The Bridge of Peace Read online

  She led her across the field and into the barn. Once inside Cara guided the horse to stand between the shafts of the buggy. “Easy girl.” She patted her, but the mare shifted nervously. Cara bent forward to place the bridle on her, but Rosie jerked her head, hitting the side of Cara’s face. Struggling to keep her balance, she managed to get the bridle in place. She threw the leather strappy thing over the horse’s neck and attached the rigmarole that hooked into the bellybands. Ada had told her the names of this stuff. So had Ephraim, but none of it stuck in her brain. Couldn’t one thing about being Amish be easy?

  Forcing herself to focus, she continued connecting this thing to that until she was finally ready to stick the shaves into their holders on each side of Rosie. Once she’d threaded the leads through the rings, she was done connecting the horse to the buggy … maybe. She studied her work for a moment, wondering if she’d remembered each step. The gear sat a little odd. Cara angled her head a bit. That seemed to make it look straighter. She shrugged, hoping that everything was connected right or at least that everything important was connected.

  Once Rosie was hitched to the buggy, Cara went inside. Ada stood beside Lori as they refilled the canisters with the correct ingredients. Better Days sat on the floor, watching Lori and Ada like he was trying to understand their words. What could be seen of Ada’s light brown hair from around the head covering shined like she was still a young woman. At forty-three her face had no lines and her skin was vibrant. Cara bet she’d had very oily skin when younger and now she was reaping the benefits. “You be good for Ada.” Cara kissed the top of Lori’s head.

  “Ada’s gonna teach me how to wash, dry, and iron a prayer Kapp.”

  Ada shrugged. “One of you two needs to know how to care for the coverings.”

  “Yep, you’re right.” She missed being able to ruffle Lori’s hair, so she tugged on one of the strings to her Kapp. “Did you guys want to go to Dry Lake with me and Deb?”

  “You girls will be out too late for me.” Ada placed the lid on the sugar canister. “I need to be up long before dawn again tomorrow.”

  Lori took the remaining sugar to the pantry. “Not me, Mom. Takes longer to get there and back than we get to see ’From. I hate that.”

  “Okay. If that’s what you want to do.” Cara kissed the top of her head again, feeling the starched prayer covering against her lips.

  Deborah came into the kitchen, pinning a clean apron in place.

  “There you are.” Cara gestured toward the back door. “The horse is ready. Are you?”

  She grabbed the cake box. “Ya.”

  They said their good-byes to Ada and Lori and went to the barn. When Deborah walked into the barn, she stopped and turned to Cara. “Harnessed her by yourself, did you?”

  Cara tilted her head to the left. “If you do your head like this, it’s not so bad.”

  Deborah angled her head and then her body. “Ya, you’re right.” She stepped into the driver’s side, but once they were on the road, she held out the reins to Cara.

  Cara shook her head. “You’re the one in the driver’s seat. What are you doing?”

  “We’re not in a car. And it’s time you learn to drive … Amish style.”

  Cara folded her arms. “You drive. I’ll ride.”

  “Did you rig this thing to separate from the horse while I’m driving it?”

  “No. Of course not.”

  “Then take the reins.”

  Cara took them. The straps of leather felt totally different in her hands now that the horse was trudging along. She and the horse jolted when a van zoomed around them, but she continued heading toward Dry Lake. The cool fall air begged Cara to open her heart and soak in the very joy of being alive.

  The sensation was new and exhilarating, making her wonder how long it would last. She knew that life offered no one a break for very long. The sounds of town were far behind them now, and as much as she was enjoying the ride, she couldn’t stop thinking about seeing Ephraim.

  When she came to a fairly steep slope, she tried to gain speed so they could make it up the next hill, but Rosie seemed uninterested in going faster. “I’ve never driven anything before. But I know that a car or truck can’t hear or care when the owners yell at it. Will Rosie?”

  “Probably not, given that she never listens, but there are some things you just don’t do as an Amish person, and yelling like a maniac in public is one of them. Once you’re married, I’m sure Ephraim will appreciate it if you can hold on to that tradition.”

