Read On Her Own for Free Online Page B

your mamm’s not able to work in the harness shop right now,” Alice said. “So she’s hired Paul to take her place until she gets her strength back.”
    “Couldn’t she have found someone else?”
    “No one in these parts knows much about harness making, and Paul works in a harness shop in Pennsylvania.”
    Aaron made little circles on the paper with his pencil. Finally, he pushed back his chair and stood. “Guess I’ll go see what Joseph and Zachary are up to.”
    “Okay. I’ll call you when I’ve got some cookies baked.”
    Aaron strolled out of the kitchen, and Alice got out a box oftea for the water she’d heated. She was worried enough about Barbara these days. Now with Aaron acting so moody, she had one more thing to be concerned about.

    Barbara glanced at the battery-operated clock above the refrigerator as she poured herself a cup of tea. It was eight fifteen, and she’d sent the boys over to her mother’s. She hadn’t slept well because the baby had been fussy and demanded several feedings. She wished she could go back to bed, but she had some bills to pay, as well as a stack of paperwork that needed attention.
    Barbara yawned and moved over to the window. An open buggy sat next to the harness shop. She figured it must be Paul’s. Most of their customers didn’t show up this early.
    Barbara felt a sense of relief knowing her father would have help in the shop, but part of her bristled at the thought of anyone taking her place. She so missed working with leather.
    “I need to eat enough, rest more, and get my strength back so I can work in the shop again,” she murmured as she took a seat at the table. “Then Paul will be free to return to Pennsylvania.”
    Barbara’s hand trembled as she set down her cup. She’d been much weaker since Davey’s birth than she had been after her other boys were born. Maybe she’d done too much during her pregnancy. Perhaps she’d lost more blood with this delivery and that had left her feeling so tired. Or maybe she was emotionally drained, having had to go through the ordeal without her husband by her side.
    She massaged her temples, trying to keep the threateningtears at bay. Feeling sorry for herself wouldn’t help a thing. She was on her own to care for her family, and because she was so weak, she needed Paul’s help.
    Barbara stood. “What I need to do is go upstairs and check on the boppli. Then I’ll get busy with those bills.”

    Paul stood at the workbench, focused on the job at hand. Connecting the breast strap of a harness to a huge, three-way snap required some fancy looping. His hand wove in and out, neatly tacking the strap at the end.
    “That’s some fine work,” Samuel said as he peered over Paul’s shoulder. “It’s clear you know exactly what you’re doing.”
    Paul shrugged. “Took me awhile to get the hang of it when I first started, but I’ve done this type of thing many times.”
    Samuel stepped over a pile of dirty leather straps and buckles. “Always got lots of harnesses people bring in to get cleaned and repaired.” He grunted. “If they’d take better care of ’em, they’d pretty well last forever.”
    “You’re right about that,” Paul agreed. “Folks need to bring their harnesses in for cleaning and oiling at least once a year, but unfortunately, many don’t.”
    Samuel bent down and picked up a leather strap. “With my arthritic hands, cleaning things like this is about the only thing I do well here in the shop. I put the dirty ones in a tub of warm water with saddle soap, then scrub ’em real good.”
    Paul was about to comment, but a truck rumbled into the yard and stopped in front of the shop. A middle-aged Englishman ambled in, lugging a worn-out saddle, which he dropped on the floor. “Need to have this gone over. Can you do that for me, Sam?”
    “If it’s just a good cleaning you’re after, I can manage it fine. But if the saddle needs a lot of fixing, then here’s your man.” Samuel