He’d never heard that name before. It certainly wasn’t common in his Amish district. But it was pretty. And it seemed to fit the woman, somehow.
Nein, he wouldn’t stand there on the porch, listening as if he had a vested interest in the conversation going on inside that door. He went down the three wooden steps to the right side of the unfinished porch and headed across the circular gravel drive that separated the haus from the barn and the shed, where the carpentry shop was located.
That was another thing wrong with the Englisch farm he’d looked at. The barn was too far away from the haus. Yes, the problem could be fixed with a barn raising. But Shanna was right. If he dawdled too long with the decision, someone else would snatch up the property. And it was the only piece of land for sale in the same district where his best friend, Jacob, resided. He’d like to stay in the area. Maybe he’d contact the realtor and take another look at the farm.
Inside the shop, Matthew breathed in the combined scents of sawdust, lumber, and stain. He loved those smells. Good thing he’d landed in an Amish family that made their living by crafting quality furniture. He’d always enjoyed working with wood, but it’d been more of a hobby. His life had been centered around the land. And he had dreams for his own property. Dreams that included—
A car door slammed, followed by an engine revving.
Levi must have said nein.
A mix of emotions flooded through Matthew. He moved to the doorway of the shop to watch Shanna drive out of his life.
To his surprise, she stopped the car outside the door and rolled down the window. “Get in.”
***
Shanna let the car idle as the Amish man stood there staring at her like she’d spoken in some foreign language. Okay, so she’d used Pennsylvania Deutsch, but she hadn’t been away from home long enough to forget her native tongue. Matthew Yoder should have understood her just fine.
“Why would I want to get in?” Matthew moved out of the doorway and approached the car.
Shanna smiled. “I have need of your brute strength.”
“Is that so.” Matthew’s lips curved in a crooked grin.
“Jah. Daed said I could stay in the apartment.”
He raised his eyebrows. “The apartment?”
“It’s my onkel’s. He’s Englisch, and he wanted Daed to remodel an unused loft in the barn into an apartment, with electric and everything. The one above the cows.”
Matthew looked at the barn, not twenty feet from where he stood. “You want to drive me to the barn?”
His tone said, “What, are you out of your mind?” Now that she thought about it, maybe she was. Certainly, he had no reason to want to help her. She was capable of unloading her suitcases and boxes. After all, she’d loaded them by herself, carrying them down three flights of stairs from her dorm room, before she’d left campus that morning. She’d waited until the last minute before leaving, hoping for another option. Something other than going home.
“I’ll meet you there,” he said.
She forced her attention back to the topic at hand. His incredulity must have had nothing to do with her insinuated request for help but with her offer to drive him the short distance.
Well, there was that. But he had no idea how many stairs she’d already climbed that day. Her legs threatened to cramp just thinking about facing more. At least this loft wasn’t high. And it was finished, so she’d have privacy. She’d dreaded the thought of sharing a room and a bed with her little sisters.
Shanna backed the car up to the barn by the double doors, which were open, and then pushed the button to unlatch the trunk. When she stepped out of the car, Matthew appeared at her side.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the skeleton key. “Is this the key to the apartment?”
Shanna shook her head. “Nein. That’s to Daed’s area. The
Nein, he wouldn’t stand there on the porch, listening as if he had a vested interest in the conversation going on inside that door. He went down the three wooden steps to the right side of the unfinished porch and headed across the circular gravel drive that separated the haus from the barn and the shed, where the carpentry shop was located.
That was another thing wrong with the Englisch farm he’d looked at. The barn was too far away from the haus. Yes, the problem could be fixed with a barn raising. But Shanna was right. If he dawdled too long with the decision, someone else would snatch up the property. And it was the only piece of land for sale in the same district where his best friend, Jacob, resided. He’d like to stay in the area. Maybe he’d contact the realtor and take another look at the farm.
Inside the shop, Matthew breathed in the combined scents of sawdust, lumber, and stain. He loved those smells. Good thing he’d landed in an Amish family that made their living by crafting quality furniture. He’d always enjoyed working with wood, but it’d been more of a hobby. His life had been centered around the land. And he had dreams for his own property. Dreams that included—
A car door slammed, followed by an engine revving.
Levi must have said nein.
A mix of emotions flooded through Matthew. He moved to the doorway of the shop to watch Shanna drive out of his life.
To his surprise, she stopped the car outside the door and rolled down the window. “Get in.”
***
Shanna let the car idle as the Amish man stood there staring at her like she’d spoken in some foreign language. Okay, so she’d used Pennsylvania Deutsch, but she hadn’t been away from home long enough to forget her native tongue. Matthew Yoder should have understood her just fine.
“Why would I want to get in?” Matthew moved out of the doorway and approached the car.
Shanna smiled. “I have need of your brute strength.”
“Is that so.” Matthew’s lips curved in a crooked grin.
“Jah. Daed said I could stay in the apartment.”
He raised his eyebrows. “The apartment?”
“It’s my onkel’s. He’s Englisch, and he wanted Daed to remodel an unused loft in the barn into an apartment, with electric and everything. The one above the cows.”
Matthew looked at the barn, not twenty feet from where he stood. “You want to drive me to the barn?”
His tone said, “What, are you out of your mind?” Now that she thought about it, maybe she was. Certainly, he had no reason to want to help her. She was capable of unloading her suitcases and boxes. After all, she’d loaded them by herself, carrying them down three flights of stairs from her dorm room, before she’d left campus that morning. She’d waited until the last minute before leaving, hoping for another option. Something other than going home.
“I’ll meet you there,” he said.
She forced her attention back to the topic at hand. His incredulity must have had nothing to do with her insinuated request for help but with her offer to drive him the short distance.
Well, there was that. But he had no idea how many stairs she’d already climbed that day. Her legs threatened to cramp just thinking about facing more. At least this loft wasn’t high. And it was finished, so she’d have privacy. She’d dreaded the thought of sharing a room and a bed with her little sisters.
Shanna backed the car up to the barn by the double doors, which were open, and then pushed the button to unlatch the trunk. When she stepped out of the car, Matthew appeared at her side.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the skeleton key. “Is this the key to the apartment?”
Shanna shook her head. “Nein. That’s to Daed’s area. The
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