The Rescued Read Online Free Page B

he? I remember how my brothers were at that age. Always doing something foolish, and turning my mother’s hair gray.”
    â€œMy brothers were just as bad,” Judith said, relieved to get her worries out in the open. “I told Isaac that, but he doesn’t seem to understand.”
    â€œNo, he wouldn’t.” Remembered sorrow touched their grandmother’s face. “He was a bit older than Joseph is now when his parents and sisters died. Ach, that was a terrible night. No wonder it turned Isaac so serious.”
    Rebecca nodded. “I remember about the fire, that’s certain-sure, but I guess I never thought about how it would affect Isaac after so long. Still, Joseph always seems like a good boy. He can’t be up to anything all that bad.”
    â€œI know.” Judith turned her spoon over and over in her fingers. “But he’s taken to going off and not telling us where he is, and that upsets Isaac. He keeps saying the boy is out of school now, and it’s time he took on more responsibility for the dairy farm.”
    â€œWhere do you think Joseph is going?” Grossmammi put the question softly, seeming sure Judith would be able to figure it out.
    But she couldn’t. She frowned. “It’s just guessing, but I’m thinking he likes to get off on his own. He loves the boys like brothers, but you know how noisy they can be, and they’re always after him to do something with them. Joseph is quieter by nature, I think.”
    She’d expended as much love and time in trying to figure out Joseph as she had on her own boys. After all, he was her son, too, in every way that counted.
    Rebecca nodded. “My boy is like that, as well. Sometimes I think Katie just wears him out with all her talking. It’s funny that siblings can be so different from one another.”
    â€œAll I can do is try to understand, and try to explain it to Isaac.” Tears stung Judith’s eyes, and she blinked them back. Goodness, if she started crying, they’d think something serious was wrong. She managed a smile. “Isaac and Joseph remind me of two rams butting heads. I’m always trying to keep them from exploding at each other.”
    â€œOf course you are,” Rebecca said warmly. “You love them both.”
    â€œAnd you have always been the peacemaker.” Grossmammi patted her hand. “From the time you could walk, you’ve been trying to keep everyone happy.”
    Grossmammi almost made it sound like a fault.
    â€œIt’s natural to want your family to be happy and at peace with one another.” She suspected she sounded defensive.
    Grossmammi gave her a fond look, shaking her head a little. “Ach, Judith, you must know that happiness is the one thing you can’t give anyone else, no matter how much you love them. We each must find it for ourselves, and usually we do so when we’re not looking for it.”
    Rebecca seemed to be considering the words, maybe filing them away in her heart. But Judith recognized an instant of denial in herself. Surely, when you loved enough, you could bring others happiness.
    â€œIt can’t be wrong to try and keep peace between Isaac and Joseph. If only I can stop them from saying hurtful things to each other . . .” She let that trail off, because her grandmother was shaking her head again.
    â€œYou want to be a buffer between them. I understand.” Grossmammi patted her hand. “The trouble with being a buffer is that you can end up being hurt by both sides.”
    Judith wanted to deny it. Wanted to say that it wasn’t so, that Isaac and Joseph would never willingly cause her pain.
    But she couldn’t, because she feared her grandmother was right. And if she was, Judith didn’t know what to do.

C HAPTER T WO
    J udith cut into the peach pie she’d made for dessert that evening with a certain amount of relief. Isaac and Joseph had been silent