Chapter 9
Joanna’s sandpapery eyelids blinked back more tears as she scootered along the highway to work just before noon. Her chest felt tight, and each time she pushed off with her right foot, she felt as if she might fall over in a heap.
It was hot and a trickle of sweat ran down the back of her leg. Then another. She tried to increase her speed but felt as if she were moving in slow motion.
Mammi had tried to warn her after Jacob wanted to get back together a year ago. At first, Joanna listened, but gradually she’d been won over by Jacob proving he’d had a change of heart. Or so she’d thought.
How did the saying go? Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me. She groaned.
At twenty-two with no prospect of a husband, she’d be officially an aldi Maydel soon.
It felt as if the floor had just fallen out from under her.
Her Dat would probably come to Lancaster County and force her to move to Maine.
When she reached the warehouse, she unlocked the door and stepped into the warm cavern.
It smelled of wood and linseed oil, and diesel for the generators that powered the tools.
After she stashed her bag in her drawer in the office, she headed to the props section.
She needed to stage the farmhouse to get it ready to sell.
She raised the overhead door and began carrying items to the loading area—a floor lamp, a table lamp, and two living room chairs.
She pushed a couch and the dining room table through the door.
She packed four place settings, a centerpiece, and towels for the kitchen and two bathrooms into a crate.
Finally she picked out artwork for the first floor.
Soon Nick arrived at the warehouse in the larger panel van Ike and Becky had purchased when they started staging houses.
Together they loaded the furniture and other items. A half hour later, Joanna sat in the front of the van as Nick turned onto Maple Road.
The farmhouse they’d been renovating for the last five months came into view above a creek at the end of the lane.
It was time to put her troubles aside and get to work even though she’d soon see Jacob face-to-face.
As Nick pulled around the curve of the driveway, one figure—Jacob—stepped over the ridge of the roof to the other side, and another man climbed a ladder. Ike must have found someone else to work on the project.
Nick shot a glance her way. “You all right?”
Joanna swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded. But she wasn’t.
Nick gave her a sympathetic smile. How did he know? Did everyone? Joanna’s heart beat faster. Perhaps she should have taken the whole day off. Maybe by Monday she wouldn’t feel as vulnerable. Or shattered.
She focused on the house. They’d gone over Becky’s imposed deadline by a couple of weeks. The kitchen counters were delivered a week late. The foundation needed more work than Ike realized. The roof was taking longer than anticipated.
Nick pulled up by the side door of the house. “I’ll get one of the guys to help me unload the big items.”
“Denki,” Joanna said. “I’ll do the rest.”
Joanna had chosen the flooring, light fixtures, switch plates, kitchen cabinets, vanities for the two bathrooms, sinks, counters, tile, paint colors. Everything. It was the first house she’d been completely in charge of, working from a budget Becky had established.
Joanna’s goal for the house was to keep it simple—after all, an Amish contractor had renovated it—but make it attractive. She was pleased with the results.
As Joanna carried the floor lamp into the house, Nick came out the door with Tim, one of the workers. Tim, who wore coveralls, gave her a sympathetic smile too. She ducked her head.
Over the next half hour, they unloaded the van and positioned the dining room table and chairs and the living room furniture. She’d decided to leave the bedrooms and the family room unfurnished.
Tim went back to painting the trim in the upstairs hall, and Nick said he needed to pick up Becky and Ike. “Then I’m going to take Becky shopping.”
Joanna gave him a wave. “Have fun.”
“Oh, I will. I’ll know all the gossip when we’re done, no doubt.”
Joanna’s face grew warm as he spoke. Hopefully, none of the gossip would be about her. “No doubt,” Joanna echoed, surprised at how flat her voice sounded. She wasn’t doing all right. Not at all.
As Joanna hung dish towels in the kitchen, a bolt of lightning flashed across the kitchen window.
Yesterday, she would have flown out the kitchen door and called to Jacob to get off the roof.
Today? Surely he’d figure it out himself.
The crash of thunder came fast and furious.
The electrical storm was only a few miles away.
Rain began to fall in torrents, battering the dining room window. Drops raced down the glass faster than tears.
Joanna sighed and marched through the kitchen toward the door as it flew open. A man rushed in, bringing the scent of the rain with him. He collided with Joanna, knocking her off balance. She staggered. As he grabbed her shoulders, he said, “Sorry.” Then he let go. “Joanna?”
“Adam?” It was definitely Adam. Longish dark hair soaked from the rain. Faded blue work shirt, also soaked. She quickly raised her eyes back to his face. Blue eyes. No hat.
“So we meet again.” He grinned down at her, his eyes sparkling.
“What are you doing here?”
“Working for my Dawdi and Mammi.”
“Since when?”
As he let go of her shoulders, he answered, “This morning.”
“Are you planning to stay?”
