The Amish Marriage Bargain. Marie E. Bast
Чтение книги онлайн.
Читать онлайн книгу The Amish Marriage Bargain - Marie E. Bast страница 5
Название: The Amish Marriage Bargain
Автор: Marie E. Bast
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Короткие любовные романы
Серия: Mills & Boon Love Inspired
isbn: 9780008900717
isbn:
A buggy turned into the driveway, the wheels crunching over the rocks as she watched Elmer park it in front of the haus. He stepped down and waved as he walked toward her.
Elmer was handsome and his bronzed skin set off his sky blue eyes. He’d definitely be a gut catch for some woman, but not her. She only thought of him as a friend, and he deserved a frau that would liebe him.
Thad closed the barn door and stalked toward the haus, a grimace plastered on his face as he nodded to Elmer. Ah, now she understood why Thad had stalled after hitching Tidbit. Elmer.
When they were all kinner in school, Thad and Elmer had some kind of rivalry. It seemed like everything was a competition to them, horseback riding, swimming, but it was more than that. But she couldn’t quite tag it. If she didn’t know better, she’d think Thad was jealous. Nein, that couldn’t be. It was just their old silliness, like two small buwe.
A smile tugged at her lips as Elmer got closer. He had donned a clean blue chambray shirt and trousers. Gut. He had smelled like cheese curds earlier in the day.
Before Elmer reached the steps, Thad smacked the reins across Tidbit’s back, and the buggy shot off down the driveway toward the gate. May gripped her apron as she watched the speeding buggy. She relaxed as Tidbit slowed before he crossed the road.
“Gut evening, May. How are you this evening?”
“A bit tired.”
“Jah? I’ll stay only a little while.”
She faced Elmer, then glanced at the road after Thad. A twinge of sadness washed over her. She couldn’t believe that Thad might lose the farm. Her family’s farm. Daed and Mamm fought hard for years to keep the farm, to make the payments and to put food on the table every day. This land ran through her veins almost as much as her blood did. It was who she was. Even if she had to go door-to-door in town with a bucket of vegetables to make a sale, she’d do it.
Her heart pounded. That was a bad sign. Why was it that the mere sight of Thad made it hard for her to breathe? To walk in a straight line? And when his hand touched hers when she handed him the potato bowl, she nearly melted on the spot.
Jah, she either had to hide her heart or convince the angel Gabriel to protect it, or Thad would steal it away. Nein, not again! She didn’t know what was worse...losing the farm or losing her heart.
But could she risk sticking around to find out?
The next morning, Thad ran his hands through his hair as he entered the kitchen. “Mmm, sausage and eggs smell gut.”
“Thought it was my turn to treat you to breakfast this morning,” she turned and faced him. “How’d the dairy association meeting go last night?”
He pulled a chair away from the kitchen table and plopped down. “It doesn’t look like the USDA is in any big hurry to make changes. That means that many farmers are going to have to sell organic for the regular milk price. We’ll lose money, about 33 percent, by doing that, but it can’t be helped.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I know how hard you work.”
“Jah, well, times are changing.”
“Maybe you could sell the cows and put in all produce?”
“The reason why we diversify is because a storm could wipe out the whole crop. This way we still have milk money to fall back on. The president of the association called the newspaper and a reporter showed up. He was going to put a story in the paper. Maybe the Englisch politicians will take notice. I’m praying for that.”
May flashed him a hopeful smile.
“How’s Leah? When I’m outside, I don’t see her much.She’s not up yet?”
“She was up earlier playing and had her breakfast. Now she’s napping. We were outside all yesterday afternoon. She missed her nap, and went to bed early. It threw her off schedule.”
“How is your vegetable stand doing?”
“It’s doing very well. Lots of Englisch stop by the roadside stand wanting to buy fresh produce.”
“Ah, gut. At least there is something we grow that the consumers like to buy.”
They hadn’t talked this much since they’d courted. Yet, if he was going to persuade her to stay, they’d need to be getting along a whole lot better. She set the breakfast on the table and sat opposite Thad. After the blessing, she poured his coffee and dished up her plate.
She only tolerated him, but in all fairness, he had dumped her and married her sister. He truly regretted that.
They both wanted the farm to succeed. And he sure hoped her liebe for it and Leah made her come to the right conclusion. But he needed to know where he stood with May.
A flash of fear tugged at his gut as he aimed his gaze across the table. “Have you made a decision yet about leaving Iowa?”
She raised her head and he could read the surprise on her face.
The words popped out before he could bite them back. He knew he shouldn’t rush her. She needed time. He’d only push her into making a hasty decision. That probably wouldn’t be in his favor.
“Nein. I’m taking my time—a move to Indiana is final. It’s a big decision, and I want to get it right.”
A sigh whooshed out before he could stop it. That meant he still had time to sway her decision.
But how could he convince her to stay?
May lugged the baskets of tomatoes and bins of green beans and peapods to her roadside stand she had put at the end of the driveway by the white fence. She arranged the quart-size cartons of strawberries in rows, then sat the plastic bags and cash box on the opposite end of the table.
She blotted her forehead with her hand as she glanced at the blanket on the ground where Leah sat playing. Her pumpkin was the only sweetness in her life. For sure and for certain, she was going to miss that little bit of sugar if she headed to Indiana. She’d told Thad she hadn’t made a decision, but in truth, it was for the best that she moved. But she needed to consider it from all angles.
Someday Thad would want to remarry, and that would make it uncomfortable for her. Edna’s offer was only for a short while, and she needed to take advantage of her generosity.
A warm breeze danced across her face, drying the perspiration СКАЧАТЬ