The Trustworthy One

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  Looking sad, he nodded. “I love you.”

  “And I love you back. Jeremiah and Naomi and Mary, too.”

  Chris pressed a kiss to her brow. “I’ll call you soon.” And with that, he walked out the door.

  She shut it right behind him, locked it tight, and then went upstairs and lay down.

  Although she had promised herself she wouldn’t shed another tear over her parents, Kendra cried like she hadn’t in years. Cried like she had the night before she’d finally left that house for good.

  TWENTY

  “When I found my way to the kitchen, Andy was making BLTs. He dropped the knife he was holding onto the cutting board when he caught sight of my leg.

  “ ‘Did your dad do that to you?’ he asked.

  “When I nodded, he met my eyes. ‘That sucks.’

  “And though it wasn’t a particularly nice phrase, and I was a little shocked, I couldn’t help but nod. Because he was right, and sometimes only an ugly word can describe an ugly situation.”

  TUESDAY

  “Hey, Nate?”

  Nate leaned back on his heels. He’d been attempting to inventory some bins filled with various dimensions of tubing and had almost finished counting when the interruption made his mind go blank.

  Looking up, he was surprised to see Naomi peering down at him. “Sorry, I was counting pipes.”

  “Yes. I, um, noticed that.”

  She seemed hesitant.

  “What can I help you with?”

  “It’s okay.” A line formed on her brow. “I could come back later…”

  “Of course not.” He got to his feet. “What can I help you find in the store?”

  “Nothing.” Looking frustrated with herself, she paused. “I mean, I don’t need anything from here.”

  He scanned her face. “Is everything all right?”

  “With me, yes.” She hesitated before continuing. “The problem is with Kendra.”

  Tension rose up his spine. Taking a step toward the door, he said, “Where is she? Is she sick?”

  “Nee,” she replied in a rush. “I mean, it’s nothing like that.” She scanned the area. It wasn’t all that crowded, maybe only ten customers were in the shop at the moment. “I know you’re mighty busy, but could we speak privately for a moment?”

  “Of course. We’ll go to my office.”

  His office had once been his grandfather’s. It was hardly bigger than a storage closet, but it did sport windows on one of the walls, allowing anyone inside to look out at the shop floor. His dawdi had enjoyed catching employees taking breaks. He, on the other hand, simply enjoyed not feeling boxed in.

  After signaling to Benjamin that he would be off the floor for a few moments, Nate led Naomi inside.

  The moment he closed the door behind him, he said, “Talk to me. What’s going on with your sister?”

  Her stoic expression crumbled. “It was so horrible. Yesterday before I got home from school, my brothers, Jeremiah and Chris, showed up at her door.”

  “What’s wrong with that? I thought she got along with them. All of you are close, jah?”

  “We are close. We all love Kendra dearly. But this wasn’t just about them.” She reached out and gripped his arm. “Nate, they brought our mother along with them.”

  If he had been outside, bees could have flown into his gaping mouth. “I don’t know if I’m more surprised that they brought her to Kendra’s house or that your mother agreed to go in the first place.”

  “It gets even worse. My father is in the hospital. He’s dying, and they wanted Kendra to pay her respects.”

  “Really? Did she go?”

  Naomi’s scowled. “Oh, Nate. Nee! She can hardly even speak of our parents, let alone pay respects to our father. Anyway, from what Chris told me, they attempted to guilt her into going, and that’s when she lashed out and told them all about her leg and how it got so bad when she was a little girl and almost died.”

  Nate’s head was spinning. He took a deep breath, trying to weigh his conversational options. He wanted to know more about Kendra’s injury and wondered why her brothers would ever bring their mother to visit Kendra, why any of them would want her to visit her evil father, and most of all, how Naomi ended up coming to see him.

