be at a women’s get-together.”
“Little Ted woke up with a fever. I decided he shouldn’t be around the other children.” She motioned for him to enter.“ Kumm inside so the haus doesn’t fill with cold air, or do you need to get your laundry basket?”
“ Nay , I didn’t bring any clothes.” He stomped the snow from his boots and entered. Her late husband was a true woodcraftsman. Her house was filled with the fine furniture he’d made over the years.
“Take your coat off and I’ll make some kaffi .”
“I can’t stay.” He cleared his throat. “Have you talked with Rebecca lately?”
“ Nay . Is something wrong?”
He looked down at the braided rug. “I thought maybe she told you I got married last week.” When he looked up, her eyes were wide. “Lindie is from Ohio. We didn’t want a big wedding with a lot of fuss.”
“I see.” Ellen set the dish on the kitchen counter, then wiped her hands on her apron. “I suppose that would make sense nett to wish for a big fuss. After all, second marriages are never the same as . . . well, we both know it isn’t the same as when two people are young and starting out together.”
He didn’t consider himself old, but he understood what Ellen meant. “I should be heading back home.”
“So what did Simon think of you remarrying?”
Josiah shrugged. Simon had seen through Ellen’s advances immediately and had made his disapproval known.
“Well, I look forward to meeting her. How many children does she have?”
“None yet.” He looked at the floor, hoping she noticed how uncomfortable the topic was for him.
“I made an extra apple crisp.” She picked up the dish sitting next to the stove and handed it to him. “Please wilkom your fraa to our district for me and let her know I’m looking forward to meeting her.”
According to the battery clock on the kitchen wall, Josiah had driven his buggy out of the yard exactly one hour and twenty-three minutes ago. Lindie peeked out the window, then pulled away when she didn’t see him. Rushing to the window every time she heard a noise was nonsense. She needed to busy herself in other ways. She had already entered the invoices and payments received in the logbook, and had returned all the dishes to their proper cabinets. He should be relieved by that. The kitchen stove had enough wood, but the woodstove in the sitting room needed its fire built up. She tossed a couple of logs on the hot embers as the front door opened.
A gust of cold air rushed in with Josiah. He held a glass dish, this one smaller, and not empty like the one he snatched off the counter.
“It’s starting to snow,” he said.
“So I see.” She wasn’t interested in the contents of the dish, but his hands needed to be freed so he could remove his coat and hat, both of which were covered with a fine powder of snow. She didn’t want little puddles all over the floor, so she crossed the room and reached for the glass dish. She would have peeled back the foil and looked, but she didn’t want to appear too curious. Whatever it was, it needed heating. “I’ll take this into the kitchen. I suppose you prefer eating this instead of what I have in the oven.”
“ Nay ,” he said, hanging his hat on the wall hook. Josiah tipped his face up and sniffed. “Chicken?”
Lindie nodded.
He shook his arms out of the coat. “It smells gut .”
“Denki.” She turned and raised the foil slightly, but she still couldn’t decipher what the woman had sent home with him.
“Where’s Hannah?”
“She’s still in her room.” She lifted the dish a little higher as she walked to the kitchen.
“It’s apple crisp.” He passed her and headed toward the bedroom. A few minutes later he returned to the kitchen. He tipped the empty chili bowl in Lindie’s direction and arched his brows.
“Josiah, I couldn’t let her go hungry. Please don’t be upset.”
He gently lowered the dish into the sink. “Denki.”
“You’re nett
“Little Ted woke up with a fever. I decided he shouldn’t be around the other children.” She motioned for him to enter.“ Kumm inside so the haus doesn’t fill with cold air, or do you need to get your laundry basket?”
“ Nay , I didn’t bring any clothes.” He stomped the snow from his boots and entered. Her late husband was a true woodcraftsman. Her house was filled with the fine furniture he’d made over the years.
“Take your coat off and I’ll make some kaffi .”
“I can’t stay.” He cleared his throat. “Have you talked with Rebecca lately?”
“ Nay . Is something wrong?”
He looked down at the braided rug. “I thought maybe she told you I got married last week.” When he looked up, her eyes were wide. “Lindie is from Ohio. We didn’t want a big wedding with a lot of fuss.”
“I see.” Ellen set the dish on the kitchen counter, then wiped her hands on her apron. “I suppose that would make sense nett to wish for a big fuss. After all, second marriages are never the same as . . . well, we both know it isn’t the same as when two people are young and starting out together.”
He didn’t consider himself old, but he understood what Ellen meant. “I should be heading back home.”
“So what did Simon think of you remarrying?”
Josiah shrugged. Simon had seen through Ellen’s advances immediately and had made his disapproval known.
“Well, I look forward to meeting her. How many children does she have?”
“None yet.” He looked at the floor, hoping she noticed how uncomfortable the topic was for him.
“I made an extra apple crisp.” She picked up the dish sitting next to the stove and handed it to him. “Please wilkom your fraa to our district for me and let her know I’m looking forward to meeting her.”
According to the battery clock on the kitchen wall, Josiah had driven his buggy out of the yard exactly one hour and twenty-three minutes ago. Lindie peeked out the window, then pulled away when she didn’t see him. Rushing to the window every time she heard a noise was nonsense. She needed to busy herself in other ways. She had already entered the invoices and payments received in the logbook, and had returned all the dishes to their proper cabinets. He should be relieved by that. The kitchen stove had enough wood, but the woodstove in the sitting room needed its fire built up. She tossed a couple of logs on the hot embers as the front door opened.
A gust of cold air rushed in with Josiah. He held a glass dish, this one smaller, and not empty like the one he snatched off the counter.
“It’s starting to snow,” he said.
“So I see.” She wasn’t interested in the contents of the dish, but his hands needed to be freed so he could remove his coat and hat, both of which were covered with a fine powder of snow. She didn’t want little puddles all over the floor, so she crossed the room and reached for the glass dish. She would have peeled back the foil and looked, but she didn’t want to appear too curious. Whatever it was, it needed heating. “I’ll take this into the kitchen. I suppose you prefer eating this instead of what I have in the oven.”
“ Nay ,” he said, hanging his hat on the wall hook. Josiah tipped his face up and sniffed. “Chicken?”
Lindie nodded.
He shook his arms out of the coat. “It smells gut .”
“Denki.” She turned and raised the foil slightly, but she still couldn’t decipher what the woman had sent home with him.
“Where’s Hannah?”
“She’s still in her room.” She lifted the dish a little higher as she walked to the kitchen.
“It’s apple crisp.” He passed her and headed toward the bedroom. A few minutes later he returned to the kitchen. He tipped the empty chili bowl in Lindie’s direction and arched his brows.
“Josiah, I couldn’t let her go hungry. Please don’t be upset.”
He gently lowered the dish into the sink. “Denki.”
“You’re nett
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