Free The Tempted Soul by Adina Senft Page B

back today. You’ll be glad to see him.”
    “Yes, I will.” Carrie climbed into the buggy and gathered up the reins. “We should be back at quarter past, and the casserole will be ready to come out. Are you still planning to stay for dinner?”
    “If you don’t mind.” He grinned at her as though her reaction to his presence ought to mean something.
    Honestly. Melvin was an hour away and any man with a brain in his head would know Melvin’s wife would be looking forward to seeing him , not Joshua. “Of course I don’t. It’s what we had planned.”
    “Do you want company for the ride?”
    “ Nei . You’d do better to spend the time cleaning those tools.”
    The mischief in his face seemed to increase at her tone. “You’d do better not to tell a man how to do his work. I’d like to come.”
    He was imposing on her, but to admit that out loud would be ungracious. “What if Brian and Boyd need a ride?”
    “They have wives, who are probably just as anxious to see them as you are to see Melvin. What’s the matter, Carrie? A man would almost think you were afraid to be alone with him.”
    Did he always refer to himself in the third person, like a king? “Don’t be silly. Hop in, then. And try not to get dirt on my dress.”
    He swung in next to her. “I’m looking forward to telling Melvin all the things we got done while he was gone.”
    I would rather have spent the ride with him in private, and it’s my place to tell him the news of our place, not yours. But she couldn’t say that. If a sister could do something for a man when he asked her, then it was her place to make that sacrifice for him. Whether he was willing to make the same sacrifice in return didn’t really matter. One didn’t do things for people to get a return.
    They had just passed the turn for Edgeware Road when the slight figure walking at the side of the road turned to see who was coming up behind her. Under her black cape and apron, she wore a dress of a fabric Carrie had seen some of the girls fingering in the fabric store. It was a coral so pretty that she had no doubt that being the first to wear it would kick off a fad among the girl’s buddy bunch.
    Not to mention attract the attention of the bishop’s wife.
    As they drew closer, Carrie got a glimpse of red hair curling under her white organdy Kapp . “ Guder Owed , Lydia Zook,” she called as she pulled out a little farther onto the highway to pass the girl.
    “Hi, Carrie.” Her shawl dangled from her fingers as though she were deliberately giving the whole world a look at her new dress, despite the rapidly falling temperature. She peered past Carrie to see who her passenger was, green eyes bright with interest. “Hallo, Joshua.”
    “Hallo, Lydia. That’s quite the dress you have on.”
    “ Denki .” She swished the skirt. “I was visiting north of Highway Three-forty, and lots of the Youngie wear colors like this. Yellow, pink, even cherry red. I decided it was time for a change down here in our district.”
    “Maybe it is,” Carrie said, “if you can convince Mary Lapp that anything but green, burgundy, purple, and blue are appropriate.”
    Lydia made a rude noise. “Only old ladies wear those colors.” Her gaze bounced off Carrie’s green dress and lifted to take them both in. “Any chance of a lift to town?” she asked brightly.
    “All the shops will be cl—”
    “Sure, hop in.” And before Carrie could finish her sentence, Joshua had squished her over to the right and Lydia was perching on the leftmost edge of the bench, with one foot outside.
    “Lydia, get in the back.” Carrie felt like she was about to fall out the door. “Joshua, we’re not teenagers, for heaven’s sake, with six people packed in here. Give me some room.”
    Lydia edged two inches to her left, and Joshua laughed. “Relax, Carrie. We’re almost to town. It’s not often this thorn gets to sit between two roses.”
    Two pressed roses, maybe.
    Fuming, Carrie flapped the