Simple Deceit (The Harmony Series 2) (3 page)

Abel chuckled.

“Very funny. No, it wasn’t Ida.” I glanced toward the basket. “How’s the baby?”

“She seems fine. I’m grateful you knocked loudly enough for me to hear you. I usually leave by the side door. If she’d been left outside all night…”

“I think the mother was trying to get your attention. Did you hear anyone else at the door?”

Abel rubbed his beard. “To be honest, I did hear something, but I thought it was the old pipes acting up again, so I ignored it. But when I heard a loud banging and you yelling, I came downstairs.”

I sighed. “That was definitely me. Banging, yelling, and falling on my head.”

Abel chuckled. “I missed the falling-on-your-head part. Sorry.”

I grabbed John’s arm and pulled myself up. “Look, I’ve got to get home. Snickle needs to get out of his carrier. The last time I looked, he had his legs crossed. Besides, Sam and Sweetie are waiting dinner for me.”

“I think you need to rest awhile longer,” John said, his handsome face twisted in a frown. His dark eyes showed concern.

“What do you know?” I said teasingly. “You sell meat.”

He laughed. “My advice comes not as a butcher but as a doctor.”

“You
were
a doctor.”

“It wasn’t so long ago I can’t tell pretty girls to take it easy after they knock themselves silly.”

“Do I have a concussion?”

He shook his head. “I don’t see any signs of one, but it wouldn’t hurt for you to drive into Sunrise tomorrow and see the doctor there.”

“How about this,” I said, trying to ignore the pounding in my head. “I’ll drive to Sam’s very slowly. When I get there, I’ll take some aspirin. After dinner I’ll go home and lie down. If I don’t feel better tomorrow, I’ll call the doctor in Sunrise and make an appointment. Will that satisfy your doctor/butcher sensibilities?”

“Yes, I suppose that will have to do. But I really don’t think you should ever use the words
doctor
and
butcher
together. Puts a bad image in people’s minds.”

“I see what you mean.” I grabbed my coat and held my hand out to John. “Thank you for checking me out and cleaning me up. I owe you one.”

After shaking my hand, he picked up the cloth again and wiped my other cheek. “There. Now you’re presentable.” He smiled at me. “I’m just glad you’re back, Gracie. Harmony missed you.”

“Thanks.

I shook my finger at Abel. “If I were you, I’d call Emily. Your
wife is a wise woman. And I’m sure she knows how to change a diaper. From the smell of things, that’s going to get more and more important as the evening wears on.”

He nodded. “She’s on her way. She’s great with babies.”

“Maybe you should call someone else, too. You know, like Child Services.”

Abel’s mouth tightened. “What if this little girl belongs to someone in our congregation? Perhaps the mother will regret her action and come back.” He stared at the now-whimpering baby. “No. Maybe I can find a way to restore this family.”

I reached out and patted his arm. “I guess the person who left this child here trusted you to make the right decision. I’m confident you will.”

His face relaxed and he smiled at me. “Thank you for the vote of confidence. Have I told you how happy I am you’re home?”

I grinned at him. “No, but you’ve had your hands full.”

“Go see Sam. I’ll talk with you tomorrow.”

John stood up. “I’ll walk you downstairs to your car.”

I didn’t want to admit it, but I felt a little woozy. I appreciated his offer and gladly accepted it. I waved good-bye to Abel, but his attention had turned to the baby, who had started to fuss.

“I know he wants to find the mother,” I told John as we walked down the stairs. “But what kind of woman would desert her baby like that? I think it might be better if Child Services was called in. It’s possible the woman who gave birth to that baby isn’t capable of raising her.”

John was quiet for a moment. “Maybe,” he said finally. “My mother kept me even though she wasn’t married. Her own parents had no faith in her ability to be a responsible parent, but she was a wonderful mother. I knew every day of my life that I was loved. Some kids don’t have that. Maybe this little girl’s mother is scared, afraid she won’t measure up. I hope Abel finds her and
she decides to give things a chance. She might surprise herself.”

I looked at him and smiled. “Well, that’s awfully upbeat and hopeful. Not what I’m used to hearing from you. What happened to the grumpiness and negativity we’ve all come to love?”

We reached the bottom of the stairs and John stopped. “I don’t know,” he said quietly. “I guess it’s the company I keep. It’s turning me into a pussycat.”

