Free Harvest of Hearts by Laura Hilton

have to work eight till noon today. I thought maybe I’d help Mamm when I got home.”
     
    It was good to see that she’d apparently swallowed her pride and was ready to try reconciling with her family. But he wouldn’t mention that, either. Nor would he remark about the Amish clothes she wore this morning, though he was surprised to see her in them. He’d figured she’d go back to her Englisch attire, since she’d put on plain clothes last night only because her other clothes had gotten wet. Soaked, really.
     
    It wasn’t raining today. Just a bit drizzly. Misty. He grinned, remembering a nursery rhyme from childhood. “ One misty, moisty morning…. ” It seemed to fit.
     
    Shanna sucked in a deep breath. “I need to leave for work in an hour. You sure you don’t want to go into Springfield with me this afternoon?”
     
    “Jah, I’m sure.”
     
    “I need to get those kittens out of here before they wear out their welkum.”
     
    “I haven’t heard Levi complain.” And he doubted he would. After all, Shanna had brought them. He was so happy to have her home, she could have come with a dozen extra mouse catchers and not worried about him drowning them.
     
    She exhaled with a whoosh of air. “Well, that’s gut.” She paused. “I have a date tonight. Maybe Nate will come out a little early so we can take care of the kittens before the Humane Society closes for the evening.”
     
    A date? Tonight? With Nate? The air left him so unexpectedly, his insides felt hollow. Nate. He would be her boyfriend, then. An Englisch man, no doubt.
     
    Which meant that she was taken. And all his foolish thoughts about her being his future frau evaporated. No matter. They’d been pure craziness, for more reasons than one. He would never consider marrying someone who was not a member of the church, and he would certainly never court a woman who was someone else’s girl. Even if that someone else was Englisch.
     
    They worked in companionable silence for a few more minutes, until the barn doors burst open and Judah darted in. “Sorry I’m late. I overslept. Mamm woke me up and told me to get out here so we could finish in time to eat breakfast before it got cold.”
     
    Shanna thrust the shovel she’d been using at Judah. “We’re almost finished. I need to get ready for work anyway, so you’re just in time.”
     
    “Danki, Shanna. Glad you’re home.”
     
    Shanna stood rooted there a moment. Then, she reached out and pulled her brother into an embrace. He hugged her back.
     
    Matthew turned away. He didn’t need to watch this display of emotions, normal as they were between siblings. He still remembered the feel of her in his arms. The softness. The rightness of her body against his chest.
     
    And that was something he didn’t want to dwell on further.
     
    ***
     
    After work, Shanna changed out of her uniform and into Amish clothes again. She didn’t want to disrespect her parents by dressing as an Englischer while she lived at home. Funny, because when she’d arrived, she would have sworn she would never put on another plain dress and apron. Maybe it was more because of the way Matthew had looked at her that night when he’d seen her with her old dress on. Like she had suddenly turned into the most beautiful girl he’d ever laid eyes on. He’d never said those words, of course.
     
    She hurried into the house, the strings on her prayer kapp bouncing with each step. In the kitchen, Mamm stood over a large mixing bowl, studying a recipe card on the table. Canisters of flour and sugar, eggs, and other ingredients were spread around her.
     
    “What are you making?” Shanna asked, glancing down at the recipe card.
     
    Mamm looked up. “Ach, it’s the third weekend. Daed allows me to sell baked goods here at the haus once a month. I’m trying to get the baking done for it. This will be pecan pies.” She waved her hands at the messy table.
     
    “May I help?”
     
    Mamm looked at Shanna with