“Now they’re going to stampede over here.” Levi walked up and crossed his arms on the top of the fence.
“Maybe that’s what I wanted.”
“A goat stampede?”
She dusted off her hands and shooed the goat away. “I saw you talking to Dat earlier.”
Levi raised his hands in surrender. “Not the way you think.”
“So you weren’t talking to him about Texas?”
“I didn’t bring it up. I told you I wouldn’t, and I didn’t.”
“But...”
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t answer questions. He brought it up because he had a few questions that cropped up from his reading.”
“And it didn’t hurt that a few other men were standing around listening.”
Now Levi smiled. “Come on, Annie. It’s why I’m here. You can’t fault me for that.”
“Except your plan could bankrupt my business.”
“Ten families moving wouldn’t affect you at all.”
She shook her head so hard that her kapp strings bounced back and forth. She had promised herself she wouldn’t get into an argument with him. That wasn’t her plan.
But she needed for him to see what was at stake.
Suddenly she thought of the brainstorming sessions she’d had with Priscilla, before they’d started Plain & Simple Weddings. Part of their initial challenge had been convincing families that they needed their services, and that in the end, it would be less expensive for them. She was up against the same sort of thing with Levi. He simply didn’t understand that he needed her services, and she wasn’t talking about catering.
Levi Lapp thought he needed a fresh start, but that wasn’t the case at all. When had moving away from your problems ever solved anything?
Levi didn’t need to move; he needed to believe in himself.
He needed to be able to envision his future here—in Goshen, Indiana.
He needed a woman, and she knew several that were available.
Annie cleared her throat and looked back toward her trailer. “Priscilla and I started our business three years ago.”
He seemed surprised at the change of subject, but he turned as she had and looked out at the trailer.
“She put up two-thirds of the initial money.”
“You mean buying the trailer?”
“It’s actually a mobile kitchen and cost a little more than twelve thousand dollars.”
Levi glanced at her in surprise. “Seriously?”
“Ya. Stoves, refrigerators and enough dishes for five hundred...not to mention the trailer itself and the licensing fees.”
“I had no idea.”
“We broke even the first year.”
“Wow.”
“She’s a gut partner too. Since she’s Englisch, she drives a truck that can pull the trailer. She can also order a lot of what we need wholesale on the computer.”
“You’re saying you two make a wunderbaar team. I can see that. You have every right to be proud of what you’ve done, Annie.”
“Pride goes before destruction as my mamm often reminds me, but I am pleased with our success. More importantly I enjoy what we do. I like making this...” She waved at the large group of people sprawled across the green yard—full, content, some of them growing sleepy. “I like making it all possible. I enjoy seeing others happily wed.”
“What about you?”
“Me?” Her thoughts scrambled for an answer to his question. It wasn’t the first time someone had asked her why she wasn’t married, but somehow it was different coming from Levi Lapp while he smiled at her with his cowboy hat tilted at an angle.
“Doesn’t being at so many weddings make you...interested in finding someone?”
“I’m only twenty-four.”
“I didn’t say you were an old maid.”
“My mamm worries about that, but I’m in no hurry. I’ve been to my schweschder’s often enough to know that running a catering business is less work than three small children.” She paused, and then added, “What about you?”
“Me?” His voice squeaked. He cleared his throat and resettled his hat on his head. “I figure that will happen after I move to Texas.”
“But what if you could find a fraa here and take her with you?”
“Now you’re making fun of me.”
“I’m not.”
“Did you have someone in mind?” The grin he gave her reminded Annie of the cat in her trailer—mischievous and daring.
Annie had a flash of clarity then, staring up into Levi’s blue eyes. There was no doubt that she could find women in their congregation interested in dating Levi Lapp, but she wouldn’t be able to trick him into it. That part of her plan died before she could implement it. Levi was like competition that you had to face head-on.
So she stepped back and crossed her arms. “Do you really think you can convince my dat and bruder to move to Texas?”
“I’m not saying that I can, but it should be their decision...along with your mamm and your schweschder. If it’s what they want, then you should be happy for them.”
She didn’t bother arguing that her mamm and schweschder were quite happy in Goshen. Levi was like a steam-engine train headed in one direction—no U-turns allowed.
“All right. I’ll make you a deal.”
“A deal?”
“You agree to date some of my freinden...”
“Date?”
“Hear me out. You’re not planning on staying. They’re not necessarily looking to get married, but they need...let’s say they need a little experience in the dating area.”
Levi groaned. “You’re going to set me up with the rejects.”
She felt a headache forming just at her left temple. Closing her eyes, she prayed to Gotte for patience, then counted to three.
“They’re shy,” she corrected him. “And maybe they have a lack of confidence. Dating you should help that.”
“Because I’m such a gut catch?”
He grinned, and she realized he was handsome. Not her type, but handsome nonetheless. Yes, this plan could work.
“Let’s say there’s no pressure on either side. That should help. They’ll know you’re not staying...”
“And I’ll know they’re not really interested. This is a terrible plan. Why would I agree to it?”
This was the tricky part. She almost couldn’t believe she was going to suggest it. But then again, what choice did she have? He was going to talk to her dat and Jebediah in spite of how much it bothered her. They would keep asking him questions. He’d keep painting pictures of rosy Texas sunsets.
“When were you