I put a pillow and sheets on the sofa so you can lie down when you come in. I’d rather you didn’t climb the stairs to your room while I’m gone.”
“Allrecht.” Rosie picked up her glass of tea and took a sip.
“That wasn’t a question,” Jacob noted as he lifted his glass.
“Most things aren’t with her,” Rosie said with a slight smile.
He chose a slice of bread and bit in with appreciation. “This is good. Aren’t you going to have some?”
She sighed. “Have you ever grown zucchini?”
He shook his head.
“Well, they grow and grow and grow. We have harvested so much zucchini. I don’t think I can look at another zucchini.”
Jacob laughed. “Well, I’ll be happy to take this off your hands. It’s gut.”
“You’re welcome to it. We’ll wrap it for you. And you know, you won’t lack for baked goods here.”
He wiped his mouth with a paper napkin from the tray. “Why is that?”
“There will be a lot of maedels stopping to welcome you with a plate of baked goods.” When he colored, she tilted her head to study him. “Why do I have the feeling this has already happened?”
“Well, a few have stopped by to welcome me into the neighborhood.”
“I see.”
“None brought something delicious.”
“Really?”
“Stop teasing me,” he said.
“But it’s so much fun,” she told him, pretending to pout.
“I didn’t tell Katie—” He stopped as Katie walked out onto the porch.
“Didn’t tell Katie what?” She walked over and sat in one of the rocking chairs.
“How delicious the zucchini bread is,” he said as he picked up another slice.
“Glad you like it. Rosie made it.”
“I told him we’d send the rest of it home with him.”
“Gut idea. I’ll go wrap it up.”
“Don’t go to any trouble—” he began, but Katie had already jumped up and headed for the kitchen.
“She’s quite energetic.”
“I think she got a bigger portion of that than me,” Rosie acknowledged.
“I should be going so you can get some rest. Do you need some help getting inside?”
“Nee, I’m fine.”
“It’s no problem, no problem at all.”
“Now you’re the one teasing.”
He grinned at her and she thought, he’s flirting with me!
Katie came out with the package of zucchini bread. “I put in some apple butter bars for you, too.”
“You’re very generous. Danki.” He turned to Rosie. “I’m glad to see you’re doing better than I expected. Maybe if you’re up for it we can go for a ride in a couple of days?”
“That would be very nice. Thank you for the flowers.”
“My pleasure. Have a gut afternoon,” he said, looking at Katie, then at Rosie, before he descended the stairs.
“Well, well, what a surprise,” Katie said as she resumed her chair.
“You’re surprised that a man stopped by to see me?”
“Well, aren’t you?”
Rosie stared down at her hands and saw that there was dirt under her fingernails. She was in her oldest dress she wore when she gardened. And a kerchief that had seen better days covered her hair that probably looked untidy—it had hurt too badly to brush her hair well and pin it back as severely as she usually did that morning.
“Ya,” she said, nodding. “I’m tired. I think I’ll go lie down on the sofa now.”
And as she walked inside, she found herself smiling. Maybe she didn’t attract men as easily as her sister, but she didn’t need to. If just one man as nice as Jacob liked her, that was enough. That was more than enough.
Chapter 4
4
Katie loved working at Saul and Elizabeth’s store, but today she couldn’t wait to get home.
“Do you want to take off early?” Elizabeth asked her.
“Nee, why do you ask?”
“I’ve seen you looking at the clock. I think you’re worried about Rosie.”
She straightened a display of handmade candles before turning to Elizabeth. “I appreciated you and Saul telling me to stay home with her yesterday, but she’s allrecht to be left on her own today. She promised she won’t go up and down the stairs in the house and when I left she was about to take a nap on the sofa.”
“Gut.” Elizabeth patted her shoulder. “Just let me know if there is anything you need.”
The two of them had to work hard to make up for the absence of Rosie, but an hour before closing the stream of customers slowed. When Elizabeth insisted she go take her break, Katie didn’t argue. She fixed herself a cup of tea and sat down to enjoy it with a couple of cookies, thankful that Jacob had saved her from having to eat zucchini bread for her snack.
She found herself remembering how he’d stopped by that afternoon and visited Rosie for the second time . . . and brought her
daisies. She wasn’t sure who was more surprised—her or Rosie. They hadn’t had time to talk before Katie had to rush off to work, so she was looking forward to hearing all about it when she got home.
Elizabeth walked in just as Katie yawned. “Tired, huh? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you tired.” She fixed her own cup of tea and took a seat. “Don’t jump up. Saul’s minding the store. He’ll call us if it gets busy.”
Katie tried to stifle another yawn. “I didn’t get much sleep the night Rosie had to go to the emergency room. Then I’ve fussed over her the last couple days. Probably more than she needed,” she admitted.
“I’m sure. You were worried. Anyone would be.”
“Rosie said I was being bossy whenever I insisted she stay in bed.” She paused. “What’s so funny?”
Elizabeth bit back a smile. “You? Bossy?”
“I’m not bossy!”
“Of course not.”
Katie stared at her for a long moment and then she laughed. “I just like things to be the way I think they should be.”
“Ya.”
They heard a high pitched squeal out in the store.
“Speaking of bossy,” Elizabeth said as she turned in her chair to look toward the doorway. “Here comes one bossy little girl.”
Lovina, Elizabeth’s mother-in-law, walked in carrying Anna, a chubby toddler the spitting image of Elizabeth. The toddler’s eyes lit up as she saw her mamm, and it was all Lovina could do to hold onto her as she lunged for her mamm.
Elizabeth took her and hugged her. “Were you a good little girl today?”
“She certainly lets you know what she wants,” Lovina told them with a smile.
Anna looked at Katie and babbled, her big blue eyes on the cookies on Katie’s plate, her little hands opening and closing as if she wished she was grabbing it.
“She