right, if your mamm has no objections.” Barbara’s dad swung his gaze over to Paul. “And if it’s okay with Paul.”
A muscle along the side of Paul’s cheek twitched.
Barbara was happy to hear that her oldest boy had an interest in the shop again, but Paul seemed uncomfortable with the idea. “Aaron, maybe you should wait for another Saturday when I’m back working in the shop,” she suggested.
The boy’s forehead wrinkled. “But that might take a long time. Grandma says you’re real tired, and the boppli’s gonna need you for a while.”
Barbara couldn’t deny it. She might not be able to return to work for several weeks. She glanced at Paul again to gauge his reaction. He looked as uncomfortable as when he’d first enteredthe room. “If Grandpa and Paul are both okay with it, then you can help a few hours this afternoon.”
Paul reached up and rubbed his jaw. “I guess we could use some help cleaning up the place.”
“Is that all?” Aaron scrunched up his nose. “I’ll bet if my daed was still alive, he’d let me do some fun stuff. Always did before.”
“We’re out there to work, not have fun,” Paul said with a frown.
Barbara stiffened. “You don’t have to be so harsh with the boy. He meant no disrespect.”
Paul’s face turned bright red. “I was just stating facts.”
“I think working in the harness shop is fun,” she asserted.
Mom’s head bobbed up and down. “That’s right. Why, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard Barbara say how much fun she has in the shop. Of course, that’s not to say I agree with her. Personally, I think harness making is too hard for a woman, and I’ve told my daughter so many times.”
Obviously, neither Paul nor her mother saw things the way Barbara did. She grabbed a deviled egg and bit into it, determined to get her strength back. As soon as she was on her feet again, she would be ready to take over the shop. Then Paul Hilty could hightail it right back to Pennsylvania.
“I think I hear Davey, so I’d better go check on him.” She rushed out of the room.
Alice stared at her daughter’s retreating form. Why was Barbara being so unfriendly? She seemed almost rude to Paul. Didn’t sheappreciate that he had agreed to take over the harness shop until she could return to work? And why did Paul seem so testy with Aaron? It was no wonder the boy shied away from him.
“So, what’s for dessert?” Samuel asked, smiling over at Alice.
“I made a fresh batch of oatmeal cookies this morning, and we’ve got some applesauce to go with them.”
“I’ll have some,” Samuel said with a nod.
“Me, too,” Joseph put in.
Alice looked at Aaron, but he only shrugged. She turned to Paul and said, “What about you?”
“Dessert sounds good, but I think I should get back to work. Danki for inviting me to join you for the meal. It was very good.” He pushed his chair away from the table, grabbed his hat, and headed out the door.
Alice looked at Samuel. “Do you want to take your dessert with you so you can get back to work?”
Samuel shook his head. “Paul’s real capable. I think he can manage without my help awhile.”
He looked over at Aaron. “You comin’ out to the shop with me, boy?”
“Huh-uh.”
“Why not? I thought you wanted to help.”
Aaron shook his head. “Not today, Grandpa.”
Samuel shrugged, glanced at Alice, and lifted his eyebrows. He was probably thinking the same thing she was—that it would be great when Barbara got her strength back and things returned to normal.
Chapter 6
I ’m glad Mom could watch the kinner this afternoon so we could make this trip,” Faith said to Noah as they traveled down the road in their open buggy toward Barbara Zook’s place. “I really need to check on Barbara.”
“And I need to visit the harness shop.” Noah smiled. “So it works out well for both of us.”
They rode in silence awhile; then Faith spoke again. “I’m worried about
A muscle along the side of Paul’s cheek twitched.
Barbara was happy to hear that her oldest boy had an interest in the shop again, but Paul seemed uncomfortable with the idea. “Aaron, maybe you should wait for another Saturday when I’m back working in the shop,” she suggested.
The boy’s forehead wrinkled. “But that might take a long time. Grandma says you’re real tired, and the boppli’s gonna need you for a while.”
Barbara couldn’t deny it. She might not be able to return to work for several weeks. She glanced at Paul again to gauge his reaction. He looked as uncomfortable as when he’d first enteredthe room. “If Grandpa and Paul are both okay with it, then you can help a few hours this afternoon.”
Paul reached up and rubbed his jaw. “I guess we could use some help cleaning up the place.”
“Is that all?” Aaron scrunched up his nose. “I’ll bet if my daed was still alive, he’d let me do some fun stuff. Always did before.”
“We’re out there to work, not have fun,” Paul said with a frown.
Barbara stiffened. “You don’t have to be so harsh with the boy. He meant no disrespect.”
Paul’s face turned bright red. “I was just stating facts.”
“I think working in the harness shop is fun,” she asserted.
Mom’s head bobbed up and down. “That’s right. Why, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard Barbara say how much fun she has in the shop. Of course, that’s not to say I agree with her. Personally, I think harness making is too hard for a woman, and I’ve told my daughter so many times.”
Obviously, neither Paul nor her mother saw things the way Barbara did. She grabbed a deviled egg and bit into it, determined to get her strength back. As soon as she was on her feet again, she would be ready to take over the shop. Then Paul Hilty could hightail it right back to Pennsylvania.
“I think I hear Davey, so I’d better go check on him.” She rushed out of the room.
Alice stared at her daughter’s retreating form. Why was Barbara being so unfriendly? She seemed almost rude to Paul. Didn’t sheappreciate that he had agreed to take over the harness shop until she could return to work? And why did Paul seem so testy with Aaron? It was no wonder the boy shied away from him.
“So, what’s for dessert?” Samuel asked, smiling over at Alice.
“I made a fresh batch of oatmeal cookies this morning, and we’ve got some applesauce to go with them.”
“I’ll have some,” Samuel said with a nod.
“Me, too,” Joseph put in.
Alice looked at Aaron, but he only shrugged. She turned to Paul and said, “What about you?”
“Dessert sounds good, but I think I should get back to work. Danki for inviting me to join you for the meal. It was very good.” He pushed his chair away from the table, grabbed his hat, and headed out the door.
Alice looked at Samuel. “Do you want to take your dessert with you so you can get back to work?”
Samuel shook his head. “Paul’s real capable. I think he can manage without my help awhile.”
He looked over at Aaron. “You comin’ out to the shop with me, boy?”
“Huh-uh.”
“Why not? I thought you wanted to help.”
Aaron shook his head. “Not today, Grandpa.”
Samuel shrugged, glanced at Alice, and lifted his eyebrows. He was probably thinking the same thing she was—that it would be great when Barbara got her strength back and things returned to normal.
Chapter 6
I ’m glad Mom could watch the kinner this afternoon so we could make this trip,” Faith said to Noah as they traveled down the road in their open buggy toward Barbara Zook’s place. “I really need to check on Barbara.”
“And I need to visit the harness shop.” Noah smiled. “So it works out well for both of us.”
They rode in silence awhile; then Faith spoke again. “I’m worried about
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