On Her Own (24 page)

“And being married to a bishop could put an extra burden on you.”

“Maybe so.”

“What of the harness shop?”

“What about it?”

“Would you sell the place if you were to marry John?”

“Guess I’d have to, seeing as how I’d be taking on the responsibility of helping raise his four daughters plus my boys.”

Paul grabbed a napkin from the basket in the center of the table and wadded it into a tight ball. The thought of Barbara marrying the bishop was enough to make him lose his appetite. Still, he couldn’t seem to muster the courage to speak on his own behalf. Besides, what if she rejected him?

“I thought you loved running the harness shop,” he said. “How could you give up something you enjoy doing so much?”

Barbara shrugged her slim shoulders. “One does what one has to do in a time of need.” She sliced the last piece of ham and placed it on the platter. “But I haven’t decided yet.”

Paul breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe he still had a chance with Barbara. At least he hoped he did.

As John entered Moses Hilty’s hospital room, he prayed that God would give him the right words to say. He knew it had to be hard for Moses to be lying flat on his back in a hospital bed when he wanted to be at home working in the fields with his sons.

“Wie geht’s?” John asked, stepping to the end of Moses’s bed.

“Not so good.” Moses groaned. “That fall really messed up my back. Don’t know how long it’ll be before I’m on my feet again and can return to farmwork.”

“It’s never easy to be laid up.” John moved over to the side of the bed and lowered himself into a chair. “Elam and Monroe are pretty capable, though. I’m sure they’ll keep things going until you’re able to work again.”

“Jah, but they can’t do all the work alone. Thankfully, Paul’s agreed to help ’em until I’m healed up.”

“You mean after he gets done working at the harness shop each day?”

Moses shook his head. “He quit helping Barbara so he could help his brothers.”

John’s eyebrows drew together. “Does that mean he’s not going back to Pennsylvania, after all?”

“Not right now, but I think he’s planning to return as soon as the harvest is done.”

“What about helping Barbara?”

“Don’t know. But from what Paul said, she’s back working full-time in her shop, so I doubt she’ll be needing him from now on.”

“I see.” John gave his beard a couple of sharp pulls. If Paul was being kept busy in the fields and he wouldn’t be returning to work for Barbara, then he would probably leave for Pennsylvania in just a few weeks. Unless, that is, he decided to stick around and try to win Barbara’s hand so he could take control of the harness shop.

“You’d think you were the one in pain,” Moses said.

“What makes you say that?”

“You ought to see the creases in your forehead. That worried-looking frown on your face makes me think something’s wrong. Is there a problem?”

John fought the temptation to share his suspicions about Paul with Moses. No point in upsetting the man more than he already was. Besides, he might be worried for nothing. Maybe Paul would hightail it out of Missouri as soon as Moses was able to return to work. Then Barbara would be fair game. “It’s nothing for you to be concerned about,” he said with a smile. “I’m sure everything will work out fine—according to God’s will.”

P
aul wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand as he stopped working to catch his breath. He couldn’t believe he had been helping his brothers in the dusty fields for a whole week already. Every evening, he trudged back to his folks’ house, sweat-soaked, dirty from head to toe, and exhausted, while Monroe and Elam went home to their own families.

Pop had been released from the hospital three days ago, but due to the pain in his ribs and back, he was pretty much confined to bed. He was also as cranky as a mule with a tick in its backside.

Due to his father’s condition, Paul tried hard to be kind and patient. However, his patience had been tested yesterday when Pop summoned him to his room and proceeded to tell Paul that if his back didn’t heal up right, he might never be able to work
in the fields again. That being the case, Monroe and Elam would need another pair of hands on a regular basis—namely, Paul’s hands. Then he said he hoped Paul might consider giving up his job at Andy’s harness shop in Pennsylvania and help on the farm permanently.

Seeing how much pain his father was in, Paul had merely said he would think on it. But after he was done working for the day, Paul was prepared to state his case before he lost his nerve. He just hoped Pop would be willing to listen.

As John pulled his rig out of Margaret’s yard, his heartbeat picked up speed. He’d been calling on her ever since her husband died, and the more time he spent with her, the more he enjoyed her company. Despite the fact that Margaret was a few years older than he and her children were already grown and married, they had a lot in common. They both enjoyed looking at flowers, liked working on puzzles, took pleasure in feeding and watching birds, and had an interest in playing board games. Not only that, but John had discovered that Margaret was a kind, pleasant woman, easy to talk to, and a great cook. She’d had John and his daughters over for supper last night, and the meal had been delicious. An added benefit was that John’s daughters seemed to enjoy Margaret’s company, too.

“Margaret’s probably past her childbearing years, so she couldn’t give me any kinner,” he mumbled. But that didn’t seem to matter so much anymore. If only he felt free to ask her to marry him.

