The Promise of Palm Grove (2 page)

G
irls, we've been abed long enough,” Mattie announced with the enthusiasm of a blow horn. As if to emphasize her point, she clapped her hands. “Come on, now, wake up!” she barked, just as if Leona and Sara were some of her students at the Amish school.

Leona responded by throwing her covers over her head.

Sara's response was far more direct. “If you clap at me again, I'm going to ask Miss Beverly if she has a spare room for you. As soon as possible.”

Looking offended, Mattie turned to Leona. “You don't want me in another room, do you?”

Leona pulled back her covers just enough to glare at her with bleary eyes. “I do if you're going to wake us up like this every morning.”

“Fine.” Mattie folded her hands behind her back. “Now that I'm promising not to clap, you two need to get up. It's a quarter after seven.”

“In the morning?” Her mind was in such a fog, she really wasn't sure.

“Of course not, silly. It's the evening. Come on, now. If we don't get up we're going to have wasted the whole day.”

Leona feared she was right. “I cannot even believe we just spent the first five hours in Sarasota sound asleep.”

“
Some
of us slept for five hours,” Mattie corrected. “I, on the other hand, have already been awake for a whole hour.”

With a yawn and a stretch, Leona got to her feet. As she blinked owlishly, she noticed that Sara was looking decidedly worse for wear.

“Next time we get on a bus for hours and hours, we are sleeping for the majority of it,” Sara announced as she fumbled on the top of her bedside table for her eyeglasses. “I feel terrible.”

Mattie walked to Sara's side, picked up the glasses, and placed them in Sara's hand. “I know you do. I felt pretty groggy myself until I took a shower and put on a fresh dress.”

For the first time since she'd woken up, Leona looked at Mattie closely. Instead of putting back on her long-sleeved gray dress, she'd changed into a chambray blue short-sleeved cotton one. She looked fresh and cool. Like she'd already pushed the cold Ohio winter to the back of her mind. “You look pretty, Mattie.”

“
Danke
.” Smiling at her, she said, “I was so excited to wear one of my new dresses, I couldn't resist changing.”

“I'm going to do the same thing. I've been anxious to put on my raspberry-colored dress.” Leona grinned. “And flip-flops!” For some reason, the idea of being able to wear flip-flops instead of black tennis shoes or boots felt especially decadent in January. “Let's get cleaned up and get out of here.”

“And eat. I'm starving,” Sara said as she started digging around in her suitcase.

Mattie, ever their travel guide, said, “Sounds like we've got a plan. Pizza first, then ice cream. Then exploring.”

Sara gave Mattie a smile before heading into the bathroom for a quick shower and to change.

Since she had a couple of minutes, Leona took a better look around their large room while she unpacked her own summer dresses. They were on the third floor of the Orange Blossom Inn, and from the moment Miss Beverly had led them inside the sprawling, beautifully decorated cottage, Leona had been completely charmed.

Each room in the inn was painted a cheery color. The entryway was the exact color of orange sherbet, the library a fresh violet. The kitchen was decorated in shades of green, bringing to mind mint chocolate chip ice cream. Even their bathroom was as bright as a summer day. It had glossy yellow walls and sported yellow gingham curtains. Blinding white towels were neatly arranged on shelves.

But their spacious attic room was her favorite. Though at first glance it looked deceptively plain, with its frosty white walls and dark red cherry planks underfoot, it was actually a warm and adorable space. All three of them had gasped in pleasure when Miss Beverly had opened their door and shown them the shelves lined with Christian romances, the trunk filled with extra blankets, quilts, and down pillows, and the charming claw-footed tub in their adjoining bathroom.

Each of their twin beds was covered with bright quilts. Coordinating rag rugs dotted the floor, and two large dressers painted bright red lined the walls. Their room also sported white wicker furniture decorated with bright pink-and-green-paisley-printed cushions.

Within moments, they'd each claimed a bed, pulled out their nightgowns, and changed clothes, ready to nap.

