Huckleberry Summer by Jennifer Beckstrand Read Free Book Online

and on about Matthew 5:9. Blessed are the peacemakers. Even though this was his first time at gmay, Aden had a sneaking suspicion that the sermon was meant specifically for him. He didn’t intend to take the message lightly, but he found his mind wandering. Contrary to what the people in his new district might believe, Aden had spent his whole life trying to be a man of peace. He just seemed to stir up a lot of trouble at the same time.
    Aden shifted on his bench. Some men, no matter how righteous, were not meant to preach sermons. This particular preacher might as well have been reading the phone book.
    Aden peered across the room at Lily. She sat with her arm around a Down syndrome girl who looked about the same age as Lily. Lily, in rapt attention, nodded at all the appropriate moments in the sermon. Well-behaved. Lily Eicher was well-behaved. He found that particular quality quite endearing. Aden always desired in his heart of hearts to be well-behaved. He admired people who could actually do it.
    She glanced at him and caught him staring, quickly looked away, and turned bright red. Oy anyhow , how she must hate him. It was his own fault. He’d put her on the defensive the other day and no doubt hurt her feelings. The poor girl wanted to be obedient to her father. He couldn’t blame her for that.
    She was, after all, well-behaved.
    In hopes of finding a more suitable marriage candidate, Aden let his gaze travel over the girls sitting on the same bench as Lily. She was prettier than any of them by a country mile, but good looks weren’t the only important thing in a wife. Maybe he should hold interviews after services.
    Do you like big, unruly dogs?
    Can you cook vegetarian?
    Will your fater allow you to date a young man with a police record?
    One of the girls sitting on Lily’s bench held a baby, probably a little brother. He fussed while she patted his back in quiet rhythm. He coughed and then spewed the milk from his stomach onto the girl’s white apron. She gasped and passed the baby to her mother, who sat on the row in front of her. The front of her apron was soaked through to her dress.
    The preacher took no notice. “When the righteous die, they enter into peace. There is no peace for the wicked.”
    A younger girl in the back row tittered softly. Ladies on the bench in front of the wet girl passed burp rags and tissues to clean her off with. She took the offerings and wiped her apron as her eyes filled with tears. No flimsy tissue would dry her.
    With a minimum of fuss, Lily reached across two other girls and took the drenched girl’s hand. She gave the girl a reassuring smile, pulled her from between the row of benches, and led her down the hall to a bathroom.
    Aden slid off his bench as the preacher called for a prayer. Once the prayer ended, everyone got back on the benches and pulled out their Ausbund hymnals. The Vorsinger , or lead hymn singer, sang the beginning of each new line and everyone chimed in after him. Halfway through the hymn, Lily and the other girl reappeared.
    The girl had removed her soaking apron and wore what must have been Lily’s apron over her wet dress. Her eyes were red with crying, but she only sniffed twice before Lily led her back to her seat. Lily, wearing the wet apron, took her place next to the special girl, who smiled brightly at Lily’s return. In her blue dress, Lily looked like a patch of sky peeking out from behind the clouds.
    Not that she needed anything to make her stand out. Her golden-yellow hair and full, pink lips succeeded in doing that just fine. Was she aware of her beauty? Probably not. Such things were not discussed among the Plain people. A well-behaved, humble girl would not want to attract attention.
    Once services ended and Aden had helped the other men move benches and stack them into tables, Aden found a spot between two strangers for the noon meal. They were both boys about his age.
    The boy on his left had a pleasant face, straight dark hair, and