Rebecca's Bouquet Read Online Free

plain-looking wooden-framed house built by her great-grandfather, and Old Sam, disappeared.
    William turned to her. A worry crease crept across his forehead. The cleft in his chin became more pronounced. “Rebecca, your dad’s right. I should have made you stay. The last thing I want to do is create tension between you two.”
    â€œIt wasn’t your choice. As far as my father’s concerned. . .” She gave a frustrated shake of her head. “I don’t like displeasing him either. On the other hand, it’s not right for me to stay here and send you off to save Daniel’s shop all by yourself.” She shrugged.
    In silence, she thought about what she’d just said. She nervously ran her hand over the smooth black leather seat.
    â€œYou can adjust the air vents,” Ethan announced, turning briefly to make eye contact with her.
    She was thankful she didn’t have to travel to the Indiana countryside by horse and buggy. She rather enjoyed the soft, barely audible purring of the engine.
    Next to her, she eyed the cardboard and pulled out the mini hope chest, setting the box on the floor. She smiled a little.
    â€œOld Sam is something else.” William’s voice was barely more than a whisper.
    â€œJah. I can’t wait to tell him about our trip.” Rebecca giggled. “I’ll miss listening to him grumble while he works in the barn. I enjoy watching him make those elaborate chests that he sells to the stores in town.”
    William gave a small nod. “He loves you three girls.”
    â€œThank goodness that Annie and Rachel will be around to keep him company.”
    The three friends had loved Esther. Now they took care of Old Sam. He was like an uncle to them. But Rebecca was leaving the world she knew. Would she fit in with the English?

Chapter Two
    The week had passed quickly. In the cabinet shop, Rebecca worked with William. She was no stranger to this trade. The large assembly building behind the Conrad home was ten times larger than Rebecca’s parents’ small woodworking shop. Fans whirled from the high ceilings, creating a whistling sound.
    Sawdust floated in the air. Electric saws made sharp, piercing noises. Half a dozen workers completed different tasks at their own stations. Rebecca enjoyed the airy feel created by the large skylights in the roof. She loved sunlight.
    From an early age, her father had taught her well. She’d done every job from running the cash register to measuring drawers. Rebecca had even known Daniel’s father.
    When the Conrads lived in Arthur, their shop was only two blocks from her parents’. They hadn’t really been competitors, though. There had always been plenty of work to go around since each of the businesses focused on a different product.
    Rebecca glanced at the beautiful, expensive furniture and smiled a little. Her father had never rushed orders. Instead, he had invested pride into his work and had aimed for perfection. Detail was the key to success. Custom furniture was a sharp contrast to assembly-line products.
    Obviously, the two men operated alike. The showy pieces ready for delivery spoke for themselves. She and William had accomplished quite a bit and had come up with a plan to get Daniel’s backlog of orders processed.
    She wore tennis shoes. They didn’t exactly flatter her in her long dress, but she was here to work, and Daniel had an order list several pages long.
    Stations were spaced throughout the large room. At the staining area, Rebecca ran a cloth over an oak board. A few feet away, William put together delivery orders.
    Rebecca’s large cabinet glistened with cherry-colored stain. With pride, she smiled and stepped over to William to display her finished piece.
    He put down what he was doing and whistled. “It’s gorgeous, Miss Rebecca. You’ve always had a special knack for making cabinets. Only you can apply the stain to make the wood take on that