Then they'd promptly fallen asleep.

Now, while she looked around the room and tried to regain
some of her enthusiasm, Leona was having a hard time locating it.

Maybe she was simply groggy and desperately in need of a hot shower, or maybe it was that the second day of their vacation was almost over already. But Leona knew her spirits were dwindling. She needed to regain control of herself, remember how much she loved and trusted Edmund.

The sooner the better, too, because time was running out.

With a sigh, she pulled out her new dress. If anything could chase away her doldrums, it would be this dress with its cheery color.

“You okay?” Sara asked as she returned to the room, her wet hair streaming down her back.

“I'm fine. Just a little sleepy still, I guess.”

Sara's eyes narrowed. “Are you sure that's all that's worrying you?”

“Of course,” Leona lied. Because, really, how could she ever admit how she was feeling? Sara and Mattie were so excited about Leona's upcoming wedding, as was practically everyone else she knew. It seemed as if no one could talk about anything but the menu and the colors and the cake and how so very happy she was going to be.

Sara, once again her sweet self, murmured, “I bet you're missing Edmund. Don't worry, when we get back, you'll never be without him again.”

Leona smiled wanly. Though they were supposed to help her feel better, her cousin's words only served to remind her that she was having more doubts than ever about pledging her heart to Edmund.

They would be so hurt and mad if she even hinted that she feared he really wasn't the right man for her.

But she couldn't share that. Mattie and Sara had already
spent hours helping Leona design the wedding invitations and sewing napkins for the reception. And Sara's brother Paul was one of Edmund's best friends.

And she couldn't even bear to think about what Mattie would do. All Mattie could seem to say was how they were going to be sisters forever now.

Luckily, Sara entered the room, which meant it was Leona's turn to shower and change. “I'll be fast,” she promised. And she was. Having taken a quick shower, she got dressed with little fuss, and after drying her hair as best she could with one of those fluffy white towels, she ruthlessly pulled it back and pinned it into a neat bun.

Then she made a promise to herself. She was going to make this the happiest two weeks of her life. And that happiness would have no choice but to spill over into the rest of her life. That positive attitude was therefore going to seep into her prayers and her thoughts concerning Edmund.

Surely then, the Lord would see fit to bless her with a fresh heart and new attitude. All of her doubts would fall away, leaving only the determination to be everything Edmund needed her to be.

She tested out that positive attitude when they walked to the pizza parlor and devoured a large pepperoni pizza. It continued next door, when she ordered a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone.

It felt like God was rewarding her for her efforts. The smiles became easier and she began to relax and simply be with her two best friends.

And then they started walking. Block after block they went, smiling shyly at other Amish folks they passed, some wearing
kapps
much like theirs, signaling that they were from Holmes
County, too. Eyeing other girls' dresses with pleated skirts from Indiana and some of the more colorful ones from a church district in Lancaster County, her spirits lifted further.

“I think I'm going to like it here,” she said.

“Me too,” Mattie said, her smile, as usual, making Leona smile, too.

Leona was just about to suggest that they go read the message board in front of the post office, where visitors left messages about upcoming parties or events, when they heard the unmistakable sound of masculine laughter.

Sara was on that like a dog after a bone. “Come on, girls.”

Mattie froze. “Why?”

“To see the boys, of course.”

Leona shook her head. “Sara, we can't simply go search for boys.”

“You can't because you're engaged. But I'm not. Nothing is stopping me,” she called over her shoulder. “Come on.” And with that, she darted down Birky Street and turned left on Beneva.

After exchanging a pained look with Mattie, Leona hustled down the sidewalk after Sara. There was no way she was going to let Sara get into trouble on her own.

After practically running down the block, Sara came to a sudden stop at the front yard of the Palm Grove Mennonite Church.

“Now what's wrong?” Mattie griped before she, too, seemed transfixed by the sight before her.

Feeling like the lazy part of the three musketeers, Leona hurried over to catch up, then found herself just as captivated.

