A VOW for ALWAYS Read online

  But things didn’t always turn out the way a person wanted. Losing Luke had been one of the hardest things Meredith had ever dealt with. Yet as Grandma Smucker had reminded her several times, life didn’t stop because a loved one died. Meredith had made up her mind to make the best of her situation and keep her focus on raising Levi.

  Meredith’s thoughts came to a halt when Elam and Sadie’s house came into view. She hoped they were home and would be willing to watch Levi for a few hours.

  Hearing a horse and buggy come into the yard, Sadie set aside her mending and went to the door. Meredith was hitching the horse to the rail, and when she reached into the buggy and brought Levi out, Sadie smiled in anticipation.

  She added a piece of wood to the slow-dying embers in the woodstove before grabbing a shawl and going out to greet her daughter-in-law and grandson.

  “It’s good to see you,” Sadie said when Meredith joined her on the porch. “It’s been awhile since we visited.” She reached out and stroked the top of Levi’s head. “He’s growing so much.”

  Meredith smiled. “I know. He’s doing all sorts of new things.”

  “Like what?” Sadie asked, motioning for Meredith to come inside.

  Meredith took a seat on the sofa and pulled Levi’s blanket aside. “Well, let’s see…He’s kicking and pushing with his feet; grabs for anything within his reach; smiles, laughs, gurgles, and coos. Oh, and he’s sleeping through the night now.”

  “I’m sure that’s a relief,” Sadie said, taking a seat in the rocking chair across from Meredith.

  “Jah. I’m finally getting caught up on my rest.” Meredith smiled. “Of course, taking care of Levi and trying to get some sewing done keeps me busy. Not to mention all of the household chores that need attention.”

  “Is your sister Laurie still coming over to help you?” Sadie questioned.

  Meredith shook her head. “She’s busy getting ready for her wedding.”

  “What about Alma Beechy?”

  “She’s not helping me now, either,” Meredith said. “But I’m managing to keep up with things inside, and between Jonah and my daed, the outside chores are getting done.”

  Sadie’s forehead wrinkled. “You ought to call on Elam more, instead of asking Jonah. I’m sure he’s got lots to do at the buggy shop.”

  “Speaking of Elam, where is he right now?” Meredith asked.

  “He had a dental appointment this morning. When he’s done there, he has some errands to run.”

  “Oh, I see.” Meredith sat quietly for a moment. Then she looked at Sadie and said, “I was wondering if you’d be willing to watch Levi while I run a few errands and take care of some business this morning.”

  Surprised by the offer, Sadie nodded agreeably. “I’d be happy to do that. By the time you get back, Elam might be here, and we can all have lunch together.”

  “That’d be nice.” Meredith handed Levi to Sadie; then she reached into his diaper bag and took out a bottle. “I just fed him before we left home, but if he gets hungry before I return, you can feed him this bottle I’ve filled with breast milk.”

  “I can certainly do that.” Sadie looked forward to the time she’d have with her grandson. “You can put it in the refrigerator for now, and I’ll heat it up if he gets fussy.”

  “Danki,” Meredith said as she started for the kitchen. “I shouldn’t be gone more than a few hours.”

  “Are you sure you don’t mind me taking today off?” Jonah asked as he and Dad mucked out the horse stalls. It had been two weeks since Dad had been bitten by the black widow, and he’d been back working in the buggy shop for the last week.

  “ ’Course I don’t mind. We agreed some time ago that Mondays would be your day off, so if you’ve made plans for the day, just do ’em.”

  Jonah smiled. He’d been courting Meredith, and even though they’d gone for a couple of buggy rides and done a few other things together, he didn’t see nearly as much of her as he’d like. Today, however, before he went to see Meredith, Jonah wanted to pay a call on Sadie and Elam, hoping he might win them over. He planned to do that as soon as he finished up in the barn.

  “Anything new on that house you wanted to buy?” Dad asked, pulling Jonah’s thoughts aside.

  Jonah shook his head. “I made an offer on the place, but they won’t come down to a fair asking price, so I decided to give up on it and look for another home.”

