LITMIR.BIZ

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      “Hullo. Come in and sit.” Thad motioned with his free hand.

      “It smells gut in here.” Elmer stuck his nose in the air and took a couple of deep whiffs. “Only it’s a little late for breakfast.”

      Lois raised a brow at Elmer’s nosy remark. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’ve come to give Leah her twelve-month checkup.”

      “Of course!” May stood and pulled Leah out of her high chair. Lois followed May into the other room.

      “How’s the cheese business, Elmer?” Thad leaned back in his chair and glanced at his guest. “Looks like you dashed over here right from your factory.”

      Elmer brushed a hand down the front of his shirt. “Jah, Mamm doesn’t like to drive all over the township by herself when she makes her rounds.”

      Thad listened to Elmer drone on, naming all the other homes they would visit today. When the women returned to the kitchen, May sat Leah in the middle of the floor with her toys.

      “Lois, Elmer, would you like a cup of coffee?” May grabbed the pot off the stove and placed it on the hotplate as she sat. “Please sit.”

      “Nein. I have other appointments. We need to get going.” Lois motioned for Elmer to head for the door, which he ignored.

      Thad cut into another piece of French toast, put it in his mouth and watched Elmer scurry to May’s side, slipping into the chair next to hers.

      Thad sniffed and breathed in a tangy whiff of cheese stuck to Elmer’s shirt. The smear of ripened cheddar from Elmer’s aging room seemed to mingle with his blue cheese spot. Thad stifled a smile. Elmer called himself a cheese artisan.

      “How are you, May?” Elmer’s voice dripped with concern. He leaned toward May, put his arm around the back of her chair and pressed in closer. “I’ll stop by tomorrow.” He tossed Thad a better-not-try-to-stop-me look, quickly adding, “Thad, are you attending the meeting tonight over at the Millers’ dairy on the USDA’s organic standard?”

      “Wouldn’t miss it.” Thad glared at the cheesemaker. He wanted to tell Elmer to stay away from May, but she’d resent his interference.

      Elmer leaned even closer to May. “I noticed your garden has a lot of beans ready to harvest, and you’ll probably want them for your vegetable stand. Why don’t I stop back later and help you pick them? It’ll be cooler this evening.”

      “Danki, Elmer, but aren’t you going to the meeting?”

      “I’ll go late. They chew over everything before they get down to business.” Elmer threw Thad a sly smile.

      “Are you sure you don’t want a cup of coffee?” May started to stand.

      Lois shook her head. “Danki, we need to go if we’re going to stick to our schedule. Elmer, it’s time.”

      The screen door squeaked open and the distinctive shuffle that followed pulled Thad to his feet. “Gut mornin’, Mamm.” His cheeks burned as he caught a hint of judgment in her eyes.

      “What’s going on in here?” Gretchen took a deep breath and looked around. “Are you still lollygagging over breakfast? You should be out in the field, jah?” She tossed a sour glance at Thad, then turned toward the table with a stern look. “May, you need to get up earlier and get the food on the table by five thirty. April never ran her haus like this. There are beans in the garden to be picked and canning that needs to be done.”

      Elmer stood and gave a nod. “Gut mornin’, Gretchen. Nice to see you. I forgot you and Aaron were staying in Thad’s dawdi haus while the one on Jonah’s farm was being refurbished.”

      “It’s nice to see you, too, Elmer. Lois, you checking on our Leah?”

      “Indeed. She’s a sweet little thing and in gut health. No worry with her, Gretchen. May, don’t forget about the quilting frolic in three weeks.”

      “Jah, it’s on my calendar.”

      Elmer held the screen door for his mamm. “See you later, May.”

      Thad pulled his hat from the peg on the wall and headed out the door with a sideways glance at May. She sent him a glare.

      He’d hurt May when he’d tossed her aside for her sister. There was no way to apologize for that but his sharp-tongued mamm only made things worse. “Come on, Mamm, I’ll walk you out.”

      In the evening, May and Leah sat on the porch and watched Thad disappear into the barn after he’d hitched Tidbit to the buggy. Twenty minutes passed. Her gaze swung from the barn door to Tidbit as he pawed the ground nervously, waiting to stretch his legs. Why was Thad taking so long getting ready to go to the dairy association meeting?

      A buggy turned into the driveway, the wheels crunching over the rocks as she watched Elmer park it in front of the haus. He stepped down and waved as he walked toward her.

      Elmer was handsome and his bronzed skin set off his sky blue eyes. He’d definitely be a gut catch for some woman, but not her. She only thought of him as a friend, and he deserved a frau that would liebe him.

      Thad closed the barn door and stalked toward the haus, a grimace plastered on his face as he nodded to Elmer. Ah, now she understood why Thad had stalled after hitching Tidbit. Elmer.

      When they were all kinner in school, Thad and Elmer had some kind of rivalry. It seemed like everything was a competition to them, horseback riding, swimming, but it was more than that. But she couldn’t quite tag it. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Thad was jealous. Nein, that couldn’t be. It was just their old silliness, like two small buwe.

      A smile tugged at her lips as Elmer got closer. He had donned a clean blue chambray shirt and trousers. Gut. He had smelled like cheese curds earlier in the day.

      Before Elmer reached the steps, Thad smacked the reins across Tidbit’s back, and the buggy shot off down the driveway toward the gate. May gripped her apron as she watched the speeding buggy. She relaxed as Tidbit slowed before he crossed the road.

      “Gut evening, May. How are you this evening?”

      “A bit tired.”

      “Jah? I’ll stay only a little while.”

      She faced Elmer, then glanced at the road after Thad. A twinge of sadness washed over her. She couldn’t believe that Thad might lose the farm. Her family’s farm. Daed and Mamm fought hard for years to keep the farm, to make the payments and to put food on the table every day. This land ran through her veins almost as much as her blood did. It was who she was. Even if she had to go door-to-door in town with a bucket of vegetables to make a sale, she’d do it.

      Her heart pounded. That was a bad sign. Why was it that the mere sight of Thad made it hard for her to breathe? To walk in a straight line? And when his hand touched hers when she handed him the potato bowl, she nearly melted on the spot.

      Jah, she either had to hide her heart or convince the angel Gabriel to protect it, or Thad would steal it away. Nein, not again! She didn’t know what was worse...losing the farm or losing her heart.

      But could she risk sticking around to find out?

       Chapter Two

      The next morning, Thad ran his hands through his hair as he entered the kitchen. “Mmm, sausage and eggs smell gut.”

      “Thought it was my turn to treat you to breakfast this morning,”

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