watched Jacob leave, admiring how strong and muscular this new man looked as he walked out the door of Saul’s store.
She turned to Rosie. “Interesting man. He knew Elizabeth when they lived in Goshen. He bought the Marlon Zook farm, and he’ll be moving here permanently in two weeks.”
Rosie put several jars of strawberry preserves on the shelf near the front of the store where Elizabeth liked to display Two Peas in a Pod goods. “You learned all that while Jacob was carrying the box into the storeroom?”
Katie glanced at her. “You may be right” She studied the display. “I think it would be better if you lined up the strawberry preserves to the right.” When Rosie turned and gave her a bland look she shrugged. “Well, just trying to be helpful.”
“Maybe you could go help that customer.”
The bell over the door rang as a woman walked into the store. Katie greeted her with a big smile. “May I help you?”
“I think I’ll browse for a few minutes.”
“Enjoy. I’m here if you need help.” She busied herself dusting a display of carved wooden birds and stayed close in case she was needed. Sure enough, a few minutes later, the woman had a question about some candles.
Katie extolled the fine craftsmanship of the candles made with natural ingredients with a no-lead wick. By the time the woman left, she’d sold her half a dozen candles and two candle holders.
“You’re quite the saleswoman,” Elizabeth said. “Saul was so lucky to find the two of you when we needed more help.”
“The candles are so well made they sell themselves,” she said modestly.
She watched as another customer came into the store, and Rosie sold her a dozen jars of their Two Peas in a Pod preserves. Rosie was quieter than she was, but she sold just as well.
“Since things are a little slow this afternoon I thought maybe you and I could do some inventory,” Elizabeth said.
“Schur,” Katie said as she followed her into the storeroom. She took the clipboard Elizabeth handed her. “So, tell me about Jacob.”
Elizabeth looked up from her own clipboard. “I don’t know him well. I didn’t get out much except to church when I lived in Goshen.”
“Well, he would have attended church,” Katie reminded her patiently.
“Ya, but I only got to go to services, never things like singings and other social activities. I always had to help my mamm with my schweschders and bruders.”
“So you don’t know anything about him.”
“Nee, sorry. But I overheard you earlier, and it sounded like you were doing well getting information out of him,” Elizabeth teased.
Katie grinned. “I’m not the shy schweschder.”
“True.” Elizabeth hesitated. “Katie, before you walked in and started talking to him, he and Rosie seemed . . . interested in each other.”
“Really?”
“Why does that surprise you?”
“Rosie just isn’t interested in dating.”
“That’s not true.”
Katie spun around at the sound of Rosie’s voice. “Nee?”
“Nee. I just don’t date as often as you,” she said quietly. She turned on her heel and walked away.
Elizabeth lifted her brows.
“Hmm.” Katie stared after Rosie, then shrugged.
“Katie? Maybe Rosie’s interested in Jacob like I said.”
“Maybe. Did you want to inventory those boxes over there?”
“Ya. You may be right.”
Saul came to get his wife a few minutes later and left Katie alone in the job of inventory. She didn’t mind although she much preferred helping customers.
Rosie came in a few minutes later. “Elizabeth said I could come help. She’ll let us know if customers come in.”
“I’m nearly done. Saul’s pretty good about not ordering too much and having it sit unsold. I’ve already listed the boxes of preserves and stuff we brought in this morning.” She set down her clipboard and dusted her hands. “Saul will be ordering for Christmas before long. He has to think ahead in retail.”
“Us too. I have some ideas for some new things we can sell.”
“Allrecht. We’ll talk tomorrow. I’m going out for supper tonight.”
“I know. You told me last night. Katie—”
Elizabeth poked her head in. “We just got busy.”
“Wunderbar,” Katie said, plunking down the clipboard. She dusted off her hands and started for the door. “C’mon, Rosie.”
The afternoon was a blur of shoppers streaming into the store and back out again, hands full of loaded shopping bags—just the way Katie liked things to go. Elizabeth fussed about them taking a break, but there just wasn’t time and Katie insisted that if Elizabeth wouldn’t take one, she and Rosie wouldn’t either.
The day finally came to a close. The work day anyway. Katie and Rosie left to go home and as their van pulled away from the store Katie saw another van arrive for Elizabeth and Saul.
“You look tired,” she told Rosie.
“I am tired. Aren’t you?”
“Nee. I feel a little wound up.”
“Don’t know where you get all your energy,” Rosie muttered. She relaxed into her seat.
“I wonder where we’re going to supper tonight,” Katie mused. “I can’t decide if I should wear my blue dress or my rose one.”
“I like the rose one on you.”
“Why don’t you come with us?”
Rosie wrinkled her nose. “Danki, but I don’t think Daniel would appreciate me coming along.”
“You need to get out more.”
“About that,” Rosie said. “I thought Jacob seemed nice this afternoon.”
“Ya, I did, too.”
“You did?” Rosie asked, sounding subdued.
Katie gave her a sharp glance. Hmm. Was Rosie finally interested in someone? She opened her mouth to ask, and their driver braked to a stop to pick up Ada. A plump woman in her forties, she climbed into the van and settled herself comfortably.
There went the opportunity to ask Rosie about Jacob.
