Emma Blooms At Last Read Online Free Page B

alongside them, and the windows of the large enclosed buggy came down. “Gut morning, you Grabers!” Jerome called out, as Wyman Brubaker and his three sons, seated beside and behind Jerome, joined in with their own greetings. “It’ll be a little chummy, but we’ve got room to take you folks on up to the house if you’d like a ride.”
    â€œJah, this is the
man
rig!” five-year-old Simon crowed. “But we’d let
you
ride, Emma!”
    â€œAnd you, too, Eunice,” Jerome added quickly. He smiled at Emma’s mother, and then his eyebrows rose playfully as his gaze lingered on Emma.
    Could these people be any more blatant about coaxing herinto Jerome’s company? For the past month, Jerome had been showing off his mules and making eyes at her, and meanwhile befriending her gullible parents. After all of her refusals of his attention, why didn’t they realize that Jerome just wasn’t her type? Emma kept hold of her mother’s elbow and worded her response as politely as she could. “I’ve got pies to cut,” she insisted.
    Her dat let out a laugh. “I’ll ride with you, Jerome. We fellows might as well have our fun today, because you can bet the women will insist on working.”
    â€œI’ll join you, too.” James helped their father step up into the buggy’s open door. “We’ll see Mamm and Emma come time for church to start.”
    â€œThis’ll be your final trip up this lane as a single man, James,” Jerome teased. “Last chance to ride off into the sunrise before you’re yoked to Abby forever.”
    â€œAh, but Abby’s yoke is easy and her burden is light,” James quipped as he climbed in behind Dat.
    The smile on her brother’s face touched something deep inside Emma. James was
beaming
, far more excited and open about his feelings than he’d been when he’d nearly married Abby’s sister last year. And Abby seemed to be floating on clouds these days, too.
    So many new couples . . . so much joy in Cedar Creek,
Emma mused as she and Mamm walked toward the greenhouse.
Will I find my own happy ending soon? Or will I be left out of the storybook altogether?
    *   *   *
    J erome unhitched the buggy alongside Sam Lambright’s barn and corralled the mules where all the guests’ horses would spend the day. James and Merle Graber and the Brubakers were chatting with other fellows, but he strode straight toward the greenhouse rather than visit with them. Emma was being her usual skittish selftoday, but he was a man with a plan. He hoped he’d devised a way to get her out on a date—without it seeming like one. Ever since he’d met this pretty but reclusive brunette last month, and had immediately become lost in her honey brown eyes, he’d sought to spend time alone with her. She was so unlike the other girls he’d been attracted to.
    But clearly, Emma wasn’t impressed with him.
Why not?
    As he entered the greenhouse where Preacher Sam’s mother, Treva Lambright, sold plants, pumpkins, and gift items, the glass-paneled building sparkled in the sunlight and buzzed like a beehive. The contents of the greenhouse had been cleared out and long tables had been set up, covered with white tablecloths, and arranged with glasses and silverware. Several women and girls chatted as they transferred food to rectangular metal pans for the steam table and placed cookies on serving trays. Jerome headed for the table in the back corner. Few men dared to venture into the food-preparation area before a wedding, but the older ladies greeted him with knowing smiles as he stepped up beside Emma.
    â€œEmma, may I ask you a huge favor?” he said in a low voice. “It’s something I don’t want to mention when Abby and James might overhear me.”
    Emma looked up from cutting a pumpkin pie. “What kind of favor?” she