Harlequin Love Inspired March 2021--Box Set 2 of 2 Patrice Lewis (i read book txt) 📖

many youngie events I’ll be able to attend for the rest of the summer since it’s so busy here, but I’m sure that will change after the harvest season is over.”

“Ja, we’ll let you know what’s planned. We’ll see you on Church Sunday.”

Jane saw her friends out the door, then returned to the kitchen. Little Mercy began making hunger noises, so Jane prepared a bottle, checked the status of the jam and took the baby into the other room so she could settle into the rocking chair while she fed her.

She rocked and smiled. She realized the visit from the three people cheered her up. They hadn’t forgotten her. And Charles—well, he was a nice young man. He would have no trouble finding someone to court.

It just wasn’t going to be her.

* * *

“This new booth arrangement is working better than I’d hoped,” Levy murmured to Jane on Saturday, as he watched the crowd. “Sales are better than ever.”

Jane scanned the customers. “Everyone seems to like it.”

Levy watched the play of dappled sunshine on Jane’s face and realized how much he enjoyed working with her. Her industriousness—especially while caring for an infant—staggered him. And her help during these busy summer months was yielding astounding results. He realized she had a head for business that exceeded his own. She was smart, savvy and intuitive.

He listened as customers expressed appreciation for the new booth layout. “You can thank her,” he often said, waving a hand toward Jane. “She’s the genius behind the design.”

The first time he said that, he saw the glow of appreciation on her face. For a moment he was poleaxed and realized how very pretty she was. It was something he had no time to dwell on, because of how quickly customers bought things. Every pot of herbs sold. So did every jar of jam and every last baked good Jane had made. He sold out of corn, beans, peas, raspberries, blueberries, tomatoes and almost all the other produce.

At the end of the day, after the wagon was packed, Levy clucked to the horse to start for home. “I don’t think I’ve ever had such gut sales.”

“We need to ride this wave.” Jane gently bounced Mercy in her lap. “If you keep this up, the hospital bills will be paid in no time.”

“Rebecca Yoder said she had some fabric items she’d be interested in selling. A few dolls, a couple of baby quilts, that kind of thing.”

“And my friend Sarah has some small rag rugs she said we could display.”

“The raspberries are about done, but the blueberries are starting to peak. Are you up for making blueberry jam?”

“Of course.”

He smiled. “I don’t know how I would manage without you, Jane. Vielen Dank for all your help.”

“This is fun. A lot of work, ja, but it’s a direct connection—providing what people want.”

She lapsed into silence, holding the baby close while she watched the passing town. Levy snuck looks at her, wondering why on earth she ever thought herself plain. There was a sparkle to her, an animation he admired. Yet she also had a soothing presence, a calming influence.

He remembered her uncertainty about how long she planned to stay in Grand Creek. He realized how much he was depending on her—not just as Mercy’s nanny, but for her assistance at the farmer’s market, for her business instincts, for her industriousness. And maybe, just maybe, for herself.

“Jane,” he said, “I know you said you didn’t know how long you would stay in town. Is it possible for you to stay until after the farmer’s market season is over?”

She turned toward him, her blue eyes bright behind her glasses. “When does the market end for the season?”

“The last weekend in October.”

“That’s three months off.”

“Ja. Were you planning on leaving sooner?” His heart sped up as he waited for her answer.

“I don’t know.” She spoke thoughtfully. “I miss my family, of course, but I can see why you’d need me to stay until the season is over. Let me think on it.”

“Ja, danke.” He knew he couldn’t push, but he also knew he wanted her to stay.

For a long time.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“She’s really starting to hold her head up now. Look at that.” Jane pointed.

It was late September. Mercy lay on a blanket on her stomach under the shade of the maple tree. As Levy walked up, sweaty and dirty from a day in the fields, she raised her head and smiled at him.

He sat down on the grass to rest for a moment. “What a little beauty.”

“Nearly three months old already.” Jane dangled a small toy before the infant. “It seems like July was just yesterday, when I started taking care of her. She’s growing so fast.”

He looked out at the verdant garden and fields as the sun dropped lower in the sky. “I wonder if Eliza ever wonders about Mercy and how she is.”

“Every single day, I would imagine.”

He stayed silent a few moments, gazing to the west. “The pumpkins are starting to turn orange,” he commented at last. “I think a few might be ripe enough to bring to the farmer’s market this Saturday.”

“You seem tired.” Jane also thought he looked distracted and moody, but it would have been rude to mention it.

He sighed. “I am. Since I combined the booths a couple months ago, sometimes it’s hard to keep up with the increased sales. Still, I’m grateful to Gott for everything. This summer has been the most profitable it’s ever been. I’ve been able to pay every bill to the hospital myself so far, without having to ask the community to help.”

Jane knew that was a huge motivating factor behind his hard work. He had no wish for his sister’s baby to be a financial burden on his church family.

“Well, only four more weeks to get through.” Jane’s voice wavered for a brief moment. In four weeks—in theory—Levy would no longer need her help in nannying Mercy. Their work schedule throughout the summer had meshed so seamlessly that it