Amish Reckoning by Jocelyn McClay

Author:Jocelyn McClay
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-02-07T15:25:06+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Samuel rubbed at the grime in the leather, his ears tuned in for the sound of a large engine coming down the road. Keeping harnesses in good shape took maintenance. But today the job was more for him to be occupied than for the leather to stay in condition.

He hoped she’d come. He hoped she’d taken the job. If she hadn’t...

Thoughts of their conversation in the barn on Thursday afternoon had distracted him for the past few days. Initially hurt and affronted by Gail’s reprimand, by Thursday night he’d been honest enough to acknowledge there’d been some truth in what she’d said. It’d been obvious by her reserved behavior that privacy was important to her. If she’d wanted to interact with Hannah, she certainly wouldn’t have hidden herself behind sunglasses and a hat and slunk so far down behind the wheel that she was barely visible.

He’d been a fool. An arrogant fool to think he knew better than what Gail obviously wanted. And it cost him what he was realizing that he wanted.

By Friday morning Samuel was thinking of ways to apologize to Gail, or at least ascertain that they could still do business together if nothing else. Calling her would’ve been fruitless—it would be too easy for her to ignore. He knew she lived somewhere reasonably close, but he didn’t know where. He thought about asking Hannah if she knew, but as he’d already muddied that up, he thought better of it.

Which was why this morning he’d gone to an auction. He’d approached Malachi and Gideon with the need for more draft horses for their two farms. Jeb and Huck were eager and hardworking, but the farms were more than the two Belgians could handle alone. In fact, it was past time to increase their horsepower, as they’d had to borrow horses already for some of the work. And if the two geldings he bought today were on the far reaches of their community, far enough out that the new purchases would need to be hauled home, well, he knew a good buy when he saw it. He was a horse trader, after all.

He’d paid in advance for the transportation, arranging that the auction barn would contact a hauler, specifically Gail, to deliver the animals. Samuel only hoped that she took the job. If she transported the horses, maybe it was a sign she’d forgiven him. Surely Gail still had enough Amish in her to practice the principle of forgiveness? Or maybe she’d take the job because she really needed the money. Hate him she might, but she was a practical woman. Either way, he could see her and apologize.

Samuel jerked his head toward the barn door at the rumble of a motor and the muted rattle of a trailer under a heavy load. Dropping the leather on the counter as he strode out of the tack room toward the barn’s double doors, he willed it to be a black pickup coming up the lane, even if its brown-haired driver refused to talk with him.

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