A Mother's Gift Read online

  “And I couldn’t have picked a more beautiful, loving bride,” Jude interrupted before he pressed her against the wooden wall. “Kiss me for real this time, Leah. Nobody can see us now.”

  Leah’s breath left her as Jude kissed her, gently at first and then with increasing fervor. Of their own accord, her arms twined around his neck as he deepened the kiss and left her no doubt as to how much he loved her . . . craved her. Once again, she felt special, beautiful, transported to a fairy-tale place where she could believe that nothing would interfere with the unique, forever love she and Jude already shared.

  Jude finally eased away to catch his breath. “Oh, Leah,” he whispered near her ear, “I wish all these people were on their way home—and I wish Mamm and the kids were already at Jeremiah’s—so we could be alone.”

  Leah’s heart danced. “Don’t wish away even a minute of our wedding day, Jude,” she admonished him with a chuckle. “We only get one of them.”

  Jude cupped her face in his hand, gazing at her as though he couldn’t stop. “You’re a wise woman, Leah. I hope that once you’ve shared my bed, however, you’ll be eager to wish other people would go away, too. I promise you we’ll make time to be alone so the kids won’t interrupt the special bond we’ll share.”

  She inhaled quickly, overwhelmed by the intensity of her husband’s words and the expression on his ruggedly handsome face. Why had she ever allowed her doubts to overshadow his all-encompassing love for her?

  “Hey there, you lovebirds!” one of the men called out from the pew wagon. “You two gonna spend the day all by yourselves, or visit with your guests?”

  “Jah, you’ll have plenty of time for that kissy-face stuff tonight!” another fellow teased as he carried another pew bench.

  “That would be my younger cousin Harvey and his brother, Pete,” Jude explained as he eased away from Leah. He turned to wave his hand high in the air. “You guys are just jealous—and still single!” he added brightly. “If you’re lucky, you’ll get caught kissing your brides while you still have your teeth. I hope I live long enough to see that day.”

  Leah laughed as Jude grabbed her hand. Not far from the mudroom and kitchen doors, the wedding wagon appeared as busy as a beehive with neighbors who were carrying out long tables and pulling carts loaded with crates of the dinner plates and utensils that were stored in the wagon’s built-in cabinets. Heavenly aromas of chicken, cooked onions, and celery made Leah’s stomach rumble, because she’d been too excited to eat more than a piece of toast for breakfast.

  “I’d like to say a word to my cooks and helpers,” she said, squeezing Jude’s hand. “How about if I join you in the barn to meet your far-flung uncles in a few minutes?”

  Jude smiled knowingly. “If you find any dinner rolls or slices of pie that’re up for grabs, don’t forget your hungry husband.”

  Leah laughed. “I’ll see what I can do—and I’ll ask if we can eat a little earlier than two o’clock. I’m starved half out of my mind.”

  “Uh-huh. Welcome to my world, sweet Leah.”

  Her insides tightened with the realization that food wasn’t the only thing Jude was hungry for. Would this giddy sense of anticipation keep her tingling through the coming months and years with her husband? Leah wiggled her fingers at him and turned toward the big, blocky wedding wagon. Enterprising Amish neighbors Elmer and Clara Eicher had built and stocked the huge horse-drawn vehicle to meet a need in the area’s Plain communities. Their original wagon was rented out so often, they’d constructed a second one, which Leah was approaching. It featured two large stoves with ovens and a huge commercial refrigerator—along with a generator to run these appliances, and enough tableware and linens to serve a thousand people. The Eichers also provided portable toilets, which sat discreetly beside the barn.

  About three hundred folks had joined them for this big day, and they would be eating in shifts because of limited table space in the house, so Leah and her mother had been immensely relieved when Jude had rented the wedding wagon. Her heart swelled when she saw that Alice and Adeline were pushing and pulling one of the carts, which was piled with white tablecloths. Mama’s nearest neighbor, Elva Yoder, was walking alongside the twins, clasping a case of silverware between her sturdy hands.

  “Congratulations on getting a new mamm!” Elva said to the girls as her face lit up with a smile. “There’s nobody nicer than Leah—”

  “I only have one mother, and it’ll never be Leah,” the twin pulling the wagon snapped.

