Daed. You should come visit us in Hope Crossing and go to Sunday meetings with us when you’re up to it.”
Her father smiled. Those few moments were very important. With other men around him, her Daed had stopped to acknowledge his pleasure with her, even though she was single and had moved out of his home and into another community. He’d given her a seal of approval during a church gathering in front of everyone. For her not to notice when he spoke would have been an insult. When he and the men walked off, she relaxed. Jonathan and Lena laughed softly.
“What are you two laughing at? It’s not my fault my mind was elsewhere.”
“Nope, it was your Daed’s,” Jonathan heckled.
On impulse she picked up her cup and tried to dump the contents on him. She leaned back just as he knocked it out of her hand, and they ended up dousing Lena.
Lena wiped her wet face and slung water at them. “Denki.”
Deborah pointed at Jonathan, and he pointed at her, each blaming the other. Lena grabbed a napkin and soaked up some of the moisture from her dress.
Grey passed by, holding an empty glass with one hand and Ivan’s hand with the other. “Taking showers after you’ve dressed for the day again, Lennie?”
“I keep forgetting which one comes first,” Lena retorted. She raised an eyebrow at Deborah while trying to hide her smile. “Jonathan helps you save face, and you two do this to me? Some friends you guys are.”
Deborah watched as Grey stopped near a small group of men and started talking. She’d seen him and Elsie come in really late. Elsie had shed a few tears during the service, and Deborah had said a silent prayer for them. They’d been married six years and had one child. That wasn’t the norm for an Amish family, but no one asked them any questions. Since they’d buried a son, she was sure no one ever would ask—not even Grey’s or Elsie’s friends, siblings, or parents.
Ephraim moved closer. “I’d like to go to Hope Crossing as soon as we can. Robbie’s coming by my place in just a little bit.”
“Ada and me hoped to stay here longer than that.”
Ephraim grabbed several clean napkins that were a few feet away and passed them to Lena. “If Ada wants to stay longer, Robbie can take her home later this afternoon. But I want as much time with Cara as I can get before the workweek starts again.”
Deborah was sure he’d rather have skipped service and spent his morning with Cara. Next Sunday was a between one for Dry Lake but not for Hope Crossing. Deborah, Ada, and Cara would need to attend the service in Hope Crossing next week. Courting was always easier when both people lived in the same church district. Then they were free to spend every other Sunday visiting all day. “I’ll let Ada know.”
Ephraim left.
“Listen, Deborah,” Jonathan said, “I have a horse I can loan you. He’s young, about two and a half years, and a little too inexperienced to wait for long periods while harnessed and tethered somewhere, but he’ll be perfect for what you need until Rosie is ready to return to work.”
“You didn’t mention anything about having an extra horse yesterday. How do you have one now?”
“Because I’m magical.” He splayed his hands, moving them around in circles as if he were a magician. “Or because the man who owns him owes me money he can’t pay, so I’m borrowing his horse for a spell.”
“You’re holding the man’s horse hostage?”
“It’s called bartering. You need to understand that concept, because if you use that horse, I want desserts. Lots of them.”
Deborah looked at Lena and pointed at him. “How does he stay so thin when all he does is devise ways to get desserts?”
“Because his plans never work. How many goodies has he talked you out of so far?”
Deborah chuckled and held out her hand to Jonathan. “We have a deal.”
He shook her hand. “I’ll get paid this time. You can count on that, Little Debbie.” Rather than releasing her
Her father smiled. Those few moments were very important. With other men around him, her Daed had stopped to acknowledge his pleasure with her, even though she was single and had moved out of his home and into another community. He’d given her a seal of approval during a church gathering in front of everyone. For her not to notice when he spoke would have been an insult. When he and the men walked off, she relaxed. Jonathan and Lena laughed softly.
“What are you two laughing at? It’s not my fault my mind was elsewhere.”
“Nope, it was your Daed’s,” Jonathan heckled.
On impulse she picked up her cup and tried to dump the contents on him. She leaned back just as he knocked it out of her hand, and they ended up dousing Lena.
Lena wiped her wet face and slung water at them. “Denki.”
Deborah pointed at Jonathan, and he pointed at her, each blaming the other. Lena grabbed a napkin and soaked up some of the moisture from her dress.
Grey passed by, holding an empty glass with one hand and Ivan’s hand with the other. “Taking showers after you’ve dressed for the day again, Lennie?”
“I keep forgetting which one comes first,” Lena retorted. She raised an eyebrow at Deborah while trying to hide her smile. “Jonathan helps you save face, and you two do this to me? Some friends you guys are.”
Deborah watched as Grey stopped near a small group of men and started talking. She’d seen him and Elsie come in really late. Elsie had shed a few tears during the service, and Deborah had said a silent prayer for them. They’d been married six years and had one child. That wasn’t the norm for an Amish family, but no one asked them any questions. Since they’d buried a son, she was sure no one ever would ask—not even Grey’s or Elsie’s friends, siblings, or parents.
Ephraim moved closer. “I’d like to go to Hope Crossing as soon as we can. Robbie’s coming by my place in just a little bit.”
“Ada and me hoped to stay here longer than that.”
Ephraim grabbed several clean napkins that were a few feet away and passed them to Lena. “If Ada wants to stay longer, Robbie can take her home later this afternoon. But I want as much time with Cara as I can get before the workweek starts again.”
Deborah was sure he’d rather have skipped service and spent his morning with Cara. Next Sunday was a between one for Dry Lake but not for Hope Crossing. Deborah, Ada, and Cara would need to attend the service in Hope Crossing next week. Courting was always easier when both people lived in the same church district. Then they were free to spend every other Sunday visiting all day. “I’ll let Ada know.”
Ephraim left.
“Listen, Deborah,” Jonathan said, “I have a horse I can loan you. He’s young, about two and a half years, and a little too inexperienced to wait for long periods while harnessed and tethered somewhere, but he’ll be perfect for what you need until Rosie is ready to return to work.”
“You didn’t mention anything about having an extra horse yesterday. How do you have one now?”
“Because I’m magical.” He splayed his hands, moving them around in circles as if he were a magician. “Or because the man who owns him owes me money he can’t pay, so I’m borrowing his horse for a spell.”
“You’re holding the man’s horse hostage?”
“It’s called bartering. You need to understand that concept, because if you use that horse, I want desserts. Lots of them.”
Deborah looked at Lena and pointed at him. “How does he stay so thin when all he does is devise ways to get desserts?”
“Because his plans never work. How many goodies has he talked you out of so far?”
Deborah chuckled and held out her hand to Jonathan. “We have a deal.”
He shook her hand. “I’ll get paid this time. You can count on that, Little Debbie.” Rather than releasing her
Similar Books