  “That’s probably for the best,” Dad said. “It wouldn’t be good for you to overextend yourself.”

  “I’ll just keep looking, and when the time is right, I’m sure the house I want will be there.”

  “Wa-a-a! Wa-a-a!”

  Sadie paced the floor, patting Levi’s back, trying to get him to burp. She’d fed him awhile ago, but he still hadn’t burped. All he’d done was scream. She was beginning to wish Meredith hadn’t left Levi with her today. It had been some time since she’d had a baby to take care of, so maybe she wasn’t up to the challenge.

  Sadie continued to pace, while patting Levi’s back. “Come on, little fellow, give me a burp.”

  “Wa-a-a! Wa-a-a! Wa-a-a!” Levi cried even harder, setting Sadie’s teeth on edge, until she thought she might scream herself. I wonder if a walk around the yard might do us both some good. Sadie went to get her shawl before she wrapped Levi in his blanket.

  A knock came from the front door.

  Draping her shawl over the back of the chair and keeping a tight grip on the screaming baby, Sadie opened the door. Jonah Miller stood on the porch with his straw hat in his hand.

  “I’d like to speak with you,” Jonah said.

  Sadie frowned. “This isn’t a good time. I’m babysitting Levi, and as I’m sure you can tell, he’s fussy right now.”

  “What seems to be the problem?” Jonah asked.

  Walking out to the porch, where the air was nice and crisp, and wrapping the blanket tighter around her restless grandson, Sadie hoped the change might help calm him down. “I fed him awhile ago, and he’s been crying ever since,” she explained.

  “Maybe he needs to burp.”

  “Of course he does. For the last twenty minutes I’ve been trying to get him to do that,” Sadie said with a huff as she continued to pat Levi’s back.

  “Babies don’t always need to be patted in order for them to burp,” Jonah said. “They need to be relaxed.”

  Sadie ground her teeth together. Who did Jonah think he was, trying to tell her how to burp the baby?

  “Want me to try?” he asked, plunking his hat back on his head and extending his arms.

  She shook her head.

  “My twin sister has little ones, so I’ve had some experience burping bopplin.”

  “And I’ve raised my own kinner, so I’ve had more experience than you,” Sadie answered, feeling more than a little miffed.

  “I’d like to try.”

  Seeing the determined set of Jonah’s jaw, Sadie finally nodded. Maybe once he saw that he couldn’t get Levi to burp or stop crying, he’d give up and leave. She opened the screen door and led the way to the living room then handed Jonah the baby.

  Jonah took a seat in the rocker and used one hand to hold Levi so that his backside was supported, almost like a seat. He held the little guy’s head with the other hand, tipped him slightly forward, and gently lifted him up and down in a slow bounce.

  A few seconds later, Levi stopped crying and let out a loud burp!

  Jonah looked over at Sadie and grinned. “Works nearly every time.”

  Sadie couldn’t believe how easily Jonah had done what she couldn’t do with all her patting of the baby’s back. She was also amazed at how relaxed Jonah seemed to be holding the baby as he gently rocked him. He obviously did have some experience with babies. She forced a smile and said, “Danki for getting him calmed down.”

  “You’re welcome.” Jonah cleared his throat. “Is Meredith here?”

  Sadie shook her head. “She had some errands to run, so she left Levi with me. Elam’
s not here either,” she quickly added.

  “I’d like to talk to you about something,” he said, stroking the top of Levi’s blond head.

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s about me and Meredith.”

  Sadie grunted. “I know the two of you are courting, if that’s what you came to say.”

  “That’s right, and we’d like your and Elam’s blessing.”

  Sadie stared at the floor, unable to form any words. She had a hunch from the way Jonah handled the baby that he’d make a good father. From the things Meredith had told her, she knew Jonah was kind and helpful, but could she accept it if he and Meredith got married?

  “I’m very fond of Meredith,” Jonah said. “And this little fellow, too.” He put Levi over his shoulder and gently patted his back. “But I want you to know that I’m not trying to take your son’s place. I know Luke will always hold a spot in Meredith’s heart that I’ll probably never be able to fill, but I will always be good to her and the boppli.”

