SummerHill Secrets, Volume 2 (55 page)

I agreed. “You don’t have to worry. I haven’t been avoiding Jon. He knows where I’ve been hanging out all week.” Then I told
her
the lamb story.

She laughed out loud. “I don’t believe this! You’ve been lamb-sitting?”

After further explanation, she seemed to understand. “I don’t know about you, Mer. You’ve always been a little strange, but this…?”

“Sometimes even I don’t know about me,” I muttered.

She didn’t catch the tone of my remark, and I was glad. I really didn’t care to explain my present mournful state. Knowing Chelsea, she might not understand that, either.

After school, Jon showed up at my locker. He waited for me to collect my books, and then we walked to the bus. We sat together and talked all the way to SummerHill. When the bus stopped, I stood up to get off.

Jon jumped up. “Mind if I walk you home?”

I knew if he did, he’d have a long walk to his own house. “You don’t have to,” I said.

“But I
want
to, Merry.” His smile softened my heart.

“Okay.” Inside, I was secretly thrilled beyond words.

We took our sweet time walking up the hill that led to my parents’ hundred-year-old farmhouse. Old, gnarled trees and the willow grove to the north surrounded us as we talked. “My sister used to think it would be fun to live in the woods,” I told him.

“Faithie was really special,” he replied. “I remember, in kindergarten, she painted a picture of a tree house.”

I was shocked that he remembered. “You remember
that
?”

He nodded, his eyes smiling. “That, and lots more.” He paused for a second. “Mostly I remember
you
, Mistress Merry.”

“We’ve known each other nearly forever,” I said, looking down at the road.

“I’m glad about that.” He seemed shy just then.

“Me too,” I said.

We talked of other school memories. Funny things that happened, and some not so funny. Later, Jon brought up the lamb at the Zooks’. “Sometime, I’d like to see her,” he said.

“I thought you might want to take some pictures of Jingle. You know, for your photography class.”

“That would be cool.” He surprised me and reached for my hand. I have to admit I couldn’t believe how fantastic it felt, holding hands with Jon again. At school and now here, on SummerHill Lane. I’d dreamed of this since forever, and now it was happening. I could hardly believe he’d decided to walk me home today. And I was pretty sure my mom would invite him in for her usual cookies and lemonade after-school menu.

“I’ll ask Rachel if you can take some farm shots for your class next time I see her.”

“That’d be great. Thanks.”

“I don’t think the Zooks will mind.”

“Just so I don’t focus on
them
, right?” Jon said.

I agreed that it was a good idea to aim the lens only at the sheep. “You know how the Amish are about cameras. They despise having their pictures taken.”

He laughed. “I’ve heard.”

We slowed our pace as we approached the front yard of my house. At the mailbox, he stopped. “Merry, I think of you as my best friend.” His eyes were shining. “I have for a long time.”

“That’s the nicest thing anyone’s said to me.” I felt completely comfortable admitting it.

“I think the Alliteration Game helped make the friendship connection stronger with you. You have no idea how shy I was back then—sorta had my head in the clouds, too. I’m glad we’ve moved on to a different level of friendship.”

“Me too.”

“You don’t miss the word game, do you?” he asked, his eyes searching mine.

“Sometimes, but talking like this is much better.”

I loved hearing his soft laughter. “You’re the
best
friend I’ve ever had, Merry…or ever hoped to have.”

I couldn’t honestly say that back to him because of Faithie. She’d been my best friend, of course. “I’ve been hoping you’d say that ever since we sat across from each other in fourth grade.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I remember. Guys don’t really notice girls, I guess, till later on.”

“Well, we found each other. That’s what matters,” I said, matching his stride as we headed up the front lawn and around the side to the back door. He gave my hand a gentle squeeze before letting go.

Mom was waiting on the back steps, smiling to beat the band. “Merry…Jon! Please come inside.”

“You’d better be hungry,” I whispered.

He chuckled and followed me into the kitchen.

