A Secret Amish Love

“Ja, but you wouldn’t have known it by looking at him afterward. He worked as if nothing was bothering him when his leg must have hurt terribly.” Nell had been amazed—not only by his skill but by his attention to Abram’s mare.

“You like him.”

“I wouldn’t work for him if I didn’t like and respect him.”

“I know that, but I think you feel more for him.”

“Nay,” she denied quickly. “He’s gut at what he does, and I respect that.”

Leah nodded. As they entered the house, Nell wondered if her sister believed her.

She’d felt awful when she saw the extent of James’s injury. She’d been startlingly aware of him as she’d pressed the ice pack against his shin. The sudden rush of feeling as she’d held the pack against his masculine leg for those brief moments had frightened her. Caring for him in that way had felt too intimate. She’d risen quickly and searched for a chair or stool to prop up his leg. When James had declared that it was time to go home, she’d been relieved.

“Nell,” her mother greeted as she and Leah entered the kitchen. “I heard you had an eventful day.”

Nell nodded. “It was more eventful for Abram’s mare.”

“She’s all right?”

“Buddy’s fine. James stitched her up as gut as new. She’ll be in pain for a while, but he left Abram medication for her.”

“Gut. Gut,” Mam said. “Ellie, would you get the potato salad out of the refrigerator? Meg, you carry in the sweet and sour beans. Leah, would you mind getting your father? Supper is almost ready.”

“What about me?” Charlie said.

Her mother smiled. “You can set the table with Nell.”

Nell went to help her sister. She was home and felt less conflicted in this world she knew so well.

She might have imagined the strange tension between her and James. Tomorrow she’d put things in perspective and realize that the tenseness between them was just a figment of her imagination.

Chapter Five (#ucfc05148-d2f2-5389-a370-64cd60d41bc0)

Wednesday morning, Nell got up extra early to make her favorite contribution of potato salad for Aunt Katie’s quilting bee. By the time her mother and siblings had entered the kitchen, she had finished cleaning the dishes she’d used. She automatically started to pull out the ingredients for the cake and pie that she knew that her mother wanted to bring.

“You’re up early,” Leah said.

“Ja, I thought I’d take a look at Buddy this morning before I head to the clinic.”

“That’s a fine idea,” Mam said as she came into the room. “I’m sure Abram will appreciate it.”

Nell ate breakfast with her family, then stayed long enough to clean up before she got ready to leave. She ran upstairs to get her black shoes. When she was done, she hurried downstairs to the barnyard. She chose to take the family pony cart and hitched up Daisy before she headed toward Abram Peachy’s place.

She wondered what time James would arrive at the office this morning. Would she be able to reach him if Buddy suddenly needed additional medical care?

It was six thirty. She knew that Abram and his family most likely would be up and doing morning chores. No doubt Charlotte was already in the kitchen preparing food for this afternoon’s quilting gathering.

The weather was lovely. Nell appreciated the colors and scents of summer. A bird chirped as it flew across the road and landed in a tree. The trees and lawns were a lush verdant green, moist with the morning’s dew. There was no traffic on the roadway.