Sisters of the Heart - 03 - Forgiven by Shelley Shepard Gray

so she could peek into the kitchen just enough to catch a bit of what was going on. Anything was better than seeing nothing.
    After stomping their boots clean on the grate outside, the men finally came in. While Eli merely waved a hello and Caleb made a beeline toward the tray of vegetables and dip laying on the counter, Sam walked toward her. Winnie noticed that same amused look that always seemed to lurk behind his eyes. “How is your foot today?”
    Looking at her cast, Winnie shrugged. “The same. I can’t wait to get this cast off. I feel like I’m a prisoner. All I can do is watch from the sidelines.” She winced then as she heard herself. “I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “Isound like a petulant child. I know you didn’t come over here just to hear me complain.”
    But instead of being taken aback by her clumsy words, he sat down on the tile in front of the bare fireplace. “I came over here for meatloaf and mashed potatoes, if you want the truth.”
    That admission brought her out of her pity party and made her laugh. “Samuel, you came to the right place. Katie is a right fine cook.”
    He pushed stray locks away from his forehead. “So, what have you been doing?”
    “Quilting. Katie and I are making a wedding ring quilt for Henry and Anna. And, well, the girls are working on place mats for the couple.”
    “I figured you wouldn’t be restless for long.”
    “I have been, but I’m trying not to let it get me down.” She shrugged. “I like being busy.”
    “I like that about you.”
    “Well, you must like all Amish women, then. We all do a fine job of keepin’ busy.”
    He chuckled. “Winnie, one thing’s for sure. You are sure to never run out of things to say.”
    Once again, her penchant for speaking her mind made her feel self-conscious. Winnie swallowed and tried to pretend she wasn’t moved by his attention. But, just as when they’d been in the truck together, she was. Still conscious of his gaze settling on her, she pushed the conversation along.
    “So, what is new with you?”
    “I got a new teaching assistant to help with labs. Her name is Kathleen and she’s sharp as a whip.”
    “Kathleen?”
    “Yep.” Sam’s eyes shone as he continued. “You would get a kick out of her, Winnie. She asked more questions than anyone I’ve ever met. And she carries around enough books for three people.”
    In spite of her jealousy, she was intrigued. “Why so many?”
    “When I asked, she said they were more useful than her computer! She’s going to keep me on my toes, I tell you that. Some days I feel like I can hardly keep up with her, she’s so smart. Yesterday afternoon, she questioned the validity of one of the experiments we were working on. That led everyone into a rousing discussion. Two boys almost started yelling.”
    “It sounds exciting.” But, really, his words brought forth a feeling of doom. In her world, she felt as confident and smart as anyone else. But in Sam’s college world, she felt like a dummkopp —a dunce. When he started talking about scientific methods and organic compounds, she was completely lost.
    Sam just kept talking, lost in his musings. “It was incredibly exciting. It’s moments like that when I remember why I got into teaching. There’s nothing like a group of interested, active minds.”
    “I’m sure they like you, too.”
    “They will, until I grill them over the reading and question all of their methods and theories. Then I havea feeling they won’t like me very much.” He chuckled. “Having to justify a hypothesis is a difficult task to perform.”
    Once she filtered out all the fancy language, Winnie got to the heart of the matter. “Test-taking is part of learning, jah ?”
    Sam blinked, then smiled at her with dawning respect. “Of course, you’re right. I forget just how sensible you are, Winnie. And forthright.”
    In spite of her best intentions to keep emotionally distant, Winnie was pleased. Rarely did people praise her