A Place at Our Table Read online

  “Ya, and she’s also very shy and soft-spoken.” Laura grinned. “I guess we’re sort of opposites. She doesn’t go to her youth group gatherings that often. We’re trying to encourage her to go, but she likes to stay home with the family.”

  “I’m sure she’ll find her place in the youth group soon. Does she have a boyfriend?”

  Laura shook her head. “No, she doesn’t. Do you?”

  “No.” Kayla briefly considered telling Laura about Abram and how he broke her heart, but she decided not to share something so personal. At least not yet. “I heard your boyfriend, Rudy, came to help today.”

  “Ya, he did.” Laura finished drying the serving tray and set it on the counter. “I’ll have to introduce you to him.”

  “I’d love to meet him. How long have you been together?” Kayla began on another tray.

  “Three years.” Laura smiled. “He’s a very nice man. His daed owns a hardware store.”

  Kayla set the tray in the rinse water. “I appreciate your family and freinden coming today.”

  “We’re froh to help.” Laura started drying the second serving tray. “Eva is your sister-in-law, right?”

  “Ya, that’s right.”

  “She was married to your bruder Simeon.”

  “Ya. He died before their sohn was born.”

  “Ach, that’s bedauerlich.” Laura frowned. “That had to be so difficult for you all.”

  “Ya.” Kayla wanted to change the subject. “So do you help your mamm quilt?”

  Laura nodded. “Sometimes. Cindy is a much better quilter, but I do help. What are your most popular dishes at the restaurant?”

  They chatted about recipes, and soon the serving trays and utensils were done and stowed in cabinets. They were wiping down the counters when Eva and Cindy reappeared in the kitchen. Cindy was holding Junior.

  “He just woke up.” Cindy rubbed Junior’s head as he rested his cheek on her shoulder. “He’s so sweet.”

  “Danki.” Eva glanced around the kitchen. “You cleaned everything up already.”

  “Ya. And we were discussing recipes.” Laura leaned back against the counter. “We’ll have to set a time to bake together.”

  “I would like that.” Kayla smiled, happy to have a new friend.

  “I think Jamie would like it if we invited you over.” Laura gave Kayla a knowing smile, and Kayla’s cheeks heated.

  Footfalls on the stairs announced Mamm’s and Dorothy’s descent from the sewing room.

  “Marilyn, you have some schee patterns. I just love them,” Dorothy was saying.

  “Oh, danki. If only I had more time to quilt, then maybe I could sell some of my work.”

  “I definitely think you could sell them. Your quilts are just gorgeous.” Dorothy entered the kitchen with Mamm close behind her. She walked over to Cindy and smiled at Junior. “Why, hello there.”

  Junior moaned and snuggled closer to Cindy. Everyone laughed.

  “He just woke up from his nap.” Eva rubbed small circles on Junior’s back. “He’s a little cranky.”

  Junior looked up at Eva and then stretched out his arms.

  “Kumm, mei liewe,” Eva murmured to the baby as she took him and held him close to her chest.

  “I guess we should get going.” Dorothy picked up her purse from one of the kitchen chairs. “Our driver should be here. I have to get started on supper soon.”

  “Danki for helping us today,” Mamm said. “It was really generous of you all to come and bring food.”

  “Gern gschehne,” Dorothy said. “We had a great time.”

  “Ya, we did.” Laura hugged Kayla before retrieving their serving trays. “I hope we see each other again soon.”

  “Ya, I do too.”

  Kayla followed the three Riehl women out to the porch. She waved as they climbed into the van waiting in the driveway and drove off. Kayla turned toward the barn. Now it was almost entirely enclosed with outer walls, and the roof was coming along. Men crouched on top, hammering shingles, as others continued to attach sheets of plywood to the wall frame.

  Mamm and Eva joined her, and Mamm rested her hands on the porch railing. “They are such a wunderbaar family.”

  “Ya, they are,” Eva agreed, balancing Junior on her hip. “I really enjoyed talking with them. You seemed to bond with Dorothy.”

  “I did.” Mamm smoothed her hands down her black apron. “We talked about quilting and then about our childhoods. She grew up close to where I did in Lititz. We know some of the same people. We talked about maybe having a quilting bee sometime, but I’m not sure how I can fit it into our crazy schedule.”

