A Christmas Bride in Pinecraft (16 page)

Beverly looked so upset, Eric reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “So, what's going to happen now, Officer?”

“They're staying in a temporary home tonight. But a family here in Sarasota knows the boys. They've asked to look after them both until everything gets sorted out.”

“Who is taking them in?” Eric asked. “Can you tell us?”

“I probably shouldn't, but Pinecraft is such a tight-knit community everyone will know within an hour. Jay and Emma Hilty are taking them in.”

“My goodness. They are newlyweds. I must say I'm surprised,” Beverly murmured.

Officer Roberts smiled. “I was caught off guard, too. But then Jay told me that he thought they might be a good fit. He's currently raising six kids and they have a big house. It seems that one of his boys knows Peter and has been worried about him. Their youngest son, William, knows Josiah, too.”

“I know Jay and his boys. They stayed here before they moved
to their farm,” Eric said. “I can see Jay being concerned and wanting to help.”

“Beverly, there's a lot of information to sort through in order to make the right decision for both you and the boys. The law says we can arrest Peter and charge him for vandalism and theft. He's admitted it, so he could get fined.”

“But because he doesn't have any way to pay those fines, he'll get put in juvie,” Eric said. His stomach tightened as he remembered his first night there. He'd been so scared.

“Maybe,” Roberts allowed.

Just imagining how being incarcerated would affect an Amish boy for the rest of his life made Eric feel sick. “We can't let that boy go to jail, Bev.”

“You're right.” Beverly was already shaking her head. “We canna do that. What is the other option?”

Officer Roberts stared at her. “I was thinking that Peter could come over here and apologize for what he put you through. Then, maybe we could come up with a contract together, one that would ensure he'd pay you back the money that he owes you—both the money from the lockbox and the money to replace the broken window and lamps.” He hesitated, then added, “But he wouldn't be arrested.”

Beverly's eyes were swimming with tears. “I can't believe he was so desperate that he broke into the inn because he needed money to feed his brother.”

“It seems to me that he's already been suffering a lot,” Eric said.

Officer Roberts nodded slowly. “I was thinking the same
thing. I don't usually get emotionally involved. But this one got to me, you know? Poor kids.”

“Did you get hold of their father yet?” Eric asked.

“No. But I have to tell you that part of me hopes we don't find him for another week or two. Those boys deserve a couple of nights in a warm house with some good meals. Jay and Emma Hilty are going to give them that.”

“What do you want to do, Beverly?” Eric asked. “I do feel sorry for those boys, but I won't ever forget how shaken up you were. You are the victim here.”

“Eric's right,” Officer Roberts said. “There is nothing wrong with seeking retribution.”

She shook her head. “
Nee
. I don't want retribution. If I've learned anything since the robbery, it's that I have a lot of blessings in my life. I have friends to lean on, I have savings in the bank to pay for crises, and I am stronger than I thought I was. I'd much rather hope and pray that something good will come from this whole situation. I have to think that God planned it this way so I would remember my blessings, but also so that something good would happen for those two boys. I promise, an apology from Peter will be enough.”

“I'll stay in touch then,” Officer Roberts said, and left a few minutes later.

After he was gone, Eric grabbed her hands. “Are you sure you're all right with this?”

She nodded. “I'm going to be just fine.”

“I have to say that you're handling everything well. I'm impressed with how strong you've become.”

“You know what? I didn't think I had become stronger, but I know I actually have,” she said with a smile. “I've been able to handle things that I wouldn't have even a year ago.”

“I'm glad. I wonder what changed.”

“That's easy. I now have you. Because I have you to lean on, nothing is insurmountable.”

Her honesty blew him away. “I feel the same way, Beverly. You have become incredibly important to me.”

Actually, he knew exactly how important she'd become.

He'd fallen in love with her.

A
lot had happened over the last couple of days. The whole sequence of events felt amazing to Mark and more than a little too close for comfort.

He'd certainly never anticipated that his
daed
and Emma would have offered to become foster parents to Peter and Josiah!

But now Mark was going to have to face Peter, knowing that he was at least partly responsible for him having to leave his house and being removed from his father's custody. He'd only been trying to help Laura, not trying to get Peter into big trouble.

Mark felt sick inside. Actually, he felt like he was about to throw up.

“Daed and Emma are going to be here any minute, Ben,” he
said. “By now Peter probably knows that I went with Laura to the police station. I bet he's going to hate me.”

Ben sat down on the stoop next to him. Inside, Tricia was reading a book to Lena, Mandy, and Annie. “Peter ain't going to hate you.”

“You can't be sure about that.”

After nudging Mark's arm, Ben said, “You did what you had to do, Mark. There's nothing wrong with that.”

“That's easy for you to say. How would you feel if this happened to you?”

“I have no idea. Stealing money in order to take care of my little brother hasn't happened to me. But then again, I've never had to handle things on my own like Peter had to.”

“I guess that's true.”

“I can say that if things are really as bad as Emma and Daed made it sound, then I would have probably stolen money, too.”

Mark stared at him in surprise. “You really think so?”

