Chapter 1.
Stepping through the door of the café, Tara spotted Elizabeth waving at her from a table at the back.
Tara hurried over to her and slid into the chair opposite. “Sorry I’m late. You’ve finished your shift?”
“Jah. What kept you?” Elizabeth sipped her drink through a straw.
“Gretchen said William told her the horse was lame. I had to change over to Sox.”
“Sox isn’t good in traffic.”
“He’s a bit flighty. I’m glad Gretchen didn’t know that, or I would’ve been stuck at home. This is my only day off this week apart from Sunday.” Tara sighed and placed her bag down on the edge of the table. “I’m going to miss you so much when you get married. It’ll only be me and Megan left at home.”
“Gretchen and William might take in some more foster children.”
“Really? Did they say that?”
Elizabeth laughed. “I don’t know; it’s not likely. They’ve only had the three of us for years.”
“And with you gone, there’ll be a spare room.”
“True.”
A young Englisch man came to take their order. Tara looked him up and down.
After he had taken their order and left, Tara leaned forward and whispered, “What’s going on with that? Why did they hire a man? He’s not even Amish.”
Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I think they’re going to make him a shift manager or something.”
“What about you?”
“I don’t care. I’m only here for the money. I’m not here to make a career out of it.”
“Yeah, I guess so. Especially when you’re getting married.”
When the young man returned with Tara’s tea, he picked up her bag and placed it on a chair before walking away.
Tara’s mouth opened in shock at the man. “Did you see that?”
“What?”
“He touched my bag without even asking me.”
“It’s not a big deal. He just wanted to make more room on the table.”
“I reckon it was weird. Would you have picked up someone’s bag and moved it like that without asking?”
“Nee. I wouldn’t. He didn’t mean anything by it. Don’t worry.”
Tara poured her tea from the small teapot, filling the cup just as the man brought Elizabeth her coffee.
When he left, Tara leaned forward. “He doesn’t have nice manners, either. He doesn’t even smile.”
Elizabeth groaned. “Stop being hung up about little things all the time.”
“Well, don’t you think that it was a weird thing to do—the thing about my bag?”
“Not especially. Don’t over think things.” Elizabeth ripped open a packet of sugar and poured it into her coffee. “Now, the reason I wanted you to meet me here was to talk about you minding the haus for me and Joseph."
“Oh, and I thought it was because you’d miss me so much when you’re both away for a month.”
Elizabeth smiled. “You know I will. I’ll miss everyone.”
“I’m still willing to mind your haus. I’m actually looking forward to being by myself.”
“Jah, I remember you saying…”
“You’ve written down all the instructions, so I don’t forget anything, haven’t you?” Maybe looking after Elizabeth’s haus would pull her out of the doldrums.
“Jah, I’ve left a list on the kitchen table. I can’t wait to move into it. Joseph’s lived in it for three weeks and said there’s a fair bit to do, but we can do things as we go, while we’re living in it.”
Tara frowned. “What things need doing?”
“Don’t worry; the roof isn’t going to fall in. There’s nothing structural going on.”
Tara watched her friend speak with excitement about her new life. It was still hard to believe that Elizabeth was getting married. She’d be someone’s wife and have her own house just like a grown up.
Tara took a sip of tea. “Have you noticed how everything goes right for you, Elizabeth?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your birth family is rich and they want you to live with them and then there’s Joseph. Your life is pretty much perfect. When you said you’d marry Joseph—boom, out of the blue, his family gets left a haus and they give it to Joseph.”
Elizabeth laughed. “I guess so. Gott is watching over me.”
“When you marry, I hope we can still meet up like this and do the simple things we used to do. You’ll come back to the haus and visit us won’t you?”
“Jah, that’s where I grew up; it’ll always be home.”
Elizabeth had been with her foster parents, the Grabers, since she was eight, and then Tara and Megan had joined them later. In the early years, there were various children coming for short stays, but none had stayed as long as the three girls.
Tara sighed. “I always thought I’d get married first, then you, and then Megan.”
“I never really thought about it.” Elizabeth brought the coffee cup up to her mouth, placed her perfect bow-shaped lips onto the rim of the cup and took a delicate sip.
“See? That’s the difference between you and me. You never have to think about things; they just fall into place.”
Elizabeth frowned and placed her cup back onto the saucer. “Tara, you have more attention from men than any other woman in the community. You’ve got nothing to grumble about.”
“Yes, but the only man I want is Mark and he took off.”
“You should’ve told him how you felt.”
Tara raised her eyebrows. “If he’d loved me, he wouldn’t have gone. Anyway, we told each other how we felt and I think that’s what scared him off. I think if he’d stayed then things would’ve been different.”
“He’ll be back.”
“We’ll see. Anyway, enough about him. I’m trying to forget him.”
“Okay.”
