The Amish Midwife's Courtship. Cheryl Williford

he’d come to Pinecraft, a good personality always got his attention first. But Molly seemed to radiate a special light from her dark eyes. And there was something about her tiny frame that made her look frail and helpless even though she was strong and capable, with a personality to match. “I’m surprised to see you here. Shopping for a new cart? The one you drive should be put in the town dump as a relic.” He smiled, waiting for reaction.

      Her forehead wrinkled in response to his words. “There’s nothing wrong with my cart, and this is no time for teasing, Isaac Graber. I’ve come to talk to you about a serious matter.”

      He noticed her dark eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. Concern washed over him. Over the past few days, he’d seen Molly in many moods, but nothing like this melancholy state of mind. “What’s wrong?” he asked, motioning for her to sit on the old couch.

      She moved a few magazines and sat. “I don’t know where to start. You’re probably not the right person to talk to. I don’t even know if you consider me a friend.” Molly’s expression was grim, her mouth an angry line.

      Isaac lowered himself into the seat next to her. He took her hand in his, considered the fine, delicate bones that held such strength. “Ya, of course you’re my friend. Don’t be silly. This shop wouldn’t be open today if it wasn’t for your thoughtfulness. You talk. I’ll listen.”

      Molly sniffed, dabbing at her nose with her handkerchief. “My mamm and I had a fuss this morning.” Molly took in a deep breath. “She’s made a ridiculous demand, and I’m not putting up with it anymore. I’ve made a decision, and it might be the worst mistake I’ll ever make.”

      Isaac thought back to the mistakes he’d made the day Thomas died. Choices that cost Thomas his life. Isaac understood regret only too well.

      Hoping to cheer her up, Isaac smiled as he spoke in a teasing manner, “Ya, go on. Tell me about this terrible mistake you’re about to make.”

      “It’s not that easy to talk about.” She looked up, and her frown deepened. “I don’t know why I came here.” She twisted her hand away from him. “I should go back home, take a nap. Anything to stop worrying.” She tried to stand, but he pulled her back to the couch. With trembling fingers, she pushed away the wisps of hair in her face as she looked at him. “I can be such a fool, Isaac.”

      “You’re many things, Molly Ziegler, but foolish is not one of them. I see a strong woman before me. Someone who loves deeply and has a heart of compassion. I see no fool.” Their gaze held, eyes searching. Molly’s brokenhearted expression tugged at his soul. He felt emotions that were foreign to him, feelings that scared and excited him. At that moment he would give her the moon if he could, anything to bring back her joy.

      Molly blinked, her head turning away. “I...” She began again. “I really need your help. I know I’m asking a lot, and you can always say no, but I don’t know who else to turn to, and if I don’t find an answer, I could end up married to a man I don’t love, maybe even be unchurched if I refuse to wed.”

      “Tell me what you need me to do.”

      Her chin dropped against her chest. “My mamm has plans, plans that don’t set well with me.”

      “What sort of plans?” Isaac’s stomach knotted.

      “She insists I court—nee—marry Samuel Bawell.” She tugged at her prayer kapp ribbon as she turned to look at him, tears pooling in her eyes. “I know everyone thinks he’s such a good man, but he’s not. I’ve seen a different side to him, one that concerns me.” A single tear clung to her damp lashes and then dropped to her cheek. “He can be rough and demanding when he doesn’t get his way and then go all sweet and gentle like it never happened. Mamm says it’s just my imagination, but it’s not. I won’t marry him, Isaac. Not without love.” Her gaze smoldered with raw, mixed emotions.

      Isaac squeezed her warm hand, wishing he had the right words to comfort her. Arranged marriages still happened in his community back home, but most youngies picked their own mates nowadays. “She threatened to force you into this loveless marriage knowing how you feel?”

      “Ya, and she will if it suits her purpose.” She sighed deeply and slowly as she tugged at her kapp ribbon again, her expression grim.

      “What are you going to do?” Isaac had no advice to offer Molly. He couldn’t manage his own life issues. How could he help her?

      “That’s where you come in.” She made an effort to grin at him through her tears, her cheeks flaming red. Her hand fidgeted with the handkerchief in her lap.

      “Tell me,” Isaac encouraged.

      “If my daed were alive, he’d put a stop to all this nonsense...but he’s not. Mamm has all the power. I’m just the old maid.” She pushed her shoulders back and held his gaze as she sniffed. “I know it’s a lot to ask of anyone, especially you, but I couldn’t think of anyone else who could help.” Her bottom lip began to quiver.

      “I can’t help if you don’t tell me what you need of me,” Isaac encouraged, patting her hand.

      Molly took in a deep, ragged breath. “Would you pretend to court me for a little while, act like you have a real interest in me? Between the two of us, we can consider it a joke. It would mean nothing serious or binding.”

      Isaac’s eyebrows went up in surprise.

      “I know we barely know each other, and that we don’t share affection in that way, but we’d only have to go places together. Be seen in public once in a while. Nothing more. Just pretend an interest to fool my mother and the community until Samuel goes back home to Ohio in a few weeks. Once he returns home, we can end the relationship. You can just tell people I wasn’t the one for you.”

      Isaac looked at Molly, saw expectation in her eyes. Coming to him, asking him for help, couldn’t have been easy for her. He couldn’t let her down, not after all the help she’d given him. He owed her that much, but was still surprised when he heard himself say, “Ya, sure. I can do that for you. You’ll let me know when you want to start this pretending?”

      Molly’s stressed expression relaxed. She smiled. “There’s a singing frolic in the Mennonite church tonight. All the youngies are going. If you’re not too busy...maybe we could go together and hold hands when we get there so others would see.” Molly’s expression grew pensive again, her smile disappearing.

      “Ya, that sounds okay,” he said, not sure he was doing the right thing.

      “Thanks so much, Isaac.” Molly threw her arms around his neck, squeezed hard and then jumped off the couch. “I’ve got to get home before Mamm does. We’ve got a new guest, and she complains when lunch meals aren’t on the table at noon.”

      Standing, Isaac watched Molly hurry out the shop door, a relieved smile brightening her face. He ambled back toward his chair. What had he gotten himself into?

      Silence greeted him as he turned back into his office. Pain coursed down his leg, reminding him he needed to take one of the pain pills the Englischer doctor had given him that morning. A few days of pain medication and maybe he’d stop snapping customer’s heads off just because he hurt in body as well as spirit.

      He wanted to help Molly, but he didn’t want to give her the wrong idea, either. She’d been nothing but good to him, but she deserved someone better to court, even if their relationship would be nothing but pretense.

      Leaning forward and looking around the clean, organized bike shop took the frown off his face. He’d never experienced such kindness from total strangers before. The people of Pinecraft had been generous to a fault. Getting to know them, he found Mennonites, Amish and Englischers all working side by side, without pay, but with a common goal. To get his business open.

      He was almost ready to flip the Closed sign over to Open, and he had Molly and the people of Pinecraft to thank for that. She’d even brought in Mose Fischer, his first real customer. And now he was about to start a fake courtship with her.