Read Online The Christmas Quilt: Quilts of Love Series by Vannetta Chapman - Free Book Online
Authors: Vannetta Chapman
Ads: Link
their fighting on the way over, or as if he could know they no longer slept to gether. Surely those things were normal for a couple in their situation.
Had Leah talked to his father or mother?
And beneath that, quieter, the question his father asked echoed, Did he treat Leah with respect ?
Reba bounded into the barn. “ Mamm says the food is ready to eat if you two have finished out here.”
“I’m starved, and I imagine your bruder is too.” Jacob stood and smiled when Reba linked her arm through his.
He made it to the barn door before he turned and said, “You’re coming, right?”
Adam nodded, but he didn’t follow immediately. He needed a few minutes alone, and suddenly eating wasn’t the most important thing on his mind.
Annie waited as long as she could, but when her mother sent Reba to the barn to fetch Adam and her father, she knew it was time.
“I’ll go and check on Samuel and Rachel.”
Rebekah patted her arm. “ Gut , dear. You tell them the food is ready.”
She would have knocked on the guest room door, but Samuel had left it ajar, so she pushed it open, clearing her throat to signal she was walking in. She didn’t want to interrupt a private moment between brother and sister-in-law. This was all so awkward. Before they were married, Samuel had shared with her that Rachel had suggested he move back to Ohio. Move there, marry her, and help to raise his nephews.
He might have done it too, out of a sense of obligation, but he’d fallen in love with the community nurse.
“Rachel, I want you to listen to me—”
But she wasn’t listening. She was standing with her back to him, looking out the window at the clouds pressing down over their pasture. He reached for her arm and turned her around, and that was when she noticed Annie had entered the room.
“Annie. Have you been listening for long?”
“ Nein , Rachel. I haven’t. Mamm asked me to come and tell you the food is ready.”
“And so you decided to sneak in here and eavesdrop?”
Samuel let out a sigh of exasperation. His gaze met Annie’s and somehow she knew what he wanted. She crossed the room, and instead of joining him, she went to Rachel.
She stood close, but not too close. In the years since Rachel had moved to Mifflin County, Annie had attempted to befriend her. She had failed. Now it seemed to her that Rachel was acting like one of Reba’s animals—cornered and frightened. At the same time, the memory of the scene in the next room was fresh. She didn’t want anything to hurt or upset Leah or the babies she was carrying.
“Rachel, is there something you need? Something that Samuel and I can do for you? If the store isn’t making enough money, we’d be happy to—”
“To do what, Annie? Hold an auction for me? Make me your next charity case?” Rachel stiffened her spine. “That won’t be necessary, danki .”
“You are important to me, Rachel. I think you know that.” Samuel scrubbed his hand over his face, and it dawned on Annie how much weight he carried on his shoulders. They’d spoken of this as they lingered over their Bible study earlier. Samuel had confessed some days he did a better job than others of handing his burdens over to their Lord. They’d laughed at the time, admitting their failures. Now she understood that the failing, for both of them, could be a costly one.
“I will, we both will, gladly do what we can to help you—” Samuel paused and glanced toward the door. “As well as Zeke and Matthew.”
Annie noticed that Rachel closed her eyes at the mention of her boys.
“But there are others I care for as well. Annie, of course.” Their eyes met again, and Annie thought she felt the baby inside of her move. “As well as Annie’s family. Leah is young and at a vulnerable time in her pregnancy right now. I consider her to be my family as well as one of my patients.”
Samuel stepped closer and lowered his voice. “You will not speak rudely to her again. You will not devalue
Had Leah talked to his father or mother?
And beneath that, quieter, the question his father asked echoed, Did he treat Leah with respect ?
Reba bounded into the barn. “ Mamm says the food is ready to eat if you two have finished out here.”
“I’m starved, and I imagine your bruder is too.” Jacob stood and smiled when Reba linked her arm through his.
He made it to the barn door before he turned and said, “You’re coming, right?”
Adam nodded, but he didn’t follow immediately. He needed a few minutes alone, and suddenly eating wasn’t the most important thing on his mind.
Annie waited as long as she could, but when her mother sent Reba to the barn to fetch Adam and her father, she knew it was time.
“I’ll go and check on Samuel and Rachel.”
Rebekah patted her arm. “ Gut , dear. You tell them the food is ready.”
She would have knocked on the guest room door, but Samuel had left it ajar, so she pushed it open, clearing her throat to signal she was walking in. She didn’t want to interrupt a private moment between brother and sister-in-law. This was all so awkward. Before they were married, Samuel had shared with her that Rachel had suggested he move back to Ohio. Move there, marry her, and help to raise his nephews.
He might have done it too, out of a sense of obligation, but he’d fallen in love with the community nurse.
“Rachel, I want you to listen to me—”
But she wasn’t listening. She was standing with her back to him, looking out the window at the clouds pressing down over their pasture. He reached for her arm and turned her around, and that was when she noticed Annie had entered the room.
“Annie. Have you been listening for long?”
“ Nein , Rachel. I haven’t. Mamm asked me to come and tell you the food is ready.”
“And so you decided to sneak in here and eavesdrop?”
Samuel let out a sigh of exasperation. His gaze met Annie’s and somehow she knew what he wanted. She crossed the room, and instead of joining him, she went to Rachel.
She stood close, but not too close. In the years since Rachel had moved to Mifflin County, Annie had attempted to befriend her. She had failed. Now it seemed to her that Rachel was acting like one of Reba’s animals—cornered and frightened. At the same time, the memory of the scene in the next room was fresh. She didn’t want anything to hurt or upset Leah or the babies she was carrying.
“Rachel, is there something you need? Something that Samuel and I can do for you? If the store isn’t making enough money, we’d be happy to—”
“To do what, Annie? Hold an auction for me? Make me your next charity case?” Rachel stiffened her spine. “That won’t be necessary, danki .”
“You are important to me, Rachel. I think you know that.” Samuel scrubbed his hand over his face, and it dawned on Annie how much weight he carried on his shoulders. They’d spoken of this as they lingered over their Bible study earlier. Samuel had confessed some days he did a better job than others of handing his burdens over to their Lord. They’d laughed at the time, admitting their failures. Now she understood that the failing, for both of them, could be a costly one.
“I will, we both will, gladly do what we can to help you—” Samuel paused and glanced toward the door. “As well as Zeke and Matthew.”
Annie noticed that Rachel closed her eyes at the mention of her boys.
“But there are others I care for as well. Annie, of course.” Their eyes met again, and Annie thought she felt the baby inside of her move. “As well as Annie’s family. Leah is young and at a vulnerable time in her pregnancy right now. I consider her to be my family as well as one of my patients.”
Samuel stepped closer and lowered his voice. “You will not speak rudely to her again. You will not devalue
Similar Books
