Chapter Twenty-Six
Adam
For the next two days, Grace did everything in her power to avoid being anywhere near me unless she absolutely had to be. She steered clear of me after her mini-meltdown, so after I'd checked the phone and found it wasn't yet charged, I volunteered to pitch in and help with the housework.
My cooking skills were non-existent, but I told Verity that I could wield a mean mop and broom. She laughed and refused my first several offers before she finally handed the tools over and told me to start with the living room.
"Mr. Wallace, are you sure you want to clean in those clothes?" Verity asked as I headed to the other room. I looked down at the clean dress pants and shirt I'd pulled from my suitcase that morning. I did look a little formal for what I was about to do. Hell, I looked formal for just about anything I was going to do except give a presentation about wind turbines. I hadn't packed anything other than dress clothes since I hadn't expected to be down here longer than a couple of days.
"A little formal for cleaning?" I asked.
"Well, you just don't look like you belong here," she said biting her lip and hesitating a little.
"I don't have anything else to wear," I said looking down at my clothes again. "And I don't think I'd look very good in a dress."
"Oh no, Mr. Wallace," Verity burst into giggles as she looked at me and imagined me in one of the girls' plain dresses and bonnet. "I can give you some men's clothing to wear. If you would prefer."
"You're going to dress me like an Amish guy?" I asked warily. I wasn't sure what she was up to, but there was no way I was going to drink the Amish Kool-Aid. I was here as a temporary resident with no intention of staying.
"I just thought you might be more comfortable in clothing that you didn't have to worry about getting dirty," she said.
"Well, I guess it would be smarter to keep these presentable, wouldn't it?" I said. Verity nodded and motioned for me to follow her as she headed toward the bedroom where I was staying. I followed her and watched as she pulled a pair of black pants and a white cotton shirt out of the dresser. She stopped for a moment and closed her eyes before handing the clothing over to me.
"They were my father's clothes," she said quietly.
"I'll be careful with them," I said taking the pile.
"Oh no, it's not that! Dat wore these to do the farm work in as well as to Sunday services," she smiled. "I was just reminded of him and how much he loved Corner Grove and our family."
"Then I'll try to do a good job cleaning," I said with a smile. Verity laughed again and left the room. I quickly pulled off the dress clothes and hung them on the pegs in the corner of the room so they wouldn't wrinkle. I pulled on the big, white shirt first and was surprised to find it had buttons. It was slightly large on me, so I rolled up the sleeves before pulling on the pants. They fit me better than I expected, but I struggled to figure out how to attach the suspenders that seemed to stand in for a belt. I decided to go barefoot since that seemed be what everyone who stayed around the house did, and then I walked into the kitchen to show Verity.
"Did I do this right?" I said as I entered the room. Verity turned and began laughing. She laughed so hard that tears rolled down her cheeks as she came toward me and began fixing the suspenders and pulling the shirt down so that it actually fit my body.
"I'm sorry, but you look so foreign in this!" she laughed. "If we get you a hat, you'll pass for Amish!"
"Oh no, you're not cutting my hair using a bowl!" I said backing away from her warily. "I've seen the way the men around here look and I'm not doing that!"
"No, no, we wouldn't ask you to," she laughed harder as she looked at me.
"You're picturing me with the bowl cut, aren't you?"
"I am!" she said as she dissolved into another fit of giggles. I smiled as I realized that this was the first time I'd seen Verity laugh. She looked sweet when she smiled, and I understood what Levi found attractive about her. She was a softer version of Grace. Once Verity had straightened me out and stopped laughing about the imagined haircut, I grabbed the broom, mop, and bucket, and headed into the living room to clean.
In my entire upbringing, I'd never had done anything more than toss my towels on the bathroom floor knowing that they'd be picked up, laundered, and replaced after the cleaning staff came through every day. There was something oddly satisfying about sweeping and mopping, and even though it took me four times longer than it probably would have taken any other of the Miller children, I finished the task without incident.
When I limped into the kitchen and went to dump the bucket out back, I caught a glimpse of Danny struggling to pull a bale of hay into the barn. I looked around and didn't see Honor anywhere, so I headed out to help him.
"Want some help?" I asked as he huffed and puffed pulling the bale toward the end stall. He nodded, so I bent down and pushed. Together we moved the hay quickly and then Danny snipped the rope holding the bale together and began tossing it into the stall.
"Wow, you've really cleaned this place up quickly, haven't you?" I said looking around and marveling at how clean the barn was. He nodded and signed something that I didn't understand. I shook my head, "I don't speak sign language, buddy."
Danny thought for a moment, and then grabbed my sleeve and pulled me over to the milking pen where he pointed at the cow, the bucket, and then me.
"Me? Milk the cow?" I said looking confused. "You're out of your mind!"
