A Simple Winter: A Seasons of Lancaster Novel by Rosalind Lauer Read Free Book Online Page B

by the roses.” Remy dodged the wide berth of a double stroller and headed toward the aisle of refrigerated cases, where signs boasted of homemade ice cream, farm-fresh milk, and handmade cheeses from the King Family Dairy.
    The King family? Her radar flared. King was among the most common Amish names in Lancaster County, but still …
    A handful of people were lined up along the cheese stand, where an Amish man and woman waited on customers. She shot a quick glance at the man, but he was short and solidly built, with dark glasses; definitely not Adam.
    Shaking off disappointment, Remy moved forward to look over the selections of orange and white cheeses behind the glass.
    She recognized the cheddars, but Havarti? There were half a dozen varieties; choices beyond her expectations. She stared at the rectangular prisms and wheels of cheese as the young woman leaned into the case, her hair tucked neatly into a starched white bonnet.
    “Did you have a question?” The voice came from behind her.
    An Amish man
was her first thought as she turned and fell under the spell of penetrating dark eyes and a face engraved in her memory.
    Her heart skipped a beat as the improbable suddenly became reality. It was him. Adam King.
    “I could help you with the cheeses.”
    Her breath caught in her throat as she dared to face him. Under the brim of that black hat his dark eyes, soft but alert, had a warming effect.
    “Oh. Hi.” She struggled to diffuse the intense buzz of energy in the air between them, struggled not to stare at him. His face—clean-shaven, thank the Lord—was still a handsome blend of sharp angles and smooth jawline.
    She forced herself to breathe, hoped that he would not hear the nervous tension in her voice as she said, “Not to sound weird, but have we met before?”
    He touched his chin, his dark eyes level and cool. “I was thinking the same thing. You remind me of a girl I met on a train last year.”
    “That’s it!” She snapped her fingers and grinned. “Amtrak to Philly. We were both headed home. You’re Adam King, right?”
    He nodded. “How are you, Remy?”
    “You remembered my name.…” Something about that warmed her. Really, with all the people he had encountered in the past year, to have remembered her … “That’s amazing.”
    “Well, you remembered mine.”
    “Your name was in the newspaper. It was on every channel.” She almost regretted the words the minute they were out, but there was no getting around the horrible tragedy he’d returned home to.
    “It was. But you made an impression.” He moved behind thecounter to replace the plastic carton on a stack. When he stepped out again he seemed taller than she remembered, with the strength of a man who was no stranger to hard work. “I don’t meet many girls with hair that color. Like a bright copper penny.”
    Self-consciously, she grabbed at the curls springing over one shoulder. As a kid, she’d hated being teased about her hair, but coming from Adam, the comment seemed like a compliment.
    “You made quite an impression, too,” she admitted. “Though I felt awful when I learned the details about your parents. When you walked off the train that night I had no idea just how terrible …” She shook her head. “I couldn’t imagine what you were going through. You know, I really worried about you. I prayed for you and your family … that you’d heal.”
    “Thank you.” He stared at her lips, as if watching words form there. “That was very kind of you.”
    “How is everything going?” She glanced toward the sign over the cheese stand. “The King Family Dairy … so these are your products? Is that your brother at the register?”
    “My cousin. Market Joe, we call him. He’s in charge of sales here. The family pools resources so that we can bring our products to various markets.”
    “And your siblings? You said you had ten brothers and sisters. How’s everyone doing? Are they here with you?”
    “Not today,