Read Online Huckleberry Harvest by Jennifer Beckstrand - Free Book Online

Dat out of mischief. He’d rather keep his family’s shame all to himself.
    Noah lifted his arm up and down a couple of times to work out the stiffness. Gute thing the bruise was covered by his sleeve. He wouldn’t be able to keep any secrets if the people at church saw a purple-and-blue mark the size of his hand.
    In the kitchen, he grabbed a loaf of bread and a can of tuna from the cupboard. Would Dat be able to stomach tuna with a hangover? It would have to do. There was nothing else to eat. When Tyler Yoder paid him for working on the fridge later today, he would get some groceries. Maybe even splurge on a pie. Dat liked pie.
    Too bad Dat hadn’t gotten a piece of Mandy Helmuth’s huckleberry pie. It was worth the trouble of actually having to be near her. He’d brave a hundred of those superior, self-righteous looks of hers for another taste of that sweet pie.
    He might even let her spy on him if she promised him a piece of snitz pie in return.
    His lips curled upward. A piece of pie and a look at those freckles.
    He had a thing for pie.
    And freckles.

Chapter Five
    There were only so many amends she could make without an oven.
    Mandy clutched her plastic bowl, waited for Noah to knock on the door, and steeled herself to be alone, completely alone with Noah Mischler. She hadn’t been able to decide whether to be alarmed or relieved when Dawdi and Mammi had gone into town this morning, leaving Mandy by herself to let Noah into the house so he could hook up the new oven.
    On one hand, there would be some immensely uncomfortable silences while Noah fixed the oven and Mandy cleaned the floor. On the other hand, she would be able to apologize for the river incident yesterday without arousing Mammi and Dawdi’s curiosity.
    On the other hand, what if he yelled at her? Or called her names? Or refused to speak to her at all? He’d taken a dunking because of her foolishness. She fully expected him to scowl and tell her she should keep her superior hinnerdale out of the river. She disliked him wholeheartedly.
    She tested her knee by limping around the kitchen a few times. It was stiff and painful. If she concentrated hard on hiding her limp, Noah might not even remember she’d injured herself. She couldn’t hope that he’d forgotten the entire incident.
    Then again, he had risked his life to save hers. Reluctant as she was, she could not let his kindness go unthanked. But she’d rather not feel Noah’s wrath today. She already felt deerich, foolish, enough.
    She opened the door before he even knocked because she saw him coming from the window, and she’d rather not prolong her humiliation.
    He stood on the doorstep with his toolbox the size of a car, looking intimidating and suspicious at the same time. She’d seen him only yesterday, but he seemed to be better looking than ever. Maybe it was because his hair wasn’t dripping with river water and his face wasn’t smeared with mud. That might have something to do with it. He had his hat in one hand, and his light brown hair fell playfully across his forehead, as if the wind had blown it there. His brown, intelligent eyes gazed at her as if trying to decide if she were the enemy.
    “Is the stove here?” he asked, getting right down to business. No doubt he wanted to visit with her as little as she wanted to visit with him.
    “It came this morning.”
    With the bowl still in one hand, she moved away from the door so he could come into the house. He set his toolbox next to the fridge and stepped back to take a look at the new stove. He examined it for about ten seconds before bending over to retrieve something from his box. It seemed as if he were in a hurry.
    He wanted to get out of here as much as she wanted to get him out.
    But maybe she should give him her gift before he got too far into his work. He already thought she was a nuisance. Interrupting him would only annoy him more.
    She cleared her throat, which had dried up like a stale piece of toast. “Before