on his arm. “We take comfort in knowing they are with God.”
He patted her hand, allowing his fingers to linger on hers longer than Elam thought necessary.
Elam knew that Mr. Imhoff’s wife and three of his seven children had been killed when a car struck their buggy several years ago. His oldest daughter, Karen, had taken over the reins of the family and was raising her younger siblings.
Nettie caught her son looking her way and withdrew her hand. Mr. Imhoff said quickly, “My daughter wants you to know she’ll be happy to help with the meal and the cleanup after church if you wish it.”
Nettie cast a sly look at Elam before she replied. “Tell Karen her help will be most welcome.”
Even his sisters exchanged speaking looks and little smiles. Mary said, “ Jah, we always welcome Karen’s help.”
A possible reason for their covert glances suddenly dawned on him. Karen was single and close to his own age. Had the women of his family decided on some matchmaking?
Shaking his head, he turned away and picked up the mail. Sorting through it, he froze when his glance fell on a long white envelope. The return address was Yoder, Kansas. It was an answer from Malachi Lantz.
Elam’s heart dropped to his boots. He glanced to where Katie was happily showing her daughter to Mr. Imhoff.
Her brother had written. That meant she would be leaving soon.
Elam leaned back against the counter. That was what he wanted, wasn’t it? So why wasn’t he glad?
Chapter Nine
W hen Mr. Imhoff and his son left, Katie excused herself from the group in the kitchen and carried Rachel into the living room where the bassinet was set up. When Katie attempted to put her down, her daughter displayed an unusual streak of bad temper and threw a fit. The young boys were immediately intrigued by the baby and crowded around, their toys forgotten.
“Why is she crying?” the older boy asked in Pennsylvania Dutch. He, like all Amish children, would not learn more than a few words of English until he started school.
She answered him in kind. “I think she is tired, but she’s afraid she’ll miss something interesting if she goes to sleep.”
“Can I hold her?”
“If you sit quietly on the sofa, you may.”
The boys scrambled onto the couch and sat up straight. Katie laid Rachel in Thomas’s arms. The baby immediately fell silent as she focused on the unfamiliar face. Thedifference between her dark-haired baby and the boys with their white-blond hair was striking.
Thomas grinned at Katie. “She likes me.”
Katie smiled back at him. “I think she does.”
She was sitting beside Thomas showing him how to support Rachel’s head, when Elam came into the room. Katie looked up and froze when she saw the expression on his face. He drew a chair close and sat in front of her.
He glanced at the boys. “Thomas, I need someone to gather the eggs today. Can you boys do that?”
Thomas puffed up. “Sure.”
Katie took Rachel from the boy. Clearly Elam wanted to talk to her without the children in the room. A sense of unease settled in the pit of her stomach.
“ Gut. Get a basket for the eggs from your grandmother.” Elam ruffled Thomas’s hair. The boy hurried to do the chore with his younger cousin following close behind.
Katie held Rachel and rocked her gently, waiting for Elam to speak.
“I wrote to your brother shortly after you came to us.”
Her heart sank. “You did what?”
“It was clear you couldn’t find the words. I did not tell him anything about Rachel. I only said that you were staying with us, but had not the means to get to Kansas.”
“I wish you hadn’t done that, Elam.”
“I know. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.” After a moment, he held out a white envelope. “This came this morning.”
Katie tried to hide her trepidation, but she could feel Elam’s gaze on her as she stared at the envelope without moving. She asked, “What does he say?”
“I haven’t opened it. I thought perhaps you
He patted her hand, allowing his fingers to linger on hers longer than Elam thought necessary.
Elam knew that Mr. Imhoff’s wife and three of his seven children had been killed when a car struck their buggy several years ago. His oldest daughter, Karen, had taken over the reins of the family and was raising her younger siblings.
Nettie caught her son looking her way and withdrew her hand. Mr. Imhoff said quickly, “My daughter wants you to know she’ll be happy to help with the meal and the cleanup after church if you wish it.”
Nettie cast a sly look at Elam before she replied. “Tell Karen her help will be most welcome.”
Even his sisters exchanged speaking looks and little smiles. Mary said, “ Jah, we always welcome Karen’s help.”
A possible reason for their covert glances suddenly dawned on him. Karen was single and close to his own age. Had the women of his family decided on some matchmaking?
Shaking his head, he turned away and picked up the mail. Sorting through it, he froze when his glance fell on a long white envelope. The return address was Yoder, Kansas. It was an answer from Malachi Lantz.
Elam’s heart dropped to his boots. He glanced to where Katie was happily showing her daughter to Mr. Imhoff.
Her brother had written. That meant she would be leaving soon.
Elam leaned back against the counter. That was what he wanted, wasn’t it? So why wasn’t he glad?
Chapter Nine
W hen Mr. Imhoff and his son left, Katie excused herself from the group in the kitchen and carried Rachel into the living room where the bassinet was set up. When Katie attempted to put her down, her daughter displayed an unusual streak of bad temper and threw a fit. The young boys were immediately intrigued by the baby and crowded around, their toys forgotten.
“Why is she crying?” the older boy asked in Pennsylvania Dutch. He, like all Amish children, would not learn more than a few words of English until he started school.
She answered him in kind. “I think she is tired, but she’s afraid she’ll miss something interesting if she goes to sleep.”
“Can I hold her?”
“If you sit quietly on the sofa, you may.”
The boys scrambled onto the couch and sat up straight. Katie laid Rachel in Thomas’s arms. The baby immediately fell silent as she focused on the unfamiliar face. Thedifference between her dark-haired baby and the boys with their white-blond hair was striking.
Thomas grinned at Katie. “She likes me.”
Katie smiled back at him. “I think she does.”
She was sitting beside Thomas showing him how to support Rachel’s head, when Elam came into the room. Katie looked up and froze when she saw the expression on his face. He drew a chair close and sat in front of her.
He glanced at the boys. “Thomas, I need someone to gather the eggs today. Can you boys do that?”
Thomas puffed up. “Sure.”
Katie took Rachel from the boy. Clearly Elam wanted to talk to her without the children in the room. A sense of unease settled in the pit of her stomach.
“ Gut. Get a basket for the eggs from your grandmother.” Elam ruffled Thomas’s hair. The boy hurried to do the chore with his younger cousin following close behind.
Katie held Rachel and rocked her gently, waiting for Elam to speak.
“I wrote to your brother shortly after you came to us.”
Her heart sank. “You did what?”
“It was clear you couldn’t find the words. I did not tell him anything about Rachel. I only said that you were staying with us, but had not the means to get to Kansas.”
“I wish you hadn’t done that, Elam.”
“I know. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.” After a moment, he held out a white envelope. “This came this morning.”
Katie tried to hide her trepidation, but she could feel Elam’s gaze on her as she stared at the envelope without moving. She asked, “What does he say?”
“I haven’t opened it. I thought perhaps you
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