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our youngest daughter up to today? Has she been combing through the ads in the newspaper to see if anymore hund are for sale?”
    Judith sighed. “I wish Martha would forget about raising dogs and find herself a real job, like our other two girls have done.”
    “Let me pray, and then we’ll talk about it.”
    Judith nodded and bowed her head, and Roman did the same. After a few seconds of silent prayer, he opened his eyes and reached into the lunch pail to retrieve one of the sandwiches. “I think we should give Martha the chance to see if she can succeed in her business venture, don’t you?”
    “I suppose.”
    He pulled out the second sandwich and handed it to her. “I don’t really need two of these, so if you haven’t eaten already, you may as well join me.”
    “ Danki. I haven’t eaten yet.”
    They sat in companionable silence for a time.
    “Martha’s concerned that something might be bothering Grace,” Judith said, breaking the silence. “Have you noticed anything unusual about the way she’s been acting lately?”
    Roman squinted as he contemplated her question. “Well, she didn’t have a whole lot to say during supper last night, but as you know, Grace is often moody and quiet.”
    Judith gave a slow nod. “Leastways, she has been since she returned to Holmes County four years ago.”
    “Maybe she’s just feeling naerfich about her upcoming wedding.”
    “I suppose she could be nervous.” She inhaled deeply and released a quick breath, causing the narrow ties of her white kapp to flutter. “I’ll keep an eye on things, and if I notice her getting cold feet, I’ll have a little talk with her.”
    Roman snapped his lunch pail shut and handed it to her. “Sounds like a good idea. It took Grace some time to settle down and find a good man, so we wouldn’t want her to change her mind about marrying Cleon at this late date.”
    Judith’s head moved slowly from side to side. “No, we surely wouldn’t.”

Chapter 5
    The following day as Grace approached the booth where one of her customers sat, she glanced out the window and caught sight of Gary standing on the sidewalk in front of the gift store across the street, talking to Cleon. She flinched. Maybe Gary knew she planned to marry Cleon. He might be trying to turn Cleon against her by spilling her secrets. Maybe she wouldn’t marry Cleon in two months, after all.
    Grace gripped the water pitcher in her hands so tightly that her fingers turned numb. She ordered her runaway heart to be still. She was doing it again—worrying about things that probably hadn’t happened. Knowing Gary, he was most likely making small talk with anyone willing to listen, the way he used to do when they were teenagers. Or maybe Cleon had stopped to ask if Gary knew the time. He often did that whenever he’d forgotten his pocket watch.
    Grace felt relief when Cleon finally turned and walked away. The water in the pitcher sloshed as she hurried across the room, knowing she needed to wait on the young English couple who had taken a seat in her section of the restaurant. I’m sure it was nothing to fret about, she told herself. Oh, I pray it was nothing.
    Grace had just finished taking the English couple’s order when she spotted Cleon entering the restaurant. He took a seat in a booth near the front door, which was in her section.
    When she hurried over to the booth, he looked up at her, his dark eyes crinkling at the corners as he smiled. “It’s good to see you, Grace.”
    “It ... it’s good to see you, too.”
    “I came to town to deliver some honey, and I’ve also been seeking some new outlets for the beeswax candles Mom and my sister Carolyn make.”
    “I see.” Grace shifted her weight from one foot to the other, wondering how to ask why Cleon had been talking to Gary without arousing Cleon’s suspicion.
    “Will you be getting off work anytime soon?” he questioned.
    “In another half hour.”
    “That’s good, because I’d like to treat you