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The Amish Widow's Heart. Marta Perry
Читать онлайн.Название The Amish Widow's Heart
Год выпуска 0
isbn 9780008906177
Автор произведения Marta Perry
Серия Brides of Lost Creek
Издательство HarperCollins
“Komm, schnell. See all the apples I picked. They’re called Honey...” He looked at his mother.
“Honeycrisp,” she prompted. “Because they’re sweet like honey and crisp when you bite into them.” She polished one against her apron and handed it to him. “Try it.”
Grinning, he bit into it, rewarded by a spurt of juice that dribbled down his chin. “Yummy.” The word was muffled by apple, and she and Daad exchanged a smile.
When Benjy ran off to find some more to pick, her father gestured to the rough-hewn bench Onkel Isaac had built long ago. “Komm. Sit.”
Once they were settled, he glanced around the orchard. “A gut crop of the Honeycrisps this year. You can sell some at the store, ain’t so?”
Beth tensed at the mention of the store, conscious of the fact that she still hadn’t had that talk with Daniel. “Did Mammi talk to you about me?”
He patted her hand. “You can’t keep folks who love you from talking about you. You wouldn’t want to, now would you?”
“I guess not,” she admitted. “I suppose you think I ought to make some decisions about the store, too.”
Her father paused for a moment, as if considering the matter. “You want some time, for sure. But maybe you’re not seeing it from Daniel’s point of view. With James gone, you own his share of the store. It’s natural that Daniel would be anxious about your plans.”
“I guess. But I don’t have any plans, not yet.” If she could be alone in her grief and betrayal...
“Sometimes I think Daniel is married to that store.” Daad’s craggy face softened in a smile. “It’s natural, ain’t so? He doesn’t have a wife and kinder, and his father’s farm will go to his brother. He’s a hard worker. Always has been.”
Was he making a contrast with James? She couldn’t tell. “James did a gut job with the store,” she said, feeling compelled to defend him, despite what she’d learned.
“Ach, yah, I’m not saying he didn’t. All the more reason why Daniel wants to know what your plans are.”
Daadi studied her face, maybe looking for a sign that she agreed. Then he glanced at the apples again.
“I’ll send some of the family over tomorrow to help you do a first picking of apples. Then, if you want to sell them...” He waited, looking at her.
“Yah, all right.” There was no getting out of it. “The Honeycrisp should be eaten when they’re ready, since they aren’t such gut keepers. We’ll give some to the family.” She forced herself to smile. “And I’ll talk to Daniel about selling them.”
“Gut.” Daadi squeezed her hand, and that was as good as praise. “I can stay with Benjy while you go and see him. We’ll go ahead and pick a basket for you to take to him.”
She hadn’t meant now, and she suspected Daad knew it. Still, if she must do it, it was better done now. And the same held true about making decisions for the future.
Daniel glanced up from the low shelf he was arranging at the sound of the bell and started to rise. He stopped for an instant before completing the movement. It wasn’t his imagination. It was Beth.
He headed for her, relieved to think she was doing better. She must be, since she was here. Another step brought him close enough to chase that idea away. If anything, Beth looked even worse than she had the day he’d stopped by to see her. Strain had drawn her skin tautly against the bones of her face, and her cheeks seemed hollow. It was like seeing her when she was very old, and he could hardly keep from exclaiming at the sight.
For a moment he couldn’t speak. Realizing that every customer in the store seemed similarly affected, he forced himself to say her name. “Beth, wilkom. I’m wonderful glad you came by today.”
With a quick movement, Beth thrust the basket she carried at him. “Honeycrisp apples,” she said, as if that was an explanation for her presence.
He saw the movement of her neck when she swallowed, and then she went on.
“We’re going to do the first picking of the early apples tomorrow. Do you want a few baskets to sell? If you think anyone will want them, I mean.”
“I’m certain folks will—”
An Englisch customer moved closer to peer at the basket. “Honeycrisp, did you say? I can hardly ever find them. I’ll stop by on Friday morning. Hold a peck for me, will you?”
“Yah, I’ll be glad to, Mrs. Warren.”
“Good.” She darted a curious glance at Beth before moving on to look at the bread case.
“There’s your answer, ain’t so?” Daniel smiled. “If you need any more help to pick, I can send my nephew over.”
“Denke, but my daad is coming with some of the young ones.”
“Your daad will get the job done fast. I remember what he was like when we all helped your onkel to do it. He’s not one to take excuses.”
She actually tried to smile at that. “He’s still the same. He’s watching Benjy right now so I could come over.”
“Whether you wanted to or not,” he finished for her.
“You did say we needed to talk about the store, ain’t so?”
He touched her arm lightly and gestured. “Let’s go to the back room. There should be coffee on.” He raised his voice. “Anna?”
Anna Fisher, their sixteen-year-old clerk, sidled in from the storeroom and stopped. Shy, he supposed, at the sight of the new widow. Like everyone, she’d been shocked by James’s death.
“Take charge for a few minutes. We’ll be in the back, talking.”
She nodded, moving behind the counter without wasting a word. He’d been doubtful at first that someone so shy would be successful as a clerk, but she’d surprised him. He was thankful for her now, with James no longer here to help.
Leading the way, he took Beth to the room that served as a combination office and break room. Sure enough, there was coffee staying warm on the small gas stove. While he got out cups and spoons, his mind worked busily, trying to figure out the best approach to this conversation. If he had his way, Beth would come in as a partner, and together they’d keep the store going as it was. But that might not be Beth’s idea of a future.
He turned to the table, sitting down across from her as he put the coffee mugs in place. “How are you, Bethy?” The childhood nickname had come up without his thinking about it, but it actually made her face lighten a little.
“All right, I guess.” But then her expression closed down again, negating her words. It made him want to grasp her hand, the way he’d have done when they were children and something had frightened her.
But he couldn’t, of course. They were grown-ups now, and Beth was the widow of his best friend. He would help her in any way he could while still respecting her position.
Daniel cleared his throat, trying to find the way forward. “I... I hoped you might have made some decision about the store.”
“Daadi said something about that, too.” Beth ran her hand across her forehead, as if brushing away cobwebs. “I’m being stupid, I guess. James never talked about business with me. I don’t even know how I stand and whether I have enough to support my son.”
The thread of what might be anger in her voice startled him. He’d never heard her say anything critical about James. He must be mistaken. Beth had always adored James.