The Amish Midwife's Bargain by Patrice Lewis

Author:Patrice Lewis
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2023-08-30T17:46:20+00:00

* * *

In the sudden silence following Miriam’s departure to the Hostetlers’, Aaron looked at Thomas and Emma. “Well, that changes everything, I suppose,” he quipped.

Emma reseated herself and gestured toward him to follow suit. “I hope you still have a gut appetite.”

“Ja, of course.” Aaron sat down and forked up a bit of quiche. He chewed meditatively. “That was really something,” he remarked. “Did you see the way she straightened up her shoulders and took up the challenge? She’s quite a woman.”

He caught a startled glance between Thomas and Emma, and he realized that such a comment could easily be misconstrued.

But his neighbors were good hosts, and they didn’t say anything that might embarrass him. “She’s always been that way—even as a child,” Thomas said. “Miriam has a gentle heart, but she’s got more steel inside her than almost anyone I know.” He winked at his wife. “With one possible exception.”

Aaron found himself with a burning desire to ask Thomas about his sister’s youth but knew it wasn’t his place. Miriam would tell him about herself in her own good time.

“I’m hoping Miriam will help with this little one when my time comes,” said Emma, patting her midsection. “We don’t have a midwife in the community, and I know most women prefer not to use the hospital if they don’t have to.”

The intimacies of childbirth was not a topic he felt comfortable with. Instead, he tried his best to maintain a pleasant conversation with his neighbors without Miriam’s bolstering presence. He knew his social skills were rusty, and he’d depended on Miriam to smooth the way. But then he remembered her words of advice.

Immediately, he turned to Emma. “Tell me about your soapmaking,” he asked her.

Eyes sparkling, she launched into a detailed account of her business: her failed attempt to secure funding for a dedicated storefront; the enhanced exposure Thomas had helped her achieve at the mercantile in town, where he worked as a bookkeeper; and the widespread popularity of her products, not just within the church community but the whole town.

In her enthusiasm, she dominated the conversation for a good fifteen minutes, during which, Aaron made polite, encouraging remarks. When her recital was concluded, Aaron turned to Thomas. “How do you like having your own bookkeeping business?”

Thomas related how he had made the accounting at Yoder’s Mercantile so efficient that he now only needed to work there two or three days a week; the rest of the time, he worked freelance, handling the books for a wide variety of Plain businesses in the area.

By the time both his hosts had exhausted their respective subjects, dinner was finished. The outside had darkened, and Thomas lit a lamp for the table. Emma served a delicate pudding pie for dessert, and Thomas made coffee. Leaning back in his chair, Aaron realized how much he enjoyed the company of his neighbors, even without Miriam there.

“Now, tell us about the farm,” Thomas invited as they settled into comfortable chairs in the living room with cups of coffee.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.