Maybe it was the bump on my head, but “You’re talking about Sarah Ketterling, aren’t you?” popped out of my mouth before I could stop it.

John’s eyebrows shot up. “How—how do you know about… about…”

“John, the way you two look at each other, I mean, it doesn’t take a genius to see how you feel.”

“Who else knows?”

I shrugged. “No one that I know of, except Sam. We haven’t told anyone. We’d never do that.”

John’s worried expression made me feel the need to reassure him. “Seriously, I don’t think anyone else is aware of it. Maybe I’m just overly observant.” Actually, it hadn’t been that hard to figure out. I’d seen the Old Order Mennonite girl leaving John’s store late at night. And every time she walked past him, the longing in his eyes was clear. They’d obviously been successful in keeping it from Gabe, Sarah’s father. To say he wouldn’t approve was an understatement. In the past few months, he’d started to come out of a rigid shell of protection he’d erected around his daughter and himself. If he found out about John and Sarah… Well, it would be a disaster.

“You know, I’m sorry Gabe’s wife ran off with some guy, but it’s not my fault. And it’s not Sarah’s. How long will she have to pay for her mother’s mistake?”

I patted his arm. “I don’t know,” I said softly. “But if you and
Sarah are to ever have a chance, you’ll have to tell Gabe. Hiding the truth never turns out well in situations like this.”

He gave me an amused look. “Is this one of those ‘The truth will set you free’ speeches?”

I laughed. It hurt. “Ouch. And yes, it is.”

“You’re still taking lessons from Sarah, right?”

I nodded. That hurt, too. “Yes. Wood-block printing. She’s very talented. It’s a new art form for me, and I’m enjoying it very much. I’m not as good as Sarah, but I’m getting better.” John’s distracted look made it obvious he wasn’t interested in my woodblock printing skills. “Why?”

“Has she ever…I don’t know…said anything about me?”

“For goodness’ sakes, John. This isn’t high school.”

His face turned red. “Never mind. Sorry I asked.”

“It’s okay. I’m just teasing you. No, she’s never said a word. But she wouldn’t. I’m sure she’s as committed to keeping your secret as you are.”

“If she told anyone, it would be you, Gracie. She considers you her best friend.”

It was my turn to blush. “I didn’t know she felt that way. Wow. That means a lot to me.”

“Thanks for getting me to talk about this,” he said. “I’ve never spoken to anyone about Sarah. It feels good to finally get it out.” He walked me toward the door. “So how are you feeling right now?” he asked, steering the conversation in another direction.”

“Yes, I know. I really am feeling better, but I have an awful headache. The sooner I get to Sam’s, the sooner I can gulp down a handful of aspirin.”

John started to say something, but I held up my hand to stop him. “Just kidding. I won’t do that, I promise. Just a couple. To start.”

“How about four to start and two more every four hours until morning?”

“You’ve got a deal. Am I released?”

John ran his hand through his thick black hair. “I suppose. But do you promise to call me if you’re not better when you wake up?”

“Yes, I promise. And thanks, Doc.”

He chuckled. “No one’s called me that for a long time.”

I smiled at him as I buttoned up my coat. “Maybe they should.”

He didn’t respond, just patted me on the back.

After saying good-bye, I pushed against the big front door of the church. The cold slapped me in the face, and I gasped involuntarily. Watching for ice, I walked carefully to my car. Jarring my head in another spill was the last thing I needed. I wasn’t angry at the runaway mother because of the bump on my head, but I was frustrated and sad that someone was so desperate for help that they’d leave their baby on the steps of a church. My joy at coming home was overshadowed by concern for the abandoned baby and her mother. At least the woman had brought her child to Abel. If anyone could help, it was the Muellers.

Pain shot through my skull as I got into my car. A sharp yowl reminded me that Snickle had surpassed his level of tolerance inside his carrier. I spoke soothingly to him and tried not to think about my headache as I drove through downtown Harmony. A dozen cars and a couple of buggies sat outside the old redbrick building that housed the restaurant. Ruth Wickham of Ruth’s Crafts and Creations was just locking up, probably on her way to Mary’s Kitchen. She waved enthusiastically when she spotted me. Three other people walking down the wooden sidewalk stopped and waved, too. Cora and Amos Crandall owned Cora’s Simple Clothing Shoppe. They sold most of the garments worn by the Mennonite population in Harmony. I waved back at them. Their son, Drew, put his hand up and laughed at me.