  Since Naomi looked like she was on the verge of tears herself, he decided to tread carefully. “While I’m sure Kendra is mighty upset, I’m not sure how I can help. This seems like it would be better handled among all of your brothers and sisters.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong,” she said impatiently. “Kendra doesn’t need our help. She’s so used to putting the four of us first, it’s almost impossible for us to do anything for her.” She tugged lightly on the sleeve of his shirt. “Nate, Kendra needs someone outside of the family to cheer her up.”

  Cheer her up? They seemed to finally enjoy being in each other’s company. But was he good at making her smile? He didn’t know about that. “Naomi, no offense, but I don’t think I’m who she needs to see right now.”

  “I promise, you are. I wouldn’t have come here if I wasn’t certain of it.” Looking at him directly in the eye, Naomi’s voice hardened. “Please go over there and help Kendra feel better. It’s really important, Nate.” She stepped toward the door. “Please? I’ll watch the shop.”

  But he couldn’t just up and leave. Could he? “Benjamin is alone. I’ll need to call Kane to see if he can come up for a spell. I don’t know, though,” he added, half to himself. “He might have practice right now.”

  “He doesn’t. He’s at home.”

  “And how do you know this?”

  “Because he dropped me off here.”

  “He did? Boy, I didn’t know you two had gotten that close.”

  “Kane and I aren’t important right now, Nate. Kendra is! Please, Nate? I moved here to take care of her. If we don’t fix this, I’ll know I’ve been doing a poor job of it.”

  “All right, then. Give me fifteen minutes and I’ll be over there to pick her up.”

  Naomi flung her arms around him. “Danke, Nate. I knew I was right to come to you.”

  Before he even had a chance to pat her back and let her know he would try his best, Naomi was out the door, hurrying through the hardware store and leaving him stunned in her wake.

  His mind spinning, he called Kane. The moment he answered, he said, “Kane, I know this is late notice, but I’m in a bit of a bind. Would you be able to work a few hours this afternoon? Ben’s alone, and we’re expecting a couple of contractors to stop by. They’re going to have big orders.”

  “Sure thing, Mr. Miller. I’ll be over in fifteen minutes.”

  Hanging up, Nate realized Naomi had already prepped Kane as well. She was a smart one, that Naomi. He reckoned that young lady could probably manage a whole town.

  He shrugged off his work apron, washed up, and then went out to the showroom to tell Benjamin what was going on. Luckily, Ben had just finished with a customer, and the store had emptied out considerably. “Ben, Kane is on his way over to fill in for me. I’ll be taking the rest of the afternoon off.”

  “Is everything all right, Nathan?”

  “I don’t know. I just learned that a friend of mine needs some help. I couldn’t say no.”

  Benjamin’s worried expression turned knowing. “Don’t worry. We’ll have things covered.”

  “Danke. I appreciate it.” His mind running a mile a minute, he said, “If you need anything—”

  “We won’t. We’ll be fine. Give my best to Kendra.”

  Nate nodded before wincing. “I guess Naomi was a giveaway, huh?”

  “She wasn’t the only clue,” he said cryptically. “Go on now.”

  Nate walked out the door, but after a few steps, he slowed to a stop. What was he going to do with Kendra? What would make a girl like her happy?

  After a few seconds passed, he suddenly knew. It wasn’t fancy, and maybe it wasn’t even the best idea, but he was fairly sure it was going to be a new e
xperience for her.

  Feeling full of himself, he strode right into Tried and True.

  Kendra was standing with Naomi and a group of three women, looking at fabric remnants. The minute he saw her, he knew Naomi had not exaggerated the gravity of the situation. Kendra had dark circles under her eyes, and she was paler than usual.

  She really was upset.

  When she saw him, she broke away. “Hiya, Nate, did you need something?”

  No, but she did. She needed something fun, something to take her mind off her sister, her family, even her new business. “I do. Kendra, I came over to tell you to grab your things. It’s time to go.”

  Her brown eyes widened. “I don’t understand. Go where? Did… did something happen?”

  “Not at all.” He tipped his hat. “Miss Troyer, we’re going courting this afternoon. Grab your cloak and your purse.”

