you give me a few minutes, I can gather our things together while Katie is sleeping.”
“No reason to do that yet, is there? I mean, your clothes are still in the dryer.”
“Yes, but—”
Nelson stood up. “How about we go into the hearth room off the kitchen? We can have another cup of coffee and chat while your clothes are drying.”
“All right.” Following him into the other room, Jenna attempted to get a grip on herself.
Sure, she felt awkward, but she told herself not to be so foolish.
She was a grown, independent woman, and Nelson was her friend.
Friends relaxed over a cup of coffee in the evening all the time.
No one would ever have to know that she was sitting alone with him with her hair down and her clothes in a dryer.
After topping off their coffee, Nelson flicked a switch next to the fireplace. Orange flames appeared, warming her skin. “This is nice,” she said.
“I agree. Every time I’m in here, I realize that I should use it more often.”
“You don’t relax in here in the evenings after work?”
“Not usually.”
Jenna realized then that she didn’t actually know what Nelson did in his spare time. “How come?”
He frowned. “I usually bring work home. By the time I finish, all I want to do is take a shower and collapse in bed.”
“When do you eat?”
He shrugged. “While I’m working. It’s usually just a sandwich or something.”
“Nelson, that isn’t good.”
He chuckled. “I suppose you’re right. I can’t help it, though. I feel obligated to make sure Alliance Millworks continues to grow and prosper.”
“Because it’s your family’s company.”
“Yeah. My dad and uncle are retired, but they’re still emotionally invested.” He shrugged. “I am too.”
“Nelson, I think you should think about doing less work at home. Everyone needs some time to relax. Even you.”
He chuckled. “I bet you’re right.”
“I know I am.”
“Hey, I have gotten better,” he teased. “On Monday nights, I visit a friend of mine and her little girl.”
Meeting his gaze, Jenna realized that she’d been looking at their relationship all wrong. She’d been thinking only of what he did for her, but now she realized that he’d been needing her and Katie in his life too. They were giving him a reason not to work all night.
They visited with him, joked, and chatted about all kinds of things that had nothing to do with his company. And that was so true. She wasn’t Nelson’s friend because he was successful. She was his friend because he was kind and easy to be with.
“I’m sorry I pushed you away. I won’t do that again.”
His gaze softened, pulling her closer. For a brief moment, Jenna allowed herself to study his face. She loved his eyes. Loved the way there were faint lines around them when he smiled. She liked his clean-shaven jaw . . . and the way it looked now, with the faint scruff from a day’s growth.
“Jenna, why were you and Katie walking home in the rain?”
The question felt like ice water splashing against her skin. Spurring her back to reality.
“I got upset with my in-laws,” she said. “I didn’t like the way they were speaking to me.”
He leaned forward. “What were they saying?”
It was so tempting to say that it was nothing important. To gloss over Mary and Peter’s comments as foolish talk. Or maybe put the blame on herself and proclaim that she’d been too sensitive.
But she couldn’t.
“They . . . well, they haven’t gotten over Jimmy’s death. Sometimes they act as if I should still be wearing black and constantly crying.”
“Jenna, can you imagine what Jimmy would say to that?”
“Jah, I can,” she replied with a faint smile. “He would have a lot to say about that.” Jimmy had been full of life and would have expected her to be the same way.
“Is that all they were upset about?”
“Nee.” She swallowed but forced herself to look him in the eye. “They don’t like our friendship, Nelson.”
“They blame me for Jimmy’s accident.”
She nodded because agreeing out loud would feel too awful.
“I’m sorry,” he said after a moment passed.
His words hung in the air, but they eased her. The truth was that she was sorry that Jimmy’s parents were still angry too. She was sorry that they seemed to put his memory above her very human needs.
But most of all she was sorry that Nelson was aware of how angry they were at him . . . and she had no idea how to make that situation better.