trousers, and finding its way into his boots.
“Oh, great,” Jonah moaned. “Now what have I done?”
CHAPTER 7
M eredith set her sewing aside and glanced at the clock on the wall above the fireplace.
It was a quarter after six, and soon it would be time to eat supper. She was surprised
Laurie wasn’t back from the farmers’ market yet. The market closed at five thirty,
and Laurie’s driver usually had her home by six.
Try not to worry
, she told herself.
They probably got caught up in traffic, which is normal for a Friday evening.
Meredith was about to head for the kitchen to see if Alma needed any help, when a
knock sounded on the door. She hadn’t heard a vehicle or horse and buggy come up the
driveway, but then she’d been engrossed in her work.
Meredith opened the front door. Jonah stood there, soaking wet. Fritz sat beside him,
perfectly dry. “
Ach
, Jonah, what happened?”
“I—I tried to get the water off the tarp co–covering Fritz’s dog house,” Jonah explained
through chattering teeth. “And I–I’m afraid in my eagerness to do a good job, I ended
up t–tearing a hole in the canvas, so all the w–water spilled out on me.” Jonah leaned
away from Meredith and shook water from his hair. “It’s not that chilly outside today,
but the water was c–cold as ice.”
Meredith stifled a giggle. Poor Jonah looked so miserable, but he also looked funny
with his thick, curly hair sticking out in all directions and water dripping down
his face. “I’m so sorry that happened,” she said. “You’d better come inside and get
warm.” Meredith hesitated a moment, then added, “My husband was about the same size
as you, so you can borrow some of his clothes.”
Jonah gave her a sheepish grin. “I appreciate that. If I t–tried to go home like this,
I’d not only get the inside of my b–buggy all wet, but I’d probably lose my grip on
the reins. My hands are almost numb.”
When Meredith opened the door wider, Jonah stepped in and stood on the small braided
entrance rug. “It’s okay, pup,” she said looking down at Fritz. “You can come in,
too.” She smiled as the dog went over and flopped down in his usual spot near her
rocking chair. “If you’ll wait right here, I’ll go upstairs and get you some clothes,”
she said to Jonah. “And it looks like you’ll need a towel as well.”
Jonah, looking more than a little grateful as well as a bit embarrassed, nodded. While
he waited in the entryway, Meredith went upstairs to get the clothes. She hadn’t given
away any of Luke’s things, because she couldn’t part with them, even though they’d
go to good use if she gave them to the local thrift shop. Maybe someday she’d be ready
to give his things up, but not yet. She wanted to save a few articles of clothing,
anyway, to show their baby when he was old enough to be told about his father.
Meredith opened the dresser and took out a pair of Luke’s black trousers and the pale
blue shirt she had made for his last birthday. Just holding them made her tear up.
Out of impulse, she bent her head into the material of his shirt and inhaled deeply.
It was freshly laundered, but she could still smell the fragrance of Luke. Or maybe
it was just the idea of touching something Luke had worn that made her feel so gloomy
all of a sudden.
Struggling to keep her emotions in check, Meredith went downstairs and handed the
clothes to Jonah. “You can change in there,” she said, pointing to the bathroom down
the hall. “You’ll find some towels in the closet behind the door.”
Jonah hesitated a minute, looking at Meredith with obvious compassion. Did he know
how hard it was for her to let him wear Luke’s clothes?
“Go ahead. I’ll wait for you in the living room,” she said.
“Danki.” Jonah went quietly down the hall.
Meredith returned to the living room, and as she seated herself in the rocking chair
and
“Oh, great,” Jonah moaned. “Now what have I done?”
CHAPTER 7
M eredith set her sewing aside and glanced at the clock on the wall above the fireplace.
It was a quarter after six, and soon it would be time to eat supper. She was surprised
Laurie wasn’t back from the farmers’ market yet. The market closed at five thirty,
and Laurie’s driver usually had her home by six.
Try not to worry
, she told herself.
They probably got caught up in traffic, which is normal for a Friday evening.
Meredith was about to head for the kitchen to see if Alma needed any help, when a
knock sounded on the door. She hadn’t heard a vehicle or horse and buggy come up the
driveway, but then she’d been engrossed in her work.
Meredith opened the front door. Jonah stood there, soaking wet. Fritz sat beside him,
perfectly dry. “
Ach
, Jonah, what happened?”
“I—I tried to get the water off the tarp co–covering Fritz’s dog house,” Jonah explained
through chattering teeth. “And I–I’m afraid in my eagerness to do a good job, I ended
up t–tearing a hole in the canvas, so all the w–water spilled out on me.” Jonah leaned
away from Meredith and shook water from his hair. “It’s not that chilly outside today,
but the water was c–cold as ice.”
Meredith stifled a giggle. Poor Jonah looked so miserable, but he also looked funny
with his thick, curly hair sticking out in all directions and water dripping down
his face. “I’m so sorry that happened,” she said. “You’d better come inside and get
warm.” Meredith hesitated a moment, then added, “My husband was about the same size
as you, so you can borrow some of his clothes.”
Jonah gave her a sheepish grin. “I appreciate that. If I t–tried to go home like this,
I’d not only get the inside of my b–buggy all wet, but I’d probably lose my grip on
the reins. My hands are almost numb.”
When Meredith opened the door wider, Jonah stepped in and stood on the small braided
entrance rug. “It’s okay, pup,” she said looking down at Fritz. “You can come in,
too.” She smiled as the dog went over and flopped down in his usual spot near her
rocking chair. “If you’ll wait right here, I’ll go upstairs and get you some clothes,”
she said to Jonah. “And it looks like you’ll need a towel as well.”
Jonah, looking more than a little grateful as well as a bit embarrassed, nodded. While
he waited in the entryway, Meredith went upstairs to get the clothes. She hadn’t given
away any of Luke’s things, because she couldn’t part with them, even though they’d
go to good use if she gave them to the local thrift shop. Maybe someday she’d be ready
to give his things up, but not yet. She wanted to save a few articles of clothing,
anyway, to show their baby when he was old enough to be told about his father.
Meredith opened the dresser and took out a pair of Luke’s black trousers and the pale
blue shirt she had made for his last birthday. Just holding them made her tear up.
Out of impulse, she bent her head into the material of his shirt and inhaled deeply.
It was freshly laundered, but she could still smell the fragrance of Luke. Or maybe
it was just the idea of touching something Luke had worn that made her feel so gloomy
all of a sudden.
Struggling to keep her emotions in check, Meredith went downstairs and handed the
clothes to Jonah. “You can change in there,” she said, pointing to the bathroom down
the hall. “You’ll find some towels in the closet behind the door.”
Jonah hesitated a minute, looking at Meredith with obvious compassion. Did he know
how hard it was for her to let him wear Luke’s clothes?
“Go ahead. I’ll wait for you in the living room,” she said.
“Danki.” Jonah went quietly down the hall.
Meredith returned to the living room, and as she seated herself in the rocking chair
and
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