woman when Mom and Grace showed up at the bakeshop, chattering about the baby things they had bought that morning.
“Anna’s excited about being the baby’s big sister,” Grace said as she stepped up to the bakery counter, wearing a smile that stretched ear to ear. “I think she’s hoping for a maedel.”
“Not Cleon, though,” Mom put in. “He told your daed that he’d like it to be a buwe.”
Grace stroked her stomach. “It doesn’t matter to me whether it’s a boy or a girl. I just want it to be born healthy.”
“We’re all praying for that,” Mom agreed.
Ruth smiled despite the pang of jealousy she fought. She wished she was starting a family. If Luke hadn’t been so undependable and secretive, she might be planning a fall wedding right now. Instead, she was in the early stages of courtship with Martin, and it could be another year or two before he proposed, if at all.
“Do you have any lemon-filled doughnuts?” Grace asked, breaking into Ruth’s thoughts. “I promised to bring some home for Martha.”
Ruth pointed to the section in the bakery case where the doughnuts were kept. “Still have half a dozen lemon ones left.”
“I’ll take them all,” Grace said with a wink in Mom’s direction.“That way there’ll be enough for our menfolk to have some.”
Mom chuckled. “Better give the doughnuts to the men before Martha gets her hands on the tasty treats, or there might not be any left.”
Ruth reached into the case and removed the last of the lemon-filled doughnuts, placed them inside a small cardboard box, and handed it to Mom. She’d just put the money into the cash register when the bell above the door jangled and a red-haired English man stepped into the room.
“Hello, ladies,” Gary Walker said, stepping between Grace and Mom. “Have you come for some sweets to make you sweeter?”
Mom blinked a couple of times, and Grace grabbed the side of the counter, as if needing it for support. “Wh–what are you doing here?” she rasped. “I thought you had left Holmes County for good.”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “I did go to Pennsylvania for a while, Gracie, but I decided with all the interesting people here, I needed to come back and do a few more stories.”
Grace’s face turned paler than goat’s milk as she swayed unsteadily. Ruth feared her sister might pass out, so she skirted around the counter and slipped one arm around Grace’s waist. “There’s a stool in the back room. Would you like to sit awhile?”
Grace shook her head and moved toward the door. “I’ll be fine. I just need some fresh air.”
Mom scurried to the door and was about to open it, but Gary beat her to it. “May I help you outside to your buggy?” he asked, looking at Grace.
“I can make it on my own,” she mumbled.
Gary looked her up and down. His gaze came to rest on her stomach. “Well, well,” he said with a smirk. “When’s the blessed event?”
Grace hurried out the door behind Mom.
Gary lifted his shoulders in an exaggerated shrug as he turned to look at Ruth. “That sister of yours sure is testy.”
Ruth clenched her fingers into tight balls and moved back to the bakery counter. “May I help you with something?”
He sauntered over to the counter and glanced at the baked goods, then looked back at her. “Nothing looks quite as good as the one sellingthese sweet treats. How’d you like to have supper with me after you get off work?”
Gary’s piercing gaze sent shivers up Ruth’s back, and she shook her head.
“Ah, come on, Ruthie. I just want to get to know you a little better.” Gary leaned across the counter, and the spicy scent of his aftershave caused Ruth to pull back, feeling like a turtle being poked with a sharp stick.
“You’re sure jumpy,” he said with a smirk. “I don’t bite, you know.”
Ruth’s face heated up. “If you don’t want anything, then—”
“Oh, I want something, all right, but it’s not one of these,” he said,
“Anna’s excited about being the baby’s big sister,” Grace said as she stepped up to the bakery counter, wearing a smile that stretched ear to ear. “I think she’s hoping for a maedel.”
“Not Cleon, though,” Mom put in. “He told your daed that he’d like it to be a buwe.”
Grace stroked her stomach. “It doesn’t matter to me whether it’s a boy or a girl. I just want it to be born healthy.”
“We’re all praying for that,” Mom agreed.
Ruth smiled despite the pang of jealousy she fought. She wished she was starting a family. If Luke hadn’t been so undependable and secretive, she might be planning a fall wedding right now. Instead, she was in the early stages of courtship with Martin, and it could be another year or two before he proposed, if at all.
“Do you have any lemon-filled doughnuts?” Grace asked, breaking into Ruth’s thoughts. “I promised to bring some home for Martha.”
Ruth pointed to the section in the bakery case where the doughnuts were kept. “Still have half a dozen lemon ones left.”
“I’ll take them all,” Grace said with a wink in Mom’s direction.“That way there’ll be enough for our menfolk to have some.”
Mom chuckled. “Better give the doughnuts to the men before Martha gets her hands on the tasty treats, or there might not be any left.”
Ruth reached into the case and removed the last of the lemon-filled doughnuts, placed them inside a small cardboard box, and handed it to Mom. She’d just put the money into the cash register when the bell above the door jangled and a red-haired English man stepped into the room.
“Hello, ladies,” Gary Walker said, stepping between Grace and Mom. “Have you come for some sweets to make you sweeter?”
Mom blinked a couple of times, and Grace grabbed the side of the counter, as if needing it for support. “Wh–what are you doing here?” she rasped. “I thought you had left Holmes County for good.”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “I did go to Pennsylvania for a while, Gracie, but I decided with all the interesting people here, I needed to come back and do a few more stories.”
Grace’s face turned paler than goat’s milk as she swayed unsteadily. Ruth feared her sister might pass out, so she skirted around the counter and slipped one arm around Grace’s waist. “There’s a stool in the back room. Would you like to sit awhile?”
Grace shook her head and moved toward the door. “I’ll be fine. I just need some fresh air.”
Mom scurried to the door and was about to open it, but Gary beat her to it. “May I help you outside to your buggy?” he asked, looking at Grace.
“I can make it on my own,” she mumbled.
Gary looked her up and down. His gaze came to rest on her stomach. “Well, well,” he said with a smirk. “When’s the blessed event?”
Grace hurried out the door behind Mom.
Gary lifted his shoulders in an exaggerated shrug as he turned to look at Ruth. “That sister of yours sure is testy.”
Ruth clenched her fingers into tight balls and moved back to the bakery counter. “May I help you with something?”
He sauntered over to the counter and glanced at the baked goods, then looked back at her. “Nothing looks quite as good as the one sellingthese sweet treats. How’d you like to have supper with me after you get off work?”
Gary’s piercing gaze sent shivers up Ruth’s back, and she shook her head.
“Ah, come on, Ruthie. I just want to get to know you a little better.” Gary leaned across the counter, and the spicy scent of his aftershave caused Ruth to pull back, feeling like a turtle being poked with a sharp stick.
“You’re sure jumpy,” he said with a smirk. “I don’t bite, you know.”
Ruth’s face heated up. “If you don’t want anything, then—”
“Oh, I want something, all right, but it’s not one of these,” he said,
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