Seasons of Sugarcreek 03. Autumn's Promise by Shelley Shepard Gray Read Free Book Online Page B

it.”
    “Me, as well.” Just like he was in a car, he waited for a break in traffic, then turned right on the road. A flick of the reins brought them moving at a fairly quick pace. Of course, it was far slower than the cars zipping by.
    Scooting toward him a bit, she murmured, “Hey, Robert? Can I ask you something?”
    “Of course.”
    Now that she had his attention, she almost didn’t dare ask it. But how could she not? “Robert…why did you ask me to go to the market with you?”
    He glanced her way, before guiding the horse to a stop at a traffic light. “Truth?”
    “Truth.” She never failed to enjoy pushing his words right back at him. “I’m glad you asked me. I’m just curious.”
    “All right.” For a moment, he looked to be gathering his courage. Lilly watched in some amusement as his cheeks puffed up. Finally he blurted, “The fact is, I don’t know.”
    That surprised a laugh from her. “What?”
    When the light turned green, he flicked his horse’s reins. With a jerk, the buggy rolled forward. “That’s the truth. There’s something about you that has struck my fancy. I wanted to see you more. I wanted to get to know you more than just at work. There’s only so much coffee a man can drink.”
    “Have you been coming to the inn so much because I worked there?”
    “Did you really doubt it?”
    “I never thought about it.”
    “If you never thought about it, why did you say yes, Lilly?”
    His question was legitimate. What they were doing wasn’t a common occurrence, and no amount of pretending would change the fact that most Amish men and English girls did not go out together on a whim.
    “Probably for the same reasons as you. I wanted to spend more time with you.” Daring to be even more honest, she added, “When you asked, I didn’t want to say no.”
    “I thought you might refuse me. A friendship between us, it would be unusual…”
    “Probably.” She fingered the denim fabric on her jeans. They were loose and dark. Far from the slim-fitting jeans she used to wear in high school. But they were jeans all the same. The long-sleeved T-shirt and fleece jacket were modest enough…but again, a far cry from the clothes Robert wore. From the dresses the women in his life wore. “On the surface, I’d say we are pretty different.”
    “We are different. But that is no surprise” He cleared his throat. “Even though I don’t know why I asked, and you don’t know why you said yes…even though we are so very different…I’m still glad you came.”
    “I am too,” she murmured.
    She said nothing more as they turned right again, and slowly made the way to an open barnlike structure lined with a large maze of booths, tables, and displays. As Robert guided his buggy, the buzz of people and activity sounded like a beehive.
    All the activity was exhilarating. And a relief. The market was going to be too noisy to have another serious conversation. Too crowded to even try.
    As she glanced at the array of people in attendance, Lilly was struck by the many differences among them. Amish. English. Young kids. Grandparents. Most were grouped in clusters of two or three. With the exception of families, most were walking with their own kind. Teenagers with other teens. Amish men together. She saw no pairs of English women and Amish men walking together.
    Perhaps it was a natural thing to look for commonalities and be suspicious of differences. That’s what she and her girlfriends had been taught to do. Look for friends who lived in the same area. Who attended the same schools. Who liked the same activities. Belonged to the same churches.
    Although it wasn’t said outright, it seemed the message was to stay away from people who were too different.
    “We’re here,” Robert announced, shattering her reverie. He hopped out easily, then wandered over to his horse and tied her reins to a post.
    Lilly slowly scrambled down and swung her purse on her shoulder. As an afterthought, she picked up