  Tears welled in Sadie’s eyes. “Are you hoping to marry Meredith?”

  Jonah gave a nod. “When the time is right; if she’ll have me, that is.”

  “Will you stay here in Lancaster County or move back to Ohio?”

  “I have no plans of living anywhere but here,” Jonah answered. “My folks are here, and I’m happy working for my daed in the buggy shop.”

  “If you married Meredith, would we still be able to see Levi?” she dared to ask.

  “Of course. I’d want him to spend time with all of his grandparents.”

  Sadie sighed as a sense of relief flooded over her. “You have my blessing to court Meredith, and I’m sure Elam feels the same way.”

  Darby

  “It won’t be long and we’ll be done with this project,” Henry said as he and Luke sat at the picnic table, putting the finishing touches on the birdhouses they’d been making for the church bazaar.

  “It’s been fun working on them,” Luke said, adding a bit more red paint to the birdhouse he’d made to look like an old barn.

  Henry smiled. “You’ve done a great job with that. If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say you’ve done some carpentry work in the past.”

  Luke’s jaw clenched as he tried to recall what he had done in the past. Nothing came to mind. Nothing at all. Then a thought popped unexpectedly into his head. “Someone told me once that whenever we do anything, we should make sure we do it well.”

  Henry set his paintbrush aside and looked at Luke with a curious expression. “Who told you that, son?”

  Luke shrugged. “I don’t know. Just remember hearing it from someone before.”

  Henry clasped Luke’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “See now, Luke, you’ve just remembered one more thing from your past. That’s a real good sign.”

  Luke started painting again. He longed for Henry to be right but didn’t want to get his hopes up, only to be disappointed in the end.

  “Look over there,” Henry said, pointing across the yard.

  Luke followed Henry’s gaze and spotted a lazy possum ambling out from behind the woodshed and waddling away. “It’s fun to watch nature,” he said as a cardinal flew out of the maple tree and landed on one of the birdbaths.

  “I agree. Norma and I both enjoy watching the birds in our yard, any season of the year.” Henry pointed to the birdbath. “That one I keep heated during the winter months so the birds have fresh water to drink. You’d be surprised how many birds flock to that heated birdbath.” He chuckled. “On really cold days, the steam comes up from the water and makes it look like a hot tub.”

  Luke laughed, too. He could almost picture the birds sitting around the birdbath as the steam lifted into the air. It made him think about the hot tub he’d used during therapy at the hospital and how good it had felt on his sore muscles. “Do the birds actually get in the warm water during the winter?” he questioned.

  Henry shook his head. “Not to my knowledge, but they do sit on the rim and drink. Guess you could say Norma and I like to spoil our feathered friends.”

  “That’s nice. Staying connected to nature is what sometimes kept me going while I was in the hospital. That, and the support of your granddaughters, of course.”

  “They’re wonderful girls.” Henry grinned. “Guess it’s better to say, young women, since they aren’t really girls anymore. But then to me and Norma, Susan and Anne will always be our special girls.”

  Luke was tempted to tell Henry how fond he was of his granddaughters—especially Susan. Just then the back door opened, and Norma stepped out, interrupting their conversation.

  “I brought a few nibblies to tide you over until lunch,” she said, placing a tray of fruit and vegetables on the picnic table.

  “They look good.” Henry smiled at his wife.

  “There’s also a small bowl of vegetable dip, if you want to pep it up a little,” Norma said, taking a seat beside the men. “Oh, and I brought a jug of warm apple cider, too.”

  Henry smacked his lips. “There’s nothin’ like hot apple cider on a chilly fall day.”

  Norma pulled her jacket a little tighter around her neck. “It probably won’t be long before we see some snow flurries.” She smiled at Luke. “I really get into the Christmas spirit when there’s snow on the ground.”

  “Maybe it’ll snow on Thanksgiving, like it did last year,” Henry chimed in. “But then I guess we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. Let’s just enjoy the beautiful autumn colors ’cause they won’t be here much longer.”

