Hannah shrugged. "I don't know what you mean."
"You do, too," Phoebe whispered. "That poor man has no idea how long our services last."
"He didn't ask."
Phoebe made a tsk-tsk-ing sound. "Shame on you," she chided.
But Hannah could see that Phoebe was trying to hide a smile. Her own lips twitched as she tried to do the same. She'd looked over to where the men sat and listened to the service and seen that for the first hour and a half or so, he seemed absorbed in what the ministers said. Especially when John B.talked about Matthew 5:10. Chris was particularly absorbed in what he was saying.
When voices were lifted in song, Chris stood and joined in. He had to look at the hymnal but he seemed earnest and interested, acting as if he enjoyed himself, she saw.
She wondered how he sounded when he sang and wished he wasn't so far away that she couldn't hear. His voice was always low and measured when he spoke. He probably had a nice singing voice.
But as the service went on, she saw him shift a little, and he appeared surprised when he surreptitiously looked at his watch and saw the time.
When he glanced over at her, raising his eyebrows in question, she had to bite her lip to keep from smiling. Understanding dawned and when she saw the glint in his eyes, the knowing nod and the slight smile, she wondered if she'd hear about this later.
Phoebe leaned over. "I think you should apologize to him later."
"He doesn't have to go to another one if he doesn't want to."
An older woman in front of them turned and frowned at Hannah.
Hannah whispered, "Er dutt mir leed"—"I'm sorry."
Looking somewhat mollified, the woman turned back around.
More time passed. Phoebe got up once to walk outside and relieve the stiffness she'd been experiencing lately. Annie needed a bathroom break so Mary took her.
When the service was over, the men began turning the benches into tables and the women went to the kitchen to fix the light meal that was served.
Once, when Hannah was walking around refilling coffee cups, she saw Chris staring at her. There was something dark and intense in his eyes, something she'd never seen when a man looked at her. Something mysterious and yet known, so desired and yet feared.
She looked away and felt her cheeks warm as she remembered that kiss.
"You okay?" Jenny whispered as she came to stand next to Hannah.
"I'm just a little warm. Lots of people in the house."
But Jenny was looking at Chris. "Oh yeah? It's not just one man who's making you feel that way?"
"Why is it you can't get off that topic?"
Jenny patted her shoulder. "Just want to see you as happy as me."
"Did you ever think—" she broke off.
"Did I ever think what?"
She glanced around. "Not here."
Jenny took her hand and drew her outside, to a corner of the porch where no one could hear. "Did I ever think what?"
Hannah watched the children running and playing in the yard. Some of the men were filtering out of the house now and congregating in front of the barn, talking business and horses and who knew what.
"Did you ever think maybe I'm just not meant to marry?" Shocked, Jenny stared at her. "No way. Look, we talked about how you feel a little down this time of year, but you have to keep your spirits up. I wondered if I was ever going to get married, too, but look what happened."
Mary came out and brightened when she saw her mother."Mamm, Joshua isn't feeling well. Daedi thinks we should go home now."
"Is he complaining about his stomach again?"
"Ya."
Jenny sighed. "We should have stayed home. I think he has a touch of the stomach flu that's gone around the community.Tell your dad I'll be right in. No, tell him to go get the buggy and bring it around."
Nodding, Mary went back inside.
"So, did Chris enjoy the service?"
Hannah brushed a nonexistent piece of lint from her dress."I don't know. I haven't had a chance to ask him."
"Well, it was nice of you to ask him to attend. I didn't think of it."
"I didn't," she told her, a stickler for honesty. "Annie did."
"That Annie," Jenny said with a laugh. "She really likes him, doesn't she?"
"I don't think there's anyone Annie's ever met who she didn't like."
Jenny gave her a hug. "Are you okay?"
Hannah absorbed the love and then she pulled back. "Ya. Danki."
Chris told himself that the funny feeling in his stomach was from overeating.
But he really hadn't eaten any more than usual—well, maybe a little, but that was because he had been doing manual labor.
When his chest started feeling funny and his breathing got a bit raspy, he felt a trace of anxiety.