  “Courting?” She almost smiled. “What are you talking about?”

  “You’re twenty-four years old. I’m twenty-five. I think by this time in our lives, it’s fairly self-explanatory. Don’t you?”

  “Well…”

  He lowered his voice. “Come on, girl. For once, don’t worry or think about the consequences. Just do what you want.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “Go, Kendra,” Naomi called out. “Things are fine here.”

  “Naomi knows about this?” she whispered.

  “Kind of.” He figured that answer was honest enough. After all, he wasn’t even sure what he was doing.

  Twin spots of color stained her cheeks. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m going to trust you on this, Nate Miller.”

  He held those words dear to his heart. “That’s what I’m counting on. Now, don’t make me beg. Go get your things and come on.”

  Feeling extremely satisfied, Nate winked at Naomi while Kendra scurried away to do as he bid.

  TWENTY–ONE

  “But after that, Andy led me to the washing machine, helped me put my dress and detergent inside, and then turned it on.

  “ ‘Would you do me a favor?’ he asked as it started running.

  “I was wary, but I honestly would have done anything for him at that moment. So I said, ‘Sure. What do you want me to do?’ ”

  TUESDAY

  Kendra felt a bit like she was moving through a fairy tale. Nothing else in her life had felt like this. Just as she was walking back down the hall—Nate had asked her to grab a sweater and a quilt to wrap around her in case she got cold—he’d been hanging up her kitchen phone, as if he used her kitchen phone all the time.

  “Who did you call?” she asked.

  “My mamm.”

  “You decided to call your mother while you sent me to go get my sweater?”

  Nate’s eyes sparkled. “It wasn’t quite like that.”

  “What was it like? How come you decided to give her a call?”

  “I needed her to ask my father to help me do something. Don’t worry, it’s taken care of.”

  Kendra raised her eyebrows. “Don’t worry? I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be worried about.”

  “That’s a good thing, I think.” He looked at the quilt she was holding and the light blue sweater she’d tossed around her shoulders with approval. “Those will work. We should get going. Are you ready?”

  “Nee. Nate, I have no idea what we’re doing.”

  “That’s because it’s a surprise.” He held out a hand. “Now, hand me that quilt so we can get on our way.”

  “Our way to where?” She was beginning to get annoyed. She wasn’t the best with surprises.

  Looking determined, he pulled the quilt out of her hands. “First, we’re going to my house.”

  “And then?”

  “You know, I’m beginning to think that you’ve got a lot to learn about surprises.”

  “I don’t like not knowing what is about to happen, Nate.” During too much of her childhood she was always on edge, never knowing what was going to happen next.

  “I know it’s hard, but you’re going to have to trust me, Kendra.” His voice softened. “Please. Trust me not to hurt you—or to let you down.”

  His words were sweet. And he looked so sincere, too, like a little boy who had a big secret he could hardly wait to share. It was so unusual for him that it made her heart soften and maybe even encouraged her to do as he asked and trust him a little bit more.

  She opened the door and led the way outside. “I hope I won’t regret this,” she teased. Okay, maybe only half teased.

  “If you regret it, then I’ll know I’m doing something wrong.” Nate turned to face her. “Do you have everything you need?”

  “Jah.”

  “Gut. Come along, then.”

  Nate didn’t live that far from her, less than three miles. As they started walking, Kendra peeked at him. “You know, I know where you live, but I’ve never been inside.”

  “It’s time you came over, then. My haus ain’t nothing too special, to tell you the truth. But it’s home.”

  She liked the way he said home, like it really meant something. “Well, if all of us lived in houses like the Lambrights’, we’d have a difficult time seeing one another.”

  “I reckon so, what with those hundred acres.”

  It was true. Harley Lambright was from one of the wealthiest Amish families in the area. For decades, multiple generations had lived on his property, and every bit of the rambling, oversize house was filled with finely crafted woodwork and custom-made cherry and maple cabinets. The whole thing looked like it was out of a magazine. It was such a far cry from the way she’d grown up that Kendra had been a little scared the first time she’d gone inside. She’d been sure she was going to accidentally break something.