  Cara chuckled. “Now that’s good info to know.”

  Deborah scrunched her forehead. “Did I miss something?”

  “You said the Amish have no problem with me yelling at my horse or my husband as long as it’s not in public.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I’m pretty sure it’s what you said.”

  “Poor Ephraim.”

  Cara chuckled. “What about Rosie?”

  Deborah looked a bit lost for a moment, and then she laughed. “Knowing Rosie, I’m more inclined to say, ‘Poor Cara.’ Of course, you’ll figure that out as time goes on.”

  The ride seemed to be pulling Deborah out of that dark hole Mahlon had dug inside her, so Cara did what she could to keep the silly banter going. By the time they’d traveled for nearly an hour, she almost had the hang of driving a rig.

  “You need to slow down so you can take the next right turn up ahead.”

  Cara slapped the reins against the horse’s back, making it gain speed. “You’ve got to be kidding. I didn’t drive all this way to see Lena first.”

  “Fine. But I’m not delivering this cake on my own.”

  “Why not?”

  “There are several rules to pulling a prank, but only two you need to understand right now. One, whoever thought of the prank must be in on delivering it. Two, no one goes alone.”

  “I’ll repeat myself, why not?”

  “Because, afterward, telling what took place isn’t nearly as fun as reliving it together. Don’t you know anything about pranks?”

  Cara pulled into the driveway of Ephraim’s cabinetry shop. “Nope. Pranks are for rich girls.” She set the brake. “And you can trust me, Deb. In every way that matters—faith, family, friends, food, and shelter—you grew up rich.” She hopped down and strode to the entryway of the huge warehouse-type shop.

  Ephraim. He stood near the center of the vast building, scrubbing sandpaper over a cabinet that was sitting on a pair of sawhorses. Dark blue pants. Light blue shirt. Brown suspenders. Although it was a couple of hours before dark, he had lit several gas pole lamps. Under the glow of them, his hair looked more reddish brown than the usual strawberry blond.

  The glimpse of him filled her soul. She’d once been so empty, and now it was as if he’d stolen the awfulness of her past and buried it somewhere. But it’d taken more than his physical strength to help her. He’d given up everything for a season—had been shunned and disgraced, all the while hiding the truth from her of what he was going through. And sacrificing.

  He stirred her in ways she didn’t figure the Amish were familiar with—physical desire. But she bridled it and tried to behave like an upstanding Amish woman.

  Deborah nudged her, whispering, “Is this what you meant by seeing him?”

  Cara took a deep breath. “No, but I could stay right here all day and just watch him.”

  “We have a cake to deliver.”

  Ephraim looked up, a gorgeous smile instantly erasing the blankness that’d been there moments before. He tossed the sandpaper onto the cabinet and headed for her. Cara moved to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. The warmth and power of his hands made her feel both strong and weak. How was that possible?

  He released her. “I wasn’t expecting a visit.”

  “Deborah brought something for Lena. And I said I’d go with her to deliver it.”

  He looked past Cara and seemed to notice his sister for the first time. “Hi, Deborah
.”

  “Hey. I think I’ll go say hello to everyone at Daed’s. Meet you at the buggy in ten?”

  “You’re only here for ten minutes?” Ephraim looked disappointed.

  “No, we’re coming back after we see Lena for a bit.”

  “Good. That’ll give me a chance to finish up here and catch a shower.”

  Movement inside the office area of the shop caught her attention.

  Anna Mary.

  Ephraim’s ex-girlfriend stood in his office with the phone to her ear. Anna Mary knew the language, customs, and all the ways of the Amish. Cara knew almost nothing. If she’d been raised here as her mom had wanted, she would’ve grown up knowing all the Amish ways too. Anna Mary put the receiver in its cradle, blew out the kerosene lamp, and came out of the office. The moment she saw Deborah, her eyes lit up, and she hurried over to her friend. She engulfed her in a hug the way best friends do. The two whispered something before Anna Mary turned toward Cara and Ephraim. “Hi, Cara. How are you?”

