In Plain View (43 page)

Magdalena waited for him at the end of one row. Halfway down the row he lifted his eyes and saw her, but he did not speed his steps as he once would have.

“Hello, Nathan.” When she reached him, Magdalena spoke softly, searching his eyes. “I hear you had a bountiful harvest.”

“A very good harvest, yes, considering the war.” Nathanael stood the rake upright and leaned on it slightly. “God has shown mercy.”

Magdalena twirled the loose string of her
kapp
and swallowed with decision. “We haven’t had a talk in a long time.”

He met her gaze. “I suppose we have moved past those days.”

“Have we?” Magdalena held her breath.

“I want you to be happy, Maggie.” Nathanael busied himself with the rake, breaking up clots of earth.

Did he? Then why had he abandoned her all those years ago?

“I know about Jonas,” Nathan said.

Magdalena waited. She had not tried to hide Jonas from anyone.

“He will be a fine husband to you.”

“You could still be a fine husband to me.” Magdalena barely heard her own words.

“You would be a fool to want me.”

His words stung.

Nathanael slammed the rake into a tangle of dirt, weeds, and dry remains of wheat. The ground split, shooting chunks in several directions. Magdalena instinctively stepped back.

“Nathan,” she said. But he did not look up.

And he probably never would.

Jacob judged it was time to clean up and go in for dinner. The mixture in the kettle was distilled to crystals. The brimstone, tied in a linen rag and soaking in weak lye for the last hour, was ready as well. Over the next two days, he would pound the ingredients into a fine powder. Out of curiosity, he wanted to test the mixture and see for himself how much the greater measure of saltpeter increased the power of a shot. For the time being, he would carefully store the components separately.

Maria stormed into his view. “I have to leave,” she said bluntly.

Jacob pressed his lips together and turned his eyes to his sister.

“I cannot sit around the farm any longer.” Maria paced toward the tannery then pivoted and returned to the kettle hanging in the makeshift powder mill.

“Be careful,” Jacob said. “Don’t touch anything until I get the mess cleaned up.”

Maria halted. “You’re keeping me here against my better judgment, and now you’re speaking to me like a child.”

“Gunpowder is dangerous at any age.”

“Yet you continue to make it.”

“Maria, you don’t know where Ethan is.”

“I’m not going to find him sitting in Berks County.”

“Give Sarah more time. She will not give up.”

“I could go back to what I used to do, moving behind the British lines.”

“You arrived here exhausted and malnourished.”

“I am recovered. I could be still useful to the Revolution.”

“You are useful here. Since John and David joined the militia, I have three farms and four families to look after, plus the tannery and the mill. I’m sending as much leather and gunpowder to the troops as I can. It’s hard to find anyone to hire for the field work. A few Amish men are willing, but I can barely pay them. I need your help to keep everything running or we may have soldiers with no gunpowder.”

“That’s not enough for me, Jacob. The British have New York. George Washington is worn out. Maybe I could do something to bring this war to an end. It might take only one intercepted message to gain the decisive victory.”

“And maybe you could get yourself killed. Where would that leave Ethan?”

“Our three brothers have all taken that risk. You take it every day in your own way with this powder.” Maria swiped her fingers in frustration through the fine dust on top of a barrel.

“Maria, don’t—” Jacob’s warning was too late. The slight gray particles drifted to the fire.

The explosion was small, but it was enough to throw Maria off balance.

Magdalena waited for Jonas to find his words. For a well-spoken man of wit—who had already broached the subject with her father—he was breathing long and hard between phrases.

But he held her hand, and she liked the feel of his calloused palm against hers. The warmth of him. Eyes that gladly met hers. Sitting with him rather than alone.

“Will you have me?” he said at last.

Magdalena took a deep breath. She had practiced the words in her head many times. “If we ask the minister to read the banns at the next service, we can marry before the end of November.”

“I do care for you, Magdalena.”

She smiled. “I know.”

He laid a hand against her cheek, guiding her face toward his. When his lips pressed against hers, the firmness of his kiss surprised her. Even more surprising was her response—free of hesitation, full of eagerness. Sensation flushed through her, and the years to come flashed through her mind.

Years of being married to Jonas Glick.

Their children filling the house.

Growing old together.

Jonas deepened his kiss. Magdalena welcomed it.

Forty-Six

C
arter Reynolds stuck his pinky fingers into the corners of his mouth and whistled.

Immediately, the crowd hushed and heads turned toward the open tailgate where Rufus Beiler and Karl Kramer stood side by side in the back of a pickup commandeered for a makeshift platform.

