An Amish Arrangement. Jo Ann Brown
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went to the stove, which was barely warm. He opened the door and saw the banked embers had burned themselves out.
Jeremiah sent up a prayer of thanks when, after he’d started a new fire in the stove, the air close to the stove warmed quickly. Something worked in the house.
After his quick inspection his first night at the house, he knew not much else did. No water had flowed into the sinks, and flushing the toilet had resulted in strange creaking sounds in the walls as if the pipes were trying to break out. The propane tanks by the back door must be empty, because the kitchen stove had refused to light.
He hoped he would have better results this morning. He opened a door to what might have been a laundry or storage room. A rusty washer lurked beneath shelves covered with dust and droppings. In a closet, he found a lantern but no kerosene.
Brushing the kitchen table off as best he could, he grimaced when it rocked. Were the legs uneven or the floor? That answer and a whole lot more would have to wait until he could see beyond the narrow circle from his flashlight.
He made the same meal he’d eaten last night. A peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich. He thought fondly of the large meal of eggs and sausage and home fries he would have eaten at home. After he said silent grace, he ate standing up. He found a napkin Mercy had added to the bag. He sighed, wondering if it would have been much easier if she’d been rude or snarled like an angry dog. Instead, she’d made sure he had blankets to keep him warm and food to eat.
And she’d been stubborn.
Did she have ideas of her own for the farm? Most likely, as she’d started work on the house. He appreciated that, because he’d spent hours putting together his plans, something his brothers had helped him with while they teased him for trying to look at every possible angle. Taking another bite of the sandwich, he wished his brothers were nearby. He could have used their insight.
A knock startled him. Why would someone come to a house that must have been deserted for years? Setting his sandwich down, he brushed crumbs off his hands and tossed them in the sink before he went to the door.
He opened it and saw a face he recognized. The man who had recruited others to come to Harmony Creek.
“You’re Caleb Hartz, ain’t so?” Jeremiah asked, remembering how Caleb had spoken at a gathering in Paradise Springs, telling about the fallow farmland on small family farms awaiting anyone who was willing to work hard to improve it.
The man nodded, then swept his too-long blond hair out of his dark green eyes. “Ja. I thought I’d stop by this morning to see how you’re settling in.” His tawny brows lowered. “I assumed you’d be at the main house, but the woman who answered the door told me I’d find you here.”
“Things are a bit complicated.” After he invited Caleb into the house, he gave him a quick overview of the situation.
Caleb, who would be one of his neighbors if the sale went through, listened with widening eyes. “I got to know Rudy pretty well. He was a gut man. He wouldn’t have signed a purchase contract with you if he didn’t intend for you to buy the farm.”
“Maybe he should have mentioned that to his granddaughter.”
Caleb’s frown deepened, drawing lines into the thin angles of his face. “It’s a puzzle. I’ve been here a little over a month. Everyone I’ve talked to—both Amish and Englisch—has praised Rudy’s honesty. He sold me a battered skid loader I’ll need to move hay bales. He didn’t make any bones about how much work it would need, and he sold it at a fair price.”
“My dealings with him were gut, too. I wish I knew why he didn’t let Mercy know he was selling the farm.”
“I hope you won’t have to leave Harmony Creek. We need every family we can convince to join us in order to make this settlement a success.”
Jeremiah didn’t need that reminder. From the moment he’d expressed interest in joining the Hartz family and the Waglers as well as other founding members of the Harmony Creek colony, he’d been told he must be very sure about his commitment. Each family was vital to the rest.
“I’m not leaving. I’m going to farm here.” Saying the words aloud was like taking an oath in the presence of the Lord, though God was well aware of what was in Jeremiah’s heart.
“Aren’t you a woodworker by trade?”
“Ja, but farming is too much in my blood.” He surprised himself by chuckling. “My late daed would be shocked because I hated to get out of bed to do chores.”
Caleb chuckled. “My daed used to threaten to dump cold water on me and my brothers to get us up in the morning.”
“Sounds familiar.”
“I can ask around and find out if anyone is thinking about selling.”
“Danki, but I’ve got to wait and hear what my Realtor learns from her attorney. As my mamm has said more than once, there’s no need to look for trouble before it finds you.”
“Sounds like something my mamm would have said, too.”
“My brothers believe mamms have a special language filled with platitudes for every occasion.”
Caleb laughed heartily. “Why is it dark in here?”
“I couldn’t find oil for the lantern.”
“The house has electricity. Rudy mentioned both houses were wired.” With a wave of his hand, he added, “Let’s find the fuse box and see if we can get you some light. More important is powering the well pump so you can have water.”
Jeremiah followed him into the cellar. As they crossed the dirt floor to where a metal box was affixed to the wall, he wondered why he hadn’t considered checking the well pump. Exhaustion could be a reason, because he felt as if he carried the house on his shoulders as he trudged after Caleb.
His neighbor whistled a single note as he popped open the door on the metal box. “A circuit breaker box. Who’d have guessed Rudy had updated his tenant house?” Reaching in, he flipped a switch.
A low rumble came from the far side of the cellar. Jeremiah aimed his flashlight in that direction and saw the well’s holding tank. His fatigue fell away as he realized he could have water to brush his teeth once he’d let it run long enough to make sure any rust washed out.
“Danki,” he said.
Caleb shrugged. “Glad to help. I’m sure this circuit breaker box isn’t the first surprise you’re going to find.”
Jeremiah was tempted to say the breakers were far from the first surprise he’d had since his arrival, but grousing wouldn’t get him anywhere. He needed to be patient until Kitty had answers for him. That had to be his plan. Wait and see.
A sense of calm settled over him as he realized he had a clear path...for now. He thanked God for helping him see that. He must be patient. Not an easy task when his dream was so close to realization.
Several lights were glaring against the water-stained ceilings when he went upstairs with Caleb. He switched off everything but the fluorescent ceiling light in the kitchen, though he despised its glare.
“Let us know if you need anything before your stuff arrives,” Caleb said as he reached for the doorknob. He glanced outside. “Looks like we’re in for another big storm.” Grimacing at the crack in the wall, he added, “We’re living in the barn while we get the house repaired, and our barn is better than this. Feel free to come over if you get tired of shoveling snow out of your house.”
“Danki.” He knew he wouldn’t abandon the house, because that might injure his fragile claim on the farm. “I appreciate it.”
“We may be snowed in for a while, because we’re one of the last roads plowed by the town. I don’t think Rudy sold his sleigh, so if you or anyone at the main house needs something, you can use it.”
“Danki.” He appreciated