  She touched Junior’s head and looked over at Kayla. “I’d like to see Dorothy again soon. We can figure something out. You seemed to have gotten to know Laura well.”

  “Ya, I did. She’s great.” Kayla picked at a loose piece of wood on the porch railing as she considered a friendship with Laura. But would spending time with her make an already blossoming friendship with Jamie grow?

  She couldn’t take that risk. She had to keep a cover over her heart. Why did she even agree to have lunch with him?

  “It looks like we’re going to have a barn before nightfall.” Mamm turned her attention to the volunteers. “Your daed said he was going to see if he could convince a crew to come back tomorrow to start painting. We’re going to have to run the restaurant without him tomorrow, but the barn will be done.”

  “That will be wunderbaar.” Eva switched Junior to her other hip. “Our community certainly is a blessing.”

  Kayla nodded in agreement as her focus landed on Jamie. He was still working beside his brother. A pang of worry slammed through her.

  He and his family were finding a place not only in her heart, but in the hearts of all the Dienners.

  TEN

  A week later, Jamie slung his duffel bag over his shoulder before rushing down the stairs. He was late! Why had he allowed himself to oversleep on a Wednesday morning? He never overslept, but adding extra chores to his usual list yesterday must have worn him out.

  After cleaning the dairy barn in the afternoon, he’d spent hours repairing the wire fencing surrounding the chicken coop. Then he remembered he’d promised Mark he’d help him repair the barn doors. They finished that project after supper and then it was bedtime. He was sore when he climbed into bed, and the soreness was worse today. Now he had a twenty-four-hour shift at the firehouse before he came back to the farm to all the chores he still hadn’t completed.

  The delicious aroma of breakfast food made his stomach gurgle as his foot hit the bottom step. If only he had time to eat, but his driver had already been sitting in the driveway for ten minutes. It would be rude to ask him to wait any longer.

  Jamie waved to his mother and Cindy as he hurriedly walked toward the mudroom. “Have a gut day. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Wait!” Mamm called after him, making him turn around. “Aren’t you going to eat?”

  “I don’t have time. I’m late.”

  “I’ll pack something for you,” Cindy said. “Give me a moment, and I’ll put together a plate. You can eat on your way.”

  “All right. Danki.” Jamie watched as she scurried around to put scrambled eggs, bacon, home fries, and a roll on a paper plate.

  He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 5:50, and his shift began at six. He might be late, but Brody would understand. His focus moved to the counter. Glass jars were lined up near the stove. “Are you going to can today?”

  “Ya.” Mamm gestured toward the large pot on the counter. “Laura is going to spend the day with Savilla, and Cindy and I are going to can vegetables.”

  Jamie glanced toward the basement door and then groaned, looking up toward the ceiling. “The banister. That’s what I forgot. Mark and I were going to fix it earlier in the week, but we got so sidetracked harvesting the hay Saturday and Monday. Then I had to repair the chicken coop and the barn doors. I’m so sorry.” He huffed out a deep sigh as self-d
eprecation weighed heavily on his already-sore shoulders. He had to stay more focused. How could he be so irresponsible?

  “Didn’t you buy the supplies for the banister a couple of weeks ago?” Cindy carried the plate of food to him. She had covered it with cling wrap and set a napkin and plastic utensils on top.

  “Ya, we did.” Jamie frowned. “I’m so sorry. Mark and I will get on it first thing tomorrow.”

  “Can’t Mark and Dat fix it today?” Cindy suggested.

  “No.” Jamie shook his head with emphasis. “I promised to do it, and I will keep that promise. Dat was complaining yesterday that his back was sore, and I don’t want him to strain himself. Mark has too much to do when I’m at the firehouse. He and I will take care of it tomorrow. I’ll put it at the top of my list.”

  Maybe if he took on more of the chores, Dat would have enough confidence to leave him in charge of the farm and take Mamm to Pinecraft after all for a much-needed vacation.

  Cindy continued to frown, but Mamm smiled. “That sounds fine.”

