Finding the Way (The Amish Millers Get Married Book 5) by Ruth Hartzler Read Free Book Online

loving someone with no
response.
    Sarah waited for Benjamin to open the little
gate to the herb and vegetable garden, and then walked though,
before turning to Benjamin. She expelled a long breath before
speaking. “Benjamin, I’m sorry I believed Nash over you. Actually,
it was all such a shock; I wasn’t thinking straight. Will you
forgive me?”
    Benjamin’s face lit up. “Of course I forgive
you; there’s nothing to forgive.”
    Sarah, delighted by Benjamin’s words, was not
paying attention to what she was doing as she bent to pluck some
peppermint leaves, still smiling to herself. “Ouch!” she exclaimed,
as her hand closed hard around a plant. “I think that was
nettle!”
    Benjamin bent over her. “Not nettle, surely?
What would nettle be doing in a herb garden?”
    “Mrs. Miller grows nettle for rinsing hair,
as well as for nettle tea.”
    “Oh yes, of course, nettle tea.” Benjamin
held up the lamp to inspect her hand. “Show me; where does it
hurt?”
    “This finger mainly.”
    Benjamin held the finger to his mouth and
gently kissed it.
    Sarah stood there with her mouth hanging
open. He does like me after all , she thought, somewhat
shocked. Sarah soon revised her opinion, or at least had cause to
doubt it, when Benjamin pulled away suddenly, dropping her finger
like a hot potato.
    “You should go back to the haus and
put something on that,” he said.
    “Oh, it’s just a little sting,” Sarah said,
embarrassed by what had just happened. “I’ll put some burdock on
it. That always works.” Sarah took the lamp from Benjamin and
looked around for the broad leaves that identified the burdock
plant. Finding one, she plucked a leaf, crushed it between her
fingers, and rubbed it into her hand. The stinging eased almost at
once.
    “Let’s go back to the haus ,” Benjamin
said again.
    Sarah did not understand. Why had Benjamin
pulled away suddenly? Was he ashamed that he had kissed her hand?
He was certainly acting like it.
    The two returned to the haus . “Where
is the peppermint?” Mrs. Miller demanded.
    “We didn’t get it.” Sarah’s face turned
hot.
    Everyone stopped talking and turned to look
at them, and Sarah was mortified as to what they must all be
thinking. “I hurt my hand on a stinging nettle,” Sarah said, “and
then I put some burdock on it. With all that, we forgot all about
the peppermint.”
    “I’ll go get it now.” Benjamin hurried
outside.
    When Benjamin returned with the mint, the
meal progressed happily, yet although there was happy conversation
over dessert, Sarah and Benjamin remained silent.
    “Sarah, would you help me in the kitchen? The
two of us can manage; the rest of you all stay out here and talk.”
Martha’s tone was firm, and even her mudder and schweschders did not rise to help.
    Sarah and Martha cleared the plates. When
they were alone in the kitchen, Martha pulled out a wooden chair
and said to Sarah, “Sit down; we have to talk. What happened
between you and Benjamin?” Martha and Sarah had become gut friends some time ago, after meeting when both were on rumspringa , but Sarah hadn’t seen much of Martha after she
married Moses. Still, their friendship remained strong.
    Sarah put her head in her hands. “Oh it was
so awful, so embarrassing.”
    Martha sat down next to Sarah. “What
happened?”
    “Well, you know how you keep telling me that
Benjamin really does like me?”
    Martha smiled. “ Jah , but I’ve never
managed to convince you.”
    Sarah nodded. “Well, I thought you were right
tonight, but then I changed my mind again.”
    Martha appeared to be growing impatient.
“Sarah, please just tell me what happened.”
    “Well, when we went to gather peppermint, I
accidentally put my hand around some nettle.”
    “Ouch.”
    Sarah nodded. “For sure. Anyway, Benjamin
kissed my hand.”
    “He what?” Martha all but smirked, and then
put her hand over her mouth. “Sorry, go on! Benjamin actually
kissed your hand? What happened