And then she had to remind herself not to stare quite so blatantly.

But what a sight it was!

“What are they doing?”

“It looks like there's something in the tree.”

Two men about their ages had surrounded a tree, chins lifted, and were staring up at something nestled in the branches. Leona followed their gazes. Then stifled a gasp.

A third man was more or less reclining on one of the branches like he was seven years old again. One leg was swinging, his blue shirt was untucked, and his straw hat had floated down to the base of the tree. And he was grinning like he was having the best time in the world.

Leona swallowed.

Yes, it was obvious that they were having a good time. Every minute or two, they laughed, egged each other on, and made jokes about bees.

Bees!

Especially the man in the tree—who she'd just happened to notice had sandy brown hair, very tan arms, and a dimple.

She knew he had a dimple because from the moment she'd spied him, he'd either been laughing, teasing his buddies, or grinning.

He lit up the scene. And, she had a feeling, he most likely lit up wherever he was all the time. Unable to take her eyes off of him, she realized he was the type of man she used to dream about when she went to sleep at night.

He looked confident and happy. Comfortable with himself and with everyone else, too.

Just then, that man glanced in her direction. Within seconds his gaze had turned intent. Far more serious.

And though it was truly a fanciful thought, Leona imagined that she could actually feel his gaze. And that he was
thinking the same thing that she was—that for the first time in forever, something significant was about to happen.

That look was compelling and scary and intense. Enough to take her breath away. Instinctively, she took a step back. “We should go.”

“No way,” Sara said. And then did the exact opposite. She walked a little bit closer. “I want to see what they're doing.”

“But it's none of our business.”

“We won't get in the way, Leona,” Mattie said. “Don't be so timid. I mean, weren't you saying on the bus that you wanted to meet new people?”

She had said that. But she hadn't been talking about handsome men. She'd been thinking more along the lines of girls their own age. “Yes, but—”

“But nothing,” Sara whispered. “They're cute and they look nice. And they're Amish, so even my
mamm
wouldn't get mad.”

At that, Leona felt her lips twitch. Sara's mother constantly warned Sara about talking to
Englischers,
especially young, handsome
Englischers
. “Fine.”

“Hey!” one of the guys called out.

“Hey, yourself,” Sara said, flirting right back.

“Did you need something?”

“
Nee
. We were just wondering what caught your attention. What's in the tree?”

“A cat. A mighty determined, mighty skittish
katz
.”

Mattie laughed. “I guess it takes three Amish men to rescue a cat in Pinecraft?”

The man's smile grew wider. “Obviously, and we're still having a time of it. Perhaps you three ought to come over here and give us a hand.”

Before any of the girls could comment on that, there was a
rustle of leaves followed by a lazy, loud meow. Then, next thing they knew, a sleek gray cat with white paws gracefully leapt from the tree like it was the headline attraction in a carnival show.

“She's out! Catch her!” the man in the tree called as he started his descent.

The blond who had been flirting with Sara reached for the cat, missed, and stumbled as he attempted to regain his balance and run after the wayward cat at the same time.

In response, the cat meowed, lifted her chin, then darted toward the girls.

“Oh!” Sara said. “She's pretty.”

“She is mighty pretty,” Leona agreed as the cat pranced over to her legs and circled around her ankles. Then she looked up at Leona with gray-blue eyes and meowed.

Before she thought about it, Leona bent down and picked it up.

“Meow,” the cat uttered again before snuggling close, purring her contentment. Hugging it close to her, Leona glanced helplessly at her girlfriends and at the three men who were now all turned to her and gazing at her with looks of wonder.

And then, the man from the tree branches stepped forward and grinned. “Perhaps it doesn't take three Amish men at all. Just one pretty blond girl.”

Leona knew he was teasing.

She knew he was being a mite too forward.

She knew she was engaged and shouldn't encourage any familiarity.

But for some reason, all she could do was stare at him, cuddle the cat.