She looked up at him then, and his heart skipped a beat as he met her earnest gaze.

  “You’re a good woman,” he said softly, and this time the words came out smoothly.

  “I just want to help, Mose,” she said. “If we don’t help, who will?”

  She’d mentioned the Good Samaritan, and she was right in the spiritual application, of course. Helping others never came without risk, but was it right to risk an entire community? A lot of change had already crept into his home community. Cell phones were used for safety. Buggies had seat belts where they lived. Barns were now fully electric, although homes weren’t. Changes came slowly but surely. And were they necessary? Many would argue that they were, but they’d gone generations without such strides forward. Were they still protecting their distinctiveness as much as they should?

  But something else had caught in his mind—she hadn’t liked herself. She hadn’t appreciated what a beauty she was, and that was a sad thought.

  “I l-l-like your hair,” he said.

  “What?” She blushed then. “Really?”

  Mose regarded her—the naturalness of her face, her golden red lashes that were so long when he looked down at her like this. And her soft roundness—it was comforting, beautiful. To think she’d hated any part of herself as a teenager... Someone should have told her she was absolutely perfect the way she was.

  “And the r-rest of you, too,” he said haltingly. “You’re p-p-pretty.”

  Naomi dropped her gaze, but the tips of her ears were pink now. What was he doing? He’d had to force those words out, and somehow he still hadn’t been able to stop himself. It didn’t matter what he thought of her looks!

  “You’re kind, Mose.”

  He didn’t know how to answer that, so he didn’t. He just gave her fingers a little squeeze, and he released her hand. He was going too far, and he didn’t even know why.

  “Maybe there’s another girl who needs a grown woman like me to tell her that she’ll be grateful for her hips one day,” Naomi said, “and that some comment by a thoughtless boy was just stupidity coming out of his mouth, not truth.”

  “You want to be a mamm,” he said, the realization dawning on him suddenly. She was talking about all the wisdom a mother passed down now.

  “But I have no children of my own,” she said. “I have to love someone, Mose.”

  She had so much love to give, so much that it was overflowing past her own community to the outsiders. She just wanted to love someone who needed it. He felt a lump rise in his throat.

  The side door opened then, and Claire came out first, holding the screen for the Englishers to pass outside again. They were laden down with jars of preserves and white cloth bags that likely held some other wares that the women were selling.

  “Thank you so much for coming,” Claire was saying, her voice surfing the breeze toward them. “Remember us at Draschel Bed and Breakfast when you’re planning your next getaway. We book a few weeks ahead of time, but we’d be so happy to have you back again.”

  It was time to continue on. Naomi moved a step away from him. She was doing the right thing—keeping appearances pure—but he missed the softness of her shoulder against him.

  “I’ll see you,” he said.

  She nodded, and then he had to help the first tourist back up into the buggy. Had Klaus seen the woman in Naomi before he’d decided so firmly against her? Had rejecting her been difficult for Klaus at all? Because as wrong as she was for Mose, she was ever so tempting.

  But he’d never be able to be the husband who kept her to the Amish ways. She melted his heart too much, and he’d go right along with her, even though his conscience screamed against it.

  A choice of wife was a cautious one. His heart couldn’t lead here. Because left to its own devices, his heart would lead him right after Naomi, and right over a cliff.

  Chapter Five

  All that evening, Naomi thought about the feeling of Mose’s hand covering hers. And he’d said she was pretty...a silly thing to make her blush at this age, but it still did. He was probably just being kind—feeling bad about Klaus, or remembering their childhood friendship. Because she knew that he heartily disagreed with her liberal views. But he was still... Mose. Sweet, handsome, earnest Mose.

  And may Gott help her, but she wasn’t hoping that he’d find a wife. She should be. He deserved one, but he wouldn’t be holding her hand again, if he did. He wouldn’t be putting his effort into getting his ideas out with her—he’d be doing that with someone else.

