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

“Sounds like you two need to talk.”

“How can we talk if she’s already at the train station?” snapped Levy, glaring at his sister.

But the young woman smiled with the wisdom of hard knocks. “But she’s not at the train station. Not yet. If Peter’s been gone only an hour by this point, then they still have some distance to go…”

“…and I might be able to catch up with them.” Suddenly sure, Levy yanked off his gloves, dropped them to the ground and sprinted toward the barn.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Levy wanted Jane. He needed her. These last few months of daily contact cemented how strongly his feelings toward her had grown.

His favorite mare was a former harness racer, able to achieve high speeds at a trotting pace. Levy had never considered the animal’s pedigree very impressive before, but today he blessed her heritage.

As he urged his horse to pull the buggy faster, he regretted his clumsy marriage proposal of a couple weeks earlier. What was he thinking, destroying her hopes for a stable loving partnership by pitching nothing more than a convenient business arrangement? Convenient to him, perhaps, but insulting to her.

How she felt about him, he wasn’t quite sure. He’d pushed her patience more than she deserved, taken advantage of her skills and talents in creating items to sell at the farmer’s market, without considering the workload he’d placed on her. In all ways, he’d taken her for granted. And now he might be paying the ultimate price—losing her—if he didn’t catch up with her in time.

An Amish buggy loomed ahead. Levy pulled up alongside, but it proved to belong to Eli Herschberger, his graying beard forking in the breeze. “In a hurry!” he called to the older man, flourishing a hand and urging his horse to higher speeds.

If he failed to catch up with Peter’s buggy, if Jane departed on the train before he had a chance to explain, what would he do? He realized he wanted nothing more than Jane at his side for the rest of his life. But first he had some apologizing to do.

* * *

As they sat in the buggy together, Jane’s uncle told her, “You are loved, child, never forget that.”

“Ja, danke. I know.” She touched his arm. “But sometimes the love of relatives or even the love of children simply isn’t enough.”

Uncle Peter sighed. “Well, our home is always open if you ever change your mind and want to come back…”

A car raced past them, just one of many on this busy road as they got nearer to the train station.

“I forget how noisy it is here.” Jane shook her head. “I’ll be glad to get back to Ohio and see Mamm and Daed.”

“Your aunt and I were discussing who we might hire in the store,” remarked Peter. “We thought perhaps Eliza might be interested.”

“Levy’s sister?”

“Ja, sure. Why wouldn’t she work for us? She needs a job.”

“But who will take care of the baby?”

Peter rubbed his chin. “I don’t know if that’s been solved, so perhaps it won’t work out after all. But Catherine’s minding the store by herself right now, and as I’m sure you’re aware from working the farmer’s market with Levy, it’s tough working solo.”

Jane frowned. “And she’s alone because you’re taking the time to drive me to the station…”

He patted her hand. “I’m glad to do it, niece.”

But Jane wasn’t placated. Her sigh was both bitter and frustrated. “It seems I have a habit of sowing problems and discontent wherever I go.”

“You do nothing of the sort. For the time you were here, you solved a great problem. It just wasn’t our problem, true, but you helped Levy when he badly needed it.”

“And now he doesn’t need me anymore—” She broke off, startled to hear fast-approaching hoofbeats behind them.

Uncle Peter directed his horse to a wide spot off the road to make room for the passing buggy, but instead the vehicle slowed down and came alongside them. Jane peered around the corner and her jaw dropped. “Levy!”

He called “Whoa!” To the panting horse and pulled the animal to a stop as Uncle Peter did the same.

“Jane, I need to talk to you.”

Her face shuttered. “Why? What is there to say?”

“You won’t know until you hear, right?”

“I’m on my way home to Ohio.”

“Ja, I know. But you’re not going.”

Her mouth thinned. “You have no right to tell me what I can and cannot do.”

“You’re right, I don’t. Then let me ask. Please don’t go.” He climbed out of the buggy and approached her.

“What are you doing?”

“Asking your uncle if he’ll be kind enough to let me drive you home.”

“Levy, I have my plans.”

“Ja, you probably do. But you haven’t heard my plans.”

Something in the tone of his voice made her pause.

“I certainly wouldn’t mind getting back to the store,” Uncle Peter said to Jane. “Your aunt is working by herself.”

Jane sighed and climbed out of the buggy, taking Levy’s outstretched hand as she stepped down.

“Thank you, Peter,” Levy said. “I’ll bring her back.”

Uncle Peter turned his horse around, crossed the street and headed back toward Grand Creek.

“What’s this all about?” asked Jane. She tried to deny the searing hope that trembled at the edge of her soul. Why had Levy run after her? Why had he stopped her plans to return home?

“I need to let Maggie rest a bit.” Levy gestured toward a nearby park with generous shade trees and a hitching post for Amish buggies. “Will you let me rest her?”

“Of course.” Avoiding him, she turned and patted the animal’s sweating neck.

Leading the horse, Levy walked toward the cool oasis. Jane, silent but with her emotions in chaos, walked on the other side of the mare.

Levy hitched the animal to the hitching post and sat down on a bench. Jane perched at the other end.

“I…” His voice came out as a croak, and he cleared his throat. “I have to apologize,” he began.

“For what?”

“For many things, but first and foremost for that clumsy marriage proposal I made a couple