22. Maverick

22

Maverick

I was only gone for a week, but when I got back, I went looking for my wife; I found her planting vegetable plants and seeds while talking to Shane, who was pulling weeds near the house.

"Hey, sweetheart," I called out.

Rebecca jumped up and threw her arms around me. "Maverick! I'm so happy to see you. Look what Shane did! He plowed all this up, and now I'm planting our vegetables. We even planted some fruit trees. I'll need to buy more jars for canning, but there's plenty of time for that. I missed you."

"I missed you too, sweetheart," I said, kissing her and looking into the playpen where Matthew was playing with his feet. When he saw me, his little face lit up with excitement.

"Dada!"

"Did you two hear that? He said ‘Dada!'" I exclaimed, picking him up and kissing him. "Dada loves you, buddy."

"He's so smart," Rebecca said with a proud smile.

"This is the perfect spot for our garden," I said, looking around. "I bought the property next door, and we'll build our home there. Does that sound good to you, Rebecca?"

"Yes. My cousins came to visit, and I gave them the farm. Thank you for finding them. I hope they can keep the buildings and rescue some of my family's things. If they do, they'll send them to me."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" I asked gently.

"Yes. I don't want our children growing up working all the time. I want them to play sports and have fun. But I'm Amish, and I'll always be Amish," she said, her voice firm. "Speaking of which, we're having another baby. I think this one is Ella."

Maverick laughed and scooped me up in his arms. "Well then, we'd better get our house built before we crowd Shane out of his home!"

Shane smiled at us. "Are you kidding? I love having you all here. But if you're moving, I'm glad it's close by. I'll still get to see you all the time."

"You know what we could do?" I suggested, glancing at Shane. "We could build a deck that connects your house to ours. That way, the kids can find Uncle Shane whenever they want."

"That's a fantastic idea," Shane said, nodding. "We should start planning the house. How many bedrooms are you thinking?"

I looked at Rebecca, who had a big grin. "At least four, or more. If we have two boys and two girls, they can share rooms. I loved sharing my room with Mary. I want our kids to be that close with each other."

"I think that's a beautiful idea," I said, kissing her. "Our children will be so lucky to have you as their mother. And I have news—I'm going to be the new schedule coordinator for Delta Force, unless there's an emergency."

"What does that mean?" she asked.

"It means I'll be working from home unless they're short-staffed and I have to leave for a job," I explained, wrapping my arms around her. I glanced around for Shane but noticed he had gone inside.

"I'm so happy! We'll be able to work together in the garden. We can even expand it across both yards."

"You've been working hard enough—now it's time for you to rest," I said, pulling her closer. "When's our little girl due?"

"In six months."

"I can't wait to meet her. She's going to be as beautiful as her mommy," I said, noticing a hint of sadness in her eyes. I guided her to the chairs and pulled her onto my lap. Matthew seemed to enjoy it when we sat like this.

"Rebecca, if you want to raise the kids Amish, we can do that," I said gently. "I know there's an Amish community not far from here. They're not as traditional as your old one, but they're well-liked around here. We've been invited to a potluck lunch after church on Sunday."

"What's a potluck lunch?"

"Everyone brings a dish to share. You can make whatever you like," I explained.

"What should I make? It has to be something delicious. Are we going to church too?"

I hadn't planned on going to church, but if it made her happy, I would.

Three days later, Rebecca was still pondering what to bring to the potluck. "What would your Mamm take when your community had gatherings?"

"She always made the best pies. Her berry pies were famous—everyone loved them. She'd be so proud."

"Why don't you make some of her berry pies? We've all tasted yours, and they're just as good."

"I will! I'll make two. Thank you for helping me decide."

"Make three," Shane chimed in with a chuckle. "I love this food-tasting job."

"This is going to be so much fun. I can't wait to meet everyone," Rebecca said excitedly. "Who told you about this community?"

"The Delta Force guys grew up around here. They know everyone on the mountain, including the Amish community about ten miles away," I explained. "I stopped by to check on them, and the pastor introduced himself to me. We had a nice chat."

"He said he was excited to meet a new Amish family in the area," I added, leaving out the part where the pastor mentioned that most of the community had cars and TVs tucked away in their closets.