hadn’t, and she believed that God had a plan for her life, and her experience with Daniel happened for a reason. She had to protect her heart. Somehow she’d have to make him understand.
“Who tied your tail into a knot?”
Lukas looked at his sister Elisabeth with a puzzled expression then turned over one of the chairs in the kitchen. It was wobbly, and he needed to fix it before people started showing up for the singing. The table, handcrafted by their father years ago, took up a large part of the room but had comfortably seated their family of eight for years. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re so crabby today.” She scraped a large dollop of mayonnaise from the jar and plopped it on top of a huge bowl of chicken salad.
“Elisabeth, I’ve barely been around you today.” They had both been busy getting ready for company. Since it was Sunday they weren’t doing actual work but finishing up minor details. Elisabeth had decided at the last minute the chicken salad needed “a little something extra,” but other than that they were prepared for their guests, who would start arriving any minute.
“I know I haven’t seen you much, but when I have you’ve been scowling. You’re face will freeze like that if you’re not careful.”
“You don’t still believe that old wives’ tale, do you?”
“ Nee . But you never know, you could be the first.” She looked at him and grinned. “Then you’ll only be half as gutguckich as all the maed think you are.”
Lukas didn’t answer her. He didn’t care what other girls thought of him. He only cared about one. And that one didn’t want to have anything to do with him, only his repair skills.
He frowned. That wasn’t entirely true. But that didn’t help stem the bitter disappointment he still felt from her rejection the other day.
“See, there you go again.” Elisabeth started stirring the salad, cradling the bowl against her chest as she faced him. “You haven’t been sucking on lemons, have you?”
“Drop it, Elisabeth.” He checked the bottom of each chair leg then discovered the problem. He pulled out his pocket knife and started scraping the wood.
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with Anna Esh, would it?”
“Why would you think that?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Elisabeth said in a sing-song voice. “Maybe because you’re with her almost as much as you’re here at home?”
“I’m not with her; I’m doing work at the store.”
“And at her house.”
“So?” He set the chair down and pushed it back and forth, checking the stability. It still wasn’t even, so he flipped it back over and tried again.
“A mann wouldn’t work so hard for a maedel unless he was sweet on her.”
“Or unless he knew she didn’t have any help.” His frown deepened. His sister could be like a dog with a bone sometimes. She didn’t know when to let something go. “It’s none of your business anyway.”
“You’re my bruder and I care about you.”
“I’d believe you, except I know the truth.” He checked the chair again, glad to see he’d fixed it this time. He stood up and looked at Elisabeth. “You’re being nosy.”
She continued stirring the chicken salad with a long-handled wooden spoon. “I’m hurt you would accuse me of such a thing.”
“Even if it’s the truth?”
She gave him a look then glanced at the bowl. “Oh, nee ! I put too much mayo in this!”
“You should have left it alone.”
“It’s all soupy.” She set the bowl on the counter then went to the pantry and threw open the door.
“Put some more chicken in it.”
“I don’t have any more chicken. I used it all up yesterday.” She put her finger to her lips as she scanned the ingredients in front of her, her brows knitting into a line. “You think potato flakes would work?”
“Potatoes in chicken salad?” His stomach lurched at the thought.
“I’m trying to improvise!” Her hand went to her forehead. “Why did I think I could
“Who tied your tail into a knot?”
Lukas looked at his sister Elisabeth with a puzzled expression then turned over one of the chairs in the kitchen. It was wobbly, and he needed to fix it before people started showing up for the singing. The table, handcrafted by their father years ago, took up a large part of the room but had comfortably seated their family of eight for years. “What are you talking about?”
“You’re so crabby today.” She scraped a large dollop of mayonnaise from the jar and plopped it on top of a huge bowl of chicken salad.
“Elisabeth, I’ve barely been around you today.” They had both been busy getting ready for company. Since it was Sunday they weren’t doing actual work but finishing up minor details. Elisabeth had decided at the last minute the chicken salad needed “a little something extra,” but other than that they were prepared for their guests, who would start arriving any minute.
“I know I haven’t seen you much, but when I have you’ve been scowling. You’re face will freeze like that if you’re not careful.”
“You don’t still believe that old wives’ tale, do you?”
“ Nee . But you never know, you could be the first.” She looked at him and grinned. “Then you’ll only be half as gutguckich as all the maed think you are.”
Lukas didn’t answer her. He didn’t care what other girls thought of him. He only cared about one. And that one didn’t want to have anything to do with him, only his repair skills.
He frowned. That wasn’t entirely true. But that didn’t help stem the bitter disappointment he still felt from her rejection the other day.
“See, there you go again.” Elisabeth started stirring the salad, cradling the bowl against her chest as she faced him. “You haven’t been sucking on lemons, have you?”
“Drop it, Elisabeth.” He checked the bottom of each chair leg then discovered the problem. He pulled out his pocket knife and started scraping the wood.
“This wouldn’t have anything to do with Anna Esh, would it?”
“Why would you think that?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Elisabeth said in a sing-song voice. “Maybe because you’re with her almost as much as you’re here at home?”
“I’m not with her; I’m doing work at the store.”
“And at her house.”
“So?” He set the chair down and pushed it back and forth, checking the stability. It still wasn’t even, so he flipped it back over and tried again.
“A mann wouldn’t work so hard for a maedel unless he was sweet on her.”
“Or unless he knew she didn’t have any help.” His frown deepened. His sister could be like a dog with a bone sometimes. She didn’t know when to let something go. “It’s none of your business anyway.”
“You’re my bruder and I care about you.”
“I’d believe you, except I know the truth.” He checked the chair again, glad to see he’d fixed it this time. He stood up and looked at Elisabeth. “You’re being nosy.”
She continued stirring the chicken salad with a long-handled wooden spoon. “I’m hurt you would accuse me of such a thing.”
“Even if it’s the truth?”
She gave him a look then glanced at the bowl. “Oh, nee ! I put too much mayo in this!”
“You should have left it alone.”
“It’s all soupy.” She set the bowl on the counter then went to the pantry and threw open the door.
“Put some more chicken in it.”
“I don’t have any more chicken. I used it all up yesterday.” She put her finger to her lips as she scanned the ingredients in front of her, her brows knitting into a line. “You think potato flakes would work?”
“Potatoes in chicken salad?” His stomach lurched at the thought.
“I’m trying to improvise!” Her hand went to her forehead. “Why did I think I could
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