I might feel free if Paul Hilty were out of the picture and I knew Barbara wouldn’t be in jeopardy of losing her harness shop. Maybe I need to stop and see Moses again. If I can convince him to talk Paul into going back to Pennsylvania, I’d know that Barbara wouldn’t lose her harness shop and would be able to support herself and the boys if I don’t marry her
.

A short time later, John turned his buggy up the Hiltys’ driveway. After he’d tied his horse to the hitching rail, he headed for the house.

Moses’s wife, Joann, greeted John at the door. “Did you come to see Moses?” she asked with a friendly smile.

John nodded. “Is he up and about yet?”

“Only for short periods.” Joann shook her head. “His back still hurts whenever he moves around too much, so he spends most of his time lying in bed complaining about his pain and mumbling that he needs to get back to work.” She released a sigh. “I guess a complaining husband is better than no husband at all.”

“I’m sure Margaret Hilty and Barbara Zook would agree with you on that point.”

Joann motioned to the bedroom just down the hall from the living room. “Moses is in there. Do you want me to see if he feels up to coming out, or would you rather go to his room to visit?”

“I’ll go to Moses.” John winked at her. “No point in giving him one more thing to complain about.”

“That’s true enough.” She smiled and turned toward the kitchen. “When you’re done visiting, stop by the kitchen, and I’ll have a cup of hot coffee and a hunk of apple pie waiting for you.”

“Danki, I just may do that.”

Joann disappeared into the kitchen, and John headed for the downstairs bedroom, where he found Moses lying on the bed, his head propped up on two thick pillows.

“It’s good to see you,” Moses said.

“Good to see you, too. How are you feeling these days?”

“I’m doin’ some better but still not able to be working in the fields.”

“Give it some time, and try to be patient.” John lifted his straw hat from his head and moved closer to Moses’s bed.

Moses grimaced as he pushed himself to a sitting position. “That’s a lot easier said than done.”

“Jah, I know.”

“So how are things going with you? Are you keeping busy with your business?”

“That and making calls on ailing members of our community,” John said.

Moses motioned to the chair beside his bed. “Have a seat so we can visit awhile.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” John sat down, flopped his hat over one knee, and cleared his throat a couple of times.

“You gettin’ a cold?”

“No, I was just getting ready to say something.”

“What’s that?”

“I was wondering if Paul’s still planning to return to Pennsylvania.”

Moses grimaced, and a muscle on the side of his face twitched like a cow’s ear when it was being bothered by a pesky fly. “I had a talk with Paul the other day, and when I asked if he’d consider
staying here and working on the farm permanently, he said he’d think on it.”

John’s face flamed. “But—but I thought he didn’t like farm-work. That day I came to see you at the hospital, you said Paul would be going back to Pennsylvania as soon as you were on your feet again.”

Moses nodded. “That is what I said, but things have changed.”

“How so?”

“The day I was released from the hospital, the doctor told me that my back was weakened by the fall and that I might never be able to do any heavy lifting again.” Moses released a deep moan. “Being a farmer means doing heavy work—lifting bales of hay, sacks of grain, and the like.”

“Can’t you hire someone to take your place?”

“I suppose I could, but—”

John touched his friend’s arm. “Is it really fair to force your son to do work he’d rather not be doing? I mean, if Paul was happy working for his cousin in Pennsylvania and he stays here only as a favor to you, resentment might creep in, and then—”

“Paul’s and my relationship would become even more strained than it is,” Moses said, finishing John’s sentence.

“Jah.” John twisted the brim of his hat a couple of times. “Do you want my advice?”

Moses nodded.

“Tell Paul you’ll hire someone to take your place and give him the freedom to return to Pennsylvania where he belongs.”

Moses compressed his lips as he squinted. “I’ll think about what you’ve said.”

John smiled. “You should think about it and ask God what would be best for both you and Paul.”

When Paul entered the kitchen, Mom turned from her place at the stove and shook her head. “You surely do look a mess. Hardly a speck of skin showing that’s not covered with dust.”

He nodded. “I’m heading to the bathroom to wash up now. Then I need to speak to Pop before we eat our supper.”

“Take your time,” she replied. “The meal won’t be ready for another thirty minutes or so.”

Paul left the room. After he’d cleaned off most of the field dirt, he went straight to his parents’ room. Pop was sitting up in bed reading from the Bible.

“How are you feeling today?”

“How’d it go in the fields?”

They’d spoken at the same time. As Paul stepped to the side of the bed, he said, “You go first.”

His dad set the Bible aside and motioned to a nearby chair. “Have a seat and tell me how your work’s going.”

Paul did as Pop requested. “It’s coming along okay. We should be ready to harvest the hay and corn in a few more weeks.” Paul clasped his hands tightly together. “How’s your back doing?”

“Feels fine as long as I don’t move.” Pop grimaced. “I’m supposed to start physical therapy tomorrow morning. Sure don’t relish that.”

“It should help your muscles relax.”