Elizabeth stiffened, drawing away. “Ach, I couldn’t even think of letting you do such a thing. What would your mamm say, and you not even a married woman?”
It seemed Sally had gone a step too far, but at least Elizabeth’s tears had stopped.
“Mamm would say I should do what she would if she were here, ain’t so? Let me do this for you.” And forgive me for all the times my quick tongue let me snap at you.
Why hadn’t she seen or even suspected that this was tormenting her sister-in-law? Was she really so self-centered she couldn’t look past her own wants? If she could help now, maybe it would make up for her failures.
“Please, Elizabeth.” She clasped Elizabeth’s hand.
Elizabeth got up so quickly the mattress bounced. She pulled her hand free and shook out her wrinkled skirt. “What am I doing, sitting here being silly when there’s work to be done? Don’t you say a word about it. It was foolishness.”
“Elizabeth...”
“Forget it. You must get back to your schoolwork. You can’t let those scholars get ahead of you, ain’t so?”
“That’s certain sure.” She knew what was happening. Elizabeth had shown weakness, and it embarrassed her. More than that, she didn’t consider Sally capable of helping her.
Well, they were agreed on that. She didn’t feel capable either.
* * *
Aaron had been relieved to learn that the next day wasn’t a church Sunday—he’d be spared the task of seeing the entire Amish community until the following week. If he stayed that long.
But he hadn’t gotten off entirely. By noon the neighbors were arriving for a picnic, and there was no getting out of it. After all, these were people who’d known him all his life, and they expected to celebrate his return.
Visit, he kept telling himself. Visit, not return.
Wondering if Caleb had any chores for him in the barn, he headed out of the house, only to meet Sally, arriving from across the road with a basket in one hand and a bowl in the other.
“Aaron. Just what I need—an extra pair of hands. Grab the potato salad, will you? It’s slipping.”
Assuming she meant the bowl, he took it from her. “Can I take the basket, as well?” It was only common courtesy to help her, after all.
“I’ve got it.” She looked up at him, her blue eyes dancing. “I can tell you’re thrilled to have all the neighbors coming in to have a look at you.”
Apparently there was no hiding anything from this grown-up Sally, so he managed a smile. “I guess I can stand it if they can. Is Ben coming?”
“Yah, he and Elizabeth will be along in a minute. She was putting the finishing touches on her salad.”
“Judging by the food Jessie has been producing all morning, I’d say there’s going to be plenty to eat.” He fell into step with her as they headed into the kitchen.
“Did you ever know an Amish meal where there wasn’t? Or have you forgotten what it’s like in all these years away? Maybe you lived on frozen dinners and fast food out there.”
“Maybe,” he admitted. “Unless I’ve forgotten a lot, it seems to me I used to be the one doing all the teasing, not you.”
“You’d best hurry and catch up, then,” she said, giving him a pert look over her shoulder as she went through the door ahead of him.
Aaron stopped for a second. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say that Sally was flirting with him. Worse, that he felt like flirting right back.
Oh, no. He sure wasn’t going there. A few quick strides took him into the kitchen and to the counter, where he deposited the bowl. “I’ll help Caleb with the tables,” he muttered, and scooted out without meeting Sally’s glance again.
Caleb and Onkel Zeb were setting up tables on the grass, and he hurried to grab one end before his uncle could reach it. “I’ll get it.” He glanced across the field. “Looks like some more company on their way.”
“Yah, the Fisher family are eager to see you, that’s certain sure.” Onkel Zeb grinned. “And Daniel is twice as eager to see Rebecca. He’s that excited about getting married you’d think no one had ever done it before.”
“So Daniel is becoming a daadi. That’s still hard to imagine.” Aaron was still having trouble just picturing his brother married, let alone being an instant father.
“Like I said, he’s gut with little Lige, Rebecca’s boy. The child loves him already, and Rebecca... Well, you’ll see the way they look at each other.” Onkel Zeb gave him a sly glance. “Seems to me it’s become a tradition, the King boys getting married.”
“Count me out,” he said quickly. “It’s not for me.” Sally’s lively face appeared in his mind’s eye, and he chased it away.
“More work, less talk,” Caleb said. “There’s still the benches to set up.”
“Right.” Aaron picked up one of the benches and carried it to its proper place. He’d be just as happy to have enough jobs to keep him from needless conversation with the neighbors, but he didn’t guess that was possible.
In any event, meeting and greeting wasn’t as difficult as Aaron had expected, even though he felt foolishly awkward at times. Mostly people hadn’t changed much—just gotten older. There was Sam Fisher from next door, who was Caleb’s age and had a flock of kids already. He and his Leah must have married early, since their oldest boy was a gangly youth entering his teens and looking much as Sam had at that age.
Daniel’s Rebecca had grown up into a beauty, that was for sure. Not lively, like Sally, but with a serene calm that turned into joy each time her eyes met Daniel’s. It was oddly disturbing to see that flare of love returned by his easygoing brother. Lige, the little boy, seemed attached to Daniel’s pant leg most of the time, chattering away a mile a minute.
Onkel Zeb caught him watching Daniel and Rebecca. “They’re gut together, yah? It’s a wonder to see Daniel so happy, and Rebecca, too.”
“I’m still trying to get used to Caleb being married and having a family. Now Daniel.” He shook his head. “I’m not sure what kind of an uncle I’m going to be, but I’m certain sure I won’t do as gut a job as you did with us.”
“It’ll come to you,” his uncle said. “Most things are natural when it’s family.”
He wasn’t so convinced of that, but he could hardly argue with his uncle after all Zeb had done for them. His gaze strayed to Sally’s brother, Ben, and his wife.
“Ben hasn’t changed,” he said. “His wife...”
Onkel Zeb grinned. “Tried to get your whole life story out of you, did she? Ach, Elizabeth’s a gut woman, but she has an opinion on everything. I expect she and Sally are butting heads plenty these days. Elizabeth and Ben are staying in the farmhouse with Sally while her and Ben’s folks are away.”
“Sally said something about it.” And based on his brief encounter with Elizabeth, he could understand if she got on Sally’s nerves.
“Speaking of Sally, here she is,” Zeb said. “Are you looking for me or for my handsome nephew, Teacher Sally?”
Sally smiled, squeezing his arm. “You’re my sweetheart, Zeb. But it’s Aaron I need to see at the moment.”
Still trying to get used to the grown-up Sally, he couldn’t find a response for a second or two—long enough for Onkel Zeb to move off. “I’ll leave you to talk about it, then.”
“I’m