Katie's Journey to Love (26 page)

“Everything go okay?”
Mamm
asked worriedly.

“She didn't say a peep, but I think she's coming,” Katie offered.

Mamm
bustled about the kitchen. Moments later, Mabel appeared fully dressed. “
Gut
morning.”
Mamm
smiled her brightest.

Mabel said nothing for a moment. “Did either of you tell
Daett
about Mose and me?”

“Of course not,”
Mamm
said.

Katie shook her head.

“So how did he find out? Am I supposed to believe Leroy's story about the candy wrapper?”

Mamm
looked straight at Mabel. “Leroy suggested something to Jesse after he found the candy wrapper, so Jesse went out to investigate last night. That's all your
daett
knew, and I added nothing to the story.”

“
Daett
didn't ask you if you knew anything about this? You're supposed to be his
frau
, after all.”

Mamm
's face colored. “Your
daett
did ask me if knew anything, but I refused to answer. I told him I wasn't getting between his daughter and him.”

“Then you
did
tell him. That's all the information
Daett
needed. He can figure the rest out on his own.”

“Maybe you shouldn't have been out there with Mose in the first place,”
Mamm
said. “Then you wouldn't be worrying about who tells your secrets.”

Mabel's face flashed red. “I wish both of you would go back to where you belong—and out of my kitchen. We were getting along perfectly fine before you showed up and spoiled everything. Now my life is a mess because you waltzed in here as
Daett
's wife and brought along this weird daughter of yours who's so high and mighty now she hardly speaks with me any longer. She's even dating Ben Stoll and planning to tramp all over Europe with Mennonites.
Daett
never would have allowed something like that until you ruined him.”

Mamm
listened with a pained look on her face. “I'm sorry you feel that way, Mabel. And I'm trying to understand it, although I
can't do much about it. I love your
daett
, and that's the way
Da Hah
planned things.”

“Don't be blaming this on
Da Hah
,” Mabel snapped. “Now let me go ahead with the bacon. I used to do all of this myself with just Carolyn's help—just in case you think I'm helpless in the kitchen.”

“We know you're not helpless, Mabel.”
Mamm
managed a smile. “Maybe things will look better for you soon.”

“What's going to bring Mose back? He'll never show up again after
Daett
chased him out of the barn.”

“That might be for the best,”
Mamm
said. “I think your
daett
knows what he's doing.”

Mabel glared but said nothing more as she started work on the bacon.

Katie stayed out of her way but still helped where she could. It would be better, she figured, if breakfast took a little longer than to infuriate Mabel when it could be avoided.

By the time the men came tramping into the washroom from doing chores, there was still the toast to make. The kettle water had just boiled for the oatmeal, and
Mamm
rushed to finish up.

Mabel had a smirk on her face when Jesse walked in because
Mamm
still wasn't done.
Look how your new frau is doing
, Mabel's look told her
daett
.
I always had things ready on time
.

Jesse ignored Mabel and sat down at the table. Carolyn and Joel appeared before prayer time, slipping into their chairs. Leroy and Willis kept silent until after their
daett
said, “Amen.”

The two wasted no time after that, slipping out words between bites of food. “Looks like our little lovebird isn't too chirpy this morning.” Willis glanced slyly at Leroy. “Do her feathers look singed to you?”

“I hope
Daett
sent Mr. Lovebird off with a
gut
kick in his pants,” Leroy offered.

“How dare you speak of Mose like that!” Mabel exploded.

“Boys, boys,” Jesse cut in. “Don't be hard on your sister. She's had a difficult night.”

“Sitting on feed bags kissing Mose can't be that hard,” Willis smirked.

“You horrid creature!” Mabel wailed. “I wish I'd let you all starve back when I was doing the cooking. Here I worked my fingers to the bone washing your laundry and making your food, and you…you can't even be grateful. You little brats!”

“I think she's upset,” Leroy said, exchanging another glance with Willis. They both grinned.

“Okay, that's enough,” Jesse said. “We will speak no more on the matter. Mose isn't coming around again, and I'm sure Mabel sees the error of her ways. She'll not be hanging out with that boy anymore. Thankfully we've caught this problem in time that something could be done about it.”

Mabel looked like she was ready to burst into tears, but she kept her mouth shut.

“Pass me some more of the oatmeal,” Jesse said, apparently trying to move the subject to safer ground.

This produced another wail from Mabel. “You like her oatmeal, don't you,
Daett
? Much better than any I used to make. Why did I even try? I should have left this household a long time ago.”

“You're only sixteen, and you are going nowhere,” Jesse said. “And of course I like Emma's oatmeal. But I also liked yours when you made it. You know I never had any complaints.”

Mabel looked somewhat mollified, but the battle was likely far from over. Without her weekly excursions to meet Mose in the barn, Mabel would be even more impossible to live with, Katie knew.

“By the way, Mabel,” Jesse continued, “how is it you got out of the house all this time without us hearing you?”

Mabel kept her eyes on her bowl of oatmeal and offered no answer.

“I'll check the washroom door,” Leroy offered. “And Willis can check the front door.”

Mabel's face was blazing red by the time her brothers returned.

“What did you find?” Jesse asked them.

“The washroom hinges don't squeak,” Leroy said. “She's been keeping them oiled.”

“Take care of that first thing then,” Jesse told him. “There's an old pair of hinges in the barn. No more of this sneaking around is going to happen at this house. And if you oil the hinges, Mabel, I won't go easy on you.”

