Rosemary Opens Her Heart: Home at Cedar Creek, Book Two Read Online Free PDF

because they handle so much more volume.”
    Titus straightened to his full height, a thoughtful expression on his face. “I know
     your dat has closed his store today on account of the wedding, but I bet Rosemary
     would be tickled to stock up on baking supplies. She makes pies for the cafés in Bloomingdale
     and Queen City, you see.”
    “I’m sure Dat would be happy to sell her what she needs,” Matt replied. “Or Aunt Abby
     could help. It wouldn’t surprise me if she goes over there anyway, to fetch whatever
     else they might need for tonight’s supper.”
    Was it Matt’s imagination, or did Titus have more color in his cheeks now? Once again
     the old farmer was looking out over the pastures, letting his gaze wander across the
     road to the Graber place, as though he had some ideas he wasn’t ready to talk about
     yet. “Merle Graber’s not looking too steady,” he remarked quietly. “I suppose James
     supports that family with his carriage making nowadays.”
    “Jah. They raise enough hay to feed their horses, but Carl Byler does their farming
     for them—same as he works Paul Bontrager’splace next to it.” Matt waited to see where this thread of conversation might lead.
    “Jah, but by golly, Paul’s still making cabinets and he preached a gut wedding sermon
     this morning. Must be nearly ninety, don’t you think?”
    “Getting close,” Matt agreed. “His boy Perry works at James Graber’s carriage shop.
     He and Salome live in the main house now, so Paul’s got somebody looking after him.”
    “All the more reason I need to give myself a gut swift kick when I think my troubles
     are worse than anybody else’s.” Titus hooked his thumbs around his suspender buckles.
     “My older kids are married, and Beth Ann helps Rosemary when she gets home from school.
     And Rosemary—now, there’s a gal who can put a meal on the table even after she’s been
     helping me with the sheep all day, or tending the laundry and the garden. I’ve got
     no call to complain when I see how the fellas I used to run around with are slipping
     a notch or two.”
    “That’s a gut way to look at it.” Matt smiled at Titus as they turned toward the gate
     again. “And for the rest of today, why—you can catch up with your old friends and
     stay for supper and still make the drive home before it gets dark.”
    “Jah, I think I will. Rosemary wanted to head back right after the wedding, but I’m
     real glad we stayed.” He extended his hand. “I’ll get back with you in a day or so
     about exchanging rams, all right? If we do this soon, they’ll be accustomed to their
     new homes come time to turn them in with the ewes in the fall.”
    Matt grasped Titus’s sturdy hand, pleased with the turn the conversation had taken.
     After all, a trip to Queen City with a couple of rams would give him another chance
     to see Rosemary. “Both of us can upgrade our flocks and it won’t cost us anything
     but some travel time. Can’t beat a deal like that.”
    Matt latched the gate behind them, signaling for the dogs to return to the pasture.
     He scanned the clusters of folks who stood chatting in the yard between the greenhouse
     and his home, but hedidn’t find a particular young woman dressed in black. “I’ll see that Rosemary gets
     to shop in the mercantile, if she wants to. There’s Dat, right over there, so I’ll
     go ask him.”
    Titus focused in the direction Matt was pointing. “I’ll go with you and congratulate
     the brother of the bride. Haven’t talked to Sam in a long while.”
    As they strolled across the yard toward where Matt’s father was chatting with James
     and Merle Graber, who were seated in lawn chairs, Matt felt a hopeful thrum all over
     his body. He knew almost nothing about Rosemary Yutzy. Yet even in her stark black
     clothing, the way she’d laughed and played with Katie had made him
want
to know her. The sooner he could talk with Rosemary alone, the better.
    As Matt was