anniversary.”
Thinking the young man would head out, Roman moved toward the front door. Martin followed, but when he got to the door, he halted and turned to face Roman again. “I ... uh ... heard that Ruth got a job in Berlin working at the bakeshop.” His voice sounded raspy, almost a whisper.
“Jah, she sure did.”
“Does she like it there?”
“I guess so.” Roman grinned. “Who wouldn’t like working around all those sweet-tasting pastries and pies?”
Martin nodded and glanced around the room again. “Heard you hired Luke Friesen a few months back, but I don’t see him anywhere. Does that mean he’s not workin’ for you anymore?”
Roman nodded toward the back room. “He’s doing some cleanup.”
“I see. Well, I’d best be on my way, I expect. See you soon.”
Roman shook his head as Martin headed out the door. That fellow was sure the nervous type. Nothing like Luke, who never seemed to think twice about what he said or did.
Chapter 7
Cleon pulled into the Hostettlers’ place, halted his buggy in front of the hitching rail, and climbed down. As soon as he had his horse put in the corral, he skirted around to the back of the buggy and lifted his bicycle out. Today was another beautiful Saturday with clear blue skies and plenty of sunshine, despite the drop in the temperature that typically came with fall weather. Even though he knew Grace had worked until three this afternoon, Cleon figured they had time to go for a bicycle ride before the sun went down.
He parked his bike near the barn and hurried around the house to the back door, where he found Judith sitting on the porch with a pan of plump, golden apples in her lap and a paring knife in one hand.
“It’s good to see you, Cleon,” she said, smiling up at him as he stepped onto the porch.
“Good to see you, too.” He glanced toward the door. “I’m here to take Grace for a bike ride. Do you know if she’s ready to go?”
“She’s upstairs changing her clothes, so if you’d like to have a seat and keep me company for a while, that’d be real nice.” Judith nodded toward the wicker chair that sat beside her own.
“I believe I will.” Cleon liked the way Grace’s mother always took time out to visit with him. Not like his mother, who stayed busy from sunup to sunset. But then, Judith didn’t have a home-based business where she had to feed several groups of hungry, curious tourists several times a week. Mom also had her candle-making business, and even though she had the help of Cleon’s sister with both jobs, she had very little time to sit and visit.
“It’s a fine day for a bike ride, jah?”
Cleon nodded. “What are your other two daughters up to this afternoon?”
“Martha’s out in the barn hovering over her dogs, like usual, and Ruth went for a walk with her friend Sadie.” Judith’s lips puckered as she lifted her knife and began to peel one of the apples in the bowl. “Ruth was supposed to go somewhere with Luke this afternoon, but Roman asked him to work today, so she made other plans, which might be a good thing in the long run.”
“What makes you say that?”
She shrugged. “If Luke’s giving Roman a hard time in the shop, then he might not be the best choice as a suitor for Ruth. She tends to be quite sensitive, and I’m not sure a headstrong man like Luke is what she needs.”
The back door swung open, and Grace stepped onto the porch, saving Cleon from having to respond.
“Ready to go?” he asked, feeling a sense of excitement at the prospect of being alone with her again.
Grace nodded and smiled. “Just don’t expect me to go speeding down the road. My legs are tired from work, and I’m not sure how far I can go without my strength giving out.”
“Would you rather we not ride our bikes? We could go for a buggy ride instead.”
She shook her head. “That’s okay. I need the fresh air, and the exercise my legs will be getting is different from walking or
Thinking the young man would head out, Roman moved toward the front door. Martin followed, but when he got to the door, he halted and turned to face Roman again. “I ... uh ... heard that Ruth got a job in Berlin working at the bakeshop.” His voice sounded raspy, almost a whisper.
“Jah, she sure did.”
“Does she like it there?”
“I guess so.” Roman grinned. “Who wouldn’t like working around all those sweet-tasting pastries and pies?”
Martin nodded and glanced around the room again. “Heard you hired Luke Friesen a few months back, but I don’t see him anywhere. Does that mean he’s not workin’ for you anymore?”
Roman nodded toward the back room. “He’s doing some cleanup.”
“I see. Well, I’d best be on my way, I expect. See you soon.”
Roman shook his head as Martin headed out the door. That fellow was sure the nervous type. Nothing like Luke, who never seemed to think twice about what he said or did.
Chapter 7
Cleon pulled into the Hostettlers’ place, halted his buggy in front of the hitching rail, and climbed down. As soon as he had his horse put in the corral, he skirted around to the back of the buggy and lifted his bicycle out. Today was another beautiful Saturday with clear blue skies and plenty of sunshine, despite the drop in the temperature that typically came with fall weather. Even though he knew Grace had worked until three this afternoon, Cleon figured they had time to go for a bicycle ride before the sun went down.
He parked his bike near the barn and hurried around the house to the back door, where he found Judith sitting on the porch with a pan of plump, golden apples in her lap and a paring knife in one hand.
“It’s good to see you, Cleon,” she said, smiling up at him as he stepped onto the porch.
“Good to see you, too.” He glanced toward the door. “I’m here to take Grace for a bike ride. Do you know if she’s ready to go?”
“She’s upstairs changing her clothes, so if you’d like to have a seat and keep me company for a while, that’d be real nice.” Judith nodded toward the wicker chair that sat beside her own.
“I believe I will.” Cleon liked the way Grace’s mother always took time out to visit with him. Not like his mother, who stayed busy from sunup to sunset. But then, Judith didn’t have a home-based business where she had to feed several groups of hungry, curious tourists several times a week. Mom also had her candle-making business, and even though she had the help of Cleon’s sister with both jobs, she had very little time to sit and visit.
“It’s a fine day for a bike ride, jah?”
Cleon nodded. “What are your other two daughters up to this afternoon?”
“Martha’s out in the barn hovering over her dogs, like usual, and Ruth went for a walk with her friend Sadie.” Judith’s lips puckered as she lifted her knife and began to peel one of the apples in the bowl. “Ruth was supposed to go somewhere with Luke this afternoon, but Roman asked him to work today, so she made other plans, which might be a good thing in the long run.”
“What makes you say that?”
She shrugged. “If Luke’s giving Roman a hard time in the shop, then he might not be the best choice as a suitor for Ruth. She tends to be quite sensitive, and I’m not sure a headstrong man like Luke is what she needs.”
The back door swung open, and Grace stepped onto the porch, saving Cleon from having to respond.
“Ready to go?” he asked, feeling a sense of excitement at the prospect of being alone with her again.
Grace nodded and smiled. “Just don’t expect me to go speeding down the road. My legs are tired from work, and I’m not sure how far I can go without my strength giving out.”
“Would you rather we not ride our bikes? We could go for a buggy ride instead.”
She shook her head. “That’s okay. I need the fresh air, and the exercise my legs will be getting is different from walking or
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