The Way to a Man's Heart (The Miller Family 3) (35 page)

A thin, dark-haired girl was first to speak. “You dare to show your face, Leah Miller? But then again I suppose you’ve got no place else to go since the sheriff shut down your little scam!” Her words stung Leah like wasp bites.

“Anna Boyer, you keep silent if you’re gonna talk like that,” said Mrs. Walters. “This is my home, and all are welcome here.”

Anna looked chastised but added, “My Aaron is still owed six hundred dollars for those picnic tables he made for you. He needs the money to pay the lumberyard. Pressure-treated wood ain’t cheap.” Her lips thinned to an angry line.

Julia sat down heavily in one chair and pointed at another to Leah. Because running out the back door apparently wasn’t an option, Leah sat down and addressed Anna. “I’m sorry that Aaron still hasn’t been paid. Upon my word, I had no idea this mess was brewing behind my back. I’ll see that he is paid back if I have to sell pies until I’m ninety-five years old.”

Anna bobbed her head in acceptance while Julia smiled at Leah. However, another young woman at the end of the table didn’t want the matter dropped so easily.

She cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “Maybe, Leah, you might have noticed what was going on in the restaurant if you hadn’t been so busy flirting with every young man in Winesburg—Amish or English.”

L
eah crept out of bed as quietly as possible. It had been several years since she had to share a bedroom, but her sister had come home unexpectedly. Emma explained that she had a fight with Jamie but didn’t wish to discuss the matter. She was only going to stay one night, but then she decided to spend a few days at home to help
mamm
finish the fall canning. Seeing Emma’s pale, wan face filled Leah with sadness, adding to her own pile of woes.

Looks like both Miller girls are plagued with trouble.

She had pictured Emma and Jamie as happy as clams, living in Charm with a tractor for him and a dishwasher for her. How naive she’d been in this matter too. It took far more than modern appliances to make a marriage work. Leah had prayed long and hard that her sister and brother-in-law wouldn’t allow their grievances to separate them for long. She’d never seen anything so romantic as the way James Davis looked at Emma during their courtship, especially while she was mending after her accident.

Will any man ever gaze on me with such devotion?

The likelihood of that diminished with each passing day. Jonah should have returned by now, and he had probably heard the news of the diner’s demise. Leah hoped he hadn’t stopped by there on his way home and seen firsthand the posted notices telling the world of their failure.

Leah tucked the quilt under Emma’s chin before heading downstairs to start breakfast, finding comfort in her soft snore. As much as she would like to, this was no time to hide her head under the covers. She wouldn’t be in this mess if she hadn’t been such a wilting violet.

In the kitchen her spirits improved by doing what she did best—cooking. While sausage sizzled in the pan, she heated her flat skillet to make thin, sweet pancakes called crepes by the
Englischers.
She would roll them around strawberry, peach, or apple preserves, and a few around cottage cheese—her personal favorite. She mixed a pitcher of orange juice and started oatmeal for Henry. That boy ate more than anybody she knew…except for Jonah.

Melancholy swept over her like a sudden chill.
Jonah.
Maybe, just maybe, he would understand the disaster had been impossible to prevent.

“Guder mariye,”
Julia said upon entering the room. “Looks like I timed things right this morning. There is a hidden blessing in you not having a job—at least for me.” Julia poured coffee and lowered herself into a chair.

“At least you now have a trained professional taking over breakfast duties,” Leah said with a smile. “How would you like your rolled pancakes this morning—with strawberry, peach, or apple preserves?”

“Surprise me, or better yet, one of each.” She turned toward the window, as did Leah to the sound of gravel crunching in the driveway.

Leah pulled back the curtain and spotted April Lambright climbing out of her pickup. “Oh, no. I don’t know if I’m ready for this.”

Julia was out of her chair and by Leah’s side in an instant, despite her arthritic stiffness. “Go, Leah. Be brave. And ask her in to breakfast if she cares to eat. Have courage and compassion in your heart. I’ll fry up the pancakes for you.”

