Reckless Heart (Kauffman Amish Bakery 5.5) Read Online Free PDF Page B

scrubbed his hands. “Thank you, Lydia.”
    “You’re welcome.” Lydia absently fiddled with a napkin. “I tried to choose a variety for you.”
    “It’s really cool that your grandmother has a bakery,” Tristan said. “Is it close by?”
    Lydia nodded. “It’s not far at all. I usually walk there on the days I need to work.”
    “My grandmother and aunts make the best desserts in the world,” Titus chimed in.
    “Really?” Mrs. Anderson smiled. “Tristan, would you please grab those disposable plates and utensils left over from lunch?” She pointed to the counter. “Would you like a cookie or piece of cake, Lydia?”
    “Oh, no, thank you,” Lydia said. “I’m really not hungryright now. I guess I ate too much at lunch.” In truth, seeing her parents so upset had stolen her appetite.
    “Titus!” Irma’s voice rang out from the stairway. “Come meet Michaela’s puppy!”
    Titus looked over at Lydia, his eyes asking for permission.
    “Go on,” Lydia said.
    “Excuse me,” Titus said to Mrs. Anderson before trotting out of the kitchen and disappearing up the stairs.
    “Would you like a drink?” Tristan asked. “My mom picked up a gallon of iced tea this morning at the store.”
    “That would be nice,” Lydia said. “Thank you.”
    Tristan delivered three glasses of iced tea to the table. He then sat across from Lydia and placed plates, napkins, and utensils on the table that bore the logo for a local sandwich shop. He peeked into the box of goodies and grinned. “Wow. This looks amazing. Thank you so much.”
    “You’re welcome,” Lydia said before sipping the sweet tea. “I picked out my favorites too.”
    “You said your dad ran somewhere?” Mrs. Anderson asked Tristan.
    “Yeah.” Tristan bit into a whoopie pie. “He left to get more parts for my car. Hope we can get it running tonight. I found Dad’s tools while we were unpacking, so I asked him to look at the car. The sooner it runs, the sooner I can get my license. And before you ask, Mom, I did find the papers that prove I took driving lessons back in Jersey.”
    “That’s great. But shouldn’t you finish unpacking first?” his mother asked.
    “Yes, but I can’t go looking for a job without a car,” he said with a gentle smile. Tristan gave Lydia a sideways glance that seemed to say “aren’t parents cute sometimes?” and she suppressed a giggle.
    “Very true.” Mrs. Anderson turned to Lydia. “Your grandmother is a wonderful baker.”
    “Thank you,” Lydia said, running her fingers over the condensation on the glass. “She has taught me a lot. My mother has too.”
    “Lydia teaches at the one-room schoolhouse a couple of blocks up the street.” Tristan pointed as if directing her to the school. “You teach there on the days you aren’t at the bakery, right?”
    “That’s right,” Lydia said. “Assistant teaching is only a part-time job, so all of the Amish assistant teachers have other jobs too.”
    “Really?” His mother looked fascinated. “How interesting.” She smiled and then picked up a pecan delight cookie. “How many students do you have?”
    Lydia sipped her drink. “We have twenty-five.”
    “And the school is really only one room?” Tristan asked as he pulled a couple of butterscotch macaroon cookies from the box.
    “That’s right,” Lydia explained. “It’s truly just one room with outhouses outside.”
    “Outhouses.” Tristan shook his head. “That’s wild. I’d love to see the inside of the school sometime. It’s so different from what we experience in public school.”
    Lydia smiled. “Maybe I can show you if you’re nearby one afternoon when we’re locking up. I can’t let you in during the school day because it would be too disruptive. But I think it would be okay with the teacher if I gave you a quick tour after school sometime. She’s very nice.”
    Mrs. Anderson continued to look impressed. “How does the teacher manage without you when you’re working at