a woman on his mind, he’d be more than ready to join the church.” She gave a little gasp as she covered her mouth with her hand. “Ach, Luke! Please don’t tell me you’ve found an English girlfriend and she’s the reason you haven’t joined the church.”
Luke’s mouth dropped open. “ ’Course not. I don’t have any girlfriend, much less one who’s English.” He hoped his mother didn’t press him on this, or he might end up admitting that he had more than a passing interest in Martha Hostettler.
“Whether you’ve got your eye on any particular woman or not, I think it’s past time for you to get baptized and join the church.”
Luke opened his mouth to argue the point, but Pop interceded with a raised hand. “And I think it’s time we drop this subject, don’t you, Betty?”
Mom gave Pop a quick nod, but Luke could see by the look on her face that she was none too happy about it. Fact was, if Pop hadn’t put a halt to the conversation, Mom probably would have pestered Luke all the way through supper.
Luke reached for his glass of milk. If the folks knew I had a truck hidden in the woods and had been hanging around with some rowdy English fellows, I’d probably be in for another lecture.
“Are we still going to Henry and Luann’s house for Thanksgiving?” Luke asked, deciding it was time for a change of subject.
Mom nodded. “Your big brother’s looking forward to having us, as well as your four other brothers and their families, over that day.”
“Henry’s not that much older than me,” Luke said with a frown. “How come you referred to him as my ‘big brother’?”
“It’s just a figure of speech,” Pop said before Mom could reply. “Why do you have to be so nitpicky all the time?”
“I wasn’t. I was just making a point.”
Mom laid a gentle hand on Luke’s arm. “Let’s not have any more fussing tonight, okay?”
Luke nodded. Tempers had flared and harsh words had been spoken at their supper table more in the last few months than in all of Luke’s twenty-two years. If only Mom and Pop would quit pestering him about joining the church. If they’d just let him live his life the way he thought best.
“Have you asked your boss about joining us for our Thanksgiving meal?” Mom asked.
Luke nodded. “I mentioned it to John this morning, but he said he’d made other plans. He’ll be out of town until Saturday, so his shop won’t be open again until then.”
Pop’s eyebrows arched upward. “He’s single, with no family in the area. What other plans could he have made?”
“I don’t know and didn’t ask.”
Pop grunted. “No wonder you don’t have an aldi . You never think of anyone but yourself.”
Luke gritted his teeth. Was Pop trying to start another argument by bringing up the fact that he didn’t have a girlfriend? “I didn’t press John for details because I didn’t think it was any of my business.”
“Even if John doesn’t have other plans for Thanksgiving, he might not feel comfortable with the idea of having dinner with people he doesn’t know,” Mom said.
Pop reached for his glass of water. “He knows Luke.”
“That’s true, but he doesn’t know us that well.”
Luke pushed his chair away from the table and stood. He’d had enough supper conversation.
“Where are you going?” Mom motioned to Luke’s half-eaten bowl of stew. “You haven’t finished your meal.”
“I’m full right up to here.” Luke touched his chin. “And I’ve got somewhere I need to go.”
Pop’s forehead creased. “And where might that be?”
“I’m going outside to take care of that wood Mom’s been after me to chop,” Luke said as he grabbed his stocking cap off the wall peg near the back door.
“That can wait until tomorrow,” Mom called.
Luke rushed out the door. Even though he was in no hurry to chop wood, it would be better than sitting at the table being nagged at throughout the whole meal.
As the Hostettlers sat around
Luke’s mouth dropped open. “ ’Course not. I don’t have any girlfriend, much less one who’s English.” He hoped his mother didn’t press him on this, or he might end up admitting that he had more than a passing interest in Martha Hostettler.
“Whether you’ve got your eye on any particular woman or not, I think it’s past time for you to get baptized and join the church.”
Luke opened his mouth to argue the point, but Pop interceded with a raised hand. “And I think it’s time we drop this subject, don’t you, Betty?”
Mom gave Pop a quick nod, but Luke could see by the look on her face that she was none too happy about it. Fact was, if Pop hadn’t put a halt to the conversation, Mom probably would have pestered Luke all the way through supper.
Luke reached for his glass of milk. If the folks knew I had a truck hidden in the woods and had been hanging around with some rowdy English fellows, I’d probably be in for another lecture.
“Are we still going to Henry and Luann’s house for Thanksgiving?” Luke asked, deciding it was time for a change of subject.
Mom nodded. “Your big brother’s looking forward to having us, as well as your four other brothers and their families, over that day.”
“Henry’s not that much older than me,” Luke said with a frown. “How come you referred to him as my ‘big brother’?”
“It’s just a figure of speech,” Pop said before Mom could reply. “Why do you have to be so nitpicky all the time?”
“I wasn’t. I was just making a point.”
Mom laid a gentle hand on Luke’s arm. “Let’s not have any more fussing tonight, okay?”
Luke nodded. Tempers had flared and harsh words had been spoken at their supper table more in the last few months than in all of Luke’s twenty-two years. If only Mom and Pop would quit pestering him about joining the church. If they’d just let him live his life the way he thought best.
“Have you asked your boss about joining us for our Thanksgiving meal?” Mom asked.
Luke nodded. “I mentioned it to John this morning, but he said he’d made other plans. He’ll be out of town until Saturday, so his shop won’t be open again until then.”
Pop’s eyebrows arched upward. “He’s single, with no family in the area. What other plans could he have made?”
“I don’t know and didn’t ask.”
Pop grunted. “No wonder you don’t have an aldi . You never think of anyone but yourself.”
Luke gritted his teeth. Was Pop trying to start another argument by bringing up the fact that he didn’t have a girlfriend? “I didn’t press John for details because I didn’t think it was any of my business.”
“Even if John doesn’t have other plans for Thanksgiving, he might not feel comfortable with the idea of having dinner with people he doesn’t know,” Mom said.
Pop reached for his glass of water. “He knows Luke.”
“That’s true, but he doesn’t know us that well.”
Luke pushed his chair away from the table and stood. He’d had enough supper conversation.
“Where are you going?” Mom motioned to Luke’s half-eaten bowl of stew. “You haven’t finished your meal.”
“I’m full right up to here.” Luke touched his chin. “And I’ve got somewhere I need to go.”
Pop’s forehead creased. “And where might that be?”
“I’m going outside to take care of that wood Mom’s been after me to chop,” Luke said as he grabbed his stocking cap off the wall peg near the back door.
“That can wait until tomorrow,” Mom called.
Luke rushed out the door. Even though he was in no hurry to chop wood, it would be better than sitting at the table being nagged at throughout the whole meal.
As the Hostettlers sat around
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