Rebecca didn’t let Max sidetrack her. She sprayed the sink and cupboard and let him do some thinking.
“And then he asked me to fetch the horse brush and soap. I am not his servant.”
“Frankie’s coat could use a good brushing,” Rebecca said, her cheerful tone sending the message that she wasn’t going to be persuaded to feel sorry for Max.
“Frankie is our horse. I can brush him.”
Rebecca pinned Max with a skeptical eye. “And how long has it been since you brushed him?”
Max looked away guiltily then stood up. “I’ll let that boy muck out the stalls. I am going to brush.” He left the bathroom and was halfway down the hall when she heard him say, “I can do a better job than anybody on my own horse.”
Rebecca almost laughed out loud. Levi was a genius.
For dinner, they ate outside under the big cherry tree in the backyard.
All but Mamm. Today had been a bad day. Rebecca served her lunch in bed and rubbed her legs while she ate. Mealtime was a challenge. Mamm didn’t want to eat. Everything tasted like sawdust, she said—but Rebecca wouldn’t let Mamm waste away if she had anything to say about it.
Mamm had not even been aware of Levi’s presence. The curtains in her bedroom stayed closed all day to block out the light and help her rest. Rebecca knew she had been very lucky. Mamm’s curiosity would not be a good thing.
Levi popped the last of his cheese and mayonnaise sandwich into his mouth and chewed with more enjoyment than the sandwich deserved. “Delicious, Rebecca,” he said. “I love mayonnaise.”
Rebecca gave him an apologetic smile. “I ran out of tuna fish. And lunch meat. The meal would have been better.” What she didn’t say was that she had no more money to buy groceries until Fater came home on Friday. The week’s food supply was always rather thin because the money for groceries and prescriptions and doctors only went so far. The next two days, her family would eat whatever she could scrounge up from the canned goods in the cellar.
“We never have tuna fish, Rebecca,” Danny said. “I love tuna fish.”
“Hush, Danny. Finish your sandwich.”
Levi frowned but didn’t say what he was thinking.
Max sat next to Danny, sullenly eating his sandwich but glancing at Levi from time to time. He’d finished brushing Frankie. He’d even helped Levi spread manure in the corn. Rebecca couldn’t remember a day when her brother accomplished so much. Still, he made it clear that the presence of a strange boy on the farm displeased him.
Linda sat close to Levi on the blanket, but he didn’t seem to notice. She didn’t take her eyes off his face for the entire meal and giggled at every word that came out of his mouth. Rebecca didn’t know whether to feel amused or annoyed. Levi acted as if Linda’s behavior was an everyday occurrence, and Rebecca had to admit that it probably was. A boy like Levi couldn’t escape being fawned over by every silly girl in the vicinity.
The good news was, Linda had run the wash with blinding speed and spent a great deal of time and care in hanging the clothes on the line. One of Max’s shirts ended up in the dirt with two or three socks when Linda diverted her attention from the laundry to gaze at the handsome boy repairing the hinges on the barn door. Still, what usually took Linda all day to accomplish was completed before noon. Rebecca couldn’t help but be pleased.
Levi gulped down his ice water and handed his glass to Linda. “Could I ask for one more glassful?”
Linda leaped from the blanket. “Jah, I will be right back.”
They watched her run to the house.
“Thank you for all your work,” Rebecca said.
He shook his head. “No thanks necessary. It’s been really fun. I had almost forgotten.” He knocked Danny’s hat off his head and mussed his hair.
“Hey!” Danny protested before snatching his hat and placing it back on his head.
Levi spread his legs in front of him and leaned back on his hands. “What can I help you with, Rebecca?”
“You have already helped so much.”
“I’ve made a list of things I think need to be done around here,” Levi said. “But I want to know what you want done. You run this operation.”
“I do not want to impose.”
Levi held out his hands. “Impose? What kind of a thought is that? I’m here. Use me.”
Rebecca stifled a grin. “I am thinning peaches next.”