“I’m not—”
Another crash of thunder interrupted them. When it ended, Joanna couldn’t stop herself from asking, “Is Jacob coming in?” No matter how hurt she was, she couldn’t not care about his safety.
“I told him to. He didn’t answer. He’s not very talkative, is he?”
Joanna shrugged.
“He said he didn’t remember me.” Adam raised his eyebrows as he spoke. “I definitely remember him.”
Joanna didn’t want to think of her conversations with Adam over the years, first about being—or not being—friends, and then about how she’d been willing to court Jacob but not him.
But she was thinking about those conversations, until Jacob pushed his way through the half-closed door into the kitchen. “I hope this doesn’t last long.” He glanced at the empty pot on the counter and then at Joanna. “Is there coffee, Jo?”
“Feel free to make some.” Joanna turned toward the dining room. She needed to put the runner on the table.
Jacob followed her. “You don’t need to be rude.”
“I’m not being rude. You can make coffee.”
Jacob crossed his arms. Joanna pulled the quilted runner from the plastic bin. The best thing, right now, was to stay quiet. The less she said, the better. “Is there someone else?” The words flew out of her mouth. She grimaced. So much for being quiet.
“Nee.” Jacob took a step toward the kitchen. “Why would you even ask?”
“You’ve been acting weird for weeks now.”
Another crash of thunder made Joanna jump.
“Wow!” Tim’s voice came from the staircase. “This is crazy.”
Adam, who had stayed in the kitchen, asked, “Need some help upstairs?” Joanna wondered what Adam had overheard.
“Sure,” Tim answered. Their voices faded away, followed by the thud of feet on the stairs.
And another crash of thunder.
“Would you just make the coffee? I’m tired.”
“Oh.” Joanna’s voice burned with sarcasm. “Were you up all night?”
He jerked his head toward the kitchen. “The coffee.”
Joanna flung the runner down the middle of the table. “I already told you—make it yourself.”
Jacob took a step toward her. “Don’t act like this.”
She picked up the runner and stretched it between her hands, like a shield. She could use a cup of coffee too, but not enough to make one for Jacob.
Finally he turned back toward the kitchen. She spread the runner down the middle of the table. There was a clatter, and a couple of minutes later the kettle whistled on the stove. When possible, Becky stocked their worksites with coffee and lunch supplies.
Joanna continued setting the table.
There was another crash of thunder, farther away.
The storm had moved west. When she turned toward the kitchen again, Jacob stood in the doorway with a mug in his hands, watching.
Joanna’s face grew warm again. She stepped back to the table and continued working.
When she glanced at the door again he was gone.
A minute later, he was yelling, “Adam. The storm’s over. Let’s go.”
“I’ll be right there.”
“Hurry!”
Joanna pulled the cutlery box from the crate. Once she had the table set, she stood back and assessed how it looked.
“That looks great.” Adam stood in the doorway.
Joanna agreed and asked, “What made you decide to leave Florida?”
He shrugged. “I needed to come home.”
Jacob yelled, “Adam!”
Joanna rolled her eyes.
“Is he always like this?”
Joanna shook her head.
“You go out with this guy?”
She shrugged as tears stung her eyes.
“Sorry.” Adam’s expression was full of concern.
She waved him off. “I’m fine.” A few seconds later the back door closed. It seemed Becky had told everyone except Adam that Jacob had broken up with her.
Joanna worked as quickly as she could, listening to the footsteps on the roof and hoping Nick would return soon and take her back to the warehouse.
She moved to the living room and plugged in the floor lamp.
Next she took the artwork, watercolors of Lancaster County landscapes by a local Amishwoman, from the second crate and began positioning them around the room.
The front door opened. She stepped toward the entryway, expecting Nick. It was Caleb.
“Hallo,” she said. “Did you go look at the property with Ike?”
Caleb shook his head. “Mandy had an appointment.”
“Oh.”
Caleb shrugged. She wouldn’t press him for any more information, but she hoped Mandy was all right.
They’d been married for two years now and didn’t have any children and, as far as Joanna knew, Mandy wasn’t expecting.
She knew how Mandy longed to be a mother.
Perhaps that was the reason for the appointment.
Mandy was fortunate to have a husband like Caleb—Joanna knew he would do anything he could to support Mandy.
“Are you working on the roof? Or helping Tim?”
“The roof,” Caleb answered. “Is Adam up there?”
Joanna nodded.
Caleb smiled a little. “Were you happy to see him?”
Joanna tilted her head. “I was surprised to see him.” And puzzled that Becky hadn’t told her he was moving back to Lancaster County.
His expression grew serious. “I’m sorry about Jacob. Forget about him. He’s not worth it.”
Tears stung Joanna’s eyes again, and she blinked a few times. “I need to get back to work. Be safe up there—it might be slick from the rain.”