Leah walked out to the porch feeling like Daniel headed into the lion’s den. “Hullo, April,” she said without emotion.

“Hi, Leah.” April approached the steps slowly, looking as though she hadn’t slept in days. “I came here as soon as I could, as soon as things calmed down at home.” She crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself as though cold.

“I’m sure you’re in hot water with your husband.” Leah crossed her arms too while she walked down the steps to be on level ground with her former partner.

“That’s the understatement of the century.”

“I heard you were you in jail.”

April’s features tightened. “Yes, for one night, and then my sister and her husband posted bail.”

“Your sister, not your husband?”

April looked at the ground, but not before Leah saw two big tears slip from her lashes. “No, he tried to…but our bank had frozen our checking and savings accounts due to this…trouble I’ve caused. My husband said it was okay with him if I cooled my heels in jail for a while to give me some thinkin’ time.”

“He sounds quite put out…just like I am.” Leah straightened her spine. “Why, April? How could you do such a thing? Our customers and vendors were also our friends.”

April lifted her chin to meet her gaze. “I didn’t mean to. I hadn’t
planned
to not pay folk. But when the money first started coming in, I started thinking about all the things my kids have done without since Tom’s hours were cut back at the plant. My son has never had a decent bicycle like other kids, and my girl has wanted horseback riding lessons for years.”

“You stiffed people who have their own bills to pay for
riding lessons and toys
?” Leah’s voice rose to reflect utter disbelief.

April shrugged. “I never planned to stiff anybody. I thought I’d get a few things for my kids and pay the bills with the next few weeks of profits. But then the pump broke on our septic system, and it turned out we needed a whole new system. Ours no longer met codes. I had already sunk every dime of our savings into the remodeling, so I had to use the diner income to pay for it. The man insisted on payment in full before he installed the new system.”

“Smart man.”

April winced as though she’d been slapped. “I know I deserved that. I put you in a tight spot and you’re stuck sharing the embarrassment. I surely didn’t mean things to turn out this way.” She gazed toward the road for a moment. “I like you, Leah. I think you’re a fabulous cook and baker, and I’ve loved working at the diner with you. I’m sorry my mishandling finances has caused so much pain for you, my family, and for our town.” Tears ran freely down her face. “My dad warned me that running a business and keeping accounts were harder than it looked, but I wouldn’t listen. I had stars in my eyes…and dollar signs. Budgeting has never been my strong suit, but I was too proud to ask someone as young as you for help. If I had, maybe we wouldn’t have lost our money.”

The reality that Leah’s investment was truly gone hadn’t hit home until then, yet still her anger and indignation evaporated. She felt only pity for a woman whose pride had caused so much heartache. Especially as she was in no position to cast stones, considering her own past behavior. “What’s to be done now, April? How can you put this behind you?”

April looked up with a spark of hope. “My lawyer said that if I make restitution to the people I defrauded, and if they sign affidavits that they have been paid and don’t want to press charges, she might be able to convince the district attorney to drop the charges against me before my trial date. I’ll have to appear before the judge and explain I’m a bad manager but not a thief. And that is the honest-to-goodness truth. I didn’t mean to cheat anybody.”

The solution didn’t sound quite so simple to Leah. “How do you plan to accomplish that?”

April withdrew two pieces of paper from her handbag. “My lawyer took a look at the stack of IOUs and invoices I had in the drawer and compiled a list. Then she split the list in two—one for me to pay off and obtain affidavits and the other half for you.” Without a moment’s hesitation, she handed a sheet to Leah.

“Me? Why would I have to pay these folk? I didn’t handle the money!” Indignation came roaring back.

April said quietly, “No, but you were my partner, and the attorney said it would look better to the judge if we both bore responsibility.”

Leah’s eyes swelled to the size of a barn owl’s. “This is not fair!”

