LITMIR.BIZ

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she’d picked. Blackie slithered away.

      “There’s water for your horse over there,” she said, indicating the pump with a wave of her hand as she walked toward the house.

      “Danki.”

      Rosie went into the house and washed her hands before getting a pitcher of tea from the refrigerator. She filled two glasses with ice and tea, then added a plate of apple butter bars she’d baked using some of the apple butter she and Katie had made. Then she couldn’t resist a quick look in the mirror in the front bathroom. She frowned. Her face was shiny, and there was a smudge of dirt on her cheek. Grabbing a washcloth, she ran some water on it and gave her face a quick scrub. At least her hair had stayed neatly tucked under her kerchief.

      Jacob was sitting in one of the rocking chairs on the porch when she carried the tray outside. He rose quickly to take it from her and set it on the table between the chairs. Interesting, she thought. A gentleman. She followed him and took a seat.

      “So you were in the neighborhood?”

      He nodded as he sipped his tea. “Getting used to the area. You know how it is.”

      She shook her head. “I’ve always lived here.”

      “I wanted a change,” he said, looking around at the fields beyond the house. “I visited here last year and talked to Abram Lapp about organic farming”

      “Really? We raise our fruit and vegetables organically, too.”

      “I know. Abram told me. That’s one of the reasons I thought I’d stop by and see if we could talk about it someday.”

      “Schur. I’d love to.”

      The front door opened, and Katie strolled out. “Well, I didn’t know we had company. Hello, Jacob.”

      “Guder mariye. I was taking a drive around the neighborhood and thought I’d pay a quick visit.”

      “I see.” She turned to Rosie. “Our driver called to ask if he could pick us up a little early today.”

      Rosie glanced at Jacob, then Katie. “How early?”

      “He’ll be here in twenty minutes.”

      She jumped to her feet. “I’m sorry, Jacob. I’m going to have to go get ready.”

      “I’ll keep him company until you get back,” Katie said, and she took Rosie’s seat. And drink. “So, Jacob, tell me about the farm you bought.”

      Rosie walked quickly into the house and when she reached the inside stairs she ran up them, pulling off her kerchief. She undressed, took her shower and dressed for work, returning downstairs in record time.

      “That was fast,” Katie remarked as Rosie rushed into the kitchen. “Jacob had to leave.”

      She skidded to a stop, disappointed.

      “I tried to keep him here for you,” Katie said as she added a plastic bag of cookies to a lunch tote.

      “You did? For me?” Rosie tried to keep the disbelief from her voice.

      “I did. I told him it wouldn’t take you long to get cleaned up, but he said he’d stop by another time.”

      Rosie sank into a kitchen chair. Interesting. Most of the time men wanted to talk to Katie. She studied her sister’s face, wondering how she felt about Jacob taking off instead of sticking around to talk to her.

      Katie set the totes she’d packed with afternoon snacks on the counter next to her purse. She turned back around and found Rosie staring at her. “What?”

      “I’m just surprised that he didn’t stay to talk to you.”

      Katie grinned. “Ya, me too.”

      There it was, that self-confidence Rosie seldom felt. Katie might be joking right now, but she knew that she was the one who seemed to attract men.

      “He said he’d be back to visit later this week. I told him our hours at the store.”

      “Danki.”

      “You know we’ve never competed over a man.”

      “There was that time you made a boy think you were me,” Rosie reminded her. She got up, picked up the totes, and started for the front door. Their driver would be here soon.

      “I was only ten,” Katie said, following her. “We did that sort of thing back then, remember?”

      “You did,” Rosie told her as she opened the front door.

      Katie sailed through. “Danki.”

      “Eldest first.”

      Katie turned and stuck her tongue out at her.

      Rosie laughed, shut the door and locked it.

      ***

      Katie looked at Daniel and sighed. The two of them had known each other all their lives. Their mothers had been best friends and so they had played together, gone to schul together, attended singings, and gone for long drives in his buggy listening to forbidden Englisch music. Everyone she knew smiled indulgently when they saw the two of them together as if they expected them to marry.

      She wondered how you really knew when you had found the man God had set aside for you. Daniel had been right there, in front of her, all her life, but she wasn’t sure. Several times she’d talked with another man, gone out for a Sunday lunch and drive after church. She was a friendly girl and the guys responded to that and usually were gentlemen. Allrecht, she liked to flirt and even though Daniel had complained mildly about it a couple of times, they always ended up together.

      Tonight they were going by the house of a couple of friends for supper. It was the first time Rachel Ann and Abram Lapp had invited them over to their haus after they’d been married.

      “You’re quiet. Tired?”

      “Nee. I’m fine.”

      “You’re never quiet.”

      She looked at him. “Are you saying I talk too much?”

      “Nee, of course not.” Daniel kept his eyes on the road even though his horse needed little attention as he trotted down the road. “You’re just quiet tonight.”

      She shrugged. “Something just doesn’t feel quite right tonight. I can’t explain it.”

      “If you don’t feel well—” he began.

      “I’m fine.” But chills danced up and down her arms. She rubbed them. “I wonder if Rosie . . .”

      “Do you want to call her?”

      “Maybe later.”

      They pulled up in front of Rachel Ann and Abram’s house. Katie got out of the buggy and walked toward the house, and Daniel unhitched the buggy and put his horse in Abram’s barn.

      “Katie! So gut to see you! Come in!” Rachel Ann invited them.

      “Something smells delicious.”

      “The chicken’s nearly done. Let’s go in the kitchen.”

      “Will Abram’s mother be joining us tonight?” Katie asked, glancing at the closed door of the dawdi haus.

      “She’s gone to visit her sister. Sit down, I’m going to put everything on the table.”

      Katie glanced around the kitchen. “You’ve put your own touch on the house. Those curtains are new, aren’t they?”

      Rachel Ann nodded. “Lovina helped me. You know she’s always been like a second mamm to me since we lived next to each other and was a little bit of a matchmaker with Abram and me to tell you the truth. She’s been great about letting us have privacy here.”

      The men came in and took their seats. Rachel Ann placed the platter with the roast chicken

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