Drew has Down syndrome, but his parents’ patience and love have done wonders for him. A sweet, gentle young man, he holds a special place in the hearts of everyone in town. Of course, Harmony is like that. As Sam reminds me constantly, it’s more a family than a town. Although it might be a really small town by anyone’s standards, it was still the most interesting place I’d ever been.

Ruth waited until the Crandalls caught up to her. They were most likely having dinner together before going home. Even though Ruth lives alone, she doesn’t have much time to feel lonely with friends like the Crandalls who go out of their way to include her in their lives. I glanced up and down the street, but it seemed that almost everyone else had already gone home.

I drove past shops and businesses owned by people who were no longer strangers, but friends. Besides Ruth’s Crafts and Creations and Cora’s Simple Clothing Shoppe, there was Menlo’s Bakery, Bruner Leather Goods and Feed, Scheidler’s Farm Supplies, Nature’s Bounty, and Keystone Meats. All the stores belonged to people I had come to know and care about. I noticed that the sign for Hoffman’s Candles had been taken down. I wondered where Levi was tonight. He’d been accused of a long-ago murder, but many folks in Harmony hoped someday he’d come back. I was one of them. But for now, someone else occupied his old store.

I thought back to my first introduction to Harmony. Expecting my visit to be uneventful, instead I’d been greeted by a dark family secret that turned my world upside down. God not only brought me through it but had opened up a new life for me. Now I looked forward to some peace and quiet. I’d had enough excitement to last a lifetime. All I wanted was to settle down and see where my relationship with Sam would go. That was stimulation enough for now.

A few minutes later, I turned onto Faith Road. To the left was
Sam’s, and to the right was the house where my father had grown up and where my uncle had died. I remembered wondering why an uncle I’d never met had left me his house. All I’d wanted to do was sell it and leave this little town in the dust. Now I couldn’t wait to get back to the place I called home.

As I turned toward Sam’s, I could see the beautiful red Victorian house aglow with lights. Homecoming lights—for me. In spite of my sore head, my eyes immediately filled with tears of happiness. I bounced down the dirt road until I pulled into the driveway. Sam’s old truck sat in the curved driveway, and I parked behind it. After grabbing my purse and Snickle’s carrier, I got out of the car and almost ran toward the large wraparound front porch that graced the Queen Anne–style house. Sam wasn’t on the porch, but the frigid temperature was explanation enough for that. I thought about knocking on the door, but I was too excited to wait a second longer. I pushed the door open and hurried down the hall toward the kitchen. I almost ran into Sam, who’d stepped out into the hall. He laughed and grabbed me, immediately putting his lips on mine.

“Mmm…mumph…mucca…”

“For cryin’ out loud, boy, let the girl speak.”

At Sweetie’s admonition, Sam finally stopped kissing me. His gray eyes sparkled. “Did you say something?”

I smiled up at him. “Yes. I said, ‘I’m so glad to be home!’ ”

Wrong thing to say. Or the right thing. Depends on how you look at it. “Mmm…mumpha…moley moo.”

This time when he unlocked our faces, I laughed and wrestled out of his arms. “Give me a chance to unwind a bit. I’m tired, hungry, and injured.”

Sam frowned at me. “Injured? What are you talking about?”

I took off my coat and handed it to him. “Get me some aspirin and some food, and I’ll tell you all about it.”

Sweetie shook her finger at Sam. “You go get the aspirin outta
the medicine closet, boy,” she ordered. “I’ll take care of the food part.” She guided me toward the dining room. “You park yourself at the table while I serve up this supper that’s been waitin’ around all night.”

A few minutes later, after I’d swallowed four aspirin, we were chowing down on thick slabs of rich meat loaf, creamy mashed potatoes, homemade applesauce, and flaky rolls that almost melted in my mouth. A far cry from the fast food and frozen meals I’d been living on for months. Within minutes, my headache began to subside.

“It’s delicious, Sweetie,” I said. “I’ve missed your cooking so much.”

“Looks like you ain’t been eatin’ too good in Wichita. You’re skinny as a rail.”

“I’ve lost ten pounds. If you don’t mind, I’d rather not put them back on. I’ve got to exercise self-control if I’m going to live in Harmony. Too much good food. Too many great cooks.”

“Wait a minute,” Sam said. “You lost that weight while you were by yourself. That doesn’t say much for your cooking skills.”