“I know so.” After a pause, he said, “That's what love is, don't you think?”

Ben had lost him. “Stealing?”

“
Nee
. What I'm trying to say is that love is everything. It's warm and sweet and good, to be sure. But, well, it's also a powerful motivator. It makes men and women and even kids do things they never thought they would.”

Put that way, Mark thought, maybe Ben had a point. Love—true love—was so powerful that it could override most any other thing, even the desire to follow rules and obey laws.

“You know, I'd do just about anything to take care of Tricia,” Ben said quietly. “I'd do just about anything because I promised
her and God that I would take care of her. And well, I think I would actually do anything to take care of you and William, too. Especially if I thought you were going hungry. You two are my younger brothers.”

Mark knew he would, too. Their little brother, William, was a handful. But he was
their
handful. Without a doubt, Mark knew he would do whatever it took to make sure William felt protected and safe, too. He'd even do things he wasn't proud of—if he had to.

“I'd do anything for you and William, too,” he said at last.

“That's all you have to tell Peter,” Ben said. “Maybe not the minute he gets here. Maybe not even tonight. But if you tell him that you understand why he did something so bad, that you understand what it means to love someone so much that you were willing to sacrifice yourself in order to make sure they eat? Well, I bet there's a good chance that someday, he'll understand why you had to be by Laura's side and help her.”

“I hope he does.”

“I hope so, too. But Mark, if he doesn't, you can't let that bother you. You did the right thing. You couldn't have looked the other way.”

“Are you surprised about Daed and Emma offering to take them in for a while?”

“No. They've both lost people important to them. They know what it's like to grieve. And, well, we do, too.”

Mark never thought he'd ever be even a little glad to have lost his mother, but if it meant that he could help Peter and Josiah, he supposed his
mamm
up in heaven would be happy about that. “It's funny how life works, huh?”

“
Nee
. It's good how life works. No matter how hard it is, the Lord always helps. That makes me feel like we're not alone.” Suddenly Ben grinned. “They're here. Come on, let's go greet them.”

Mark walked slowly down the front steps to where a black SUV had stopped. He watched everyone pile out: Daed, Officer Roberts, Emma, Peter, and Peter's brother, Josiah. He watched Ben shake Officer Roberts's hand and say hi to Peter and Josiah.

“Hey,” Mark said. “Josiah, I'm Mark. Glad to know ya.” And then it was time.

Peter turned his way, his face an expressionless mask. It felt almost as if he were staring right through Mark.

Mark reminded himself that he might have acted the same way. Looking directly at Peter, he said the only thing he could think of that made sense.
“Wilcom.”

Peter blinked. Then, to Mark's surprise, his eyes lit with a new warmth.
“Danke
.
”

T
WO HOURS HAD PASSED
since Officer Roberts had come over and relayed everything to Beverly and Eric. Practically the moment he'd left, one of their guests had needed directions to the mall, then another had had some questions about restaurants they'd read about in a magazine. Almost glad for a reason to push aside her worries, Beverly had efficiently answered questions, drawn maps, and given out her opinion. By the time she'd finished, Eric was on the phone.

She took advantage of the break and the quiet. Walking back to the kitchen, she put on the kettle, unfolded one of her favorite
chamomile tea bags into a cup, and allowed herself to reflect on both the officer's visit and the news she'd learned.

The mystery surrounding the break-in had been solved. But with this news came the reminder that there were so many things far more important than some cash in a lockbox and a sense of security.

Never had she imagined that the robbery would have set off this whole series of events. From the time she'd walked up her street and seen the three police cars, she'd held so many emotions deep inside her. She'd been holding fear and indignation close to her heart. Then she'd felt anger and resignation. Now? She merely felt sad for those boys.

“Are you as stunned as I am?” Eric asked as he entered the room.

Looking at him, she noticed some new lines of tension around his lips. He seemed dazed by the turn of events, too.

“
Jah
,” she replied at last. “I have to admit that almost every evening since the break-in I've gone to bed praying for an answer. I focused so much on this robbery that, to me, it sort of became the most important thing happening in Pinecraft. I'm kind of embarrassed now.”

“You don't have a thing to be embarrassed about. Anyone would feel upset and scared after discovering that their home was robbed.” He opened up her cookie jar, pulled out a plate, and started piling shortbread cookies on it. “That said, I've gotta tell you that I didn't see this coming.”

His words, combined with his tall stack of cookies, made Beverly decide to pour Eric a cup of tea, too. It seemed he could use a little bit of chamomile calm. While he brought the cook
ies to the table, she poured water into mugs, added a spoonful of sugar into each, then followed him to what had become their spot, the kitchen table.

It occurred to her as they did this that it had become routine. They didn't knock into each other or waste conversation asking each other's preferences.

Now, they already knew.

Two minutes later she was holding her favorite mug, letting the warmth heat her hands. Eric had already had two cookies.

They were now able to discuss things.

“So,” she said at last. “Our mystery has been solved.”

“It has.” He shifted, kicked out his bare feet, then crossed them at the ankles. “I'm glad about that.”

“Me, too,” she said around a sigh. “It was awful, not knowing.”

