LITMIR.BIZ

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Eli a grin and then watched eagerly as she served him a slice of cake. His warm brown eyes gleamed with appreciation as he cut a mouthful with his fork and raised it to his lips. “I love chocolate.”

      Martha smiled. “I never would have guessed.”

      Eli beamed at her. “We all do.”

      “Ja,” Noah said as he raised a forkful to his mouth.

      “Noah Jeremiah Lapp!” his wife scolded. Rachel winked as Noah stiffened before turning to her with a guilty look.

      “Cake before dinner?” Rachel said with hands on her hips.

      His expression warmed as he stepped closer. “It’s chocolate.”

      Her brow cleared. “Ah, I didn’t realize. I certainly can’t have you missing out on a piece. After all, it may be all gone if you wait until after you’ve eaten a proper meal.”

      She laughed when Noah blushed.

      “It could be all gone,” Eli defended as he and Martha exchanged amused glances. He dipped his fork into the cake, brought it to his lips.

      Martha couldn’t seem to take her eyes off him. “I should have brought two.” She covered the cake with the plastic lid. “Time to put it away before there’s none left.”

      “Gut idea,” Rachel said after she and Martha had shared a smile. When Noah was finished, she grabbed hold of his arm. “We need to go outside.”

      “Eli? Are you coming outside?” a young voice called into the house.

      Eli smiled at Mary Peachey as the young woman entered the room. “Soon,” he told her. He didn’t leave immediately but continued to eat his cake. “That was delicious,” he declared after he’d eaten his last bite. Unlike Noah, who had rushed through his piece, Eli had savored every bite slowly.

      “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” she said.

      “I wouldn’t mind a second helping, but I won’t ask,” he added quickly when he saw her disapproval.

      “Gut,” she replied, trying hard not to be persuaded by his little boy smile.

      He shrugged. “I should go.” He paused to study her a long moment. “Danki for the cake.”

      “You’re welcome.” She turned to search for Katie.

      “Mam’s outside,” he said as if he’d read her mind.

      Turning from his appreciative look, Martha refused to be charmed like the young girls who waited for him. She continued to feel his gaze on her as she crossed the yard to join Katie, Rachel and the other women who had gathered on the back lawn.

      She knew the exact moment when he rejoined his friends. The girlish laughter that immediately came from the group at his arrival grated in her ears. Martha frowned. Why would she care who he spent his time with?

      He took that moment to lock gazes with her. A small teasing smile played about his lips, making her heart race despite the fact that she didn’t want to notice or feel the slight hitch in her breathing.

      “You can bring chocolate cake anytime,” he mouthed. A young girl drew his attention, and Martha looked away.

      She had to admit that Eli was both handsome and kind, and if she’d been younger, never married and had never suffered a broken heart, she might have felt differently. Like the giggling girls across the yard, she might have welcomed the man’s attention. But she wasn’t young and she wasn’t looking for another husband or beau of any age.

      Twice men had disappointed her. She wouldn’t allow one to disappoint her a third time. Especially a man like Elijah Lapp.

Chapter Four

      Martha enjoyed a pleasant visiting Sunday before heading home after the midday meal. It had been nice to see her friends. Watching the Lapps with their extended family, she’d felt the love and the joy that filled their lives.

      She regretted not having a family of her own, one that she’d never have now that Ike was dead. There were times she’d wanted to see her parents and siblings, but they rarely ventured from Indiana and had come to visit only once, for her wedding. She had no intention of visiting her childhood home. There were memories there, hurtful memories. It was there that her sweetheart had asked her to marry him...before he’d changed his mind and chosen to leave their Amish life for the English world.

      She loved her Happiness community. The people here had welcomed her with open arms from the first. They were always available for whatever she needed. She had made many friends, and her brother-in-law, Amos, his wife, Mae, and their children were her family. While she wished she could see her mam, dat, her bruder, Micah, and sister, Ruth, she knew that this was where she belonged. She had married Ike and made this community her home. Why would she want to leave? It had taken Ike some time to ask to court her and then become his bride. They had been seeing each other for months at community gatherings before he’d made his intentions known.

      As she steered her horse onto her dirt driveway, Martha recalled how nervous Ike had been on the day he’d asked her to be his bride. Once news reached the church community that he finally had popped the question, no one had seemed surprised.

      “Took him long enough,” Mae had said. “But don’t ya fret, Martha—Ike will be a gut husband. I know he thinks highly of you. He’s been working up the nerve to ask you.” The fact that Ike had discussed her with his family was unusual, as courting was done discreetly and never discussed outside the involved couple until it became serious when the banns were read in church.

      Hearing news of the impending marriage, Annie had confided to Martha that she’d wondered what had taken him so long to propose. Everyone had noticed the way Ike had followed Martha with his gaze at community gatherings.

      Before the wedding, gossip about Ike’s earlier interest in Annie had caused Martha moments of unease. Since Annie was her closest friend, Martha had gone to her for the truth.

      “Ja, he asked to court me,” Annie had said, “but not because he cared for me. He simply assumed that I’d grab my last chance for a husband.” Her friend had eyed her with concern. “Martha, you’ve nothing to worry about. Ike didn’t love me. His wife had passed on just a short time before he moved back to Happiness. He never once looked at me the way he looks at you. I have to admit I did give marrying him some thought, but only because I was determined to steer clear of young attractive men like Jacob. I’d had my heart broken by Jedidiah, and I wasn’t looking to get hurt again. Jacob loved me, and I fell in love with him, too.”

      “You were meant to be together,” Martha had agreed with a smile.

      “I didn’t even have to tell Ike. His interest had turned elsewhere.” She’d regarded Martha with warmth. “He’d met you.”

      The day of their wedding was the happiest day of her life. Their first seven months of marriage had been wonderful; she was in love with her new husband, who was kind and attentive. Later, after he’d become disappointed that she hadn’t conceived, Ike had changed. He no longer paid her much attention. He’d spent all of his time on farmwork and looking for new farm equipment. She’d been upset when the shiny new equipment had arrived, but she’d kept silent. She couldn’t have stopped him from making the purchase. He was in charge of the farm and she the house. If her husband could afford it, why shouldn’t he have the best tools?

      The men were coming to her farm for the spring planting on Wednesday. They would have a chance to use Ike’s equipment then. She had food to prepare and the house to clean. Meg, Charlie and Nell Stoltzfus would arrive tomorrow morning to help her get ready for the workers.

      As she’d exited her buggy and approached the house, she couldn’t help but notice, as she had many times, the repairs that were needed to the farmhouse. Despite her gentle requests to fix things, Ike had turned a blind eye to the problems. He had bought this

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