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Another thought popped into Ada’s head. It’s a shame that Ephraim wasted so many months pining for Rosa and hoping for her return.

If he’d known that she was alive and had married a good-looking English fellow, I bet he would have set his feelings for Rosa aside much sooner and maybe seen me in a different light right away.

Well, better late than never, Ada told herself.

At least he will soon be my husband, not hers.

Ada carried the pot of mums over to another area where more fall flowers had been displayed and set it down.

I wonder if Ephraim knows Rosa is back in town, and if so, what was his reaction?

I think I’ll go over to the harness shop to see him when I get off work this afternoon.

If he hasn’t heard about his ex-girlfriend’s unexpected return, he will need to be told.

It would be a shock if Ephraim didn’t find out until the day of our wedding.

I can’t imagine what he would think when he looked out at the group of people there and saw Rosa sitting in the area reserved for English guests, with a handsome, curly-haired man sitting beside her.

As soon as they got into his car, Anthony looked over at Rosa and said, “I’m hungry. Where’s a good place we can go to get some lunch?”

“There’s the Taste of the Valley, which my mother mentioned had recently been renamed the Pinewood Café. They serve soups, salads, and sandwiches. Or at least they did when I lived here.”

“Any place else you would recommend?”

“There’s also Richie’s. It’s a family restaurant and pizzeria.”

“Let’s try there. It’s always good to check out the competition.”

Rosa rolled her eyes. “Your folks’ restaurant is in New York, silly. So Richie’s hardly qualifies as competition.”

He gave her a thumbs-up. “Point well taken. Even so, I’d like to check the place out and see how good the food is there.”

“Okay, that’s fine with me. Just head back the way we came, and we’ll see it on Main Street. While we’re eating, I’ll fill you in on what to expect from an Amish wedding.”

As they sat at a table inside Richie’s, waiting for their Sicilian deep-dish pizza, Rosa decided this was a good time to bring up Ada and Ephraim’s wedding, because it was only fair that Anthony should know what to expect during the service.

She took a drink of water and cleared her throat. “About the wedding service we’ve been invited to attend … it’s nothing like a traditional English wedding.”

“I figured it would be different, but I’m not sure how,” he responded.

“For one thing, the bride does not wear a fancy white wedding dress. She’ll be dressed in her modest Amish clothes, much like she would wear to church. The groom will wear similar attire to what he’d wear in a church service too.”

“Where will the wedding be held?” Anthony questioned.

“Ada said it would be at her parents’, which means it will most likely take place in her father’s shop, or perhaps the basement of their home, which is quite large.”

He leaned forward with both elbows on the table. “I see.”

Rosa paused to take another drink. “There’s no music or fancy decorations, and the bride does not walk down the aisle.

The couple will walk in together, along with their witnesses—they will each have two—and then they all will be seated near the center of the room, with the bride and her witnesses facing the groom and the men he’s chosen. ”

“Interesting.”

“Also, the three-hour service is similar to one of our regular church services, with singing, scriptures, and sermons preached. The emphasis of those messages will be on the topic of marriage, and the bishop, who in this case will be my father, delivers the final sermon before the bride and groom stand before him to acknowledge their vows.”

“After that he probably pronounces them man and wife, and the groom kisses the bride. Right?”

Rosa shook her head. “There are no kisses, or even a hug. Once the bishop gives his pronouncement, the bride and groom return to their seats for the remainder of the service.”

Anthony tapped his knuckles against the tabletop. “Hmm … that all seems pretty strange to me.”

“I figured it would, because you didn’t grow up in an Amish home.”

“Yeah, thank goodness. Don’t think I’d do well with all those strange customs, and if I were getting married, I’d want music and would definitely want to kiss my bride.” Anthony wiggled his dark brows, causing Rosa to feel the heat of a blush.

“I’m sure you’ll enjoy the lavish meal served after the wedding, though. There’s no way anyone in attendance could leave there hungry.”

