The Amish Quiltmaker's Unruly In-Law by Jennifer Beckstrand

Author:Jennifer Beckstrand [Beckstrand, Jennifer]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Zebra Books
Published: 2021-04-19T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

The Sand Dunes National Park on a warm summer night was the most glorious place in the world. Nothing soothed Linda’s troubled soul like sitting out under a sky dense with stars, listening to the wildlife, and feeling the soft breeze caress her face. But she feared that nothing would lift her spirits tonight. There was just too much pain and unhappiness in the world.

“This fried chicken is delicious,” Cathy said, polishing off her second piece. “Not as good as mine, but most people don’t know a thing about frying a good piece of chicken. Buttermilk is the secret. Without buttermilk, you might just as well boil it for all the flavor you’ll get.”

Ben didn’t say anything, but he had already eaten three pieces of chicken, one biscuit, a heaping helping of chowchow, and three deviled eggs. It was a gute bet he liked the chicken even without buttermilk.

“Can I have a cupcake?” Nora said. She hadn’t eaten much of anything, but she was always hungry for something sweet.

“Take three more bites of chicken,” Linda said. It was what Mamm did with Nora at every mealtime. No matter how much she had or had not eaten, Mamm always wanted three more bites from Nora.

Cathy, Elmer Lee, and Linda’s little sister, Nora, sat on one side of the picnic table while Linda and Ben sat on the other side. Ben had been extraordinarily quiet in the car and even less talkative during their picnic dinner. He seemed to resent that she’d made him come, though he’d gotten in the car willingly. Of course, it might have been because she’d called him a baby and accused him of being afraid she’d beat him to the top of the sand dunes. Ben couldn’t resist a challenge to his manhood.

Maybe he’d gotten in the car because she’d promised him dinner. He ate as if he hadn’t tasted food for days. At least his broody irritation hadn’t killed his appetite.

And maybe he wasn’t resentful. Maybe he was just ashamed of himself for burning down Mr. Bateman’s shed. Despite what Mamm thought, Ben did have a conscience, and he couldn’t be proud of what he had done. His silence might have been a sign of his remorse rather than his annoyance. Neither of them had said a word about the shed incident, but Linda was going to get an explanation before the night was over and help Ben come up with a plan to make it right.

Linda sighed. Was this the best or worst possible time to come to the sand dunes?

She, Ben, and Cathy had planned this trip before the fire, before the whole gmayna had turned on Ben, before Mamm had forbidden Linda from even sneezing in Ben’s direction ever again. Trying to bring Ben back to the fold is one thing, Linda, but I won’t stand for you putting your own soul in danger. He doesn’t need to be your project anymore. Let his parents take care of it.

Linda wasn’t one to

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