Restless Hearts by Marta Perry Page B

shot her an amused glance. “Much more fun than shopping with Gabe, believe me. All he ever says is, ‘It looks fine. Are you done now?’”
    â€œI can imagine.” She smiled, but a thread of worry still laced through her mind. “I just hope I’m going to need all these things. What if the Amish decide not to use my services? That would really make a dent in my practice.”
    â€œThat’s not going to happen,” Nolie said comfortingly. “But even if it did, I’m sure there are plenty of other moms who’d choose to have midwife care. And you still have your work at the birthing center in Suffolk, too.”
    â€œOnly two days a week.” That was all the birthing center needed of her. At first she’d been delighted. Affiliating with them gave her the backup she needed while allowing her the time to build her own practice.Now that two-day-a-week paycheck was starting to look pretty small.
    â€œI wouldn’t worry too much.” Nolie hesitated for a moment. “You know, I’ve felt from the beginning that God had a specific purpose in bringing you here. I hope you don’t mind my saying that.”
    â€œNo, not at all.” A lump formed in her throat. “It’s what I’ve felt, too. But sometimes it’s hard to see how it’s working out.”
    Nolie smiled. “Walk by faith, not by sight. That’s all any of us can do.” She pulled up in front of Fiona’s house. “Can I help you carry the packages in?”
    â€œI’ll get them. I know you’re eager to get home to Gabe and the baby.” She leaned across the seat to give Nolie a quick hug. “Thanks. For more than just the shopping.”
    â€œAnytime.” Nolie’s return hug was warm. “What are cousins for?”
    Fiona unloaded her purchases onto the porch and waved as Nolie drove away. She and Nolie had moved from being unknown relatives to being friends, and that was certainly a blessing for this day.
    She carried one load inside, startled to hear the sound of hammers from the office. She’d thought the carpenters had gone for the day. Dropping the packages at the foot of the stairs, she headed for the office.
    And stopped dead in the doorway. One man, Amish by his clothing, knelt to hammer a shelf into place. The person holding the shelf was Ted.
    â€œI didn’t realize you were still here.”
    They both looked up at the sound of her voice, two pairs of nearly identical blue eyes staring at her. Then Ted rose, dusting off his hands.
    â€œJacob stayed to finish up the shelves.” He darted a quick glance around the office. “He thought you might want to start putting things in here.”
    â€œThat’s very thoughtful.” Her voice sounded stilted, but she couldn’t seem to help it. “Are you helping him?”
    What are you doing here? That was what she wanted to say, but she’d already created enough waves in this small community without starting a fresh argument with its only full-time police officer.
    The carpenter stood, putting his hammer into a wooden toolbox. “Not so much help,” he said, his eyes twinkling. “Ted is good enough for holding things while I work, but if I turned him loose with a hammer, you might be finding your books sliding off the shelf.”
    Ted’s face relaxed in a smile. “If that’s so, then you’re to blame. You taught me whatever I know about carpentry.” He looked at Fiona, and she caught the slight wariness in his eyes. “This is Jacob Rittenhouse. My brother.”
    She could only hope the shock she felt wasn’t reflected in her face. She managed what she hoped was a credible smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Jacob. You’ve done a wonderful job on those shelves.”
    He ducked his head gravely. “They will be useful.”
    She’d already noticed that the Amish responded that way. They stressed the