LITMIR.BIZ

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he would have attended church,” Katie reminded her patiently.

      “Ya, but I only got to go to services, never things like singings and other social activities. I always had to help my mamm with my schweschders and bruders.”

      “So you don’t know anything about him.”

      “Nee, sorry. But I overheard you earlier, and it sounded like you were doing well getting information out of him,” Elizabeth teased.

      Katie grinned. “I’m not the shy schweschder.”

      “True.” Elizabeth hesitated. “Katie, before you walked in and started talking to him, he and Rosie seemed . . . interested in each other.”

      “Really?”

      “Why does that surprise you?”

      “Rosie just isn’t interested in dating.”

      “That’s not true.”

      Katie spun around at the sound of Rosie’s voice. “Nee?”

      “Nee. I just don’t date as often as you,” she said quietly. She turned on her heel and walked away.

      Elizabeth lifted her brows.

      “Hmm.” Katie stared after Rosie, then shrugged.

      “Katie? Maybe Rosie’s interested in Jacob like I said.”

      “Maybe. Did you want to inventory those boxes over there?”

      “Ya. You may be right.”

      Saul came to get his wife a few minutes later and left Katie alone in the job of inventory. She didn’t mind although she much preferred helping customers.

      Rosie came in a few minutes later. “Elizabeth said I could come help. She’ll let us know if customers come in.”

      “I’m nearly done. Saul’s pretty good about not ordering too much and having it sit unsold. I’ve already listed the boxes of preserves and stuff we brought in this morning.” She set down her clipboard and dusted her hands. “Saul will be ordering for Christmas before long. He has to think ahead in retail.”

      “Us too. I have some ideas for some new things we can sell.”

      “Allrecht. We’ll talk tomorrow. I’m going out for supper tonight.”

      “I know. You told me last night. Katie—”

      Elizabeth poked her head in. “We just got busy.”

      “Wunderbar,” Katie said, plunking down the clipboard. She dusted off her hands and started for the door. “C’mon, Rosie.”

      The afternoon was a blur of shoppers streaming into the store and back out again, hands full of loaded shopping bags—just the way Katie liked things to go. Elizabeth fussed about them taking a break, but there just wasn’t time and Katie insisted that if Elizabeth wouldn’t take one, she and Rosie wouldn’t either.

      The day finally came to a close. The work day anyway. Katie and Rosie left to go home and as their van pulled away from the store Katie saw another van arrive for Elizabeth and Saul.

      “You look tired,” she told Rosie.

      “I am tired. Aren’t you?”

      “Nee. I feel a little wound up.”

      “Don’t know where you get all your energy,” Rosie muttered. She relaxed into her seat.

      “I wonder where we’re going to supper tonight,” Katie mused. “I can’t decide if I should wear my blue dress or my rose one.”

      “I like the rose one on you.”

      “Why don’t you come with us?”

      Rosie wrinkled her nose. “Danki, but I don’t think Daniel would appreciate me coming along.”

      “You need to get out more.”

      “About that,” Rosie said. “I thought Jacob seemed nice this afternoon.”

      “Ya, I did, too.”

      “You did?” Rosie asked, sounding subdued.

      Katie gave her a sharp glance. Hmm. Was Rosie finally interested in someone? She opened her mouth to ask, and their driver braked to a stop to pick up Ada. A plump woman in her forties, she climbed into the van and settled herself comfortably.

      There went the opportunity to ask Rosie about Jacob. Katie didn’t need the warning look Rosie shot her. Everyone knew Ada was sweet, but she loved gossip like she loved sweets.

      Daniel was already waiting in his buggy when they arrived home. Katie ran upstairs to change while he talked with Rosie in the kitchen. When she came downstairs he grinned at her. “Ready?”

      Katie nodded. Rosie stood at the sink rinsing the strawberries she’d picked that morning. “You’re having something other than strawberries, right?” she asked and realized she sounded like a mother.

      Rosie just gave her a mild look. “Thought I’d make a strawberry and spinach salad, have some of that chicken salad that’s left, too.”

      “She’s making me hungry,” Daniel announced. “But a man wants more than some leaves and berries. Let’s go, Katie.”

      “I feel like having more than leaves and berries, too,” she agreed and followed him out the door.

      Chapter 2

      2

      Guder mariye.”

      Rosie turned as she knelt in a row of lettuce to see Jacob standing near the fence. “Why, Jacob, what are you doing here?”

      “I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d say hello.”

      “Uh, hello.” Rosie brushed at her cheek then remembered she was wearing gardening gloves. She took one off and wiped dirt from her cheek. Honestly, she must look like a mess. “I didn’t hear you.”

      “You looked like you were talking to someone,” he said, unlatching the gate. “Oh, Rosie, don’t move.” He approached cautiously. “There’s a snake a few feet from you. Don’t worry, it’s harmless.”

      Rosie grinned. “I’m not worried. He comes to see me every day I’m out here.”

      “And you’re not scared?”

      She shook her head. “Of course not. Like you said, he’s harmless. I call him Blackie. Silly, I know. But he seems to enjoy my voice.”

      Jacob squatted down beside her. “Interesting. Most women scream and run from snakes.”

      “Well, this is really more his territory than mine. And if a mouse darts out, you’ll probably see me react the way you describe.”

      “Quite a garden you have here. This is where you grow the things you can for your business?”

      “How’d you know about our business?”

      “I carried two boxes of jars labeled Two Peas in a Pod into the storeroom at Saul’s store the other day, remember?”

      She remembered. She’d stared into those eyes of his then and now, with him so close found herself doing it again. The sun beat down, dusting his hair and turning the chestnut strands reddish. It was so quiet she could hear a bee buzzing nearby.

      “I—we grow most of what we can, but we do buy some fruits and vegetables from other local gardeners and farmers. I was about to stop for a cold drink. Do you want one?”

      “Sounds good, Rosie.”

      Her head jerked up at his use of her name.

      “It is Rosie, isn’t it.” He grinned at her, making it a statement instead of a question.

      “Ya,” she admitted. “But how did you

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