A Husband For Mari (The Amish Matchmaker 2) by Emma Miller

alone for a few minutes, she started trying to reestablish the piles according to size. Once she got the piles back in order, she wondered if she ought to go look for Zachary. She hadn’t seen him since he’d spied ’Kota when he’d scrambled down out of Rebecca’s husband’s buggy and ran off after him.
    “There you are, Mari!”
    Mari looked up from where she kneeled on the floor in the middle of piles of coats to see Rebecca Yoder standing in the doorway, a rosy-cheeked toddler in her arms.
    “Have you been stuck in here all this time?”
    “No, I grabbed a cup of tea earlier. And I don’t mind,” Mari assured her. “I like being able to help out.”
    “I really am glad you decided to join us today.”
    Mari held a little navy blue quilted jacket in her hands. “It was nice to be invited. I’ve met so many people that my head is spinning.” She chuckled as she folded the garment.
    Upon her arrival Mari had met Ruth, Miriam and the youngest of the sisters, Susanna, all redheads like Anna and Rebecca, and all with their mother Hannah’s likable disposition. Leah, according to Anna, was serving as a missionary and teacher in Brazil. There was another sister, Johanna, who was expected later.
    “So it looks like you’re settling in nicely.” Rebecca shifted the baby to her hip. “I heard from Addy that you’re doing well at the shop.”
    Mari set the little coat in a growing stack and reached for another. “I really like it there. Everyone has been so pleasant. Not just at work.” She glanced up at Rebecca, suddenly feeling very emotional. Sara had written to her about Seven Poplars, but never in her wildest dreams had Mari imagined it would be so nice. “Everywhere I go, people are so kind and welcoming.”
    “I’m so glad. You know, I saw you talking with James Hostetler last night before you joined us in the kitchen.” Rebecca cut her eyes at Mari and smiled as if she knew some secret. “A very handsome, eligible man, that James Hostetler. He seemed very interested in your conversation. Interested in you .”
    Mari picked up another coat off the floor. “James is...very nice. I know him from Sara’s. He’s building her addition, so we see a lot of each other,” she explained, wondering why she felt the need to explain.
    “I see.” Rebecca drew out the last word.
    When Mari dared a glance up at Rebecca, she was still smiling.
    Then she gave a wave of dismissal. “Oh, I’m just teasing you, Mari. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
    “I...I’m not,” Mari managed, still feeling the heat of a blush on her cheeks. “James has been very kind to me...to us. To my son and I. He... I think he’ll be a good friend.”
    “A good friend, yes,” Rebecca repeated, her tone still teasing. Her baby began to fuss, and she moved him to her shoulder. “You want me to take over here?”
    “No,” Mari said. “I’m fine. I’m determined to get these piles in order.”
    “Okay, well, give me a holler if you need help.” She peered into the baby’s face. “I think this one is hungry again.”
    After Rebecca left the room, Mari turned to pick through a pile of coats too worn to be handed out. She came upon a familiar gray hoodie in the pile of blue denim coats. Zachary’s hoodie. What in the world? He must have slipped in and out again when she’d been in the kitchen having a quick cup of tea with the Yoders when she first arrived. She was holding it up, wondering what he was wearing, when she heard a familiar male voice.
    “Hey! I didn’t expect to see you here.”
    She looked up to see James standing in the doorway holding the hand of a small boy in a black hat and blue denim jacket identical to his. Her first thought was one of fear. He must have passed Rebecca in the hallway. Had he overheard them talking about him? “James.”
    “My nephew Roman,” he introduced him, pointing down at the little boy.
    If he’d heard any of her conversation with Rebecca, he didn’t give any