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few and far between. It had been months since she had received one. Already, Mary had become a good friend to Constance, filling the hole left by losing Patience.
    Before Jackson stood up for the opening prayer, Hans came down the aisle and asked her if he could sit beside her. She slid over and let him be by the aisle. Constance hoped no one got the wrong idea. Mary glanced back again, and her smile widened.
    After the final prayer, Mary made a beeline up the aisle, stopping beside Hans. “Jackson and I would like to invite the two of you over for lunch. Today, I left a meatloaf in the warming oven.”
    A big smile spread across the man’s face. “I really like your meatloaf.”
    Constance wondered if there was any food he didn’t like. She’d seen him eat a lot of every supper at the boardinghouse. She wondered if Mrs. Barker was charging him enough for his meals.
    “So how about it, Constance?” Mary’s eyes pleaded with her. “We really enjoyed last week.”
    Constance glanced around the room that was rapidly becoming empty. “Won’t other people want to spend time with you, too? They might not like you spending so much time with someone new.”
    Mary’s face held an incredulous expression. “No one will care. Most of these people hurry back to their farms to take care of livestock. Besides, we’ve had supper with three different families this week. So please say you’ll come. I know Mrs. Barker doesn’t serve meals to the boarders on Sunday.”
    How could she say no? Jackson had helped her start finding the Mitchell property, and Mary had found her a job. Besides, she really enjoyed this couple. She glanced up at the tall man standing in the aisle beside her. If she were truthful with herself, she had to admit that spending time with Hans could be interesting, too. It couldn’t hurt to do it one more time, could it?

seven
    “That man really does like your meatloaf.” Constance laughed at the memory of Hans’s appreciation.
    At least today Mary let Constance help her with the dishes. While Mary washed, Constance dried and stacked them on the table. Later, she would help Mary put them up. Then next time she came, she would know where they went in the cupboard behind the curtains that hung above the dishpan.
    Mary’s eyes twinkled in amusement. “That’s why I made such a large one. He did eat quite a bit, didn’t he?” After plunging a plate in the rinse water, she shook off the excess and handed it to Constance. “He’s been here before, but you have to agree that it takes a lot of food to fuel a man that large.”
    Constance felt the warmth of a blush make its way up her neck and into her cheeks. She had been thinking the same thing. Not only was Hans handsome, but he was also strong and well-built. Of course, a lady shouldn’t have noticed a man’s build, but how could she miss it? She placed the dry plate on top of the stack on the table and turned back around. His muscles rippled when he ate, as well as when he worked.
    Mary had a speculative gleam in her lively eyes. She put her hands on her hips and laughed. “You already noticed that, didn’t you?”
    Constance tried to think of something to change the subject, but just then the topic of conversation came through the back door, accompanied by Jackson. “Here come the men.” She ducked her head and polished an already shining piece of silverware.
    Mary turned toward her husband. “So what did Hans think?”
    Constance wondered what Mary meant. The men had stepped outside while the women cleaned up the table, but Constance hadn’t known that there was an ulterior motive.
    Jackson put his arm around his wife and pulled her close to his side. “He agrees with me. We can do it, and he will help.”
    “Help with what?” Constance laid the damp towel on top of the cabinet beside the wash basin and folded her arms. “I’m missing something here.”
    Hans smiled at her, and for a moment, her breath caught in her throat. Then he turned