Mabel hung her head, her face pale now.

Reality was sinking in. Mabel wouldn't be seeing Mose in private for years—if ever again, Katie thought. But that didn't mean she was changing her opinion about
Mamm
and her. Likely Mabel would be even angrier than before.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

After the new year started, the weeks passed quickly. Ben felt the increasing weight of his delivery job with renewed regret. Was the money really worth the guilt? And there was his friendship with Katie. They'd continued to attend the Mennonite youth gatherings together and even did other things on occasion. Now it was early April, and spring was in full bloom, the last traces of winter finally gone. Just like his life was about to become, Ben thought. The last of the bitter and bad had to leave.

Ben knocked on the door of the trailer. When there was no answer, he tried again. Silence. Ben pounded on the door and called out, “I know you're in there, Rogge. I need to talk to you.”

Noise soon rustled inside the trailer, and Rogge jerked open the front door, his eyes bloodshot. “What do you want this early in the day? Can't you figure out that I'm still sleeping?”

Ben didn't back up. “It's five o'clock in the evening. Have you been sleeping all day?”

“It's Saturday,” Rogge muttered. “I sleep days and work nights. Remember?”

“That's what I'm here for, Rogge. This time it's for real. I'm not working for you anymore.”

Rogge glared at Ben. “We've been over this before.”

“I'm not asking this time. I'm sayin'.” Ben turned to go.

“It's that young girl you're seeing. The Raber girl, isn't it?”

Ben stopped short. “You mind your own business, Rogge, and I'll mind mine. You and I are through. Got that?”

“Must be something, that girl.” Rogge smiled, showing all his teeth. “Does she know what you've been doing?”

Ben turned around and stepped closer. “You'd better not tell her, you hear me?”

“And what would you do if I did?” Rogge was still smiling. “Yell at me? Isn't that all a good Amish boy can do?”

Ben turned on his heels, speaking over his shoulder. “Leave Katie alone if you know what's good for you.”

“I'll be seeing you next week at the usual time, Ben,” Rogge hollered after him.

“No, you won't.” Ben climbed into his buggy. He slapped the reins against Longstreet's back, and the horse lunged forward. Rogge was still staring at them as they hurled out the driveway.

Let him look long and hard, Ben thought. Rogge was getting no more foolishness out of him. Rogge's threat of telling Katie about his past was just that—a threat. He would do nothing of the sort. He had too much to lose if Ben squealed. Of course he wouldn't do that, but let Rogge think he would. Right now he had other things to think of, like his planned evening with Katie. There would be just the two of them together, going nowhere in particular. Katie had warmed quickly to the idea when he'd asked. She seemed uncomfortable around the Amish young people, but when he'd mentioned attending a party where the
rumspringa
young folks were gathering, Katie hadn't looked happy either.
There wasn't a Mennonite youth gathering this week. The coming of spring's busy season had slowed everything down, so a planned drive tonight alone was just the ticket. He would have Katie to himself. That should help wash memories of Rogge out of his mind.

Not that he had quite intended things to fall in that order. He still had flashes of guilt about how the relationship with Katie was going. She had no idea what his past was, and he didn't have the courage to admit what had been going on. He would lose Katie, he was sure. And she was doing him so much
gut
and he enjoyed her company far too much to take a chance on losing her.

Ben slapped the reins again and directed Longstreet toward the Mast place. His horse already seemed to know the way and didn't fight the pull of the lines when he was turned away from home. Ben sighed. He was doing the right thing by quitting the business with Rogge, but he wasn't treating Katie like she deserved. He pulled into Jesse's driveway and parked beside the barn. He waited in the buggy. There was no sign of Katie. Perhaps he should go inside and see what was keeping her. He had his foot on the buggy step when the front door opened. Katie came running across the lawn.

“Sorry I'm late!” she gasped, stopping in front of the open buggy door. “We went a little long on the Saturday cleaning. I must say, keeping house for a large family takes much more time than it did when it was just
Mamm
and me.”

“No problem,” Ben said, smiling down at her. “Perhaps I'm a little early. I had another stop to make, but it didn't take as long as I thought.”

“Well, I'm ready now.” She walked around and stepped up into the buggy. “Where are we going?”

“Maybe it's a surprise,” Ben teased.

“Okay, you don't have to tell me,” Katie said. “Just being with you is enough. Take me anywhere. I want to enjoy this time with you before I leave to fly across the ocean.”

“I'll still be here when you get back,” Ben said.

“I know.” Katie clung to his arm. “I am a little scared. And it's not getting any better the closer the time comes to leave.”

“You'll be in great company with your three friends.” He looked over at her. “And you'll see all those sites where our faith was born. Be sure to take notes of everything. I want to know every little detail when you come back.”

“Ben, you mentioned that once before. I wondered if you were still having doubts about the faith. Are you?” Katie looked at him, as Ben slowed Longstreet to make a turn.

“Some, I suppose. But maybe having doubts is a good thing. Once I wrestle through those, I think my faith will be stronger. At least I hope so.”

She snuggled up against him again. “Your family comes from a long line of people who believed in
Da Hah
, as do mine. That's our destiny, Ben. But
yah
, I will take notes to share with you, if you wish.”

“I'd like that very much.” He pulled back on the reins. “There's a little clearing in the woods that I know of just up ahead. Do you want to park there for a few moments? It's a beautiful place. We won't stay for long.”