Read Online A Time To Heal by Barbara Cameron - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Cameron
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set time you have to be back home?”
Home. It hadn't felt like home when he went back there. So he'd decided to hit the road so he could think.
“No,” he said slowly. “No set time. My brother and my dad seem to have things working well without me. I needed some time to myself. Time that I wasn't stuck in a hospital, I mean.”
Then he realized why Matthew might be wondering.Although the man appeared to be friendlier toward him today, maybe the suspicion lingered.
He hesitated for a moment, then decided to plunge in.“Look, Hannah seemed to think that I might have come here to steal Jenny from you.”
Matthew burst out laughing. “I'm sorry,” he said when he had to take a breath. His eyes were actually tearing from laughing so much.
Taking a handkerchief from the back pocket of his broadcloth pants, he wiped his eyes. “I guess she gave you a time today, didn't she?”
“She's not the quiet Amish miss I expected,” Chris admitted.“That should teach me about stereotypes.”
“Well, I can assure you that my sister didn't speak for me. I have no worries that Jenny can be stolen.”
He tucked the handkerchief back in his pocket. “If there's no need to go back soon, I wondered if you'd like to help me here for a while. One of my part-time workers just told me he needs surgery.”
Surprised at the question, Chris didn't know what to say.
“Why don't we go inside, have some coffee, and talk about it? I don't expect a man to just suddenly change his plans.”
“I didn't really have anything as concrete as plans,” Chris told him. “I only thought ahead as far as to find a room.”
He looked out on one of the harvested fields again. This land pulled him. He couldn't deny it. “I've missed farm work.”
“Let's have some coffee then and see if Phoebe brought over one of her pies. She always does when Jenny has to be away.”
“Pie.” Chris found his feet moving. “Pie sounds good.”
He followed Matthew into the house.
“What do you mean, he's staying?” Hannah stared at her brother. “Chris is staying?”
“For a while. To help out while John recovers from his surgery.”
He picked up the lid of the frying pan and peered inside.“Mmm. Pork chops. But there's no applesauce on top.”
Hannah sank into a chair at the kitchen table. “Don't worry.I'll add it when it's time.”
“It was nice of you to take him to see the area today. He said he had a good time.”
“He did not.”
“What? He said he had a good time.”
“Really?”
“You sound surprised.”
Hannah realized that her brother watched her. She got up and stirred the contents of one of the pots on the stove.
“He doesn't talk much,” she said.
“I noticed that. He kind of reminds me of the way Jenny acted when she first came here.”
Matthew couldn't have surprised her more.
“ Ya?”
Matthew nodded. “They've both been through so much. It's affected them. Maybe it will all their lives.”
“But Jenny seems fine now. She hardly has a limp—”
“I still catch a glimpse in her eyes sometimes,” Matthew said quietly. “And every so often she has nightmares and she doesn't want to talk about them.”
Stunned, Hannah stared at him. “I had no idea.”
“She hides it well.”
He hugged her. “Thank you for stepping in to help while Jenny's gone.”
“You're changing the subject.”
“Me? No.”
He returned to the stove and checked the contents of another pan, then opened the oven. “Mmm, biscuits too?”
Huffing out a breath, she went to shut the oven. “Shoo!”
She waved her hands at him and he scooted out of range.“Out of my kitchen.” She stopped. “Oh, I didn't mean to say that. It's not my kitchen.”
“It was for a long time.” His grin faded. “What would the kinner and I have done without you after Amelia died?”
She waved away his thanks. “I loved doing it. Sometimes I miss being around them so much.”
“But you're right next door with Phoebe.”
“I know. But
Home. It hadn't felt like home when he went back there. So he'd decided to hit the road so he could think.
“No,” he said slowly. “No set time. My brother and my dad seem to have things working well without me. I needed some time to myself. Time that I wasn't stuck in a hospital, I mean.”
Then he realized why Matthew might be wondering.Although the man appeared to be friendlier toward him today, maybe the suspicion lingered.
He hesitated for a moment, then decided to plunge in.“Look, Hannah seemed to think that I might have come here to steal Jenny from you.”
Matthew burst out laughing. “I'm sorry,” he said when he had to take a breath. His eyes were actually tearing from laughing so much.
Taking a handkerchief from the back pocket of his broadcloth pants, he wiped his eyes. “I guess she gave you a time today, didn't she?”
“She's not the quiet Amish miss I expected,” Chris admitted.“That should teach me about stereotypes.”
“Well, I can assure you that my sister didn't speak for me. I have no worries that Jenny can be stolen.”
He tucked the handkerchief back in his pocket. “If there's no need to go back soon, I wondered if you'd like to help me here for a while. One of my part-time workers just told me he needs surgery.”
Surprised at the question, Chris didn't know what to say.
“Why don't we go inside, have some coffee, and talk about it? I don't expect a man to just suddenly change his plans.”
“I didn't really have anything as concrete as plans,” Chris told him. “I only thought ahead as far as to find a room.”
He looked out on one of the harvested fields again. This land pulled him. He couldn't deny it. “I've missed farm work.”
“Let's have some coffee then and see if Phoebe brought over one of her pies. She always does when Jenny has to be away.”
“Pie.” Chris found his feet moving. “Pie sounds good.”
He followed Matthew into the house.
“What do you mean, he's staying?” Hannah stared at her brother. “Chris is staying?”
“For a while. To help out while John recovers from his surgery.”
He picked up the lid of the frying pan and peered inside.“Mmm. Pork chops. But there's no applesauce on top.”
Hannah sank into a chair at the kitchen table. “Don't worry.I'll add it when it's time.”
“It was nice of you to take him to see the area today. He said he had a good time.”
“He did not.”
“What? He said he had a good time.”
“Really?”
“You sound surprised.”
Hannah realized that her brother watched her. She got up and stirred the contents of one of the pots on the stove.
“He doesn't talk much,” she said.
“I noticed that. He kind of reminds me of the way Jenny acted when she first came here.”
Matthew couldn't have surprised her more.
“ Ya?”
Matthew nodded. “They've both been through so much. It's affected them. Maybe it will all their lives.”
“But Jenny seems fine now. She hardly has a limp—”
“I still catch a glimpse in her eyes sometimes,” Matthew said quietly. “And every so often she has nightmares and she doesn't want to talk about them.”
Stunned, Hannah stared at him. “I had no idea.”
“She hides it well.”
He hugged her. “Thank you for stepping in to help while Jenny's gone.”
“You're changing the subject.”
“Me? No.”
He returned to the stove and checked the contents of another pan, then opened the oven. “Mmm, biscuits too?”
Huffing out a breath, she went to shut the oven. “Shoo!”
She waved her hands at him and he scooted out of range.“Out of my kitchen.” She stopped. “Oh, I didn't mean to say that. It's not my kitchen.”
“It was for a long time.” His grin faded. “What would the kinner and I have done without you after Amelia died?”
She waved away his thanks. “I loved doing it. Sometimes I miss being around them so much.”
“But you're right next door with Phoebe.”
“I know. But
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