Danny laughed silently and then pushed me toward the pen. The pain in my chest sent a jolt down one side of my body and I backed up shaking my head. Danny's face formed a question, and I replied, "I can't sit down like that, it'll hurt too much."
He nodded and signed something that, combined with his sheepish look, I took as an apology.
"Hey, no problem, big guy!" I said patting his shoulder. "Maybe in a few days, when I feel a bit better, I'll have a go at it."
Danny nodded happily and then sat down, thrust the bucket under the cow's udders, and began quickly milking her. Watching him, I marveled at how easy he made it look and how at ease he seemed doing it. I felt bad that I couldn't speak sign language and carry on an actual conversation with him, but when I thought about the fact that I wasn't going to be here for much longer, I decided there wasn't much I could do about it aside from helping him in the barn as best I could. It wasn't easy and I knew I was going to pay for it later, but I helped Danny clean out the stalls and then carry the dirty hay out to the compost bin until Verity told us to come in and get cleaned up for supper.
Both Grace and Honor were missing, but when I asked Verity where they were, she shrugged and said, "Probably at the store. They'll be home later."
After dinner, I tried to help with the dishes, but Verity shooed me out on to the front porch, saying that I'd done more than enough for one day and that I should rest. She said she'd come check my head and chest after she finished in the kitchen. Out on the porch, I suddenly remembered the phone that had been charging all day, but decided that I'd wait to grab it before I went to bed. Somehow bringing technology out on the porch felt wrong.
"God, look at me," I muttered. "I'm going over to the dark side now."
I looked up as Danny tapped me on the shoulder and handed me the phone, excitedly signing something I understood as, "Hurry up and turn it on." I laughed as I hit the power switch and waited for the phone to power up. Danny watched the screen light up and then clapped when the phone glowed in my hand. I quickly tapped the screen and set it up with my old phone number, and after a few minutes, the small device was up and running. I saw that there were numerous messages from Bugsy, but when Danny looked at me, pointed to the phone and then pointed to himself. I shrugged and handed it over saying, "Have at it kid!"
For the next hour, while I sat quietly watching the sky shift from twilight to a shade of inky purple I'd never seen before, Danny played with the phone. It wasn't until Verity came out and told us it was getting late that he handed the phone over and went inside. She quickly checked my injuries and put some salve on the bruises before bidding me goodnight. I waited up as long as I could, but soon the work I'd done hit me and I headed in to bed.
I woke up late the next morning wanting to talk to Grace before she left for the store, but she'd been quick to grab her things and head out to the barn. By the time I made it to the front porch, she and Titan were already half way down the road toward town.
"We're going to talk at some point, Grace Miller!" I shouted as I watched her crest the hill and disappear.
I quickly dialed Bugsy, but his phone went straight to voicemail, so I left a message telling him to call me back. I figured he was probably making connections with investors or something, and hoped he'd get back to me quickly. There were two messages in my voicemail from my mother telling me to call her immediately. I deleted them both and then put the messages out of my mind before heading back into the house.
#
It wasn't long after Grace had left for the store that a buggy pulled into the drive. Danny and Honor emerged from the barn where they had finished the milking and were starting on cleaning the stalls.
"Gabe!" Honor shouted as the young Amish man climbed down from the buggy and tethered his horse to the post in front of the barn.
"Hiya, Honor, Danny!" he smiled as he ruffled Danny's hair before removing his own hat and running a hand through his sandy brown hair. "Sure is hot out here this morning!"
I stood observing from the kitchen window for a few moments before turning to find Verity looking at me pointedly.
"What?" I said trying to maintain a neutral expression.
"Now don't go starting trouble, Mr. Wallace," she warned as she carefully hung the towel she'd been using over the edge of the sink.
"Who said anything about trouble?" I asked feigning an innocence I didn't actually feel. "I'm just going to go help Danny and Honor with the chores in the barn."
Verity simply shook her head and sighed. I walked to the back door, trying as best I could to hide my limp.
"Hello, English," Gabe said with a wary smile.
"Morning, Amish," I called as I limped into the barn and grabbed a pitchfork. Danny gave me a confused look as I walked to the stall he'd just cleaned, and then signed something I couldn't understand.
"He just finished cleaning that one, English," Gabe helpfully interpreted. The fact that he could understand Danny and I couldn't got under my skin.
"I was just checking to see which one was next," I said stepping out of the stall and moving to the next one. "This isn't my first time at the rodeo, you know."
"I see," Gabe said with an amused smile that annoyed me even more. "Well, you might want to check the stall at the far end. I don't think that one's been cleaned yet."
"Gabe..." Honor warned as she looked back and forth between us and then signed something to Danny before rolling her eyes and walking out of the barn. Eyes wide, Danny looked at both of us, nodded, and then followed Honor out of the barn.