I would’ve expected Mom to still be a little ticked at me. Instead, I was surprised by her enthusiasm. She seemed positively delighted to see me. And Jon, too.

The reason for her joy was forthcoming. Mom and Dad had spent their entire day discussing at length the ins and outs of running an antique dealership. And now my mother was sharing every conceivable tidbit of information with Jon and me—whether we wanted to hear about it or not.

“It’s going to be quite a venture,” she said, offering the plate of cookies to Jon for the second time.

He was polite, of course, and listened to her babble on. Several times his gaze caught mine, and we shared a furtive glance. I was sure he was bored out of his mind, yet he sat there listening intently.

“Rachel Zook said she would help with your store if you ever need her,” I said, making small talk.

“How sweet of her,” Mom said. Then, quite unexpectedly, she added, “Speaking of Rachel, her brother dropped by this afternoon.”

I gulped inwardly.
Not now, Mom!
I thought.
Don’t talk about Levi in front of Jon!

“Was Martha with him?” I asked, hoping she’d take the hint.

She looked puzzled, slowly catching on, I could only hope. “I didn’t see her, no.”

“Well, she’s here visiting Levi’s family,” I managed to say. “Rachel thinks Levi and his girlfriend will soon be engaged.”

Mom smiled at this news. “How lovely.”

But it wasn’t so lovely, her bringing up the subject of Levi Zook. Not today. Not after everything Jon and I had been through!

Still, the question remained: Why had Levi come here? Mom hadn’t made that clear. But I remembered Rachel saying she was sure Levi would want to see me.

Sooner or later, I’d have to address the sticky situation with Jon. If I wanted to continue as his best friend, I’d have to. It just wasn’t fair otherwise. Besides, I knew I wanted to see Levi again. For more than one reason.

“Mom, how
could
you?” I wailed the second Jon left. “I don’t get it. You seemed relieved before that Levi was out of my life, and then you bring him up…in front of Jon! It doesn’t make any sense!”

She turned to the refrigerator and stood in the doorway for the longest time without speaking. “I’m sorry, Merry.” She closed the refrigerator door and stood there, the gloomiest expression on her face. A stark contrast to the jovial face she’d worn minutes before while telling Jon and me about her day.

I wished I knew what to do. Stay and try to patch things up with Mom? Dad would probably say that was a good idea. But I was so angry with her. So terribly confused, too.

It would be easier for me to wander over to the Zooks’ and busy myself there. Maybe check on Jingle Belle. Or, who knows, maybe bump into Levi.

“What did Levi say when he came over?” I asked, more cautious now.

Mom ran some water and drank a sip out of a glass before answering. “It was quite obvious he was eager to see you, Merry. That’s why he came.”

“But why did you have to say anything in front of Jon?” I still saw no logical reason for it.

She shook her head. “You had just mentioned Rachel, and my mind leaped to Levi.” She went to the table and sat down. “I don’t know what’s come over me lately.” She began to whimper. “Sometimes I make the silliest mistakes—forget things, too. I’m worn out most of the time, but my doctor says it’s typical.”

Her doctor?

Suddenly, I felt truly horrible. I had no idea Mom was dealing with something physical. Dad had said it was a midlife crisis. Whatever that was. But by the sound of it, Mom was experiencing something worse. Why hadn’t Dad told me?

“Oh, Mom, it’s okay to cry,” I said, going to her and stroking her hair. “I’m sorry…about everything. Honest. I shouldn’t have talked to you that way at breakfast. I didn’t know.”

She blubbered her response, and I had no idea what she said. But the air was definitely cleared between us. I had several more cookies and a glass of milk to wash them down. Before I left for the Zooks’ farm, I kissed her. “I love you, Mom,” I said.

“I love you, too, honey.” Her tears were gone.

I felt much better, too.

Rachel met me halfway between my house and hers. She said she’d been watching for me. Strands of hair at her neck were coming loose from her bun, and she was out of breath. “Merry, I was hopin’ you’d come over.” She seemed anxious.

