for that yet.”
“Are you still working for Irene Schrock, or are the dogs taking up all your time these days?” Aunt Rosemary asked.
“I work for Irene a few days a week. If I ever make enough money with the dogs, I’ll probably quit that job.” Martha pursed her lips. “Of course Irene would have to find someone to replace me. She’s so busy with the dinners she serves tourists these days that there’s too much work for her and Carolyn to do by themselves.”
“I’m sure she appreciates your help.” Aunt Rosemary motioned tothe house. “Is the rest of the family at home? We stopped by Roman’s shop on the way up the driveway and discovered it was closed.”
“It’s getting close to supper, so Dad’s probably up at the house by now. Mom and Ruth were in the kitchen when I went out to the barn a short time ago.” Martha grimaced. “I’ll probably get a lecture for taking so long with the dogs and shirking my kitchen duties.”
Aunt Rosemary looked at her watch. “I hadn’t realized it was almost time for supper. Since we’re two hours behind you in Boise, I guess my time’s still off.”
“No problem. I’m sure the folks will insist on you eating supper with us.”
“That would be an imposition. I think we should drive back to Berlin and eat at one of the restaurants there.” Sharon’s dark eyes darted from Martha, to Ken, and back to Martha again. The young woman was clearly uncomfortable.
“There’s no need for that,” Martha said with a shake of her head. “Mom always fixes way more than the four of us can eat. Besides, we can visit while we share our meal.”
“Judith is a wonderful cook,” Aunt Rosemary said. “I think you and Ken will enjoy eating one of her delicious meals—not to mention getting the opportunity to know my brother and his family.”
Ken reached for his wife’s hand. “Let’s go inside and meet everyone, shall we?”
Martha slipped her hand in the crook of Aunt Rosemary’s arm. “I’ll make the introductions first, and then I’ll run up to Grace and Cleon’s place and see if they’d like to join us for supper.”
“Would you pass me the basket of biscuits, please?” Luke’s stomach rumbled as the savory aroma of freshly made stew and biscuits wafted up to his nose. He’d worked hard and felt hungrier than usual.
“I noticed that you didn’t get after that wood I asked you to chop this morning,” Mom said as she handed him the biscuits.
“I was running late and didn’t have time to do it before I left for work.”
Mom’s eyebrows pressed together. “Is that the truth, or are you giving me another one of your excuses for not getting things done around here?”
Luke shook his head. “It’s not an excuse.”
“From what I hear, you work hard enough for John Peterson, but around here you tend to slough off,” Mom said.
Luke grunted. “Are you saying I’m lazy?”
She slathered a biscuit with butter. “You’re not exactly lazy, but you sure don’t do what I ask these days. It seems you’ve always got something else on your mind other than what you’re supposed to be doing. You’ve been kind of moody lately, too. Don’t you agree, Elam?”
Luke glanced across the table to gauge his dad’s reaction, but Pop just sat there, dipping a biscuit up and down in his bowl of stew as though he hadn’t heard a word that had been said.
Mom leaned closer to Luke and looked him right in the eye. “I think you need to quit fooling around and make a decision about getting baptized and joining the church.”
Luke grunted and reached for another biscuit. “I will when I’m ready. In the meantime, I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
Mom squinted at him. “A lot on your mind?”
“Jah.”
“What kind of things could be on your mind that would keep you from joining the church?”
“Just things, that’s all.”
“Maybe he’s got some woman on his mind,” Pop spoke up.
“A woman?” Mom nudged Pop with her elbow. “If he had
“Are you still working for Irene Schrock, or are the dogs taking up all your time these days?” Aunt Rosemary asked.
“I work for Irene a few days a week. If I ever make enough money with the dogs, I’ll probably quit that job.” Martha pursed her lips. “Of course Irene would have to find someone to replace me. She’s so busy with the dinners she serves tourists these days that there’s too much work for her and Carolyn to do by themselves.”
“I’m sure she appreciates your help.” Aunt Rosemary motioned tothe house. “Is the rest of the family at home? We stopped by Roman’s shop on the way up the driveway and discovered it was closed.”
“It’s getting close to supper, so Dad’s probably up at the house by now. Mom and Ruth were in the kitchen when I went out to the barn a short time ago.” Martha grimaced. “I’ll probably get a lecture for taking so long with the dogs and shirking my kitchen duties.”
Aunt Rosemary looked at her watch. “I hadn’t realized it was almost time for supper. Since we’re two hours behind you in Boise, I guess my time’s still off.”
“No problem. I’m sure the folks will insist on you eating supper with us.”
“That would be an imposition. I think we should drive back to Berlin and eat at one of the restaurants there.” Sharon’s dark eyes darted from Martha, to Ken, and back to Martha again. The young woman was clearly uncomfortable.
“There’s no need for that,” Martha said with a shake of her head. “Mom always fixes way more than the four of us can eat. Besides, we can visit while we share our meal.”
“Judith is a wonderful cook,” Aunt Rosemary said. “I think you and Ken will enjoy eating one of her delicious meals—not to mention getting the opportunity to know my brother and his family.”
Ken reached for his wife’s hand. “Let’s go inside and meet everyone, shall we?”
Martha slipped her hand in the crook of Aunt Rosemary’s arm. “I’ll make the introductions first, and then I’ll run up to Grace and Cleon’s place and see if they’d like to join us for supper.”
“Would you pass me the basket of biscuits, please?” Luke’s stomach rumbled as the savory aroma of freshly made stew and biscuits wafted up to his nose. He’d worked hard and felt hungrier than usual.
“I noticed that you didn’t get after that wood I asked you to chop this morning,” Mom said as she handed him the biscuits.
“I was running late and didn’t have time to do it before I left for work.”
Mom’s eyebrows pressed together. “Is that the truth, or are you giving me another one of your excuses for not getting things done around here?”
Luke shook his head. “It’s not an excuse.”
“From what I hear, you work hard enough for John Peterson, but around here you tend to slough off,” Mom said.
Luke grunted. “Are you saying I’m lazy?”
She slathered a biscuit with butter. “You’re not exactly lazy, but you sure don’t do what I ask these days. It seems you’ve always got something else on your mind other than what you’re supposed to be doing. You’ve been kind of moody lately, too. Don’t you agree, Elam?”
Luke glanced across the table to gauge his dad’s reaction, but Pop just sat there, dipping a biscuit up and down in his bowl of stew as though he hadn’t heard a word that had been said.
Mom leaned closer to Luke and looked him right in the eye. “I think you need to quit fooling around and make a decision about getting baptized and joining the church.”
Luke grunted and reached for another biscuit. “I will when I’m ready. In the meantime, I’ve got a lot on my mind.”
Mom squinted at him. “A lot on your mind?”
“Jah.”
“What kind of things could be on your mind that would keep you from joining the church?”
“Just things, that’s all.”
“Maybe he’s got some woman on his mind,” Pop spoke up.
“A woman?” Mom nudged Pop with her elbow. “If he had
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