An Amish Arrangement

“I suspect debris in the chimney has piled up over time. After it’s cleaned out, there shouldn’t be a problem.” He grimaced. “But right now you need heat.”

“I can turn on the oven and open the door.”

“Gas or electric?”

“Electric. Why?”

“I don’t want you to have to deal with gas fumes.” He gestured toward the kitchen. “You two go into the kitchen. Shut the doors and roll up towels and put them at the bottom. That should keep the heat in as much as possible.”

“How about the fireplace between the kitchen and dining room? There are ashes on the hearth.” She glanced at the smoke stains on the ceiling. “Do you think it’d be safe to try to light that one?”

“Let me check.” He followed her and Sunni into the kitchen.

He knelt by the hearth as she turned on the oven and opened the door, hoping the old stove was up to heating the kitchen. Unlike the one in the living room, the kitchen fireplace was utilitarian. No fancy tiles. Just plain brick turned dark after decades of use. He reached in to check the damper. Paying no attention to the ashes, he stretched out on his back and peered into the chimney.

“It looks open.” Jeremiah got up and knocked ashes off his pants. “Let me try a small fire. Got anything else to burn?”

She grabbed a handful of newspaper from the pile left by her grossdawdi. “How about this?”

“It’ll burn long enough to see if the smoke goes up the chimney or not.”

He cheered and Mercy smiled, giving Sunni’s shoulders a squeeze, when the thin wisp of smoke was drawn up the chimney. Going into the living room, she realized there were only a couple of pieces of wood left. She took them into the kitchen and handed them to Jeremiah.

“You keep the fire going, and I’ll get more wood,” she said.

“Mercy, I can do that. It’s cold outside.” He started to stand.

She put her hand on his shoulder, the motion automatic. But her response to the strong sinews was anything but. Jerking her hand back, she wanted to shake it to stop her skin from tingling.

Somehow she was able to say, “No, you watch the fire. I’ll be right back.”

Racing to the door, she flung it open. She pulled on her boots before she stepped into the deep snow on the porch. Quickly closing the door, she wasn’t fast enough to avoid seeing Sunni’s dismay that Mercy had left her with Jeremiah.

Mercy took a steadying breath as her fingers continued to quiver from the memory of Jeremiah’s shoulder beneath them. Had she lost her mind? It was a big mistake to be attracted to him. Even if he didn’t want her farm, she was still reeling from a broken engagement. On top of that, her daughter didn’t like him.