“I’m looking forward to staying in your haus. It’ll be a good distraction.”
“Have you been pining after Mark?”
Shaking her head, she said, “Nee. Well, maybe a little, but don’t you tell anyone.”
“Who would I tell?”
“Aunt Gretchen, or Megan.”
“I won’t.”
“It doesn’t matter, I guess. Megan knows anyway and I’m sure she’s sick of hearing me talk about him.”
“I thought you were sneaking away to see someone for the last few months. I didn’t know if it was one man or different men.”
Tara giggled. “It was only Mark. We wanted to keep things quiet and I thought the relationship was going somewhere—heading toward marriage.”
“I thought you might have been thinking of leaving the community. You told me I should move into the Doyles’ home and not look back.”
“Only because they’re your family—your birth family—not because they’re rich. It wouldn’t have hurt to stay with them and get to know them.”
“Their place wasn’t my home. Gott had planned for me to be with the Grabers. They’re always telling us we were sent to them for a reason and it’s true.” She stared into Tara’s eyes. “Don’t worry; he’ll be back.”
“I asked you not to talk about him. Can we change the subject?”
“Okay. What do you think of Joseph’s bruder, Caleb?”
Tara shrugged her shoulders. “He’s nice, I guess. I don’t know him that well.”
“I know that he likes you.”
“How? Did Joseph tell you?”
Elizabeth smirked. “I can’t say more.”
Tara’s attention was taken by a couple who sat down at the table next to them. She looked back at Elizabeth. “That’s not fair. You’ve said that much, so you have to tell me more.”
“Everything will work out for you just as things have worked out for me.” Elizabeth wagged a finger. “Just you wait and see.”
Tara nodded, not wanting to argue with her friend. The fact was that things had never worked out for her without her putting in a huge effort. Elizabeth had been the first of the three of them to get a job, and Tara had gotten one rejection after another until finally, she got the part time job at the quilting store. Megan had applied at a couple of places but, being painfully shy, she hadn’t made a good impression in any of the job interviews.
“You’ve always been a good friend to me, Tara.”
“Oh no. You’re getting deep and meaningful on me.”
Elizabeth laughed. “I’m going to miss everyone, that’s all. My life’s going to be so different once I’m married.”
“I’m glad the three of us were together for the last few years. We’re all different and none of that matters. In real families, people can be different too.”
“Tara, I’ve never heard you talk like this.”
Tara gave a sideways glance at the new waiter as he served the newcomers at the table next to them. Again with no smile, she noticed. She looked back at Elizabeth. “You’re like my schweschder, and so is Megan. You just understand me a little better than she does.”
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. “You seem a little down. Where’s the happy bubbly Tara?”
Tara inhaled deeply. “I’ve just been thinking about things that’s all.”
“About Mark?”
“You’re not going to stop talking about him are you?”
“Well, is he the problem?”
Tara cringed. “Is it that obvious?”
“Jah. At least to me."
“I don’t think I’ll ever feel about anyone the way I felt about him.” She glanced at Elizabeth and didn’t want to ruin her happiness. “That’s why I’m so excited to be looking after your haus until you get back.” Tara felt better when the smile returned to Elizabeth’s lips. She’d have to forget about her problems until after Elizabeth’s wedding. Then, when she was by herself for that month, she could figure out what to do with the rest of her life.
“Are the Doyles coming to the wedding?”
“Jah. I’ve invited all of them.”
“I can’t wait to see them. You’ve described them all so well. I want to see how closely the pictures in my head match up to how they look in real life.”
“I hope they all come. I’m not so sure they will.”
“Your birth mother and father will at least come, won’t they?”
“They said they would.”
“How do you feel about them now?”
Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. “It still feels weird. I’m getting used to them being my family and Lyle Junior being the Simpson’s real child. I'm used to thinking of Mamm Gretchen, Dat William, Megan, and you as my family.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. I don’t want to make you sad.”
“I’m not sad. It’s weird; that’s all.”
Tara didn’t know anything about her birth parents, even whether they were alive or dead.
Tara said, “I guess it would feel weird to grow up thinking your parents were the people who raised you, and then find out they were someone else.”
Elizabeth stared into her coffee. “Let’s move on.”
Tara laughed to ease the tension about the subjects that they wanted to avoid. It was clear that Elizabeth’s wounds were still there, like her own.
“What would you like to talk about?” Tara asked.
“Caleb.”
Tara tipped her head to one side. “I’m sensing some kind of a set-up.”
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows and smirked again, causing Tara to sigh.
“Who put you up to talking to me about him?” Tara asked.
“You’re not supposed to know.”
“Of course I’m not. I’m not about to blab, so tell me.”
“Joseph asked me to find out if you’re interested in Caleb. Because Caleb likes you.”
“I don’t know how I feel about him. I don’t know him very well.”
“My wedding will be th
