“HOW’S THE SEWING GOING?” MARK LEANED AGAINST the doorframe of Priscilla’s bedroom on Tuesday afternoon of the following week.
She looked up, and her breath stalled in her lungs. Mark’s eyes seemed to be a brighter shade of blue, and he somehow seemed taller and more attractive. How did he do that?
She longed to tell him to leave so she could hold back her growing attraction to him. That was the reason she’d been using their conversation about Trent as an excuse to act cool around him.
“I’m sorry.” He stepped inside her room and grinned. “Did I startle you?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m just surprised to see you.”
“Why?” He laughed. “You know I work here.” He walked over and pointed to the half-finished dress on her sewing table. “So how’s it going?”
“Pretty well.” She shrugged. “I finished my second one yesterday.” She held up the dress. “This will be Sarah Jane’s.”
“Nice.” He touched the material. “You’re talented.”
“Danki.” She hoped he couldn’t see her blushing. “Do you need something?”
“That’s what I came to ask you.” He sat on the chair across from her. “I have to go out for supplies. Do you need anything?”
She paused, and then said, “Would you mind stopping at the Bird-in-Hand Bake Shop?”
His eyes lit up, as if he were happy for the task. “No, not at all. What do you need?”
“I’ve been craving a large pretzel. Ethan likes them too.”
“Okay.” He nodded toward her sewing table. “Anything else? Like material or something else you need for the dresses?”
Her eyes moved to her material. She was running low, but did she want to risk sending him to Franey’s store without her?
“What is it?” He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. “I can find it if you write it down. I’m not a complete moron. Just a partial one.”
She turned toward him, and his smile widened. “Are you certain you’re only partial?”
To her surprise, he laughed.
“What do you need?” he asked again.
“Material and a few more spools of thread. And a few other things. I need to make Ethan a new pair of church trousers since he fell and ripped his only pair.” She picked up her notepad and began writing a list. “Everything will be on here.”
“Okay.” When she was done, he took the list and stood. “I’ll be back soon with pretzels and supplies.”
“Danki.”
He started toward the door.
“Mark.”
“Ya?” He faced her in the doorway.
“Are you having second thoughts?”
“No, but if you keep asking me, I might develop some.”
She gaped at him.
He laughed, and relief threaded through her.
“I’m kidding, so stop looking so worried.” He waved at her. “I’ll be back soon.”
As he disappeared from the doorway, she hoped she hadn’t made a mistake sending him off to Franey’s father’s store alone.
Mark stepped into the fabric store and glanced at the front counter.
When Sadie Liz spotted him, she lifted her hand and waved. “Hi, Mark! I’ll be right with you.” Then she turned back to the customer in front of her.
Mark wandered around, glancing at Priscilla’s list and wondering how he was going to find all the items without help. Asking Priscilla if she needed anything had seemed like a great idea, but he was lost here. He’d rather pick up groceries than try to find his way around a fabric store.
But he’d had an ulterior motive when he went upstairs to check on her earlier today. Priscilla hadn’t spoken to him longer than a few minutes since she’d asked him to stay for supper last Thursday and he’d declined. After their conversation in the barn, she’d been cool again, and the atmosphere between them had been strained. It was his fault. He’d had no real reason to assume she would ever go back to Trent.
But the damage had been done. Just yesterday he walked up on the porch while she hung out laundry and chatted about how nice the daadihaus looked with the fresh coats of paint. But she only nodded in response. The day before, he’d mentioned how excited Cindy and Sarah Jane were about the wedding, and Priscilla only smiled.
He’d never before had to work so hard to get a woman to talk to him, and this was the woman he was going to marry. That was why he’d used the offer of running errands as a lame excuse to spend a little bit of time with her. He was grateful she hadn’t just given him a one-word response—”No.”
“How may I help you?” Sadie Liz appeared beside him with a wide smile on her face.
“I need to get these supplies for Priscilla, but I have no idea where to begin.” He handed her the list.
Sadie Liz examined the list and then nodded. “I can find all of this for you. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
“Danki.” Mark spun the display of patterns a few times and then walked over to a wall of quilts.