Rufus looked out on the crowd. He guessed that almost half the town’s population had made their way out to the recreation site on the Saturday morning in the middle of July—two hundred
English
in one place. Amish families from surrounding parts of Custer County turned out in greater numbers than Rufus anticipated. In their white shirts, black jackets, and rich, dark dresses, they bobbed in and out of clusters of
English
. Everyone was curious to see the finished work, even those who had not participated in building it.

Tom Reynolds knocked his knuckles on the side of the truck. “You have to say something, Rufus. Now or never. And speak up, for Pete’s sake.”

Rufus cleared his throat. “Welcome, and thank you for coming. I ask you to pay close attention to Karl Kramer now. He has a few things he’d like to say to get our celebration started.”

With that, Rufus jumped down from the truck and drifted to one side of the crowd as Karl shuffled, removed his bright yellow hard hat, and expelled a sigh. Rufus took his place beside Annalise just as Karl began to speak.

He looked down at Annalise, whose eyes were forward. Her hair was the most tidy he had ever seen it, controlled by pins and captured under her white prayer
kapp
. He missed her ponytail and the days when she used to let her hair hang free. But perhaps he would one day again see her thick hay-toned blond hair shaking loose, this time for his pleasure.

Annalise looked up at him and whispered, “Has he got a long speech?”

Rufus raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure how long it is, but you’ll like it.”

Her shrug held the shoulders of a new green dress against her neck. A dress she had made herself. “He’s certainly surprising a lot of people lately.”

Karl held his hat in front of him with both hands, his injured arms hidden under long sleeves. “I haven’t always been the easiest person to get along with. That’s the truth, and I know it.”

Annalise grimaced and looked around. Rufus nudged her with his elbow, never breaking his somber pose.

Karl cleared his throat—twice. “A lot of you thought this day would never come. Me, working with the Amish. But it’s pretty clear what we can accomplish together when we decide to.”

Applause broke out, and Karl had to wait for it to subside before continuing.

“Today we’re celebrating Phase 1 of turning this area into a place everyone can enjoy.”

“Phase 1?” Annalise looked up at Rufus. “I thought the project was finished.”

“Just listen,” Rufus whispered.

“We have a beautiful nature trail,” Karl said, “and a picnic spot, and benches for enjoying the view of the mountains. We even have a stargazing rock, thanks to a few young men who did not quite know what they were doing.”

Nervous laughter rippled through the crowd. Karl shifted his stance.

“We framed in a playground, but many of you have heard that we ran out of funds and don’t have anything to put there. That’s not quite accurate.”

“What is he talking about?” Annalise asked.

Rufus covered her hand with his. “Shh. Keep listening.”

“Let me show you what Phase 2 is going to be.” Karl reached behind him and picked up a roll of blueprints then unfurled it in one hand. “We’re going to build the best children’s playground in Custer County. I invite you all to come and look closely at the plans. Now, I realize you may still be wondering about the supplies we need. Some of you have wondered about a supply center I have not far from here.”

“Is he looking at me?” Annalise whispered.

“Might be.” Rufus twisted his lips. “Just listen.”

“I have rented that land from the county. I needed a place to keep certain supplies separate from the houses I’ve been building. ‘Why?’ you might be asking.”

“I certainly am,” Annalise muttered.

Karl continued, “I confess my motives were not admirable in the beginning. I figured if I quoted a few dollars high and ended up with extra materials, maybe someday I could cut some serious corners on a project and increase my profit. After all, nobody makes a perfect estimate every time. Contractors always have extra supplies.”

“What is this, true confessions?” Annalise asked.

“Patience, Annalise,” Rufus said.

“I have decided these extra supplies will have a more noble purpose,” Karl said. “We’ll build a playhouse like you wouldn’t believe out of the lumber and shingles. The PVC pipes will make a great jungle gym. And get ready for the biggest and best sandbox you’ve ever seen. Of course we’ll have swings and a slide.”

Rufus grinned now and looked at Annalise. Her jaw hung slack.

“Did you do this?” she asked.

“I read him the story of Zacchaeus from the Bible,” Rufus said. “The rest was up to God.”

“How long have you known?” Annalise asked.

“Not long. You were asking questions. Luke was asking questions. But every contractor has leftover supplies at one point or another, and it’s a good guess customers don’t want that stuff lying around their brand-new houses, even if they did pay for it.”

“But this idea for the playground?” Annalise asked.

“That came from Karl.”

Annalise looked down at her hands laced together. “And that might never have happened if I had written a blank check for the project.”

“Many things require much patience.”

“Thank you for being patient with me.”

She lifted her face again, and it looked perfect under the
kapp
.

Annie pressed her lips together. Around her, the crowd was shifting as some moved closer to see Karl’s plans for the playground and others returned to enjoying the features of the recreation area.

“Rufus,” she said, “can we go for a walk?”

“Do you want to try out the trail?” he asked.

Annie shook her head. “No. I want to talk. Privately.”