Her tired eyes widened. “At least I hope somebody put the apples in to soak, because I honestly don’t remember doing it.”
Rebekah giggled. “Pa put them in to soak yesterday…I think.”
After sharing a laugh, a quick screech from Beanie brought Elnora to her feet. “Well, children, I believe Beanie and I better go nap before the festivities tonight.”
Joseph rose when she did.
The woman’s voice was tinted with exhaustion. “Won’t you bake the pies, Rebekah?”
“I will, Ma.”
After watching Elnora and Beanie retreat up the stairs, Joseph turned back to Rebekah. He plucked his hat from somewhere and danced from foot to foot.
She reached to scratch a rogue itch behind her ear.
I’ve never seen him so jittery.
A piece of newly cut hair brushed across her cheek. She froze.
My hair. He must be put off by my hair.
A sensation of creepy-crawlies, just beneath the skin, scurried down her arms.
Joseph cleared his throat. “Well, I’d better get home.” Still turning his hat in his hands, he shuffled to the door. He spoke again without turning to face her. “I’ll come for you before dinner, if that’s all right with you.”
“That’ll be fine. I’ll see you then.”
Without a goodbye, he hesitated only a moment before he pulled the door shut behind him.
Chapter Eight
Puzzled, Rebekah stared at the closed door.
He’s never acted so strange before.
Cold knots of uncertainty formed in her stomach. She started toward the kitchen with her hands wrung at her waist.
“Pa? Are you in here, Pa?”
Samuel’s voice came from outside. “Go on. Get out of here!”
Rebekah lifted her skirt and hurried to see what brought on the commotion.
Sure enough, there was Pa outside the back door. He had put the apples to soak in the wooden barrel as she recalled. However, in all the excitement, he had neglected to put the lid on. There were the twins, bobbing away amid the apples.
“Look Pa, we got to swim and snack.” Each boy grasped a thoroughly-gnawed core in their chubby hands.
The boys, though, weren’t where Samuel’s squawking was aimed. His new draft horses, bought just the day before from Mr. Yoder, had helped themselves to the apples as well.
“Ma’s not going to be happy about this,” Rebekah muttered as she stepped out to join her family.
Samuel stood with his hands on his head as his horses trotted back toward his new barn. She could hear them crunching their stolen apples.
She drew a hand to her mouth in a poor attempt to stifle a giggle as Jeremiah plucked the boys from the apple barrel. Her attempt to hold back the laughter didn’t work.
“Oh, Pa!” she managed between giggles. “I’ll start the pies with the apples we have left.”
Her father’s brown hair stuck out from his head in angry wisps. “That Mr. Yoder. He didn’t tell me dem horses had a taste for da apples.”
His German accent thickened with his mood.
The twins dashed by in a sea of giggles, just shy of Jeremiah’s reach.
“Thank you for putting them in to soak, Pa. What with all the commotion lately. . .”
Joseph.
Rebekah twisted her fingers together. “It’s a wonder any of us can think at all.”
Samuel looped his arm around her shoulder. “Jeremiah can get the boys cleaned up and ready. Who knew the apple barrel was the best place to take a swim?” He gave her a quick squeeze. “It does my heart glad to know you’re going to the festival tonight on the arm of Joseph Graber. He’s a fine young man, he is.”
She studied the ground. The strings of her covering dangled in her vision and drew her attention to any menial thing that wasn’t talking about Joseph Graber with her Pa. “It’s good you’re pleased.”
Samuel patted her shoulder. “Go get to baking, daughter. We can get a handful of pies made if we start now.”
“We?”
Samuel ran his thumbs along the inside of his black braces. “I was a mighty fine pie maker back in Germany. I baked a pie for your ma when we were courting.”
