Last Bride, The (Home to Hickory Hollow Book #5) by Beverly Lewis Page B

wedding.”
    Mandy found this ever so peculiar; a bride always got married in her parents’ home. “Why here?” she couldn’t help asking.
    “She agreed to honor my family. My elderly grandparents want to be at the wedding, and there’s no way they could make the trip to Indiana.”
    “Oh.” Mandy could understand that.
    “And we’ll be livin’ here in Hickory Hollow with my parents till we can get our own place.”
    “That’s real nice of them.”
    “Jah. And you’ll like Glenice. I just know it.”
    She forced a smile. “I don’t have to like her, Norm. But you do.”
    He chuckled and they walked for a few seconds without saying more. Then Norm mentioned Marcus King’s untimely death, startling her. “He wrote not many months ago, askin’ if I’d consider returning home if he was to marry.”
    Does Tessie know?
    “He never said who his sweetheart-girl was, so I guess he wanted to follow the more traditional way and keep it quiet till—”
    “Marcus is gone, so what’s it matter?” she interrupted, peeved at this personal talk. She reached for the storm door and held it for him. Nodding, he headed into the enclosed porch-like room with the box as she deliberately stood there, lingering to thwart the notion that she’d actually go in with him.
    Thankfully, Sylvan was nowhere to be seen, undoubtedly having gone to the front room to visit with his father and the other men. Lord, have mercy on this day! Mandy prayed in earnest, relieved when Norman grimaced at her and turned to head back outside to wait for his parents—and his Glenice.
    Have mercy, indeed!

Chapter 14

    T essie sat on the floor in the front room with her young nephews and nieces, entertaining them near the heater stove. Giggling and babbling in Deitsch, the children helped her carefully place the colorful wooden blocks to build a four-sided tower. Although she loved hearing the little ones burst into happy squeals, she had to be mindful not to let first Manny, then Matthew, knock the tower down too quickly, before they had a chance to get it all the way up.
    “Dawdi Ammon made these blocks,” she told them. “Before I was born.”
    After the simple festivities of visiting, eating desserts, and singing hymns related to Jesus’ birth, the adults exchanged greeting cards—many homemade. Later, Manny, Matthew, Mae, and Marian opened their small gifts of hard candies, coloring books, and crayons. Towheaded and curly-haired Mimi primly pulled the wrapping off her cloth baby doll with a pink blanket sleeper sewn onto it. Bringing the dolly withher, she toddled over to Tessie and raised her dimpled arms, apparently wanting to sit on her lap.
    It wasn’t long, though, till restless Mimi wanted down. She promptly waddled over to Dawdi Ammon, who was more than willing to set her on his knee. “ Hup-die-duden-du! —Upsy-daisy!” he said again and again, grinning.
    And for this moment in time—this special day of days—Tessie felt a little less sad, as if the sweetness of the children offered a comfort she hadn’t known since Marcus’s death.
    Oh, my dear, dear Marcus, we’re going to have a baby, she thought while the extended family joined in silent prayer after Bible reading.
    The minute her sisters and their families departed, Tessie set about helping Mamma redd up once again. After a while, she suddenly felt tired and made the mistake of telling Mamma.
    “Well, you’ve looked flushed all day, Tessie Ann.”
    “Overeating has made me weary, I think.” She shrugged and tried to smile.
    Mamma pushed up her small glasses. Then, frowning, she reached to pat her hand. “Ach, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were with child, my dear girl.”
    Tessie kept her face straight and relaxed, not daring to respond in any way. Yet her heart was hammering so hard, she wondered if her mother could hear it.
    Not expecting the conversation to progress further, Tessie was chagrined when Mamma suggested she see a doctor. “You must be