LITMIR.BIZ

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to Annie’s older brother and his wife, Nancy, who was Martha’s niece.

      Josiah Zook had married Amos and Mae King’s daughter Nancy last year.

      “They are doing well.” Annie picked up her son, who squirmed and tried to get away. “EJ, be still.”

      “I’ve never seen Nancy happier,” Rachel said of her cousin.

      Martha knew that Rachel had lived with her King relatives when she’d first arrived in Happiness. The schoolteacher’s cottage had been under construction back then. Once the house was complete, Rachel had moved from her aunt and uncle’s into her new home. Noah had been one of the men who’d worked on the teacher’s house. After Rachel and Noah had wed, they’d lived in the cottage until a new house could be constructed for them elsewhere.

      Peter stood chatting with a group of young Amish men near the buggies. Martha eyed him a moment and turned to study Meg, who seemed annoyed by the young man. Anne’s younger brother broke away from his friends to saunter in their direction. He smiled when he saw EJ in his sister’s arms. “I’ll take him,” he offered as he reached for his nephew, who was clearly happy to see him.

      Annie smiled gratefully as she handed off her son. “He’s a bit of a handful today.”

      “He’s fine,” Peter said with a smile for the child. “He’ll be a gut boy for his onkel Peter, ja?” He casually glanced in Meg’s direction. “Hallo, Meg. You’re looking well.”

      Meg narrowed her gaze. “Peter,” she acknowledged stiffly. When he looked back to EJ and walked away, the young woman appeared miffed that he hadn’t paid her more attention.

      Martha hid a smile. She had felt the increasing tension between Peter and her young friend. Meg doesn’t know it yet, but she may be sweet on him.

      “Let’s go inside, ja?” Katie suggested. “’Tis a nice day but not as warm as I’d thought. May I help carry anything?”

      Martha shook her head when Katie offered to take her chocolate cake. “I can manage.” She grinned. “I hear I should keep careful watch over this cake. Apparently there is someone in your family who may try to steal a piece before we’re ready to serve it.”

      Katie laughed. “Ja, Noah, for certain. I’m afraid that most of my boys are partial to chocolate cake.” She smiled. “Except for Jed. Jed prefers Sarah’s cherry pie.”

      Martha accompanied the ladies toward the house. Eli and Jacob came up from behind them. The twins were deep in conversation, oblivious to the women before them. She saw Eli nudge his brother’s arm with his elbow as he murmured something in Jacob’s ear. The two brothers laughed, the sound deep, masculine and joyful. Martha turned and found that she couldn’t tear her gaze from them as they drew closer to the women.

      Suddenly as if he sensed his wife’s presence, Jacob glanced in her direction, his gaze brightening as it settled on his wife. He gave her a special smile. “Annie.”

      “Jacob.” She nodded solemnly. “Gossiping again?”

      He blinked as if taken aback. “Nay, I—we’re—” He apparently saw Annie’s smile because his lips curved up as he closed the short distance between them. “Trying to start trouble, wife?”

      Annie blinked up at him innocently. “Nay, husband. I wouldn’t start trouble. ’Tis not the Lord’s way.”

      Martha heard Jacob’s answering chuckle. She witnessed the couple exchange loving looks, and she wondered what it would have been like if Ike had cared for her as much as Jacob loved Annie.

      An odd tingling started at her nape and traveled the length of her spine. Martha inhaled sharply when she realized Eli Lapp was staring at her. She experienced the urge to look away but didn’t. As their gazes locked and held, Martha heard Annie and Jacob talking, but their words were lost on her.

      “Eli. Jacob. Would you bring out the other table?” Katie called.

      “Ja, Mam.” Eli broke eye contact as he and Jacob continued past them to climb the porch steps. The memory of his expression made it difficult for her to concentrate...and to breathe.

      Martha and Katie followed the twin brothers into the house, while Rachel went to have a word with her husband. Missy and her daughters stayed behind and continued to chat with Annie and her mother, Miriam, along with Alta Hershberger, who just had arrived. Martha tried to force her reaction to Eli from her mind as she entered Katie’s kitchen, and she was successful until he and Jacob came out from another room carrying a small table. Then he was gone, and she could breathe again. “There is a lot of food, Katie,” she said with a smile.

      “Plenty enough for all of us,” the woman agreed.

      Martha wondered where she should put her cake plate as she looked over the kitchen countertop and trestle table.

      “Chocolate?” Eli asked, startling her as he came up from behind.

      She gave a nod but didn’t turn around until he added teasingly, “Quick, hide it. Noah’s coming.” She faced him and immediately noted his sparkling blue eyes and the way his male lips curved upward.

      Her face warmed as she felt an instant attraction. She didn’t know whether it was his good humor or his teasing that appealed to her. Martha grinned, taken again by this playful side of him. “And you think I should give you the cake?”

      “I can hide it for you.” He gave her a mock frown. “Don’t you trust me?”

      “Should I?” He amused her.

      “Ja, you can trust me.” His voice was soft and her nape tickled again as she found herself doing just that. She handed him the cake. “I’ll put it in the back room,” he whispered.

      She inclined her head. They heard Noah and Rachel as they entered the house. Eli slipped into the backroom while Martha stayed as Katie greeted the couple and smiled at her grandchild.

      “Here’s my little grossdochter!” She beamed at the infant. “May I hold her?” She held out her hands.

      Noah smiled as he handed the child to his mother. “Katy is a gut girl, Grossmudder. She slept until after seven this morning.”

      “Wonderful!” her grandmother exclaimed as she held the baby close.

      As Eli returned from the back room, Martha felt a little jolt in her midsection the moment his intense blue gaze sought and met hers. “Safe and sound,” he mouthed, causing her to smile.

      Noah sniffed the air. “Do I smell chocolate?”

      Martha regarded Eli with raised eyebrows before she went to check where he had put the cake—on the washing machine. He must have taken a peek beneath the plastic covering, as the scent of chocolate permeated heavily in the air and had filtered into the kitchen.

      “It looks delicious,” a male voice murmured in her ear.

      “Eli!” she gasped and turned, her heart beating wildly. “You startled me.”

      His eyes twinkled. “I couldn’t resist taking a look, but I didn’t touch it.”

      She narrowed her gaze as she saw his expectant expression. “And now you want a piece,” she guessed.

      His handsome mouth curved into a grin. “Ja.”

      “I shouldn’t give you one.” She sighed dramatically, but she wasn’t really upset. She was pleased that he was eager to try it. “I may as well bring it into the kitchen. There’s no hiding it from your bruder now.”

      Eli looked delighted. “Then I may have a piece now?”

      Martha chuckled as she picked up the cake and carried it into the other room. “One. You may have one slice.” She grabbed a knife from among the utensils on the table. She sliced a piece, set it on a plate and gave it to him.

      “Danki,” he whispered, beaming.

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