“I don’t know how to do that,” Levi said. “You’ll have to give me lessons.”
Rebecca nodded.
“What else?” Levi said.
Sighing, Rebecca recited her list. “Garden weeded, peaches thinned, bathrooms finished, furniture dusted, lamps and propane tanks filled.”
Levi threw back his head and looked to the sky. “I’m almost sorry I asked.”
“Jah, I knew you would be.”
Levi tossed a crumb of bread at Max’s head. Max looked up with lidded eyes. “What?”
“Have you guys ever used a power sprayer?” Levi said.
Max took another bite of his sandwich. “What is it?”
“It shoots a stream of water out of a hose and washes stuff down really good,” Levi said. “Next week I’ll borrow my friend’s power sprayer and we’ll spray the peeling paint off the barn.”
“What good will that do?” Max asked.
“You are coming next week?” Rebecca said.
“Then we can put a new coat of paint on that barn.”
“That sounds fun,” Danny said. “What would the bishop think if we painted it a crazy color like orange?”
“It looks like it used to be white,” Levi said.
“I like blue,” Max said.
Levi sobered and studied Rebecca’s face. “Do you think you can get some paint? It’s expensive.”
Rebecca blushed. “Jah, my uncle is in construction. He can get some for cheap. Or he might have some left over from a job.”
“Okay,” Levi said, brightening. “You pick the color, and we’ll get it ready for painting next week.”
Linda came back with the water for Levi. “You want to paint the barn?”
“Fater will be so happy,” Danny said.
“That’s why we don’t want him to know anything about me or the power sprayer,” Levi said, winking at Rebecca. “He’s got to be completely surprised.”
“Okay,” agreed Danny.
Levi pinned Max with a stern look. “And you?”
“I won’t tell,” Max said.
Linda smiled flirtatiously. “Me either.”
Levi leaned back on his elbows. “There are several side boards that need repair. I can help Max with those. You probably know that barn better than anybody, Max.”
Max didn’t look happy about being drafted for a job, and he nodded grudgingly. “Jah, okay.”
Levi jumped up and clapped his hands together. “Do you guys like McDonald’s?”
That got Max’s attention. “The hamburger place?”
“Yes,” said Levi. “How about I go get McDonald’s for supper tonight?”
“Oh, sis yuscht!” Danny yelled. “I have only eaten there once.”
Rebecca felt the blood drain from her face, and she hung her head. “We cannot afford—”
“My treat,” Levi said, taking her hand and pulling her up from the blanket. “But,” he said, “I buy only if Danny and Max weed the garden before supper.”
Max groaned, but Danny jumped up and down like the twelveyear-old he was. “Come on, Max. Let’s go, let’s go.”
“And Rebecca has to approve your work,” Levi said. “So do a good job.”
Danny was halfway to the toolshed when Max slowly stood and brushed the crumbs off his pants. He pointed an accusing finger at Levi. “You do not have to trick me into doing work. I would have weeded anyway.”
With all the bravado he could muster, Max walked away from Levi and yelled at Danny to fetch him some gloves and a hoe. Levi smiled and winked at Rebecca, who couldn’t help a soft giggle escaping
her lips. Max didn’t know it, but up against Levi, he was fighting a losing battle.
Chapter Thirteen
Just after five o’clock Levi appeared in the lane, carrying three large McDonald’s bags. Rebecca watched from her place at the window as Danny, whooping and hollering, ran to Levi and took one of the bags from him. Levi grinned and, catching sight of Rebecca at the window, raised the bags in triumph as he approached.
Rebecca still puzzled at his behavior. Surely Levi had better things to do than slave away at the Miller farm all day. He had repaired the lawn mower, fixed the hinge on the barn door, mucked out the stalls, cleaned and oiled the buggy, patched holes in the barn siding, thinned peaches, and helped to weed the garden—all this on top of the chores he had convinced Linda and the boys to finish. Never had so much work been done in a single day. Rebecca wanted to weep for joy. Perhaps she would get to bed before midnight.
