rubbed the youngest Knutson’s head as he passed by. “From now on, you get to milk her.”
The sixteen-year-old shrugged, his blue eyes dancing. “No matter. She likes me. I bring her corn from the garden.” They’d been thinning corn the day before.
“Leave it to you.” Lars nudged his son with his elbow. “Always charming the ladies, be they two-footed or four.”
“He’ll get lots of practice tonight at the dance.” Haakan smiled at Trygve, the older Knutson son. “Just like you.”
Trygve ducked his head, a telltale blush brightening his cheeks.
Ingeborg glanced over to see Jonathan watching the byplay. He’d told her once that the teasing that went on at the farm never happened in the home he grew up in. She often felt sorry for him, for in spite of his family’s wealth, they didn’t seem very close to one another. He grinned now, obviously enjoying himself.
Samuel crowed and Andrew laughed along with the other men as they all sat down at the table for Haakan to say the blessing. At the amen, the pancakes, ham, fried eggs, and applesauce disappeared as if carried away by a tornado. Ingeborg brought another platter she’d kept warming in the oven and handed it to Jonathan, her hand resting on his shoulder as she did the others.
His smile always warmed her heart. Though reared in New York City, the second son of a wealthy family, he fit in here as if he’d been part of Blessing all his life. “When is Grace coming home?” she asked.
“This afternoon. She sent a telephone message last night. She was able to catch an earlier train.” The glow that lit his eyes told of his delight. While he and Grace were not formally engaged, everyone knew it was only a matter of time, since he’d already spoken to Lars about marrying his daughter.
“Good for her. What a nice surprise.”
“I know. She said not to tell anyone, but since no one here would blab—” He stared at Samuel, who was known to not keep a secret very long.
“Who would I tell?” Samuel raised his hands in the air, trying to look innocent.
“Oh, Sophie, or Dr. Elizabeth, or—”
“They’re not everybody. They’re family.”
“I rest my case.”
Chuckles danced around the table. Teasing Samuel was always good for a laugh, until he managed to turn the tables and get even.
Astrid thumped her younger cousin on top of his head as she set another platter of meat on the table. “Just save a dance tonight for me, Romeo.”
He grinned up at her. “I heard that new guy will be on the guitar tonight. Sophie said he likes you.”
Astrid thumped him again. “How you have time to pick up all the gossip, I’ll never know.”
Ingeborg watched the cousins tease each other and noticed the slight blush on her daughter’s cheeks. The dance tonight in Andrew’s barn might indeed be interesting.
----
THAT EVENING AFTER the chores and supper were finished, Astrid and Grace sat out on the back porch, catching up on their news. They’d decided earlier to get dressed together, as they used to. Since the men had all gone to move the piano from the schoolhouse, the girls could sneak in some time together.
“Don’t you miss Blessing terribly?” Astrid asked, holding a glass of ice water to her cheek.
Grace nodded and spoke carefully. Signing was far easier for her than speaking. “I do, but not so much with Jonathan in New York. Fall will be hard with him in Fargo.”
“You could always come home early, you know.”
“I know, but I agreed to another year, and I do love teaching there. The house and grounds are so lovely, with big old trees and formal flower beds.”
“Well, we could do the flower beds, but somehow the trees won’t grow fast enough to become big and old.”
Grace smiled. “So you are going to Chicago?”
Astrid took a sip of water so she didn’t have to answer right away. “I was so sure finally, and then after our patient died, I . . . I just don’t know. Mor says God will lead me, but He doesn’t seem
The sixteen-year-old shrugged, his blue eyes dancing. “No matter. She likes me. I bring her corn from the garden.” They’d been thinning corn the day before.
“Leave it to you.” Lars nudged his son with his elbow. “Always charming the ladies, be they two-footed or four.”
“He’ll get lots of practice tonight at the dance.” Haakan smiled at Trygve, the older Knutson son. “Just like you.”
Trygve ducked his head, a telltale blush brightening his cheeks.
Ingeborg glanced over to see Jonathan watching the byplay. He’d told her once that the teasing that went on at the farm never happened in the home he grew up in. She often felt sorry for him, for in spite of his family’s wealth, they didn’t seem very close to one another. He grinned now, obviously enjoying himself.
Samuel crowed and Andrew laughed along with the other men as they all sat down at the table for Haakan to say the blessing. At the amen, the pancakes, ham, fried eggs, and applesauce disappeared as if carried away by a tornado. Ingeborg brought another platter she’d kept warming in the oven and handed it to Jonathan, her hand resting on his shoulder as she did the others.
His smile always warmed her heart. Though reared in New York City, the second son of a wealthy family, he fit in here as if he’d been part of Blessing all his life. “When is Grace coming home?” she asked.
“This afternoon. She sent a telephone message last night. She was able to catch an earlier train.” The glow that lit his eyes told of his delight. While he and Grace were not formally engaged, everyone knew it was only a matter of time, since he’d already spoken to Lars about marrying his daughter.
“Good for her. What a nice surprise.”
“I know. She said not to tell anyone, but since no one here would blab—” He stared at Samuel, who was known to not keep a secret very long.
“Who would I tell?” Samuel raised his hands in the air, trying to look innocent.
“Oh, Sophie, or Dr. Elizabeth, or—”
“They’re not everybody. They’re family.”
“I rest my case.”
Chuckles danced around the table. Teasing Samuel was always good for a laugh, until he managed to turn the tables and get even.
Astrid thumped her younger cousin on top of his head as she set another platter of meat on the table. “Just save a dance tonight for me, Romeo.”
He grinned up at her. “I heard that new guy will be on the guitar tonight. Sophie said he likes you.”
Astrid thumped him again. “How you have time to pick up all the gossip, I’ll never know.”
Ingeborg watched the cousins tease each other and noticed the slight blush on her daughter’s cheeks. The dance tonight in Andrew’s barn might indeed be interesting.
----
THAT EVENING AFTER the chores and supper were finished, Astrid and Grace sat out on the back porch, catching up on their news. They’d decided earlier to get dressed together, as they used to. Since the men had all gone to move the piano from the schoolhouse, the girls could sneak in some time together.
“Don’t you miss Blessing terribly?” Astrid asked, holding a glass of ice water to her cheek.
Grace nodded and spoke carefully. Signing was far easier for her than speaking. “I do, but not so much with Jonathan in New York. Fall will be hard with him in Fargo.”
“You could always come home early, you know.”
“I know, but I agreed to another year, and I do love teaching there. The house and grounds are so lovely, with big old trees and formal flower beds.”
“Well, we could do the flower beds, but somehow the trees won’t grow fast enough to become big and old.”
Grace smiled. “So you are going to Chicago?”
Astrid took a sip of water so she didn’t have to answer right away. “I was so sure finally, and then after our patient died, I . . . I just don’t know. Mor says God will lead me, but He doesn’t seem
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