  Still, her hand tingled when she remembered the feeling of his warm fingers cupping hers, and thankfully Claire didn’t notice that Naomi was quiet and distracted since they had some Englisher overnight guests arrive and they were occupied with hosting them.

  The next morning, Naomi drove her buggy to the bishop’s farm. Bishop Glick was a kind older man who ran a dairy as well as acted as religious leader to their area. He was also Claire’s second cousin, which gave Naomi a friendlier relationship to him. All the same, it truly was a sacrificial position since a bishop wasn’t paid for his post, and it was a lifelong responsibility. The bishop had come back inside after his first round of chores, and he listened thoughtfully to what Naomi had to say.

  “If you empty your barn in the fall for everyone else, who will feed you in the winter?” the bishop said quietly. “If we give away too much, if we drop our fences and open our arms, who will protect our own children from the bad influences? We shelter our children, show them a better way. Naomi, I know your heart is in the right place, but how do you expect our children to keep to the Amish path and not slide off into perdition if we don’t set a firm example now? We are protecting them from the very life those Englisher young people are living. My heart goes out to them—it does—but protecting our way of life must be a higher priority.”

  Then the bishop had said a prayer with her, shaken her hand and wished Gott’s blessings upon her. He asked her to say hello to Claire and little Aaron for him, then he sent her on her way.

  Now, as Naomi flicked the reins, guiding her horse down the familiar road toward her sister’s new home on the Knussli farm, frustration simmered inside of her. The bishop was quiet and reassuring, gentle and considerate, and completely unable to see her perspective. How were they supposed to love others when they wouldn’t help them in their time of need?

  But there, behind her frustration, was the memory of Mose and the way he’d held her hand... She’d best stop thinking about that, because while Mose might appreciate her, he’d never really understand her, and it didn’t matter if he could make her stomach flip, because that didn’t last. Mutual respect and understanding did.

  The trees were still green, just a yellow leaf here or there, a promise of fall to come. There was a fresh undercurrent to the northern breeze that cooled her arms, and she ran through the arguments she could have made to the bishop, if arguing with a bishop was in any way acceptable.

  Of course, she wouldn’t argue. She couldn’t. The bishop had heard her request and very kindly denied it. Would her sister be willing to mention it to the bishop? He did respect Adel’s point of view...

  As she turned down the road that led to the Knussli farmhouse, the rolling landscape tumbled out beyond, and she could see in the distance some patches of yellowing trees and the snaking curve of a stream that watered the land. It was a beautiful area.

  The red barn had a new roof, and half of the sides had been painted a fresh coat of red. Adel’s husband, Jacob, must still be working on it, and Naomi knew he’d be hurrying to get it done before winter.

  Another buggy was parked next to the house, so it looked like her sister had a guest already, but as Naomi reined in her horse, the front door opened and Leah Lantz came out. Her face looked blotchy, like she’d been crying, and she quickly wiped at her eyes when she saw Naomi. Adel stood in the doorway, her pregnant belly doming her blue cape dress out in front of her.

  “Good morning, Leah,” Naomi said, hopping down from the buggy seat. “Are you all right?”

  “Yah, yah...” Leah nodded quickly. “I’m fine. But thank you.”

  Naomi caught her friend’s arm as she tried to rush past, and Leah’s eyes brimmed with tears.

  “Leah!” she said.

  “I’m fine!” Her voice shook, and she obviously didn’t want to talk about it.

  “Okay, I won’t pry,” Naomi said. “But the minute you feel up to it, I want you to come to see me. We’ll eat pie and we’ll talk, okay?”

  Leah nodded. “Yah, I will.”

  Leah headed toward her buggy, still hitched up. Naomi didn’t say anything else, but she did wave again as the other woman pulled her buggy around in a circle to head back up the drive. Poor Leah.

  “She isn’t okay at all,” Naomi said to her sister as she met her at the door. “What happened?”

  “I can’t say...” Adel shook her head. “But it’s nothing new.”

