Read Online Susanna's Dream: The Lost Sisters of Pleasant Valley, Book Two by Marta Perry - Free Book Online

frowned. “I didn’t like leaving her alone in the house for a couple of hours, but she chased me out, insisting she is fine and I should stop bothering her.”
    She could hear Dora saying it in a tone of sheer exasperation. “Surely she will be all right as long as she doesn’t exert herself?”
    “Ja, but could I count on her to do that?” A faint gleam of amusement showed in his eyes. “Like as not she’ll take a notion to clean the windows or redd out the closet.”
    “Dora would be more sensible.” She hoped, at least.
    He shook his head. “
Stubborn
, that’s the only word for my mamm. I arranged for one of my sisters to drop in this afternoon.”
    “That won’t fool Dora,” she said, and then wished she hadn’t spoken. She didn’t want to enliven this trip with a quarrel.
    But Nate surprised her with a sudden grin that seemed to turn him into a different person. That must be how he’d looked when he was younger, before responsibility and sorrow had carved those lines in his face.
    “I never have been able to fool Mamm,” he said. “But Donna is bringing her kinder, and that will keep my mother happy, for sure.”
    Something flickered briefly in his eyes as he said the words. Regret, maybe, that he had no kinder? But it certainly wasn’t too late for Nate to marry and have a family.
    “I suppose your sisters share your concern about your mamm’s health.”
    “I think . . .” He paused, as if changing his mind about what to say. “Perhaps not. But they’re busy with their own families and not seeing her every day like I do, and my brother has so much to do on the farm this time of the year. I’m the oldest, so Mamm is my responsibility.”
    Susanna could only nod, understanding his feelings, even though she feared he sometimes mixed up caring for his mamm with telling her what to do.
    “You understand,” he said, his voice warming. “After all, you’re an only child—” He stopped short, a flush coloring his cheekbones. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually so dumb.”
    “I keep doing the same thing,” she admitted. “I get busy and forget for a moment that supposedly I have sisters. Then the truth crashes down on me again.”
    “Ja.” The word was heavy, as if he’d known the experience. “If you want to talk about it, I’m certain-sure glad to listen. Or would you rather be distracted?”
    Nate was being nicer than she’d had reason to expect, and her throat seemed to choke. For an instant she longed to pour out all her doubts and fears. But whatever Nate said, he couldn’t want to cope with the emotions of a woman he barely knew.
    “Distracted, please. Why don’t you tell me about Pleasant Valley?” she asked.
    He nodded. “It’s a pretty place, I’ve always thought. The town is smaller than Oyersburg, for sure, but it’s very nice, and the valley has fine farmland.”
    Since they were at the moment driving through some of the farmland, it was natural enough for him to start pointing out various farms. Many of them were dairy farms, often with some sort of secondary business on the property. It was hard for a farm to produce enough income to provide for a family. Up a side road she noticed a typical Amish schoolhouse, white frame with a small playground and ball field.
    Nate pointed to a small sign. “That’s Joseph Beiler’s machine shop. He can fix just about anything, so people say.”
    “You seem to know everyone,” she commented.
    Nate shrugged. “I do business with a lot of them. And those I don’t, I generally hear about, one way or another.”
    Natural enough, she supposed. He’d spent his life in Oyersburg and had to be familiar with all the Amish in the area. She hesitated, not sure she wanted to ask the question that hovered on her tongue.
    “You said you did business with . . .” She let that trail off, but she suspected Nate knew her thought anyway.
    “You’re wanting to ask about Lydia and her husband, ain’t so?”
    She nodded. “I know