“Then, would you consider going out for pizza?”
“All of us?” a small voice said.
“Of course.” When he turned and saw that Annie had just walked up to them and had heard, he tapped her nose with his finger. “I couldn’t get a pepperoni pizza without Annie, could I?”
“I like pizza,” she said. “My frog does, too.”
“Everyone likes pizza. Well, except for frogs. I doubt they care for it.”
Annie frowned. “You don’t think?”
“I think he’d rather have a fly or something, dear.” While Annie stewed on that, he raised his gaze, meeting Emma’s eyes again. “So, what do you say? Will you and your girls join William and me?”
“Say yes, Mamm,” Annie coaxed.
Smiling at her daughter, she nodded. “I would like that. Danke.”
After Annie went to go tell the others, she asked, “Do you want to go right now?”
Jay and Emma looked around the yard. William was playing with Lena, Mandy was tossing a tennis ball with a happy beagle, and little Annie was now sitting at the picnic table with her frog. It was a nothing-special kind of day.
It was exactly the kind of day she’d used to take for granted.
“Do you mind if we wait a little bit?” he asked. I would like to simply sit right here.”
She pointed to the bucket with Annie’s frog in it. “You don’t mind sitting here, keeping company with a frog?”
“I would be content to sit with you all afternoon. And four kinner, and a beagle, and a frog.” He shifted, waving a hand in the air. “The kinner aren’t arguing, the sky is clear, the day is warm. I can’t think of any place I’d rather be.”
“I agree with you, Jay. Days like this are special. Too special to take for granted.”
Ten minutes later, Annie asked, “Jay, what should we name my frog?”
“How about instead of naming him, we let him go?”
She frowned. “But I don’t want to.”
“That’s your decision, but he looks kind of lonely, don’tcha think? He would probably rather be with his frog friends.”
Annie stared hard at the frog, then at the grass, then at last at Jay. Then, with a sigh, she held out her hand. “Will you help me put him back?”
“Yep.” Over her head, he caught Emma’s smile. “Don’t move, Em. I’ll be right back.”
As she watched Jay walk with Annie’s hand nestled in his, Emma thought that this was not simply a good day.
It was the best day she’d had in a very long while.
A FEW HOURS LATER, Emma was sure her girls had never been so spoiled. Jay’s pockets seemed to be filled to the brim. There was no other explanation for the bounty of food he’d ordered for the six of them.
He’d ordered not one but three pizzas. Three! Then he’d ordered Em some Stixs—Village Pizza’s famous breadsticks. And soda!
“The kinner are not going to be able to eat all of this,” she exclaimed, staring at the plain cheese pizza, the Pinecrafter, and the Veggie Delight all sitting in front of them. “I hate to see you waste your money on so much food.”
He laughed. “It’s not a waste if they enjoy it. Plus, you forget I’ve got Ben and Mark. They’ll think they’ve died and gone to heaven when they forage in the refrigerator later tonight.”
“I suspect boys are always hungry.”
“Always!” William chirped.
“See?” Jay asked. “Now, let us pray and then eat.”
Automatically, they bent their heads in silent prayer. Emma gave thanks for the bounty of food, the hands that made it, and her new relationship with Jay and his sons. After everyone raised their heads, Emma and Jay handed out paper plates and plastic utensils. And napkins! Lots and lots of napkins.
Finally, Emma took a slice of veggie pizza for herself, neatly cutting a piece with her fork and knife and savoring her first bite. “It is wonderful.”
“It is,” he said, amused.
“What are you smiling about?” She grabbed a napkin and pressed it to her lips. “Do I have pizza sauce on me?”
“Nee. I was simply thinking how cute it is that you eat a pizza with a fork and knife.”
“It’s neater that way.”
“I’m sure it is,” he agreed, just as he folded his pizza in half and took a generous bite.
She laughed. “It would serve you right if pizza sauce spilled on your shirt.”
“Since I do the laundry at my haus, I guess I’ll have to deal with my mistake.”
She laughed, enjoying the silly conversation about nothing important. Then froze.
Because right there, walking toward them from the post office, were Sanford’s parents, Rachel and Samuel. And they were staring at her with pained expressions.