Courting The Amish Nanny

Sadie felt guilty for gossiping, but she wanted to know. “How did his wife die?”

“She fell off a chair cleaning a window and hit her head. A neighbor found her and called an ambulance, but she was already gone,” Maria lamented and Sadie’s eyes filled. “I think Levi’s afraid something like that might happen to his kinner, too, and that’s why he’s overly protective. His mamm was the only person he trusted to take care of them. Ever since she died and he’s had to rely on nannies, he’s become even more cautious. I know it must be difficult to tolerate. That’s one of the reasons I’m working in the shop instead of watching the kinner myself. But...”

“But it helps to know why he is the way he is,” Sadie finished her sentence. “Denki for sharing that. It gives me a different outlook.”

“Gut, because I was close friends with Leora and I’m still very fond of Levi. I’d hate for him to lose you, too—”

“Hey, I was using that!” Elizabeth scolded her brother, who hugged the glue stick to his chest so she couldn’t take it.

Her conversation with Maria interrupted, Sadie decided it was time for the children to get a little fresh air before lunch. She invited Maria to eat with them but Maria declined, saying she’d take her break in the workshop with the men when they came in to eat the meals they’d brought from home.

“Feel free to drop by again. It’s nice to have a woman around here to talk to.”

“I feel the same way,” Sadie told her. But now that she had new insight about Levi, she didn’t mind the prospect of chatting with him again, either.

“Something smells appenditlich,” Levi commented after he said grace. It really did; he wasn’t just trying to butter Sadie up and influence her decision to stay.

“It’s stew.” Sadie placed the pot on a trivet in the center of the table to serve them. Her cheeks were flushed and the children’s faces were ruddy, too.

“Did you go outside this morning?”

“Jah, but we didn’t go any farther than the barn. You said we could,” Sadie quickly reminded him, as if she was afraid they’d get in trouble. Had he really come across as that prohibitive this morning? No wonder she was considering whether to stay or not.

“Oh, gut. I was only asking because your complexion looks pretty...” he began but stopped midsentence to concentrate on not spilling the full bowl of stew Sadie handed him. When he set it down in front of him, he suddenly realized what he’d said and rushed to clarify. “I meant to say your skin looks pretty pink. Very pink, that is, not pretty. Although it’s not not pretty, either. David’s and Elizabeth’s faces are extremely pink, as well.”

Levi was certain his face was the pinkest of them all as Sadie bit back a smile and graciously switched subjects. “We stopped in the workshop and said hello to Maria, too.”

“She let us make ornaments,” David said.

“But the kinner didn’t go anywhere near Maria’s shears,” Sadie informed him. “Or get too close to the woodstove.”

Levi blinked. Was Sadie mocking him? Or was she trying to reassure him she took his concerns seriously? If so, Levi appreciated it, although he wondered what accounted for her sudden change in attitude.

“Then we played Freeze Tag in the yard. It’s like tag but you have to freeze in place like this.” David leaped up from his chair and struck a pose, causing Levi to chuckle. His laughter grew louder the longer David remained motionless, refusing to even blink.

“All right, sit down and eat your lunch now,” he finally directed his son.

“You have to tag him first.” Elizabeth walked around the table and tapped her brother on the shoulder. “Like that.”

“Denki, Elizabeth. I was getting starved,” David said appreciatively, taking his seat again.

Tickled by their cheerful behavior, Levi turned his attention to Sadie. It occurred to him he’d been so preoccupied with his own concerns that morning he hadn’t asked Sadie to tell him anything about herself.

“I’d like to hear more about your life in Pennsylvania. Do you work as a nanny there, too?”

“Neh, I worked in a furniture store.” She blew on a spoonful of meat. “But sales were in decline and the owner couldn’t employ two clerks, so here I am.”

Relieved by her response, Levi said, “We’re glad you are, aren’t we, kinner?” Their mouths were full, but they nodded vigorously.

He tried to think of something else to ask Sadie but his mind went blank, so they ate in silence. Once their meal was over, Sadie suggested the children take picture books to their rooms and told them she’d be up to tuck them in for their naps after she finished the dishes.

