For Every Season by Cindy Woodsmall

the Amish and on other days you want to stay Amish.” He shrugged. “That’s a gamble I’m willing to take, but as far as you’re concerned, I’m a sure bet. Okay?”
    An overwhelming desire to kiss him rushed through her. “It seems dangerous to give our feelings room to grow if I’m going to stay Amish.”
    “That ship has already sailed, Leah. We like each other.” He shrugged. “I wouldn’t change that for whatever the future holds.”
    “What if you don’t want to hang around long enough for me to decide?”
    “You have too many insecurities. You know that?”
    “Indulge me. I want an answer.”
    He rolled his eyes. “Fine. To paraphrase the words of Simon Peter that we heard in church a few Sundays back—to whom would I go?”
    She couldn’t move. Worse, she couldn’t think of a cheeky retort. “I … uh …”
    He smirked. “I believe I just rendered you speechless.”
    She nodded.
    “I’d better go.” He walked away, and she followed him.
    He opened the door to his truck and turned. “But I hate to leave now, because I’m sure this serene quietness from you will be long gone by the time I get back.” He laughed.
    Was Landon as good as he seemed? If he was, she feared that alone would sway her about leaving the Amish. But should a man be the deciding factor?She’d asked herself that question before, and the answer was still the same—she didn’t think so.
    As Landon pulled onto the road, Leah took a cleansing breath, feeling all her earlier anxiety release its grip. She didn’t have to fret over making the right decision. She could simply live and know that her heart would eventually reveal where she needed to land.
    With that bit of anxiety dispelled, she had to move on to the next bit of drama—calling a meeting. She pulled out a walkie-talkie. “Samuel? Rhoda? Jacob?”
    “Ya?” Each answered, one after the other.
    Leah braced herself. “I know you’re busy, but how soon could you come to the barn for a meeting? We need to talk.”
    “About?” Samuel asked.
    “It’ll wait until you get here.” She figured it wouldn’t take more than half an hour for them to find a stopping point on whatever they were doing and get to the barn. “See you in thirty minutes.” She flicked off the walkie-talkie.
    No point getting into it any sooner than necessary.

SEVEN
    Samuel walked into the office and found Jacob sitting by himself behind the desk, fiddling with a pen. He barely glanced up. Samuel couldn’t ask where Rhoda was or anything about her coming to the office without angering Jacob.
    “Where’s Leah?” Samuel sat, hoping Jacob would answer him.
    Jacob picked up a note. “Went to get some snacks.”
    “Something to appease us. That doesn’t sound too good.”
    Jacob shook his head, letting the note fall to the desk. He wasn’t himself yet, but at least they were talking without arguing.
    The whole situation was foreign to them, but nothing was stranger than how Rhoda was dealing with it. She’d avoided Samuel, perhaps for Jacob’s sake, yet when Jacob had challenged her, she had refused to throw Samuel onto the compost heap as Jacob had. She hadn’t wavered in her friendship for Samuel. At the same time, by moving out of the farmhouse, she’d let Jacob know she was willing to do whatever he wanted of her. Despite Samuel’s humiliation over the last few weeks, he found her method of dealing with the situation interesting. Admirable, really.
    He was desperate to put his energies into making the orchard a success, but his future was in Jacob’s hands. He shifted in his chair. “Did you call the lawyer?”
    “I did.” Jacob bumped one end of the pen and then the other end against the desk in slow, easy movements that belied the simmering distrust in his eyes. “Come hell or high water, I’m not leaving Rhoda again. I don’t care what he wants.”
    Samuel nodded. The last thing he wanted was for Jacob to go away again!But Samuel felt he could now cope better