readjusting the quilt on her lap.
Too soon, Joshua was back. He climbed into the buggy and twisted around to look at her. “Move up here by me. I’m not a chauffeur.”
“Jah, that’s exactly what you are.”
He hesitated, studying her. “Either that or a taxi service, jah?”
She smiled, in spite of herself. “Jah.”
He grinned back. “Get up here.”
After a moment, she laid the quilt where she’d found it, smoothing the wrinkles. Then, she climbed over the buggy seat, settling in next to him. Closer to him than Rachel had sat. “Danki for taking me home.”
His grin liquefied her knees. Good thing she wasn’t standing. Had he smiled at Rachel that way? He reached for the brake, released it, and clicked his tongue. Seconds later, they were back on the road.
“Did you have fun at the singing?”
“Jah.” It had been okay, until Luke had shown up.
“Gut. You haven’t kum to many singings in the past few weeks. Just on occasion.”
He’d noticed her? Annie fought the urge to smile. “You’re new in town. I go to all the singings. Well, almost all of them.” She had missed a good number after Mamm’s accident.
“I’m not that new. I’ve been here since the end of June. Four months. And I would have noticed if you were there all the time. Believe me.”
He’d noticed her enough to miss her? Then, why hadn’t he asked…?
“Sorry I tagged along on your ride with Rachel.”
He glanced at her. “I don’t mind giving you a ride. It’s a pleasure. As for ruining the evening with Rachel, don’t worry. I might decide to visit her later this week.” He shrugged as if it didn’t matter.
Annie’s heart sank. She leaned back in the seat, shifting away from him as far as she could. Not that she’d been sitting indecently close. She did have a reputation to uphold. Such as it was.
He glanced at her again. “So, heard that you are meeting with the school board on Monday to discuss some things.”
Tomorrow. She shut her eyes briefly. “News does get around.”
“Heard you rented a van to take the students on a field trip to a Civil War battlefield. Without permission.”
She fought the urge to bow her head in shame. Instead, she held steady, tightening her lips, glad that he didn’t have any kinner in school and would have no reason to attend the meeting.
But then, he lived at the haus where the meeting would be held. With Luke’s family.
Jah, he’d be there, to witness her humiliation firsthand.
Chapter 2
Joshua led the big draft horse pulling the wagon toward the field. Henry Schwartz had told him the horse’s name was High Clyde—Hi-C, for short. Joshua’s chore for the day was to start clearing rocks from the south pasture in preparation for planting next spring. The boulders had to be hauled away to another spot, where they would lie free for the taking. Someone would likely use them to build a stone haus or a fence. He worked alone, since Henry and Luke had gone to the leather shop, a place Joshua wasn’t welcome. The family business. He didn’t care much about leather, but it still galled him that he’d been excluded from the shop since his arrival in Seymour.
He didn’t really need to find a job here, except for the desirability of having cash. After all, he was just killing time, unlike the ten other men who’d come to Missouri in the swap. But, to avoid suspicion, and to keep from appearing lazy, he’d figured he should probably do something productive.
The wagon wheels jolted over the rocks. Afraid of breaking a wheel, Joshua released the reins and started filling the wagon with rocks—a task that quickly appeared endless. It looked as if God had taken all of the rocks left over at the creation of the world and dumped them in the Ozark Mountains.
After he’d worked a couple of hours, he took off his straw hat and wiped a sleeve across his brow. Still
Too soon, Joshua was back. He climbed into the buggy and twisted around to look at her. “Move up here by me. I’m not a chauffeur.”
“Jah, that’s exactly what you are.”
He hesitated, studying her. “Either that or a taxi service, jah?”
She smiled, in spite of herself. “Jah.”
He grinned back. “Get up here.”
After a moment, she laid the quilt where she’d found it, smoothing the wrinkles. Then, she climbed over the buggy seat, settling in next to him. Closer to him than Rachel had sat. “Danki for taking me home.”
His grin liquefied her knees. Good thing she wasn’t standing. Had he smiled at Rachel that way? He reached for the brake, released it, and clicked his tongue. Seconds later, they were back on the road.
“Did you have fun at the singing?”
“Jah.” It had been okay, until Luke had shown up.
“Gut. You haven’t kum to many singings in the past few weeks. Just on occasion.”
He’d noticed her? Annie fought the urge to smile. “You’re new in town. I go to all the singings. Well, almost all of them.” She had missed a good number after Mamm’s accident.
“I’m not that new. I’ve been here since the end of June. Four months. And I would have noticed if you were there all the time. Believe me.”
He’d noticed her enough to miss her? Then, why hadn’t he asked…?
“Sorry I tagged along on your ride with Rachel.”
He glanced at her. “I don’t mind giving you a ride. It’s a pleasure. As for ruining the evening with Rachel, don’t worry. I might decide to visit her later this week.” He shrugged as if it didn’t matter.
Annie’s heart sank. She leaned back in the seat, shifting away from him as far as she could. Not that she’d been sitting indecently close. She did have a reputation to uphold. Such as it was.
He glanced at her again. “So, heard that you are meeting with the school board on Monday to discuss some things.”
Tomorrow. She shut her eyes briefly. “News does get around.”
“Heard you rented a van to take the students on a field trip to a Civil War battlefield. Without permission.”
She fought the urge to bow her head in shame. Instead, she held steady, tightening her lips, glad that he didn’t have any kinner in school and would have no reason to attend the meeting.
But then, he lived at the haus where the meeting would be held. With Luke’s family.
Jah, he’d be there, to witness her humiliation firsthand.
Chapter 2
Joshua led the big draft horse pulling the wagon toward the field. Henry Schwartz had told him the horse’s name was High Clyde—Hi-C, for short. Joshua’s chore for the day was to start clearing rocks from the south pasture in preparation for planting next spring. The boulders had to be hauled away to another spot, where they would lie free for the taking. Someone would likely use them to build a stone haus or a fence. He worked alone, since Henry and Luke had gone to the leather shop, a place Joshua wasn’t welcome. The family business. He didn’t care much about leather, but it still galled him that he’d been excluded from the shop since his arrival in Seymour.
He didn’t really need to find a job here, except for the desirability of having cash. After all, he was just killing time, unlike the ten other men who’d come to Missouri in the swap. But, to avoid suspicion, and to keep from appearing lazy, he’d figured he should probably do something productive.
The wagon wheels jolted over the rocks. Afraid of breaking a wheel, Joshua released the reins and started filling the wagon with rocks—a task that quickly appeared endless. It looked as if God had taken all of the rocks left over at the creation of the world and dumped them in the Ozark Mountains.
After he’d worked a couple of hours, he took off his straw hat and wiped a sleeve across his brow. Still
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