snorted. “He’s good-looking enough, I’ll give you that, but that’s not the point. I just want you to agree to go out with him a few times.”
“Again...why? You know I’m taking a six-month break from dating.”
“Ya.”
“After what happened with David—”
“It wasn’t your fault he left the faith. He would have been willing to move to Alaska if they’d let him keep that cell phone.”
They shared a smile, both remembering the way that David had carried it around, glancing at it every few minutes, tapping on it constantly with his fingers.
“That relationship was never going to work anyway,” Martha admitted. “But the fact remains that I’m on a roll of bad relationships.”
“Only three.”
“Four if you count Meno.”
“Years ago, and he was never right for you.”
“None of them are.” Instead of looking as if that thought depressed her, Martha smiled. “I’m on a break.”
“Okay. All right. So don’t call it a date. Call it being a friend to someone new in our community.”
“It doesn’t have to be romantic?”
“Nein. Levi thinks...”
“Uh-oh. What did you tell him?”
“I might have mentioned that you need practice dating.”
“We both know that isn’t the case.”
“You need practice dating someone new.”
“Let me get this straight. I’m supposed to go out with him and distract him...”
“Maybe mention the gut points about Goshen. You know this place as well as I do, and it’s a fine community. He doesn’t have to go to Texas to find a place to settle down.”
“I’m not falling in love with Levi Lapp.”
“Of course not.”
“I don’t want to move to Texas any more than you do.”
“Exactly.”
“He’s bound to figure that out sooner than later.”
“Later would be better. Just buy me some time for Dat to simmer down about the idea.”
“Why don’t you do it? Why don’t you date him?”
Annie shook her head so hard that her kapp strings bounced back and forth. “Oh no. That would only encourage him to get closer to my family. Plus, fall and spring are the busiest seasons for my business. I have no time to waste on dating.”
“Oh, but I should...”
“You know what I mean. It’s fine for other people. I want other people to date.”
“If they didn’t, you’d be out of business.”
“Exactly.”
Martha placed the toddler on the ground and baby Jeremiah in his baby carrier. She stood, stretched and cast a look toward Big Tom who was still playing in the leaves, though now he was lying on his back and making a snow angel—or maybe a leaf angel. Martha smiled, and Annie was struck again by how close the two were.
Annie handed Joseph back to Martha, stood and brushed off the back of her dress.
“Will you do it?”
“Ya, ya, I’ll do it.”
“Danki.”
“But only because you’re my best friend.”
“I owe you.”
“Ya. You do.” Martha walked over to her bruder, who held up a hand and allowed her to pull him to his feet.
Annie glanced up in time to see Levi driving away in Old Simon’s buggy. She’d missed talking to him today, but that was okay. She’d tell him the good news first thing Wednesday.
By the time Levi showed up at the Kauffmann place on Wednesday, he’d completely forgotten Annie’s plan to find him a girl. He’d been focused on other things. He’d talked with several of the local families at the wedding, and three had come back to ask him questions after the church service. At this rate, he might get to Texas earlier than he’d thought. He might have enough interest to send down a scouting group before fall turned into winter.
He was mucking out the horse stalls early Wednesday morning, before they’d even had breakfast, when Annie showed up in the barn.
“Gude mariye, Levi.”
He wiped the sweat out of his eyes and squinted at her.
As usual, she looked fresh and energetic. Normally she seemed aggravated when she saw him, as if she’d swallowed unsweetened lemonade. Today she was smiling broadly. Why the change in attitude?
Then he remembered their deal and literally slapped himself on the forehead.
“Problem?”
“Just remembering what you talked me into.”
“I didn’t talk you into anything. I simply made a suggestion and you agreed.”
She grinned at him as she had on Saturday. He could still feel her hand in his, the way her eyes had widened as she’d glanced up into his eyes, and then how she’d snatched her hand away as if she’d been stung by a bee. What was that about?
She didn’t waste any time ruining his morning. She pulled a folded sheet of paper from her apron pocket and waved it at him. “I wrote down the information you need for your date.”
“My date...”
Her plan was bound to be a trap. He didn’t know how, but he was sure that it must be designed to ruin his goal of moving to Texas.
“Her name is Martha Weaver. Here are directions to her house as well as the number for the nearest phone shack.”
He took the piece of paper and stared down at her tidy handwriting. “Guess I’m stuck doing this.”
“You’re lucky to date Martha, actually. She’s levelheaded, nice looking—”
“Then why isn’t she courting or married? There must be something wrong with her.”
“And she’s my best friend.”
“Oops. Sorry if what I said sounded rude.”
“It did, but I’m not surprised. Men your age only want to step out with the prettiest, thinnest girls.”
“That’s not true.”
Instead of arguing, Annie walked into the stall and around the perimeter. “Martha has a sweet tooth. You might think about taking her to the pie pantry.”
“I have dated before, you know.”
“Oh, you have?”
“Don’t look so surprised.”
“I’m not surprised.”
He could tell that she was holding in her laughter, which irritated him more than it probably should have.
“I wonder if your mamm has breakfast ready.”
“Oh, ya. That’s what I came out to tell you.”
“You could have led with that.”
“And miss the chance to tease you?”