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Back The Orchard Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Half Title Page
  3. Books by Beverly Lewis
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright Page
  6. Dedication
  7. Epigraph
  8. Prologue
  9. 1
  10. 2
  11. 3
  12. 4
  13. 5
  14. 6
  15. 7
  16. 8
  17. 9
  18. 10
  19. 11
  20. 12
  21. 13
  22. 14
  23. 15
  24. 16
  25. 17
  26. 18
  27. 19
  28. 20
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. Epilogue
  53. Author’s Note
  54. About the Author
  55. Back Ads
  56. Cover Flaps
  57. Back Cover

Then while Alma dipped her spoon into her ice cream and continued eating, Ellie thought ahead to tonight’s Singing, wondering again how the other youth would react when they saw her with Sol. It was hard not to break into a big smile.

30

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No Singing in the past had caused the kind of excitement Ellie felt as she rode to this one with her father, who’d offered to take her there. Her pent-up anticipation pointed out the fact that she hadn’t deeply cared for Menno or any other fellow she’d gone riding with, not the way she cared for Sol.

“You seem mighty happy tonight,” Dat said, glancing at her as he held the driving lines. “I’m sure ya know your Mamm and I have put our faith in the Lord for the young man you’ll marry one day, Ellie.”

Dat had never said anything like this to her before, but she wasn’t surprised to hear it. Trusting God was at the foundation of how they lived. “I’m thankful for that,” she replied, “’cause I’d never wanna make a mistake in something as important as marriage.”

Dat nodded thoughtfully. “Sadly, some young folks have been known to rush into it for the wrong reasons.”

Ellie thought about Menno. Now that she’d had time to step back and think about their casual dates, she realized that she never could have married him—and not just because of his attitude at the time about Evan. Was it merely his good looks that drew me? she wondered. Yet what a shallow reason to continue going out with someone. “Marryin’ for love is best,” she replied to Dat. “With God’s blessing.”

Giving her a smile, he nodded, sitting so tall in the driver’s seat that his straw hat nearly bumped the top of the carriage. “An unselfish, caring love that puts the other one first,” he said. “That’s a love worth waitin’ for.”

Ellie thought of Sol and the way she felt about him . . . and wholeheartedly agreed.

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Heading into the large expanse of the cleared-off haymow in their hosts’ barn, Ellie spotted several of her girl cousins. She made her way to the long wooden table and greeted them. Cousin Sarah Ann was talking animatedly to Ruthann.

Over on the other side of the barn, the young men stood chewing the fat after placing their straw hats in piles on some of the baled hay.

As Ellie stepped closer, Sarah Ann turned from Ruthann and asked Ellie, “How’s Sol getting along now? You prob’ly see him workin’ in the orchard, jah?”

“He’s only been back for a week,” Ellie said, trying to keep a lid on her feelings. “I think he’s bein’ careful not to overdo.”

“Which he should be,” Ruthann said, glancing knowingly at Ellie. “A concussion’s nothin’ to fool with.”

“I wonder if he’ll be here tonight,” Sarah Ann said.