[Kentucky Brothers 01] - The Journey Read Online Free Page A

shook Titus’s hand. Then he looked over at Suzanne and said, “Titus is going to help out in my shop, and if things work out, he’ll be hired full-time.”
     
    That bit of news didn’t set well with Suzanne, but she forced a smile and said, “It’s nice to meet you, Titus.”
     
    “Same here,” he mumbled, staring at Suzanne in a peculiar sort of way. It was almost a look of disgust.
     
    “Titus will be staying in the old trailer I bought awhile back,” Allen said.
     
    “Oh, you mean the one Vernon Smucker used to own?” Grandpa asked.
     
    Allen nodded.
     
    “It was sad when the poor man died, because he’d never married and has no family that any of us know about. That old trailer has been sitting empty for quite a spell.” Grandpa looked at Allen and slowly shook his head. “I’m surprised you bought the place. Haven’t been inside it for a long time, but from what I remember, it was pretty run-down, even when Vernon lived there.”
     
    “I bought it as an investment,” Allen said. “Figured since there are no homes for rent in the area right now, it’d be a good place for Titus to live.”
     
    Grandpa shrugged; then he looked over at Allen’s truck and motioned to the horse trailer behind it. “Looks like you’ve brought a horse with you, huh?”
     
    Allen nodded. “It belongs to Titus.”
     
    “I didn’t want to leave Lightning behind,” Titus explained.
     
    “Didn’t you bring a buggy for the horse to pull?” Grandpa asked.
     
    Titus shook his head. “Figured I could ride Lightning to and from work every day.”
     
    “That’s okay for now,” Grandpa said, “but once winter comes, you’ll need a buggy.”
     
    “I’ll get one before then.” Titus glanced at Suzanne, and a blotch of red erupted on his cheeks. He cleared his throat and quickly looked away.
     
    Is there something about me he doesn’t like?
Suzanne wondered.
     
    Just then, Esther Beiler came up the driveway on her scooter.
     
    When Esther joined them, Suzanne introduced her to Titus and then added, “This is Titus Fisher. He’s from Pennsylvania, and will be working in Grandpa’s shop.” Suzanne nearly choked on the words. It should be her working for Grandpa, not some stranger who wouldn’t even make eye contact with her.
     
    Esther smiled politely, and her milk-chocolate brown eyes shone brightly in the sunlight as she shook Titus’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
     
    “Nice to meet you, too.” Titus returned the smile and looked directly at Esther when he spoke. Apparently he found her more favorable to look at than Suzanne. Esther was an attractive young woman—dark brown hair, vivid blue eyes, and a dimpled smile that turned many men’s heads. Suzanne felt plain compared to Esther.
     
    “Where in Pennsylvania did you live?” Esther asked.
     
    “Lancaster County, in Paradise. My oldest sister and her husband own a general store there, and several others in my family have businesses there, too.”
     
    “My folks lived in Strasburg when I was a baby, but Dad moved our family here before I started school,” Esther said.
     
    “Could be my folks and your folks know some of the same people,” Titus said.
     
    The sun-dappled leaves of the trees overhead cast a shadow across Esther’s pretty face as she nodded. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”
     
    “You all can get better acquainted some other time.” Allen motioned to the woodshop. “Right now, I think we ought to head in there and meet Suzanne’s brother Nelson.”
     
    Titus gave Esther another quick smile. “It was nice meeting you.” Then he glanced at Suzanne, looked away, and mumbled, “Uh—you, too.”
     
    As the men walked away, and the women headed for the porch, Esther whispered, “Titus seems nice, and he’s sure goodlooking, wouldn’t you say?”
     
    Suzanne shrugged. “I suppose so, but he acted kind of odd and would barely look at me.”
     
    Esther giggled. “Maybe he saw that smudge of dirt on