Seth stroked his beard. “Sounds a bit complicated.”
She raised a brow as her lips twitched in a smile. “Are you saying you don’t think you can do it?”
He smothered a grin at her obvious attempt to goad him into playing. But she needn’t have bothered—he was ready to go. “Hand me that blindfold.”
Before he could put the blindfold on, Levi held up his hand. “Wait, I think we should change things up. This whole game was Phoebe’s idea but so far she’s sat it out.”
“I was refereeing,” she said indignantly.
Levi was having none of it. “Which I view as nothing but an excuse to keep your dignity intact. I say it’s time you get your hands dirty, so to speak.”
Phoebe pursed her lips in a mock-pout then grinned. “I’m game.”
“Gut. Now, Kish thinks he can do better with a different teammate. I think he should pair up with Daniel, who is the most logical of all of us.” Then he pointed to Phoebe and Seth. “Neither of you has played yet so I think the two of you should form a team and go against Daniel and Kish. Then Jesse and I will play whoever wins.”
What was his bruder up to? Was he really just trying to even things up? Or did he have some other motive? But his brieder were already shifting around to pair up as Levi had suggested.
Phoebe approached him, her expression uncertain. “Do you trust me to guide you?”
He’d actually prefer to be the one doing the guiding, but her expression was so tentative, so uncertain, that he nodded. “I do.”
With a smile, she held her hand out for the blindfold. As she tied it behind his head, she suggested an approach. “I find it more effective to use a clockface to give directions, rather than just say right or left. Assuming the direction you’re facing is twelve o’clock, if I need you to move in a different direction I may say two o’clock or nine o’clock or some such.” She knotted the blindfold behind his head. “How’s that?”
“It’s fine.” Wearing the blindfold made him feel vulnerable in a way he hadn’t in quite some time. But as soon as Levi gave the signal to start, Phoebe began to direct him in an unhurried, confident voice that gave him the assurance to step forward. Her directions were clear, her approval when he made the right moves bracing and before long he was moving through the course with unexpected confidence.
Thanks to her direction he only made one mistake—stepping outside his lane—forcing a go-back-four-paces penalty that Levi gleefully enforced. But in the end they finished first anyway. Seth removed his blindfold to see Daniel and Kish still a few steps behind them.
Seth joined the rest of the group in some good-natured heckling as the pair finally made it across the finish line.
Levi quickly claimed his and Jesse’s right to challenge the winners. This time Seth insisted Phoebe wear the blindfold. They didn’t do as well this time, probably because he wasn’t as adept at the direction system she’d used. The few times he used right or left it seemed to confuse her, no doubt because she was expecting clock-based instructions.
In the end they finished just a few steps behind Levi and Jesse. Phoebe good-naturedly congratulated the pair and then began organizing everyone into cleanup details to disassemble the obstacle courses and put the various posts, hay bales and other objects they’d used back where they belonged. And doing it in such a way that it all seemed part of the game.
She truly was amazing. And wonderful gut for his brieder.
And perhaps for him as well.
Chapter 17
Sunday morning Phoebe felt more jittery than she had since her first day here. Today she would meet the Sweetbrier Creek community. And even more intimidating, they would meet her.
Please, Gotte, don’t let me have one of my clumsy spills or falls today, not in front of all of Seth’s friends and neighbors.
Forcing herself to get out of bed, she dressed quickly, then hurried to the main house to get breakfast ready.
As she reached the kitchen she thought that Seth would be happy to see she’d finally be serving oatmeal for breakfast. She’d prepared it for baking last night and just had to slide it into the oven this morning. While it was baking, she cooked a large batch of scrambled eggs, adding a bit of cheese to it just before it was ready to come out of the skillet.
By the time the Beilers were ready to take their seats she had everything on the table.
“What’s in this oatmeal?” Kish asked as he served himself. “It doesn’t look like walnuts and raisins.”
“It’s not. I used applesauce and blueberries. It’s my favorite way to have it. But I can use walnuts and raisins next time if you prefer it that way.”
Jesse scooped up a bite. “I’ve never had it with fruit instead of nuts before.”
She paused as Seth passed her the platter of scrambled eggs. “Surely you’ve had it more than that one way?”
“Nee,” Mark said. “Just with raisins and walnuts. That’s how I thought it was supposed to be.” Then he brightened. “Sometimes we put preserves on it when we eat it, though.”
Phoebe nodded. “Gut, then you do have some variety, even if it’s after the fact.” She spread her hands. “But if you prefer me to make your oatmeal the way you’ve always had it, I can certainly do that.”
“We didn’t say that,” Levi protested. “At least I didn’t. Every meal has become an adventure around here and I find myself looking forward to seeing what you’ll come up with next.”
Phoebe wasn’t really sure if that was a compliment or not.
“Actually it’s not exactly true that we’ve only ever had it one way.” Seth pointed his fork Mark’s way. “You’re too young to remember, but when Mamm was alive she used to make it many different ways.” He moved the food around on his plate. “When she passed it was just easier to do whatever was quickest.”
If Mark had been too young to remember, how old had Seth been when his mamm died? It must have been very difficult to lose his mamm so young. Was that why he had trouble letting himself just relax and enjoy spending time with his brieder?
That appeared to be one more puzzle piece she needed to fit in place to help her figure out what had made Seth into the man he had become.
After breakfast it was a scramble to get everything cleaned up and everyone ready. Finally, they were all prepared. Just to be safe, Phoebe asked Seth to load the buttermilk raisin pie she’d baked into the buggy. She, Edna and Jesse rode in the buggy with Seth. The other four brieder rode together in a second buggy.
Because it was easier for Edna to climb into the front with her arm in a sling, Edna sat beside Seth while Phoebe sat in the back with Jesse. She tried to draw the boy out in conversation but while he was polite and answered all of her questions, he didn’t elaborate or introduce any topics of his own. She was concerned that there was more to his reticence than shyness and made herself a promise that she was going to do her best to get this youngest of the Beilers to open up to her before she left.
When they reached the Gerbers, Phoebe took a deep breath before she moved from her seat. Telling herself these were all friends of the Beilers and Edna and they had no reason to wish her ill, she pasted a smile on her face and stepped down.
Jesse had already helped Edna climb out of the buggy so the older woman stepped beside Phoebe and placed a hand on her arm. “Kum, we’re a little early. I’ll introduce you to some of the ladies.”