"What's that about?" I asked.
"They're going to leave us to figure this out on our own," Gabe said as he removed his hat and hung it on a peg outside of one of the stables. "The way I see it, you're sweet on Grace, but what you don't understand is that she's one of us."
"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said. "I thought Grace was pretty clear when she told you no, and in my world, we understand that when a lady says no, she means no."
"Do you have any idea how our world works, English?" Gabe said as he crossed his arms over his chest and casually leaned against the stall door. He was broad shouldered and muscled, but I had a good four inches on him and a pitchfork in my hand. He shook his head, "I didn't think so."
"Grace seems pretty clear about what she wants and doesn't want, despite my lack of knowledge about your community," I said eyeing him warily.
"We are bound by our love of God, our family, and our community," he said. "We believe that our good works pave the way for the afterlife, and that our families and community offer the best opportunities to exhibit that love and devotion."
"I'm not sure what that has to do with me," I said as I shifted the pitchfork from one hand to the other before leaning my back against the stall.
"You're not one of us, English," he said with a smile. "You don't belong here, but Grace does."
"Okay? Again, not sure what that has to do with me," I said feeling confused.
"You think you're the first English outsider to express an interest in Grace?" he asked. Now I understood what he was getting, and I grinned at him.
"You're pissing on Grace's leg," I chuckled as I stood up and walked toward him. "I get it. You think that if you scare me off, you'll have a shot at making her see how much you care about her. Well, I've got news for you, my Amish friend. She's not interested. She's told you flat out that she's not interested, and yet you persist. That doesn't really register as an act of love and devotion. Where I come from, that's called stalking and it's punishable by law."
"You have no idea what you're talking about, English," Gabe said narrowing his eyes as I pulled himself up to his full height and stood face-to-face with me.
"The lady said no, Amish boy," I said as I gripped the handle of the pitchfork and hoped that my tone and height would be enough to get him to back off. I wasn't sure that, in my condition, I'd be able to withstand a barnyard fight. In fact, I knew I wouldn't be able to, so the best I could do would be to play alpha dog and see if he would back down. "I would suggest that you back off and leave her alone."
"Or else what?" Gabe growled as he sized me up.
"Or else you and I are going to have a problem that won't be solved by talking it out," I said as I pulled myself up to my full height trying to hide the fact that my chest and head were still incredibly tender and painful.
"Oh my God, will you two knock it off?" Honor said as she and Danny came through the barn door carrying two bales of hay stacked on top of a third. "You're like two old hens!"
"What the—" Gabe said turning around to see Danny laughing silently as Honor gave us both an annoyed look.
"I'm serious, Gabe," she said. "Knock it off. Grace said no, and you keep pushing like you're going to bully her into something that she's already said she doesn't want. It's embarrassing."
"Honor! That's incredibly rude," Gabe said as his face began to turn bright red. "Grace said no because that's what she's supposed to say."
"Good Lord, you really are clueless, aren't you?" Honor replied as she and Danny dropped the bale next to the far wall. She marched back to where Gabe stood and looked up at him with her hands on her hips. "Grace doesn't love you, Gabe. I'm not sure how much clearer it needs to be for you to get it through your head and let go. She doesn't want you pursuing her, and she certainly doesn't want to marry you."
Gabe's face was now beet red as he stood listening to Honor dress him down in front of Danny and I. I felt bad for him, but I knew that Honor was doing him a favor by laying it out clearly. Still, I looked away as she spoke hoping to spare him a little of the humiliation even though I was taking a tiny bit of pleasure in it.
"And you, English," Honor said as she turned and looked at me. "You're no better than he is! You think that you're going to sweep my sister off her feet and carry her away from her family just because you're handsome and charming? Guess again!"
Now it was my turn to feel the heat of shame rushing through my body and turning my cheeks bright red. I saw Gabe avert his eyes as Honor dressed me down.
"That's not fair!" I protested. "I'm here because I was trying to bring technology to—"
"To the poor, backward Amish folk?" Honor said in a sarcastic tone. "Please, we don't need your largesse, English. We're doing fine the way we are. You're both idiots. Now get out of the barn and let us do the work needed to keep our animals clean and fed."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Danny sign something as Honor shoved him into a stall and yelled at him to get moving. She grabbed the pitchfork out of my hand and shoved me toward the barn door muttering, "Out! Now!"
Gabe quickly grabbed his hat and beat a hasty retreat to his buggy, and I wasn't far behind. Neither one of us said a word as he unhitched the horse and swung himself up into the driver's seat of the buggy. He stared at me for a long time before he slapped the reins and turned the horse toward the road.
As I watched him go, I wasn't sure who'd won that round, but I knew that neither one of us was going to give up so easily. Something about Grace had sparked my interest in a way that no woman had before, and I wanted to know how she felt about me, too.