Read Online A Hope Springs Christmas by Patricia Davids - Free Book Online

Who would believe they couldn’t exchange as much as a sentence when they were both inside the same building all afternoon? It was almost like he was trying to avoid her. Was he still angry about her advice to Grace?
    Rather than become discouraged, Sarah grew more determined. She would discover the real Levi Beachy if it took her all winter.
    Admitting only a temporary setback, she stopped trying to corner the man and settled herself with paperwork in the office. As she went through the previous year’s records, she was pleased to see Levi was an excellent bookkeeper. While Grace might take care of the public part of the business, Levi clearly managed the rest with a deft hand. It was something a prospective wife would be impressed with.
    When five o’clock rolled around, Sarah went home and gathered what she would need to feed the Beachy family supper. Along with the leftover stew, she packed a loaf of bread and two jars of vegetables she had canned from her own garden. She added a second loaf of bread when she remembered the appetite her brother had during his teenage years.
    She carried the makings of the meal to the house next door with a simmering sense of excitement. No wonder her aunt Emma enjoyed matchmaking. Sarah had no idea how exciting it was. Her somber mood and worry about the season had taken a backseat to her enjoyment of the challenge she faced.
    Levi had seen her coming. He held open the door. She squeezed past him, brushing against his side in the process. “ Danki, Levi.”
    His face flushed deep red. “I—I forgot something.”
    He rushed out the door, leaving her staring after him. Really? Could he not sit still even in his own home? Miffed that he had once again escaped her, she turned back to see his brothers sitting at the kitchen table, looking at her with wide, hopeful eyes. They resembled a pair of starving kittens in front of an empty milk saucer.
    “ Gut-n-owed, Sarah,” they said together.
    “Good evening,” she replied.
    Atlee said, “We’re right sorry we upset you with our teasing Henry Zook today.”
    She inclined her head slightly. “It’s forgiven and forgotten. As long as it doesn’t happen again.”
    Moses said, “It won’t. When you pull a good joke on a fellow, it’s only funny the first time. He might be expecting it a second time.”
    She leveled a stern gaze at him. “If you have no remorse, I can take supper home with me.”
    Stifling a grin at their frightened expressions, Sarah glanced at the large box in her arms and the basket hanging on her elbow. “Your supper will appear much faster if I could get a little help.”
    They were up like a shot and took her burdens from her. They set everything on the counter and stood aside. Sarah began unloading her goods. To her surprise, the countertop was grimy. The stove was, too. She ran a finger along the back edge of the counter.
    This much cooking grease hadn’t accumulated in a single day. Grace clearly didn’t devote much effort to housework. Poor Henry. He would be in for a shock after the wedding if Grace didn’t improve. His mother’s home was always as neat as a pin.
    Sarah tried to remember the last time she’d been in the Beachy home. It had been years. Grace was forever dropping by to visit at the fabric shop or coming to Sarah’s house. After Jonas’s death, Sarah had curtailed her visits to friends and neighbors. It became too hard to pretend she was doing better when she wasn’t.
    She added one more item to her mental to-do list for the winter. Help Grace get her house in order.
    The twins had been smart enough to make sure there was a fire going in the stove. Sarah put on the apron she’d brought with her and got to work. It wasn’t long before the smell of steaming beets, buttered carrots and chicken stew filled the small kitchen. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed the boys were hovering near the table but they hadn’t taken a seat.
    She lifted the lid on the stew and stirred the