She ran outside with the picnic blanket and spread it on the lawn. Max and Linda must have been watching for Levi because they appeared in the yard before she even called them. Levi grinned as he clutched his bags of food.
“We’re eating outside again?” Max said.
“Jah,” Rebecca said, kicking off her shoes and sinking to the blanket. “Then the kitchen will stay clean.”
That was true. No dinner dishes was good reason to eat out on the grass. But outdoor dining also meant Mamm wouldn’t catch a whiff of the five large cartons of french fries.
Rebecca had made Mamm some potato soup and served it to her before Levi’s return. Mamm wasn’t expecting McDonald’s.
Levi knelt on the blanket and pulled food from the bags the way the Englisch Santa might pull gifts from his red sack.
“Who wants a Big Mac?” Levi said.
“What is it?” Danny asked.
Levi’s eyes got big. “A Big Mac is like food from heaven,” he said. “Two meat patties and cheese. The best.”
“I’ll have a Big Mac!” Danny yelled.
“Here,” Levi said, pulling another burger and fries from the bag. “Max, you take a Big Mac too. You’ll love it. And I bought enough fries so everybody could have their own. My sister and I used to fight over who ate more than their fair share. It was usually me.”
Max took the burger, trying hard to hide his eagerness. Linda chose a chicken sandwich.
Levi handed the bag to Rebecca. “You get everything else,” he said.
“Ach, no, Levi. Do you think I am a pig?” Rebecca took some fries and a double cheeseburger and gave the bag back to Levi. “Two more burgers in there,” she said. “You have them.”
Smiling, Levi pulled out another Big Mac and rolled the top of the bag down. “To keep that last burger warm,” he said. “When you’re ready to eat it.”
Danny stuffed about ten french fries into his mouth at once while attempting to talk. “I lub fffench fies,” he said.
“Not so fast, Danny,” Rebecca said. “You’ll choke.”
Max polished off his burger in about seven bites. “Is there any more?” he said.
Rebecca grabbed the sack with the extra burger. “You can have this.”
Levi tried to snatch the bag from her hands. She giggled and passed it to Max.
“One of us must go hungry, I suppose,” she said.
Levi produced the third bag from behind him. “Never fear, I brought dessert.” He dumped the contents into the center of the blanket. Five apple pies and five boxes of cookies.
Danny screamed with glee and grabbed one of each.
“Careful,” Levi said, “the pies are hot.”
Everybody dived into the food, Rebecca noted, like they hadn’t eaten well in a long time. And they hadn’t. The only time she felt full was when she ate with Levi on a date.
Danny finished the last bite of his apple pie and fell back on the blanket. Putting his hands to his stomach, he groaned softly. “I am so full, I’m going to die.”
“Do you want the rest of your fries?” Max said, pointing to Levi’s half-full carton.
“Go for it,” Levi said.
“Should we play volleyball after?” Danny asked, flat on his back and looking up at the sky.
Levi picked up a fry Max had overlooked and handed it to Rebecca. “I would like to, but I have to be at my job pretty soon. Maybe next week.”
“I thought you didn’t work on Wednesdays,” Rebecca said.
“I got a second job.”
Linda munched her cookies daintily while staring persistently at Levi. Her persistence had lasted all day. “Where do you live?” she said. “Why haven’t we ever seen you before?”
Levi didn’t let the question derail him. He must have been expecting it. “I live on the other side of town. We just moved into our new place.”
“So will we see you at the gatherings?”
“The gatherings? I’ve never been invited. When do you have them?”
“Every week. In the summer sometimes two or three times a week.”
Levi’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “That sounds like fun. Will you and Rebecca take me?”
Rebecca shook her head in disbelief.
“Can you come on Sunday?” Linda said.
Levi cleared his throat, most likely to hide the laugh Rebecca knew was hidden behind his eyes. “I can’t come on Sunday, but I’ll go home and ask my mother if she can spare me some other day.”
“Okay,” Linda said, grabbing Rebecca’s arm. “We really want you to come, don’t we, Rebecca?”
