Sarasota Dreams (22 page)

“Shelley, your order is up.” Mr. Penner smiled. “Want me to bring it over to him?”

She inhaled deeply, squared her shoulders, and forced a smile. “I’ll do it.”

As she took the plate from the pass-through counter, Shelley said a silent prayer for the strength to face Jeremiah. If she hadn’t been so attracted to him, waiting on him wouldn’t be so difficult. And if he hadn’t stayed away from the church for so long, none of this would matter. When he’d made it clear that he was interested in her, fear of losing her heart to the wrong man had forced her to erect a shield of protection.

Shelley carried the plate filled with eggs, ham, and biscuits over to the table where Jeremiah sat alone. “Here you go. Anything else I can get for you?”

He took a sip of his orange juice, set it on the table, and smiled at her, his light-brown eyes sparkling as they crinkled at the corners. “Some coffee would be good. Can you join me?”

“Neh.” She hadn’t meant the word to come out so quickly and with such sharpness. “I mean, I can’t sit down while I’m working.”

“Don’t you get a break?”

“Ya, but I already took it.”

His lips formed a straight line as he nodded. “I understand. Maybe some other time.”

“Maybe.” She took a step back before adding, “I’ll get your coffee. Want cream with that?”

“Yes, please.” The gleam in his eye made her tummy flutter.

She went to the beverage station and poured some coffee into a carafe, but the cream pitcher was empty. Shelley scurried toward the kitchen to get some cream, happy for a chance to gather her thoughts. Jeremiah’s politeness would be stifling if she didn’t know him well. He’d always been such a tease for as long as she’d known him, from back before they’d even started school. They both grew up in the Pinecraft community of Sarasota, a neighborhood of small houses rented by Conservative Mennonite and Amish families. Jeremiah had left the church right after high school and decided not to come back after getting a taste of the outside world. From what she’d seen and heard, he’d completely turned his back on his faith during that time. And now he wanted to come back. Shelley wished she could be so sure of his intentions, but it happened too fast … and at a bad time for Shelley. She didn’t think she could face more heartbreak so soon after Peter announced he was marrying someone else.

On her way to Jeremiah’s table she grabbed a cup from the beverage station, and then she filled it with coffee at Jeremiah’s table and set the carafe down next to it. “Let me know if you need anything else, okay?”

He nodded but didn’t say another word.

Jeremiah watched Shelley as she directed customers to tables after they walked into the family-owned restaurant lined with booths on each side and rows of laminate-topped tables in the middle of the floor. There was very little decor in the dining area to pull his attention away from Shelley. She appeared self-conscious when he talked to her, but her grace and assuredness returned the instant she turned her back on him. No matter what he said or did to show how much he cared for her, she appeared to keep an emotional distance.

As she glided around with ease in her midcalf-length full skirt, he couldn’t help but notice her graceful, fluid movement. The crocheted kapp perched atop her braided chestnut-brown bun showed off her long, elegant neckline, which was devoid of any jewelry. Yes, he was physically attracted to her, but Jeremiah knew her heart was right with God. That alone compelled him to be near her, particularly at this time of his life as he prayed for forgiveness and mercy.

One of the many people who hadn’t accepted Jeremiah when he first came back was Shelley, but she was the one he really wanted to be happy. When Jeremiah first went to Abe to ask for help in coming back to the church, he’d been surprised at the quick acceptance from Abe and a few of the other church members. Shelley seemed pleased at how he’d helped Abe protect Mary from a man who’d tried to harm her, but now she acted like he’d somehow hurt her.

Abe told him it would take some time to win her over, but to Jeremiah it seemed as though that may never happen. He’d been working with some of the other hands tearing down Abe’s old barn to prevent another accident when Abe approached him and said to go pick up some things in town, since Jeremiah still had transportation. He’d traded in the shiny sports car he’d used to impress girls for a barely functional automobile that wouldn’t impress anyone. And he’d donated his stylish clothes to a charity thrift store and embraced the plain wardrobe filled with neutral-tone trousers and shirts.

As Jeremiah was about to get into his car, Abe advised him to stop off at Penner’s Restaurant for breakfast before returning, since they’d be working until sundown. What he suspected Abe wanted was for him to have some face time with Shelley. Now he wondered at the wisdom. Perhaps he needed to make himself scarce for a while, so she wouldn’t get annoyed with him.

He stared down at his nearly empty plate. Ever since he’d started working on Abe’s farm, his appetite had practically doubled.

“Can I get you something else?”

The sound of Shelley’s sweet voice caught his attention. He slowly looked up and met her blue-eyed gaze to see her studying him with concern. He shook his head. “This is already more food than I’m used to.”

Shelley nodded as she glanced at his plate. “Ya, I can imagine. How are you able to be away from the farm so long?”

Jeremiah had to stifle a smile. This was the most she’d chatted with him since Abe and Mary’s wedding. “Abe told me to have a big breakfast while I’m in town picking up supplies.”

“You still drive your car?”

“Yes.”

The look of disapproval on her face told him more than words possibly could.

“So if you ever need a lift somewhere, just call me.”

She shook her head. “I rarely have a need to ride in a car.”

