it picked up leaves, all the better. He smiled and lifted his gaze to Isaac. “Should we give it a test run as soon as I get it fixed?”
Isaac grinned back. “It’d be remiss of us not to, ain’t so?”
Chapter 7
Annie went through the supper preparations in a daze. Before she knew it, the beef stew simmered on the back of the stove; on the counter beside it sat the corn bread, baked to a nice golden-brown; and the table was set. Everything was ready for whenever Daed and Joshua came inside from working in the shop. Aaron would spend the evening with his future in-laws, and Cathy wasn’t home yet. Annie glanced at the clock. Her sister was half an hour late.
The only thing that wasn’t quite ready was the molasses pie she’d made to replace the custard pie, which the men had nearly polished off this afternoon. She’d made the crust herself, and while it wouldn’t be as flaky as Cathy’s, at least it wouldn’t be burned. Well, she hoped not. She checked the time and peeked inside the oven to check on it. Not quite done. Yet, even when it was, she wouldn’t be ready. It would take a million years for her to feel even remotely capable of facing this moment: Joshua, eating a meal with her—a meal prepared by her. She fought to keep an excited grin under control.
She wiped her sweaty hands on her apron, then turned and went into the other room. Mamm looked up from her mending. “It smells delicious, Annie. I’m sorry I couldn’t help.”
Annie forced a smile. “It’s okay. You just get better.”
Mamm nodded. “As fast as the Lord wills.” She stuck the needle into the toe of the sock she was darning and laid her project across the arm of her wheelchair. “Your daed said he invited one of the Pennsylvania buwe to eat with us tonight.”
Annie swallowed a dreamy sigh to keep it from coming out. “Jah.”
“You met him, ain’t so? What is this bu like? I miss so much, not being able to go out.” Tears gathered in Mamm’s eyes. “I feel like a prisoner in my own home.”
“Ach, Mamm.” Annie put her hand on Mamm’s arm and squeezed. “Maybe with Joshua working for him, Daed will have time to build a wheelchair ramp.”
“Maybe. Tell me about him, the bu from Pennsylvania. All your daed said is that he seems to be willing to work with the bees and in the shop.” She gave a wry smile. “It disappoints him that Aaron doesn’t want to, but he’ll never say so.”
“I know. And if I were a bu—”
“You aren’t. And you mustn’t think that way. But this bu from Pennsylvania?”
Annie swallowed. How could she describe Joshua without betraying every bit of longing she felt for him? Mamm would see right through her. “Ach, you’ll see him soon enough.” She waved dismissively. “Dinner’s ready, so I expect they’ll be walking in the door any moment.”
Mamm shook her head. “Nein need to tell me how he looks.”
“Um, he seems nice. I haven’t spent much time with him.” Not nearly enough. She couldn’t say that. Nor would she say that he’d asked out every single girl. But he hadn’t asked her, so maybe she would. “He’s what the Englisch call a ‘player.’” She swallowed hard. Time for the basics. “He’s gut-looking, and he knows it. Tall, dark blond hair, hazel eyes, with flecks of green, gray and blue, that seem to change color with the sky or his shirt.”
So much for being objective or forgoing a physical description. Her face heated. Mamm stared up at her with her mouth partially open.
Annie struggled for something more to say. Other than that he was a dream come true.
Except for the “player” part.
“Someone special, then, jah?” Mamm said softly.
There was a noise behind Annie. She turned to see Joshua and Daed standing in the doorway. How much had they overheard?
***
A player? Annie thought he was a player?
Joshua balled his fists in
Isaac grinned back. “It’d be remiss of us not to, ain’t so?”
Chapter 7
Annie went through the supper preparations in a daze. Before she knew it, the beef stew simmered on the back of the stove; on the counter beside it sat the corn bread, baked to a nice golden-brown; and the table was set. Everything was ready for whenever Daed and Joshua came inside from working in the shop. Aaron would spend the evening with his future in-laws, and Cathy wasn’t home yet. Annie glanced at the clock. Her sister was half an hour late.
The only thing that wasn’t quite ready was the molasses pie she’d made to replace the custard pie, which the men had nearly polished off this afternoon. She’d made the crust herself, and while it wouldn’t be as flaky as Cathy’s, at least it wouldn’t be burned. Well, she hoped not. She checked the time and peeked inside the oven to check on it. Not quite done. Yet, even when it was, she wouldn’t be ready. It would take a million years for her to feel even remotely capable of facing this moment: Joshua, eating a meal with her—a meal prepared by her. She fought to keep an excited grin under control.
She wiped her sweaty hands on her apron, then turned and went into the other room. Mamm looked up from her mending. “It smells delicious, Annie. I’m sorry I couldn’t help.”
Annie forced a smile. “It’s okay. You just get better.”
Mamm nodded. “As fast as the Lord wills.” She stuck the needle into the toe of the sock she was darning and laid her project across the arm of her wheelchair. “Your daed said he invited one of the Pennsylvania buwe to eat with us tonight.”
Annie swallowed a dreamy sigh to keep it from coming out. “Jah.”
“You met him, ain’t so? What is this bu like? I miss so much, not being able to go out.” Tears gathered in Mamm’s eyes. “I feel like a prisoner in my own home.”
“Ach, Mamm.” Annie put her hand on Mamm’s arm and squeezed. “Maybe with Joshua working for him, Daed will have time to build a wheelchair ramp.”
“Maybe. Tell me about him, the bu from Pennsylvania. All your daed said is that he seems to be willing to work with the bees and in the shop.” She gave a wry smile. “It disappoints him that Aaron doesn’t want to, but he’ll never say so.”
“I know. And if I were a bu—”
“You aren’t. And you mustn’t think that way. But this bu from Pennsylvania?”
Annie swallowed. How could she describe Joshua without betraying every bit of longing she felt for him? Mamm would see right through her. “Ach, you’ll see him soon enough.” She waved dismissively. “Dinner’s ready, so I expect they’ll be walking in the door any moment.”
Mamm shook her head. “Nein need to tell me how he looks.”
“Um, he seems nice. I haven’t spent much time with him.” Not nearly enough. She couldn’t say that. Nor would she say that he’d asked out every single girl. But he hadn’t asked her, so maybe she would. “He’s what the Englisch call a ‘player.’” She swallowed hard. Time for the basics. “He’s gut-looking, and he knows it. Tall, dark blond hair, hazel eyes, with flecks of green, gray and blue, that seem to change color with the sky or his shirt.”
So much for being objective or forgoing a physical description. Her face heated. Mamm stared up at her with her mouth partially open.
Annie struggled for something more to say. Other than that he was a dream come true.
Except for the “player” part.
“Someone special, then, jah?” Mamm said softly.
There was a noise behind Annie. She turned to see Joshua and Daed standing in the doorway. How much had they overheard?
***
A player? Annie thought he was a player?
Joshua balled his fists in
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