  Harley wasn’t a man who showed much emotion. He was a bit self-contained and sometimes came across as distant. She’d been afraid his whole family was going to be like that, or worse, they’d know she’d come from far different circumstances. To her relief, though, his family had been wonderful and made her feel welcome from the minute she’d stepped into the kitchen.

  All of that made her start thinking about Nate’s home. She wondered if it was as grand and picture-perfect as Harley’s. “What’s your haus like? Did your parents build it?”

  “Nee.” He chuckled. “My father worked at the hardware store from time to time, but my uncle was the one who ran it. My daed ain’t what you’d call real handy with inanimate objects.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “He’s a farmer, you know. He has a way with heirloom tomatoes that make some of his customers weep. And we’ve raised fancy chickens, too. Those chickens follow him around like he’s their mama.”

  “I’m not sure what an heirloom tomato is.” When Nate gaped at her, she shrugged. “I’m sorry. I’m not much of a tomato fan, you see.”

  “Heirlooms look a little different. Some are green, others more orange than red. They’ve got a distinctive taste.”

  “And fancy chickens?” she asked as they continued to walk. “What does that mean? That they’re really clean?”

  “Nee. They’re breeds. Polish chickens, Mottled Houdans, the Blue Cochin… they’re special.”

  Who even knew there were so many kinds of chickens? “They sound exotic.”

  “Oh, they are. We have Araucana chickens, too. They lay blue eggs.”

  She giggled. “You are lying.”

  “Not at all. They’re robin’s-egg blue. They’re beautiful, really. They cost a pretty penny, too.” He grinned. “Course, when you crack one open, it looks like any other egg yolk, I suppose. It’s just in fancy wrapping.”

  “People want to pay a lot of money for blue eggs?” She couldn’t wrap her head around it.

  “Nee, people want chickens that look fancy and lay blue eggs. There’s a difference you see.” Shifting the quilt to his other arm, he continued. “My father gets all kinds of gentlemen farmers who want pretty chickens they can take pictures of
.”

  “Why?”

  “So they can post them on Facebook or on their Instagram pages.”

  “Truly?”

  He grinned. “Oh, yeah. They’re fine-looking birds, for sure and for certain.”

  “I don’t imagine their appearance matters too much when they’re cooking in a pot.”

  Nate looked horrified. “Kendra, Daed’s customers don’t eat them! They eat the eggs and care for them like pampered pets. They even get special organic corn and grain.”

  “Sounds like I should have been born one of your father’s hens.”

  He laughed. “Your life might have been easier… but no one is happy simply strutting around and looking good all day.”

  She thought it sounded pretty idyllic herself. Liking the sound of his laugh, she said, “I promise, I won’t ask myself over for a chicken supper.”

  “Oh, I eat chicken. Just not my daed’s.”

  “I can’t believe I didn’t know all this about you.”

  He shrugged. “Not much to tell, really. As much as I like to eat tomatoes and can appreciate the prancing of a Polish hen, I’ve always preferred to work in my uncle’s hardware store.”

  “Your parents never minded you working there?”

  “Nope. It’s a better fit for me. I like being around people, not bugs and birds. I really wouldn’t mind if I never had to clean up a henhouse again, either.” He shrugged. “All this is to say that while my parents make a good living with birds and tomatoes, they’re not rich. Our home is tidy and comfortable, but a far cry from the Lambrights’ mansion.”

  She looked up and noticed they were approaching Nate’s house at last. It was painted white and had a neatly shingled black roof. He was right. It looked just like a regular house—single story, maybe two or three bedrooms at the most.

  But, oh, the yard! It was beautiful. Even in the fall, his parents had mums and pansies of every color, red and orange leaves on the trees, a porch swing painted a glossy black, and a little chicken-shaped sign next to the front door that read MILLER’S POULTRY AND GARDEN IN THE BACK.