A Heart Made New by Kelly Irvin

pull away. Despite what Logan McKee had done at the bakery, David had shown grace to Charisma. He was a good man.
    Shaking off the storm of emotions, Annie started up the steps, Charisma in tow. “Let’s get you inside. There’s a lot of people to meet. Mary, keep track of Gracie, will you? Don’t let her eat the flowers or get too close to the rooster. He’ll peck her. And make sure Mutt gets the chance to sniff her before she pets him!”
    “Rooster?” Charisma looked uncertain. “Who’s Mutt?”
    “Mary Shirack, get in here, now!” Leah stormed onto the porch. “Mary!”
    Her gaze swung from Charisma to Annie. Her mouth shut, then opened. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know we had company.” She wiped her hands on her apron. “I’m Leah.”
    Implicit in the introduction was Leah’s question. Who was this and why had Annie brought her home? Annie quickly made the introductions. “Is Luke here?”
    “He hasn’t come back yet.” Leah eyed the bags. Her eyebrows raised, she stared at Annie. “Nor has Josiah. I heard the buggy and thought it might be them.”
    “David gave us a ride.” Annie started forward. “Would you like some sweet tea?” she called back to Charisma. “I don’t know about you, but I’m parched. Come on in. This is our home.”
    It was her home as much as Leah’s. More. She’d grown up here. Leah had moved in after Daed and Mudder died. Annie accepted that fact, but Leah didn’t have the final word on anything. Luke did.
    She moved quickly through the living room where Leah had set up a playpen that held Esther and Martha. Lillie dangled a teething ring in front of Esther. “Come on, baby! It’ll make your gums feel better. I promise.” She looked up. “Annie!” Lillie smiled. “You’re home! Can you—”
    “Keep the twins occupied.” Leah cut her off. “Where are William and Joseph?”
    Her smile gone, Lillie’s gaze went back to little Esther. “Feeding the chickens.”
    “ Gut . You can set the tables.”
    Lillie gave Annie a beseeching look. Annie altered her path so she could give her little sister a squeeze on the shoulder. “We’ll talk later.” She quickly introduced Charisma. “Mary has another guest for you to meet—you’re going to like her. As soon as you set the table, you can go outside and meet her.”
    Lillie loved taking care of the smaller toddlers. She and Mary would be good playmates for Gracie.
    Ignoring Leah’s dark look, Annie invited Charisma to take a seat on the bench at the prep table. She poured tea into big plastic glasses, added heaping teaspoons of sugar, and then cracked some ice from the bag in the gas-operated refrigerator. Regardless of what the older folks in the community said, she liked having ice in the kitchen. A small thing, perhaps, but a blessing as the sun ushered in the heat of a long Kansas summer.
    Charisma took a tentative sip. “That’s good.”
    “Sun tea. We brew it in big jars in the backyard.”
    Charisma looked around, her curiosity obvious. “A wood-burning stove?”
    “We have a gas oven too. I do a lot of baking.”
    Charisma’s face colored. “Obviously.”
    Annie smiled in spite of herself. Sooner or later, they would have totalk about what happened at the bakery. And about Logan. But right now, she needed to make her guest feel comfortable. “I love to cook. Do you cook?”
    “I make grilled cheese sandwiches—”
    “That’s not necessary. Supper is already on.” Leah stood in the doorway. “Annie, can I see you out here for one moment?”
    It wasn’t a question, really, but rather a command.
    “Coming.” Annie arranged cookies on a plate and set it on the table. “To hold you over until we eat.”
    Charisma grabbed the cookie and took a huge bite. She moaned. “These are so good! Gracie will love these.”
    “Don’t spoil her supper—or yours.”
    “Annie!” Leah tapped a finger on the doorframe. “Now.”
    In the dining room crowded with long tables and benches to accommodate