He held up both hands. “I’m just offering rides when you need them.”

Shelley’s long, dark eyelashes fluttered for a moment as she closed her eyes and then opened them, meeting his gaze. She smiled. “Thank you, Jeremiah. Let me know when you’re ready for your bill. I have to go see about my other”—she glanced over her shoulder before turning back—“my other customer.”

The other customer happened to be one of Shelley’s regulars—Blake, a truck driver who stopped off at Penner’s whenever he was in town. The first time she and Mary had seen Blake, they were frightened by the man’s oversized arms and the multiple tattoos he didn’t bother hiding. But he was polite and expressed his appreciation for what he called “good home-cooked food like Mama used to make, rest her soul.” And he’d left a tip bigger than his bill.

“Hi there, Shelley. What’s the lunch special today?”

“Meatloaf, but it’s not ready yet. It should be done in just a few minutes.”

“Okay, then I’ll wait.” He closed the menu, folded his arms, and leaned back in his booth. “Who’s that guy staring at you?”

“Oh, that’s just Jeremiah. He’s an old classmate.” Shelley tried to act nonchalant, but she didn’t think she did a good job of pulling it off.

“Old classmate, huh?” Blake’s laughter was deep and resonant. “Looks to me like he carries a torch for you.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Want me to make him jealous?”

Shelley hopped back from the table. “Neh, that wouldn’t be good.”

“Don’t worry, honey, I’m not gonna hurt you. I might look tough, but that’s just a front. In the line of work I do, I gotta have an image.”

“I know that,” Shelley said with a forced smile. “Would you like something to drink while you wait for lunch?”

“Yeah, I’ll have some sweet tea.”

As Shelley turned toward the beverage station, she caught Jeremiah glaring at her. Blake was right. He was clearly jealous! The look on his face was one she’d never seen on him before, but she recognized it from studying other people.

Jeremiah quickly shoved his plate away, took another swig of coffee, stood, and reached into his back pocket for his wallet. As soon as she delivered Blake’s tea, she brought Jeremiah his bill. Shelley wasn’t short at five-foot-seven, but Jeremiah’s broad six-foot frame made her feel small. He handed her a ten-dollar bill and said, “Keep the change.”

“Thank you.”

He started toward the door but stopped and spun back around to face her. “When do you generally take a break?”

“It varies. Most of the time right after the breakfast crowd dwindles, but I still don’t like to take too long.”

“I’ll remember that.” With a nod, he left.

As soon as the lunch special was ready, Shelley served Blake and waited on customers as they trickled into the restaurant. Shortly after eleven they were fully staffed, so Shelley didn’t have to cover the whole dining room by herself. By noon the place was packed and stayed that way for a solid hour and a half. After Mary had gotten married and moved out to the Glick farm with Abe, Mr. Penner had hired another waitress, Jocelyn. Shelley liked the girl, but she was a bit silly—even for an outsider. Mr. Penner told Jocelyn she wasn’t allowed to dress in clothes that showed too much skin, so she wore short skirts over pants and tank tops over T-shirts. It took more convincing to get her to tone down her makeup, but after Mrs. Penner talked to her, Jocelyn instantly gave up her thick eyeliner and bloodred lipstick. Shelley didn’t know what Mrs. Penner had said to Jocelyn, but it obviously worked.

“So what’s kickin’?” Jocelyn asked once business slowed down.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Anything new happenin’ in your life?”

Shelley slowly shook her head. “No, not much that I can think of. Everything pretty much stays the same for me.” Even if something were happening, Shelley couldn’t imagine sharing it with someone like Jocelyn.

“I’ve got some great news I’m bustin’ to tell someone.” She grinned. “My sister is pregnant with twins.”

“You have a sister?”

“Well, half sister. My mom had her after she left me and Dad.”

“Oh, um …” Shelley wasn’t sure what to say or how to react.

Jocelyn smiled. “She contacted me a few years ago, and we’ve started getting close.”

“That’s very good news,” Shelley agreed. “Children are such a blessing in a marriage.”

“Oh, my sister isn’t married. She’s not sure she’s ready to settle down.”

Shelley let out a gasp. “But why—” She stopped herself from asking what she considered the obvious.

“Oh, I know how you people feel about that, but I thought you’d at least be happy I’m gonna be an aunt.”

“I’m sure you’ll enjoy them very much.” Shelley scurried toward the door to seat some late-arriving customers.

Things had changed around Pinecraft, and Shelley found it quite unsettling. In the past, Mr. Penner would never have hired anyone who wasn’t Mennonite or Amish. But as people moved away or left the church, he’d been forced to bring in outsiders to help out. Even so, not many people were lined up for jobs, so he had to accept anyone who had the slightest bit of experience. His wife said they’d be better off shorthanded, but as good as Shelley was, she couldn’t handle the restaurant alone during the busiest of times. At least Mrs. Penner came around to check on things more frequently now. Mr. Penner had a soft spot in his heart for the downtrodden, regardless of their faith or lack of it. Jocelyn had been unemployed for a long time, and when she’d told him she was a week away from living on the street because her dad wasn’t able to support her anymore, he gave her the job.