The Amish Doll: Amish Knitting Novel (Bonus Knitting Pattern Included) by Karen Anna Vogel Read Free Book Online Page B

distant. Her husband asked his wife if something was wrong, but she dodged the question with a huff. How could a woman who appeared to be warm suddenly turn so cold?
    Raven wrapped up the interview and said good-bye to all the smiling children. The young ones only spoke German. She’d had German in college and tried to converse, and they laughed. She laughed, too. “I have a bad accent, huh?” she asked, turning to David.
    “ Jah , you do,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes.

Chapter 5

                  Joshua bit into an oatmeal whoopie pie. Since his mom started dialysis he was home alone more, and had time to think…of Raven. He felt so drawn to her, but it was an impossible situation. Maybe he had been too hard on Lottie. Women needed to feel loved, just like a plant needed water. He thought back to the last church service. After the meal, she’d made it clear from her body language and encouraging tone she wanted to court again. But she lacked the depth Raven had.  Raven had a hard life, yet doted on the boys, when deep down, she was hurting. No one was doting on Raven. He was more than willing to, but it was like taking the forbidden fruit.
                  He thought of Lawrence Turner. A bachelor who needed a wife. Raven said she was going to his church with the boys. When he drove past the Ellington Town Square during the Fall Festival, he saw them together, eating cotton candy and laughing. Joshua sighed. He was jealous. Lawrence had come over to visit Eb yesterday when Raven was over to gather more papers. He saw them meet in the yard to talk and could see Lawrence was attracted to her. How could he not be? She was beautiful not only to look at, but her heart and spirit touched him.
    He shook his head. What was he thinking? Maybe if he courted Lottie again he’d see what he first saw in her. Maybe he was drawn toward Raven because of loneliness. Joshua bowed his head and said a silent prayer.
    ~*~
     
    Raven tried to be nice to Lottie, but the girl was annoying, being too soft spoken and prissy.  If a stray hair fell out from under her prayer kapp , she’d quickly conceal it again, gently tucking it in. She was petite and looked too fragile to do farm chores. Most likely, she spent her days quilting or knitting, never bothering to visit the sick woman who lived down the road, not helping Joshua with the messy things that came with caring for his mom.
    Lottie put a piece of apple pie in front of her “I just warmed it up for you. I hope you enjoy it.”
    What could she say?  She jogged to stay fit. With the threat of snow a foot deep on Halloween, as the boys claimed, she knew her jogging days were limited. “Thank you,” she found herself saying against her will, and took a bite. Too sweet, just like the maker.
    Soon Lottie’s parents came into the kitchen. The father was a husky, macho-type Amish man and the mother too meek. Raven greeted Eli and Mary and got through the questions as quickly as she could. She had to admit the more they talked, Mary and Eli were wonderful couple.
                  But jealousy gripped her when she was around Lottie. She felt like she was in junior high. Why?  Raven said her good-byes to the three younger Miller boys and was enchanted. They wore the same style clothing as the adults, and they looked like little men. 
    She got into her car and headed back to Appleton. Raven looked at the gray blanket of clouds that reached across the sky. Blackbirds by the hundreds lined telephone poles, getting ready to make their flight south. She thought of Florida, and for the first time, Brandon.  He was so shallow and she was glad she broke it off. She’d tried for a year to have a heart to heart talk, but to no avail. Blamed herself for the walls she put up, but since she met Joshua, she knew it wasn’t her.  Brandon could have listened when she mentioned anything about her past, but didn’t. Joshua did the way he pulled the words out of