Courting Cate by Leslie Gould Page B

wasn’t used to a stranger being so forward. I stuttered, “W-w-ould . . .” I swallowed hard and got my sentence out on the second try. “Would you like me to show you anything else?”
    “This is good for now. I’ll be back once I’m ready to make a decision.” She headed toward the exit as I closed the binder. I glanced up, expecting her to be gone. Instead she stood in the doorway. “If I was a nice young Amish woman like you, I’d snag that guy in a heartbeat. You’d be crazy not to.”
    I put my hand to my face to hide my smile, but I think shesaw it anyway because she grinned back at me, then flicked her long hair over her shoulder and strode out to the parking lot. I liked her—and felt a little sorry for her too. There were so many things I appreciated about being Amish, and the way we dressed was definitely one of them. Being immodest was never a consideration. Or using the way we dressed to push ourselves on others.
    Pete must have been waiting for her to leave because he came in through the back a minute later.
    “Denki,” he said.
    “You seem to have a way with the ladies.”
    He stepped past me, saying, “Only certain ones, I’m afraid.”
    I wanted to tell him I wouldn’t be too sure of that but decided that seemed too forward.
    “I’m grateful for your help.” He dipped his head.
    “She’ll probably be back.”
    He groaned.
    “Maybe my Dat can help her,” I said.
    He laughed. “She’d probably hit on him too.”
    As I left the showroom, I couldn’t help but think of the story of Joseph in the Bible and how he fled from Potiphar’s wife. It was hard for me to admit it, but Pete seemed more and more trustworthy each day.
    A half hour later, as I walked up to the house for lunch, Addie stood with Betsy on the edge of the herb garden, chatting away. Uncle Cap, in his overprotective role, didn’t like her to come over when the crew was around.
    Just as I reached the girls, the shop door opened and Mervin and Martin spilled out, followed by a few of the other crew members. It was a chilly day, a little too cold to eat outside, with dark clouds threatening more April showers.
    Mervin and Marvin came to a halt at the sight of Addieand Betsy together. I could guess what they were thinking. Another girl as cute as Betsy. Even though Addie was seventeen, her parents didn’t allow her to go to singings yet, and because they were in different districts, and their families were at odds, M&M probably hadn’t seen her in quite a while.
    Personally I thought my aunt and uncle were asking for trouble by prohibiting Addie from having a normal social life. No one talked about it much, but when it came to Addie, they were the most controlling parents I knew.
    Mervin turned to Pete, who was coming around the exterior of the showroom. “What were you saying about going kayaking on Saturday?”
    Pete shot me a glance and I shrugged.
    “Could we make it an outing? Like the hike?” Mervin clenched his hands together, as if pleading.
    “What do you say, Cate?”
    I shrugged again. Two weeks ago I wouldn’t have wanted to go anywhere with M&M, but the hike hadn’t been that bad, except for the comments about my cooking. And Pete seemed entirely over his odd episode after the singing. I was willing to give it another try.
    “I guess,” I said, intentionally sounding noncommittal. I didn’t want all of them to think I was too eager.
    Mervin clapped his hands together. “Levi!” he called out, heading back into the shop.
    Betsy whispered something to Addie, and then the two laughed. It looked as if there would be three of us couples going. Pete and me. Betsy and Levi. And Mervin and Addie, if Uncle Cap would allow it. That left Martin as the odd man out, or perhaps he’d come along on his own.
    The thought of going kayaking made me both nervous and excited. The river was probably high and fast. I’d neverbeen kayaking, although I had seen one on top of a buggy before. I wondered if paddling