  “I’ll be sure to remind you,” Cindy chimed in. “And I’ll tell Mark the banister is your top priority tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” Jamie agreed. “Just do me a favor and please be careful on the stairs.”

  “We will.” Mamm touched his arm. “You be careful today too.”

  “I will.” He smiled at Cindy. “Danki for breakfast. Have a gut day.” He looked back at his mother once more and then rushed out to the waiting truck.

  The fire engine came to a stop in the large apparatus bay in the station, and Jamie climbed out of the passenger seat and massaged his neck with his fingertips. Exhaustion covered him like a dense fog, weighing down his steps as he walked into the kitchen.

  “I hope that’s our last call.” Leon spoke Jamie’s thoughts aloud as they walked through the door. “What was that—our sixth medical call of the day?”

  “Day?” Jamie pointed toward the window where the setting sun painted the sky with bold hues of vivid colors. “It’s nighttime now.” He dropped into a chair and rested his forearms on the table. Every muscle in his body ached from his neck to his feet. “We haven’t had more than fifteen minutes to rest all day long. I’m wiped out.”

  Yawning, Jamie rubbed his dry eyes and then covered his face with his hands as another yawn overtook his body.

  Brody came into the kitchen. “Are you actually tired, Riehl? I didn’t think you ever stopped moving. Do you want a Coke? It should help you wake up.”

  “Yeah, thanks.” Jamie stifled another yawn. “I may not be worth anything the rest of the night if I close my eyes.”

  “Here.” Leon set a can of Coke and packet of peanut butter crackers in front of Jamie and sat down beside him. “Have a snack.”

  “Danki.” Jamie opened the can and took a long drink, relishing the cool carbonation on his parched throat.

  “I heard the Dienner family rebuilt their barn last week.” Brody sat down across from Jamie and Leon with his own Coke and packet of crackers. “Did you help at the barn raising?”

  A vision of Kayla’s beautiful face and bright smile filled Jamie’s mind. Had it really been a week since he’d seen her? He thought about her frequently and considered going to visit her at the restaurant. Chores at the farm had taken priority, though, and he had a sudden and overwhelming feeling of regret. Did he actually miss her? She was more of an acquaintance than a friend. How could he miss someone he hardly knew?

  “Jamie?” Brody leaned forward, his eyebrows raised. “Did you hear me? I asked if you helped at the barn raising.”

  “Sorry. I was lost in thought.” He cleared his throat. “I did. My brother, Noah, and a few of our friends helped too. My mom and sisters took food and helped serve lunch.” Jamie was aware he had easily slipped into only English. He still wasn’t as used to speaking Dietsch around Brody as friends like Leon sometimes did—even though he knew his chief was comfortable with it.

  “That’s nice.” Brody lifted a cracker from the package. “I wanted to help, but I was working.”

  Leon ripped open his package of crackers. “I couldn’t get time off from my father’s store. I heard they painted the barn last Wednesday, and it came out really nice.”

  Jamie sipped his Coke. “I wanted to go back and help on Wednesday, too, but we were too busy on the farm. I couldn’t take another day away.” But it would have been nice to see Kayla again.

  Brody pushed back his chair and stood. “I’d better get started on the paperwork. I may need your help with the details since we’ve had so many calls today.” He picked up his Coke and crackers and then walked toward the offices on the other side of the station.

  “Just call us, and we’ll help you.” Jamie bit into a cracker.

  “Thanks.”

  Leon crunched on a cracker too. “You really do look like you need a nap.”

  “I’m fine.” Jamie swallowed another yawn. “It’s just been an especially busy week at the farm. We had to harvest the hay, and stuff to repair. I just need a little caffeine, and I’ll be fine.”

  Leon popped the last cracker into his mouth and stood. “Would you like more crackers?”

  “Sure. Danki.”

  Leon rooted around in the cabinets. “Have you seen Noah this week?” He dug out two packets of crackers and tossed one to Jamie, who immediately pulled it open.

  “No, I was just wondering—”

  The alarm cut through his words, followed by a voice blaring from the speaker in the kitchen. “All available units respond to 1836 Beechdale Road, Bird-in-Hand, fifty-two-year-old female. Serious fall with injury to the neck and head.”

