The Widow's Hidden Past, page 4
Before Alta could object, Jonas left. He returned within minutes with a glass of water and two capsules. “Ibuprofen,” he said as he handed them to her. “If you don’t feel better in a day or so, you may want to see a doctor. I can take you there if you’d like.”
Embarrassed, Alta regarded him with dismay. “Not necessary,” she told him. “I’ll be oll recht.”
“We’ll see.” His warm smile made her heart pound. “Let me help you, and we can join the others.” He moved to take her arm.
Alta resisted. “You go. I’ll be fine here by myself.”
“Nonsense,” he said. “You need to eat. If you want to rest here, that’s all well and gut, but I’ll be back with a plate for you.” He turned to leave.
“Jonas!” she called, desperate to get his attention.
He halted and looked back. “Ja?”
“You don’t have to go to all this trouble,” she said, upset that he’d seen her at her worst. “I’m not worth it.” She murmured the words, but his response suggested he heard it.
Jonas furrowed his brow. “I’ll be right back.”
She watched him walk away and felt bad for having him cater to her. It wasn’t right. But he was a nice man and that was what men like him did.
Alta had her eyes closed when she heard him return. She lifted her eyelids, saw the plates and couldn’t help grinning. “I hope you plan on sharing that food with me. You brought enough to feed several people!”
He held a ceramic plate filled with roast beef, a mixture of pickled garden vegetables called chow-chow, macaroni salad, pickles, potato salad and a separate plate with a slice of chocolate cake.
With a chuckle, he sat in the chair next to hers. “We could eat in the kitchen, but I think it would be better if you ate it here.”
“Or on the front porch,” Alta suggested.
Jonas beamed at her. “Wunderbor idea.” He stood, set the dessert plate on the chest of drawers against the wall and then, with the other plate in his hand, he reached to help her up.
Blushing, Alta gazed at his large masculine hand a moment before she grabbed hold. His fingers felt warm and strong around her own. As she rose, she winced.
“Maybe we should stay here,” Jonas said when he saw her struggle. “I don’t want you to injure yourself further.”
“I’ll be oll recht,” she assured him as she stood a moment to get her balance. He had shifted his hold from her hand to her arm. His grip was sure and gentle as he held her while he waited for her to feel steady enough to move.
“Alta?” Lovina’s voice came from the kitchen.
In the great room!” she called.
Within moments, her sister entered the room and stopped abruptly when she saw Alta standing with Jonas’s aid. Alta felt her face heat. By an unspoken exchange, the man faced her sister as he lowered Alta into the chair.
“She hurt herself,” Jonas said with concern.
Lovina immediately looked worried. “What’s wrong?”
“My right hip,” Alta said, “but I’ll be oll recht. I hurt it a few weeks ago, and it was much better but then I twisted my leg in the barn when I went to turn.”
“What happened? How did you first hurt it?” her sister asked.
“I fell in my driveway back home.” She shifted and gasped. “Jonas, it was kind of you to bring me food. I’ll be fine by myself.”
“Nonsense,” Lovina said. “Why don’t you come into the kitchen? You’ll be more comfortable at the table.” Her gaze settled on the plate in the preacher’s hand. “With everyone in the barn, no one will bother you there.” She watched as Jonas grabbed the dessert plate so both of his hands were full.
Alta nodded. She started to push herself to her feet, but the pain in her right hip made her woozy. Jonas quickly handed Lovina the two plates and then carefully assisted Alta to her feet. “I’m sorry,” she murmured to her sister and Jonas. “I don’t mean to be a burden. I’m sure I’ll be fine in a little while.”
Lovina watched with concern as Jonas helped her to a kitchen chair. “Why don’t you eat then lie down for a bit?”
“Nay,” Alta said, shaking her head. “I want to help you put the food away later.”
“Alta,” Jonas objected, his deep voice a vibration like a hum down her spine.
“Don’t worry.” She managed a smile. “If I’m not better soon, I’ll rest.” He looked relieved and so did her sister. “Please go outside,” she urged them. “I won’t do anything to aggravate this.”
