Change of Heart Read Free Page A

by the love of her life at seventeen. She’s thirty and not interested in getting married. She works hard and likes living alone without anyone telling her what to do. I’ll always be grateful to her for sharing her books with us and allowing us to help her until we were confident enough to birth boppli by ourselves. I made her a keepsake pocket quilt like the one you made me. I wrote her a letter, put it in the pocket, and stitched string on it to tie it closed. She wept when I handed it to her.”
    â€œI am touched you are carrying on our keepsake tradition. I keep the one I made for Caleb on the back of this chair. After we married, he wrote me a letter and slipped it in the pocket of the quilt with the one I wrote to him. I read the letters now and then.” She lifted the quilt and pulled it close. “The quilt reminds me of the wonderful memories we made together.”
    â€œI want to make Grace another pocket quilt while I’m here. She baked my favorite cookies, made me a new dress and kapp, and worked hard to take my mind off David’s rejection. She fears her birthmark covering her left cheek is why men refuse to arrange with her daed to marry her. At twenty, she fears there will not be many available Amish left in Berlin. I hope she’s wrong. Her big green eyes and brown hair are pretty. She’s tall and thin. She’s sweet, smart, and loving. The name Grace describes her well. She possesses all the qualities a man would want. It saddens me neither of us are married.”
    Ruth covered Becca’s hand. “Don’t fret about you or Grace getting married. God has a plan for each of you. I believe He will find you both husbands when the time is right.”
    Becca pushed up her sleeve and scratched the skin around her bandage. “I hope you’re right.”
    Ruth’s eyes widened. “When did you hurt yourself?”
    Becca recounted her story of how she met Dr. Carrington. “Did Caleb explain to him why I haven’t visited you?”
    â€œYes, Caleb and I explained how you are to shun me, since I left. I told him our parents did allow us to write letters. He must have been surprised when you told him you were coming to visit me. Did he ask you any questions?”
    â€œNo. He was a gentleman.”
    â€œHe is a fine man. I am glad he was there to help you.” She sighed and pushed a stray hair from her cheek. “I worry about him. He works such long hours. He really needs a nurse, but he cannot find anyone who is interested in the job.” She straightened in her chair and leaned forward. “Becca, you should consider working for him. You will need something to do if you stay in town for a while, and you would be easy for him to train since you have worked as a midwife for the last several years. I am not suggesting you ask him about the nursing job right away, but I know you. You will be bored in a few days and want something to do, and this job would be perfect.”
    Becca sucked in her bottom lip. She had always wanted to work as a nurse in a doctor’s office, but she hadn’t imagined it possible. “What about when we didn’t have patients to tend to? We would be alone.”
    Ruth raised her hand in a dismissive wave. “Dorothy Watts works for him, and she is a friend of mine. She is sixty-three and moves around faster than I do. She is a kind woman who takes care of his office duties, and she will be there most of the time. Matt is an honorable and trustworthy man. If he agrees, work for him a few days. Then decide if you want to continue.”
    â€œI’m not sure how long I’ll stay in Massillon. He needs someone he can depend on.”
    â€œExplain it to him. I suspect he will be appreciative for whatever help you offer.”
    She would miss birthing boppli with Hester. As a nurse, she’d learn how to tend to a variety of patient needs. “I’ll ponder the idea.”
    Ruth patted her