The Letters by Suzanne Woods Fisher Page B

them out.”
    The boys let out a whoop. “Think it’ll work?”
    “Will a frog hop?” Jimmy stood and wiggled his eyebrows at Bethany. “I’m known far and wide for my pyrotechnical skills.”

    How could he say something so ridiculous? Why was she even listening to him?
    “Speaking of work,” Jimmy said, “I came by to let you know I’ve heard of a job opening. A good one.” He lowered his voice. “One that does not require the art of deception.” His eyebrows hopped up and down.
    “Where?” she asked.
    “The Sisters’ House.” He took in Bethany’s confused look and explained. “Not too far from here. You would know them from church. They’re a bunch of elderly sisters, living together. They need a little extra help and I thought of you.”
    She knew those old sisters at church. Everybody did. They sat in the front row, looking like a chain of cutout dolls in their starched white prayer caps and matching dresses, all of them nodding off during the second sermon.
    Still, Bethany hesitated. “What kind of help?”
    “Get their house organized. It’s a little cluttered up.”
    Organizing a bunch of little old ladies? She saw herself carrying out chamber pots and hanging wet sheets to dry. And what if they were all cranky like Mammi Vera could be? Older people often got cranky.
    He winked. “Gotta strike while the iron’s hot, if you know what I mean.”
    She didn’t. This fellow’s winking and eyebrow wiggling was scandalous. She had never met anyone as bold and coarse and outrageous as Jimmy Fisher.
    Luke pulled on Jimmy’s sleeve. “Are you gonna blow up them birds?”
    “I’m not blowing up anything. I’m just trying to scare those birds out of Amos Lapp’s wheat field. He wouldn’t even let me take a single shot at them. Said they’re too beautifulto eat. I might disagree, but I always respect my employer’s wishes.”
    “Can we come with you to watch the firecrackers?” Luke asked. Sammy nodded.
    Jimmy looked at Bethany. “Sure, if it’s okay with your big sister. It’s quite a sight to see all those geese take to the sky at one time.”
    “I suppose they can go.” She glared at the two boys. “As long as they promise to stay out of your way.”
    “Maybe you’d like to come too. It won’t take too long. We could talk about your new employment at the Sisters’ House.” There was more eyebrow wiggling.
    Bethany wondered if Jimmy Fisher suffered from facial tics. Or Tourette’s syndrome? She had seen someone with Tourette’s once, over at the Stoney Ridge Bar & Grill. But that particular fellow swore like a sailor and he didn’t wiggle his eyebrows.
    She decided she should go along, just to keep the boys in check.

    Rose didn’t know where the boys had gone, or Bethany either. She was moving the goat and the sheep from the far pasture toward the pen attached to the barn. She waved to Galen, who was exercising a horse in a fenced paddock. A strange sound, like the steady rat-a-tat of a drumbeat, filled the air. The goat and the sheep started to bolt, splitting off into different directions. Galen’s horse reacted nervously, rearing and running in the paddock. Chase barked frantically, trying to get the animals into the pen. Then the air was filled with honking geese.

    Galen ran over to help Rose gather the goat and sheep. “Are you all right?” He scooped up one of the stray ewes in his arms like it was a bag of potatoes and carried it into the pen.
    “Yes,” she said, shielding her eyes against the setting sun, watching the geese overhead. “Just surprised. What was that noise?”
    “Sounded like gunshots.” Galen closed the pen latch and turned to face her. “I’ll help you get those sheep to market this spring.”
    Rose cringed. “I just can’t do it. They’ve become pets for the boys.”
    Galen looked at her with that slightly amused look he often gave her, as if he wondered if she might be a little dotty.
    “I’m thinking about shearing them, though,