A Hope Springs Christmas. Patricia Davids

red. Had he said something stupid? Once again she touched his arm. It was as if touching came easily to her. It wasn’t that way with him. He felt the warmth of her hand even through the sleeve of his shirt. It spread to the center of his chest and pooled there.

      She chuckled and said, “I have given this recipe to Grace. She has assured me that everyone in the family enjoyed it. Maybe what she needs is a few cooking lessons.”

      She wasn’t laughing at him. Levi was able to smile, too. “She needs more than a few. Her biscuits are as heavy as stones.”

      He fell silent again.

      Sarah said, “I hope you’ve saved room for some peach pie. I made it last night.”

      “Peach is my favorite.”

      “Mine, too.” She smiled warmly at him.

      They finished the rest of the meal in companionable silence. When he was done, Sarah rose and began gathering up the dishes. “I’ll bring the rest of the stew to your house this evening. I’m sure the twins will be even hungrier by supper time.”

      He pushed back the chair and stood. “The meal was ser goot, but I must get back to work.”

      “I will be over as soon as I finish these dishes. Is there anything special you need me to do?”

      He shook his head, but then changed his mind. “If customers come in, I would appreciate your help finding out what they want so I don’t have to stop work each time.”

      “I can do that. I’ll keep watch out the window while I finish up here. If I see anyone I’ll come right over.”

      Levi nodded his thanks and walked out the door.

      * * *

      Sarah watched him go with a strange sense of loss. There hadn’t been a man at the head of her table since Jonas’s passing. While it felt odd, it also seemed right that Jonas’s best friend should have been the one sitting in his place. He’d been like a little brother to her husband. Levi grieved for Jonas as strongly as she did.

      Since Jonas’s passing, she often felt that Levi was avoiding her. Maybe it wasn’t because he disapproved of her. Maybe it was simply that she reminded him too much of his loss.

      Sarah shook off the sadness that threatened to bring tears to her eyes and instead concentrated on a plan to see which one of her single friends might be right for Levi, and most important, how to get them together.

      It wasn’t like Levi was going to attend the singings or gathering that were held on Saturday and Sunday evenings so the young people of the community could mingle and met potential mates. He was past that age and so were the women she had in mind for him.

      Levi rarely left his work place, so if Levi wouldn’t come out, she needed to find a way to get the women to come in.

      The meal today gave her an idea. She would invite her friends, one at a time of course, to join her for a meal when Levi was present. She would have to include the twins and Grace, too, when she returned, but that couldn’t be helped. It would look odd if she only asked Levi to come to dinner. People would say that she was running after him herself. That wouldn’t do.

      Perhaps having him and his family over to eat wasn’t such a good idea. Who knew how many times she’d have to invite them before he found someone he liked? The twins could put away a lot of food.

      Maybe she could ask her friends to help with inventory. That would be logical excuse to have them spend the day where Levi was working. She might even convince some of them to come in and look over the used buggies that Levi had for sale or buy a new one. If she remembered right, Leah Belier’s buggy was old and worn. Sarah could drop a few hints about a good price and then leave Levi to show the teacher what was available. That might work.

      Satisfied that she had a few plausible reasons to get Levi to spend time with some eligible women, Sarah closed the door and began to clean up the kitchen. While she might be new at matchmaking, she had been around her aunt Emma enough to know how it was done. If all went well, Levi would find a woman to take care of him and Grace would be free to marry.

      Sarah placed the glass Levi had used in the soapy water. His shirtsleeves were threadbare, and his shoes had holes in them. He did need someone to look after him.

      So why did the idea of Levi getting married suddenly cause an ache in her heart?

      * * *

      The twins were seated inside Levi’s office when he returned to the shop. “Was it a fine meal?” Moses asked.

      “Fine enough.”

      “Better than our church spread sandwiches, I reckon,” Atlee grumped.

      Levi loved the peanut butter and marshmallow crème spread served for Sunday lunches after the prayer service. “About that good, I guess. Did you finish the wheel we’re fixing for Gideon Troyer?”

      “Not yet, but we got the fire going good outside,” Atlee said in a rush.

      “And we finished the upholstery on the front seat for the Hershberger buggy,” Moses added. The boys exchanged a lively glance. It was rare that they did work Levi hadn’t asked them to do. Perhaps Sarah’s scolding had paid off.

      “Danki. We’d best finish the wheel, though. Gideon will be by to pick it up this afternoon.”

      “I don’t get him.” Atlee shook his head.

      “Me neither,” Moses added.

      Levi looked at his little brothers. “What do you mean?”

      Atlee said, “He traded in flying airplanes to go back to driving a horse and buggy. Why?”

      Levi understood their confusion. Very few of the young men who left the Amish came back and were content to do so after being out in the English world for as long as Gideon had.

      From the doorway, a man said, “The outside world held many things that drew me away, but I discovered God’s will for me was to return to my Amish roots.”

      Levi turned to see Gideon walking toward him. He liked the man that had married their cousin Rebecca and not only because he’d helped her regain her sight after years of blindness. He was a likeable fellow in his own right.

      Atlee said, “You came back because of a woman.”

      Gideon gave a sharp bark of laughter. “God’s ways are wondrous to behold, as I’m sure you will discover when you are older. Your cousin Rebecca’s love was the prize I won for following God’s will rather than my own.”