Chapter 20
As he led Mammi Becky, Joanna, and Lu in a longer silent prayer than usual as they all sat around the table, the smell of the beef stew kept distracting Adam. His mouth watered as he focused back on his prayers. They all had a lot to be thankful for, mainly that Dawdi had come through the surgery.
A knock on the door startled Adam. He cleared his throat to end the prayer and then stood. Both back doors were open in hopes of inviting the evening breeze into the sweltering house. Daniel stood behind the screen to the kitchen.
Adam strode toward it as he called out, “Come in.” He opened the door.
“I won’t intrude on your dinner.” Daniel glanced down at his boots. “Besides, I don’t want to track dirt into the house.” He held up his hand and said, “Hallo Becky. Lu. Joanna.”
They all responded.
Daniel said to Adam, “I wanted to check about Ike.”
Adam quickly gave him the good news.
“Wunderbar.” Daniel smiled faintly. “That’s good to hear.” He turned a little and said, “One more thing. I was wondering if I might speak with Joanna. In private.”
With a puzzled expression on his face, Adam turned toward the table. “Joanna, Daniel would like to speak with you.”
She wrinkled her brow.
Adam shrugged.
She stood. “All right.”
As she reached the door, Daniel said, “I’m sorry to interrupt your dinner, but could we take a little walk? I need to ask you a few questions about Jacob.”
“Sure.” They both stepped out the back door.
Becky handed Adam a bowl of stew. “Why would he need to ask her about Jacob?”
Lu shook her head. “I have no idea, but I wonder if it has anything to do with Veronica.”
“Veronica?” Becky asked.
“She’s staying at Daniel and Elaine’s now. Joanna said Jacob gave her a ride home after the singing Sunday before last.”
Adam didn’t confirm that had happened even though he’d been there. The less he said the better.
Becky, after taking a piece, passed the cornbread to Lu. “How old is she? Sixteen? Seventeen?”
Lu said, “I think she just turned eighteen—or will soon.”
Becky spread butter on her cornbread. “Do you think Jacob is interested in Veronica?”
“It seems awfully soon if he is,” Lu answered.
“It’s a good thing we didn’t include Elaine in the circle letter.”
Adam asked, “What circle letter?” as Lu said, “About that.”
Becky ignored Adam. “What about it?”
“Rhoda did include Elaine,” Lu said. “She gave her the letter yesterday when Joanna and I stopped by their house in the morning. Jonathan and his wife arrived with Veronica just as we were ready to leave.”
Becky wrinkled her nose. “You’re kidding.”
“Nee.”
“After we told Rhoda we wanted it to be just the three of us?”
“Why did you want it to be just the three of you?” Adam asked as he slid a piece of cornbread onto his plate.
Again Mammi Becky ignored him. “Well, including Elaine certainly complicates things, doesn’t it?”
Lu nodded. “We shouldn’t have excluded Elaine in the first place.”
Becky shook her head. “Of course we should have.”
Adam concentrated on eating, a little disturbed his grandmother was sounding like a schoolgirl. A mean one. No doubt she had a good reason. But he couldn’t understand why she, Lu, and Rhoda needed a circle letter in the first place. They saw each other all the time.
Adam took a bite of stew. And then another. “Wow, this is the best stew I’ve had. Don’t tell my Mamm.” His face grew warm and then he asked Mammi Becky, “Have I had your stew before?”
“Jah. When you were little.” Becky swirled her spoon around in the bowl. “But it was Rhoda’s recipe—and not actually as good as this batch, which she made on Saturday.” Becky lowered her voice. “I think she left out a secret ingredient in the recipe she shared.”
Lu laughed. “No doubt.”
Adam took a bit of the cornbread. “Elaine must have a secret ingredient for this too. It’s delicious.”
This time it was Lu who dropped her voice. “Sour cream—it was a secret. Elaine wrote down Greek yogurt when she shared the recipe, but we figured it out.”
Adam laughed.
The screen door opened, and Joanna stepped into the kitchen.
Adam stood.
Mammi Becky said, “That was a short walk.”
Joanna sat at her place without responding.
Adam sat back down too.
“Are you all right?” Lu’s voice was full of concern.
“Jah. He wanted to know why Jacob broke up with me.” Joanna picked up her fork.
Lu asked, “What did you tell him?”
“The truth. I don’t know.”
Adam’s heart constricted. He hoped Joanna had seen his note. He’d write another one tonight and sneak over and leave it for her on the coffee counter so she’d see it in the morning.
The next morning, Adam worked at Dawdi Ike’s desk. From the doorway to the office, Joanna said, “I started a list of what we’ll need for the Pequea Creek house. Did you see it?”
He held up the legal pad. “I did. Denki.”
“I’ll be right back after I start the coffee.”
Adam held up his mug. “I already made it.”
She turned, sniffed, and faced Adam. “You did.” She smiled. “I’ll go get a cup.”
He followed her and stopped where he could see her at the counter. She picked up the envelope. Instead of opening it she turned toward him. “Did you write this? And the one from yesterday?”
He panicked. Why would she think he wrote it? “That handwriting is too nice to be mine.”
“Jah, I agree.” She held the front of the envelope toward him. “But I need to know, did you write the letters?”
“Nee.” Why had he thought Joanna would just read the letters and be encouraged without wanting to know who wrote them? Of course she would want to know.
She put the envelope in her apron pocket. “Who did?”
He shrugged.
“Caleb wouldn’t. I don’t think Tim would.” She rubbed her arm. “I can’t imagine why Jacob would, but I’m running out of suspects.”
He cringed and then hoped she didn’t notice. He was guilty. Of what? Trying to encourage her? “Let me know if you figure it out.”
