His Amish Nanny (LARGE PRINT PAPERBACK)

Chapter 1.
Olive Hesh slipped her arms through the sleeves of her green dress, pulled it over her head and smoothed it down with her hands. After putting her white over-apron on, she ran a brush through her long, light brown hair. Once her hair was free of knots, she braided it and pinned it up tightly to fit under her prayer kapp. 
Her sister ran into her room. “You’re going somewhere.”
She spun around to see Naomi’s grim face. “I am. Don’t tell Mamm.”
“I won’t. Only if you tell me what you’re doing.”
“Meeting my friends.” Olive turned away from her and resumed her task of getting ready. 
Naomi’s mouth dropped open. “That’s unfair. Can I come?”
Lately, Olive’s younger sister was always wanting to tag along. Sometimes Olive allowed her but not that often. It wasn’t much fun being among her friends with her sister talking down to her the whole time. Naomi was at that age where she thought she knew everything. “Nee. I said I’m seeing my friends. Are you my friend? Nee!”
Her younger sister scowled. “Unfair.”
“Maybe another time.”
“Next time?”
Olive wasn’t going to commit to that. “Possibly.” 
Naomi flopped down on her bed. “You’re just going to talk about boys anyway. It’ll be as boring as watching fields being plowed.”
“We talk about boys because that’s the one thing we want, love and marriage. You’ll be no different when you grow up.”
“That’s two things,” Naomi blurted out, still in her usual contrary mood.
“Nee. It’s only the one. You fall in love and marry that person. It’s the one act. The thing that’ll make our lives complete.”
Naomi shook her head. “Sounds boring to me.”
“You’ll change your mind.”
“What if you don’t find someone? You’ve never liked anyone Mamm’s found for you.”
“My taste in men is different from hers.”
“You don’t want a man like Dat? Because Phillip Hegerstein seems very much like Dat. He even looks like him.”
Olive’s nose crinkled at the thought of Phillip. “I want someone different, and amazing, and dreamy.”
“He doesn’t exist.”
Olive frowned at her sister. What if Naomi was right? That was the one thing that scared her. She was never going to settle for the Phillips of this world. Sure, he was okay and would make a suitable husband for someone—someone else, just not for her. “Don’t you have chores?” 
“Don’t be mean.”
“Well, you were mean just now saying I’ll never marry.”
“I’m sorry.”
Olive sat down on the bed next to Naomi. “It’s just that I hope I won’t be forced into a marriage to someone I don’t like under the pressure from Mamm, Dat and the rest of the community.”
“How can someone force you to do that?”
“Not forced exactly, but there is a certain expectation that by a certain age you must do certain things—the same as other people in the community. You’ll find out when you get older.”
Olive was only thankful she wasn't alone; her four closest friends were in exactly the same place as she in their lives. That took a little pressure off her. If one, or even more so, two of them were to marry that would send her mother into a matchmaking frenzy. Her mother was a competitive woman and had even practiced perfecting the art of making pies until she won first place for taste at the pie drive. The Amish weren’t a competitive people so prizes and competitions weren’t commonplace with the exception of the once-a-year pie drive that coincided with the annual charity auction.
“I really liked Mark Yoder.”
Olive giggled. Mamm had invited the visiting Mark Yoder for dinner the week before last.
“What’s funny?” Naomi asked.
“He’s totally unsuitable for me.”
“I thought he was good.”
“You should marry him, then, Naomi.”
“I’m too young, silly. When I’m old enough, he’ll be married already.”
As soon as a man from another community visited theirs, Naomi and Olive’s mother invited him for dinner. So far, they’d all been unsuitable, but not according to their mother. She’d labeled Olive as fussy, and told her she’d never find a man if she expected someone perfect. Olive was sure that wasn’t so. She didn’t need a man who was perfect, just the perfect man for her. 
Naomi pouted. “Where are you meeting your friends?”
“At the Coffee House, same as always.” Olive had kept the same friends since the first day that they started schul together; their names were Claire Schonberger, Jessie Miller, Lucy Fuller and Amy Yoder.
“You always go there. Why don’t you ever go anywhere else?”
“We like it, that’s why. Today’s special because I’ve a plan.”
“About what?”
Naomi had never been able to keep quiet about anything. Olive shook her head. “Mmm, I’m not ready to say just yet.”
“Why not? That’s not fair.”
Olive winced at the high-pitched whine in her sister’s voice. “I just want to tell them first and then I’ll tell you later, how’s that?”
“You should tell me first because I’m your schweschder.”
“Later,” Olive stated as firmly as she could because she knew Naomi was prone to nagging. 
“What about chores?” Naomi smirked.
“I’ve already done a lot.”
Naomi folded her arms. “Do you want me to ask Mamm if you’ve done enough?”
Olive sighed, knowing what Naomi was getting at. “Okay, if I tell you why I’m meeting my friends, will you cover for me?”
A grin bloomed on Naomi’s face and she shifted her position. “And will you bring me back something sweet like a chocolate cookie?”
“Okay.”
“Tell me then and don’t leave anything out.”
“I’ve got a plan I’m going to share with them. None of us has a boyfriend, so I’m going to suggest we get jobs.” 
Naomi scowled. “Doing what?”
“That’s not the point. There are many skills between all of us. Don’t you think it’s a good idea?”
“It’s an idea, but not really a good one if you ask me.”
“No one’s asking you. Anyway, there’s more to it, but you’ll only mock me like you always do.”
“Humph. You won’t forget that chocolate cookie, will you? And if they don’t have that, just bring me something yummy.”
Olive nodded hoping her friends would like her idea. She’d have to make it sound more enticing than she’d done just now. Olive was determined they should not stay at home and wallow in self-pity while waiting to get married as every other young Amish woman did. No, their lives would be good even if they never found men to marry. With their ages varying between nineteen and twenty, it was odd not one of them within their small group was betrothed. 
“I’m riding my bike into town. You make sure Mamm doesn’t see me. If she notices I’m gone, tell her I won’t be long and I had an errand to run.”
“What errand? I can’t lie.”
Frowning at Naomi, she said, “Just tell her I’ll explain when I get home. It is an errand anyway, so there!” As Olive walked out of the room, Naomi grumbled about Olive getting to do all the fun things. Even though she’d done plenty of chores for the day, Olive slipped away from the house so her mother wouldn’t see her. If Mamm saw her heading out, she’d find something else that had to be done, and done at once. It was midday when Olive headed to the barn, got on her bike and headed into town. 
Olive’s household had three buggies and five buggy horses, but with two of her five older brothers still living at home, the buggies were almost always in use. Her bike was something she could use at any time; and, of course, that mode of transport was approved by the community’s bishop.