Rebecca could not muster her sister’s enthusiasm for such a scheme, but she also knew that Levi was teasing her behind Linda’s back.
Levi gathered all the trash into a bag and handed it to Danny. “Will you go throw this away?”
Danny took off to the trash bin.
Max stood and hooked his thumbs under his suspenders. “Denki for the McDonald’s. It tasted gute.”
Levi nodded, and Max sauntered to the house.
Gratitude. That was a new development.
Levi Cooper, miracle worker.
Levi stood, took both of Rebecca’s hands, and pulled her to her feet. His hands lingered on hers a moment longer than necessary. “I’m sorry I can’t stay and do something about that buggy wheel. Maybe next week.”
“Do not give it a second thought. You have done so much already.”
“Will you walk me down the lane? I want you to show me the pasture.”
Linda’s smile faded. She hadn’t let Levi out of her sight all day. She’d even insisted on thinning peaches with them after the noon meal, which was her least favorite job on the farm. She slumped her shoulders and put on the pathetic expression she used when she wanted Rebecca to feel sorry for her. “I will go check on Mamm,” Linda said, trudging toward the house with little enthusiasm.
Rebecca folded the blanket and laid it on the porch steps. Then she and Levi walked toward the pasture.
“I’ll bring the power sprayer next week, and then we can paint,” he said. “Or we can put off the painting until autumn. That will make it less likely your father will find out about me. At least for a while.”
“I do not think we will have that much time. Linda is probably spilling the beans to Mamm right now.”
“All your mom will know is that an Amish boy came to help with the chores today. Will she object to that?”
“Nae, but my fater will.”
Levi stopped walking and took Rebecca by the shoulders. “Then you’ll have to manage things with your mom. She must know how badly you need the help.” He was more somber than Rebecca had ever seen him. “She can’t expect you to carry the burden of the farm and the house all by yourself. Could you convince her that it is for your family’s good not to tell your father?”
“I could try, but she will not feel right about keeping secrets from Fater.”
Levi swore under his breath then glanced at Rebecca. “Sorry. Bad habit. But do you have to…?” He didn’t finish that thought. “I wish it weren’t so hard for you here. They
work you to the bone and you get no appreciation.”
“I can manage.”
Levi took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “What about your Amish neighbors? I know from personal experience how kind they are. They help each other with medical bills and farming and everything. Why won’t anybody help you?”
“My fater refuses the help. He thinks it is his Christian duty to care for his own.”
“His duty?” Levi raised his voice. “He’s not doing his duty. You’re doing his duty.”
“Please. I do not want to talk about my fater.”
This comment seemed to anger him more than anything else. “Good,” he said, “because a problem usually gets solved by not talking about it.”
Rebecca broke away from his side and sat on a low stone wall at the edge of the pasture. “I cannot change my fater, Levi. I can either bang my head against the wall every morning or accept what is.” She pulled him over to sit next to her. “I accept what is.”
“Not me. I like to bang my head against the wall.”
“Jah, I can tell there is some brain damage.”
“Yep, brain damage.”
She studied his face. Did she really want him to know what was in her heart?
Jah, her heart was safer with Levi than anyone else in the world. “I am a wicked girl because, truth be told, I do not want Fater’s help. I am happier when he is away.”
“You have more freedom.”
“I would never be allowed out to see you if he were always at home. And in his mind, I cannot do anything right. The first thing he does when he walks through the door on Friday night is find fault. At least I do not have to hear his criticisms every day.”
Levi put his arm around her shoulder. “How could he ever find fault with you? You’re perfect.”
She couldn’t face the honesty in his eyes. “Nae,” she said, turning her head away. “No one is perfect. Least of all me.”
“I’m sorry I got mad. I’m trying to watch out for you, since nobody else does.”
Rebecca sniffed once. “What is it about you that forces me to confess all my wickedness? You know about my fater, my baptism, the skateboarding.”
He grinned. “Your secrets are safe with me.”