An Amish Christmas Inheritance by Virginia Wise

Author:Virginia Wise
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2022-07-31T19:19:15+00:00

Levi found Katie hunched over an assortment of metal parts spread across a green tarp on the concrete floor of the barn. He hovered in the doorway, watching her pick up a metal gear, turn it over in her hand, then set it down again. The late-afternoon sun shone across the barn in rays that highlighted the soft curve of her cheek and jaw. She selected a screw from a pile on the tarp, held it up, squinted at it for a moment, then tossed it down again and sighed.

Levi cleared his throat. Katie stiffened and looked up. “I didn’t see you there.”

He smiled. “Too busy being an engineer, ain’t so?”

Katie didn’t smile in return. “I, uh...” She puffed out her cheeks and exhaled. “I’m afraid I’ve ruined your tractor. I tried to follow the instructions from the manufacturer.” She picked up a sheet of paper and waved it in the air. “But it’s hopeless, Levi. Absolutely hopeless.” She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I don’t think it can be fixed after what I’ve done to it.”

“Is that so?” Levi asked mildly.

“For sure and certain.”

Levi walked across the barn to where she sat slumped over the mechanical parts. “Looks like you managed to take the whole thing apart.”

“And now I can’t put it back together again. I was just trying to fix the broken gear, and next thing I knew...” She swept a hand over the dismantled parts strewn across the tarp. “...this happened.”

Levi lowered himself to sit on the tarp beside her. She kept her eyes down and her lips tight.

“It’s not so bad,” Levi said.

“I shouldn’t have tried. I should have known I was getting in over my head. Gabriel left to mend the fence—I couldn’t do that, either, and he had to go back and finish the job for me after lunch. He said Old Gus might get out otherwise. So, instead of doing something reasonable, like feeding and watering the livestock or oiling harnesses, I took this on.”

Levi looked over at her and chuckled. She glanced up and frowned. “I wish you wouldn’t laugh at me. I’m at a pretty low point right now. I guess I’m not so gut at admitting I didn’t live up to my boasting.” She looked at the mechanical parts in front of her. “But I can’t hide my failure from you.”

“I’m not laughing at you,” Levi said. “Well, not exactly. I’m laughing at both of us.”

Katie creased her brow and moved her gaze back to him. “What do you mean?”

“Let’s just say you’re not the only one who failed to live up to your boasts today.”

“You mean...” A faint smile appeared on Katie’s lips.

“Yup. I pretty much crashed and burned at the shop after all my big talk. Turns out keeping a shop isn’t so simple after all.”

Katie straightened up and her smile widened. “What happened?”

“First of all, I broke a cookie jar. And a box of glass Christmas ornaments. Then I took forever trying to find an item for a customer—”

“We had a customer?”

“Ya.

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