A Christmas Bride in Pinecraft

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  “You sound so confident, Eric.”

  “I’m confident in you.” Hating that he wasn’t standing right by her side so she could see how sincere he was, he continued to coax and cajole her as best he could. “Look, why don’t you take a deep breath and just ignore the mess for now. I don’t want you to get cut or hurt.”

  After sighing, she said quietly, “Eric, I can’t just sit here and stare at everything. My mind is such a blur.”

  “That’s because you need to calm down. Everything will look better in the morning.” Especially because, by then, he would be headed her way.

  “I doubt that. All the glass and debris will still be on the floor.” Her voice turned weepy again. “I know I’m not making a lick of sense, but I really am at a loss of what to do first.”

  At last, it seemed she was asking for suggestions. Though she couldn’t see him, Eric smiled. “I know. Go make yourself a cup of tea, honey.” He winced as the endearment slipped through. “You should eat a couple of cookies if you have them, too.”

  “Cookies?”

  “The shortbread. Those are still your favorite, right?” he murmured as he clicked on a one-way flight and pulled out his credit card.

  “Eric, I’m not hungahrich—”

  And here came the actual Amish words.

  “Honey,” he began just as he realized what he was saying again and quickly amended it. “I mean, Beverly, please listen to me. Please, go get some hot tea and sit down. Then I want you to try to relax. I’ll be there tomorrow.”

  “Eric, tea won’t help. And while shortbread cookies might actually taste good, I don’t think I have any butter—Really?” She gasped suddenly. “You will?”

  “Really.” Glancing at his laptop, which showed his flight confirmation, he said, “I’m getting on the first flight out to Sarasota. I’ll be with you around lunchtime tomorrow. And I’ll even bring you cookies.” He looked at his watch. “That’s just a little more than twelve hours. Just hold on until then, okay?”

  At last, he heard her sigh and relax. “You don’t mind coming down here to help me? I mean, I know it’s your inn and all. But truly, you don’t mind coming on the spur of the moment like this?”

  “If you knew me better, you wouldn’t ask.”

  She hiccupped again. “I thought I did know you well. What don’t I know?”

  It was time to evade and redirect. “You know me as well as anyone. The best parts of me, anyway.”

  She sniffled into the phone. “We can talk about your past, if you’d like.”

  “Don’t worry about me right now.”

  He was starting to realize that he’d kept too much of himself hidden from her before now. But he hadn’t wanted to shock her about his past and so he’d kept it firmly locked away whenever he’d been around her. It hadn’t been a difficult undertaking. Beverly had been raised Amish and now was a conservative Mennonite living in the middle of a quaint Floridian Amish community. She spent her days baking and looking after guests and visiting with her neighbors. She worried about how much flour and sugar were in her pantry. She knew how to fold a napkin into a work of art.

  In short, her life was pretty much the exact opposite of his, and he was glad of that.

  But now he couldn’t help but feel that if she’d known a little bit more about his past, about the things he’d experienced, she would have had far more confidence in him. She would have realized that a simple burglary wouldn’t faze him.

  Not in the slightest.

  “There’s more to me than what you’ve seen, Beverly.”

  “That sounds rather ominous.”

  He felt a bit ominous, actually. Chances were good that Beverly wasn’t going to like some things she found out about him—if he ever really opened up to her. He cleared his throat, hating how awkward he sounded and felt. “All I’m trying to say is that you can count on me to handle just about anything.”

  “This robbery might put you to the test.”

  “I can handle it,” he repeated. Knowing it was time to change the topic, he said, “So, are you going to sleep at your friend Sadie’s tonight?”

  “At Sadie’s? Oh, nee.”

  Perturbed, he dropped his feet back down to the tan Oriental carpet covering his cherry floors. Frowning, he asked, “If not Sadie’s, where do you plan to sleep?”

  “Here, of course.”

  He didn’t have to be standing in the same room as she to hear the slight tremor in her voice. Once again, he tried to be the voice of reason from much too far away. “Beverly, I’m sure Sadie won’t mind if you sleep in her guest room. I think you should go over there as soon as we hang up. You’ll rest better.”

  “I couldn’t.”

  “Bev, I don’t want you to be by yourself.” Surely if she stayed the night alone at the inn she wouldn’t get a single moment’s sleep. Every creak and groan would keep her on edge. And understandably so. Thinking of her scared and frightened made Eric feel worse than helpless. “Just grab your toothbrush and walk over to Sadie’s house. We’ll deal with everything when I arrive. You said the police helped you board up the window?”

