Elijah And The Widow (Lancaster County Weddings 4) Read Online Free

anything. This little one here—” She gestured toward her son. “He keeps me busy. I’m glad it’s late April and the weather is finally warming again. I’ll have to take EJ outside to play often. Maybe he’ll tire himself out in the fresh air. Then I can have a long lie-down while he takes his nap.”
    “’Tis wonderful to get out of the house, ja ?”
    Annie eased herself down onto a kitchen chair and gestured for Martha to set EJ on the floor beside her. She regarded her son with tender warmth. “ Ja. It was a long winter. Especially for you.” She watched her son as he sat quietly and stared up at his mother. “He’s being a gut boy. Do ya have a pan or pot he can play with?”
    “ Ja , in the cupboard.” Martha opened a door and took out two pans along with a big metal stockpot. Then she dug into a drawer for wooden and metal spoons.
    “You may regret giving those to him,” Annie warned as Martha placed the spoons inside the biggest pot and gently pushed it in the boy’s direction.
    The toddler immediately reached for the spoon and began to bang on the sides of the pot. “I see what you mean,” Martha said with a laugh. Before EJ had a chance to protest, she switched the spoon for a plastic spatula. The child grinned at her happily, stuck the spatula in a pan and stirred it about.
    “Have you started on your vegetable garden?” Annie asked conversationally when her son was settled.
    “I worked up the soil, but I haven’t decided what to plant. You?”
    Annie’s smile held regret. “No garden this year, I’m afraid.” She patted her pregnant belly. “I can’t bend to garden.”
    “I’ll put it in for you,” Martha offered.
    “You’re a gut friend, but I can’t let you do that.”
    “Then I’ll bring you vegetables from mine,” Martha insisted and was pleased when Annie didn’t argue.
    The women chatted and enjoyed tea while EJ played contently on the floor. Martha enjoyed the delightful morning spent in good company.
    “What was all that whispering about?” Martha asked her friend as she had a surge of memory of Annie murmuring gibberish into her ear before instructing her to laugh, then encourage Eli to go to Noah’s.
    Annie grinned. “Do you know what it’s like to be married to a twin? Eli is a consummate tease. I was just attempting to get one up on him.”
    Martha chuckled. “I see.” She unwrapped Annie’s brownies and poured EJ a glass of milk while the boy’s mother encouraged him to climb onto her lap. Annie rewarded him with a cookie before she reached for a brownie.
    Martha rejoined her friend at the table. A heavy knock resounded on her back door. “Who on earth...?” Answering it, she was startled to see her brother-in-law with three Lapp men—Samuel and his sons Jacob and Eli.
    “Amos!” she exclaimed with surprise. “Is everything oll recht ?”
    “ Ja , Martha, all is fine,” her brother-in-law assured her. “We’ve come to discuss your farm.”
    An older version of her late husband, Amos wore wire-rimmed spectacles.
    She allowed her gaze to stray briefly to the twins, especially Eli, who’d entered the house behind Amos and Samuel. Like the other men in the room, Eli had taken off his hat and held it. “I planned to seek your advice on who to hire to plant my fields.”
    With a smile for his wife, Jacob went to Annie’s side and gathered EJ from her lap. The boy was happy to go to his father. Jacob smiled as he held his son close. “Martha, there’s no need to hire workers. We’d like to do the planting for you.” He hesitated before continuing. “We’ll need seed. We can order it for you.”
    “’Tis already been bought.” She felt uncomfortable being the focus of so much male attention. “After Ike purchased the new equipment, he ordered and paid for seed in advance. He mentioned that delivery would be this spring, but I have no idea when.”
    “Do you know where he bought it?” Eli asked, drawing her gaze.
    “I have the receipt.