"I am not a child. I know how to take care of the horse," Max mumbled.

Rebecca didn't let Max sidetrack her. She sprayed the sink and cupboard and let him do some thinking.

"And then he asked me to fetch the horse brush and soap. I am not his servant."

"Frankie's coat could use a good brushing," Rebecca said, her cheerful tone sending the message that she wasn't going to be persuaded to feel sorry for Max.

"Frankie is our horse. I can brush him."

Rebecca pinned Max with a skeptical eye. "And how long has it been since you brushed him?"

Max looked away guiltily then stood up. "I'll let that boy muck out the stalls. I am going to brush." He left the bathroom and was halfway down the hall when she heard him say, "I can do a better job than anybody on my own horse."

Rebecca almost laughed out loud. Levi was a genius.

For dinner, they ate outside under the big cherry tree in the backyard.

All but Mamm. Today had been a bad day. Rebecca served her lunch in bed and rubbed her legs while she ate. Mealtime was a challenge. Mamm didn't want to eat. Everything tasted like sawdust, she said-but Rebecca wouldn't let Mamm waste away if she had anything to say about it.

Mamm had not even been aware of Levi's presence. The curtains in her bedroom stayed closed all day to block out the light and help her rest. Rebecca knew she had been very lucky. Mamm's curiosity would not be a good thing.

Levi popped the last of his cheese and mayonnaise sandwich into his mouth and chewed with more enjoyment than the sandwich deserved. "Delicious, Rebecca," he said. "I love mayonnaise."

Rebecca gave him an apologetic smile. "I ran out of tuna fish. And lunch meat. The meal would have been better." What she didn't say was that she had no more money to buy groceries until Fater came home on Friday. The week's food supply was always rather thin because the money for groceries and prescriptions and doctors only went so far. The next two days, her family would eat whatever she could scrounge up from the canned goods in the cellar.

"We never have tuna fish, Rebecca," Danny said. "I love tuna fish."

"Hush, Danny. Finish your sandwich."

Levi frowned but didn't say what he was thinking.

Max sat next to Danny, sullenly eating his sandwich but glancing at Levi from time to time. He'd finished brushing Frankie. He'd even helped Levi spread manure in the corn. Rebecca couldn't remember a day when her brother accomplished so much. Still, he made it clear that the presence of a strange boy on the farm displeased him.

Linda sat close to Levi on the blanket, but he didn't seem to notice. She didn't take her eyes off his face for the entire meal and giggled at every word that came out of his mouth. Rebecca didn't know whether to feel amused or annoyed. Levi acted as if Linda's behavior was an everyday occurrence, and Rebecca had to admit that it probably was. A boy like Levi couldn't escape being fawned over by every silly girl in the vicinity.

The good news was, Linda had run the wash with blinding speed and spent a great deal of time and care in hanging the clothes on the line. One of Max's shirts ended up in the dirt with two or three socks when Linda diverted her attention from the laundry to gaze at the handsome boy repairing the hinges on the barn door. Still, what usually took Linda all day to accomplish was completed before noon. Rebecca couldn't help but be pleased.

Levi gulped down his ice water and handed his glass to Linda. "Could I ask for one more glassful?"

Linda leaped from the blanket. "Jah, I will be right back."

They watched her run to the house.

"Thank you for all your work," Rebecca said.

He shook his head. "No thanks necessary. It's been really fun. I had almost forgotten." He knocked Danny's hat off his head and mussed his hair.

"Hey!" Danny protested before snatching his hat and placing it back on his head.

Levi spread his legs in front of him and leaned back on his hands. "What can I help you with, Rebecca?"

"You have already helped so much."

"I've made a list of things I think need to be done around here," Levi said. "But I want to know what you want done. You run this operation."

"I do not want to impose."

Levi held out his hands. "Impose? What kind of a thought is that? I'm here. Use me."

Rebecca stifled a grin. "I am thinning peaches next."

"I don't know how to do that," Levi said. "You'll have to give me lessons."

Rebecca nodded.

"What else?" Levi said.

Sighing, Rebecca recited her list. "Garden weeded, peaches thinned, bathrooms finished, furniture dusted, lamps and propane tanks filled."

Levi threw back his head and looked to the sky. "I'm almost sorry I asked."

"Jah, I knew you would be."

Levi tossed a crumb of bread at Max's head. Max looked up with lidded eyes. "What?"

"Have you guys ever used a power sprayer?" Levi said.

Max took another bite of his sandwich. "What is it?"

"It shoots a stream of water out of a hose and washes stuff down really good," Levi said. "Next week I'll borrow my friend's power sprayer and we'll spray the peeling paint off the barn."

"What good will that do?" Max asked.

"You are coming next week?" Rebecca said.

"Then we can put a new coat of paint on that barn."

"That sounds fun," Danny said. "What would the bishop think if we painted it a crazy color like orange?"

"It looks like it used to be white," Levi said.

"I like blue," Max said.

Levi sobered and studied Rebecca's face. "Do you think you can get some paint? It's expensive."