  “Hello. I’m good. You?” The words caught in her throat and tumbled out sounding rather frozen. Ephraim traced his fingers along the side and back of her neck until settling his hand there.

  “She came to use the community phone.”

  Embarrassed that he felt the need to reassure her, she forced a smile and turned to Anna Mary. “I … I hope everything is okay.”

  “Ya, just making plans to visit one of my sisters who doesn’t live in Dry Lake.”

  Cara shifted, trying to think of how to make small talk with her. “That sounds like fun.”

  “Ya, should be.”

  “I’ll see you at the buggy in ten.” Deborah waved, and then she and Anna Mary left the building.

  Ephraim squared himself in front of her and placed both his hands on her face. “I’m glad you’re here.” He kissed her forehead before gazing into her eyes. “I have something I want to show you.” He led her to his office. After he lit the kerosene lamp, he passed her a paper with a drawing on it.

  “It’s a sketch of a floor plan, right?”

  “Ya. Plans for our new house.”

  “Ours? But you already own one.”

  “We,” Ephraim corrected and then waited.

  Her throat felt dry, but she made herself say it. “We own one.”

  “Ya, but it has one bedroom, two if we make that storage space into a room for Lori. Plus, I thought we might want to build elsewhere on the property, maybe not so close to my Daed and stepmother.”

  Her hurt from moments earlier shrank, and feathery-light contentment filled the gap. She didn’t have much in the way of good memories from her past, but she had a future. “But I like your…” She cleared her throat. “Our house. You built it yourself. Just those hardwood floors you put in from some old barn are too much a part of you to leave behind.”

  He gave that ‘I understand’ smile of his. “But it’s awfully small.”

  “If we make the living room into bedrooms, it’ll work.”

  “You’re going to be a demanding wife, aren’t you?”

  She studied him for a moment, wanting to know if he was teasing her. His eyes reflected amusement and love, and she felt his pleasure with her thaw a little more of her heart.

  “I could probably build a set of stairs and add a couple of rooms above the main floor if living there is what you really want.”

  What she ached for more than anything else was for them to marry … soon. But Amish rules said that she couldn’t go through instruction until spring and that they couldn’t marry until next year’s wedding season. Because she’d been raised an outsider and had only been living as an Amish woman for a short while, the bishop had the power to make them wait several years, if he wanted to.

  Ephraim laid the sketch on his desk. “Your plan will cost us a lot less money and keep me close to the shop, so it’s great for me. I was thinking it might not be so wonderful for you. You’re not used to having a large, somewhat intrusive family living next-door.”

  She shrugged. “I can hold my own without you having to build us a new house.”

  “Okay. We’ll wait on building a place. In a few years we’ll both be ready for a bigger one.”

  Longing to feel his lips against hers, she settled for giving him a kiss on the cheek. “I’m not interested in where we live or how big and comfy the house is. I just want to be your wife.”

  Four

  Lena knelt and dug her bare hands into the dirt, loosening the ground around her aster plants. Nicky lay near her, stretched out in the warm sun while dozing contentedly. The sight of blossoms and petals renewed and connected her to hope.

  She scooped her own concoction of mulch, fertilizer, and potting soil out of a bucket and onto the needed areas. The feel and smell of the earth, along with the beauty of the flowers—the delicate blooms and the rich shades of the purples, blues, and pinks—soothed her frazzled nerves.

  While trying to get over the hurt, she looked for some answers for Peter. But even if she did discover a way for him to learn, would he accept her help? He discounted her as a worthy being. Getting past that wouldn’t be easy, especially as he constantly made it easier for her to want little to do with him.

  If she didn’t need to go see Aaron later tonight, she’d visit her friend Samantha. She and Samantha had met while Lena attended public school for a few years. Despite getting together only a couple of times a year and Samantha’s Englischer lifestyle, the women had a lot in common. In her work as a school counselor, Samantha always had a trick or two for dealing with difficult schoolchildren. Surely Samantha could help Lena push past Peter’s stinging remarks and find a way to reach him.

