A Simple Hope: A Lancaster Crossroads Novel Read Online Free PDF Page A

“That’s what we do.”
    “Not Rachel,” Ben said. “She paints.”
    Rachel pursed her lips together to keep from snapping back. Leave it to Ben to say something like that. He’d caused their parents so much worry, going off on motorbikes and trying to dodge chores. He was eighteen now; he’d never taken much to dairy farming, and he had no trade in sight.
    “No one’s painting pictures when there’s chores to be done,” Mamm said. “Rachel’s a big help to me, here in the house.”
    “But Mamm, the cows need her, too,” Jacob teased. “They miss her.”
    “Brownie says she’s forgotten what you look like, Rachel,” said ten-year-old Amos, who knew every cow by name. “When I asked her about you, she said, ‘Rachel moo-who?’ ”
    Laughter filled the room. Molly and Davey joined in with Amos’s mooing, and everyone laughed some more.
    “I always knew that Brownie was a funny cow,” Dat said wryly.
    Taking in the happy faces, Rachel let the gentle ribbing slide off her back like rain on a duck. Besides, she couldn’t stop chuckling at the thought of Amos talking with the cows, and the cows talking back.
    Davey’s brows knitted together. “Did Brownie really say that?”
    “We all know that milking cows don’t talk,” said Dat, ever the voice of reason. “But if they did, I’m sure Amos would speak their language.”
    “Ya.” Amos wiped his milk mustache with one sleeve. “I speak English, Dutch, and cow.”

A fter breakfast, James was about to head back out to the orchards when his father called to him.
    “James, will you wait a little bit?”
    Stopping the chair, James waited until Peter and Luke grabbed their hats from the wall peg and squeezed past. How he wished he could follow them out the door on his own two feet. Then he turned back to his father.
    “I was just going to check on our supply of Bordeaux spray. We need to start spraying. Don’t want fire blight on the apples or pears.”
    “You can do that later.” Dat motioned him toward the living area. “
Kumm
. I want to talk with you before the bishop gets here.”
    “Bishop Samuel?” Unease prickled the back of James’s neck. The leader of their church was kind but intimidating. It wasn’t easy to pass under the stern gaze of a man who decided what was right by Gott. “Why is he coming here?”
    “I asked for his help.” Jimmy sat down and rested his large handson his thighs. From the way Jimmy kept his gaze on the floor, James could tell that his father was uncomfortable, too. “At a time like this, we need to look to our bishop for answers.”
    Answers about what?
James wondered as he rolled his chair to a stop beside the sofa. “What do you want to ask the bishop?”
    Jimmy lifted his dark eyes to his oldest son. “James, there’s no denying you’ve been through the wringer since that accident. It was a terrible thing, and we’ve all done our best to move ahead and do the right thing for you.”
    “And I’m grateful for all that you and Mamm have done. All the support from the community. The auction and fund-raisers. I know the chiropractor and doctors and hospital cost a lot, Dat, but with everyone’s help, the bills are nearly paid off, aren’t they?”
    “Close to it.” Dat pointed toward the old carriage house, which had been turned into an office for the orchard. “I got a special file for the medical bills. You can take a look next time you come into the office.”
    Which might be never, as far as James was concerned. He couldn’t abide the stale air and mountains of papers that made up the office. Ledgers and files. As if this wheelchair wasn’t enough of a hindrance; a desk seemed to be invented to strap a man down to the earth without an inch of movement.
    It was James’s turn to stare at the floor. “I know my injury used a lot of the family’s money, but the orchard is a profitable business. And I’m going to keep it running for my grandchildren and their grandchildren,