  “She misses Daniel,” Naomi guessed. “Those two might be terribly matched, but Leah does love him.”

  “It’s heartbreaking when this happens,” Adel said, gesturing Naomi inside and then shutting the door behind her. “This job of matching up couples...it’s not always about just finding two people who could get married. It’s about who should.”

  “You weren’t responsible for Leah and Daniel, though,” Naomi said.

  “No, I wasn’t, thankfully,” Adel replied. “But they are a warning to me.”

  The Lantzes were a warning to Naomi, too, for that matter. Leah and Naomi had a little too much in common in their liberal ways for Naomi not to take the walking warning to heart.

  “Are you worried about matching up Mose?” Naomi asked.

  “I’m not worried. I’m...taking it seriously,” Adel replied. She led the way through the sitting room and into the bright kitchen. “I made cinnamon rolls. Would you like one?”

  “Yah, please.” Naomi joined her sister at the big, solid kitchen table. A pan of cinnamon buns was already waiting, and Adel dished up two sticky, sugary buns onto plates and handed one to Naomi.

  “How is Mose doing?” Adel asked. “I mean... communication-wise. Is he finding it easier to talk with you?”

  “A little bit,” Naomi said. “Honestly, Adel, I think I’m just getting used to it. His stutter is still very strong, and I think he has trouble getting all his ideas out. Obviously, he’s very smart. He writes beautifully, doesn’t he?”

  “Yah, he does,” her sister agreed.

  “He’s relaxing more,” Naomi said. “You know, it isn’t about his stutter at all. It’s about whether or not he’s willing to push past it and keep trying to get his thoughts across.”

  “And perhaps about the patience of the listener,” Adel said.

  Naomi unwound her cinnamon bun and tore off her first bite. It was delicious, as her sister’s baking always was. When she swallowed, she said, “He needs a woman who won’t mind waiting on his ideas a little bit.”

  “A quiet woman,” Adel said.

  “Hmm. Maybe.” It wasn’t quite what Naomi meant. He needed a woman who valued his ideas enough to wait. Was being quiet really such a valued quality? Who was she fooling? It tended to be.

  “I’d love to find a husband for Claire,” Adel said.

  Why did Naomi feel a stab at the idea of Adel coming up with a name, especially someone so close to her? Naomi remembered that feeling of Mose’s hand over hers... Just being friendly, surely, but...

  “And I think she’d do nicely for Mose,” her sister went on, “except that she won’t do an arranged marriage. She’ll need to be courted properly so that she can learn to trust the man who will be her son’s stepfather. And I understand that in a new way, now that I’ll have a child of my own soon. A mamm worries.” She put her hand on her rounded belly.

  “Yah, she did remind me of that,” Naomi replied. “Her first priority is Aaron. As it should be.”

  “She’s a good mamm.” Adel paused, frowned. “Maybe Lydia Speicher. I was considering her because she’s quiet and sweet, and likes to spend time with her needlework. She might have the right temperament. And she doesn’t have any children to complicate her decision. She was someone I’d thought of for Jake.” Her cheeks turned pink.

  “Yah, I know,” Naomi said with a chuckle. “And then you married him, yourself.”

  “I have to find her a good husband,” Adel said with a sigh. “I owe her that much.”

  Naomi took another bite. “She might work for him considering that he’s conservative. I’ve been driving him a little nutty with my ideas.” She forced a smile.

  “I’m sure you have.” Adel grinned. “I haven’t given up on matching you yet, either.”

  “Yah, yah...” Naomi sighed. “I’m a little bit like Claire now. I couldn’t attempt an arranged marriage again. I know why it’s good for Mose, but...”

  “I know,” Adel replied. “I still feel terrible about Klaus. He came with excellent references, and he had such a good reputation. Matchmaking is supposed to be easier, isn’t it? A reasonably intelligent woman can see who would make each other happy.”

  “But try to convince them of it.” Naomi shot her sister a smile. “As for me, I’m more shocking than you think.” Naomi was attempting to joke, but it didn’t come out that way, and her sister met her gaze.