His thumped his belly. “Speaking of which … where’s our pizza? I’m starved.”

“I think it’s ready right now.” Rosa gestured to the pizza being carried out to their table.

After describing a traditional Amish wedding to Anthony, she was glad he hadn’t protested and said he wouldn’t go.

Her biggest concern now was how it would feel to watch her best friend marry the man who had once proposed marriage to her.

Allensville, Pennsylvania

From the back room of the harness shop, where Ephraim was working with his father’s other employee, Noah, Ephraim heard the bell above the front door ring, indicating that a customer had come in.

“Want me to get that?” Noah asked.

“No, that’s okay.” Ephraim gestured to the leather harness Noah had been working on. “You can finish up with that, and I’ll go see who came in.”

When Ephraim entered the front part of the building, he was surprised to see Ada waiting by the counter.

The sunlight streaming in through the nearby window made her light brown hair appear almost golden, and his breath caught in his throat.

No matter how many times he saw his bride-to-be, Ephraim never tired of looking at her pretty face.

But it wasn’t just Ada’s beauty that had captured him.

It was her sweet demeanor, her sensitivity, and the way she cared about others.

“Well, this is a surprise,” he said, eagerly stepping up to her. “What brings my soon-to-be bride here this afternoon?”

She looked up at him and smiled, although it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “I came to see my soon-to-be groom. There’s something important I need to talk to you about.”

He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Is anything wrong?”

“Not wrong, exactly—just unexpected, and a bit disconcerting.”

His brows furrowed. “What’s up?”

“Rosa’s back. She came to the greenhouse earlier today to see me.”

Ephraim blinked several times as a chill ran up his back. “Seriously?”

“Jah. All this time she’s been gone, she was perfectly fine, and yet no one heard a word from her.”

He drew in a deep breath and let it out in a rush. “What was her excuse for running off and not telling anyone where she was?”

“She didn’t really offer an excuse, but she did apologize.”

“We all thought something bad may have happened to her, and that she might even be dead.” Ephraim’s muscles quivered as he held his palms tightly against his thighs.

“There’s more,” Ada said.

He tilted his head in her direction. “Oh?”

“Rosa is married to an English fellow, and he wears a black leather jacket and has a head full of dark, curly hair.”

“Did she tell you that?”

“She told me she was married, and she didn’t need to describe her husband because he was with her.” Ada reached over and clasped Ephraim’s hand. “I told her about us, and I hope you don’t mind, but I invited them to our wedding.”

Ephraim’s face heated until it felt as warm as if it had been a hot summer day. “What? Why would you do that, Ada?”

“Well, because I felt an obligation, since she and I were good friends for so many years, and you—”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I was her boyfriend who she didn’t want to be with, and then when she disappeared, many people, especially her brother Norman, blamed me for her disappearance.

” Ephraim’s eyes narrowed into tiny slits.

“If you had consulted with me first, before extending an invitation to Rosa to attend our wedding, I would have said no.”

Tears formed in Ada’s eyes, and she sniffed. “I … I’m sorry, Ephraim. I was caught off guard and blurted it out before taking the time to think it through. If you prefer, I’ll get ahold of Rosa and tell her that it would be best if she and her husband didn’t come to the wedding.”

Feeling overcome with sympathy for this special woman whom he loved so much, Ephraim pulled Ada into his arms and gently patted her back. “No, don’t do that. It would be rude, and Rosa might start a round of gossip about us.”

“I don’t think she would do that.”

“She ran off without telling anyone where she was going, didn’t she? I wouldn’t put anything past Rosa Petersheim—or whatever her last name is now.”

“It’s Reeves, and her husband’s first name is Anthony.” Ada paused. “Oh, and there’s one more thing.”

“What would that be?”

“Rosa and Anthony are expecting their first baby.”

Ephraim’s muscles tensed. He needed to calm down but couldn’t seem to help himself. “Well, good for them. I hope they’ll be as happy as you and I will be when we start our family.”