  “Jah. The fenshtah is boarded up.”

  “Then the inn will be safe enough. Simply lock the doors and walk next door. The break will do you good.”

  “I can’t go next door. Sadie was almost as upset as I was. And, well, you know how she talks. If I stay any length of time around her, she’s going to only make me more distressed.”

  She probably had a point. Her friend Sadie did talk nonstop and seemed to believe only in extreme emotions. Eric could just imagine what doom and gloom Sadie might invent and share with Beverly. She’d probably get Beverly so wound up, neither one of them would get a bit of sleep. “Perhaps you are right. But still, I don’t like the idea of you staying there alone tonight. Would you like me to make some calls?”

  “Don’t worry about me, Eric. Now that I know you’ll be coming here tomorrow, I’ll be fine.”

  She wasn’t going to be fine but he decided not to argue with her. The minute they got off the phone he was going to take matters into his own hands. It was better that way. Then she wouldn’t be able to argue with him.

  “All right, then. Try to get some rest, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Jah. Meiya.”

  Though he could only hope meiya meant tomorrow, he thought he heard a hint of relief in her voice. “Okay. I’m going to go, but I’ll get there as soon as I can. Look for me around lunchtime.”

  “I—I will do that.”

  “I’m going to let you go now so I can get packed.”

  “Jah, that is a mighty gut idea. Danke, Eric.” She sounded forlorn. And so very Amish. And so alone. He would give just about anything to wrap his arms around her and hold her close, but until he got to Florida, all he could do was attempt to soothe her with words. “You’re welcome, Bev. Now, please don’t worry anymore. We’ll figure out everything when I get there. All you should think about is resting. Okay?”

  “Okay. But maybe I should sweep a bit. Eric, the mess—”

  “We’ll deal with that tomorrow,” he said more firmly. “I promise, I don’t care about anything besides the fact that you are all right. Now, please, just take care of yourself. We’ll get everything sorted out when we’re together tomorrow.”

  “I think you might be right,” she said, her voice holding a bit of hope in it for the first time. “It might be easier to tackle all this together . . .”

  “I know it will be.”

  “I’m mighty glad you’re comin’ out.”

  “I am, too.” Hoping to lighten things up, he teased, “Now, let’s hang up so I can pack, okay?”

  She giggled. “All right. Good-bye, Eric.”

  “Good-bye. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He hung up with a grin. That small little chuckle in her voice had made him feel like he was the king of the world. She was going to be okay.

  Now all he had to do was make sure she wasn’t alone until he got there.
He ran his thumb across his cell phone’s screen until he came across the Kaufmanns’ house number. Even though the Kaufmanns were Amish, they were New Order, which meant they had a phone in their kitchen. Thank goodness.

  To his surprise and relief, Zack answered on the second ring. After learning that Zack and his bride had been over at his parents’ house playing cards and talking about the break-in, Eric got down to business.

  “Hey, I know it’s late but I need a favor,” Eric said.

  “Of course. What may I do?”

  “Is there any way you could ask your parents to let Beverly stay at their house tonight? She’s alone at the inn and though I know she’s scared to death, she’s refusing to impose on anyone. I know your mom will make her feel more at ease.”

  “Of course we’ll do that.”

  Eric closed his eyes in relief. “I owe you. Thanks a lot.”

  “Nee, thank you for calling. We should have done that already. Actually, I shouldn’t have taken Leona home and left Beverly there by herself.”

  “You needed to see to your wife, Zack. I understand that.” Eric was starting to realize that he felt just as responsible for Beverly. Because she had such a confident air about her, most people forgot she was only in her thirties and running a business by herself. She needed someone to have her back, to make sure she took care of herself. He was now happy to be fulfilling that role. “Now, are you sure your parents won’t mind having her stay the night?”

  “They won’t mind at all. I bet we’ll have her safely nestled in my parents’ guest bedroom in no time.”

  “Thanks. Listen, if your mom has time, you might ask her to go with you to get Beverly.”

  Zack chuckled softly. “You think I’m going to need some help, do ya?”

  “Maybe. She can be pretty stubborn.” Thinking of all Beverly’s protesting, he added, “She was actually thinking about sweeping the floors tonight.”

  Zack whistled low. “Sounds like I better get going, the sooner the better.”

