Hannah went into the pantry and thought about what to cook for supper. A roast had been left to thaw in the refrigerator.This must be what Jenny had planned to have for supper, she thought.
Pulling it out, she glanced at the clock and figured she had just enough time to cook it for supper. She'd put some carrots and potatoes in with it. Dessert would have to be something simple and quick to make.
Someone knocked at the front door. Hannah went to answer it. Chris stood on the doorstep, hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans, his expression unsmiling.
"Is there anything I can do? Chores that Matthew would do at this time of day that I can take care of for him? Animals to feed or whatever?"
"Joshua is fixing up some stalls in Phoebe's barn. The horses are out in the pasture," she said after a moment. "I'd thought about sending Joshua out to get them—"
"I'll take care of it."
She bit her lip, thinking hard. "Take Joshua with you since they know him. Phoebe's got room but I don't know if she has enough food. If not, let me know and I'll send Joshua over to get some from the Lapps."
He nodded and turned to leave.
"Chris?"
Turning again, he looked at her. "Yes?"
"I appreciate you thinking to offer this and I'm sure Matthew will too."
"I'm happy to help."
"And you've been a help too," she said. "You came here for a vacation and you've had little of it."
"I had a lot of time off before this," he said, shrugging.
"I'd hardly call being in the hospital time off."
"I'm not used to sitting around for any reason."
"Hannah, do you want me to peel the potatoes?" Annie called.
"No! Don't touch that knife!" she turned to respond. "Do you hear me?"
"I won't!"
"Anyway, I want to thank you," she told Chris.
She took a deep breath and said what she knew she should have said some time ago. "I know we got off on the wrong foot, and I haven't always been pleasant to you."
"Yeah, it was a surprise because we're so much alike," he said.
"Alike?" She stared at him. "How?"
He chuckled. "We're both stubborn, protective, and sure we're right."
She leaned back against the doorjamb. "Are you saying those things about yourself so that you can say them about me?"
"Oh, of course not," he said, but the twinkle in his eyes belied his words. "And then there's the fact that you're Amish and I'm Englisch, as you call it, so you can see we should have no differences in how we feel and act about things."
Hannah shook her head and grinned. Then she spotted a buggy turning into the drive. She straightened and her smile faded as she saw who had come to visit.
"That's the bishop. I wonder why he's here."
"Do you want me to stay or go get the horses?"
"Get the horses," she said quickly. "I'd rather he not think I'm entertaining Englisch men."
"I'd be happy to tell him otherwise." Chris stood straighter himself.
"No, there's Joshua now," she told him, spying the boy walking up to the bishop's buggy and helping the elderly man alight. "And thank you for—for—"
"For being sensitive?" he asked, struggling not to laugh.
"I'm sure you've never been accused of that," she said tartly.
"Now, now, let's play nice. We were actually getting along for a few minutes there."
"Joshua, Chris is waiting to help you bring in the horses," Hannah called to him.
The bishop and Joshua walked up the steps and the older man studied Chris.
"This is Chris Matlock, a friend of Jenny's," Hannah said as she introduced them. "Chris, this is Bishop Miller."
The two men shook hands. "I hear you're helping Matthew with the harvest."
Chris nodded. "My family owns a farm out in Kansas."
The bishop's glance went to the barn. "Heard there was some trouble here today."
"Joshua, why don't you and Chris go get the horses now and put them in Phoebe's barn? Be sure to feed them."
She waited until the two had left and then turned to the bishop. "Eli had some burns on his arms and chest but he's okay. They're keeping him at the hospital for observation tonight, but he should be out tomorrow."
The bishop descended the stairs and walked toward the barn. Hannah followed him.
"The fire chief doesn't want anyone to go near it."
He stopped and peered at her over wire-rimmed glasses."Why?"
"Said he wants to send an investigator to look around tomorrow."
"Are you saying he thinks someone set the fire?"
"I think he's just making sure of what caused it," she said, frowning. "I don't think he suspects anyone set it. He said barns are a problem, being a wood structure, things stored it, that sort of thing."