started down the road. Everyone seemed happy, content, even excited to be on their way to church.
Couldn’t Elam see that? His family needed normalcy, something to let them know that despite their hardships, God was good and watching over them all.
“Why such a look, Elam?” Mamm asked him as they drove Emily’s small buggy back to her house.
He relaxed his features into what he hoped was an impassive expression. It seemed the more time he spent around the bishop’s oldest daughter, the more he scowled.
“No look,” he said.
But from the frown on Mamm ’s face she wasn’t convinced. “I think perhaps this has something to do with our new helper.”
“I don’t want to talk about Emily Ebersol.” His voice came out sterner than he intended.
“Why not?”
Elam shook his head. The woman had upset everything about his way of living. She had come in unwanted and started rearranging what Elam had spent the last year carefully stacking into place.
How could he explain that to Mamm?
“She would make a good fraa .”
Elam grunted. “So you’ve said.” She would make a gut wife for someone. Nor would he admit that out loud. She was kind and caring, beautiful even with her chocolate brown hair and eyes the color of twilight. She was smart and brave, but her heart belonged to Luke Lambright.
“Do you really think I don’t know?”
He turned his attention from the road to stare at her. His heart gave a hard pound of apprehension. “Know what?”
“That you are in love with Emily.”
An immediate protest sprang to his lips. “She is in love with someone else.”
Mamm shook her head. “Luke Lambright is not coming back here, and Emily’s not leaving her family. Seems to me you have a gut opportunity to show her you care.”
He pulled his gaze from Mamm ’s to stare over the swaying rears of the horses. “I don’t know.”
“I do.” He saw her nod out of the corner of his eye. “It would help if you would stop glowering at her whenever she gets near.”
“I don’t glower,” he lied.
“You do.” A small laugh escaped her. “How is she supposed to know you care if you keep trying to scare her away?” She stopped. “That is it, jah? You don’t want her to know that you care.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” he said, feeling very much like a bug trapped in a jar. “She is a menace.” A beautiful menace, for sure.
“Mm-hmm,” Mamm murmured. “Be sure to add these lies to your prayer list today.”
Back before Elam could even remember, Bishop Riehl had built on a special room to his house for when church services were held there. The room was open and airy with large unadorned windows that let nature be a part of the service. Elam wasn’t sure which he liked best: the dark cool services held in the barns or the bright service held in what the Ebersols referred to as the “bonus room.”
He supposed it served two purposes. It gave them extra room for when they hosted church. But it also gave the family a place to gather to play games and enjoy each other’s company.
Today it was filled with rows of benches from the bench wagon. As usual, there was a walkway through the middle. The women gathered on one side and the men on the other. Special cushioned seats had been set up across the back for the elderly and infirm.
“James, you sit here.” Emily guided him to one of those chairs and held his arm to steady him while he lowered himself into the seat. He was still wearing those dark glasses. If anyone thought it strange, they hadn’t said. More than anything, the district seemed happy to see James up and about.
“And you sit here.” He patted the seat next to him.
“I’ll sit with you,” Elam said.
“But I want Emily to sit here.”
“I don’t mind,” she said.
But Elam did.
He bit back his protests. Everything that sprang to mind seemed petty and unwarranted. Emily was only trying to help, but his pride had reared its ugly
Couldn’t Elam see that? His family needed normalcy, something to let them know that despite their hardships, God was good and watching over them all.
“Why such a look, Elam?” Mamm asked him as they drove Emily’s small buggy back to her house.
He relaxed his features into what he hoped was an impassive expression. It seemed the more time he spent around the bishop’s oldest daughter, the more he scowled.
“No look,” he said.
But from the frown on Mamm ’s face she wasn’t convinced. “I think perhaps this has something to do with our new helper.”
“I don’t want to talk about Emily Ebersol.” His voice came out sterner than he intended.
“Why not?”
Elam shook his head. The woman had upset everything about his way of living. She had come in unwanted and started rearranging what Elam had spent the last year carefully stacking into place.
How could he explain that to Mamm?
“She would make a good fraa .”
Elam grunted. “So you’ve said.” She would make a gut wife for someone. Nor would he admit that out loud. She was kind and caring, beautiful even with her chocolate brown hair and eyes the color of twilight. She was smart and brave, but her heart belonged to Luke Lambright.
“Do you really think I don’t know?”
He turned his attention from the road to stare at her. His heart gave a hard pound of apprehension. “Know what?”
“That you are in love with Emily.”
An immediate protest sprang to his lips. “She is in love with someone else.”
Mamm shook her head. “Luke Lambright is not coming back here, and Emily’s not leaving her family. Seems to me you have a gut opportunity to show her you care.”
He pulled his gaze from Mamm ’s to stare over the swaying rears of the horses. “I don’t know.”
“I do.” He saw her nod out of the corner of his eye. “It would help if you would stop glowering at her whenever she gets near.”
“I don’t glower,” he lied.
“You do.” A small laugh escaped her. “How is she supposed to know you care if you keep trying to scare her away?” She stopped. “That is it, jah? You don’t want her to know that you care.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” he said, feeling very much like a bug trapped in a jar. “She is a menace.” A beautiful menace, for sure.
“Mm-hmm,” Mamm murmured. “Be sure to add these lies to your prayer list today.”
Back before Elam could even remember, Bishop Riehl had built on a special room to his house for when church services were held there. The room was open and airy with large unadorned windows that let nature be a part of the service. Elam wasn’t sure which he liked best: the dark cool services held in the barns or the bright service held in what the Ebersols referred to as the “bonus room.”
He supposed it served two purposes. It gave them extra room for when they hosted church. But it also gave the family a place to gather to play games and enjoy each other’s company.
Today it was filled with rows of benches from the bench wagon. As usual, there was a walkway through the middle. The women gathered on one side and the men on the other. Special cushioned seats had been set up across the back for the elderly and infirm.
“James, you sit here.” Emily guided him to one of those chairs and held his arm to steady him while he lowered himself into the seat. He was still wearing those dark glasses. If anyone thought it strange, they hadn’t said. More than anything, the district seemed happy to see James up and about.
“And you sit here.” He patted the seat next to him.
“I’ll sit with you,” Elam said.
“But I want Emily to sit here.”
“I don’t mind,” she said.
But Elam did.
He bit back his protests. Everything that sprang to mind seemed petty and unwarranted. Emily was only trying to help, but his pride had reared its ugly
Similar Books