  Her sister scowled from the cart’s other end. “My mother’s rolling in her grave,” she said curtly. “Why Dat wants a wife who smells like a goat and has duck poop on her shoes is beyond me.”

  Leah stopped short, feeling as appalled by the twins’ remarks as poor Elva did, judging from her wide-eyed expression. For a moment, Leah wanted to rush up and contradict the girls’ assessment of her—or ask Jude to intercede before such sentiments soured the entire day for their guests.

  But Leah nipped her lip and decided not to blow this incident out of proportion. It stood to reason that Adeline and Alice would be upset about any woman who came into their home as their father’s new wife. They would need some time to adjust to such a major change. Once they all had a chance to settle in together, they’d be a family, however—bound by the ties God Himself had sanctioned at the wedding. At sixteen, the twins were old enough to understand and accept that.

  Leah believed that Jude wouldn’t tolerate his daughters’ disrespectful attitudes for a minute, and that he’d devise ways to encourage them to behave the way he expected. She also had faith that Stevie would stop crying for his mamm once he realized Leah loved him and would be spending her days with him. She knew from watching Stevie at the occasional sales where he accompanied his dat that the boy loved animals as much as she did. She would encourage him to become her helper as she tended the chickens, ducks, goats, and cattle that Jude was going to transport to his place within the next few days.

  Setting aside her concerns about Jude’s children, Leah stepped into the wedding wagon—but not very far, because the compact, overheated work area was already full of neighbor ladies. “Denki so much to all of you for your help on my big day!” Leah called out above their chatter.

  “Happy to help!” Jerusalem Gingerich replied with a wave. As Bishop Vernon’s second wife, she’d talked to Leah about how her life would be different after she married a man who’d survived a previous mate—with womanly insight Bishops Jeremiah and Vernon didn’t have. A mischievous smile lit Jerusalem’s face as she snatched a few cookies from a tray another neighbor lady was filling. “If anybody needs a snack, I’m guessing it’s the bride. How’re you holding up, Leah?”

  “Much better now that the ceremony’s behind us,” Leah admitted as she accepted the cookies. “And jah, the toast I had for breakfast is long gone.”

  “We’ll be ready to serve around one-fifteen, I’m guessing,” Elva’s sister, Bernice, put in. “We made the chicken and stuffing casserole yesterday, and enough of the hot dishes are ready for the first sitting. We’re just waiting for the tables to get set up.”

  “I’ll let Jude know,” Leah said as she turned toward the door. “We wouldn’t want him to be so caught up in gossiping with the men in the barn that he’s late to his own wedding dinner.”

  Laughter followed her out the door of the wedding wagon as she stepped to the ground with the cookies cradled in her hands. As she crossed to the barn, Leah gave thanks for the bright December sunshine and the way the coppery-brown leaves on the pin oak trees shimmered in the breeze. It struck her then that she was making one of her final trips to the barn she’d known all her life, and that after Jude helped her move her livestock to his place, only Flo, Mama’s buggy mare, would remain here.

  Was it her imagination, or did the barn need a coat of paint and perhaps a new roof? Most days Leah didn’t pay much attention to the buildings, but in the midday sun on her last day at the Otto farm, she became aware tha
t Mama might be facing some extensive maintenance in the near future—repairs Leah should’ve seen to after Dat had passed away.

  No time like the present, while you’ve got a bunch of men in the barn.

  When Leah stepped through the open barn door, the conversation stopped. Probably a dozen older men, including Bishop Vernon, sat companionably around a portable wood-burning fire pit as Jude circulated among them. Her new husband smiled brightly at her. “Do I see cookies, Leah?” he teased as he started toward her.

  “Jah—and I’ll share them,” she added quickly, her gaze taking in the men, “but I’ve just noticed some work that’ll need doing on this barn. I’m hoping you fellows can help Mama out with whatever painting and roofing you think needs—”

  “Day late and a dollar short!” cried one of the guests she didn’t know.

  “Jah, you’ve gotta be faster to ask for help,” the man beside him chimed in.

