The Way to a Man's Heart (The Miller Family 3) by Mary Ellis Read Free Book Online

husband.”
    “Where are we going now?” Leah was eager to change the subject. They turned down a township road not far from the one on which she lived.
    “We’re going right here.” April pulled down a tree-lined lane that led to a tidy white farmhouse and smaller dawdi haus. The absence of power lines indicated Old Order, while a windmill to pump water to the house from the well meant they weren’t the more conservative Swartzentrubers.
    “What are we buying?” Huge fenced pastures, rolling as far as one could see, plus a very long one-story barn indicated a dairy operation.
    “Cheese,” April replied. “The woman who lives here makes the best cheese. At least she used to. She’s getting up there in years, but she made a yogurt-cultured cheese that’s wonderful to bake with.”
    Leah’s interest was piqued. “I think I sampled some once at a work frolic.”
    When they climbed out of the truck, April peered around and then instructed, “You go to the dairy barn. I’ll check up at the house and back garden. This time of year she could be anywhere.”
    Leah wandered down the well-worn path to the barn. Inhaling deeply, she breathed in the honeysuckle growing along the trellis. She kept her distance from the rest of the blossoms. Because the door stood ajar, Leah figured this was where the elderly lady might be and walked in boldly. “Hello?” She cupped her hands around her mouth and hollered, “Is anybody here?”
    “Jah, what’s all the yelling about?” A tall, dark-haired young man stood up with a scrub brush in one hand. He wasn’t more than ten feet away, but he had been hidden from view by a half wall.
    They locked gazes and stared at one another until Leah glanced away, blushing. “Beg your pardon. I was looking for an older woman. That’s why I was speaking loudly.”
    He scratched at his clean-shaven chin. “Do you shout at all old people or just at my mammi?” Dimples deepened in his olive-toned complexion.
    With nearly black hair, he had a Mediterranean appearance, or how she pictured people living in the Holy Land might look. Except for his clear blue eyes. They grabbed her attention and held on to it like thistle burrs on cotton socks. She couldn’t turn away. “I believe she’s the first mammi I’ve ever yelled at. I thought she might be hard of hearing.”
    The man set his brush on the wall and then wiped his hands on a towel. “Oh, no, not at all. She has uncannily good hearing. Don’t try to whisper something behind her back or it will never stay a secret.”
    Leah giggled unwittingly. “I’ll keep that in mind. What are you doing?” She glanced around but saw no livestock.
    “I’m scrubbing down the equipment with bleach—sterilizing it so it’ll be ready for the next milking.”
    Leah again peered around. “But where are your cows?”
    “They’re out in the pasture eating grass like good cows are supposed to. Do you live in town or something? Maybe over the grocery store or behind the grain elevator?”
    Leah blushed to the roots of her hair. Truthfully, she had no idea why she was asking such inane questions, but the mysterious man with piercing blue eyes had caught her off guard. “No, I live on a farm,” she said, rubbing her forehead, “but I keep mainly to the house due to my allergies.”
    “Jah, that makes sense.” He walked around the half wall until he stood only five feet away. She had to tilt her head to look up at him, and she noticed that he had big hands and very broad shoulders. She couldn’t stop herself from staring.
    He stared back with one eyebrow lifted questioningly. “What are you doing, miss? Why are you searching for my grandmother?” He slipped his hands beneath his suspenders.
    “Oh, sorry. I was looking for her to buy some kind of oddball cheese. April—that’s my boss—said it’s a variety of artsy cheese. She bought it from her a while back. My boss went up to the house and sent me in this direction.” The tickle in