  “You need the right man,” Adel said simply. “Everyone agrees—you need to be cooking for your own family.”

  Easier said than done, though. Naomi had been waiting on the right man for a long time. It was time to change the subject.

  “The congresswoman came by yesterday, and she wasn’t just coming for a tourist experience,” Naomi said.

  She explained about the visit and about Eleanor Gates’s idea. When she stopped speaking, Adel was frowning.

  “You hate it,” Naomi said.

  “I don’t hate it,” Adel replied. “But I don’t think it takes into account all the complications that come with it.”

  Naomi sighed. “Mose thinks the same thing, and so does the bishop. You’re in good company there. But Adel, I think we could do more. Everything good comes with some risk. If it’s what Gott wants us to do, He’ll protect us.”

  “But what does Gott want us to do?” Adel asked.

  “Maybe the congresswoman’s idea is too aggressive,” Naomi said. “We could start smaller, though. What about my idea to have a sewing circle that includes a few Englisher women?”

  “The bishop already said it was too dangerous,” Adel said.

  “But maybe, if compared with the congresswoman’s idea, my idea might seem a little better!” Naomi sighed. “Adel, you have responsibilities, and your husband, and your baby on the way. But I don’t have anything more than the bed-and-breakfast.”

  “That’s not true. You have Claire and Aaron, and you’ll always have me!” Adel said. “This child will need a loving aunt!”

  “Yah, yah...” Naomi agreed. Life was about more than just marriage, but she felt the hole in her life, all the same.

  And when she thought about Mose, about his warm hand covering hers, about his halting but sweet compliments, she wished more than anything that she could have the family of her own that she longed for.

  But Leah and Daniel were still a warning. Leah had longed for a husband, too, and she’d gotten married. Was her current heartbreak worth it?

  “Oh, I was going to ask you if we can afford to hire someone part-time to help out with the men’s work. Claire and I are getting so busy with the guests that it’s getting harder to keep up. Mose is helping out a bit, and I don’t mind saying, it’s been a relief.”

  “And Jake is so busy, too,” Adel said. “Yah, you know what? I think it’s time you did. But make sure it’s an Amish boy—I’m not sure if I have to say that outright, but please don’t wait on some plan to help out youth at risk with the Englishers. You need someone now, and our guests want an Amish experience. If they saw an Amish boy working outside, they’d love it.”

  “That makes sense,” Naomi agreed. “And I don’t know why you even worry about these things, Adel. Where would I find an Englisher boy, anyway? But thank you. I’ll find someone as soon as I can.”

  Naomi stood up and went to the window. She could see Jake loping back toward the house, and Naomi wasn’t in the mood to watch her happily married sister and brother-in-law chat and steal touches when they thought Naomi couldn’t see. And with that thought came the memory of Mose’s hand covering hers so powerfully that her breath caught.

  “I’d best get back,” Naomi said. “Your husband is on his way in for lunch. I see him coming.”

  “Are you all right, Naomi?” Adel asked softly.

  “Yah, I’m fine,” Naomi said, and she realized those were the exact words that Leah had used, too.

  Some problems could be solved with hiring a local teen, but others needed to be sorted out privately. Being “fine” was the polite answer, but her heart was starting to get complicated. She’d best sort this out before she got herself hurt.

  * * *

  Mose’s mind had been on Naomi all day as the horses pulled the wagon down the familiar roads with his chattering, happy tourists taking in the sights behind him. He’d been thinking about how pretty she was, and how funny and full of ideas. He was thinking about how reckless he’d been to hold her hand like that, too.

  What had he been thinking? It had been a strange combination of protectiveness and a spillover from their friendship all those years ago. She’d always meant more to him than she ever knew, and having her there next to him, remembering how his own cousin had insulted her, the protective boy had come out in him. He’d wanted to hold her hand...and maybe punch Klaus in the nose.