  Leah blinked. Why were all these men gazing at her as though she were the punch line of a joke she’d missed out on? Four or five of them didn’t live near Morning Star, but surely the local men wouldn’t refuse to at least look at the barn—and even if they weren’t able to do the work themselves, they could recommend someone.

  “But—but I’d be happy to pay,” Leah stammered, wondering why so many little thorns seemed to be popping up on her wedding day. To make matters worse, Jude was chuckling as he reached her side and plucked a peanut butter cookie from her hands.

  Bishop Vernon rose from his chair, his blue eyes twinkling. “What they mean to say, dear Leah, is that your husband asked us, not two minutes ago, about making the repairs you’ve just mentioned—as well as a few others around the place,” he said kindly. “We’ve got you and Lenore covered. A crew of us will be here on Saturday morning.”

  Leah’s mouth dropped open. “I—well, denki,” she mumbled. “I had no idea—”

  “Jah, that Jude, he’s full of surprises,” teased the first man who’d spoken. “I’m his uncle, Tobias Shetler, from Bowling Green, by the way. We met earlier this morning, but you were looking a little distracted by new-bride anxiety.”

  “And I’m Tobias’s older brother, Nate,” the man beside him said with a little wave. “As time goes by, you’ll see that Jude’s usually one step ahead of everyone else, when it comes to getting things done. Maybe that’s why he can talk so fast and fancy at his auctions.”

  Good-natured laughter filled the cleared area of the barn. When Leah gazed into Jude’s sparkling dark eyes, she fell in love with him all over again. She brushed a cookie crumb from his ebony beard, aware of the little spark she ignited when she touched him. “You’re a blessing, Jude,” she said softly. “Just for you, I got our dinner moved up to one-fifteen.”

  “You’re a miracle worker, Leah, and I’ll love you forever,” he said, bussing her temple with a loud kiss.

  “Hey, save that for later!” one of the men called out.

  “Jah, get a room, why don’t you?” another one teased.

  Leah laughed, greeting each of the men in Jude’s family who’d come from a distance. It was so easy to share in their banter, even if she suspected she would confuse Tobias with his twin brother, Thomas, and forget the other men’s names minutes after Jude finished introducing them.

  The remainder of the day floated by in a haze of happiness. Leah felt like a queen as she sat on the eck—a raised dais in the corner of the front room, where the wedding party ate. Happy faces filled the house as folks feasted on a traditional “roast” casserole made of chicken and stuffing, creamed celery, mashed potatoes, glazed carrots, and an assortment of pies the local ladies had provided. Although Alice and Adeline excused themselves after they finished eating, Leah and Jude remained at the table with Gabe to chat with folks who came to express their congratulations. After the first shift’s dishes were cleared and the tables had been reset, they enjoyed the company of the second shift of guests as well.

  Later in the afternoon, as she and Jude cut their tiered white wedding cake, the applause and congratulatory remarks again made her feel like a very special woman. It was nearly five o’clock before the out-of-town guests said their good-byes and started for the homes where they were lodging. Margaret made her way to the eck as well, gripping Stevie’s hand as he walked in her shadow.

  “Our suitcases are packed and waiting in the buggy, so we’ll be on our way to Jeremiah’s,” she said crisply. “I’ll clear the rest of my clothes from the closet when I bring the kids back on Monday morning.”

  Leah’s heart lurched again at the thought of having to manage the household, but she kept a smile on her face. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you want,” she said, echoing Jude’s earlier sentiments.

  “I’m sure you’d like that,” Margaret said tersely. “But sooner or later we all must grow up and accept responsibility.”

  Jude’s brow furrowed. “Mamm, you’ve got no call to speak to Leah as though she’s shirked her duties or—”

  “May God’s blessings fill your life, son. You’ll need all of them you can get.” With that, Margaret turned and started for the door with Stevie in tow.

  Before Leah could respond, Jude hugged her close. “Never mind what she’s said,” he whispered, kissing her cheek. “If she’s going to be so cranky, it’s best that she’ll be living at Jeremiah’s, anyway. I’m going to suggest to him that Mamm needs a medical checkup, to see if there’s a physical imbalance causing her to behave this way. It’s nothing you’ve done, Leah, so don’t go blaming yourself.”

