“Why do you want to work here?”

“I can’t let my aenti pay all my expenses while I’m here. I’d just need work for a few weeks,” Eva explained.

“Still, you don’t seem so sure,” Tanner replied.

“I’m sure about the work, but not so sure about working for you.”

The woman who’d called him out to meet Eva snorted.

“I just don’t know about this, Eva. I don’t know you.”

“Then never mind,” she said, turning to leave. “I’ll find work elsewhere.”

After she heard what could have been a shove, Tanner appeared behind her. “Wait.”

Eva turned to see Martha behind him, mouthing please. With a grin.

Eva smiled, causing Tanner to look back at his cousin. “Martha—I mean, Martha and I—would like to have you work here with us. If you want to do that, Martha will train you to work out front with the customers. Would that be suitable?”

Customers. She’d be around all sorts of people. What if she got sick again? What if Mamm found out?

What if she didn’t try?