about playing a game with me and Zachary, we’ll be in the kitchen.”
“I won’t change my mind.” Aaron grabbed a stack of invoices and thumbed quickly through them. “You and Zachary will probably be fast asleep by the time I come up to the house.”
Joseph shrugged. He wondered if Aaron had decided to stay in the harness shop late because there was so much work to be done, or was he just being unsocial? Joseph turned and took one last look around the harness shop. When he was a boy, he used to feel a bit jealous whenever Aaron got to help out here. Now, he couldn’t care less about working in the harness shop.
Chapter 10
I hope Bessie and her family can come to our barbecue Friday evening,” Sarah said to Allison as they sat beside each other in one of Uncle Ben’s open buggies. They were heading toward the Hiltys’ place, and Allison was driving.
“Sure will be fun to have some homemade ice cream.” Sarah smacked her lips. “I love ice cream!”
“Does your family make it often?” Allison asked.
“Oh, jah. During the summer we make it a lot. Doesn’t your family make ice cream?”
“We do on occasion, but since most of my brothers are married, we don’t make it as much as we did when they all lived at home.”
Sarah wrinkled her nose. “The only part of ice cream makin’ I don’t like is the crankin’.”
Allison grinned. “That can be hard, especially toward theend when the ice cream starts to freeze up.”
They rode in companionable silence the rest of the way. As soon as Allison brought the buggy to a stop, Sarah jumped out and ran over to greet her friend Bessie, who sat under a tree in the front yard, playing with her dolls.
Allison tied the horse to the hitching rail near the barn and joined the girls on the lawn. She’d been tempted to drop by the harness shop to see Aaron but couldn’t think of a good excuse to go there.
“I invited Bessie and her family to our barbecue on Friday evening, but Bessie’s not sure if they can come,” Sarah said.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s not that we don’t wanna come. My little sister Emma’s in the hospital,” Bessie explained. “Her appendix got sick, and she had to have it taken out.”
“Will Emma be okay?” Allison remembered the day Peter’s appendix had ruptured. He’d been thirteen years old at the time, and Papa had been afraid he might not make it. But after several days in the hospital, Peter had recovered nicely.
“I think Emma will be all right, but she’s gonna be laid up at home for a while.” Bessie turned to Sarah. “That means they probably won’t be able to go over to your place on Friday.”
“Say, I’ve got an idea,” Sarah said to her friend. “Maybe one of your brothers can take you to the barbecue.”
Bessie grabbed Sarah’s hand. “Aaron’s in the harness shop. Let’s go see if he thinks he can go.”
Struggling with an oversized piece of leather, Aaron looked upwhen the front door swooshed open. He was surprised to see Bessie step inside the harness shop with Sarah and Allison.
“Hey, Aaron. Look who’s here,” Bessie said.
“What brings you by the harness shop on this hot morning?” Aaron asked, looking at Allison.
“They came to invite us to a barbecue at their place on Friday evening,” Bessie said before Allison could reply.
Aaron dropped the leather to his workbench and stepped forward. “Didn’t you tell them about Emma?”
“ ’Course I did.”
“Even if our little sister comes home from the hospital by Friday, she won’t be up to going to any barbecue.”
“I realize that,” Bessie said in an exasperated tone. “But that don’t mean we can’t go.”
Aaron glanced at Allison, and she offered him a pleasant smile. “Would it be possible for you or one of your brothers to bring Bessie over?” she asked. “I think she’s really looking forward to it.”
“That’s a nice idea,” Aaron replied, “but somebody’s got to stay here with
“I won’t change my mind.” Aaron grabbed a stack of invoices and thumbed quickly through them. “You and Zachary will probably be fast asleep by the time I come up to the house.”
Joseph shrugged. He wondered if Aaron had decided to stay in the harness shop late because there was so much work to be done, or was he just being unsocial? Joseph turned and took one last look around the harness shop. When he was a boy, he used to feel a bit jealous whenever Aaron got to help out here. Now, he couldn’t care less about working in the harness shop.
Chapter 10
I hope Bessie and her family can come to our barbecue Friday evening,” Sarah said to Allison as they sat beside each other in one of Uncle Ben’s open buggies. They were heading toward the Hiltys’ place, and Allison was driving.
“Sure will be fun to have some homemade ice cream.” Sarah smacked her lips. “I love ice cream!”
“Does your family make it often?” Allison asked.
“Oh, jah. During the summer we make it a lot. Doesn’t your family make ice cream?”
“We do on occasion, but since most of my brothers are married, we don’t make it as much as we did when they all lived at home.”
Sarah wrinkled her nose. “The only part of ice cream makin’ I don’t like is the crankin’.”
Allison grinned. “That can be hard, especially toward theend when the ice cream starts to freeze up.”
They rode in companionable silence the rest of the way. As soon as Allison brought the buggy to a stop, Sarah jumped out and ran over to greet her friend Bessie, who sat under a tree in the front yard, playing with her dolls.
Allison tied the horse to the hitching rail near the barn and joined the girls on the lawn. She’d been tempted to drop by the harness shop to see Aaron but couldn’t think of a good excuse to go there.
“I invited Bessie and her family to our barbecue on Friday evening, but Bessie’s not sure if they can come,” Sarah said.
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“It’s not that we don’t wanna come. My little sister Emma’s in the hospital,” Bessie explained. “Her appendix got sick, and she had to have it taken out.”
“Will Emma be okay?” Allison remembered the day Peter’s appendix had ruptured. He’d been thirteen years old at the time, and Papa had been afraid he might not make it. But after several days in the hospital, Peter had recovered nicely.
“I think Emma will be all right, but she’s gonna be laid up at home for a while.” Bessie turned to Sarah. “That means they probably won’t be able to go over to your place on Friday.”
“Say, I’ve got an idea,” Sarah said to her friend. “Maybe one of your brothers can take you to the barbecue.”
Bessie grabbed Sarah’s hand. “Aaron’s in the harness shop. Let’s go see if he thinks he can go.”
Struggling with an oversized piece of leather, Aaron looked upwhen the front door swooshed open. He was surprised to see Bessie step inside the harness shop with Sarah and Allison.
“Hey, Aaron. Look who’s here,” Bessie said.
“What brings you by the harness shop on this hot morning?” Aaron asked, looking at Allison.
“They came to invite us to a barbecue at their place on Friday evening,” Bessie said before Allison could reply.
Aaron dropped the leather to his workbench and stepped forward. “Didn’t you tell them about Emma?”
“ ’Course I did.”
“Even if our little sister comes home from the hospital by Friday, she won’t be up to going to any barbecue.”
“I realize that,” Bessie said in an exasperated tone. “But that don’t mean we can’t go.”
Aaron glanced at Allison, and she offered him a pleasant smile. “Would it be possible for you or one of your brothers to bring Bessie over?” she asked. “I think she’s really looking forward to it.”
“That’s a nice idea,” Aaron replied, “but somebody’s got to stay here with
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