Seasons of Sugarcreek 03. Autumn's Promise by Shelley Shepard Gray

Robert’s basket and looked out at the orderliness that was an Amish market.
    Just beyond was a large cornfield. A hand-painted sign was posted at the front, inviting all gathered to try the maze. Smells of horses and hay and popcorn filled the air, reminding Lilly of a carnival.
    She was excited. More excited about going with Robert on this simple outing than she had been about any activity in ages. “Where do you want to go first?” she asked in a rush. “What are you looking for? Anything special?”
    He almost smiled. “Nee.” “Should we plan our route? I, for one, am hoping to find some quilt fabric. I’m going to give quilting a try.”
    “You’ll find plenty of fabric and quilting supplies here.” They walked two or three steps, then he suddenly stopped. “My cousin is here. With his wife.”
    “Okay,” she said slowly. Robert looked incredibly ill at ease. “I’ll look forward to meeting them.”
    If anything, he looked more pained. “They might not be verra kind. They tried to persuade me not to bring you here.”
    Lilly didn’t have to ask why. “What do you want me to do if they approach you?”
    “Do? You can do whatever you want. Just be Lilly.” He looked so perturbed, she couldn’t believe it. “Are you sure?”
    “Very sure. I just wanted to warn you, that’s all. They may not be especially friendly. I didn’t want you to be offended.”
    “I won’t,” she promised. “Besides, I’m sure they’re just curious about us.”
    “Oh, they’re curious, all right.”
    His sarcastic tone made her laugh. “I get it. They don’t want you keeping company with me.”
    “It’s nothing personal.”
    “Then I won’t take it personally. I’ll smile and say hi. And nothing else.”
    To her surprise, he chuckled. “Again, it’s not your behavior I’m worried about.”
    Together, they joined the throng of people, and as they walked from booth to booth, looking at Amish-made baskets and crafts, stacks of homegrown fruits and vegetables, and rows and rows of canned jams and jellies, they wandered slowly and pointed out little details. Lilly spied a puppy. Robert grinned at an old man enjoying a bright red licorice whip.
    As the minutes passed, Lilly became less aware of how the pair of them must look to others and more focused on the man at her side.
    Robert was a thoughtful man—seemed to have a kind word for most people—but he was also kind of standoff-ish. She knew instinctively that his behavior wasn’t just because she was by his side. It was his nature to be a bit removed from the others.
    They’d just purchased cups of freshly squeezed lemonade when he stiffened by her side. “Oh. Hello, Abe. Mary.”
    A group of five people, three men and two women, stopped right in front of them. “Robert,” one said, completely ignoring Lilly. “So you decided to come after all?”
    “I told you I would be here. It’s no surprise.”
    “Robert, would you like to join us for dinner?”
    “I already have plans.” When he looked toward her, his gaze softened. “As you can see.”
    Though Lilly had just promised that no one’s rude behavior would bother her, she slowly felt her nerves start to fray. It was awkward, standing there, half smiling. Waiting for someone to introduce her. Or, for them at least to acknowledge that she was standing there. But not a one of them did. Actually, all five of them seemed to be staring straight through her. As if she didn’t exist.
    Beside her, Robert looked uneasy. It was obvious he was embarrassed about their rudeness. “This is Lilly Allen,” he blurted.
    She raised a hand. “Hi.”
    Slowly, they all turned her way. One of the women nodded in her direction. Then, practically in unison, they looked away again. It would have been comical if she hadn’t felt so bad for Robert.
    A man about Robert’s age spoke up. “So, Robert, will we see you at church tomorrow?”
    “Of course.”
    “It’s at the Grabers’, you know.”
    “I haven’t