fist, then smoothed it out again and slid it into her apron pocket.
She picked up his mug, inhaling the warm aromas of vanilla bean and coconut. With a glance toward the doorway to the next room, she made sure no one was coming, then raised the cup to her lips. The closest her mouth had ever come to Joshua’s. Pathetic, she knew.
She closed her eyes, sipping the tea and savoring the moment. Seconds later, the door creaked open, and she lowered the mug—too late, she realized as Joshua crossed the room and took the mug out of her numb fingers.
With a smirk and a raised eyebrow, he walked out again, this time with the mug.
***
The machine shop was quiet, the air heavy with the smells of gas, oil, turpentine, dust, hay, and fresh-cut grass. A faint musty odor also permeated the room. Joshua set his mug of tea on the counter and stepped back to survey it. Had Annie Beiler done what he thought she’d done? Jah, he knew what he’d seen, for certain.
She wasn’t as indifferent as she wanted to seem.
This could get very interesting.
His thoughts wandered back to Luke. He’d jumped the fence once, and she wouldn’t be surprised if he left again. Did Annie feel the same way about wanting to stay here, close to her family? And would it be fair for Joshua to even begin a relationship with her that was doomed to fail from the start? He fully intended to return home to Pennsylvania in time to help with the sugar mapling. It was what he wanted, what he had always planned. And it was expected of him.
And Annie’s daed would come to expect him to join him with the beekeeping, which Joshua found unusually fascinating, and in his small engine repair shop—a place that did provide an outlet for tinkering, something he enjoyed doing from time to time.
Was he wrong to spend time here, to want to be around Annie? To try to woo her? He wished he knew. If only she were open to leaving Seymour.
Joshua exhaled loudly and turned his attention to the older model gas riding lawn mower an Englischer had brought in sometime earlier. Isaac had said that the man had nursed it along all spring and summer and was about ready to give up on it and buy a new one unless Isaac could fix it.
With another sigh, he gathered a few tools and an old newspaper before he lowered himself to the dirty floor next to the mower. At least he got to start with the fun part: taking it apart.
But Annie kept intruding into his thoughts. That first time he’d seen her, on a church Sunday, he’d thought she looked like the kindest person he’d ever met, watching her as she comforted a small child. So encouraging. And all the little kinner had gathered around her to listen, completely engaged as she told them a story. She was beautiful, caught up in the story, in the kinner, in life. Jah, she’d caught his attention. But when he’d casually asked the other buwe about her, everyone had told him the same thing.
She was not available.
“Not available” had to be two of the most discouraging words.
The door opened, and Isaac came in, his gaze going to the partially disassembled engine beside Joshua. “Ach, gut. You’ve started on that. Let me know if you need any help. I’ll start work on the riding mower that came in yesterday.” Gesturing at Joshua’s project, he added, “I’m told that with a bag on the back, it collects leaves and grinds them up for mulch.” He shook his head, as if trying to understand the luxury of not having to rake leaves. “The owner is pretty anxious to get it back.”
Joshua nodded, trying to wrap his mind around the concept, as well. In his community in Pennsylvania, they were allowed to use push lawn mowers, but they weren’t gas. His family had an old model with a rotating blade. An antique, was what he’d been told by some awestruck Englischer. A gas lawn mower seemed a luxury to Joshua. And riding one…well, he could see where it might be handy. If
She picked up his mug, inhaling the warm aromas of vanilla bean and coconut. With a glance toward the doorway to the next room, she made sure no one was coming, then raised the cup to her lips. The closest her mouth had ever come to Joshua’s. Pathetic, she knew.
She closed her eyes, sipping the tea and savoring the moment. Seconds later, the door creaked open, and she lowered the mug—too late, she realized as Joshua crossed the room and took the mug out of her numb fingers.
With a smirk and a raised eyebrow, he walked out again, this time with the mug.
***
The machine shop was quiet, the air heavy with the smells of gas, oil, turpentine, dust, hay, and fresh-cut grass. A faint musty odor also permeated the room. Joshua set his mug of tea on the counter and stepped back to survey it. Had Annie Beiler done what he thought she’d done? Jah, he knew what he’d seen, for certain.
She wasn’t as indifferent as she wanted to seem.
This could get very interesting.
His thoughts wandered back to Luke. He’d jumped the fence once, and she wouldn’t be surprised if he left again. Did Annie feel the same way about wanting to stay here, close to her family? And would it be fair for Joshua to even begin a relationship with her that was doomed to fail from the start? He fully intended to return home to Pennsylvania in time to help with the sugar mapling. It was what he wanted, what he had always planned. And it was expected of him.
And Annie’s daed would come to expect him to join him with the beekeeping, which Joshua found unusually fascinating, and in his small engine repair shop—a place that did provide an outlet for tinkering, something he enjoyed doing from time to time.
Was he wrong to spend time here, to want to be around Annie? To try to woo her? He wished he knew. If only she were open to leaving Seymour.
Joshua exhaled loudly and turned his attention to the older model gas riding lawn mower an Englischer had brought in sometime earlier. Isaac had said that the man had nursed it along all spring and summer and was about ready to give up on it and buy a new one unless Isaac could fix it.
With another sigh, he gathered a few tools and an old newspaper before he lowered himself to the dirty floor next to the mower. At least he got to start with the fun part: taking it apart.
But Annie kept intruding into his thoughts. That first time he’d seen her, on a church Sunday, he’d thought she looked like the kindest person he’d ever met, watching her as she comforted a small child. So encouraging. And all the little kinner had gathered around her to listen, completely engaged as she told them a story. She was beautiful, caught up in the story, in the kinner, in life. Jah, she’d caught his attention. But when he’d casually asked the other buwe about her, everyone had told him the same thing.
She was not available.
“Not available” had to be two of the most discouraging words.
The door opened, and Isaac came in, his gaze going to the partially disassembled engine beside Joshua. “Ach, gut. You’ve started on that. Let me know if you need any help. I’ll start work on the riding mower that came in yesterday.” Gesturing at Joshua’s project, he added, “I’m told that with a bag on the back, it collects leaves and grinds them up for mulch.” He shook his head, as if trying to understand the luxury of not having to rake leaves. “The owner is pretty anxious to get it back.”
Joshua nodded, trying to wrap his mind around the concept, as well. In his community in Pennsylvania, they were allowed to use push lawn mowers, but they weren’t gas. His family had an old model with a rotating blade. An antique, was what he’d been told by some awestruck Englischer. A gas lawn mower seemed a luxury to Joshua. And riding one…well, he could see where it might be handy. If
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