Read Online A Match For Addy (The Amish Matchmaker Book 1) by Emma Miller - Free Book Online

and introduced the strangers. Of course, Ellie had been in Seven Poplars for a few weeks, but the people she had met before were mostly from their church district. Tonight, unmarried Amish young people would gather from all over Kent County for the singing. And although their host, Elmer Beachy, had recently turned only twenty, the majority of his guests were a little older. It was a relief to Addy to know that she wouldn’t be competing with sixteen-year-olds. Not that a singing was a competition, but it was one of the few social occasions where rules of behavior keeping boys and girls apart were somewhat relaxed.
    Singings were wholesome fun. It was an exciting time when anything could happen. She could make a connection with a young man, and he might ask her to ride home in his buggy. It had never happened yet, but she continued to hope. She felt better about her appearance since she’d gotten her broken tooth repaired the previous year, and she knew she looked her best in her new dress.
    “Gideon!” Lilly shouted as the three approached the volleyball game. “We need another fellow!”
    “Sure,” he answered. He snatched off his hat, tossed it to Ellie and quickly found a place in the formation.
    “You know how to play?” Mary asked, then served the ball over the net.
    Thomas volleyed it back to what looked like a hole in the defense, but Gideon lunged forward, dove and sent the ball flying back to land just inside the line, scoring for his team. Lilly shrieked with joy and threw her arms in the air. “Did you see that?” she cried, clapping her hands.
    “Beginner’s luck!” shouted Menno from Thomas’s team. “Your serve again, Mary. This time we’ll be ready for you!”
    Addy and Ellie sat down on one of the bales of straw set out for those waiting to take a turn playing, or who just wanted to watch.
    Gideon quickly scored another point for Mary’s side, and a crowd gathered to watch. “I think Mary brought in a ringer!” someone called. “Maybe those Wisconsin boys play professional!”
    Thomas leaped high to block the ball, volleyed it back to Elmer, who tried to slam it down just beyond the net, but the ball caught and fell just on the far side. Someone called out the new score, and Menno groaned. Mary served a third time; the ball went back and forth, and then Elmer crashed into a girl Addy didn’t know, and three of the team went down in a heap. The ball struck the ground well inside their court, giving Mary’s team another point.
    “I love your dress, Dorcas,” Violet said, sitting down on the bale of straw between her and Ellie. “It’s new, isn’t it? You look good in that color. Doesn’t she, Ellie?”
    Ellie nodded, smiling at Addy. “
Ya
, I think so. Very nice.”
    “Danke.”
Addy said. She wished that Violet hadn’t called her by her old name, but she felt uncomfortable making a point of it.
    Ellie spoke up. “Dorcas is using her middle name now. It’s
Adelaide
.
Addy
. What do you think? Suits her better.”
    Violet considered.
“Addy.”
Her pretty face broke into a smile. “
Ya
, that’s better. I like it.”
    Violet had always been one of the popular girls, a young woman who always had boys vying to drive her home. Violet was fun to be around, always ready with a quick smile and a willing hand to help at suppers and work frolics. The two of them had never been close friends, although Violet had never been unfriendly. It warmed Addy’s heart that Mary’s friend had sought her out and that she approved of her new name.
    Now Violet leaned close. “He’s cute, isn’t he? And a good player.”
    “Gideon?” Addy fixed her eyes on the fast-moving game. “I...I suppose.” She thought she should say something more, maybe about what a hard worker he was, or the fact that he was talented with a needle and thread, but fearing she might say the wrong thing, she just concentrated on the game.
    A few minutes later, there was a shout and raucous cheers as the game came to a