finished her cup of coffee and took the blue enameled pot off the stove. She hadn’t lied. She did have something on the stove—her coffee pot. Glancing at the clock, she wondered if twenty minutes was enough time to leave Sally and Levi alone. Hopefully, he had spoken more than a handful of words to her.
Sarah was anxious to see how the couple was getting along. She rinsed her cup and set it to dry on the side of the sink. When she opened the front door, she saw Dan and Susan Hershberger sitting in their new carriage. Levi was with them and not with Sally. Sarah scowled. She hadn’t taken into account that they might have customers.
As Sarah descended her steps, Dan tipped his hat in her direction. Susan lifted her hand to wave as Dan slapped the reins against the rump of his horse. The mare surged forward. Sarah heard a sharp crack. Dan and Susan both fell backward as their seat gave way. The mare trotted smartly down the street with her passengers’ legs sticking in the air.
Horrified, Sarah dashed out her front gate. Levi was already in hot pursuit of the couple. Moses and Atlee were clinging to each other as they laughed hysterically. Sarah stopped in front of them. “Oh, how could you?”
“They are such a pompous pair,” Atlee managed to say when he caught his breath.
“Ah, Levi’s got their horse already,” Moses said with a pout.
Sarah looked down the street and pressed her hand to her heart in relief. “Thank heavens. What if the horse had run into traffic or upset the buggy?”
Moses shrugged. “Nothing bad happened. I was hoping they’d go clear through town that way.”
Sarah wanted to box his ears. “We’re lucky they didn’t. Dan Hershberger could buy and sell this business ten times over. He is an influential man. If he decides to make trouble for us, we could lose most of our business.”
Atlee said, “He won’t make trouble for you, Sarah. You’re a widow. The church elders would never stand for that. Here they come. We better get out of here.”
The boys took off, leaving Sarah and Levi to face their irate customers alone.
It was an ugly scene. It took the better part of half an hour to soothe Dan and his wife’s ruffled feathers. Sarah ended up letting them have their carriage at cost. Levi promised to deliver it to their home tomorrow after thoroughly inspecting it. When they finally left, Levi and Sarah turned to face each other.
“Where did they go?” he asked in a tired voice.
She knew he was talking about his brothers. “They took off running toward the center of town. God only knows where they are by now.”
“I can’t believe they pulled this off. I knew they were up to something, but if I can’t trust them to work for me, what will I do with them?”
“Send them to work for someone else,” Sarah suggested.
He thrust his hands in his pockets and stared at his feet. “Who would have them?”
“Your grandfather perhaps?”
“Maybe. I will speak to him.”
The silence stretched between them. Sarah glanced at Levi just as he looked at her. She couldn’t hold back a grin. “It was kind of funny.”
Levi’s hangdog expression changed to a reluctant smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth. “ Ja, it was. Susan Hershberger wears pink bloomers.”
“She does?” Sarah choked on a chuckle. Their eyes met. The ridiculousness of the prank hit them at the same time. They both started laughing.
“Snap, wee!” Sarah threw her hands in the air. Levi laughed harder. Sarah pressed her hands to her face as tears blurred her vision.
“Stop,” Levi begged her, holding his sides.
“Snap, wee! Pink I see!” Unable to stand because she was laughing so hard, she fell against Levi and grasped his arm. His hands came up to steady her. She looked at his smiling face and her mirth slowly died away.
Their eyes met. Sarah realized that she was practically in his arms. She took a quick step back. His hands dropped to his sides.
She said, “It was funny, but
Sarah was anxious to see how the couple was getting along. She rinsed her cup and set it to dry on the side of the sink. When she opened the front door, she saw Dan and Susan Hershberger sitting in their new carriage. Levi was with them and not with Sally. Sarah scowled. She hadn’t taken into account that they might have customers.
As Sarah descended her steps, Dan tipped his hat in her direction. Susan lifted her hand to wave as Dan slapped the reins against the rump of his horse. The mare surged forward. Sarah heard a sharp crack. Dan and Susan both fell backward as their seat gave way. The mare trotted smartly down the street with her passengers’ legs sticking in the air.
Horrified, Sarah dashed out her front gate. Levi was already in hot pursuit of the couple. Moses and Atlee were clinging to each other as they laughed hysterically. Sarah stopped in front of them. “Oh, how could you?”
“They are such a pompous pair,” Atlee managed to say when he caught his breath.
“Ah, Levi’s got their horse already,” Moses said with a pout.
Sarah looked down the street and pressed her hand to her heart in relief. “Thank heavens. What if the horse had run into traffic or upset the buggy?”
Moses shrugged. “Nothing bad happened. I was hoping they’d go clear through town that way.”
Sarah wanted to box his ears. “We’re lucky they didn’t. Dan Hershberger could buy and sell this business ten times over. He is an influential man. If he decides to make trouble for us, we could lose most of our business.”
Atlee said, “He won’t make trouble for you, Sarah. You’re a widow. The church elders would never stand for that. Here they come. We better get out of here.”
The boys took off, leaving Sarah and Levi to face their irate customers alone.
It was an ugly scene. It took the better part of half an hour to soothe Dan and his wife’s ruffled feathers. Sarah ended up letting them have their carriage at cost. Levi promised to deliver it to their home tomorrow after thoroughly inspecting it. When they finally left, Levi and Sarah turned to face each other.
“Where did they go?” he asked in a tired voice.
She knew he was talking about his brothers. “They took off running toward the center of town. God only knows where they are by now.”
“I can’t believe they pulled this off. I knew they were up to something, but if I can’t trust them to work for me, what will I do with them?”
“Send them to work for someone else,” Sarah suggested.
He thrust his hands in his pockets and stared at his feet. “Who would have them?”
“Your grandfather perhaps?”
“Maybe. I will speak to him.”
The silence stretched between them. Sarah glanced at Levi just as he looked at her. She couldn’t hold back a grin. “It was kind of funny.”
Levi’s hangdog expression changed to a reluctant smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth. “ Ja, it was. Susan Hershberger wears pink bloomers.”
“She does?” Sarah choked on a chuckle. Their eyes met. The ridiculousness of the prank hit them at the same time. They both started laughing.
“Snap, wee!” Sarah threw her hands in the air. Levi laughed harder. Sarah pressed her hands to her face as tears blurred her vision.
“Stop,” Levi begged her, holding his sides.
“Snap, wee! Pink I see!” Unable to stand because she was laughing so hard, she fell against Levi and grasped his arm. His hands came up to steady her. She looked at his smiling face and her mirth slowly died away.
Their eyes met. Sarah realized that she was practically in his arms. She took a quick step back. His hands dropped to his sides.
She said, “It was funny, but
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