Sarasota Dreams (26 page)

Mother accepted the flowers and placed them on the side table without a word. When it was obvious she wasn’t going to do anything with them, Shelley picked up the bouquet. “I’ll put them in some water. Aren’t they pretty, Mother? William picked them just for you.”

Still her mother said nothing. William appeared confused as he was ushered toward his room.

Shelley busied herself with cutting the bottoms of the stems and placing them in a glass they didn’t use often. Her mother didn’t keep vases because she said they were unnecessary and took up valuable space. The sparsely filled shelves could use something new, but her mother didn’t believe in having anything around that wasn’t used often. Although the plain life made sense, there was still room for something fun and interesting.

The house was so quiet Shelley could hear the low murmur of voices coming from the bedroom area. Her father had remained at work even though he was aware of what had happened. Shelley knew he was just as worried as the rest of them, so she wondered why he hadn’t come home.

She puttered around the kitchen for a little while until finally her mother joined her. “William doesn’t understand why I don’t want him to go to work.”

Shelley turned and faced her mother. “Why can’t he?”

Her mother frowned. “Don’t tell me you don’t understand. He had me worried sick.”

“But he’s fine. I’m sure he understands that he shouldn’t wander off like that now.”

“I thought he knew that before.” Mother closed her eyes and shook her head then let out a long-suffering sigh as she looked Shelley in the eye. “We can’t take any more chances with him.”

“What do you plan to do? Keep him home all the time?”

“If I have to.”

Shelley lifted her eyebrows. “And what will that accomplish? Do you think the Lord wants you to live in fear like that all the time?”

“It’s more out of protection than fear. If I know where he is at all times, I’ll never have to worry.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll find something to worry about. You always do.” The instant those words left Shelley’s mouth, she regretted saying them.

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

“Mother, I know you love William. I love him, too. But he can’t live in a bubble all his life. School and work are important to him. He has friends.”

“He can see his friends at church.”

Frustration washed over Shelley as she realized her mother wasn’t about to budge. “What will he do if you can’t take care of him anymore?”

“That’s where you come in,” her mother replied. “Your father and I already thought about this before, and we decided that since Paul left, you’re the logical person to care for your brother.”

“Is that—” Shelley stopped herself before asking if that was why her mother was averse to her being around Jeremiah. Perhaps they thought she’d go off and leave William. She cleared her throat and started over. “You know I’ll always be there for William no matter what, Lord willing.”

“I certainly hope so.”

“Jeremiah was very sweet for taking me to look for William. If he hadn’t, I imagine it would have taken longer for us to find him.”

“Just because Jeremiah happened to be here when William got lost …” Her mother’s voice wandered off as she gazed out the window over the backyard.

Shelley studied her mother for a moment before speaking her mind. “Jeremiah was a big help, and I think we should be grateful that he jumped in and helped without having to be asked.”

“I’d rather not discuss Jeremiah.”

On Saturday the farmworkers finished taking down the last of the old barn. Now that Jeremiah was used to the manual labor, he was able to work without tiring as quickly as he had when he’d first come back. Since Abe was counseling him on issues related to the church, he hung around until everyone else had gone home.

“Seen Shelley lately?” Abe asked.

“Not since we found her brother and brought him home on Wednesday. Her mother still can’t stand the sight of me.”

Abe chuckled. “Mrs. Burkholder is a fair woman. I’m sure she’ll eventually come around.”

“Back when I was a betting man, I would have bet against that.”

“Good thing you’re no longer a betting man.”

Jeremiah nodded. “I have some things I’d like to discuss with you.”

“About Shelley?”

“We can talk about Shelley, but there’s something else that’s bothering me.”

Abe gestured toward a chair on his porch. “Have a seat, and let’s talk.”

Once they sat down, Jeremiah opened up. “Before I decided to come back to the church, I did some things that I’m not proud of.”

“Ya, I know that.”

“There are some things you don’t know.”

Abe turned and looked at him, waiting patiently in silence.

“I took out some big loans that will take years to pay back.”

“You are a hard worker, and you live with your parents,” Abe said. “You’ll pay those loans back in due time.”

“There’s more.” Jeremiah hated sharing everything, but he needed to come clean rather than have Abe find out later. “One of the men I worked with said some unsavory things about a woman I was dating, and I”—Jeremiah sucked in a deep breath—“I punched his lights out.”

Abe tilted his head. “What do you mean by that?”

“I decked him.” Jeremiah paused before clarifying. “I hit him with my fist.”

“That is not good.”

“And I spent three days in jail for unruly conduct.”

Abe shook his head. “I hope the man you hit wasn’t seriously injured.”

“I broke his nose, which is why he pressed charges. Going to jail got me fired from my job, but I found another one.”

“You need to ask the Lord for His forgiveness before you can move on.”

“I’ve asked over and over, but I can’t stop worrying about what happened.”

Abe looked out over his land then turned back to Jeremiah and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “You need to trust that the Lord has forgiven you and move on. If He knows that you have sincere repentance for what you did, He will forgive you. From now on, you are to live as a peaceful man who will do no harm to anyone.”

“That’s what I intend to do,” Jeremiah said. “But what if Shelley and her parents find out?”

“They will come to understand that is part of your past,” Abe said, “and that you are very sorry it happened.”

“If they know about my past, do you think they will they ever trust me?”

Abe shrugged. “Best leave that up to the Lord. He’s the only one who can bring forgiveness.”

“So let’s say they can’t forgive me.”

Abe lifted his eyebrows and nodded. “That’s a possibility.”

Jeremiah knew that Abe was right, but the thought of having Shelley turn her back on him for something he couldn’t change stabbed him in the heart. “I want Shelley to see that I’m the kind of man who will love her and be there for her.”