  “Henry’s right,” Norma put in. “When the fall foliage starts in early October and lasts until early November, there doesn’t seem to be enough time to enjoy the magnificent shades of autumn. Right now the mountains and valleys throughout Pennsylvania are ablaze with the most vibrant colors. Many folks like us feel there is no other season of the year more breathtaking than this one.”

  Luke popped a piece of cucumber in his mouth and thought about the upcoming holiday season. He wished he could remember having celebrated it before. Even more than that, he wished he knew who he’d celebrated the holidays with.

  CHAPTER 3

  Darby

  I’ve never seen so much food all in one place,” Luke said as he took a seat at the Baileys’ Thanksgiving table. “Least, I don’t think I have.”

  Henry chuckled. “That’s what Thanksgiving is all about—good food, and sharing it with friends and family.”

  “And remembering to be thankful,” Anne put in.

  Susan bobbed her head in agreement. “That’s right, and we have much to be thankful for.”

  Luke sat, mulling things over. Even though he didn’t have his memory fully back, he had a roof over his head, clothes to wear, and four people who really cared about him. If that’s all he ever had, it was enough to be thankful for.

  After taking each other’s hands, bowing their heads, and listening to Henry’s words of devotion and praise, they all finished with a hearty, “Amen!”

  Henry stood and began carving the turkey, while Norma made sure everything was on the table.

  “My mouth is watering already,” Susan said, reaching for the bowl of steaming mashed potatoes. She looked at Luke and giggled. “I always go for these first.”

  “That’s right,” Anne interjected with a snicker. “Don’t get in the way of my sister and her mashed potatoes. As for me, I can’t wait for some of Grandma’s stuffing,” she added as Norma passed her the corn. “Just wait till you taste it, Luke. It’s so moist and good, you’ll have to go back for seconds.”

  “Along with bread, celery, and onions, Norma always adds some diced apple and a few chopped mushrooms,” Henry added. “Anne’s right—it’s scrumptious!”

  By now, Luke’s mouth was watering. Watching Susan smother her fluffy mashed potatoes in gravy, Luke was suddenly reminded that they were someone else’s favorite. But who? Was it him, or someone he knew from the past?

  Even though Luke wanted to follow the thought fu
rther, everyone was having such a good time, he didn’t want to spoil the festive mood. When it’s supposed to happen, it’ll come to me, he decided.

  Luke handed his plate to Henry, watching as he scooped some of the stuffing out of the breast cavity.

  “How about it, Luke?” Henry asked as he continued to carve the bird. “Would you like a drumstick to start with, or do you prefer some white meat first?”

  “That drumstick looks pretty good. Think I’ll start with that.” Luke grinned, eager to taste the golden-brown skin that covered the dark meat. He could see from the smiles across the table that the Baileys were in high spirits. He enjoyed listening to everyone as they complimented Norma on the delicious meal she’d spent most of the morning preparing.

  “We always eat our Thanksgiving meal promptly at noon, because Grandma is traditional when it comes to Thanksgiving, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.” Susan looked at Norma with appreciation in her eyes. “By eating early enough in the day, we’ll have plenty of room for dessert later on.” She reached over and patted her grandmother’s hand. “You did it again, Grandma. You’ve made another Thanksgiving feast special for all of us.”

  “Well now, honey, you know I love doing it. And isn’t the day just perfect?” Norma added, looking out the dining-room window. “I could never figure out why, but I love it when the weather’s cloudy on Thanksgiving Day.”

  “Cloudy outside, warm and inviting inside,” Henry said, passing Anne the bowl of cranberry sauce. “It looks a bit like snow out there, even though they aren’t calling for any. It won’t be long, though,” he added with a wink in Susan’s direction. “Maybe you’d better get out your sled and wax up the runners.”

  Susan laughed. “I might do that, Grandpa.”

  After all the food had been passed, Luke started out with the drumstick, but he was eager to taste Norma’s stuffing. The sweet potatoes still bubbled in the casserole dish, next to a bowl of fresh green beans.