Hope Chest by Wanda E. Brunstetter Page A

on,” she mumbled.
    “Rachel!”
    “Jah, Mom?”
    “When you’re done with the laundry, I’d like you to go over to the greenhouse and help your daed awhile. I’ve got several things here at the house needing to be done, so it doesn’t look like I’ll be able to work out there today.”
    “What about Anna? She’s the one who likes working with flowers.”
    “She’s running some errands in Paradise.”
    Rachel already knew that. What she didn’t know was why. Couldn’t she have gone to town so Anna could have kept working in the greenhouse? Life wasn’t always fair, but she knew there was no point in arguing, so she cupped her hands around her mouth and hollered, “Okay, Mom! I’ll go over to the greenhouse as soon as I’m finished here.”
***
    Silas’s morning chores were done, but he had a few errands to run for his dad. He decided this would be a good time to stop by the Beachys’ greenhouse and have a little talk with Anna. Maybe he’d even buy Mom a new indoor plant or something she could plant in her flower garden. That would give him a good excuse for stopping at Grandma’s Place, and it might keep Anna from suspecting the real reason for his visit.
    Half an hour later, Silas stepped inside the greenhouse and was surprised to see Rachel sitting behind the counter, writing something on a tablet. “Guder mariye,” he said, offering her a smile. “Is Anna about?”
    “Nope. Just me and my daed are here today.” She motioned toward the back room. “He’s repotting some African violets that have outgrown their containers.”
    Silas’s smile turned upside down. “I thought Anna usually worked in the greenhouse. She isn’t sick, I hope.”
    Rachel tapped her pencil along the edge of the counter. “She went to Paradise. Had some errands to run.”
    Silas scratched the back of his head. “Hmm ... guess maybe I can try to catch up with her there. I have some errands to run today, too.” He turned toward the door, all thoughts of buying a plant forgotten. If he hurried, he might make it to Paradise in time to find Anna. The town wasn’t so big, so if she was still running errands, he was bound to spot her. “Have a nice day. See you later, Rachel.”
***
    Anna ... Anna ... Anna ... Rachel gripped her pencil so hard, her knuckles turned white. Was getting Anna to agree to court him all Silas ever thought about? He hadn’t bothered to ask how Rachel was doing or even make any small talk about the weather.
    “I heard the bell ring above the door,” Dad said as he entered the room. “Did we have a customer?”
    Rachel was about to answer when she felt a sneeze coming on. She grabbed a tissue from the box under the counter, leaned her head back, and let out a big ker-choo!
    “ Got segen eich— God bless you.”
    “Danki.”
    “You’re not coming down with a summer cold, I hope.” Dad’s forehead wrinkled, and he looked at Rachel with obvious concern.
    She shook her head. “I think I’m allergic to all these flowers. I do okay with the ones growing outside, but being cooped up with ’em in here is a whole different matter.”
    “Guess working in the greenhouse isn’t exactly your idea of fun, huh?”
    She turned her head away as she felt another sneeze coming on. “Ker-choo!” She held her finger under her nose. “Truth is, I would rather be outside.”
    “How come the doorbell jingled and we have no customers?” Dad asked, making no mention of her preference.
    “It was Silas Swartley. He was looking for Anna, and when I told him she was running errands in Paradise, he hightailed it right out of here.”
    Dad chuckled. “Love is in the air. There’s no doubt about it.”
    Rachel nibbled on the end of her pencil, remembering the way Silas always looked whenever he spoke of her sister. It made her sick to her stomach, knowing he was so sweet on Anna when she didn’t love him in return.
    Dad grinned like an old hound dog that had just been given a bone. “Someday your time