“Have you shown that yet?”

“I’m working on it. Like when I helped her find William.”

“Just make sure you are doing things for the right reasons and not for some reward, like earning Shelley’s love. She should love you for who you are rather than what you can do for her.”

Abe’s wisdom belied his years. No wonder he managed to prosper during times when so many others failed.

“Thanks, man. You really know your stuff.”

Abe laughed out loud—a rarity since Jeremiah had known him. “I know what the Lord calls me to do, and when I am not sure, I read scripture and pay attention to what He is telling me to do. Everything you could possibly want to know is answered in the Bible.”

Jeremiah stood and stretched his legs. “I need to get back home. I promised my dad I’d help him clear a section of the yard for some tomatoes and peppers.”

“You can bring home anything you need from here,” Abe offered. “We have plenty to share with the workers.”

Shelley’s feet ached from running all over the restaurant. Jocelyn had called in and said she’d be late—and she still hadn’t shown up.

“Shelley!” The sound of Mr. Penner’s voice booming across the restaurant startled her. He was generally fairly calm, but something seemed to be bothering him lately.

“Yes, Mr. Penner?”

“You know I like to keep the ketchup bottles filled.” He wagged his finger toward the booths along the front window. “Those over there are half-empty.”

“I’ll do it right now,” she said.

Shelley skittered around, filling ketchup bottles, checking sugar and saltshakers, and taking orders for the next half hour. When the door opened, she started toward the front until she realized it was Jocelyn.

“Hey there,” Jocelyn said as though she didn’t have a care in the world. “Been busy?”

“Ya,” Shelley said, trying as hard as she could to keep the annoyance from her voice. “Are you here to work or talk?”

Jocelyn made a face. “Don’t get all crazy stressed on me. Give me a chance to put on my apron.”

Shelley took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
Crazy stressed
wasn’t the phrase for what she was feeling. It was more like annoyance that someone wasn’t doing her job and expected to be treated as though she were.

Jocelyn didn’t waste any time getting ready to work. When she came around from behind the wall dividing the kitchen from the dining room, she was ready to take orders. Shelley made her way toward her and whispered an apology. “I should not have taken my frustration out on you.”

“Hey, no problem. I can’t say I wouldn’t be taking your head off if you waltzed in two hours after your shift was supposed to start. So how’s the special today?”

“It’s good. Mrs. Penner made some extra coconut cream pie.”

“Yum.” Jocelyn gave a thumbs-up. “I’ll let everyone know they need to save room for dessert.”

Shelley had mixed feelings about Jocelyn. In spite of her odd hairstyle, clothes, and manner of speech, there seemed to be a sweetness hidden beneath a somewhat crusty exterior. Mr. Penner probably saw that, too, but Shelley doubted Mrs. Penner did, based on the glaring looks the older woman gave the newest employee.

After Shelley’s customers had been served, she let them know she was leaving for the day and that Jocelyn would take care of them. The first few times she’d done that, she’d fully expected Jocelyn to keep her tips. But she’d been surprised each time when she came in the next day and spotted an envelope with her name on it. Inside she’d found a pile of dollar bills, some change, and a note letting her know these were the tips Jocelyn had collected from her tables. At least she was honest.

Some of the local Mennonite and Amish customers seemed disturbed by Jocelyn. Mr. Penner had pretty much shrugged off their comments until he realized he might lose a few customers. He would have eventually said something to Jocelyn, but his wife beat him to it. Shelley had to admit that Jocelyn had toned her style of dress and personality down quite a bit. She wanted to ask Jocelyn what Mrs. Penner had said, but she didn’t want to be rude or nosy. One thing she did notice was that afterward Jocelyn appeared to have the utmost respect for the boss’s wife.

Before Shelley left for the day, Mr. Penner handed her a package. “If you don’t mind, I need to get this to my wife before I come home.”

Shelley took the package and hesitated in order to give him a chance to tell her what was in it. But he didn’t, so she nodded. “I’ll go straight there.”

With a grin, he nodded. “Good girl. Now get on out of here while you have a chance.”

As Shelley reached the door, she waved to Jocelyn. “I owe you big time,” Jocelyn said. “Thanks for covering my tables.”

Shelley smiled but didn’t say anything. On the way to the Penners’, she noticed that the air hung heavy with moisture, even though it hadn’t started raining yet. She glanced up at the sky toward the Gulf of Mexico. A narrow row of dark clouds rolled toward land, so she quickened her step so she wouldn’t be caught in a downpour. By the time she reached the Penners’ house, she’d been splattered with a few large raindrops.

Mrs. Penner yanked the door open before Shelley finished knocking. “Come inside, young lady, before you get drenched.”

Shelley did as she was told. It had been a while since she’d been in the Penners’ house, but nothing had changed—except the absence of Mary. “I don’t want to impose,” she said softly.

“That’s ridiculous,” Mrs. Penner said in her typical stern manner. “Come on into the kitchen. I’ll fix you something to eat. We can talk while the rain blows over.”

Shelley had no idea what they’d talk about, but she followed Mrs. Penner. The aroma of baked sugar, cinnamon, and yeast wafted through the tiny house. Her mouth watered.

“I just made a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls for that truck driver who stops by when he’s in the area. He called Joseph and said he’d be coming over before closing.” She pulled a pan out of the oven, intensifying the smells in the kitchen. “Want one?” She glanced over her shoulder at Shelley. “I have to let them cool for a few minutes before I ice them, but you can wait, can’t you?”

There was no way Shelley could resist once she saw the golden-brown rolls dripping in gooey syrup and dotted with nuts. “Yes, ma’am. I can wait for one of your cinnamon rolls.”

Mrs. Penner laughed. “I thought so. You look like you haven’t been eating much lately. Anything you care to talk about?”