Amish Promises by Leslie Gould Page B

tonight?”
    Shani shook her head. “He said he’d spend the night at the hospital.”
    Eve lifted the pan. “I made some sticky buns for your family.”
    â€œOh, thanks,” Shani answered. “I don’t know what time I’ll be back. Could I get them tomorrow? I’ll be around then. I need to start on the unpacking.”
    â€œOf course,” Eve answered as she stepped back from the car.
    â€œThank you.” Shani waved. “I’ll see you then.”
    As they walked back to their farm, Lila said, “We could help her unpack.”
    â€œI doubt we’d do much good,” Eve answered. Shani seemed awfully self-sufficient. “I’ll put the sticky buns back in the house, and then let’s go see how the milking is coming along. I’ll stay and help Daniel while you watch the little girls.”
    A few minutes later, as they approached the barn, her nephew barked, “Just one shovelful of grain.”
    Eve quickened her steps, wondering whom Daniel was talking to. Lila hurried along too, bumping into Eve as they made their way through the barn door. Daniel leaned against a cow, pushing her head into the stall, while Zane stood back a few feet away, a shovel in his hands. Charlie led a cow out of a stall, directed her toward the exit, and then turned around, his eyes connecting with Eve’s.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?” she asked.
    He grinned. “Milking.”
    â€œYou don’t need to do that,” she said, reaching for the last vinyl apron hanging from the hook on the wall. “I’m going to help Daniel.”
    Charlie motioned toward Zane. He stepped back to the grain bin and dug the shovel in. As he dumped it into the trough for the next cow, the boy said, “Tim said I needed to do Simon’s chores.”
    Eve’s face grew warm. Leave it to her brother to try to control the neighbors’ lives too.
    â€œHe’s going to help out until Simon is well enough to helpagain.” Charlie’s voice was extra kind. He must have sensed her discomfort.
    â€œHow about you?” she asked. “Surely you have better things to do than our chores.”
    â€œNo, I enjoy it. I grew up on a farm.”
    â€œReally?” She’d taken him for a city boy.
    â€œNot a dairy, mind you. We raised beef, but my grandparents had a milk cow.”
    Daniel cleared his throat, looking straight at Charlie. “Are you getting the next one or should I?”
    â€œDaniel!” Eve stepped toward her nephew. It wasn’t like him to be so bossy.
    â€œI’m just doing my job, Aenti,” he said. “Someone needs to be in charge.”
    Charlie grinned again and then said, over his shoulder as he hurried the opposite way toward the holding pen, “The boy’s right.”
    Trudy began to fuss. “I can stay and help,” Lila said. “I’ll trade you the baby for the apron.”
    Eve draped the apron over her niece’s shoulder and then hoisted the baby from the girl’s arms.
    â€œYou can show Zane how to do the feed,” Daniel told Lila as he checked the tubing and then headed toward the vat in the milk room.
    â€œBring everyone in for dinner when you’re done,” Eve said to Lila, shifting Trudy to her hip. It was the least she could do, considering all that Charlie and Zane were doing to help. And it wasn’t like Tim would be getting home anytime soon, although Rose would tell him later that she’d invited the Englischers into the house for a meal. She’d just have to deal with him when the time came.
    Charlie herded another cow into the barn.
    â€œIf you put the grain in now, it’ll encourage the cow to come to the right slot.” Lila pointed to the trough, and Zane dumped the grain. The cow moved forward and dipped her head down to eat.
    â€œGood work.” Lila scratched the cow between her ears while Zane turned back around to the grain