Rachel's Garden by Marta Perry Read Free Book Online Page A

spade.
    Rachel’s heart warmed with the sun. This was what she’d longed for throughout the long, lonely winter. This was where healing would come for her.
    I know You love gardens, Lord. I feel as close to You here as I do when we’re in worship. That’s not wrong, is it?
    The bucket of weeds was nearly full when Mary sat back on her heels. “Look, Mammi. Onkel Isaac.”
    She followed the direction her daughter pointed, and her peace fled. Sure enough, it was Isaac, walking across the field that separated their farm from his.
    It was unkind to feel that his coming tore up her peace as surely as she had torn the weeds from her garden.
    Forgive me, Father. Help me to be patient with him and to remember his good heart.
    Even as she prayed, she couldn’t help hoping that Isaac would conclude his business quickly. Gideon was supposed to stop by with the final plans for the greenhouse, and life with Isaac would go more smoothly if he were not reminded of that.
    Besides, she found the whole business stressful enough, without having Isaac there looking on while she tried to arrive at some conclusion with Gideon.
    She rose as Isaac approached, brushing the earth from her hands and shaking out her apron. “Wilkom, Isaac.”
    “Onkel Isaac.” Mary, seldom shy, threw herself at his knees.
    He caught the child, lifting her skyward, and tossed her in the air. His stern face softened into a smile at her giggles.
    Warmth flooded Rachel’s heart at the sight. Isaac, having only sons, had always had a soft spot for her two girls. Whenever she became exasperated at his bossiness, she should remind herself of how kind he was to her children.
    “There, now, little Mary, that’s enough flying for today.” He set her on her feet and patted her head gently.
    “I’m afraid she’ll never think it’s enough.” Rachel steered her daughter back to her spade before she could demand more. “You know she loves it when you play with her.”
    “Ja.” Isaac’s face was soft as he watched her daughter. “She’s a gut child.” He turned to her. “And how is Leah Glick? We heard she’s been ailing.”
    “Doing much better.” The relief she felt sounded in her voice. “I went over this morning to help a bit with the kinder and make sure she’s resting.”
    “Gut, gut,” he said, a bit absently. He gazed past her, toward the barn, as if his mind were elsewhere.
    “Did you want to talk with me?” she nudged, mindful that Gideon could show up at any minute.
    “Just wanted to check on you and the little ones.”
    “That’s kind of you. We’re doing all right, thanks to everyone’s help.”
    He nodded. “I didn’t want to bring this up until after you’d had some time to get used to the way things are now, but have you been giving thought to the future?”
    The way things are now. He meant her life without Ezra, but he was making an effort to be considerate.
    “I think about it all the time. Making decisions, that’s the difficult part.”
    “Ja. Ezra always took gut care of you. It’s hard, a woman on her own.”
    Tension crept back along her nerves. Surely Isaac wasn’t suggesting that she remarry, was he?
    “I’ve been considering the situation. You know, Caleb’s nearly nineteen now.”
    Caleb, Isaac’s oldest, was actually a month older than his Onkel William, a thing that wasn’t so surprising when families were large and spread out in age.
    “He hasn’t given you much worry during his rumspringa, has he?” Some youngsters did, especially the boys, taking their freedom to extremes, but Caleb had always seemed too serious and responsible for that.
    “No, no, he’s too wise for that. Thing is, he’s ready to take a wife.”
    A suggestion that she consider marriage to Caleb, coming after William’s proposal, would drive her to hysteria. “Is he?” Her voice sounded strangled.
    “Ja, ja. He and Ellen Stoltzfus have decided between them, and we’re agreeable, though we’re not telling anyone but family