Katie's Way by Marta Perry Page A

komm, too.”
    â€œRhoda will have her chance this afternoon. I’ll go back and take over for her.”
    That arrangement had not been to Rhoda’s liking, since she’d wanted to spend the whole day at the sale with her new friends. But Katie hadn’t been able to get the words of that Englisch dealer out of her mind, try as she might. He was convinced she would fail, and her dwindling bank account only reinforced that idea. Even if she made only one sale today, she had to stay open.
    â€œLook, there is Rachel Zook’s stand. Komm, we must say hello.”
    Katie let herself be tugged along by her cousin. She knew full well what Molly was doing. She was determined that Katie should meet everyone, make friends, and be happy here.
    Rachel had a welcoming grin as they approached her stand, which was laden with flats of flower and herb seedlings. “Molly, Katie. It’s gut to see you. Katie, this is your first Mud Sale here, ja?”
    Katie nodded. She’d talked with Rachel several times after church, of course, but Rachel had always seemed busy with her young family. “You have so many plants. They look wonderful gut.”
    â€œRachel was born with a green thumb,” Molly teased. “And now that she has her greenhouse, her business is thriving.”
    â€œIt does all right.” Rachel flushed slightly at Molly’s words. “I never thought I’d be running a business, that’s certain-sure, but it has worked out just fine for me.”
    Katie nodded. This wasn’t the life she’d envisioned for herself, either. But Rachel had a loving husband and young children, in addition to her business, so she had the best of both, it seemed.
    â€œThis is a gut place for you to make sales?” she asked.
    â€œJa, I go to all the spring sales, and also to the farmers’ market. It’s worthwhile, I think. Even if folks don’t buy from me on the day of the sale, they might remember my name and seek me out afterward.”
    Katie nodded, considering Rachel’s words. “That didn’t occur to me. Maybe I should be following your example. I could take some things from the shop out to sales.”
    â€œGut idea,” Molly said, her face lighting up with her typical enthusiasm. “I’d think you could sell a lot of the smaller items at a sale like this, and once folks saw what you have, they’d want to visit the shop. Why, you could hit a sale every weekend, this time of year, if you didn’t mind hiring a driver, and—”
    â€œAch, Molly, don’t overwhelm her.” Rachel seemed to read Katie’s reaction. She reached across the counter to pat her hand. “Not every sale, for sure. That would tire you out. But I am planning to go to the one in Fisherdale in two weeks. If you’re interested, you could go with me and share my stand.”
    The unexpected offer, coming when she had been feeling increasingly worried, nearly brought tears to Katie’s eyes. “That is ser gut of you. But I don’t want to impose.”
    â€œIt’s not imposing. I would be glad of the company.” Rachel squeezed her hand. “Other people helped me when I was getting started. We businesswomen need to stick together, ja?”
    â€œJa. Denke, Rachel.” Rachel’s words seemed to sweep away some of Katie’s doubts. “I would like to do that, if you’re sure.”
    Rachel nodded briskly. “I’ll stop by the shop this week, and we can make plans.”
    An Englisch woman approached the stand. “Rachel, I see you have the best plants as always.” She included Molly and Katie in her smile.
    Katie found it difficult, sometimes, to judge the age of an Englisch person, but the woman’s gray hair, worn short and windblown, seemed to say she was middle-aged, at least. Smile lines crinkled around green eyes that seemed to match the shirt she wore with jeans and a corduroy