by Jo Ann Brown
“Have you made a selection yet, Alvin?”
He stepped to the counter and gave her a smile while his eyes roved over her. “A loaf of cinnamon-raisin bread.” He hesitated. “Would you like to go for a buggy ride with me Saturday night, Sarah?”
Stunned, she stepped back. She didn’t want to go for a ride with Alvin, or any other man. She had her life. It was comfortable, and she liked things as they were. But with Alvin, she’d heard he had hit his last frau, so the answer was an emphatic nein. Yet the idea of courting anyone who wasn’t Samuel frightened her.
How should she answer Alvin? She hated to be rude, though she wanted no misunderstanding in how she felt. “Danki, Alvin, but my shop requires all my time. When I’m not out front, I’m in the back, baking. I have no free time to squeeze in a buggy ride. Sorry, but that’s the life of a baker.”
His eyes turned dark and mean. His expression hinted that he wanted to say something but didn’t.
She drew in a ragged breath. Her hands fumbled as she plucked the bread from the shelf, almost dropping it. She shoved the loaf in a sack and set it on the counter. “Danki, Alvin.”
He stared at her. The doorbell jingled twice as the stout Bertha Bontrager bumped the door with her hip as she entered. Alvin didn’t flinch at the noise.
Sarah blew out the breath she was holding. “Afternoon, Bertha. What can I do for you today?”
“The bishop said you’d be receptive to my invitation,” Alvin whispered as he tossed Sarah a cold look and laid a five-dollar bill on the counter. “Keep the change. I’ll see you next time.” He grabbed his sack and stomped out the door.
Sarah was stunned and winced as a shiver ran up her spine.
* * *
Sarah took advantage of the lull in business after the lunch hour and wiped down the counter. The door opened and Hannah whooshed in like a butterfly.
“Hullo. Sorry I’m late. My appointment took longer than I thought it would.”
“Don’t worry. I managed just fine.”
Hannah hurried to the sink and washed her hands while Sarah loaded a tray with cookies. “Have you baked the afternoon order yet?”
“Nein. I’ve been too busy.”
Hannah disappeared through the kitchen doorway. “I’ll start it.”
After the bell tinkled, a cool breeze swept over Sarah. She glanced up from cleaning the display case and froze as Bishop Yoder approached the counter.
“Do you have a cup of coffee and a slice of banana bread left? I’d like to sit and rest a spell.”
“Jah, but it’s the last cup of coffee in the pot so it’s free. Sit. I’ll bring it to the table.”
Her stomach roiled at the bishop’s presence. She poured the strong brew and laid a slice of banana bread on a plate. She drew a deep breath. He very seldom came into her bakery. His frau was one of the best cooks in the community. She carried a tray with his coffee and banana bread to the table and set it down in front of him. “Enjoy, Bishop Yoder.”
“Danki, Sarah. Please sit and join me.”
Her feet itched to move away. “Only for a minute—I have to start cleaning the display case for closing.”
“This will only take a minute.” He took a bite of the banana bread, then a sip of coffee. “This bread is very gut.”
She pulled a wooden chair away from the table and sat.
“I believe Alvin Studer came into the bakery and asked you to join him for a buggy ride. He is a gut man and his six kinner need a mamm.”
A shiver ran up her spine as she averted her eyes from the bishop’s face. “Jah. He did ask. I was busy and didn’t have time to talk with him.” It was only a little white lie.
“Sarah, it’s Gott’s will that you remarry. Each person in our church must lose the desire for self and think of the community. That is what we believe. Jah, it’s time for you to sell the bakery. It’s Satan’s lie that makes you think that a career outside the home is fulfilling. Alvin needs a frau and mamm for his kinner.” His eyes pierced hers like the tiny, sharp point on a straight pin.
The bishop was matchmaking her!
Copyright © 2019 by Marie Elizabeth Bast
ISBN-13: 9781488042683
The Amish Bachelor’s Baby
Copyright © 2019 by Jo Ann Ferguson
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