courtship we’ve ever had. And …”
“And what?”
He shook his head. “Never mind.”
“Don’t do that. Finish your thought.”
“I don’t want you and Samuel under the same roof, where by the time anyone else in the house is up, you two have shared half a pot of coffee and an hour of conversation. I don’t want to wake during the night wondering if you’ve bumped into him while getting a glass of water. It’s not a good situation for now.”
“Jacob.” She stood and cradled his face. She wanted to kiss him. It’d be their first since before he’d left to go into hiding in mid-January.
“It’s how I feel.” The sadness in his eyes made her ache.
Would things between them ever be as they once were? “If you need me to stay at Camilla’s, then that’s what I’ll do.” She smiled. “I have to admit, your coming to pick me up is fun. I woke last night looking forward to it. But hiring Iva and letting her stay—”
“Until other Amish move here, we’re a tiny settlement. Your brother has Phoebe and their children. Leah has all of us, including Landon. You and I are starting to really talk again, and Samuel has no one he can open up to.”
Rhoda sighed. “Unless Iva stays.”
“Exactly.”
She was tired of the unrest between her and Jacob. With the months of silence when he’d been absent and the weeks of stilted conversation because of what had happened with Samuel, their relationship had been prickly for too long. Still, she wasn’t ready to just surrender. “I’ll agree on one condition. I want to be free to work with Samuel again.”
Jacob’s green eyes bore into her, his gentle nature so evident. “It’s hard to believe you’d even bring up such a thing. It’s more than business. It’s a friendship. Isn’t my friendship enough?”
“Is mine?”
“Absolutely.”
“You say that, but in all the time I’ve known you, I’m not the one you share everything with. But it doesn’t diminish what we have between us or how much you love me. Does it?”
He played with her fingers, running his hand across her calluses as he mulled over an idea he clearly didn’t like. “Rhodes …”
“Samuel and I must be able to work together, to talk and yell and maybe even laugh. It makes me feel sick to have to avoid him or to have only a brief, stiff conversation where nothing is accomplished.”
Jacob stared into her eyes, and she could see how much he loved her. “Okay.” It came out as a whisper, and he looked more resigned than accepting. “I can understand that.”
Joy stirred inside her for the first time since Jacob had come back. Was it possible there would be healing for the three of them?
“I love you, Jacob.”
He gazed into her eyes, a tender smile curving his lips. “You’ve never said that before.”
She hadn’t, mostly because his past kept raising its ugly head and causing her to move slowly and carefully. But she did love him. “I should have.”
He eased his face closer to hers. When his lips were mere inches from hers, she couldn’t see anything but Samuel. In this very room, so close she could hear his heart thumping, sense the strength of his feelings for her.
She wanted to pull away from Jacob so the memory would stop, but if she did, it might ruin all the work they’d done to get to this point.
Her thoughts were broken by the dogs’ barking and a horn blasting.
Jacob took a breath, his warm hands still cradling her face. “We need a vacation.”
She chuckled. “Think so?”
He moved to the window.
“Who is it?”
“Sandra.”
“Here?” Rhoda peered out the window. She wanted a good look at thismystery woman, but she could only see flowing dark hair. The dogs circled the car, barking.
“It’s my fault. I should’ve returned her calls.”
“What does she want?”
“Forgiveness.” He sighed. “I need to talk to her alone first.”
“You do what you need to. Isn’t she going to get out?”
“Not with the dogs right
“And what?”
He shook his head. “Never mind.”
“Don’t do that. Finish your thought.”
“I don’t want you and Samuel under the same roof, where by the time anyone else in the house is up, you two have shared half a pot of coffee and an hour of conversation. I don’t want to wake during the night wondering if you’ve bumped into him while getting a glass of water. It’s not a good situation for now.”
“Jacob.” She stood and cradled his face. She wanted to kiss him. It’d be their first since before he’d left to go into hiding in mid-January.
“It’s how I feel.” The sadness in his eyes made her ache.
Would things between them ever be as they once were? “If you need me to stay at Camilla’s, then that’s what I’ll do.” She smiled. “I have to admit, your coming to pick me up is fun. I woke last night looking forward to it. But hiring Iva and letting her stay—”
“Until other Amish move here, we’re a tiny settlement. Your brother has Phoebe and their children. Leah has all of us, including Landon. You and I are starting to really talk again, and Samuel has no one he can open up to.”
Rhoda sighed. “Unless Iva stays.”
“Exactly.”
She was tired of the unrest between her and Jacob. With the months of silence when he’d been absent and the weeks of stilted conversation because of what had happened with Samuel, their relationship had been prickly for too long. Still, she wasn’t ready to just surrender. “I’ll agree on one condition. I want to be free to work with Samuel again.”
Jacob’s green eyes bore into her, his gentle nature so evident. “It’s hard to believe you’d even bring up such a thing. It’s more than business. It’s a friendship. Isn’t my friendship enough?”
“Is mine?”
“Absolutely.”
“You say that, but in all the time I’ve known you, I’m not the one you share everything with. But it doesn’t diminish what we have between us or how much you love me. Does it?”
He played with her fingers, running his hand across her calluses as he mulled over an idea he clearly didn’t like. “Rhodes …”
“Samuel and I must be able to work together, to talk and yell and maybe even laugh. It makes me feel sick to have to avoid him or to have only a brief, stiff conversation where nothing is accomplished.”
Jacob stared into her eyes, and she could see how much he loved her. “Okay.” It came out as a whisper, and he looked more resigned than accepting. “I can understand that.”
Joy stirred inside her for the first time since Jacob had come back. Was it possible there would be healing for the three of them?
“I love you, Jacob.”
He gazed into her eyes, a tender smile curving his lips. “You’ve never said that before.”
She hadn’t, mostly because his past kept raising its ugly head and causing her to move slowly and carefully. But she did love him. “I should have.”
He eased his face closer to hers. When his lips were mere inches from hers, she couldn’t see anything but Samuel. In this very room, so close she could hear his heart thumping, sense the strength of his feelings for her.
She wanted to pull away from Jacob so the memory would stop, but if she did, it might ruin all the work they’d done to get to this point.
Her thoughts were broken by the dogs’ barking and a horn blasting.
Jacob took a breath, his warm hands still cradling her face. “We need a vacation.”
She chuckled. “Think so?”
He moved to the window.
“Who is it?”
“Sandra.”
“Here?” Rhoda peered out the window. She wanted a good look at thismystery woman, but she could only see flowing dark hair. The dogs circled the car, barking.
“It’s my fault. I should’ve returned her calls.”
“What does she want?”
“Forgiveness.” He sighed. “I need to talk to her alone first.”
“You do what you need to. Isn’t she going to get out?”
“Not with the dogs right
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