A Time for Peace Read Online Free
not hungry. I'll just have the tea." She smiled gratefully at Chris when he set a steaming cup before her.
"You have to eat." Hannah rose, pulled a casserole from the oven, and set it atop the stove.
And then, to Jenny's surprise, she handed the oven mitts to Chris who carried the casserole to the table.
Hannah shrugged when she saw Jenny's expression. "I gave up on fighting him over whether I can carry a casserole."
Chris turned from setting it on the table. "Wise woman, eh, Jenny?"
Rolling her eyes, Hannah brought over a plate and began spooning a serving of the chicken and rice onto it. "I'm lugging around a considerable amount of baby. A little casserole is nothing."
Chris placed a hand on her stomach. "Since, as you say, you are lugging around a considerable amount of baby, you shouldn't be adding more to the burden." He kissed her cheek and sat down at the table.
Even as distracted as she was by worry over her grandmother, Jenny couldn't help noticing how the interaction between the two of them had changed so much since they'd fallen in love and gotten married. Hannah was outspoken, unlike her brother, and there'd been some tension when Chris had arrived here.
It had taken Hannah a long time to believe that Chris hadn't come to pursue Jenny after he met her at a veteran's hospital.Jenny hadn't known until much later that Hannah had given Chris a hard time about that. If she had, Jenny would have let her know that wasn't going to happen. She and Chris had become friends after they met at the hospital—nothing more. Matthew was the love of her life.
Two worlds in one house, she thought, just like her own. So much for cranky Josiah, a church elder who didn't think the Englisch and the Amish should mix. Not only had she and Matthew just celebrated another anniversary, his sister and this man who'd served as a soldier and come here for healing had found happiness together.
The chicken and rice casserole was delicious. Once she started eating, Jenny realized that she was, indeed, hungry. Lunch had been a lot of hours ago.
There was a knock on the door and Joshua came inside. "I told Daedi I'd walk you home when you're ready."
"Thank you, Sohn," she said, feeling her eyes tear up. He was so like Matthew with that quiet, intense manner; neither of them said much but their actions spoke loudly.
He wrapped his arms around her and patted her back. "Phoebe will be fine, Mamm."
Phoebe had been a surrogate great-grandmother to him, Jenny knew. "I'm just so worried."
Releasing her, he stood back and regarded her. "Remember what Phoebe likes to say."
She smiled and felt her lips tremble. "She always says, 'I try not to worry about someone. After all, it's arrogant to do so when God knows what he's doing. He has a plan for each of us.' "
Phoebe would be upset with her if she knew that she was worrying now.
"How about some pie?" Hannah asked.
"No, thanks. I'm full." She looked at her plate, surprised to find that she'd eaten all that Hannah had put on it. "This was delicious."
She got to her feet and embraced Hannah, then Chris, before turning to Joshua and laying a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go home."
"Hannah sent supper home for you."
Matthew took the plastic container from Jenny and set it on the kitchen table. "Thanks. I'll eat in a little while."
She started to object, to say that he needed to eat right then because he'd worked so hard in the fields that day before being summoned to help with Phoebe. But she realized that he was simply holding out his arms, inviting her into them.
"I know you're concerned," he said. "But God's in charge. Phoebe's a strong woman. Now, why don't you go upstairs and say good night to the kinner and then come down and keep me company while I eat?"
She smiled and nodded, then climbed the stairs. Annie's room was first because as the youngest she could never seem to keep her eyes open long after supper. When she peeked in, Annie's bed was empty. Her heart skipped a beat
"You have to eat." Hannah rose, pulled a casserole from the oven, and set it atop the stove.
And then, to Jenny's surprise, she handed the oven mitts to Chris who carried the casserole to the table.
Hannah shrugged when she saw Jenny's expression. "I gave up on fighting him over whether I can carry a casserole."
Chris turned from setting it on the table. "Wise woman, eh, Jenny?"
Rolling her eyes, Hannah brought over a plate and began spooning a serving of the chicken and rice onto it. "I'm lugging around a considerable amount of baby. A little casserole is nothing."
Chris placed a hand on her stomach. "Since, as you say, you are lugging around a considerable amount of baby, you shouldn't be adding more to the burden." He kissed her cheek and sat down at the table.
Even as distracted as she was by worry over her grandmother, Jenny couldn't help noticing how the interaction between the two of them had changed so much since they'd fallen in love and gotten married. Hannah was outspoken, unlike her brother, and there'd been some tension when Chris had arrived here.
It had taken Hannah a long time to believe that Chris hadn't come to pursue Jenny after he met her at a veteran's hospital.Jenny hadn't known until much later that Hannah had given Chris a hard time about that. If she had, Jenny would have let her know that wasn't going to happen. She and Chris had become friends after they met at the hospital—nothing more. Matthew was the love of her life.
Two worlds in one house, she thought, just like her own. So much for cranky Josiah, a church elder who didn't think the Englisch and the Amish should mix. Not only had she and Matthew just celebrated another anniversary, his sister and this man who'd served as a soldier and come here for healing had found happiness together.
The chicken and rice casserole was delicious. Once she started eating, Jenny realized that she was, indeed, hungry. Lunch had been a lot of hours ago.
There was a knock on the door and Joshua came inside. "I told Daedi I'd walk you home when you're ready."
"Thank you, Sohn," she said, feeling her eyes tear up. He was so like Matthew with that quiet, intense manner; neither of them said much but their actions spoke loudly.
He wrapped his arms around her and patted her back. "Phoebe will be fine, Mamm."
Phoebe had been a surrogate great-grandmother to him, Jenny knew. "I'm just so worried."
Releasing her, he stood back and regarded her. "Remember what Phoebe likes to say."
She smiled and felt her lips tremble. "She always says, 'I try not to worry about someone. After all, it's arrogant to do so when God knows what he's doing. He has a plan for each of us.' "
Phoebe would be upset with her if she knew that she was worrying now.
"How about some pie?" Hannah asked.
"No, thanks. I'm full." She looked at her plate, surprised to find that she'd eaten all that Hannah had put on it. "This was delicious."
She got to her feet and embraced Hannah, then Chris, before turning to Joshua and laying a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go home."
"Hannah sent supper home for you."
Matthew took the plastic container from Jenny and set it on the kitchen table. "Thanks. I'll eat in a little while."
She started to object, to say that he needed to eat right then because he'd worked so hard in the fields that day before being summoned to help with Phoebe. But she realized that he was simply holding out his arms, inviting her into them.
"I know you're concerned," he said. "But God's in charge. Phoebe's a strong woman. Now, why don't you go upstairs and say good night to the kinner and then come down and keep me company while I eat?"
She smiled and nodded, then climbed the stairs. Annie's room was first because as the youngest she could never seem to keep her eyes open long after supper. When she peeked in, Annie's bed was empty. Her heart skipped a beat
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