Lorie's Heart Read Online Free PDF Page B

helped her young friend raise her daughter and get back on her feet. But that was years ago. Now Caroline was married to Andrew Fitch and had a baby boy to add to their growing family. Esther had married Abe Fitch, Andrew’s absentminded uncle.
    The two women plus Emily were seated in the corner booth, a plate of cookies in front of them. Esther was always trying out new recipes, and Lorie wondered what today’s experiment would bring.
    â€œI told Esther,” Caroline said with a small grimace. “I hope you don’t mind.”
    Lorie slid into the booth next to the woman and tried to smile. She really didn’t mind Esther knowing. What she did mind was so many people being involved in her deceit. She didn’t want her friends having to carry around her secrets.
    But Esther had kept Caroline’s secret. She had been alone and pregnant when she arrived in Wells Landing. Everyone had assumed that she was a young widow when the truth of the matter was she was running away from her district carrying the baby of an Englischer . Emma’s father, Trey Rycroft, had wanted to marry Caroline and give their baby his name, but once he saw how much Andrew loved Caroline, he forever stepped aside. He never came to see his daughter, that had been part of their agreement, but Lorie knew that Caroline took photographs of the child and sent them to Trey on a regular basis.
    â€œIt’s all set,” Emily said. “Luke will come pick you up on Thursday.”
    Caroline reached across the table and covered Lorie’s hand with her own. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
    â€œI have to.”
    Esther shook her head. “Some secrets are better left as secrets.”
    Wasn’t that exactly what the bishop had told Caroline?
    â€œHow can I look in the mirror every day and not know the truth?” Her father had been her world. Yes, he had started a new family here after her mother had died, but to Lorie he had been everything. She loved her stepmother and her brother and sisters, but she and her father had a special bond, as if they had been through tragedy and survived. She supposed that the death of her mother would qualify even if she had been really too young to remember much.
    â€œWe only want to make certain that you’re sure about this,” Emily said. “There’s still time to say no.”
    â€œ Nay. ” Lorie shook her head to emphasize her words. “Tell Luke I’ll be ready to go on Thursday.”

    â€œDo you have any special plans for today?” Mamm asked over breakfast Thursday morning. It was the one day other than Sunday when Lorie was off from the restaurant. And today was a special day off indeed.
    Lorie jumped, startled at the words. “ Nay . . . no, not really. Jonah and I were talking about going fishing.” It wasn’t much of a lie. She was going on a fishing expedition of sorts, and she had asked Jonah to go with her, but he wanted no part in her explorations in the Englisch world.
    â€œIt’s just the one time,” she’d told him, but he refused, saying he was taking the day to go fishing with his cousin before the weather turned too hot.
    Still she would add the falsehood to her prayer list. The lies seemed to be coming more easily as time went on. The fact shamed her.
    â€œJust make sure you’re here when the bus brings Daniel home at four.”
    â€œI asked Sadie if she would be here then.” Her sister could meet the bus and seemed happy to do so. “She said she would,” Lorie added.
    Mamm stopped stirring the big bowl of pancake batter and turned back to Lorie. “Thursday is your day to be here for him and bring him into the restaurant.”
    â€œI know, but this is the only time I can go with Jonah.”
    A frown burrowed into Mamm’ s brow. “I know this has been hard on all of us, but I never thought you’d be the one shirking your