officially autumn.
â Jah , and if ya donât mind, you can just drop me off wherever itâs convenient,â Lucy said.
âHeard youâve been helpinâ over at the Mennonite Central Committee,â Rose Anna said offhandedly.
âOh, I like to whenever I can.â
âMy mother was talkinâ with me the other day,â Rose Anna went on, âand she wondered if any of you girls might help her sew up some trousers for my little brothers. I would, but Dannyâs been encouraging me to open my quilt shop behind the house. Thatâs sure got my hands full.â
Danny grinned at her. âBetter go ahead and tell Lucy youâre ready to open your doors next week.â
Rose Anna pushed against him playfully. â Ach , you.â
âWhat? Ainât a secret, is it?â Danny chuckled. âI say just let the word out.â
âAre ya havinâ a grand opening like some womenfolk do?â asked Lucy, curious why Rose Anna was being bashful about the shop.
âAinât makinâ much of a fuss.â Rose Anna blushed.
âBut I wish she would,â Danny said, evidently interested in drumming up some extra income, like many Amish around the county. Farming didnât provide the income it once had, what with land so scarce and farms so small.
âWell, Iâm sure youâll attract lots of customers,â Lucy said, smiling. âAnd what a gut time of year to get your feet wet in retail, considering the fall tourist seasonâs in full swing.â
Rose Anna nodded and folded her hands in her lap. âThatâs what my parents have been sayinâ, too.â
âIâll be sure to spread the news around.â
âOh, would ya?â Rose Anna beamed.
Lucy said she would. âAnd since I canât speak for my sisters orfor Mamm, Iâll just say that Iâm too busy myself to help with the trouser sewinâ you asked about. Real sorry.â
âI understand. But would ya mind askinâ at home, maybe?â
A little surprised, Lucy wondered why Rose Anna was seemingly putting her interest in opening the quilt shop ahead of her own little brothers. Still, she guessed she couldnât fault her for knowing her limits.
â Jah , Iâll check with Lettie and Faye. Theyâll let you know at Preachinâ, okay?â For sure and for certain, Lucy knew firsthand how easy it was to keep overextending, till pretty soon you met yourself coming and going.
At market, Lucy moved from table to table, gathering up Mammâs requests first. Then she compared prices for cider spice bags and hot mulled cider, as well as fruit butters, so she could tell Martie, who was interested in eventually setting up a small store at the back of her house with similar items, once the boys were older.
Later, while waiting in line for soft pretzelsâa treat for her twin sistersâLucy spotted the well-groomed gentleman sheâd seen on the footbridge last week. He was perfectly coordinated in a cream-colored cardigan sweater and chocolate brown trousers, and it looked like he was buying a quart of canned peaches from Rhoda Blank, one of her motherâs friends. The man balanced his three-pronged cane on the floor as he fetched his billfold.
Thinking now was her golden opportunity, Lucy waved when he glanced her way. âHullo,â she said. âYou donât know me, but Iâve seen you before a number of times at the small bridge on Witmer Road.â
The man nodded his head, studying her. His warm, open face was lined with wrinkles. âI have to say you look familiar tome, as well.â He picked up his purchase and moved toward her, leaning heavily on his cane.
âI pass by there on my way to my sisterâs place a few times a week, rain or shine.â
His hazel eyes brightened. Then he glanced at his bag of peaches. âI bought something for my wife.â He tapped the bag. âShe