  As she gazed into her husband’s eyes, Leah chose to believe he was right. It would certainly be more peaceful in her new home if she and Margaret weren’t constantly at odds—and if her efforts at becoming a cook and a housekeeper wouldn’t be found lacking day in and day out. “It’ll be nice to have the house to ourselves for these next few days,” she whispered.

  “It’ll be sheer heaven,” Jude promised with a smile.

  Chapter 3

  For Leah, her wedding night alone with Jude surpassed all the birthdays and other highlights of her lifetime rolled together. For the first time ever, a man was focused solely on her, and on pleasing her in ways she’d never dared to dream about. Mama had left casseroles and other food in the refrigerator, along with a pie, so she didn’t have to cook—and even though she and Jude spent Friday helping her mother clean up after the wedding, it was work that soothed her soul. The three of them washed and put away the tables, and stacked the cartons of clean plates and other tableware carefully in the wedding wagon’s storage compartments.

  While Leah and her mother washed and hung the long white tablecloths, Jude began transporting the ducks and chickens to the large pens he’d built on his farm behind an outbuilding he’d emptied for her use.

  “Jude’s a happy man,” Mama remarked with a lift of her eyebrow. “And how are you doing, Leah?”

  Leah felt herself aglow with the smile on her face. “He’s such a wonderful husband, so kind and caring,” she gushed. “It feels a little odd to share a bed with someone—and to have to think about where the towels, the paper goods, and the dishes are kept in his house. But that would be true no matter whom I’d married.”

  “Every bride goes through that adjustment when she moves to a different home—especially if another wife lived there first,” Mama agreed as she tossed the end of a damp white tablecloth to Leah.

  They folded the long piece of fabric in half lengthwise, draped it over the clothesline with wooden clothespins, and quickly cranked the pulley handle before the fabric could drag on the ground. Each time they shifted a tablecloth away from the porch post where the clothesline was bolted, it went toward the other end of the line, attached to the barn—which placed empty clothesline in front of them for the next tablecloth. On such a cool, breezy day the laundry made a sound like flapping wings.

  “I hope you two will discuss the adjustment that’ll come on Monday morning when Stevie and the twins return,” Mama said softly.
“Sorry to say it, but when I overheard some of the unkind remarks Margaret was making, I was just as glad she plans to live with Bishop Jeremiah again.”

  Leah sighed. She and Jude had been so immersed in each other, they’d barely mentioned his kids—and the topics they had discussed seemed far too intimate to share with her mother. “I keep believing it’ll all work out, Mama,” she insisted. “God understands my weaknesses, and He’ll provide me the words and the ideas for bringing the five of us together as a family. Jude has already shown me how to make coffee and scramble eggs.”

  Mama pressed her lips together as if to challenge Leah’s thoughts, but she kept her doubts to herself.

  The three of them enjoyed some wedding leftovers for lunch before Jude transported Leah’s goats to their new home. Leah smiled at the way Jude and Mama teased each other at the table, and she was grateful that her mother packaged the rest of the chicken and dressing “roast” and the remainder of the wedding cake for them to take home as well. “I’ll never eat all that food by myself,” Mama remarked wistfully.

  Leah felt a pang of remorse that her mother would be living alone, yet she knew Mama would devote herself to making even more of the uniquely beautiful quilts that provided her an income. While Jude loaded her thirteen cows and calves into his livestock trailer, Leah felt at a loss for words—she was saying good-bye as much to a way of life as to her sole remaining parent.

  “Mama, if you need anything—”

  “By the sound of it, Jude has already arranged for a crew of carpenters to put a roof on the barn tomorrow and paint it on Monday,” Mama interrupted before Leah could get teary-eyed. “I won’t have the slightest chance of getting lonely anytime soon—and I have three quilts to complete in time for Christmas. Don’t you go feeling sorry for me, Leah.”

  Leah immersed herself in the warmth of her mother’s hug.

  “And by the same token, if you need anything—be it advice or recipes or help with keeping those kids in clothes, I’ll feel mighty bad if you don’t let me know about it.” Mama let out a sigh that ruffled the hair near Leah’s ear. “If it’s any consolation, my first year as a new wife was terrifying because your dat’s family was mostly men and boys who tended toward the gruff side while the women were like meek little mice.”