The Beekeeper's Son (The Amish of Bee County Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

inhaled his scent of man sweat and soap. He’d sopped up the pulled pork and barbecue sauce with the last of his oversized bun, polishing the plate to a shine. The fried potatoes, pickles, and red beets had disappeared in short order. He liked to eat. Abigail appreciated that in a man. She’d left her home and spent two days in a van filled with unwilling children for this moment.
    Stephen smiled up at her as if he knew her thoughts. Mercy me. Despite the years that had passed since they had courted as youth, he still had the same nice smile with even teeth and full lips. Ach, you’re full of flights of fancy, Abigail . Hands shaking, she grabbed John’s plate, stacked it on top of Stephen’s and the one in front of Mordecai King.
    Susan King, seated next to her brother, stood and picked up her plate. “I’ll help.”
    “Nee, my girls will help. You visit.” Abigail cocked her headtoward Deborah. “Help your cousins with the dishes. Come on now, there’s work to be done.”
    Without a word, Deborah dropped her half-eaten sandwich on her plate and scooted from the bench where she sat next to Leila and Rebekah at the second table along with two of John’s three girls and Mordecai’s daughter, Esther, on one side and the boys on the other. They were crammed in like peas in a pod at both tables. The entire house seemed to burst at the seams between the three families.
    “Nee, nee, y’all just drove halfway across the country to get here.” Eve made shooing motions with red, dishwater-chapped hands. “My girls have got this. Frannie, get a move on. Abigail, you take yourself a piece of pecan pie and go on out to the yard. Take a load off. You got plenty of time for chores tomorrow.”
    Her brother had done well for himself. Eve tried so hard to make Abigail feel welcome. The same seemed true of Susan, who would be Caleb’s teacher come fall. The thought gave Abigail comfort. There would be women here to whom she could talk. They would fill the vacuum created when she left behind the tight-knit group of friends she’d been quilting, canning, and sewing with her entire life. “I can’t let you do all the work—”
    “We’ll let the girls do the work. Susan and I will oversee.” Eve shooed again. “Cut a piece of pie for Stephen here and get him some more sweet tea. I’m thinking he won’t turn it down.”
    “You’d be right about that.” Stephen patted his lips and beard with his napkin and tossed it on the table. “You do make a fine pecan pie. Brings back memories of my groossmammi’s pie, rest her sweet soul.”
    “I want pie.” Hazel reached for her glass of water with both chubby hands, misjudged the distance, and knocked it over.Water ran in rivulets across the tablecloth and dripped on Stephen’s pants. Caleb snorted with laughter. Abigail shot him a look. He slapped his hand over his mouth.
    Stephen stood, knocking the bench back in his haste, and righted the glass. He shook his head, his expression stern. “Well, child, I reckon you should clean that up.”
    Abigail normally put the smaller children at their own table, but John’s front room didn’t have the space. Hazel’s face crumpled. She scrambled to her feet, knocking over Hannah’s glass in the process. More water spilled. “Mudder!”
    “Accidents happen, little one.” Abigail grabbed the tablecloth and folded it up, blotting the water as she went. The less on the floor, the less to clean up. “Get a washrag from the kitchen. I’ll clean this up.”
    “Let her do it.” Stephen tugged the tablecloth from Abigail’s hands, his hands gentle but his tone firm. “Accident or not, little girls who make messes should clean them up, don’t you think?”
    Abigail stopped, caught between the desire to make sure her daughter didn’t cause extra work for her sister-in-law and not wanting to get off on the wrong foot with Stephen. He nodded at her, his eyes kind, but it felt as if this was some sort of test. At three, Hazel did