After a few minutes he walked toward the back. When he heard Franey say his name, he stilled and listened to the conversation taking place in the next aisle.
“Oh ya,” Sadie Liz said just loud enough for him to hear. “Mark is so handsome. He could have married any maedel in our community.”
“That’s true,” Franey said with a sigh. “I thought for certain he was going to choose me.”
“Why do you think he chose Priscilla?” Sadie Liz asked.
A beat went by, and Mark held his breath.
“Go ahead,” Sadie Liz encouraged her. “Say what you’re thinking. I can tell you want to.”
“Well, she already had one kind with a man,” Franey said. “Maybe they’re expecting one together.”
“You think she’s pregnant?” Sadie Liz exclaimed.
Mark’s blood boiled. Clenching his fists at his side, he forced a pleasant expression on his face and headed to the counter at the front of the store. Anger and disappointment swirled in his gut as he waited for Sadie Liz to appear with Priscilla’s supplies.
When Franey emerged from a nearby aisle, she smiled, and he nodded a response as he shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Hi, Mark,” Franey called as she approached.
“Hello.” He hoped he sounded pleasant.
“I have all your supplies,” she said as she stepped behind the counter. “You had quite a list.”
“Well, Priscilla is busy working on the dresses for the wedding, and Ethan needs a new pair of church trousers.” He pulled his wallet from his back pocket as she began ringing up the items.
Sadie Liz appeared beside Franey and began putting the items into bags.
“How’s your day going?” Franey asked him.
“Fine. It’s been busy.” He rested his wallet on the counter. “There’s a lot to do on Yonnie’s farm. I just finished painting the daadihaus earlier this week. Now I’m cleaning the barn and replacing its rotten floor boards for the wedding.”
“Oh.” Franey’s smile grew tight. She rang the last item and told him the price.
Mark handed her the money, and she gave him his change. “Well, I’d better get back to the farm.” He smiled. “Priscilla is expecting me to bring her supplies and then a pretzel. She and Ethan love pretzels, and I’m froh to bring my future fraa the things she loves.”
Franey’s smile faded.
Sadie Liz nodded. “Oh, I’m certain you are.”
“Danki for your help.” Mark slipped his wallet into his back pocket.
“Gern gschehne.” Franey gave him a little wave.
“See you at church,” Sadie Liz said.
Mark turned to go, and then he stopped and faced them. “Oh, and by the way, Priscilla and I are expecting.”
The two women’s eyes grew so wide he feared they might fall out of their heads.
“Well, aren’t we all expecting a cold winter?” He narrowed his eyes. “You do know it’s a sin to spread rumors, right? Especially when they’re not true.”
Franey’s mouth dropped open.
Before they had a chance to respond, he stalked out of the store.
“Danki!” Ethan announced as Mark handed him the large pretzel in the kitchen. “This is the perfect afterschool snack.”
“Gern gschehne.” Mark placed the two bags of supplies on the counter.
“Danki so much.” Priscilla came up behind him. “How much do I owe you?”
Mark rolled his eyes. “Please. We’re going to share a bank account soon.”
“I guess that’s true.” She turned to Ethan as he sat at the table and ate the pretzel. “How is it?”
“Wunderbaar,” he responded with a mouthful.
“You need to swallow before you talk.”
Ethan nodded and continued chewing.
“Here’s yours.” Mark handed her a large pretzel in a wrapper. “I hope it’s still warm.”
She took the pretzel and smiled. “Ya, it is. Danki.”
He nodded, and she noted the tightness around his mouth. Something was bothering him. Had he seen Franey and regretted his decision to marry Priscilla?
“Is everything okay?” She braced herself for his response and possible rejection.
He nodded. “Ya.”
“Did you see Franey at the store?”
A strange expression flashed over his features, and it stole her breath for a moment.
“Ya. She sends her regards.” He jammed his thumb toward the door. “I need to finish unloading the supplies from my buggy. I’ll see you later.”
“Do you need help?” Ethan asked, his mouth full again.
“Ethan!” Priscilla snapped.
Ethan’s shoulders hunched, and he looked down.
“No, but danki, Ethan. I’ve got it.” Mark disappeared out the door, leaving her with doubts he’d told her everything there was to tell.