When Elizabeth paused in the doorway and asked, “Will you still be here when we wake up, Sadie?” Levi felt a prick of guilt, remembering how their second nanny actually did leave when the children were napping. She was so peeved about something he’d said she didn’t even finish out the day.

“Of course I will. I’m staying until the day before Grischtdaag.”

Her answer elicited cheers from the children. Over their heads Levi caught Sadie’s eye and mouthed, Denki.

When she nodded and smiled back it occurred to him his household was beginning to experience the return of joy. Maybe David was right; maybe Christmas was when wonderful things happened.

Chapter Three (#ud5561fbc-93ae-5418-a2ef-5b767fb3ed3f)

On Tuesday morning it was Levi who answered the door because the children were still getting dressed. “They fell asleep right away last night, so I thought they’d be up bright and early today but I had a difficult time rousing them.”

Suspecting they were tired because she’d run their legs off playing Freeze Tag yesterday, Sadie stifled a smile. There was no need to gloat. “My guess is they’ll be hungrier than usual this morning, so I’ll make pannekuche and wascht for breakfast.” She’d taken inventory of the pantry the day before, so she knew Levi had the ingredients for pancakes on hand and there was sausage in the fridge.

“Denki. I already put on a pot of kaffi. Would you like me to pour you a cup before I go see to the milking?”

Pleased by the gesture, Sadie accepted. As she mixed the batter, she hummed softly. Clearly Levi intended this day to get off to a much better start and so did she. The children were their usual cheerful selves, although David couldn’t stop yawning.

“Schlofkopp.” Levi affectionately called his son a sleepyhead. “If you and your schweschder had gotten up earlier, we could have taken Sadie on a tour of the farm. Now it’s too late. I have to go meet the crew.”

“That’s all right,” Sadie assured him. “We’ll run around in the yard or walk to the barn like we did yesterday.”

Levi shot her a grateful look. “If we have a quick lunch this afternoon, I’ll have time to show you around then. That way, you and the kinner will have more options for your outdoor activities.”

“If you’re sure you don’t mind, we’d really like that,” Sadie replied.

“It would be my pleasure.”

Elizabeth screwed up her face and asked, “Why are you and Sadie talking funny, Daed? It sounds narrish.”

“Elizabeth,” Levi admonished, “that’s not any way for a kind to speak to her eldre.”

Elizabeth apologized, but Sadie silently admired how astute the child was; Sadie and Levi were being overly polite and their conversation sounded artificial to her ears, too. Although it was better than the previous day’s tense discussions, Sadie hoped in time they’d relax around each other enough to talk naturally.

After Levi left, Sadie washed the dishes while the children brushed their teeth, made their beds and took turns sweeping the floors. Then she read to them from the Bible and helped them practice writing their names before they went outside, where Sadie taught them how to play Simon Says and Mother, May I, followed by another round of Freeze Tag.

She must have needed more time to get used to the climate because Sadie wanted to go back inside before the children did. “If we keep playing Freeze Tag, I’m going to freeze for real!”

“Five more minutes, please?” Elizabeth cajoled and David echoed her request.

Sadie realized playing outdoors was so new to them they probably felt like they couldn’t get enough of it, so she gave in to their request. After another twenty minutes of chasing each other, they returned to the house to warm up and make hot chocolate, which they then brought to the workshop to share with Maria.

“You must have known I needed your help again, Elizabeth and David,” Maria said. “Would you like to decorate one of the trunk ornaments you made yesterday? We’ll hang them up as examples for the Englisch kinner.”

“Do you need my help, too?” Sadie asked as Maria situated the children at their workbench, out of earshot.

“I won’t turn it down, that’s for sure. We’re shipping these to our vendors on Thursday and then I’ll assemble more for sale here. I’m worried I won’t have enough made by the time we open, especially since I won’t be here next Tuesday.” Maria snapped her fingers and set down her mug. “Ach! That reminds me, I have something for you.”