than six marriages in the last year are a direct result of her—”
“Meddling?”
“Encouragement.”
“Well, I’m not interested.”
“Told you that’s what he’d say.” Samuel nudged Justin and held out his hand. “Pay up.”
Grudgingly Justin pulled out his wallet and slipped a five-dollar bill into his brother’s hand.
“Seriously? You’re betting on my social life?”
Samuel laughed again as he pocketed the money, walked out of the barn and headed across the field toward his own family. Noah finished unharnessing the mare and set her out to pasture as Justin watched.
“Actually we’re betting on the absence of your social life,” he finally said. “Which isn’t quite the same thing.”
“So you admit that’s why you sent me over there?”
“No. Not at first. Samuel didn’t know when you asked him to bid on the box that it was Olivia Mae’s.”
“This wasn’t a setup from the get-go?”
“We don’t have the time or energy to be that manipulative. I was standing in the back watching—it being your first auction and all. You did well, by the way.”
Noah rolled his eyes and tried not to be distracted by the praise.
“When we realized who the box belonged to, we figured it couldn’t hurt for you to meet her.”
“So it was more of a coincidence than a setup.”
“We just saw it as an opportunity.”
Noah grunted.
“But it couldn’t hurt to talk to the woman.”
“I did. She thanked me for the box, pried into my recent history, and then had to go because of some emergency in the house.”
Justin took off his hat and scratched the top of his head. “You know Mamm and Dat worry.”
“Because I’m not married?”
“Because you’re not the least bit interested in getting married.”
“Why should they worry about that?”
“They don’t want you to be alone in your old age.”
“I have the six of you, plus your wives and children to keep me company. Not to mention Mamm and Dat are in excellent health.”
“It’s not the same as having your own family.”
“Says who? You? You’ve been married what...six months?”
“Never been happier.”
“And I’m glad for you.”
Justin let that comment slide, but as they walked out of the barn and toward the house he said, “You sound kind of crabby.”
“Do I?”
“Maybe she got under your skin.”
“Maybe you should mind your own business.” The words came out crankier than he’d intended. Noah softened them by shoving his bruder and taking off toward the house. And suddenly it was like they were ten years old again and racing for the first hot biscuit.
They tumbled into the house, both laughing, and Noah wondered why his knee had begun to twinge after a short sprint. He was trying to rub it inconspicuously when he glanced up and saw Sarah walk into Justin’s arms. He kissed her once and touched her stomach, then they both laughed. They might have only married six months ago, but they’d wasted no time in starting a family.
Noah was honest enough to admit the twinge of envy he felt. It was normal he supposed, not that it changed anything. Olivia Mae might believe in true love. His bruders might think he’d be better off married, and his parents might think of him as the last baby to be pushed from the nest, but Noah didn’t see it that way.
He planned to establish himself as a good auctioneer.
Maybe he’d buy a small farm after that, something with a barn and a horse pasture—there was certainly no need for fields to cultivate.
He’d settle down all right, but on his own terms.
He understood what his future held, what kind of man he was. He’d be a dependable brother, an excellent uncle, even a good son. He had it in him to be a successful auctioneer. But a husband? Nein. That wasn’t in his future, and he had the dating history to prove it. Something he didn’t plan to share with Olivia Mae.
Sunday morning dawned cloudy but warm. It seemed to Olivia Mae that Daddi’s moods reflected the changing weather. As a farmer, rain had always been a good thing—a sign of God’s blessing. Daddi sat at the kitchen table, a smile on his face, shoveling scrambled eggs into his mouth as if they were the best thing he’d ever tasted.
“Maybe I’ll have a chance to meet that nice young man who visited the other day.” Mammi refilled their coffee mugs and sat down across from Olivia Mae.
“Nice young man?”
“You know very well who I mean.”
“We have a new postman.”
“Nein. Young Amish man.”
“Our neighbors dropped by with their new baby.”
“Olivia Mae, you know gut and well who I mean, though you’ve avoided talking about him all week.” Mammi pointed a fork at Olivia Mae as if in warning, but there was a smile on her face.
“Hmmm. Oh, you mean Noah Graber?”
“Indeed. He seemed like a fine young man.”
“How could you tell? You didn’t meet him.”
“Because you didn’t invite him in.”
“He was just returning something he’d found. There was no need to invite him in, plus I think he was in a hurry.”
“Well, he won’t be in a hurry today, and I have a mind to speak with him.”
“Oh, please don’t do that.” Olivia Mae fumbled around for a reason. In truth she simply didn’t want her grandmother to attempt setting up a date for her again. The last one had been a disaster. The man had been nearly fifty. She certainly didn’t get her matchmaking skills from her grandmother. Thank goodness! In desperation she added, “He’s rather the shy sort. I was thinking of maybe setting
