Read Online Harvest of Hearts by Laura Hilton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Laura Hilton
Tags: General Fiction
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horse, a wheelbarrow, a flat iron, a thimble, a shoe, a car, and a dog. So, here’s your horse, Matthew. Shanna, should we give you the car? I’ll be the cannon, because I’m going to blow everyone out of the water.”
“Ooh, violence from a peace-loving Amish man,” Shanna teased.
“I’ll be the shoe,” Daed said, “because I’m going to walk all over you.”
Shanna’s eyes widened at the trash talk, something she never would have expected from Daed. “I’d rather be the wheelbarrow than the car.”
Joseph nodded and put the extra pieces back in the box. Mamm set a plate of applesauce cookies on the table and settled down next to Daed with her knitting. Another pastime Shanna had never mastered, though Mamm had spent hours trying to teach her. To her credit, she had learned to crochet passably. Maybe she’d try one more time to learn how to knit. She could use a new scarf for winter.
“Let’s roll to see who goes first.” Daed picked up one of the pair of dice and gave it a toss. “I got a five. Beat that.”
Matthew and Joseph both reached for a die at the same time, but Matthew rolled a three and Joseph a four. Shanna rolled a one.
“I start.” Daed scooped up the dice and rolled. “Double six.” He moved the shoe to the electric company and counted out the money to buy it. “What am I going to do with an electric company?”
Shanna’s cell phone rang, the musical tone blaring out from her pocket. Everyone jumped and looked at her.
“Ach, you made me drop a stitch.” Mamm unraveled a few stitches.
Shanna reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. The caller was Nate, a guy she casually dated in Springfield. She wanted to talk with him, but did he have to call while she was enjoying time with her family? She deliberated a moment, studying the phone, then the game. Well, maybe she could play a game later. She’d be here all summer. “I won’t be playing this time.” She got up and headed for the door. On the porch, she opened the phone and held it to her ear. “Hey, Nate. What’s happening?”
Chapter 8
The next morning, Matthew crawled out of bed before the rooster crowed. He glanced across the room at the other twin bed, where Joseph was still sprawled, sound asleep. Matthew dressed quietly, then went downstairs.
Deborah was already in the kitchen, starting the breakfast preparations. She looked up from her task of measuring coffee and smiled. “You’re up early, Matthew.”
“Not so much. I’ll get a head start on the chores.” At the door, he pulled on his shoes and shoved his hat on his head. Then, he stepped outside and took a deep breath of the fresh spring air. He paused for a moment to listen to the chorus of birds before striding toward the barn.
When he had slid the big barn doors open, Matthew’s gaze wandered to the closed apartment door, and he wondered—not for the first time—who Nate was. Shanna hadn’t bothered to come back into the house last night after his phone call. Instead, she’d padded barefoot over to the barn, leaving her shoes and wet clothes behind. He could only assume she’d stayed there. He hadn’t seen or heard her car leave the property.
He milked the cows and led them to the pasture. After that job was complete, he hiked back to the barn to clean out the stalls. He’d just started the first one when he felt a presence. Turning, he saw Shanna grab a shovel and move to another stall. “You’re up early” was all he could think to say.
She grinned at him. “It’s about time I started pulling my weight around here, ain’t so?”
“Jah, but Judah usually helps with the stalls.”
Shanna nudged a gate open. “I know. I wanted to do something.”
Matthew supposed she could have gone to the house to help her mamm prepare breakfast, but since that thought hadn’t occurred to her, maybe it wasn’t his place to bring it up.
“I
“Ooh, violence from a peace-loving Amish man,” Shanna teased.
“I’ll be the shoe,” Daed said, “because I’m going to walk all over you.”
Shanna’s eyes widened at the trash talk, something she never would have expected from Daed. “I’d rather be the wheelbarrow than the car.”
Joseph nodded and put the extra pieces back in the box. Mamm set a plate of applesauce cookies on the table and settled down next to Daed with her knitting. Another pastime Shanna had never mastered, though Mamm had spent hours trying to teach her. To her credit, she had learned to crochet passably. Maybe she’d try one more time to learn how to knit. She could use a new scarf for winter.
“Let’s roll to see who goes first.” Daed picked up one of the pair of dice and gave it a toss. “I got a five. Beat that.”
Matthew and Joseph both reached for a die at the same time, but Matthew rolled a three and Joseph a four. Shanna rolled a one.
“I start.” Daed scooped up the dice and rolled. “Double six.” He moved the shoe to the electric company and counted out the money to buy it. “What am I going to do with an electric company?”
Shanna’s cell phone rang, the musical tone blaring out from her pocket. Everyone jumped and looked at her.
“Ach, you made me drop a stitch.” Mamm unraveled a few stitches.
Shanna reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. The caller was Nate, a guy she casually dated in Springfield. She wanted to talk with him, but did he have to call while she was enjoying time with her family? She deliberated a moment, studying the phone, then the game. Well, maybe she could play a game later. She’d be here all summer. “I won’t be playing this time.” She got up and headed for the door. On the porch, she opened the phone and held it to her ear. “Hey, Nate. What’s happening?”
Chapter 8
The next morning, Matthew crawled out of bed before the rooster crowed. He glanced across the room at the other twin bed, where Joseph was still sprawled, sound asleep. Matthew dressed quietly, then went downstairs.
Deborah was already in the kitchen, starting the breakfast preparations. She looked up from her task of measuring coffee and smiled. “You’re up early, Matthew.”
“Not so much. I’ll get a head start on the chores.” At the door, he pulled on his shoes and shoved his hat on his head. Then, he stepped outside and took a deep breath of the fresh spring air. He paused for a moment to listen to the chorus of birds before striding toward the barn.
When he had slid the big barn doors open, Matthew’s gaze wandered to the closed apartment door, and he wondered—not for the first time—who Nate was. Shanna hadn’t bothered to come back into the house last night after his phone call. Instead, she’d padded barefoot over to the barn, leaving her shoes and wet clothes behind. He could only assume she’d stayed there. He hadn’t seen or heard her car leave the property.
He milked the cows and led them to the pasture. After that job was complete, he hiked back to the barn to clean out the stalls. He’d just started the first one when he felt a presence. Turning, he saw Shanna grab a shovel and move to another stall. “You’re up early” was all he could think to say.
She grinned at him. “It’s about time I started pulling my weight around here, ain’t so?”
“Jah, but Judah usually helps with the stalls.”
Shanna nudged a gate open. “I know. I wanted to do something.”
Matthew supposed she could have gone to the house to help her mamm prepare breakfast, but since that thought hadn’t occurred to her, maybe it wasn’t his place to bring it up.
“I
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