Free A Hand to Hold by Kathleen Fuller Page B

you’re right, a homemade cookie beats a candy bar hands down.” He gave her another sly look, then turned around and started working again.
    Ruth frowned. Why had he looked at her that way, like he was sharing some sort of private joke with her? Her face became hot, and the temperature in the schoolhouse felt stifling. She picked up the catalog off her desk and started to fan her face.
    The afternoon passed by quickly, and by four o’clock, they’d moved all the debris out of the schoolhouse. The unharmed desks and furniture were pushed up in front of the chalkboard. Zachariah picked up his tool belt and walked to the hole in the wall. “I’m gonna have to call it a day.”
    She placed a tattered map of the world on her desk. “All right. I just have a few things to finish up here and I’ll be leaving too.”
    He stood in the middle of the open hole, much like he had when he first arrived, including carrying his tool belt on his shoulder. He shook his head. “You should go home. I’m not sure how safe that partial wall is. It wouldn’t be gut if it came crashing down while you were here alone.”
    “I’m sure the wall is perfectly safe.”
    “Ruth, don’t argue with me on this. Get your stuff and get in the buggy.”
    Her shoulders tensed. “You’re ordering me?”
    “I’m strongly requesting.”
    “I won’t stay very long. You don’t have to worry about me, all right?”
    He strolled toward her. “I’m not worried about you, Ruth. You’ve made it plain to me that you can take care of yourself.”
    She lifted her chin. “ Gut . I’m glad you realize that.”
    “But it would be irresponsible of me to leave you or anyone else here when I’m not sure about that wall, or the rest of the structure. And even though you’re telling me you’ll only stay for a short time, I know how much you want to get this schulhaus up and running. You think you’ll be here for a little while and the next thing you know it will be sundown.”
    She looked away. That sounded like something she’d do. And she couldn’t argue his point, even though it surprised her that he was being so conscientious. He’d been full of surprises all day long. “I’ll grab my things.”
    They both walked to their buggies, and she put her supplies in her vehicle. But when she went to untie her horse, she found Zachariah standing there, handing her the reins. She thought to say something but let it drop. He wouldn’t listen anyway. When she got inside the buggy, she took the reins and looked at Zachariah.
    He brushed away a horsefly and met her gaze. “Now don’t get any bright ideas about coming out here alone tomorrow morning.”
    “But—”
    “Are you always this stubborn?”
    “ Ya . I am.”
    He smirked as he walked away. “Thought so.”
    “Being stubborn isn’t always a bad thing,” she called out to him.
    “Never said it was.” He jumped into the buggy and gestured for her to lead the way.
    She frowned as she pulled out of the driveway of the schoolhouse, still unsure what to make of him. Today he seemed nothing like the boy she remembered. Everything he said and did went against her impression of him. She might be stubborn, but at least she wasn’t confusing.

    Why are women so confusing?
    Zach shook his head as he made his way down Burton-Windsor Road. Several cars whizzed by him on the two-lane road, but he barely noticed them. Instead his mind was still on Ruth Byler. Why, he had no idea. She was the most unusual girl he’d ever met. Even a little seltsam . And yet he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Had she always been that uptight in school? He remembered her being smart, getting good grades all the time, and having all the answers. Teacher’s pet, he and some of the kids had called her. From what he could tell, she never seemed to mind. But then again, he hadn’t paid that much attention to her.
    A hot breeze hit him square in the face. He urged his horse down the road, flanked by two huge green fields