Rebecca blushed. "Jah, my uncle is in construction. He can get some for cheap. Or he might have some left over from a job."

"Okay," Levi said, brightening. "You pick the color, and we'll get it ready for painting next week."

Linda came back with the water for Levi. "You want to paint the barn?"

"Fater will be so happy," Danny said.

"That's why we don't want him to know anything about me or the power sprayer," Levi said, winking at Rebecca. "He's got to be completely surprised."

"Okay," agreed Danny.

Levi pinned Max with a stern look. "And you?"

"I won't tell," Max said.

Linda smiled flirtatiously. "Me either."

Levi leaned back on his elbows. "There are several side boards that need repair. I can help Max with those. You probably know that barn better than anybody, Max."

Max didn't look happy about being drafted for a job, and he nodded grudgingly. "Jah, okay."

Levi jumped up and clapped his hands together. "Do you guys like McDonald's?"

That got Max's attention. "The hamburger place?"

"Yes," said Levi. "How about I go get McDonald's for supper tonight?"

"Oh, sis yuscht!" Danny yelled. "I have only eaten there once."

Rebecca felt the blood drain from her face, and she hung her head. "We cannot afford-"

"My treat," Levi said, taking her hand and pulling her up from the blanket. "But," he said, "I buy only if Danny and Max weed the garden before supper."

Max groaned, but Danny jumped up and down like the twelveyear-old he was. "Come on, Max. Let's go, let's go."

"And Rebecca has to approve your work," Levi said. "So do a good job."

Danny was halfway to the toolshed when Max slowly stood and brushed the crumbs off his pants. He pointed an accusing finger at Levi. "You do not have to trick me into doing work. I would have weeded anyway."

With all the bravado he could muster, Max walked away from Levi and yelled at Danny to fetch him some gloves and a hoe. Levi smiled and winked at Rebecca, who couldn't help a soft giggle escaping her lips. Max didn't know it, but up against Levi, he was fighting a losing battle.

Chapter Thirteen.

Just after five o'clock Levi appeared in the lane, carrying three large McDonald's bags. Rebecca watched from her place at the window as Danny, whooping and hollering, ran to Levi and took one of the bags from him. Levi grinned and, catching sight of Rebecca at the window, raised the bags in triumph as he approached.

Rebecca still puzzled at his behavior. Surely Levi had better things to do than slave away at the Miller farm all day. He had repaired the lawn mower, fixed the hinge on the barn door, mucked out the stalls, cleaned and oiled the buggy, patched holes in the barn siding, thinned peaches, and helped to weed the garden-all this on top of the chores he had convinced Linda and the boys to finish. Never had so much work been done in a single day. Rebecca wanted to weep for joy. Perhaps she would get to bed before midnight.

She ran outside with the picnic blanket and spread it on the lawn. Max and Linda must have been watching for Levi because they appeared in the yard before she even called them. Levi grinned as he clutched his bags of food.

"We're eating outside again?" Max said.

"Jah," Rebecca said, kicking off her shoes and sinking to the blanket. "Then the kitchen will stay clean."

That was true. No dinner dishes was good reason to eat out on the grass. But outdoor dining also meant Mamm wouldn't catch a whiff of the five large cartons of french fries.

Rebecca had made Mamm some potato soup and served it to her before Levi's return. Mamm wasn't expecting McDonald's.

Levi knelt on the blanket and pulled food from the bags the way the Englisch Santa might pull gifts from his red sack.

"Who wants a Big Mac?" Levi said.

"What is it?" Danny asked.

Levi's eyes got big. "A Big Mac is like food from heaven," he said. "Two meat patties and cheese. The best."

"I'll have a Big Mac!" Danny yelled.

"Here," Levi said, pulling another burger and fries from the bag. "Max, you take a Big Mac too. You'll love it. And I bought enough fries so everybody could have their own. My sister and I used to fight over who ate more than their fair share. It was usually me."

Max took the burger, trying hard to hide his eagerness. Linda chose a chicken sandwich.

Levi handed the bag to Rebecca. "You get everything else," he said.

"Ach, no, Levi. Do you think I am a pig?" Rebecca took some fries and a double cheeseburger and gave the bag back to Levi. "Two more burgers in there," she said. "You have them."

Smiling, Levi pulled out another Big Mac and rolled the top of the bag down. "To keep that last burger warm," he said. "When you're ready to eat it."

Danny stuffed about ten french fries into his mouth at once while attempting to talk. "I lub fffench fies," he said.

"Not so fast, Danny," Rebecca said. "You'll choke."

Max polished off his burger in about seven bites. "Is there any more?" he said.

Rebecca grabbed the sack with the extra burger. "You can have this."

Levi tried to snatch the bag from her hands. She giggled and passed it to Max.

"One of us must go hungry, I suppose," she said.

Levi produced the third bag from behind him. "Never fear, I brought dessert." He dumped the contents into the center of the blanket. Five apple pies and five boxes of cookies.

Danny screamed with glee and grabbed one of each.

"Careful," Levi said, "the pies are hot."