“Let me get you something to drink,” Lovina offered.
She shot her a grateful look. “That would be gut. Danki.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okey?” Jonas seemed hesitant to leave her.
Lovina rewarded him with a smile. “I’ll check on her in a little while.” Yet he stayed while Lovina poured her a glass of lemonade from the refrigerator. “There you go,” she said. “You won’t have to be alone long.”
Alta nodded, overly aware of Jonas’s continued presence. “Danki for your kindness, Preacher,” she said.
He frowned at her mention of his title. Then he nodded as if he understood. “Take care of yourself, Alta. I hope you feel better.”
After her sister and Jonas left the house, Alta grew tearful. But then she drew herself up. She felt worse rather than better after Jonas’s and her sister’s kindness, as she didn’t deserve it. And coming so soon after her community wanted her to leave, she felt emotional as well as physically in pain.
Please, Lord, help me get better quickly so I can help my sister and her family. I don’t want to be a burden. She didn’t want to do something that would cause Lovina to be sorry that she’d asked her to stay.
As she thought of Jonas, she prayed harder. Father, don’t let Jonas discover the truth about what happened between me and my girls.
Chapter Four
Jonas worried about how Alta was feeling since Sunday when he saw her limping. Did she see a doctor? She’s an out-of-town guest who will be going home. The fact that he couldn’t stop thinking about her gave him pause.
The wind picked up as he drove his horse-drawn buggy closer toward Adam King’s property. He wondered how well Alta was settling in with her sister’s family. While he could tell that she was glad to be there, something in her expression at odd moments had convinced him there were secrets behind her beautiful green eyes—secrets that upset her. Would she ever confide in him? He was a patient man, and he would wait until she was comfortable with him. Jonas hoped she wouldn’t leave before he could earn her trust.
It was a clear Tuesday morning, and Jonas was glad he finally could get away for a visit. He would have checked on Alta yesterday, but he’d needed to get things done on his dairy farm that couldn’t wait. By the time he’d met with Nate Hostetler and finished his work for the day, it was late, and he hadn’t wanted to disturb the King household during suppertime.
The residence loomed on the left. Jonas drove his buggy onto the property and parked close to the house. He climbed from his vehicle then reached in for the pie his daughter had brought home from her restaurant late yesterday after closing. Cradling the dessert carefully, he approached and knocked on the back door. Within seconds, Lovina answered it.
“Jonas! It’s gut to see you! Come in,” she said with a wide smile of welcome. “What do you have there?”
“Fannie’s chocolate cream pie.” He handed it to her then quickly looked about the room to discover that Lovina was alone. Jonas fought the disappointment at Alta’s absence.
Lovina set the dessert on the countertop and then faced him. “Would you like a cup of coffee? I just made it. I was about to call Alta downstairs to join me.”
“I would love a cup. Danki.” Jonas’s spirits lifted, a feeling he didn’t want to interpret too closely on hearing Alta’s name. He hung his hat on a wall hook then took off his light jacket and laid it across the back of a chair. “How is Alta feeling?” he inquired as Lovina set his coffee on the table.
“She’s doing much better.” Lovina placed another cup on the table. “I encouraged her to take ibuprofen regularly since Sunday evening, and her pain has been manageable. Alta has been helping me with housecleaning this morning. Nothing seems to keep my schweschter down for long.” She frowned as she slid a sugar bowl in his direction. “Something is bothering her, Jonas, but whenever I try to find out what’s wrong, she tells me she’s fine.” She paused. “Do you think you might be able to help her? Talk with her. Maybe she’s afraid I’ll judge her, but despite our past...” To his surprise, guilt entered her expression. “... I love my sister and want only the best for her.”
Jonas cupped his mug and studied Lovina thoughtfully, noting the genuine concern in her blue eyes. “I don’t know that she’ll talk to me.” He sipped from his coffee. “How long will she be here?”
