Harlequin Love Inspired March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 by Patrice Lewis (best large ereader .txt) 📕

fresh biscuits and gravy on the table. Jane was just pulling a potato casserole from the oven. Mercy sat quietly in her seat on the counter, watching Jane with large blue eyes.

“I don’t know how you do it,” he repeated as he washed his hands at the sink. “You get all this work done and Mercy stays quiet. With me, she never settles down.”

“I’m sure part of it is because you’re still nervous with her.” Jane brought the bouncy seat and baby to the table, and placed Mercy in the middle as a centerpiece.

After the silent blessing, Levy reached for the biscuits. “So…why are you so cheery today?”

“I had a nice discussion with my tante yesterday after work,” Jane admitted. She dished some potato casserole onto her plate.

“Does this have anything to do with the topic you avoided with me yesterday evening?” He split open the biscuits and ladled gravy over them.

He watched the changing expressions on Jane’s face as some of her cheer seemed to evaporate. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

But Levy was determined to get her to open up—not just to satisfy his own curiosity, but because a small part of him wondered if his failure to listen to his sister’s concerns when she was younger might have played a factor in her disappearance.

Jane was not like Eliza, of course. But perhaps she would like a sounding board just the same.

“So how long were you in love with that young man from your hometown?” he asked abruptly.

She glared at him. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. How long were you in love with him?”

“Levy, that’s none of your business.”

“Maybe not, but don’t you think it would be good to unburden yourself? You seem weighed down with something.”

“I’m not burdened.”

“Then why are you so defensive?” He took a bite of a biscuit.

“Because… Because…” He saw tears in her eyes.

He suddenly felt bad that her mood had taken a downturn, but he persisted. “Look, Jane, after seeing what happened to my sister, I think it’s important to share burdens. It helps lighten the load. Won’t you tell me?”

She stared at her plate, and Levy wondered if she would refuse to answer. Mercy gave a coo into the silence.

Finally she spoke in a low voice, still staring at her plate. “We went to school together, me, Isaac and Hannah. I had a crush on Isaac since I was, I don’t know, maybe thirteen or fourteen. But he only had eyes for Hannah.”

“Did he know how you felt?” Levy kept his voice gentle.

“Hannah is beautiful, and I’m… I’m not. I can’t blame him for wanting to marry her.”

Ah, so that was the crux of the matter. Jane thought she wasn’t beautiful.

“And you think this Isaac only married your friend because she was prettier?” he persisted.

“It certainly was a factor in his decision. Why wouldn’t it be?” Jane raised her head.

“If that was his only reason for marrying your friend, then he’s a fool,” proclaimed Levy. “Seems rather shallow.”

“Maybe so, but what does it matter?” She shoved her glasses farther up on her nose. “It seems to be the way men think.” She gave him a grim smile. “But you’d know that better than I would.”

“Nein, I wouldn’t. That’s not the way I think.” He saw skepticism on her face and continued, “You know very well Gott only sees the inside of a person, not the outside.”

“Ja, sure. I’m grateful beyond words too, or I’d be in trouble. But it also meant Isaac only had eyes for Hannah, not me. And I didn’t realize how much that hurt.”

“And so you came here.”

“My mamm said I needed a change of scenery because I was growing bitter and cynical.”

“And what do you think of Grand Creek so far?”

“From what I’ve seen, I like it. Everyone seems very friendly. Speaking of which,” she added, in a clear attempt to change the subject, “I’ve been invited to a hot dog roast this evening.”

Instantly stress flooded through him as the implication sank in. “Oh. That means I’m in sole charge of Mercy.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

“It’s not just her physical care, though you’ve seen how bad I am at that. But I was going to work later into the evening and try to get a jump on things.”

“In other words, you want me to work late.” There was a touch of annoyance in her voice.

“Nein… Nein, I didn’t say that…”

“Look, would it help to take Mercy with me?”

“Take a baby to a youngie event?” He raised his eyebrows.

She took another bite of casserole, then tickled Mercy’s feet. “At this age, she shouldn’t be much trouble.”

“Are you sure? Because I’ll freely admit, it would be a big help if you did.”

“Ja, why not? If nothing else, it will be an experiment to see how she does. And since I’ve been invited to a singing on Friday, if tonight works well, I’ll bring Mercy again. That way you’ll be completely free to do whatever you need to get ready for the farmer’s market.”

“You’re turning into quite the social butterfly.” He didn’t want to admit why Jane’s popularity bothered him.

“It isn’t easy, believe me.” She looked at her plate. “I’m shy by nature, but I want to get to know people. It gets me…” She raised her head, and he saw a twinkle of humor in her eyes. “It gets me outside my comfort zone.”

He remembered telling her that’s what he had to do while selling his produce at the farmer’s market.

“Ja,” he agreed. “If you can take Mercy, you could combine business with pleasure. You can attend your youngie events, and I can get some work done.”

“Are you finished? I’ll wash up.” She rose.

“Ja. Danke, lunch was delicious.” He snatched up his hat and stepped out the door.

Back in the fields, he grabbed a hoe and applied it to the weeds. He realized he was discomfited by Jane’s plans. But he was in no position to question her social life.

He tried not to think of his sister’s popularity and where