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Agency. “We had enough food for ourselves through the winter as well as plenty to spare for Gid and Darcy after their house burned down, with some extra for Lina and Jonah, as well as the church food pantry.” She gave a decisive nod. “Yes, far better to be prepared and be able to share God’s abundance.”
    Frey sent Mrs. Flanigan a look of admiration. “If my bride is half as fine a housewife as you are, then I’ll be a lucky man.”
    “Oh, you.” She held out the baby for Frey to take.
    Frey hefted George into the air, giving him a jiggle that made the baby let out a belly laugh and drew an answering chuckle out of him, before tucking the boy against his chest with one arm and extending a hand to help Mrs. Flanigan climb from the wagon.
    She wore a blue silk dress with peach-colored lace.
    “Now, don’t you look as pretty as a picture?”
    A blush tinted her cheeks. “I think, Mr. Foster, we are good enough friends for you to drop the formalities and call me Trudy.”
    “Then no more Mr. Foster.”
    “Hey, don’t go getting fresh with my wife.” Seth set Anna on the ground.
    “Gertie!” The little girl let out a shriek of glee.
    The dog wagged her tail and greeted Anna with a swipe of her tongue.
    With his free hand, Frey grabbed a basket from the back of the wagon and moved toward the house. He couldn’t resist needling his friend. “And why not? Did you tell your wife today how pretty she looks?”
    Seth scowled. “We were busy getting ready. She had me going hither and yon, hauling this and that.” He threw up his hands and sent Trudy a beseeching glance. “Darlin’, you know how pretty I think you are.”
    Trudy tilted her head, giving Seth a coquettish glance from under lowered eyelashes. “Seems to me…I haven’t heard that much lately. Certainly not since George was born.”
    Seth threw Frey a you troublemaker look.
    Frey widened his eyes and lifted his eyebrows, professing innocence, and kept on going.
    “Bah.” George tapped Frey’s chest with a chubby fist.
    He hurried into the kitchen and set the basket on the table, turned and walked out just in time to see Seth slide his arms around his wife and draw her close. He halted, giving them some privacy, but couldn’t help overhearing.
    Seth touched Trudy’s cheek. “You are the most beautiful woman in the whole world to me, and I love you with all of my heart.”
    The glow in Trudy’s eyes as she looked up at her husband made Frey turn away in sudden fear, unable to bear seeing the intimacy between the couple. What if Grace never looks at me like that? He jiggled the baby, hoping George’s laughter would drown out his father, but to no avail.
    “Since the birth of our children—” Seth said in a tender tone “—you are even more precious to me as their mama. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you how pretty you looked today. I noticed but didn’t get the words from my brain to my mouth. I’ll be more careful about that in the future.”
    Part of Frey wanted to cringe but the other was so darn envious, not just for the love between the two, but Seth’s ability to put his feelings into words. Frey could get off a jest or a jab better than the average man, but he wasn’t so good with the flowery words a woman needed to hear—one of Ingrid’s complaints about him. Please, God, may I grow to feel that way about Grace and be able to tell her so.
    The two must have come up for air because Seth said, “You can turn around now.”
    But Frey wasn’t ready, still feeling off balance. He lifted the baby until they were nose-to-nose. “What do you say, George? Are you up to helping us unload the wagon?” He stepped off the porch and walked over. There was still so much to do.
    Trudy stepped over to take her son into her arms.
    Seth moved to Frey’s side and tilted his head at several flower arrangements tucked into one of the baskets. “Of everything we brought you, that’s the most important part. Flowers for your bride.”
    Frey