A Secret Sacrifice (Amish Secrets--Book 5) Read online

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  “Hey, Zach, how ya doin’?” John looked up at him from under the buggy.

  “Pretty gut. We’ve been making a lot of headway on the Keims’ house.” He scratched the stubble on his chin. “What are you doing under there?”

  “There was some rattling noise and I’m trying to figure out where it’s coming from.” He slid out from under the carriage. “That’s great about the Keims’ place. I know Rosie will be really excited to hear that.”

  Rosie? “Jah. She is.”

  “As soon as the rest of our harvest is in, I plan to go and help her vatter out as much as I can.”

  “That’s gut. They will appreciate the help, for sure and certain.”

  Zach was dying to know how their date went, but it wasn’t proper to ask. Maybe if he just beat around the bush a little, John would spill the beans.

  “Oh, man, Zach. Rosie is amazing. I know that we’ve only been out riding once, but I think she’s the one for me.”

  “Really?” How on earth could he know that from a single date?

  “Yeah. I think you were wrong about her. She didn’t seem stuck on herself at all to me.” He took a rag from a hook on the wall and wiped his hands. “Did you know that she wants to go see the Millers’ cave with me? I mean, what girl is interested in caves – even after you tell her there are bats inside?”

  “So you two hit it off, huh?” He tried his utmost to mask his true feelings.

  “I can’t wait to see her again. Do you think it would be too forward of me to come calling?”

  “Uh, I don’t know…I mean with all the people that are there.”

  “You’re right. I guess I’ll just have to be patient.” He turned back to look at his horse and gave her a gentle pat. “Hey, you doing anything now? Wanna go fishing?”

  “Sure.” Now, this was a topic he was more comfortable discussing. No hiding his emotions. “May I use your extra pole?”

  “Of course. I’ll just be a minute. I need to let Mamm know where I’m going.”

  Zach watched John disappear into the house, then return a moment later with a paper bag in his hand.

  “Mamm said to tell you to stay for supper after we get back from fishing.” John smiled.

  “I’d love to. What’s in the bag?”

  “Just some snacks.” He gestured toward the stream. “Let’s go?”

  Zachariah nodded. After grabbing the fishing poles and tackle box from the barn, the two of them set off toward the stream that flowed at the bottom of one of the rugged hills on the Christners’ property. It was a place they’d frequented over the years. One of the things Zach appreciated about living in Kentucky was the beautiful topography. Hills, streams, and trees aplenty adorned the landscape which created a sense of serenity. Zach thought that if there was a paradise on earth, it might just be Kentucky. There was no place he’d rather be.

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  “Rosie! Rosie, where- Oh, there you are!” Frances approached the tree's low hanging branch where Rosanna sat. “Why are you over here by yourself when all the fun is at the house?”

  “I just feel kind of nervous. There are so many people and I don't really know anyone.”

  “Well, you know us, silly. And you know Lizzie and Patricia; they just got here. And there's a lot of handsome young men who would most likely want to know you too,” Frances added slyly.

  John came to Rosanna's mind and she smiled. “I'll come.”

  “Gut!” Frances started off, then looked back and gestured for Rosanna. “Come on! Let's go!”

  Rosanna followed her sister at a more sedate pace and couldn't help but feel her shyness creep over her again as the multitude of unfamiliar Amish folk came into view.

  It was the Saturday Bishop Hershberger and her father had decided upon for the frolic and everyone in the community seemed to be here, including John Christner. He'd sent her a smile and a quick wink when he'd first arrived, which warmed her heart. For sure and for certain, John was winning her over.

  Lizzie approached her. “Rosanna, I’ve been looking for you everywhere. How are you?”

  “Wunderbaar. How are you, Lizzie?”

  “Gut, especially now that you're here. Do you know if the women are starting on the meal yet?”

  She shook her head. “I don't think so. Mamm said eleven. We put snacks out earlier.”