“A month, at least. Longer if I have my way. I’m not sure how she’ll feel about staying with us for that length of time. She has family back in Happiness. I hope I can convince her to stay by reminding her we have years to make up for.” Lovina locked gazes with him. “Please think about it,” she said before she left the room.
“I’ll try. That’s all I can do.” Jonas heard Lovina in the foyer calling upstairs to her sister. He found himself staring at the doorway so he could catch sight of Alta before she realized he was here. Lovina entered the room first, and he averted his eyes. Then he sensed Alta’s presence and glanced toward the open doorway where the kitchen met the rest of the house. She walked in, her attention immediately drawn to Lovina who was pouring a mug of coffee at the stove.
“I finished all the floors upstairs,” Alta said, sounding pleased. “I’ll do the dusting next.”
Lovina turned from the stove and handed her sister a full coffee mug. “Don’t worry about the dusting. You don’t have to work so hard, schweschter. Sit down and enjoy your coffee with us.”
“Us?” Alta spun, caught sight of him and blushed. “P-preacher, I didn’t know you were here.”
Jonas gave her a soft smile. “I wanted to see how you were feeling. Your sister said you’re doing better.”
She bobbed her head before she took a big gulp of her coffee then gasped at the heat of the brew.
“Please sit, Alta,” Jonas invited as he rose and pulled out a chair next to his. “Relax and enjoy your coffee. I’m not a scary man, but I guess you’ll have to be the one to judge for yourself.” He kept his tone light and teasing.
To his amazement, she blinked as if momentarily stunned, then she chuckled. “What if I’m not a gut judge of character?”
The transformation of her beautiful features struck him like a blow to his heart. He quickly controlled his thoughts. “Lovina has known me for years. Ask her if you’re wondering what type of man I am.”
Alta looked at her sister as Lovina took the seat across from him. “Lovina?”
“I can vouch that he’s a gut man.” Lovina grinned.
To Jonas’s surprise, Alta smirked. “Okey.”
Jonas stood after he’d finished his coffee. “Are you up for a walk?” He watched her as she hesitated before answering him.
“She’s up for it,” Lovina said with a glance toward her sister. “Don’t look at me that way, Alta! You’ve been doing housework since before breakfast. Go. Enjoy the fresh air.”
Alta’s cheeks turned a bright shade of pink. “Oll recht.”
“I won’t keep you long,” Jonas told her as she finished her coffee and then stood. “I need your help.” Alta gave her sister a look, which would have been amusing if he hadn’t known something was bothering her. He held the back door open for her and followed her outside. “Let’s walk toward the back of the property.”
Autumn had altered the landscape. The leaves on the trees were vibrant shades of gold, orange, yellow and red. If she appreciated the glorious view that was the height of the season, she didn’t mention it. Alta remained quiet as she kept pace with him yet she somehow left a measure of distance between them. The silence was painful. Jonas was determined to make her feel comfortable with him.
“What did you think of church service last Sunday?” he asked softly, halting in the hopes that she would stop and look at him.
She paused. “It... I liked it.” Alta glanced quickly away. “I especially liked the passage you read and what you said afterward.”
“Danki.” Jonas felt a flutter in his chest, a sensation he didn’t ever remember feeling before. He touched her arm and felt her muscles tighten. He immediately shifted away and continued along the pasture fence to the right of the property until the farm fields were far behind them. “I’d like to ask you something,” he ventured carefully.
* * *
“Oh? What?” Alta said, aware that her voice sounded odd, trembly, to her ears. Surprised that Jonas had asked her to walk with him, she felt a heightened sense of him as they strolled together along the line of trees her brother-in-law must have planted as a windbreak. Because of Lovina’s ease around the man, she knew she had nothing to fear from him. Still, she couldn’t help but be a little wary of him.
Jonas faced her, drawing her attention. “There is a family in our community—the Eshes. Their youngest son had to have an appendectomy two months ago, and there were complications. The boy—Hadley—is doing well now, but the medical bills are high, and his eldra need financial assistance.”
