Snowfall by Shelley Shepard Gray Read Free Book Online Page B

harsh.”
    â€œCajole?” Peter asked.
    â€œManipulate?” Lorene murmured.
    Looking amused, Elsie raised her brows. “Wheedle?”
    Lovina hadn’t blushed in ages but she definitely felt her cheeks heat. “Ruth is a young girl. She needed a job. Besides, her talents were wasted in that old folk’s home. As are her charms. She’s a pretty girl, you know. And she’s got a good heart, too.”
    Roman reached for the plate of rolls and placed another on his plate. “Mommi, I happen to think that any children, rowdy or not, would probably be much happier with someone besides you.” Before she could comment on that, he continued. “But why would the situation be right for Ruth?” He waited two beats, then whistled low. “You aren’t really thinking of matchmaking, are you?”
    â€œRoman, just because you are a preacher now, it don’t mean you have all the answers.”
    The corners of his mouth lifted. “I know I don’t. Only the Lord has all the answers. But . . . I have a feeling that I might be right about this.”
    â€œJust for the record, I might be right about this, too,” Lovina said. “Martin Rhodes needs a new wife, the kinner need someone to keep them in line, and Ruth needs to start living.” When she paused dramatically for emphasis, everyone at the table started laughing.
    â€œWhat?”
    Lorene shook her head. “You know what, Mamm.”
    â€œI know I’m right about this,” she repeated. “Why, I bet by Christmas they’ll wonder how they ever lived apart.”
    Lorene sighed. “I hope you’re right, Mamm. Because if they don’t find peace and happiness, they will probably blame every bit of their problems on you.”
    Lovina opened her mouth, tried to think of a quick retort. But all she could think to say was, “Pass the rolls over here, Roman. They turned out gut tonight.”

Chapter 6
    Mamm used to say we were wonderful-gut kinner. Especially when we were sleeping.
    Katrina, Age 9
    Feeling like she’d just had the longest, most confusing day ever, Ruth slipped her key into the door of her apartment sometime around seven o’clock, stepped inside, and grinned broadly. “I made it!” she said into the silence.
    And though, of course, no one answered her, she had never been so happy to be in her little home.
    â€œHome” was actually a one-room apartment on the outskirts of Berlin. Years ago someone had decided to convert an old bank building into three apartments. That meant half her walls were made of red brick and the ceilings were high.
    When her landlord bought the building, he made further improvements. Each unit had a pretty fireplace lined in red brick, a kitchen large enough for two people to cook side by side, and a nice, modern shower in the bathroom.
    When she’d moved in, she’d painted the walls the palest shade of pink. It was so pale that most visitors didn’t realize they were standing in the midst of so much pink. But at night, when there was a fire in the fireplace and a candle burning, a warm, rosy glow illuminated the room. She thought it was beautiful.
    She’d continued the pink theme by sewing a daffodils quilt, with each daffodil made up of a different shade of pink, rose, or red. Her couch was white, as were her kitchen towels, shades, and the cushions on her rocker.
    It was completely feminine and pretty and clean. Ruth had always secretly believed that it was a good representation of the life she’d always wanted to have.
    Especially when she was a child. Years ago, when she’d been shuffled from one extended family member to the next, she’d often dreamed of being given a beautiful, clean room all for herself. That had never happened.
    Sometimes she’d been given a real bed, placed in the corner of someone’s room. Once she was simply given the couch. Everyone had done the best they