He nodded. “I know you said you forgave that boy, but are you truly okay with how everything was resolved?”

She thought about it. “I am.” Shifting into a more comfortable position, she said, “Eric, when Officer Roberts was telling us about Peter and his brother, all I could think of was how upset I'd been when I first walked inside and saw the mess. I acted like it was the end of the world.”

“Don't be so hard on yourself. And don't forget, you called me as soon as everyone left. Besides, anyone would have felt what you did.”

“Maybe. Or maybe not. Now that I think about how I carried on so much that you took the first flight out, how I had to sleep over at the Kaufmanns' because I was afraid, how I didn't even
want to see new guests because I felt like I'd lost my trust in everyone . . .” She shook her head. “It was a pretty poor response.”

“But this inn has meant the world to you. It's been your refuge since your breakup with your fiancé. Then you clung to it for security after your aunt died.” He smiled softly. “Most recently, you discovered that the inn you thought was yours was actually mine. All of those things are reasons why this place means so much to you.”

It would be easy to let Eric's statement absolve her of her mistakes. But she wasn't going to hide behind excuses. “Eric, while it is true that this inn is mighty special to me, I am still guilty of forgetting about forgiveness and compassion. I was so selfish.”

Shifting again, he shook his head. He reached out and took her hand. “You were not, Bev. What Peter did was not good. Stealing from you was not okay. Breaking a window was not okay. Searching through the rooms, looking for things to pawn was wrong, too.” His voice was firm. Sure. After taking a breath, he added, “That boy did a lot of damage around here. And after? Instead of confessing, he kept his secrets. Who knows, maybe he would have stolen again. I would have.” He grimaced as he let go of her fingers. “I did.”

“He was hungry. He was trying to provide for his brother.”

“I know. But robbing the inn wasn't the right course of action.”

She pressed a hand to her brow. “Those poor boys, afraid to let anyone know that their father had been taking off for weeks at a time.” With a sigh, she looked at him. “Why would a father do that?”

His brown eyes darkened with what she guessed was the same pain and confusion she felt. “I have no idea.”

“And the worst part is that you tried to warn me. You tried to remind me that there are dozens of reasons why someone might rob the inn. But I didn't listen.”

“Bev, I did not warn you about this. I had no idea a hungry teenager was your thief.”

“Eric, you told me about yourself and your brother. You explained that there might be more to the story than I had realized. And there was!”

“Yes, there was, but you didn't know that.” He shifted in his chair. “Kids sometimes make bad choices. I know I did. I know my brother did, and he paid the consequences. Though Peter's intentions were good, what he did was wrong. I hope he realizes that. I hope we're not letting him off too easy.”

“His father left for weeks at a time, leaving him with a little brother to take care of. I think he's already learned that life isn't fair. He's certainly learned the consequences of only thinking about himself.”

“I agree.” He smiled softly then, and she was reminded how he was always on her side. No matter what happened, he had always been her support. And he'd been more than that to her, as well. Eric had become her friend and her confidant. Together over the last year, they'd navigated a rocky relationship, helped several couples with their romances . . . and become very close.

Now, when Beverly looked at him, she didn't just see a handsome man with a devil-may-care attitude. She saw a man who had been through a lot but still found a way to move forward.
Just as important, she saw a man whom she could move forward with.

“I hope they'll spend time with Emma and Jay,” Beverly said. “If anyone can give those boys both love and structure, it's those two. They're such a nice couple.”

“They are. I have a feeling that they'll both bend over backward to give those boys a Christmas they'll always remember, too. Bev, I really think that those boys are going to eventually be all right. They now have a lot of people in town looking out for them.”

“I hope so. I'd love for them to feel less alone now.” She sighed. “Maybe they'll be okay after all.”

“And maybe we will, too.”

She looked at him in surprise. “We will. We have so much to be grateful for this Christmas.”

He tilted his head to one side and studied her carefully. “What are you grateful for?”

Beverly was done hiding her heart. “You.”

“You really are okay, aren't you? You don't want to press charges.”

“
Nee
.” She shrugged. “I never would have believed this, but I think I needed that break-in, Eric. It jarred me. It made me realize that life happens. God doesn't promise us easy lives. Instead, he promises that we'll have obstacles and bumps and pain . . . and glory and beauty and love and mercy. Yes, being robbed was painful. But learning why it happened means more to me than my false sense of security ever did. Something needed to happen for those boys. And if it took this robbery to spur that change, then I choose to be grateful for it.”

“Choose to be grateful. I like that.”

“Me, too. I like the idea of the Lord giving us options.” Looking him in the eye, she finally felt as if she'd laid herself bare in front of him. “For too long I held tight to my pain and let it influence how I lived my life. And though I was tempted to dwell on how upset I was when my fiancé and best friend fell in love behind my back, I made the choice to do something different. I'm really glad about that. It's a blessing.”

“Me, too. And now instead of dwelling on how frightened you were after the break-in, you are choosing to think about two boys' needs instead of your own. That's pretty awesome.”

Beverly grinned. “You know, that's true.”