Following Your Heart Read Free

answering. “I may not want to patch things up with Thomas, Daett , so please be understanding. What I want is a man who will love me. Someone who will not fall in love with my best friend the first time I turn my back.”
    â€œWe all have made mistakes,” Daett said. “We all have our faults.”
    â€œDid you fall in love with Mamm ’s best friend while you were seeing her?” Susan asked him.
    â€œNo,” Menno said. “That one I did not do.”
    â€œThat proves my point,” Susan said.
    Menno fell silent, but Mamm didn’t look ready to drop the subject. Moments later she spoke up. “You always were the fiery one of the girls, Susan,” she said. “Don’t you think you’re overplaying this a little? Thomas does seem like a nice man, and he did go all the way to Asbury Park to visit you over Christmas, not knowing you’d left already. It shows you he is serious now.”
    â€œI didn’t know about that,” Menno said, leaning forward over the table. “That does sound serious—and quite gut to me.”
    â€œI think it counts for a lot,” Mamm said. “It clearly shows that whatever affection he had for Eunice, it was very short-lived.”
    Susan glared at the wall at the thought of Thomas and Eunice. “It was long enough for me to see what kind of man he is,” she said. “And I will have nothing to do with him. Thomas was kissing Eunice!”
    â€œWell…” Menno said, “remember, we need a younger man on the farm soon. And I think Thomas would be more than willing. Perhaps you need to find forgiveness in your heart for the boy.”
    â€œThis has nothing to do with forgiveness, Daett ,” Susan said. “It has to do with trust, and I don’t trust Thomas.”
    Menno sighed. “Then Da Hah will have to do His work in His own slow way, I suppose. But I wish He would hurry because I’m getting old and my body isn’t going to hold out much longer.”
    â€œYou’re much tougher than you think,” Susan said. “And I’m willing to help out as much as I can on the farm. You know that.”
    â€œOkay, enough of this,” Mamm interrupted. “This is getting us nowhere. If everyone is done eating, let’s pray. The sun is climbing quickly into the sky, and I need those supplies from the Dutch Barn.”
    â€œThere will be more time to discuss this later,” Menno said. He bowed his head, praying silently this time.
    Susan caught Teresa’s eye moments later and smiled.
    The girl looked perfectly terrorized. She must not be used to such frank discussions. But it had been only a few days since they had arrived on the Greyhound, and this was indeed another world to Teresa. A gut world, but why did the discussion of Thomas have to come up so quickly? Her parents meant no harm. They just hadn’t seen Thomas like she had, all starry-eyed and flat-footed while Eunice beamed on him with her sweet smiles. How Susan’s heart had been torn at the sight of the two outside the washhouse that Sunday night after the hymn singing. What a betrayer of friendship Thomas was. Well, let Thomas marry Eunice if he thought she was so wonderful.
    Susan jerked herself out of her thoughts when her daett stood to his feet and pushed his chair back under the table.
    â€œCan I help with the dishes?” Teresa asked.
    â€œWe’ll both help,” Susan said, getting up. “Then it’s off to the barn to get the horse.”
    â€œI’ll work on my list now,” Mamm said, disappearing into the living room.
    Susan went to the sink to turn on the hot water, while Teresa moved the dishes from the table and used a plastic scraper Susan gave her to remove the food particles.
    â€œAre they clean enough to wash now?” Teresa asked moments later, setting two plates on the counter.
    Susan nodded. “You’re doing really well.”
    â€œI guess