“Maybe not, but I did always pay your wages regularly and reimburse you for baking supplies, except for when things had snowballed out of control.” She stood anxiously like a child waiting for a birthday present.

Leah fought the urge to mention those reimbursements never came close to the total Miller family outlay for expenses and supplies. “This isn’t fair,” she repeated in barely a whisper.

“I know it isn’t, but I can’t possibly pay everybody back before my trial date, no matter how I beg, borrow, or sell everything I own. I’m desperate, and I’m begging you to help me.” She held out the sheet of paper in her long thin fingers.

Leah stared at it as though it were a snake in the henhouse, but she saw little alternative. No way would she let her foolish business partner be sent to jail if it could be prevented. Without speaking, because her throat had grown painfully tight, she plucked the list from April’s hand.

April impulsively threw her arms around Leah’s neck and hugged. “Oh, thank you so much. God bless you, Leah. I will be forever in your debt.”

Just don’t try to convert that debt to dollars and cents.
“You want to come inside for breakfast? My
mamm
has crepes ready to go with your choice of filling.” For a second it felt as though she was back in her beloved diner talking about the daily specials with enthusiasm.

April looked stricken. “Oh, no. I couldn’t face your parents. I’m not that brave, but thanks just the same.” She kissed Leah’s cheek with sisterly affection and then hurried to her truck. Leah watched April’s pickup reach the end of the driveway as her words “I never planned to stiff anybody” ran through her head. Somehow that knowledge didn’t lift an ounce of the burden she clutched in her hand. When her former partner disappeared from view, she looked down at the onerous paper and gasped.

The kitchen door opened with its familiar squeak. “Breakfast is ready. Come inside and eat, daughter.” Julia stood with her hands on her hips, looking sympathetic. “Things will improve with a full belly.” Leah trudged up the steps feeling almost faint. Not only was the list of names longer and the amounts greater than she’d feared, but close to the bottom she spotted a name particularly unnerving: Joanna Byler—cheese-maker, $285.00.

As her mother had predicted, Leah did feel somewhat better after breakfast, though not from the peach-filled pancakes but from having a plan. She would withdraw her remaining savings from the bank and pay as many people on the list as possible, starting with the smallest debt and working upward. More people paid off would mean fewer wagging tongues in town. She would then visit the others, or if they lived too far away, write a letter and promise to pay every dime owed. If they were expecting interest, that would be a concern for another day. Having a plan helped; having the courage to see it through would be her concern for today.

After chores and a quick bath, Leah walked to the neighbors’ with her purse and bankbook. She bargained fall cleaning in exchange for Mrs. Lee driving her around the county. She had read the news about the diner in the Wooster paper and wished to help without bartering. But Leah insisted, remembering Romans 13:8: “Owe nothing to anyone, except your obligation to love one another.”

Because Mrs. Lee’s schedule was open today but busy later in the week, Leah’s day of reckoning came sooner than expected.
Might as well get this over with
—
nights spent tossing and turning in sleepless anguish will only magnify the task.

The Byler farm on County Road 535 became their first stop after the Winesburg Savings and Loan. Joanna Byler answered after a few moments and a second knock on the door. “Leah,” she said. “How are you? Come inside.” To say she looked surprised would be a gross understatement.

“Guder mariye,
Mrs. Byler. I’ll just step in for a minute. My neighbor is waiting in her van for me.”

Joanna’s expression turned anxious as Leah stepped past her into the kitchen. The room smelled faintly of cinnamon. “Jonah isn’t here, dear. His uncle had plenty of work for him to do—maintenance projects after the harvest. There was too much for one man to tackle alone. His sons are still young.”

“I’m not here to talk to Jonah. I’m here to see you.” Leah set her purse on the table and dug inside. She took out an envelope and carefully counted two hundred eighty-five dollars. “I believe this is what the diner owes you, Mrs. Byler. If your records indicate differently, please let me know.” She held out the stack of bills.