A Harvest of Love by Marta Perry

Author:Marta Perry [Perry, Marta]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2021-10-26T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Dinah quickly found that her resolution to ignore the past wasn’t as easy to keep as she’d thought . . . especially when memories of the past walked in the door in the shape of Aaron’s cousin. Liva Hershberger lived ten miles away in Fosterville, and it had been while Aaron was visiting Liva’s family that Dinah met him and fell in love.

And now here Liva was, almost the first person in the door on a Tuesday morning. She glanced at the three people ahead of her lined up at the counter for their usual takeout coffee and then sat at a table next to the wall. Her gaze skimmed over Dinah as if she weren’t there. And yet, why would Liva be here if not to see her?

Dinah focused on her customers and found herself wishing that Lovina, despite her failings, were here to serve customers. Grossmammi was in the kitchen baking the sweet rolls they’d brought with them, and she wouldn’t ask her to come out here anyway. She’d have to get to Liva as soon as possible and hope she hadn’t come to be troublesome.

The bell jingled frequently in the usual morning rush. More people than ever seemed eager to pick up their morning coffee before heading to work. The aroma of baking rolls floating from the kitchen did its work, too, and when Grossmammi came out to the counter with a tray fresh from the oven, they were gone before she had a chance to put them in the display case.

Lovina had made herself useful in such a short period of time the she’d left a hole. Dinah found herself looking for her, then remembering why she wasn’t here, and then feeling the weight of it settling on her shoulders again.

She couldn’t just tell herself that Lovina was Mammi and Daad’s responsibility. Dinah was the one who’d agreed to this, maybe even thinking that Mammi should be giving her a bit more freedom. She’d taken on the responsibility, and she should have taken better care of her little sister. The thought jarred her—it was such an echo of what Jacob felt about Anna.

Finally the rush slowed down, as it always did, and then petered out. Dinah took a deep breath, trying to relax. Arranging a smile on her face, she walked back to the occupied table.

“Liva, it’s wonderful gut to see you. Will you have some coffee?”

Liva looked startled, as if that question didn’t fit in with whatever she’d planned to say. “Yah. Yah, that would be nice.”

She seemed ill at ease, Dinah reflected as she poured the coffee. Liva must be about twenty now, given how much younger she’d been than Aaron, the big, handsome cousin she’d idolized.

When Dinah returned with the coffee, Liva was looking around with what seemed grudging approval. “The family wasn’t in favor of Aaron starting a business here in Promise Glen. I suppose you knew that. But as things turned out, maybe it was for the best. At least it’s something for you to do.

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