Page 40 of The Pretender (Mifflin County Mysteries #3)

“Okay, big brother—whatever you say.” Susan ambled off toward the back of the store.

This day couldn’t end soon enough. She hoped that by the time they were ready to put the C LOSED sign in the window, they’d have heard from Mom or Dad with some news about Alvin.

Although Susan had teased her younger sibling many times over the years, Alvin was still her little brother, and she cared about him.

“Too bad no one cares about me,” Susan mumbled as she approached the dairy case. “I’m not the number one daughter—that’s for sure.”

Rosa yawned, stretched her arms over her head, and pulled herself to a sitting position. She’d had a good long nap, and looking at the alarm clock on the nightstand near her bed, she realized that it was getting close to suppertime.

I need to get up and help Mom and Tena prepare our meal , she told herself.

Angling her legs toward the side of the bed, she wiggled her toes a few times and stood.

Her room was chilly, so she put on a sweater and stepped into a cozy pair of fleece-lined slippers.

Since she had no plans to go outside, Rosa figured slippers were a better choice than putting on a pair of socks and shoes.

Rosa left the bedroom and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

She’d taken her head covering off before lying down, and after a quick look in the mirror, she realized that her hair was a mess.

She brushed her silky tresses and pulled them back into a bun, then set the white, heart-shaped head covering in place.

She’d gone without any kind of head covering during the two-plus years she’d been away and had only worn modern, English clothes.

After returning home and deciding it was best to wear Amish clothing some of the time, Rosa almost felt Amish again, even without having joined the church.

Becoming a member in the Amish church is something I still need to consider , Rosa told herself. I’m sure it’s the only way Dad will ever fully accept me.

Rosa still missed some things about the English world, like electricity and the opportunity to drive a car and wear more stylish-looking clothes.

But clothes weren’t everything, and there were also some nice things about living the Amish way, such as the community spirit of the church people and a quiet, more simplified way of daily living.

When any church member needed help, they could count on others to pitch in as needed.

That was not always the case among those outside the Plain communities.

Rosa had seen it in her travels. Yet until she’d gotten pregnant, she hadn’t seriously considered returning home and joining her father’s church.

If I do become a church member and raise my baby in the Amish lifestyle, will the child be better for it?

Rosa moved away from the mirror. Guess I should stop thinking so much and take one day at a time.

It’s not good to think too far ahead anyway.

So many unexpected things can occur that a person has no control over.

Rosa turned off the battery-operated light that had been placed on the bathroom vanity and left the room.

Downstairs in the kitchen, Rosa found Tena at the sink, rinsing several red-skinned potatoes she’d probably retrieved from the root cellar. No doubt they were some that Mom had grown in her garden this summer, because it wasn’t likely that they had come from the grocery store.

“Where’s Mom?” Rosa asked her sister. “Is she in her sewing room?”

Wearing a somber expression, Tena turned from her job at the sink to face Rosa. “Alvin got hurt while sledding in the schoolhouse yard this afternoon, and Mom and Dad are at the hospital with him.”

Rosa’s mouth went dry. “Oh my! How serious are his injuries?”

“I checked the phone shed a short time ago, and there was a message from Dad. He said Alvin has a concussion and a broken arm.”

“Oh no! I’m so sorry to hear that. Do you know how long he will be at the hospital?”

“Dad said they are keeping him overnight, and Mom’s gonna stay there with him. Dad should be coming home soon, and I’m sure his driver will stop and pick up Susan too. Since Norman has his own driver, he’ll probably go home and give Salina the news.”

Rosa drew in a deep breath and released it. “Thank the Lord our brother’s injuries aren’t any worse. Even though Alvin has been hurt, with some time and proper care, I’m sure he will heal and be right back to his playful self.”

Tena nodded. “Jah, you can’t keep our little bruder down very long.”

Rosa thought about Anthony and wondered if she ought to make a trip to the phone shed to let him know about Alvin.

It had been obvious during Anthony’s stay here that he’d taken an interest in her young brother.

She’d known that the feeling was mutual, because Alvin had hung on Anthony’s every word.

But even if I did let Anthony know , Rosa thought, there’s nothing he can do about Alvin’s injuries, and since he is not coming back here and will never be a part of this family, there’s really no point in calling him. I’ll just let the idea go and get busy helping Tena fix supper.