An Amish Country Christmas by Naomi Charlotte; King Hubbard Page A

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     keeping one or both of them interested. They did everything together, it seemed. “I’ve
     been wantin’ to start up my own auctioneering business, like I’ve told you. And if
     I had you girls to help me with the clerkin’ and the organizin’, we could do a bang-up
     business, the three of us.”
    Their eyebrows rose in unison. One stopped raking the soiled hay from the stalls and
     the other quit filling the water troughs. “You mean, like, moving to Willow Ridge?
     Finding a place to live and—”
    “Are we talking a job that pays? Or just being there to help you out, Bram?”
    “Of course I’ll pay you!” he assured them. “I’ve got enough connections with fellows
     who set up estate sales and livestock auctions to make a gut go of it. But I’ll need somebody who can make my calls for me, and print up the bills
     of sale, and run a lunch wagon and—”
    Again their eyebrows rose. “So you’re talking about a full-time thing? Where we won’t
     be living at home?”
    “ Jah , now’s your chance to get out and see something of the world, before you join the
     church,” Bram continued earnestly. “You might even decide the Old Ways aren’t your
     ways. I admit I’m on the verge of jumpin’ the fence myself because this religion just
     isn’t feelin’ like a gut fit for me. If we stick together—”
    “You’re saying Nate won’t be in on this plan?”
    Bram suspected it was Martha talking, and she’d brought up another subject he had
     to handle carefully. But he couldn’t help feeling excited. His future seemed to be
     unfolding even as he was discussing it with these two bright, personable girls. Folks
     at sales would take to the attractive Coblentz twins immediately. They were hard workers—resourceful—with
     a good sense of humor. “Nate will always be my brother,” he pointed out. “His trainin’
     business takes him to livestock sales sometimes, and that’ll keep us connected. I
     can’t speak for him, understand, but mostly he’ll be goin’ his way and I’ll be goin’—”
    “But if you jump the fence, you’ll separate yourself from your whole family. They
     won’t be as likely to spend time with us if we’ve left the Old Order,” Martha pointed
     out.
    “And I can’t see us causing that sort of split here,” Mary said in a rising voice.
     “We have our tough talks now and again, but I’m not ready to break Mamma’s heart by
     telling her I’m leaving the church—”
    “And if she gets wind of this idea that you want to look after both of us, while working
     mostly amongst English, away from Cedar Creek,” Martha went on, “well, that’s sounding
     mighty radical to me.”
    “Living in sin. That’s what Mamma and Dat would call it.”
    Bram felt his new future—a wonderful opportunity for independence—slipping away with
     each word they said. “But it wouldn’t be that way!” he insisted. “Our families aren’t
     gonna pitch us out like this manure we’re shovelin’. I’d be sure you girls had a nice
     place to stay, and—”
    “Oh, that’ll be a sticking point, for sure and for certain.” Martha gripped her rake,
     leaning on it as she held his gaze. “If you’d be payin’ the rent, that would make
     it pretty much your place, to come and go as you pleased—”
    “And to do whatever else you wanted with us,” Mary said with a firm shake of her head.
     “You’d best head on back to Willow Ridge, Bram. I’ll not ruin our Christmas by breaking
     this idea to the parents. I’ll gather your things together and tell them you’ve decided
     to spend the day with your family—”
    “And I’ll hitch Felix to your buggy,” Martha said as she went to the back wall where
     his tack was hanging.
    Bram’s jaw dropped. Just that fast these girls had sent him packing. “But—”
    “ Jah , your butt is cute and fun to have around,” Mary remarked ruefully.
    “But your wild ideas will get us in big trouble,” her sister