“I’m tired of being kept at an arm’s length as if I’m hired help. It isn’t fair. I came here as a friend.”
Pain entered his eyes, like he’d known he’d been hurting her feelings but hadn’t known what else to do. “I realize that.”
“I’ve been terribly lonely. Won’t you consider letting me in your life…if only as much as a little bit?”
Obviously at a loss for words, Jonathan swallowed hard, blushed mightily, then abruptly stood up, turned on his heel and left.
Feeling bemused, Katie watched him leave. Had she made any headway…or merely made things worse?
“Katie?”
Thank the Lord for Hannah! The little girl was peeking around the corner, her eyes wide and her mouth shaped in a little “o.” “Come in, Hannah,” she said with a smile. “We have much to do.” Pointing to the fabric, she said, “We need to think about what size squares to make for our quilt.”
Thumb hovering near her mouth, the five-year-old tiptoed in. “I havena seen my daed talk like that before.”
“I did not mean to upset him.”
Blue eyes blinked. “You just wanted your way?”
In spite of her jangling nerves, Katie laughed. “I suppose so. I guess I’m not quite as easygoing as everyone thought I was, hmm?”
Hannah sidled closer, her dark indigo dress brightening up the vacant room as much as her cheery personality. “You’re different than Aunt Winnie.”
“I know. She’ll be back soon.”
Hannah nodded, then picked up her favorite piece of fabric. In her arms, the buttery yellow stood in vivid contrast against the dark blue. “Winnie doesn’t know how to sew.”
“She can sew well enough, I imagine.”
“No, she can’t. She sends out for the sewing. She bought my daed a suit from Mrs. Yoder for his birthday.”
Katie struggled to hide her surprise. No Amish woman was expected to be an expert at everything. Sure enough, there were many who bartered or traded goods to get unpleasant projects done. But sewing was as much a part of her family as baking shoofly pie for guests. It was hard to imagine Winnie not sewing at all. In fact, Katie distinctly remembered working on a quilt with Winnie when they were just girls.
But perhaps Winnie had never really enjoyed such activities? “Mrs. Yoder does fine work.”
“Does Mrs. Brenneman do that, too?”
“No. My mother is a very fine seamstress.”
After a moment’s reflection, Hannah confided, “Mary said my mamm didn’t like to sew, neither.”
“I can teach you if you’d like to learn.”
“We’ll use this yellow?”
“Definitely. I think we’ll make a quilt called Sunshine and Shadow. It’s made up of light and dark squares. It’s a very lovely pattern.”
“What if you leave before it’s done?”
Unexpectedly, the thought of leaving caused Katie’s heart to tighten. Hannah’s smiles and sweet nature had claimed her heart. Katie looked forward to more days of holding Hannah’s hand when they went to inspect the goat after school. Of baking buttermilk cookies with her, of showing Hannah how to measure ingredients just right. “I’m close by,” she murmured, realizing her voice sounded husky. “Even if I’m living at the inn, we’ll still have sewing lessons then.”
Finally satisfied, Hannah crossed the two feet that had separated them and scrambled up on the seat next to Katie. “I’m ready.”
“Then I’m ready, too.”
Together they looked at a pattern book her mother brought, so intent that Katie hardly noticed Jonathan had come back in and was building up a fire.
And she was not aware of the pure relief that crossed his features as he saw how Hannah had taken to her. Katie only concentrated on the girl next to her.
As Anna stood next to Henry at the counter of Mr. McClusky’s store a week before Thanksgiving, she could hardly believe the differences in her life. Mere months ago, she had accompanied Henry there for the first time. But unlike now, she’d tried to stay in the shadows. Lurking. Afraid of being found. She’d also been fiercely doing her best to deny her feelings for Henry Brenneman.
No, that wasn’t quite right, she decided. For the first two weeks or so, there wasn’t much to deny. She’d made up her mind to not like him. And the feeling had been mutual.
But now, dressed Plain and very close to taking her vows to the church…and later to Henry, Anna felt at peace. Henry was a good man, good in his heart and strong and stalwart. Sometimes she didn’t know what she had done to deserve this new life of hers.