“I will.” Joanna’s brow furrowed as she placed her hand over her apron pocket.
She kept busy with the apartment upstairs and then going to the rental house while Adam went over the list and added to it, all the while chastising himself for lying to Joanna. That was worse than declaring when he first met her that they couldn’t be friends.
That evening, Mammi announced Dawdi was out of the ICU and back in the cardiac unit. “He should be home within a week,” she said. “But the doctor said he can’t return to work for six weeks.” They wouldn’t be done with the Pequea Creek project by then.
Adam spent Wednesday morning at the Garden Lane house working with Tim, Caleb, and Jacob, trying to get done as much as possible so they could help with the demo at the Pequea Creek house.
Wednesday afternoon he and Joanna sat at Dawdi Ike’s desk.
Joanna had a library book about Federalist-style houses in Pennsylvania and a couple of magazine articles with renovation advice.
Joanna said, “I had the chimney inspected this morning. There are a few repairs that need to be made—they’ll be done by early next week.”
Adam jotted down that note as he said, “There’s some repair work that needs to be done on the woodwork.”
“Jah, I noticed it’s not just the banister too. The floorboards, mainly, need work.” Joanna twirled the pencil in her hand. “The challenge is going to be keeping the integrity of the house while staying on budget, especially with all the work needed on the barn.”
Adam agreed. He was beginning to think it would be an impossible task.
On Thursday morning, Mammi Becky didn’t go to the hospital. She walked to the warehouse with Adam and the two sat in the office while Joanna made coffee.
“This project is really going to be a lot,” he said.
“We have confidence in you.”
Joanna came into the office carrying three cups of coffee and interrupted their conversation.
Mammi Becky took her cup and gave Joanna a sweet smile. “Denki.”
The three went over the list and other concerns about renovating a two-hundred-year-old home. Joanna shared what she’d found at the library and opened the book, but Mammi Becky seemed to be having a hard time concentrating.
Joanna asked her, “What do you think of stainless steel appliances?”
“Jah, I think that would be appropriate for the house.” Mammi Becky yawned and pushed back her chair. “I’m going to go home and nap.”
“Oh.” Besides their Sunday afternoon naps, Adam hadn’t known either of his grandparents to sleep during the day.
Here it was still morning, and Mammi was tired.
The week of being at the hospital had worn her out.
Adam told her, “Don’t worry about dinner.
I took a casserole out of the freezer. I’ll bake it when I get home. ”
“Denki.” Mammi put her notebook in her bag. “You’re doing great work. I have confidence in both of you.”
“That means a lot.” Joanna reached into her apron pocket and took out the envelope from yesterday. “I need to ask you something before you leave.”
Adam’s hand jerked involuntarily, causing his pen to fall to the floor. As he reached down for it, Joanna opened the envelope and handed the letter to Mammi Becky. “Who do you think sent this to me? I received one Monday and then again on Tuesday.”
Mammi read the letter and then slipped it back into the envelope. She chuckled and then said, “The handwriting is too good for anyone that works here, except for you, Joanna.”
“Jah.” Joanna laughed. “I thought that too.”
“It’s probably from one of the ladies in the district.”
“But how would she get it into the warehouse?”
“She could have asked someone else to deliver it,” Mammi said. “Tim would be my guess.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.”
Mammi Becky handed the envelope back to Joanna. “Isn’t it nice to know someone is praying for you?”
“I suppose.” Joanna slipped the letter into her apron. “You don’t think I should be worried?”
“Of course not. Maybe it’s from your Mammi Rhoda. Or Elaine—she could have given it to Caleb to deliver.”
Joanna didn’t exactly seem satisfied with Becky’s answer, but she did seem less worried. “Denki,” she said. “That makes me feel better.”
It made Adam feel better too. Mammi Becky wasn’t suspicious that it was him, and Joanna didn’t seem to be either. After Mammi left, Joanna said in a quiet voice, “This project frightens me.”
Adam sank back in Dawdi Ike’s chair. “I didn’t think anything scared you.”
A confused expression passed over her face. “Why would you say that?”
“You’re always in control. You always have a plan.”
She exhaled. “Exactly. Because all sorts of things frighten me.”
“Oh.” That made sense. He leaned closer. “Honestly, this project scares me too.”
“We’re going to go order thousands and thousands of dollars’ worth of appliances and fixtures and vanities and cabinets and counters and tile and everything else.” Joanna slumped a little. “This project, more than any we’ve ever done, requires both Ike and Becky, and yet neither is available.”
“Which means we have to make this work.” Adam didn’t feel as confident as he sounded—as he hoped he sounded. “They’re trusting us.”
“Jah.” Joanna laughed. “That scares me even more.”
Adam smiled. “Me too.”
They continued going through the list, discussing each item and referencing the books and other information Joanna had from the library. In the midafternoon, Adam told Joanna she should go home. “Go see how your Mammi is doing. She must be tired too.”
“Denki.” Joanna stood. “I was thinking I should check on her.” As she stood Joanna smiled, which lit up her eyes. “At least we’ll have each other to commiserate with as we work on the house—and figure out solutions.”
Adam returned the smile. “Jah. That gives me hope.”
“Me too,” she answered.
After she left, Adam walked around the warehouse.
Even though he felt unsettled about his grandparents and the upcoming renovation project, he’d felt a sense of harmony working with Joanna.
Jah, he’d court Joanna in a minute if she’d have him.
But in the meantime, he’d rather be her friend—even if he wouldn’t admit it to her—than lose her altogether.
And he would keep writing her letters, masquerading as a kind older woman in their district.