The Caregiver - By Shelley Shepard Gray Page 0,68

the decision, he held out his hand. “I wish the best for you both.”

Stepping forward, Will shook his hand. “Danke.”

“So . . . I should go find my mother. You know, there’s no telling what she’ll put in her cart.”

Will’s eyes sparkled. “Probably a gut idea.” He rocked back on his heels. “See you at church?”

“Of course.”

After a nod, Will turned around and disappeared through the doors of the store. Leaving Calvin feeling like a load had been lifted from his shoulders. He now almost believed that time really did heal all wounds.

Chapter 25

All day women had bustled around the Lapps’ kitchen, making casseroles for the coming week, but now, it seemed, most had left. Of course, they’d also left a bit of a mess.

Mentally, Lucy figured she had just under an hour to get the kitchen to rights before Mattie and Aunt Jenna returned. But when she went back to her aunt’s kitchen, Lucy skittered to a stop.

Gwen was still there.

It was tempting to turn back around, but of course, that wasn’t the right thing to do. She had come to Mattie’s home to help, and that’s what she had done.

With that in mind, Lucy stepped forward. “Thank you for staying a little longer.”

“I don’t mind. As I told Mattie, I want to help in any way I can.”

“I don’t mind at all,” Lucy replied. “There’s so much to do.”

“And no one in the Lapp family ever asks for help.”

“I’ve thought that same thing,” Lucy said, sharing a smile with the other girl.

Well, maybe she was finally going to be able to cast away her wariness around Gwen. Breathing deep, Lucy gave thanks for Psalm 51: Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Yes, it truly wasn’t her place to judge what had happened between Gwen and Calvin. She needed to keep that in the forefront of her mind, above all else.

Gwen looked up from the orange she was sectioning. “So many people have brought Jenna and Mattie fresh fruit, I thought I’d make a fruit salad.”

“I’ll help you, if I may.” After washing her hands and claiming one of Jenna’s paring knives, Lucy took her place beside Gwen and started slicing strawberries. “Mattie should enjoy this,” she said after a moment. “She likes fruit salad very much.”

“She always took care to tell me that she got oranges at Christmas,” Gwen murmured. “I hope she still likes them.”

“Mattie told me some things don’t taste like they used to. But we can only try, I suppose.”

Gwen frowned. “Yes, that is all we can do.”

Looking for a happier topic, Lucy said, “I heard that you will be getting married soon.”

“Yes.” She added quickly, “Have you met Will?”

“I’m sorry, I have not.”

“I’ll look forward to introducing you to him, then.” She paused. “He’s a gut man.”

“I’m happy for you.”

Gwen set her knife down. “I’m glad to hear that,” she said slowly. “I thought perhaps you would be angry at me on Calvin’s behalf.”

Because she’d been tempted to be that way, Lucy knew her cheeks were flushing. “Your relationships are none of my concern. After all, I hardly know Calvin.”

“Really? I had gotten the feeling that you knew each other quite well.”

Gwen was right. Lucy did know Calvin fairly well. But they’d had their moments of confusion, too. “Gwen, if you don’t mind me asking . . . why did you choose Will?”

“I chose Will because he chose me,” she said after a pause. “And we fell in love. And . . . because it is necessary that I marry.”

Ah. There was that mention again.

Lucy gripped the handle on her knife as she recalled her early feelings of duty and responsibility. “I married like that as well.”

Beside her, Gwen froze. “I didn’t know you were married.”

“He died.” Lucy didn’t dare turn to meet her gaze, though. She was afraid if she did, she would never be able to tell her story. And instinctively she knew that the Lord had provided her with this moment with Gwen just for this purpose. “I don’t like to speak of it.”

“Because you miss him too much?”

Oh, but Gwen’s voice had a wistful edge to it. Lucy was almost tempted to let her think that way. It would be easier.

But it wouldn’t be the truth.

“No, that isn’t the reason.” She cleared her throat. “I’m the oldest of six children. My family was having some financial struggles. Moving out and moving on seemed the right thing to do.”

“Those feelings are understandable.”

Lucy felt her