  “Lennie?”

  Her brother Allen called to her. His rather craggy voice sounded just like her other brothers, but without a glance she always knew when it was him. Only a handful of people called her Lennie—Allen and two of his best buddies. While still kneeling on the lush grass, she turned to see him walking toward her. “Ya?”

  “I guess you didn’t hear me calling you. Is it noisy out here today?”

  She wiped her forehead with the back of her wrist. “Extremely so inside my head. Did you want something?”

  “No. Just checkin’ on you.”

  “I’m good, thanks.”

  “Wow, are these from your greenhouse?”

  She cleared her throat, refusing to laugh at her brother. He always meant well, but the man noticed almost nothing about her flower beds. It’d be her best guess that this was the first time he’d seen her asters, and she’d planted them here as seedlings two springs ago. “At one time they were from my greenhouse, ya.”

  “I dropped by to visit you and Daed and was surprised you weren’t eating supper with him. If I cooked a meal, I’d eat it.”

  “You sure about that? Because if you cooked a meal …”

  He chuckled. “Okay, fine, Teacher Lena. If I were you and cooked a meal, I’d eat it.”

  As sisters went, Lena had cooked a lot of meals for Allen over the years. After their Mamm died when Lena was ten, she began learning from her older sisters how to cook and run the house. Their community was never the same after that day—her brother most of all.

  The day after their mother was killed, Lena heard odd noises coming from the attic. When she climbed the stairs, she found her big brother sobbing. He looked up and saw her, and she expected him to usher out threats and throw things at her. But there Allen was, sixteen years old, sitting on the floor of the attic, crying uncontrollably. When he caught his breath, he stammered through an apology for all his years of being mean to her, and then they cried together. Slowly he’d grown into a man worth having around, but like all her siblings, he had a family of his own now.

  A rig turned into their driveway and ambled toward the house. Just the sight of Deborah Mast refreshed Lena’s spirits. Cara sat beside her. Lena hadn’t had much chance to get to know her yet.

  Allen grabbed his suspenders. “Mahlon bailed on Deborah, and Eph
raim broke up with Anna Mary for an outsider. For a while I feared all your closest friends would marry off, leaving you feeling like an outcast, but with all that heartache going on, maybe never dating isn’t such a bad thing.”

  With soil covering Lena’s hands, she stood. “I know you were trying to say something nice, but …” She wiped her hands down the front of Allen’s shirt, pressing hard as she did so. “That’s all I have to say on the matter.”

  “Lennie, Emily’s going to shake the rafters when she sees this,” Allen complained as he brushed off his shirt, taking extra time on the ground-in dirt.

  Lena chuckled and walked toward the buggy, Nicky quietly shadowing every step she took. “Now this is a pleasant surprise.”

  Deborah brought the horse to a halt, got out, and hugged Lena. Cara climbed out, holding on to a cake box.

  “Hi, Cara.” Lena wasn’t sure whether to hug Cara or offer to shake her hand or just speak. No one but Ephraim really knew Cara. Since she now lived in Hope Crossing with Deborah and Ada, they were getting to know her. The rest of the Amish community was still grappling, trying to get past the awkwardness of Ephraim breaking up with one of their own to welcome an Englischer stranger into the fold. People left the Amish faith to join the world, but she’d never seen it work in reverse—although she’d heard of a few Englischers who’d spent months or a couple of years aiming to join, only to change their minds.

  “Hey, Lena.” Cara passed the box to Deborah.

  “We brought you something.” Deborah gave it to Lena. “I made two cakes with that recipe you gave me and brought you one.”

  “Well, that’s very sweet and thoughtful. Denki.”

  “Yep, that’s me.” Deborah placed her arm around Lena’s shoulder. “Let’s go in and share a bite. I want your opinion.”

  “I wouldn’t care for any right now, but I’ll cut a slice for each of you.”

  “Not care for any?” Deborah glanced to Cara. “How can you turn down my dessert? Ada is one of the best cooks ever, and she’s trained me for years.”