Free Caroline's Secret by Amy Lillard

little hands.”
    Caroline pushed back to her feet. “What did you call her?”
    “Wee one.” A frown of concern puckered his brow. “Is that a problem?”
    She swallowed back the longing clogging her throat. “ Nay , it’s just that I call her that too.” How ironic that they had both chosen the same endearment for her daughter. It was a connection that she didn’t want to examine.
    “Does that bother you? I can call her something else. Just Emma. Wee one seems to fit her.”
    “It is fine, Andrew Fitch. Of course you may call her wee one.”
    Andrew smiled and Caroline tried not to notice the brilliance in it all. He bounced Emma in his arms until she squealed. “Wee one, it’s time to head back to the house. If I know my onkle , he’s started ice cream and it should be just about ready.”
    Caroline felt a little strange trailing behind Andrew as he carried Emma back to the house. She wasn’t used to seeing Emma in the arms of a man. Watching the two of them together made her realize the need to fortify her heart. She and Andrew had agreed to be friends. It was only to be expected that they would be around Emma together, and he was such a helpful and kind person that it stood to reason that he would help Caroline with the toddler. But having his help was one thing she would have to be careful not to get too accustomed to. Who knew how long before some schee Amish girl took Andrew’s heart away.
    “Uh-oh.” Andrew motioned toward the porch as they neared the house. “Do you think something happened?”
    Just as he had predicted, Abe had started the ice-cream maker and was cranking the handle on the side. What looked to be a cinder block wrapped in a towel set on top of the ice-cream bucket. Abe sat on the stairs and cranked while Esther pushed herself in the swing.
    “I don’t know,” Caroline quietly replied. “But it doesn’t look gut .”
    Maybe their matchmaking days were over. And that would mean not seeing Andrew as much, just church and the afternoons that he might stop by the bakery for a snack.
    The idea didn’t set well with Caroline. But that was ridiculous. They were friends. They had committed to the relationship of freinden and helping Esther and Abe find love. Surely that had to mean something. It wasn’t like they couldn’t see each other if the romance fell through between Abe and Esther, but it was a good excuse.
    “You get Esther,” Andrew said. “I’ll see what I can find out from Onkle .”
    Caroline dipped her chin in agreement and made her way past Abe and onto the porch to sit in the swing next to Esther. Andrew stopped in front of his uncle and placed Emma on top of the towel-wrapped cement block. “Emma, sit here and help, jah ?”
    The toddler gave a small nod, but squirmed all the same as Abe continued to crank the handle on the old ice-cream churn.
    Caroline leaned in closer to Esther to make sure her words were only heard by the other woman. Not that Abe would be paying attention to them. He seemed completely engrossed in the art of ice-cream making. “What happened?” she whispered.
    Esther shrugged. “Nix.”
    “If nothing happened, why do you look like you just lost your best friend?”
    Esther’s mouth twisted into a grimace and she shook her head. “I’ve been widowed for nigh on thirty years. I just realized today that if Abe Fitch had feelings for me that are stronger than friendship, he’s had a very long time to act on them.”
    Caroline frowned. “So you think because he hasn’t asked you on a date in the last thirty years that he doesn’t want to be more than friends with you?”
    “It makes sense, jah ?”
    “No.” Caroline shook her head. “Abe is . . .” She looked over to Andrew’s onkle . He had allowed himself a rest and let Andrew take over the cranking while he sat nearby and sanded on what looked to be a small wooden horse. “Abe is Abe.” She didn’t know how else to say it. She had never met anyone like him before. He was