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Authors: Kathleen Fuller
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pounded on a long strip of metal. The process of transforming a rod of iron into something useful fascinated her.
Her first weeks on the job had gone smoothly, for the most part. While her fears of making a monumental mistake that would cost her job were unfounded, she had made a few minor errors, the latest one last week. She’d gotten delivery dates confused for two Yankee customers who both ordered the same number of horseshoes for their respective farms. But she’d corrected her slip-up before Gabe found out.
She took another bite of her green apple and continued to observe Aaron, his back to her as he pounded the metal into shape. Gabe had left earlier that morning to help one of his neighbors fix a broken plow. It was turning out to be a slow and boring day, which was unusual for a Saturday.
Aaron set the hammer down and turned to the side, his body angled away from the forge and more toward her. He slipped off one of his leather gloves and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, then picked up a glass of water on a table nearby.
Dying to talk to someone, Elisabeth saw the opportunity. She opened the door and walked into the shop, breathing in the familiar scent of burning charcoal and piping hot iron. “Ready for lunch?”
He turned to her, his face streaked with sweat and smudged with charcoal. He glanced up at the battery-operated clock on the wall. “It’s not even ten thirty.”
“Oh.” She hadn’t thought to check the time. “Then maybe you’d like to take a break. I have an extra apple in my lunch bag.” She held up her half-eaten apple.
“I’ll wait for lunch.” He took a long swig of water, then set it back down. He started to turn back to the forge but paused. “Did you need something?”
“ Nee .” She ran her finger along the edge of the table, grimacing when she saw the grime on her finger. She put her hand behind her back. “Just hanging out.”
“Finished with your work?”
“Um, ya .”
He faced her. “Maybe you should geh home then.”
“But what if we get a customer? Gabe’s not here and you’re busy at the forge.”
“I can handle it. I’ve worked alone before.”
She frowned. “That can’t be much fun.”
“Actually, I prefer it.”
His words didn’t surprise her. Aaron personified the word loner . Even after working with him several days a week over the last few weeks, she didn’t know him any better than before. Not that she hadn’t tried. She’d invited him to eat lunch with her more than once, but he never took her up on her offer. She had asked him to come to the singing at her house, but he never showed up.
At least Lukas’ friend Anna had come and saved her from screwing up the chicken salad. Turned out everyone liked it as a dip, and one of her friends asked her for the recipe. Elisabeth had liked Anna immediately and admired her for having her own business. She understood why Lukas was sweet on her, even though he had insisted to her later that night they were just friends.
What she didn’t understand was Aaron’s reluctance to visit with her and her friends, or any young people at all. Just last Sunday it had been her family’s turn to host church, and while Aaron had shown up for the service, he didn’t stay for the fellowship afterward. She’d even sought him out right after church ended, but he had dashed out the door before she could catch up with him.
“Why?” she asked, the word out of her mouth before she could stop it.
“Why what?”
She hadn’t meant to voice her question out loud, but now that she’d blown it she might as well find out the answer. “Why do you prefer to be alone?”
“I just do.” He spun around and slid his glove on his hand.
She walked around to the side of the forge. Heat radiated from it, warming her skin. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Does to me.” He didn’t look at her, he merely picked up the hammer and started pounding but then stopped and put the end of the rod into
Her first weeks on the job had gone smoothly, for the most part. While her fears of making a monumental mistake that would cost her job were unfounded, she had made a few minor errors, the latest one last week. She’d gotten delivery dates confused for two Yankee customers who both ordered the same number of horseshoes for their respective farms. But she’d corrected her slip-up before Gabe found out.
She took another bite of her green apple and continued to observe Aaron, his back to her as he pounded the metal into shape. Gabe had left earlier that morning to help one of his neighbors fix a broken plow. It was turning out to be a slow and boring day, which was unusual for a Saturday.
Aaron set the hammer down and turned to the side, his body angled away from the forge and more toward her. He slipped off one of his leather gloves and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, then picked up a glass of water on a table nearby.
Dying to talk to someone, Elisabeth saw the opportunity. She opened the door and walked into the shop, breathing in the familiar scent of burning charcoal and piping hot iron. “Ready for lunch?”
He turned to her, his face streaked with sweat and smudged with charcoal. He glanced up at the battery-operated clock on the wall. “It’s not even ten thirty.”
“Oh.” She hadn’t thought to check the time. “Then maybe you’d like to take a break. I have an extra apple in my lunch bag.” She held up her half-eaten apple.
“I’ll wait for lunch.” He took a long swig of water, then set it back down. He started to turn back to the forge but paused. “Did you need something?”
“ Nee .” She ran her finger along the edge of the table, grimacing when she saw the grime on her finger. She put her hand behind her back. “Just hanging out.”
“Finished with your work?”
“Um, ya .”
He faced her. “Maybe you should geh home then.”
“But what if we get a customer? Gabe’s not here and you’re busy at the forge.”
“I can handle it. I’ve worked alone before.”
She frowned. “That can’t be much fun.”
“Actually, I prefer it.”
His words didn’t surprise her. Aaron personified the word loner . Even after working with him several days a week over the last few weeks, she didn’t know him any better than before. Not that she hadn’t tried. She’d invited him to eat lunch with her more than once, but he never took her up on her offer. She had asked him to come to the singing at her house, but he never showed up.
At least Lukas’ friend Anna had come and saved her from screwing up the chicken salad. Turned out everyone liked it as a dip, and one of her friends asked her for the recipe. Elisabeth had liked Anna immediately and admired her for having her own business. She understood why Lukas was sweet on her, even though he had insisted to her later that night they were just friends.
What she didn’t understand was Aaron’s reluctance to visit with her and her friends, or any young people at all. Just last Sunday it had been her family’s turn to host church, and while Aaron had shown up for the service, he didn’t stay for the fellowship afterward. She’d even sought him out right after church ended, but he had dashed out the door before she could catch up with him.
“Why?” she asked, the word out of her mouth before she could stop it.
“Why what?”
She hadn’t meant to voice her question out loud, but now that she’d blown it she might as well find out the answer. “Why do you prefer to be alone?”
“I just do.” He spun around and slid his glove on his hand.
She walked around to the side of the forge. Heat radiated from it, warming her skin. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Does to me.” He didn’t look at her, he merely picked up the hammer and started pounding but then stopped and put the end of the rod into
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