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seems so ordinary. It’s what we always get, and I wanted something a little unusual for a change.”
    â€œI don’t know that much about cheese,” Katie offered. “Mozzarella is a little unusual tasting unless you’ve tried it before and know you like it.”
    A relieved look crossed Constance’s face. “That’s exactly what I thought. Then we will go with my third choice: Canadian cheddar. What do you think about that?”
    â€œThat would be a safe option, I think.” Katie offered a smile.
    â€œPlease tell Robert I’ll be right out,” Constance said.
    Katie left her weighing the small offering of Canadian Cheddar cheese she had in her hand against a larger one. Her heart pounding, Katie went outside the store and walked across the parking lot, heading straight for the pickup truck. This would be easier if she could gather her courage first, but Robert was probably expecting a message from his wife.
    â€œSo did you find her?” Robert asked when Katie paused near him.
    â€œ Yah , she will be out before long.”
    Robert groaned.
    Katie would have smiled if Ben wasn’t sitting just a few feet away from her in the back of the pickup. What power did this man have over her anyway, that he could make her blush red one moment and go cold the next?
    â€œI’ve got to be going,” Arlene said to the young men.
    Katie forced her feet to move forward. If she didn’t get this done in the next moment, Arlene would be gone and Katie would be on her own. Nothing was going to happen then. She stepped up beside Arlene and looked straight up at Ben, who was slouched forward in the pickup bed.
    â€œHi!” she said. To her ears, her voice sounded like a screech.
    Ben turned toward her. He didn’t say anything for a moment.
    I’m going to live through this, Katie told herself. How she wasn’t sure, but her heart was still beating. She noticed Arlene was staring at her.
    Ben finally spoke. “So your mamm got married to Jesse Mast. That means you’re thrown in with the rest of the family. Let’s see, how many of them are there? A bunch I think.”
    â€œThere’s not that many, Ben,” Arlene said. “Only five children, and they’re all nice. Jesse wouldn’t raise anything else.”
    â€œThen I guess he should have raised me!” Ben laughed, and everyone joined in except Katie. She tried, but her throat was too dry.
    Behind them came the sound of rattling grocery cart wheels.
    â€œIt’s about time!” Robert yelled as Constance neared the pickup truck.
    Ben jumped down to help with the groceries, speaking over his shoulder, “See you later, Arlene.”
    Katie found her way over to her buggy, waving along with Arlene as the truck left the parking lot moments later. It didn’t matter that Ben hadn’t said goodbye to her, Katie told herself. She’d spoken to him. That was enough of an accomplishment for one day.

Chapter Five
    Katie drove toward Jesse’s place that afternoon, her mind in a daze. Had she really spoken with Ben Stoll? Right out in the parking lot? And he had answered her—sort of. Was it possible she might have another chance to speak with him soon? And would she ever see the day when he actually enjoyed speaking with her like he did with Arlene? Katie laughed, thinking her voice sounded like more of a cackle. Talking with Ben like that. Ha! Now that would be the day. But the thought was quite delicious to think about. What a dream that would be. Someday she would walk right up to Ben Stoll and be able to say “hi” without a pounding heart. She would get over the fear. Already she was changing, wasn’t she? After all, she’d summoned up the courage to attend the youth gatherings at the Mennonite church. A right brave thing for an Amish girl.
    She really had the best of the two worlds—the Amish and the Mennonites. And it was so unexpected. Da