A Hope Springs Christmas. Patricia Davids

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СКАЧАТЬ Grossmammi for a few weeks.” She had a smile on her face, but it was forced.

      He scowled at her. Grace was impulsive, but this was odd even for her. She hadn’t said a word about visiting their relative. “Is Grandmother ill? Is that why you’re going?”

      “Nee, she’s fine as far as I know.”

      “You can’t take off at the drop of a hat like this.”

      Atlee spoke up, “That’s what we told her.”

      “But she told us she was going and that’s that,” Moses added.

      Grace’s smile faded. “Please, Levi. Don’t forbid me to go. I need you to understand that I have to get away for a while.”

      How could he understand when she hadn’t told him anything? He opened his mouth but nothing came out. She took it as his consent and her smile returned. He never could deny her what she wanted. She and the twins had lost so much already.

      She rushed to his side and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you, Levi. Sarah said you would understand. I’ve got to run or I’ll miss my bus. This was a wonderful idea. I’m so glad she suggested it. I can’t wait to see Grossmammi again.”

      Sarah suggested it? He should have known. “Grace, who will take care of our customers?” he asked as panic began to set in. He couldn’t deal with people. Words froze in his mouth and he looked foolish.

      “Sarah will help you. Be kind to her.” Grace gave him a bright smile as she opened the door. A flurry of cold air swept in as she went out.

      When Levi blinked he was still standing in his kitchen not really sure what had just happened. He looked at his brothers. They both shrugged.

      Atlee said, “I’d like dippy eggs with my ham.”

      “I want mine scrambled.” Moses folded his hands and waited.

      Levi stared at the black stove with a sinking feeling in his gut. How on earth would they manage without Grace?

      An hour later, Levi left the house and headed for his retreat, his workshop, where nothing smelled like burnt ham or charred eggs and he couldn’t hear his brothers’ complaints. He’d left after telling them to do the dishes.

      A body would have thought I told them to take the moon down and polish it the way they gaped at me.

      When he left, they were arguing over who should wash and who should dry. He didn’t have time to referee because he was late, and he was never late opening his business.

      He still didn’t know why Grace had to leave town so suddenly. He hoped she hadn’t gotten herself in trouble. That wasn’t the kind of thing a man wanted to ask his sister. All Atlee and Moses knew was that after an argument with her boyfriend, Grace had decided to visit their grandmother for a few weeks. How many was a few? Three? Four? She didn’t intend to stay away for a month, did she?

      One thing Grace said stuck in Levi’s mind. She’d said Sarah had suggested it. He suspected that Sarah Wyse was a whole lot better informed about his sister’s abrupt departure than he was.

      Two men in Amish clothing were standing in front of his store when he approached.

      “Did you decide to sleep in today, Levi?” one man joked.

      Levi tried to think of a snappy comeback, but nothing occurred to him. He kept his eyes down and wrestled with the key that refused to unlock the door.

      “Reckon he wants to start keeping banker’s hours,” the second man said with a deep chuckle.

      Levi hated it when people made fun of him. He searched his heart for forgiveness and offered it up to God, but he still felt small. He always felt small.

      When the stubborn lock finally clicked open, he rushed inside. He hadn’t had a chance to get the stove going and the building was ice-cold. The two men waited by the counter while he stoked the fire. When he had a flame going, they both stepped up to warm their hands.

      Levi cleared his throat and asked, “How can I help you?”

      The outside door opened, but Levi couldn’t see who had come in. The men blocked his line of sight. He hoped it was the twins because he didn’t like dealing with customers. Not that the twins would do better. They were likely to pull some prank and then disappear, leaving him to deal with the fallout.

      The taller of the two men said, “We’re wanting to order a pair of courting buggies for our oldest boys. They’re good sons and they are willing to help pay some of the cost. Before we place any orders, what kind of deal can you give us for ordering two buggies together?”

      Levi scowled. “A buggy costs what a buggy costs.”

      “That’s not what Abe Yoder over in Sugarcreek told us. He’s willing to take ten percent off for a double order.”

      Levi struggled to find the right thing to say. Grace always knew just what to say. Why did she have to take off and leave him to work alone? She knew how much he hated dealing with people.

      Abe Yoder’s offer was a good one, but Levi didn’t want to send these men back to his competition. He couldn’t cut ten percent off his price or he’d be making the buggies for free. He cleared his throat again and felt heat rising in his face. Why was it always this way? Other people didn’t have trouble talking.

      Behind the men, a woman’s voice said, “If Abe Yoder says he can cut ten percent off he’s overcharging to begin with.”

      The men turned around as Sarah Wyse approached the stove. She was looked straight at him. “Isn’t that right, Levi?”

      He nodded and followed her lead. “Ja.”

      She waited, as if expecting he would say more, but when he didn’t she gave her attention to the men. “Come up to the counter, neighbors, and let us talk about what you think your sons will like and what they can live without. Once we have an idea of the amount of work that will be needed, we can give you a fair estimate. You’ll find our prices are as good as Abe Yoder’s and our quality is better.”

      Levi blew out a breath of relief. Everyone’s attention was on her and not on him. Now he could think.

      She stepped behind the counter and began opening drawers. “If I can just find our order forms.”

      “Top left.” Levi supplied the direction she needed.

      She opened the correct drawer and said, “Ah, here we are. Changes can be made later, but that may affect the price once we’ve started work. Do you know what color of upholstery they want on the seats? Do they want drum brakes? How about cup holders and storage boxes? I assume these will be open buggies as you said they are for courting.”

      She waited, pencil posed, with a friendly smile on her face that could charm anyone. Levi was grateful for her intervention until he remembered that she had sent Grace out of town in the first place.

      Once again, Sarah seemed bent on making his life difficult.

      Chapter Three

      Sarah СКАЧАТЬ