Alta immediately felt sympathy for the Esh family. “How can I help?”
The man’s smile was heart-melting. “I’m in charge of the fundraiser, which we hope to hold soon.” The brown eyes beneath his wide-brimmed straw hat seemed to sear into her soul. “I was hoping you could help me with it.”
“You want me to help you with a fundraiser?” she asked, stunned by his request.
He nodded. “I’d like to hear your ideas. I’m sure you’ve worked fundraisers before, ja?”
“I have.” And it was something she was comfortable discussing with him. The fundraisers she’d worked on had been successful in her home community, and many families over the years had benefited from them. “Back in Happiness, we usually offered some type of meal for breakfast or the midday meal, offering the same food all day.” She bit her lip as she gazed up at him. “What have you done in the past here?”
“We’ve held a breakfast, but I was thinking that those who attend might also like something sweet. I could ask Fannie to contribute. She owns a luncheonette and makes wonderful cakes and pies.”
Alta smiled. “What if we offer breakfast food—pancakes and waffles as well as eggs and bacon or sausage? We can add chocolate chips to the pancakes and fruit toppings to the waffles. And maybe we add a table just for selling cakes, pies and other treats for people to take home? That would cover everything and be doable.” She was pleased when his warm brown eyes lit up at her suggestions.
“That’s a wunderbor idea, Alta.” He grinned. “Would you be able to organize this with me? Then we can ask others to pitch in on the day of the event.” She noticed his thick, dark eyelashes as he blinked several times while waiting for her answer.
“I’ll be happy to help.”
His wide grin created butterflies in her belly. “Gut. Danki, Alta. We can meet to discuss our plan during the week.”
Alta felt an infusion of warmth spread through her head to her toes. “Oll recht.”
The corners of his brown eyes crinkled as he continued to smile. “Shall we walk a little farther before we head back to the house?” He paused. “If you can spare the time.”
She nodded then fell into step with him, following the tree line as they headed closer to the back of the property. They walked along the row of cypress trees.
“The sun feels good,” Jonas commented. “Soon the weather will turn cold, and we’ll be spending most of our time indoors.”
Silently agreeing, she followed wherever he led her. “It’s lovely here,” she murmured.
Jonas inclined his head. “Is it nice where you’re from? Happiness, is it?”
“Ja, it is,” Alta said, trying hard to stifle the hurt she felt every time she remembered why she had to leave. “My favorite time of year there is spring. There are honeysuckles along the front of my haus. They look pretty in the summer and smell wunderbor.” She felt a jolt of homesickness but fought it, as she knew she couldn’t return. At least not yet. Her thoughts turned to Mary and Sally. Would they ever believe the truth? Did they miss her at all?
“We have honeysuckle bushes by my haus, too,” Jonas said, drawing her attention back to the attractive man. He hesitated, and they walked in silence for a time. “Lovina explained that you’re a widow. How long has it been?”
Alta averted her gaze. “A long time,” she murmured. “Since my oldest was fourteen and my youngest thirteen.”
Jonas halted, his hand on her arm stopping her. She could feel his eyes on her but she couldn’t look up at him. “Aren’t your girls married?”
“Ja.” She pulled away and continued to walk.
“Then that means it happened—”
“Over eleven years ago,” she confided.
Jonas captured her hand. “Alta...” He breathed out.
On the verge of tears, she spun, pulling her arm from his grip. “We should get back.” Alta turned and started toward the house.
“Alta.” Her name on his lips gave her pause. He sounded emotional, as if he understood.
Head down, staring at the ground, Alta stopped and waited for him to join her. He had no idea how hard it’d been to be a widow who’d been encouraged to remarry. “I’m not to be pitied,” she said.
He moved to block her way. “I don’t pity you.”
Looking up, she saw his sincerity. “Then what? If you don’t pity me, what are you thinking?”
His small smile grew. “I think you are a strong woman, and I respect how you managed all these years on your own.”
