Amanda Weds a Good Man Read Online Free Page B

you’d want to taste one—to be sure they’re all right for the Brubaker kids, of course.”
    â€œOh, we shouldn’t take the chance that your goodies aren’t perfect,” James teased.
    When he bit into the treat Abby held in front of his mouth, he delighted in the moistness of the pumpkin cookies . . . the sweet tang of cream cheese filling as it covered his tongue. “Oh, my,” he murmured. “This treat’s
almost
as wonderful-gut as you are, Abby.”
    â€œOh, James, you say the sweetest things.” Abby nibbled at the whoopie pie before holding it in front of him again. “Pumpkin’s one of my favorite flavors. What flavors do
you
like?”
    At that moment, with her face mere inches from his and her lips slightly parted, James couldn’t think rationally about food or anything else. He leaned toward Abby and met her mouth with his, searching . . . tasting a deep sweetness that went beyond sugar and spices. “You, Abby,” he whispered. “You surely must be the best flavor there is, and I’m glad God’s brought us together in time for me to realize that.”
    Abby looked so pleasantly surprised that James knew he’d remember the expression on her face forever. “We have the rest of our lives to share, James,” she replied quietly. “And now that you’ve finally caught up to my feelings, it’s my mission to learn as much as I can about what you like and don’t—”
    â€œYou can’t go wrong, Abby. As long as I’m with you, I’ll be a happy man.” James glanced at the road to ascertain their location, because Abby’s presence often made him lose track of where he was and what he intended to say. He gazed into her eyes again, hoping he got his words right. “Do . . . do you want to court for a while, then? What with so many folks tying the knot—”
    â€œWith all these weddings in the next few weeks, I’m glad I don’t have to get ready for my own,” she insisted. “Mamm and Barbara are spending every spare moment baking bread. Or they’re updating Beulah Mae Nissley about more folks coming from out of state, so she can figure out how many chickens to roast for the two big dinners. It would almost make more sense if both weddings were on the same day.”
    Abby paused to inhale the fresh air. “But then, that would deprive each couple of their special celebration, wouldn’t it? I still have wedding dresses to make for Mamm and Phoebe, along with my usual sewing for other folks,” she went on. “If you and I are going to hitch up, James, I’d like it to be at a time when we’re not so busy.”
    Will that day ever come?
While he felt relieved that Abby didn’t think other couples were getting a head start on happiness, James also realized that Abby’s Stitch in Time and Graber’s Custom Carriages weren’t going into a slack period anytime soon—or at least he hoped they weren’t.
    And then there was the matter of actually proposing to her. While he and Abby had reached an understanding that they intended to court and marry, it was only fitting to ask her properly. James wanted to leave nothing undone when it came to giving Abby everything she deserved, everything that could possibly make her as happy as she made him.
    But when the tall grain elevator buildings came into sight on the horizon, he filed away all thoughts of romance. Even though he and Abby both enjoyed Wyman’s kids, it would be more like a circus than a date once they got to the Brubaker farm. Sure enough, as they turned in at the long lane, James spotted a boy racing around in the yard, tossing a neon yellow tennis ball for his boisterous dog. Wags was part German shepherd and part something else, and even though he was still a pup, he was nearly as tall as Simon.
    â€œI vaguely recall having that much energy at