  “Then we have almost an hour! Will you show me around?”

  “I’d love to. Come with me.” She and Lizzie headed for the forest and Rosanna began explaining, “We have fifty acres altogether, forty-two of which are woods.” The girls entered the dense copse of trees on an overgrown path. “As you can probably tell, we'll need some animals to get the grass back down to a reasonable height. My father's considering putting up fences and bringing in animals to start on that while we still live at the Zooks’. Just so a lot of it will be taken care of before we move in. If they eat the foliage, they can drink out of the creek.”

  Lizzie nodded. “Sounds reasonable. How far is the creek?”

  “It's a bit of a walk to get there. It’s down yonder. Do you want to see it?”

  “Sure. I saw it several years ago, when the Borntregers were still here, but it's been a while.” They moved down the path a couple beats before Lizzie spoke again. “How are you liking it here so far?”

  “It's nice. The land is beautiful, and everyone I've met so far has been friendly.” Perhaps a little too friendly, she thought, remembering Zach's forward behavior.

  “I'm glad you like it. And I'm glad you came. I'm sure it wasn't easy. Did you leave a lot of friends behind?”

  “A few. But I mostly miss Magdalena. She's my best friend.”

  “I imagine it's difficult. I don't really have a good friend, other than my sister. And the good thing about being friends with her, is I don't have to worry about either of us moving away until we marry. Otherwise, we're stuck together.”

  Rosanna smiled.

  “Oh, I'd been meaning to ask you, how did your first day of school go? Any trouble from the kinner?”

  “No, they were good. Atlee Gingrich tried to stir up some mischief the next day, but nothing serious. So far, all is well.”

  “That's nice to hear. Are you excited about the young folks’ gathering tonight?”

  “You mean the hoedown?”

  “Jah. They're always a lot of fun!”

  “I'm looking forward to it. I'm not used to hearing music with instruments. Back home that was always frowned upon.”

  “It's not here. The ministers don't approve of it outright, but they let us do it anyway, so long as we aren't baptized into the church yet. I'm sure you'll love it. One of the boys even plays a guitar!”

  “I don't know if I've ever heard one of those in person.”

  “They're really pretty. If ever I was to learn an instrument, it'd be that one.”

  Rosanna nodded to the landscape up ahead. “Look, there's the creek.”

  “Wow. It sure looks different from what I remembered, with everything grown over. I don't remember that beaver dam there either.”

  “Dat plans to take that down right away and clear up the stream.”

  “My dat says that beavers are just a plain menace. He doesn't like them a bit.”

  Rosanna shrugged. “I think they're cute.”

  “Maybe.” Lizzie glanced back at the dam. “Speaking of cute, perhaps we should get back to the house. I like watching the young men work. Somehow, seeing their raw strength and then thinking about how gently they can treat you gives me shivers.” She smiled.

  “I see. You’re a romantic.” Rosanna laughed. “Alright. Let's go.”

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  “What has put that smile on your face?” Lizzie sidled up to Rosanna at one of the young folks’ gatherings.

  “Ach, nothing,” Rosanna insisted. She glanced discreetly at John, who’d been watching her from across the room as he played his harmonica. She loved the twinkle in his eye that evidenced there was a smile b
ehind his instrument.

  Lizzie noticed and peeked his way as well, before meeting Rosanna's gaze with a grin. “Uh-huh. Word from the rumor mill says you’ve been riding home with John Christner an awful lot.”

  Rosanna subdued a smile. “I have. What about it?”

  “How’s it going with you two?”

  “It’s been nice.”

  Lizzie raised a brow. “Nice? That's it? That's all you can say? I've known John my entire life and I’d say he's a lot more than just nice.”

  “What do you mean by that?”

  “John is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever known. When I was nine, I’d forgotten to bring my lunch to school one day. John had apparently noticed and pretended he didn't like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that day; he asked me to eat it for him.