  Jamie froze with his hand in the air and his blood ran cold. Had he heard that call correctly? His gaze locked with Leon’s. “What was that address?”

  Leon gaped, his eyebrows raised.

  Brody appeared in the kitchen, his eyes wide. “Jamie, don’t you live at 1836 Beechdale Road?”

  The voice came over the loudspeaker again and panic grabbed Jamie by the neck. The voice clearly said, “1836 Beechdale Road, Bird-in-Hand . . .”

  Mamm! No, no, no!

  Jamie shot up from the table, knocking over his chair as he grabbed his gear and raced to the fire engine. He jumped into the passenger seat, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Brody and Leon joined him and the engine roared to life, siren blaring.

  As Brody steered the truck down the street, Jamie switched on the radio and waited for more information to come through. He drummed his fingers on the door of the truck as worry and fear clashed within him. His heartbeat sounded loud in his ears.

  “Jamie,” Leon said, leaning forward and yelling over the siren. “Jamie, it will be fine. Everything will be fine.”

  Jamie waved off his friend’s platitudes.

  Mamm is hurt.

  “Units are responding to a fifty-two-year-old female, fall from staircase,” the voice continued. “Patient is unresponsive and bleeding from head wound.”

  Jamie’s lungs clenched and stole his breath. His mother was unresponsive. Would they arrive in time to help her? He turned to Brody as the fire truck approached an intersection. “Can we hurry?”

  “We’re almost there.” Brody kept his eyes trained on the road ahead as they roared through the intersection and turned onto Beechdale Road. “Everything will be fine. We’ll help her.”

  Jamie braced the door handle, ready to launch himself from the truck when they arrived. When the farmhouse came into view, his heartbeat spiked. Flashing lights from two ambulances reflected off the house.

  “EMTs are here,” Leon said, stating the obvious. “She’s in gut hands.”

  As soon as the truck slowed, Jamie wrenched the door open and jumped from the moving truck. He took off running across the rock driveway and up the porch steps. The back door was already open and he pushed inside and through the mudroom.

  At the far end of the kitchen, Mark was embracing Laura. She was sobbing on his shoulder. Increased alarm shot through
Jamie. He scanned the room for his father, but he didn’t find him.

  “What happened?” Jamie approached his brother and sister.

  “She fell.” Mark’s eyes were red and puffy, and his voice was hoarse. “She was carrying canning jars down to the basement and she must have stumbled. The banister gave way, and she fell over the side. She broke her—” He cleared his throat. “She broke her neck, Jamie.”

  The banister. No!

  “Where’s Dat?” Jamie’s voice shook.

  Laura pulled away from Mark and wiped her eyes. “He’s down in the basement with the EMTs.”

  “Jamie.” Brody rested his hand on Jamie’s shoulder, causing him to jump. “I’ll go see what’s going on. You stay here.”

  Jamie shook his head. “No. I’ll go.”

  “Jamie.” Laura reached for his arm and pulled him back. “Let Brody go.”

  “I’m going.” Jamie tried to pull away from her, but she held fast to his arm.

  Tears rolled down her cheeks. “Jamie, you don’t want to go down there. Trust me.” Her voice cracked.

  “It’s bad,” Mark whispered with tears glistening in his eyes.

  Jamie yanked his arm out of his sister’s grasp and hurried to follow Brody down the basement stairs. A lump swelled in his throat as the sounds of sobs filled his ears. Glancing to the right, he took in the splintered wood poles that had once held up the flimsy banister. His stomach twisted.

  The sobs grew louder, and he stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes moved to the concrete floor where four EMTs hovered around his mother. She was lying with her neck twisted at an odd angle and a pool of blood trickling from under her kapp. Glass from broken jars littered the floor like macabre confetti as Brody approached the EMTs. They all spoke in hushed tones.

  In one corner, Cindy sobbed as she pressed the side of her face into Dat’s chest. Dat rubbed her back as tears poured from his own eyes. Jamie couldn’t remember a time he’d ever seen his father cry.

  A strange calmness hovered over the situation. He had to be dreaming. This couldn’t be happening. Any minute he’d wake up and find his mother working in the kitchen, making breakfast for him.