Olive had arranged with her friends to meet at the coffee shop at one in the afternoon. The fact that most Amish girls of their age were already married with kinner and in charge of their own homes had spurred Olive to come up with her plan. 
The Coffee House was always the same. It was the largest coffee shop in town and had the name for making the best coffee. It was owned by a local Englisch couple and was managed by their son, Dan. The girls had gathered there since they were old enough to go out by themselves. Back then, they had ordered hot cocoas instead of the fancy coffees they loved these days. The tables spilled out onto the sidewalk, for those who wanted to sip their coffees alfresco. 
Olive took a seat at their usual table overlooking the sidewalk. The girls all loved to people-watch as they spent time together.
“Waiting for your friends today, Olive?”
Olive looked up to see Dan towering over her. He was tall, with fair short-cropped hair. Technically, he wasn’t handsome, but he had a pleasant and relaxed manner about him. Olive was more than sure that Lucy Fuller had a small crush on him, but love with an Englischer could never be pursued. “Hi, Dan. Yes, I’m a little early. They’ll be here soon.” 
“Do you want to wait for them before you order?”
“I’ll have one now thanks.” She giggled. “And I might have another later.” 
Dan flashed a smile. He was handsome when he smiled like that. The usual way to order was, ‘order and pay at the counter,’ but the five girls always received special treatment from Dan, who rushed to take their orders when they arrived. 
“Latte with two shots of caramel, as per usual?” 
Olive nodded and, from her table, watched Dan put the order through the system. It was Saturday lunchtime, and the coffee shop would soon be full. Olive hoped she wouldn’t have to defend herself against people who wanted to take the chairs away from her table. She pushed the chairs in further to deter anyone from asking her if they were in use. She hated it when that happened.
Claire was the first to arrive. Her warm smile reached her chocolate brown eyes as she reached over to give Olive a quick kiss on her cheek. “So, what are we doing here today?” Claire sat down and smoothed down her dress. “You said you had something exciting to say?”
Olive took a deep breath and let it out slowly while she hoped that they would all think her idea was a good one. “Wait until the others get here and I’ll tell you.” 
Claire and Olive chatted while they waited for the other girls. 
One by one, the girls arrived. They always acted as though it had been years since they’d seen each other when in reality it was never more than days. 
Lucy strode in, arm-in-arm with Amy. They looked like they had some scheming of their own going on. The last to arrive was Jessie; she was always fond of making an entrance and thrived on being different from everyone else. And different she was with her striking green eyes and unruly, wavy auburn hair, which she battled continually to keep within her prayer kapp. 
Dan hurried over with Olive’s coffee and took the other orders. Olive was sure that she saw Dan pay Lucy slightly more attention than the other girls, but no one else seemed to notice.
Jessie took advantage of the lull in the conversation when Dan had finished taking the orders. “What is it you’ve got to tell us, Olive? I’m intrigued. Do you want to start a quilting club or something along those lines? I meant to suggest that we do something of the sort to make the days pass quicker.”
Three girls spoke at once on their thoughts of starting a quilting club. Olive let them carry on for a bit and listened to their suggestions, amused that it was nothing like what she had in mind.
When the conversation died down, Amy asked, “Well, is that it, Olive?” When Olive shook her head, Amy asked, “Then tell us! We’re all excited to know what you’re thinking.”
“Okay, listen up. We’re done with schul ages ago and none of us has anything going for us right now. We aren’t getting any younger and nothing is getting any cheaper. I thought it was time to take action toward our futures since none of us has a prospect of marriage.” 
She watched their faces become serious. Their advancing age and the shortage of marriageable men in the community was a common concern between them now. Being as old as they were, they had to support themselves at least a little so they wouldn’t burden their families. None of their parents was wealthy, and they each had to pull their own weight. 