“Everything all right?”

She shook her head. “Jingle’s missing. Somehow, she got out of the fence.”

I wondered if that was the reason for Levi’s visit. But I didn’t mention it. “Where’d you see her last?”

“She was near Ol’ Nanna, like she might nurse from her…and then she just disappeared.” Rachel hurried, her gait longer and faster than mine.

I scrambled to keep up with her. “Is there a place in the fence where she might’ve pushed through?”

“Honestly, I think she got out through the gate…maybe when Dat fed the older sheep.”

“There aren’t any wolves or other predators around, are there?” I asked.

She seemed more concerned about the lamb wandering too far away, forgetting how to get home. Maybe even starving to death. “Sheep are so dumb, ya know?”

I didn’t know from experience, only from what I’d read in the Bible. “They’re followers, right? They need a leader—a shepherd.”

She nodded. “That’s why we keep ours fenced in. At least, we
try
to.”

The sun grew hotter as we ran together to the north meadow, out past the barn, beyond the pond. It was the same grassland where Rachel and I often gathered daisies and sat in the tall grass, sharing secrets. A wide expanse of land. Not the best place for a new lamb to roam freely. It was obvious why the entire Zook family had joined together to comb this section of land.

Just ahead, in the deepest grass, Levi and Martha were searching the meadow. To the right of them, Nancy, Ella Mae, and little Susie had joined hands, calling, “Jingle Belle, can you hear us?” over and over. Rachel’s father and younger brother, Aaron, were looking, too. It would take hours to scour every inch of land. Most of the meadow remained untouched.

Rachel stopped to wipe her forehead. “How will we ever find Jingle?”

“We won’t give up, that’s how,” I replied, forging ahead. I called out the name I’d chosen for the dear lamb. “Jingle, where are you? Where
are
you?”

We kept at it, plodding through patches of meadow, even skirting the edge of the woods, looking, calling louder. I spotted a variety of wild and useful herbs and other plants along the way. I imagined Jingle’s white wooly coat showing up clearly under the powerful spotlight of the sun’s rays. If we could just find her before dark!

“Where would a baby lamb wander off to?” I said, stopping to catch my breath.

Rachel shook her head sadly. “That’s the thing…it’s hard to know, really.”

“She’s got a mind of her own, that’s for sure.”

“Sheep are like that,” she reminded me. Not giving up, Rachel kept moving through the grass. Her skirt hem brushed the tops of the foliage, and she kept her eyes on the ground.

I, on the other hand, glanced up ahead every so often. Occasionally, I caught sight of Levi and his girlfriend. They were working the field as a team. So were Rachel’s younger sisters. Abe Zook and Aaron were way off in the outskirts of the meadow, still calling to the wayward lamb.

Suddenly, I thought of the Pied Piper. In a way, the lost lamb had been an invisible guide, leading us through the thickest grasses and trees. We were trying to follow an unseen trail. Then it occurred to me to look for a narrow path through the grass. “Wouldn’t it be a good idea to look for smashed-down meadow grass?” I asked Rachel.

“ ’Course it would. Gut thinking!”

So we turned around and did exactly that. We gazed back at the meadow from this side of the pond. I hoped to spot something to indicate that Jingle had wandered through the tallest grass.

“Do you see anything?” I asked.

“Nothin’ at all.” Rachel sounded discouraged.

“We’ll find her,” I assured her. “Count on me.”

It was getting close to suppertime. My mother would be worried, especially if I didn’t come home and she went to the Zooks’ and found all of us gone. Except Esther, of course. Thank goodness, Rachel’s mother had stayed behind. My mom would get the facts from her—where we were and why.

In the distance, I could see the north side of the Zooks’ bank barn and pastureland. The willow grove was to the right of their property, creating a ridge—an obvious dividing line between their land and ours. It was an amazing sight. “It’s glorious here,” I said, scanning the horizon.

“Jah, the best part of livin’ in the country. The wide, open spaces…and the woods.”