  “If someone wasn't having a good day, he'd go and tell them jokes until they laughed and forgot all about what made them sad.

  “Another time, he asked Martha Yoder to ride home with him from a singing.”

  She frowned. “I don't understand.”

  “You maybe haven't met Martha yet. She the one with Down Syndrome. She only comes because she likes to sing and she always rides home with her brother.”

  “That's very kind. I already knew he was a sweetheart. How come he doesn't have an aldi already?” Rosanna wondered aloud.

  Lizzie shrugged. “I suppose he’s just never found a girl just right for him, though there are plenty of girls who've had their eye on him at some point in time.”

  Rosanna sent her a questioning glance.

  Lizzie laughed. “Not me. He's handsome enough, and I'd be foolish not to consider him, but he's just a friend to me. Besides, I've got David Mast.” She nodded toward the table with the snacks. “See the one with the blond hair by the drinks?”

  “With the blue or green shirt?”

  “Green. That's David. The one in blue is his brother, Danny.”

  The young man glanced up and caught them looking. His face flushed a brilliant hue and he held Lizzie's gaze for a second before turning back to his conversation.

  Lizzie grinned. “He turns red as a tomato all the time. I think it's the most adorable thing.”

  “How long have you been courting?”

  “Almost two months. Can you believe he had his brother ask me to ride home in his buggy for him?”

  “Isn’t that how they do it here?”

  “Not usually.” She shrugged. “If a boy likes you, he usually just comes and asks directly.”

  “It’s interesting how different it is here, compared to how it was back home.” She sipped some of her tea. “He must be incredibly shy.”

  “He is. I don't mind though.” Lizzie smiled at something past Rosanna. “Well, I better go get myself something to drink.”

  “Okay.” Curious as to why she was leaving so abruptly, Rosanna turned to see John standing a few feet behind her. “Oh, hi.”

  “You sound disappointed.” He frowned.

  She smiled. “No, I'm definitely not. I was just surprised to see you there.”

  “Well, gut. For a second there, I thought you were expecting some other handsome young Amish man to be waiting for you and my heart would be utterly shattered.” He pressed a hand to his heart dramatically.

  She shook her head. “No need for shattered hearts. I promised to ride home with you and I intend to.”

  They made their move to the exit. “I hope you're riding home with me out of more than just duty.”

  Her eyes met his. “I am.”

  John opened the door and grinned. He gallantly crooked his arm at his side, once they were outside away from the crowd. “M'lady.”

  She obliged with a smile, gently grasping his arm as he escorted her to his buggy.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  The school week was finally over and Rosanna had bidden farewell to the last student just a few moments ago. She usually walked home with the Zook girls, but she wanted to stay and read through some of the week’s assignments she’d given to the children. While the scholars’ work ended on Friday at school, her work continued over the weekend until the week’s grading was completed and the assignments for the following week were prepared. It would be much easier to tackle those tasks in the quiet of an empty schoolhouse than it would be in the Zooks’ busy household.

  Churning of buggy wheels on gravel outside caused Rosanna to glance up at the clock. Oh good, it was only four o’clock. She thought that maybe she’d stayed too long and someone from the Zook household had come to bring her home. Who could be here?

  She stood up from the desk just as the main door to the schoolhouse opened.

  “I hope you don’t mind me showing up here.”

  “John?” Now, he was the last person she expected to see. “What are you doing here?”

  “I figured you might still be working, so I decided to swing by.” He frowned. “You don’t mind, do ya?”

  “Uh, no. Of course, not.”

  “Could you use a ride home?”

  She grimaced. “I’m not quite finished with my work. I had just planned on walking back home.”

  “I can take you, and I’ll wait if you’d like,” he offered. “And if you’re hungry, we can go into town and get something to eat. Or a milkshake or something.”

  “Well, that does sound gut but I still have some grading to do.” She glanced back at the remaining stack of assignments and weighed her options. Did she really want to miss out on spending time with this handsome young man? “I guess I can finish them tomorrow at home.”