It was the no-nonsense Jessie Miller who came straight to the point. “Okay, boss lady, what exactly is your plan? You haven’t found someone who will hire all of us, have you?” 
They all joked about that scenario being the perfect situation. After all, they enjoyed each other’s company and they would work well together. They had been inseparable since they were little girls. 
“Nee I haven’t found someone to do that, but I do have an idea. I mean, it’s worth a shot anyway.” The plan had sounded brilliant in her mind, but now after Naomi’s reaction, she was a little worried how the girls would react. She had to present her plan clearly. 
Olive’s family were farmers and had been farmers for generations. When she visited the markets days ago, the idea had come out of nowhere. After two days of research and questioning her mudder, who had often sold wares at the farmers market stalls, Olive was ready to tell her friends her idea.
The girls waited as Olive was silent for a moment before she spoke. “The farmers market has tons of foot traffic. Not just regular everyday people, but influential folks. I mean everyone from stay-at-home moms to bank managers. Think of the people who would see us.” Olive’s words flew out of her mouth with enthusiasm, tumbling over one another.
Lucy interrupted her. “You haven’t explained what we’re supposed to do.”
She was right; Olive had forgotten to explain the full plan. She sighed wishing she was better at speaking in front of others. “We rent out a stall at the market for a week. Instead of selling vegetables or crafts, we sell ourselves. I mean think of it, girls—we sell our services! We’re all looking for work.”
The girls all exchanged nervous looks and then refocused on Olive. She saw the looks they shared and knew that she had to convince them to trust her. Olive continued to explain, “We each need a job, but so far we’ve had no success. We’re all good at different things, but we can all cook and clean. We advertise ourselves to let people know we’re available to work.” Olive still saw doubt on their faces, so she turned to Jessie. “Jessie, I know you’ve been looking for housekeeping jobs. Well, this could be your chance to find someone to hire you. You go out there and be seen; we go to them.”
Amy nodded in agreement. “That’s right. I like the idea. And, what have we got to lose?”
“Amy, you love children. You would be a great nanny, but you’ve got to get out there so people can meet you. This is a way for people to find out about Amy and the same for each of us.” 
Jessie cut into Olive’s sales pitch. “What if the five of us all look for jobs as maids?” 
Claire clapped her hands. “I love it!”
Olive was relieved and then looked at each girl’s face and she thought they were in agreement. Olive hoped this idea would be good for all of them. Was it crazy to take out a stall at the farmers’ markets in the hope for them all to find jobs? 
Lucy said, “I could type up resumes for all of us at the library.”
“Jah, great idea, denke, Lucy.” Olive smiled, pleased to see they were warming to her ideas.
Lucy pushed out her chair and stood up. “I’ll see if I can borrow pen and paper from Dan and I’ll make a few notes.” 
Lucy’s smile at having a quiet word with Dan did not escape Olive’s notice. 
“Wait. How much is this going to cost?” Jessie asked. 
“I talked to them and they said we could have a stall for a week, at the back of the markets, for fifty dollars. That’s just ten dollars each.”
“That’s a lot,” Olive heard one of them say. 
“Worth it, though, if we get jobs,” Jessie countered.
When Lucy came back with a notepad and pen, Olive did her best to convince them. “The stall will cost us ten dollars each a week and won’t that be worth it?”
“Okay, I’m in,” Lucy had a gleam in her eyes, which Olive guessed was thanks to Dan. At this point, she’d most likely agree to anything. 
“Me too,” Jessie said. 
When everyone had voiced her agreement, Lucy jotted down each girl’s particulars for their resumes. After that, Amy helped Lucy add flair to each one. They voted Olive to be in charge of arranging the stall and making up the schedule of who was to be at the stall on each of the days. 
Olive rode home and for the first time in her life she felt a sense of freedom. This was the first time she’d made a decision regarding her future rather than floating along with the tide of life. 

