Josiah wiped his hands on his napkin and laid it on the table. His voice remained soft, almost monotonous. “Just like you’re not Daed.”
“There’s apple pie for dessert.” Emma laid her drumstick down, her hunger turning to a sick despair in the pit of her stomach. Meals had always been a happy time when Mudder and Daed were there. A time for sharing their days. Now the tension in the room enveloped them like a dark, dank fog. “Eat up before the food gets cold.”
Josiah slid off the bench and stood. “I’m not hungry anymore.”
“Sit. You’re not eighteen yet. Nor too old to be taken to the shed for a whipping.” Luke rose. He had four inches and twenty pounds on his brother. Always the mild-mannered one, now he seemed to seethe with anger at the slightest provocation. “You and I have things to talk about after we finish eating.”
His gaze swept over Annie, Catherine, and Emma. “Eat, all of you. Then you may go back to your chores.”
Josiah seemed to hesitate for a second, but finally sat down.
The fury in Luke’s eyes dissipated and he returned to his seat. He inclined his head toward Leah and she slipped back into her spot next to him. He picked up his fork and began to eat. The others did the same. No chatter. No giggling from the twins. No recounting of the morning’s work.
Emma fought the urge to lay her head on the pine table and cry. Shetook a bite of the hot, buttery roll. It tasted like sawdust in her mouth. How could they go on like this? Would this be their life from now on?
The minutes dragged by until finally Luke wiped his mouth, drank the last of his water, and cleared his throat. “Cousin Caleb has agreed to take over the operation of the blacksmith shop.”
Emma looked up with a bright smile. Good news. For once, good news. “That’s wonderful. That means it’ll stay open and in the family.”
Luke straightened the dirty knife and fork on his plate, then crisscrossed them. “The district needs the shop. Caleb apprenticed with me before he decided he was needed on his father’s farm. Now that his brothers are older, he can get away. He can handle the shop until Josiah takes over. He’s willing to apprentice Josiah and give him a small salary.”
“Me?” Josiah’s fork, loaded with mashed potatoes, stopped halfway to his mouth. “I told you I want to farm!”
“You’ll start your apprenticeship as soon as we finish with the harvest.” Luke pushed his plate away. “Until you turn eighteen, I’ll be making the decisions. Daed left me in charge. I’m your legal guardian now.”
Disbelief danced with anger across Josiah’s face. Tendrils of empathy grew and wrapped themselves around Emma’s heart. Josiah was only seventeen and so sure that what he sought could only be found elsewhere.
If Carl had talked to him about his time away, Josiah hadn’t mentioned it to her. What was Carl waiting for? “It’s only for a while, Josiah, not forever. If you want to do something else later—”
“Don’t fill his head with silly dreams.” Leah intervened. “It’s time he grew up and carried his share of the burden around here.”
“He’s worked hard during the harvest.” Emma wanted to say something to wipe the look of despair from her younger brother’s face. “He’s carried his weight.”
“You don’t have to defend me.” His expression mutinous, Josiah slammed his fork on his plate. “If you think I’m not doing my part, I’ll go.”
“No, you won’t. Everyone needs to do more if this farm is going to sustain the family.” Leah patted her stomach. “It’s a growing family, and the economy is bad. If we don’t have a good harvest, we could lose—”
“That’s enough, Leah.”
A look passed between Luke and his wife. A look that demanded her acquiescence. Leah’s gaze dropped to her plate. Fear made a hard lump in Emma’s throat. “What is it? Are we going to lose the farm?”
Luke shook his head. “No. You know our family and
“There’s apple pie for dessert.” Emma laid her drumstick down, her hunger turning to a sick despair in the pit of her stomach. Meals had always been a happy time when Mudder and Daed were there. A time for sharing their days. Now the tension in the room enveloped them like a dark, dank fog. “Eat up before the food gets cold.”
Josiah slid off the bench and stood. “I’m not hungry anymore.”
“Sit. You’re not eighteen yet. Nor too old to be taken to the shed for a whipping.” Luke rose. He had four inches and twenty pounds on his brother. Always the mild-mannered one, now he seemed to seethe with anger at the slightest provocation. “You and I have things to talk about after we finish eating.”
His gaze swept over Annie, Catherine, and Emma. “Eat, all of you. Then you may go back to your chores.”
Josiah seemed to hesitate for a second, but finally sat down.
The fury in Luke’s eyes dissipated and he returned to his seat. He inclined his head toward Leah and she slipped back into her spot next to him. He picked up his fork and began to eat. The others did the same. No chatter. No giggling from the twins. No recounting of the morning’s work.
Emma fought the urge to lay her head on the pine table and cry. Shetook a bite of the hot, buttery roll. It tasted like sawdust in her mouth. How could they go on like this? Would this be their life from now on?
The minutes dragged by until finally Luke wiped his mouth, drank the last of his water, and cleared his throat. “Cousin Caleb has agreed to take over the operation of the blacksmith shop.”
Emma looked up with a bright smile. Good news. For once, good news. “That’s wonderful. That means it’ll stay open and in the family.”
Luke straightened the dirty knife and fork on his plate, then crisscrossed them. “The district needs the shop. Caleb apprenticed with me before he decided he was needed on his father’s farm. Now that his brothers are older, he can get away. He can handle the shop until Josiah takes over. He’s willing to apprentice Josiah and give him a small salary.”
“Me?” Josiah’s fork, loaded with mashed potatoes, stopped halfway to his mouth. “I told you I want to farm!”
“You’ll start your apprenticeship as soon as we finish with the harvest.” Luke pushed his plate away. “Until you turn eighteen, I’ll be making the decisions. Daed left me in charge. I’m your legal guardian now.”
Disbelief danced with anger across Josiah’s face. Tendrils of empathy grew and wrapped themselves around Emma’s heart. Josiah was only seventeen and so sure that what he sought could only be found elsewhere.
If Carl had talked to him about his time away, Josiah hadn’t mentioned it to her. What was Carl waiting for? “It’s only for a while, Josiah, not forever. If you want to do something else later—”
“Don’t fill his head with silly dreams.” Leah intervened. “It’s time he grew up and carried his share of the burden around here.”
“He’s worked hard during the harvest.” Emma wanted to say something to wipe the look of despair from her younger brother’s face. “He’s carried his weight.”
“You don’t have to defend me.” His expression mutinous, Josiah slammed his fork on his plate. “If you think I’m not doing my part, I’ll go.”
“No, you won’t. Everyone needs to do more if this farm is going to sustain the family.” Leah patted her stomach. “It’s a growing family, and the economy is bad. If we don’t have a good harvest, we could lose—”
“That’s enough, Leah.”
A look passed between Luke and his wife. A look that demanded her acquiescence. Leah’s gaze dropped to her plate. Fear made a hard lump in Emma’s throat. “What is it? Are we going to lose the farm?”
Luke shook his head. “No. You know our family and
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