A Hope Springs Christmas. Patricia Davids

      “All right, Mary was not a good suggestion, but I’m sure there are other young women who could work with Levi.”

      “Maybe, but what about the twins? They could burn the town down or who knows what if someone doesn’t keep an eye on them. I know I haven’t done a great job, but I’m better than Levi. When he’s working, he could be standing in five feet of snow and not notice. I can’t leave knowing no one will look after them.”

      “I’m sorry you feel trapped by your family, Grace. You know I would help if I could.”

      Grace grabbed her arm. “You can.”

      “How?”

      “Help me find a wife for Levi.”

      Chapter Two

      Sarah stared at Grace in stunned disbelief. “You must be joking. How could I find a wife for your brother? I’m no matchmaker.”

      “But you are,” Grace insisted. “Didn’t you convince your cousin Adrian Lapp to court Faith Martin?”

      “Convince him? Nee, I did not. If I remember right, I cautioned Faith against losing her heart to Adrian because he was still grieving for his first wife.” Sarah knew how it felt to mourn for a spouse.

      “And that was exactly the push Faith needed to see beyond his gruff behavior. They married, and they are very happy together. Besides, you’re the one who convinced me to give Henry a chance.”

      “I don’t remember saying anything to you about going out with Henry.”

      “If you hadn’t told me how your Jonas settled down from his wild ways after you were married, I never would have given Henry the time of day. But I did, and now I’m in love with him. I want to marry him. You have to help me. I will just die if he marries someone else.”

      Sarah leveled a stern look at her young neighbor. “That’s a bit dramatic, Grace.”

      Drawing a deep breath, Grace nodded. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do. I can’t leave Levi and the boys, but I can’t expect Henry to wait forever, either. I’m caught between a rock and a hard place with no way out.”

      “I hardly think finding a wife for your brother is the answer.”

      “It’s the only one I can come up with. I’m afraid if I ask Henry to wait much longer he’ll find someone else.”

      Sarah took pity on her young friend and tried to reassure her. “Henry Zook will not marry anyone else. I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

      “I believe he loves me. He says he does, but he wants an answer.”

      “Henry is used to getting his own way. His mother has done her best to spoil him. He will be a good man, but right now he has the impatience of youth. What you and Henry need is a cooling-off time.”

      “What do you mean by that?”

      The last thing Sarah wanted was to see her friend pushed into something she might regret. “You two have been seeing each other almost daily. I think both of you could use some time apart. Rushing into marriage can cause a lifetime of misery.”

      Grace shook her head. “Oh, Sarah. I don’t know. What would Henry think?”

      Sarah could see that Grace’s dilemma was taking its toll on her friend. There were shadows beneath her eyes that didn’t belong on a girl who was barely twenty. Her cheeks were pale and thinner, as if she’d lost weight. There had to be some way to help her. Suddenly, an idea occurred to Sarah.

      “He can’t object if you tell him you’re going to visit your grandmother in Pennsylvania. I know you’ve wanted to see her for ages. It will give Henry a chance to miss you while you’re gone, and it will give you a chance to relax and think about what you want to do without worrying about Henry or about your brothers.”

      “But what if Henry doesn’t miss me?”

      “Wouldn’t you rather know that before you are wed?” Sarah asked gently.

      “Grossmammi has asked me to come for a visit many times. She’s getting on in years. I would like to spend some time with her, but that means I would miss the quilting bee for Ina Stultz and the hoedown that’s coming up.”

      “I’ll take your place at Ina’s quilting bee, and there will be other hoedowns. Of course, once you marry, that kind of fun is over.” To marry, an Amish couple had to be baptized into the faith, which meant their running-around time was ended. Barn parties and such gatherings would give way to family visits and community events that bound together all members of their Amish faith.

      “What about the business?” Grace asked.

      “Levi will understand that you need some time to make up your mind about marrying. Besides, he’s a grown man. He can manage without you for a few weeks. I can help if worse comes to worst. I used to work there every day.”

      “Oh, it’ll come to worse very quickly. I don’t doubt you could do all that I do, but what about your job?”

      “The fabric shop is closing for a few months, so I have some extra time on my hands.” A lot of extra time, but was working beside Levi the way she wanted to spend it?

      Grace’s face lit up. She grabbed Sarah’s hand. “You are so clever. You can work with Levi and find out what kind of wife would suit him all at the same time. I won’t feel a bit bad about leaving him, knowing you’re there.”

      Sarah held back a smile. If this is what it took to get Grace to leave town for a few weeks, Sarah would agree. “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but you may be right. In spite of the fact that Levi was Jonas’s friend and has been my neighbor for years, I don’t really know him well.”

      Grace sat back with a satisfied smile. “I can tell you anything you want to know about him. Go ahead, ask me something.”

      “All right, what does Levi like to do for fun?”

      A furrow appeared between Grace’s eyebrows. “He doesn’t really do anything for fun. He doesn’t have a sense of humor, that’s for sure. He works in the shop all day and sometimes late into the night.”

      “I know he is hard-working, but does he like to hunt or play checkers or other board games?”

      “I don’t think so. I mean, I’ve known him to go hunting in the fall when we need meat, but I don’t think he enjoys it. The boys and I like board games, but Levi doesn’t play with us.”

      What kind of wife would want a husband who didn’t interact with his own family? Sarah said, “He used to go fishing with my husband. Does he still do that with his friends?”

      “He goes fishing by himself sometimes. Levi doesn’t really have friends. Everyone says he makes right fine buggies, though.”

      Sarah knew that for a fact. She drove one he and Jonas had built together. It was solid and still rode well after eight years. However, Levi had to have other traits that would make him attractive to a potential wife. “What does your brother like to read?”

      “He reads the Bible every night, and he reads The Budget.”

      The Budget was a weekly newspaper put out by the Amish for the Amish. Everyone read it. It was good to know he read the Bible. A devout man usually made an excellent husband. “Does he read other kinds of books?”

      “Books? No, I don’t think so.” Grace shook her head.

      Sarah never suspected Levi was such a dull fellow. What had her outgoing husband seen in him?

      “You’ve been a big help, Grace. I’ll look over my list of single friends and think on who might find him appealing.” Right off hand, she couldn’t think of anyone.

      “Do you really believe I should leave town?”

      “I