Read A Match For Addy (The Amish Matchmaker Book 1) for Free Online

her in the basket on her arm. “I appreciate you loaning it to me.”
    “No need for you to return it.” Sara’s round face creased in a smile. “I meant it as a gift. It will hardly fit me or Ellie.”
    “Because...I’m so tall,” Addy supplied.
    Sara’s smile widened. “Or we’re so short. Right, Ellie?”
    “
Ya
, Sara, right about that,” Ellie agreed.
    “But it could be hemmed,” Addy suggested. The dress was so nice, but she didn’t want to appear needy.
    “Nonsense,” Sara shot back. “The green color suits you.”
    “It does, Addy,” Gideon added. “I thought that when you left here wearing it the other day.”
    Sara’s dark eyes narrowed. “Gideon and Ellie seem to think you’d prefer to be called by your middle name. So which will it be?
Dorcas
or
Addy
? I need to know these things.”
    “Addy...I think... That is...” Addy hunched her shoulders and tried to make herself smaller. “Unless you think...
Dorcas
is better.”
    “I think that you can call yourself whatever pleases you, so long as it doesn’t offend your parents or your neighbors.
Addy
sounds fine to me.”
    “
Ya
. And me.” Self-consciously, Addy set her basket on the porch and picked up the laundry basket. “I’ll start hanging these,” she said. “And thank you...for the dress. It’s kind of you.”
    “And kind of you to come and help us get settled. It’s a good house, but it needs work.”
    As do I,
Addy thought,
if I’m to ever have a chance at finding a husband. I just hope Sara is good at her job. Because finding someone for me might be her most difficult match yet.
    * * *
    Sunday, Gideon, Sara and Ellie headed for the Yoder farm for church services. And as Addy had promised, her aunt’s home was near enough to walk, which he appreciated. He’d always believed that, as much as possible, the Sabbath should be a day of rest for the horses as well as their owners.
    As they walked up the long Yoder lane, buggies full of families passed them. Those inside waved and called out greetings. As in his community in Wisconsin, each man was garbed in the black
mutze
, suspenders, trousers and vest, and white long-sleeved dress shirts. The men’s wide-brimmed hats were black wool, similar to those worn back home. The women were in blues, greens, purple or even lavender, with white organdy
kapps
, and capes known as
halsduchs
. Children were dressed like the adults, although most boys had black straw hats.
    In the Yoder barnyard, Gideon shook hands with several men. He was introduced to more people than he could keep straight, and turned to Charley Byler for help. Gideon soon learned that Charley had married one of the many Yoder girls.
    “Hannah lives in the big house. She married Albert Hartman,” Charley explained. “That’s him over there talking to Preacher Caleb. Albert used to be a Mennonite, but he joined our church. He and Hannah live here, and my Miriam, our boy, and Miriam’s sister Ruth and her husband and boys live in that house.” He pointed to a small house in the distance. “Eli works at the chair shop. I farm this place. Albert is a veterinarian.”
    Gideon arched his brows. He’d never heard of an Amish vet.
    Charley shrugged and laughed. “Long story. If Sara has any problems with her mules, she should send you for Albert straight off. He’s got a real touch with livestock.”
    “So Albert and Hannah live in the big house, but you work the farm?” Gideon asked.
    “Right. I was doing masonry full-time, but I’ve been lucky enough to cut my hours back so I can spend more time here, now that my family is growing. It’s rich soil, a good farm, and Hannah and Albert let me make all the decisions on what to plant and what animals we raise. Other than Albert’s alpacas. You’ll have to take a look at them after church. He and Hannah are pretty attached to those silly creatures.” He slapped Gideon on the back in an amiable gesture. “Who knows? Maybe by the time my son’s ready to take