* * *

Once Olive had stored her bike back in the barn, she walked through the door to face her mother glaring at her with hands on hips.
She had remembered her sister’s cookie and held it behind her back in a white paper bag. “Hello, Mamm. Do you want help with the evening meal?”
“Where have you been?” Her mother tapped the toe of her shoe on the floor. That was never a good sign.
“I've been in town with the girls.” Her mother’s hands went from her hips to folded across her chest. Swallowing hard, Olive continued, “I'm sorry, Mamm, but I was halfway to town when I forgot I should've told you I was going out. I was excited to tell them about my idea—you know the one we discussed?”
Her mother shook her head. “But still, you should've asked. I didn't know you’d gone. I had to go into the barn looking for your bike.”
“Hey, Mamm.” Her younger sister tried to get their mother’s attention.
Olive’s mother shrugged and glared at Naomi. “Not now.”
“Is Olive in trouble again?”
Olive’s jaw dropped at her sister’s words. “Again? I'm hardly ever in trouble.”
“Go sit at the kitchen table ready for some chores,” her mother hissed at Naomi. Naomi took two steps back without saying a word then turned and hurried to the kitchen. Now with Mamm’s attention again on Olive, her face softened. “All I want is for you to tell me where you're going. Is that too much to ask?”
“No, Mamm.”
“Just because you're an adult doesn't mean you can do what you like; not while you’re living under this roof.”
Olive nodded. “I won't do it again, Mamm.”
“Good. Wash up and then help me with the vegetables.”
Olive walked to the bathroom and was headed off by Naomi. “Did you get it?” Naomi asked.
Olive handed over the cookie and Naomi’s face lit up. “Denke, Olive. You’re the best.”
“Just eat it quickly.”
“I will.”
“Naomi!” Mamm yelled.
“Gotta go.” Naomi hid the cookie under her apron and raced back to the kitchen.
Olive was upset with herself for not telling her mother she was going to town. She wouldn't have stopped her, but she might’ve found one or two more chores for her before she left. It had been a calculated decision on Olive’s part; one she now regretted. It seemed, despite her objection to Naomi, she was always in trouble over something. 

After Olive had washed her hands, she sat down with her mother to shell the mountain of peas on the table. “I love fresh peas.”
“Well, no eating while shelling because they’re for dinner.”
“Jah, Mamm.”
“How did your idea go over with your friends?” Her mother raised an eyebrow.
“They love the idea. One of the girls is doing everyone's resumes on the computer and we’re seeing about renting a stall at the farmers market to promote ourselves.”
“Good.”
Olive smiled at her mother. “Denke for helping me come up with the idea.”
“It was your idea, Olive. I just listened while you decided on it. You’re just like your vadder in that regard. You've got a lively and industrious mind.”
“Denke, Mamm.”
“And you'll get a job that suits you. With actions and prayers, miracles happen. My only hope is one day you’ll set your mind on finding a husband with as much gusto.”
Olive quickly popped one of the peas into her mouth. “I hope so. Wait.” She looked across at her mother. “What?”
Her mother shook her head. “Never mind.”
“I told you,” Naomi whispered to Olive.
“You told her what?” Mamm frowned.
Naomi licked her lips that were dusted with cookie crumbs. “I told Olive you’d find her a good man.”
Mamm’s frown was replaced with a grin. “If she doesn’t find one for herself pretty soon, it’ll be up to me.”

AMISH MAIDS TRILOGY

Book 1 His Amish Nanny

Book 2 The Amish Maid's Sweetheart

Book 3 The Amish Deacon's Daughter