Looking for a Miracle by Wanda E. Brunstetter Page B

stood in front of the kitchen sink, drying the dishes Rebekah had washed earlier, she stared out the window at Dad’s new barn. It was now fully erected and had been filled with hay and animals soon after its completion. The men who had helped out had been hardworking and faithful, in spite of the fact that they all had their own chores waiting to be done at home.
    Dad said he didn’t feel he could ask any of them to return the following week to begin building Rebekah’s greenhouse, and even though the uncles said they were still willing to help with the greenhouse, he had turned them all down.
    “It wouldn’t be fair,” Nadine had heard him tell Rebekah last night after supper.
    However, with the help of Simon and Daniel, who had insisted on lending a hand no matter what Dad had said, the building would go up, even if it would take a little longer than expected.
    Nadine suspected the main reason Daniel had insisted on helping with the greenhouse was because he had an interest in Rebekah. Too bad her older sister seemed too blind to see it.
    A knock at the back door drove Nadine’s thoughts aside, and she went to answer it. She was surprised to see Daniel standing on the porch holding a large clay pot with an equally large Boston fern inside. She stood in the doorway staring at him and wondering what the plant was for, and he stood staring back at her with a red, sweaty face.
    “I’m ... uh ... here to help build Rebekah’s greenhouse,” he mumbled. “Is she at home?”
    Nadine nodded and stepped away from the door, motioning him into the kitchen. She pointed to where Rebekah sat at the table, drinking a cup of tea and writing on a tablet. “You’ve got company, sister.”
    Rebekah swiveled her wheelchair around. “Guder mariye, Daniel. What brings you by so early this morning?” She eyed the plant he held but made no mention of it.
    “This is for you,” Daniel said, hurrying across the room and placing the fern in the center of the table. “It’s for your new greenhouse—to keep, not sell.”
    She smiled. “It’s beautiful, and I wouldn’t think of selling it. Danki, Daniel.”
    Nadine went over to the sink to finish up the dishes but glanced over her shoulder to see what Daniel would do next. He shifted from one foot to the other, looking kind of embarrassed.
    “Is ... uh ... your daed still planning to begin work on the greenhouse this morning? I’ve come prepared to work all day if he is.”
    “I think so,” Rebekah replied, looking rather embarrassed herself. “Dad’s out in the new barn right now, so if you want to talk to him about it, you’ll have to go out there.”
    “Naw, that’s okay. I’ll stick around here for a while yet.” Daniel removed his straw hat and went to hang it on a wall peg. Then he shuffled back toward Rebekah, wearing a silly grin.
    Nadine lifted her gaze toward the ceiling, thinking how goofy Daniel was acting and wondering why he wasn’t more assertive.
    “Say, what’s that you’re workin’ on there?” Daniel asked as he peered over Rebekah’s shoulder.
    Rebekah smiled, and her cheeks turned pink. “Well, I was writing my latest column for
The Budget,
but that’s about done so now I’m ready to begin working on the inventory for my new greenhouse.”
    “Mind if I take a look-see?”
    “No, no, not at all.”
    Those two are just sickening,
Nadine thought as she grabbed another dish to dry.
It’s obvious to me that Daniel has his eye on my sister, so why doesn’t he quit thumpin’ around the shrubs and just come right out and say so?
She pivoted away from the sink and turned toward the table. “Would you like some coffee or a glass of milk, Daniel?”
    “Jah, that’d be fine.”
    Nadine planted both hands on her hips and glared at him. “Well, which one do you want? Milk or coffee?”
    “I’ll have whatever Rebekah’s havin’,” Daniel said, barely looking at Nadine.
    She shook her head and muttered, “She’s drinkin’ tea; can’t you