A Time to Heal(14)

"Fortunate," Jenny said, her smile gentle as she touched the little girl's cheek. "They aren't as fortunate as us."

She took her seat at the table and served herself as she listened to the children.

Chris waited for the children to ask her to bring them back presents, things, the way kids he knew did when their parents had to go away for work. Instead, the children talked about school and chores and what they'd be doing while she went out of town.

All the while, he saw that Jenny and Matthew quietly held hands beneath the table and spent a lot of time smiling at each other. Even if he didn't know they hadn't been married all that long ago, he'd have figured them for newlyweds. But he hadn't expected an Amish man would display his feelings about his wife.

The front door opened and then closed.





Hannah walked in and noticed Chris sitting at the table eating breakfast.

She sighed inwardly. So, she was still going to have to play tour guide. Well, she'd do it for Jenny but she wouldn't like it a bit. The quicker he was gone, the sooner she could get back to her daily routine.

Hmm. How quick could she make it? She poured herself a cup of coffee and couldn't help smiling as an imp of mischief tugged at her imagination.

She made the mistake of looking at Chris just then and their gazes locked. His eyes narrowed as he studied her.

Hastily, she glanced away, and this time found Jenny watching her. Her sister-in-law's eyebrows went up, but Hannah shook her head.

"So do you have any idea where you want to go or what you want to see today?" Jenny asked Chris.

He cast a quick look at Hannah and then shook his head. "I think I'll let Hannah plan our itinerary."

"Itin—rarry?" Annie looked like a reporter as she held her pencil above her notebook.

Chris grinned at Annie. "Itinerary. It's a plan for a trip you want to take. You make a list of all the places you want to see so you don't forget anything. Your mother will have to help you spell that one, I'm afraid."

Jenny smiled and spelled the word for Annie.

"My mamm's going on a trip, right after breakfast," Annie announced. "And she's got lots of lists."

"I'm a little obsessive about being organized, I guess."

"A little?" Hannah teased.

"Obsessive?" asked Annie.

Jenny bit back a smile and then spelled the word.

Hannah gave in and placed a cinnamon roll on a plate.Jenny still didn't make a lot of different types of food but those she did she made well. Cinnamon rolls were in the top five best recipes made by Jenny, Hannah decided as she bit in.

Jenny made a face at Hannah. "So I needed some help adjusting to running a household with three children and helping Matthew with the farm where I could and still meet my writing deadlines. You were a tough act to follow."

Hannah shrugged and felt a little embarrassed at Jenny's praise. After all, she needed to do the same when Amelia, Matthew's first wife, had died.

"I enjoyed helping Matthew with the haus and the kinner. And I'll be happy to help in any way while you're gone."

She turned to them. "Starting now. Isn't it time to leave for schul?"

The children got up, took their plates to the sink, and then swarmed Jenny with kisses and hugs.

Hannah's heart warmed as she watched Jenny fight back tears while hugging them close.

"I'll be back in no time," she said. "I promise."

"We know," said Annie, and she gave Jenny a big smacking kiss on the cheek. "Bye!"

A quick scurry of feet, and the three children raced out the door. It slammed behind them and left utter silence.

"What a wonderful sound," Matthew said, grinning. He sighed and took a last sip of his coffee. "Let's get you off and I can have a nice, quiet house all to myself for a while," he told Jenny.

"Well!" she pretended to huff. "Maybe I'll just stay there a few extra days."

"Maybe I'll come after you if you do," he responded and her smile faded.

"That would be so awesome," she breathed. "Do you mean it? Just the two of us?"

"I can't manage it right now, during the harvest. But we can go away for a few days this winter."

"How would we manage that—" She broke off and looked at Hannah. "Do I sense a plot here?"

Hannah smiled. "See, I can keep a secret."

Jenny rushed to Hannah's side and threw her arms around her. "Well, I guess I won't mind this once." She sighed. "I feel like we're sisters, not just sisters-in-law."

The two women smiled at each other, and Jenny started clearing the table.

"Let us do that," Chris said, standing and picking up several plates to take to the sink.

"But you're a guest," Jenny protested.