Free A Sister's Test by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Gary. If he’s hanging around town, I’m going to have a talk with him.”
    “Ach, Grace, I don’t think that’s a good idea. And I don’t think Cleon would like you going into town alone—especially if he knew what you had in mind.”
    “I won’t go alone. If you’re able to watch Anna, I’ll see if Martha’s willing to ride along.”
    “I guess I could watch Anna, but—”
    “Where is that little sister of mine?”
    “Out in the barn as usual.”
    “I’ll go see if she’s free.” Grace rushed out the door before Mom had a chance to respond.

    Since there was a lull between customers, Ruth decided it was a good time to clean the outside glass of the bakery case, where fingerprints from customers were always a problem. She enjoyed her job at the bakeshop but looked forward to the day when she became a wife and mother. Cooking, cleaning, and wiping children’s runny noses would be more rewarding than waiting on impatient customers all day.
    Ruth squirted liquid cleaner on the front of the glass and beganwiping it with a clean rag, but her thoughts were on Martin and his gentle, caring ways. She was quickly falling in love with him and hoped the feeling was mutual.
Will Martin ask me to marry him someday? I’d say yes if he did.
    She smiled, picturing Martin’s deep dimples and the genuine smile he so often gave her.
If we were to marry, I wonder if our kinner would have his cute little dimples.
    The telephone rang, and Ruth’s musings were halted. Someone probably wanted to place a bakery order.
    A few minutes later, she hung up the phone and had just slid a tray of maple bars into the bakery case when she heard a man clear his throat. She looked up and saw Gary Walker standing on the other side of the counter, staring at her with a look so intense it made her toes curl inside her shoes. “Y–you’re back,” she stammered.
    “Sure am,” he said with a twisted grin.
    She gestured to the baked goods inside the case. “Do you want more maple bars?”
    “No, but I wouldn’t mind a strong cup of coffee.”
    “We don’t serve coffee here, just baked goods.”
    He raked his fingers through the back of his thick auburn hair. “How about you and me having a cup of coffee somewhere? Maybe we could go to that restaurant on the other side of town where your sister used to work.”
    She shook her head. “I can’t leave the bakeshop. My boss wouldn’t like it if I left the front counter unattended.”
    Gary placed both hands against the display case and leaned toward her.
    So much for cleaning the glass.
    “You do get breaks, don’t you?” he asked.
    She nodded and leaned away from the disgusting odor of cigarette smoke that made her want to sneeze. She hadn’t noticed a smoky smell on him before. Maybe his spicy aftershave had covered it up.
    “Tell me when your break is, and we’ll meet wherever you like.”
    Ruth’s mouth felt so dry she had to swallow several times in order to speak. “Wh–why would you want to meet me for coffee?”
    “I’d like to talk to you about some things, and it would be easierto do it away from here.”
    She looked over her shoulder, hoping Jake would come into the room, but she figured he probably couldn’t hear the conversation over the noisy mixer running in the back room.
    “I don’t believe we have anything to talk about,” she said through tight lips.
    He leaned so close she could feel his sultry breath blowing against her face. “You’d be surprised how much we might have to talk about.”
    Ruth closed the sliding door on her side of the bakery case. “If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”
    Gary chuckled. “From what I can tell, I’m your only customer right now. Don’t you think I deserve your undivided attention?”
    Ruth gripped the edge of the counter so hard her fingers turned numb. “If you didn’t come here to buy anything, then I’d appreciate it if you’d leave.”
    “I’ll take a maple bar.”
    “Just one?”
    “Yep.”