  “You can do them now if you need to. I really don’t mind waiting.”

  “Nee, it’s okay.”

  “So, you’ll come with me then?” She didn’t miss the excitement in his voice.

  “Jah.”

  “Wunderbaar!”

  She began gathering the things on her desk.

  “Here, I can help with that.” He put both his arms out in front of him and waited for her to load them up with her homework.

  Rosanna carried her purse and locked the door behind them, after making sure she’d turned off the last lamp. She followed John to his buggy and hopped up into it. It looked a little different during daylight hours. It seemed like anytime they’d gone anywhere it had been at night. Now that there was sufficient light, she could see that he’d made an extra effort to make his courting buggy special. She’d already known about the radio because they’d listened to it a few times before, but now she could see that the wood on the dashboard had been lacquered and possibly stained. The seat cushion was extra thick and had been covered in a luxurious hunter green velvet-like material. Rosanna almost felt like a queen riding in an expensive carriage.

  “Your buggy is very nice.” She rubbed her hands on the seat cushion enjoying its softness.

  “Do you like it? I designed it myself.”

  “I do.” She briefly wondered how many maed had ridden in the very spot she was now sitting in and it stole a bit of her joy. Just how many girls had John courted?

  “Something wrong?”

  “No, it’s nothing.”

  “Rosie, whatever you have to say, you can say it. I wanna know what you’re thinking.”

  She hesitated and blew out a breath. “I was just wondering how many other maed have been in this same seat.”

  He shrugged, eyeing her cautiously. “A few.”

  “Oh.”

  “But none of them ever captured my heart like you have.” He reached over and grasped her hand.

  “You, Mr. Christner, happen to be a charmer of the worst kind.” She pulled her hand away.

  He looked up at the sky. “I pay her a compliment and she accuses me of being insincere. How much can one heart take?” He placed both hands over his heart. “Oh, the agony.”

  Rosanna laughed.

  “And she laughs at my calamity!”

  She shook her head. “How on earth do you keep a straight face?”

  “I’m dying inside.”
<
br />   “Really?”

  “No. I’ve spent countless hours in front of the mirror telling jokes to myself and forcing myself not to laugh.”

  “Really?”

  “No. Well, actually, that’s partially true. I have done it once or twice.”

  “So, being completely serious, why did you come by today?”

  “I thought that was clear. You have undoubtedly captured my heart. It is bound with chains and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to break free.”

  “That was supposed to be serious?” She laughed.

  “Well, I’d kiss you to prove it but I’m afraid of retaliation.”

  “Retaliation?”

  “Yeah, you know, like a shoe or purse aimed at my face.”

  Her smile widened. “And you’re not willing to risk it?”

  “Wow, was that just an invitation to kiss you? Because that’s what it sounded like to me.”

  “I suppose at some point in time I might let you kiss me.”

  “Would that some point in time happen to be today?”

  She smiled. “We’ll have to see about that.”

  “Well, until then, I will just have to bear the sting of unrequited love.”

  Rosanna began laughing so hard, her stomach protested with pain. It took her a full three minutes of huffing and puffing to regain her composure.

  “And I didn’t even intend for that to be funny.” John smiled.

  Rosanna lifted a hand. “Don’t get me started again.”

  He made a zipping motion over his mouth, but held in a chuckle.

  “Okay. Pull this buggy over,” she insisted.

  “Out here? In the middle of nowhere?”

  “Yes.”

  He shrugged. “As you wish.” He pulled the buggy to the side of the road and set the brake. “Okay, now what?”

  “Close your eyes.”

  “What?”

  “Just close them.” She put a hand on her hip.

  He finally did as bidden. “I don’t know if I like where this is headed.”

  Rosanna waved a hand in front of his eyes to be sure he wasn’t peeking. “You’re not peeking, are you?”