Read Online A Husband For Mari (The Amish Matchmaker 2) by Emma Miller - Free Book Online

father had willed the house and farm to him. James had given Mattie and Rupert twenty acres across the field to build on, though. Two years ago, when jobs had been scarce in Kent County, Rupert had taken a job in Pennsylvania with a small company that made log-cabin kits and shipped them all over the country. The money was good, better than James could have afforded to pay his brother-in-law, but it meant that Rupert could come home only once a month.
    The baby began to make contented sounds, and the tension drained from Mattie’s face. She looked up at James. “It’s a chance for us. And it won’t be long. Once Rupert starts work on our cabin, he won’t work away from home any longer. We’ll be grateful for a job with you then. And...” She threw him a meaningful glance. “You’ll be able to start looking for a wife.”
    “I will, will I?” His finding a wife was one of Mattie’s favorite subjects.
    “Lots of nice girls available. You’ve been back home two years, and you’ve been accepted into the faith. It’s time you thought about settling down.”
    When James first returned to Seven Poplars, he’d felt self-conscious when reminded about the period he had spent among the English, but that had passed. Over time, he’d come to believe that his time in the English world had made him a better man. A better Amish man.
    “Did you have anyone in particular in mind? For my wife?” he asked, amusement in his voice.
    “You know I’ve always liked Lilly Hershberger. And then there’s Jane. She likes you a lot.”
    “Jane Peachy?” He made a face. “Isn’t she a little old for me? She’s got to be eighty, at least.”
    She laughed. “You know perfectly well which Jane I mean. Jane Stutzman . She’s a good cook. And I know she likes you. I’ve seen her watching you in church.”
    He gathered dishes and utensils to set the table for the evening meal. “I met a nice girl this week at Sara’s,” he said casually.
    “ Ya? Who? Sara’s got so many coming and going these days, I lose track. Do we know the family?”
    “Her name’s Mari Troyer. She’s from Wisconsin.”
    Mattie’s eyes narrowed. “Troyer? You don’t mean that girl who went English? Sara mentioned her Sunday last. She’s going to find her a husband.”
    “You think?”
    “Well, why else would she be staying with the matchmaker?” Mattie asked, sounding as if James was foolish not to have known that. “Of course, first she’ll have to join the church. She was never baptized, according to Sara, so it’s just a matter of taking the classes with the bishop and making the commitment.”
    He turned from the stove. “Mari’s joining the church?” he asked, trying not to sound too interested; otherwise, his sister would get herself worked up. That wasn’t what Mari had said to him. But there had been something in the tone of her voice that had made him think that she wasn’t as sure as she wanted him to believe.
    Mattie narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “I don’t think a girl like that is someone you should court, James. You haven’t been back that long.”
    “Two years.” He turned back to the stew.
    “It’s better if you marry a girl who hasn’t been influenced by Englishers. That way you won’t be—”
    “What?” he asked, staring into the pot and stirring it slowly. “Lured away by fancy cars and HBO?”
    “I don’t even know what HBO is, but you know what I mean.” The baby started to fuss, and Mattie put him on her lap and began to pat his back. “This Mari has lived among the English. She might put ideas in your head to leave again.”
    James laughed and then frowned. “You think I can be influenced by every pretty English girl I meet?”
    “She’s pretty, is she?”
    “ Ya. And she has a way about her that’s...endearing. One minute she seems confident and the next so unsure of herself,” he said as much to himself as his sister. He looked over his shoulder at Mattie. “And she’s a good