Instead of answering me, she perused the recipe. “Did you remember to add the oregano?”
“Not yet. Are you sure that’s in the recipe?”
“Maybe you need reading glasses. Have you considered them?”
I scanned her homely metal-rim spectacles. “Not yet.”
“They’re inevitable.” She polished her glasses on her skirt. “But let’s find you a husband first.”
“You make it sound easy.”
She placed the glasses on the bridge of her nose. “We have several single Amish men working here. Mark seems to have noticed you. His father owns a spacious and prosperous farm Mark is sure to inherit, as he has only sisters.”
“Why isn’t he working on his father’s farm instead of coming here?”
“I’m sure he gets up early and does his chores before he leaves the farm. He probably works here to earn extra spending money. Glenn and Stephen are glad to have him. Mark is one of their best employees. And good looking, too, don’t you think?”
“Yah, and young.”
“And you hold that against him? You want to end up marrying an elderly codger?”
I chewed at the side of my thumbnail as her queries bombarded me. These were questions I’d asked myself a hundred times.
“I hope you’ve not become infatuated with Stephen. As I said last night, he’s a fine man, but he’s not one of you. He regularly attends his Mennonite church. And I hear tell he used to have a drinking problem.”
What right did she have to discuss him behind his back? I felt like asking her what business it was of hers. Talk about nosy. I could feel heat traveling up my neck, but I remained silent.
“I can’t imagine he’d ever turn Amish and give up driving his pickup just to be with you, Eva.” Her eyes fastened onto mine. “You’ll have no future with him if you’re an Amish church member.”
“I haven’t joined yet, but I plan to.” I’d told my parents I’d take the mandatory classes when I turned thirty. Yet given the right circumstances, I might change my mind. No wonder they fretted over me. If I were honest with myself, I’d have to wonder if I could develop a crush on Stephen.
More than anything, I longed to be married to a man I adored and hold our baby in my arms. My biological clock was ticking. But Jake still owned my heart, paralyzing me, keeping me from moving forward.
“Good morning, ladies.” Stephen strode into the café, folded newspapers under his elbow. “I need to speak to Eva—alone,” he told Beatrice.
Her eyebrows shot up with a look of surprise and confusion. “I’ll come back at opening time. That is, if you still want me to.”
“Absolutely. You were a blessing yesterday. What would we have done without you?” His words initiated a grin on her face.
She untied her apron and draped it across a chair.
“Thanks for your help with the soup this morning,” I told her departing form. She exited and closed the door without looking back.
“Is something wrong?” I kept my distance from Stephen, who seemed agitated.
“I wanted to show you the newspaper before anyone else did.” He unfolded it to expose the front page. “Check this out.”
“Ach.” I drew near to see my image in black-and-white. I was standing alongside two police officers in front of a squad car. The photographer had taken the photo at an angle, so my features were not readily identifiable. Yet anyone who knew me would recognize my profile.
“Say it isn’t so.” My hand moved to my throat.
“The reporter had his heart in the right place.” Stephen shifted his weight back and forth. “This article admonishes drivers to pay more heed to buggies and describes the needless accident and the horse’s injury.”
With a shaky hand, I took the paper from him and examined the photo. “Thank the Lord my parents don’t read this paper.” But I knew it had an expansive circulation in Lancaster County.
“Does the article mention what happened to the horse?” I felt compassion for the poor animal. “Will it be all right?”
“Didn’t say. And the honking truck is long gone.” He refolded the paper and tucked it under his elbow. “I don’t think our customers need to see this issue. Especially if the bishop comes in later.”
Despite my trepidation, the morning hummed along smoothly. Joe, Olivia’s lanky older brother, delivered her baked goods, Sadie arrived in a cheerful mood, and Beatrice came back with a smile on her face. I banished all thoughts of the horrendous newspaper photo from my mind and concentrated on running a tight ship as customers straggled in at nine.
I watched Sadie’s face brim with gladness as Mark arrived for coffee. I had to admit he was a fine-looking young man—his jawline rectangular and smooth. No wonder she hoped to attract his attention.
“Good morning, Eva.” Was he intentionally ignoring Sadie as she brought him a mug of coffee? He finally mumbled a meager “Denki” to her.
“Hello, Mark.” Beatrice bustled to his side. “I invited Eva for supper tonight. Would you care to join us?”
“Uh, I don’t know if I can come,” I said before he could answer. “I might grab a snack from the café.”
“Why, of course you can come. You said you would.” Beatrice patted my arm in a matronly fashion. “I’ve already purchased the fixings for spaghetti and meatballs. Wait until you taste my marinara sauce—a family recipe brought over by my grandparents from Tuscany.”
“That sounds tasty, but—”
“I won’t take no for an answer.” She turned to Mark. “Can I count on you?”
“Yah, sounds gut. I’ll have to go home first to help with chores, but then I’ll come right back. I don’t live too far away.”
“Perfetto. We’ll wait for your return.” Beatrice seemed pleased with herself, her mouth widening and her eyes sparkling.
How could she put me in this awkward position without consulting me first? She was playing matchmaker and not considering my wishes. Or Sadie’s.
As Mark stood sipping his coffee, his green eyes stole a glance at me. I didn’t want him getting the wrong idea, and