  “I’d really appreciate it if you could get over there as soon as possible.” For a moment, he considered even asking Zack to call him after he got Beverly situated, but he didn’t want to impose on the man’s time even more.

  “We got this. And don’t worry. You know my mamm. She’ll be eager to help. As will Leona. Between the three of us, we will get Beverly settled in without a problem.”

  “Thanks. And try to get her to rest in the morning if you can, would you? My flight doesn’t land until noon or so and I don’t want her going back to the inn at seven in the morning.”

  “We’ll do our best to keep her occupied until you arrive.”

  Eric was starting to feel like he was asking too much. “Um, are you sure you have time? I could try to call Penny and Michael Knoxx . . .”

  “I’ll call them if we need to, but I think for now we’ll be okay. We’ll take Beverly out for a long breakfast tomorrow. We’ll go stand in line at Yoder’s!”

  “Perfect.” He knew Beverly loved eating there but never could spare the time, since she was usually making breakfast for others. The novelty of letting someone else look after her should keep her occupied until he arrived.

  “Don’t worry about a thing.”

  “I won’t worry now. Thanks again for everything, and I’ll see you tomorrow.” After finally passing on his flight information, Eric hung up. With a sigh, he leaned his head against the wall and finally allowed himself to focus on what was about to happen.

  Early tomorrow morning, he was heading back to Florida. To Pinecraft. To Beverly. He would help her clean up and settle down. But most of all, he would be able to show her how much he cared about her. She would know she wasn’t alone.

  Maybe then, if she was willing to trust him, he wouldn’t be alone anymore, either.

  BY THE TIME ZACK hung up the kitchen phone, the whole family was standing around him, waiting to hear about the unexpected phone call—Effie, too.

  Even though they were New Order Amish and could have a telephone, phone calls were pretty rare. Actually, the only time Effie could recall the phone being used a lot was when her brother had been courting Leona last winter.

  Leona had come to Pinecraft on a girls’ weekend and met Zack her first night in town. After she’d gone back home to Ohio, Zack had called her almost every day. Before long, Leona returned, and Zack proposed. Now they were married and living in a small house a few streets over.

  Which was why it was so unusual for him to talk on their parents’ phone for any length of time.

  “Well, don’t keep us in suspense any longer, son,” Mamm said. “Who was on the phone?”

  “It was Eric Wagler.”

  “Isn’t he in Pennsylvania?” Leona asked.

  “He is. He called here for a favor.”

  “What does he need?” Daed asked.

  “He asked if Beverly Overholt could spend the night here.”

  “Tonight?” Effie’s mother’s voice had gone up two octaves.

  Zack ran a hand through his dark hair. “Jah. Beverly’s upset, of course. She called him and told him all about the break-in. Now he’s coming down tomorrow. He thinks he’ll be here around lunchtime.”

  His daed blinked in surprise. “So soon? That is a mighty long way. I wonder how much the plane ticket cost?”

  “Probably more than we need to worry about.”

  “He must be terribly worried,” his mother added. “Ain’t so?”

  “It is his inn, Mamm,” Daed pointed out.

  “It is also just a building.”

  Looking a bit bemused, Zack replied, “If you want to know the truth, I doubt Eric has even thought two seconds about the actual building. When we spoke, all of his concerns were centered on Beverly.”

  She smiled softly. “I knew that man’s heart was in the right place. Beverly didn’t think much of him becoming her boss, but this just goes to show ya that the Lord’s plans are always in the right place. He really cares about her.”

  Zack nodded. “And that is why he asked for a couple of us to go to the inn and convince her to come over. He said she’s trying to be brave but she’s pretty shaken up about the day’s events.”

  “I’m sure she is,” Effie’s sister Violet said as she walked to the kitchen and began putting away the few glasses that were drying on the wooden dish rack. “Anyone would be.”

  “So, who wants to go over to the inn with me?” Zack asked.

  “I will,” Leona said.

  As always happened when he looked at his wife, Zack’s expression softened. “Danke, Le, but I think Mamm or Daed should come, too.”

  His mother picked up a cloth and started wiping shelves. “Eric is sure Beverly needs to come here?”

  “Uh, jah.” Zack looked completely puzzled. “You don’t mind, do you?” When she didn’t reply right away, he glanced at Violet and then at Effie.

  Effie shrugged. Their mother’s reaction was as much a surprise to her. She’d never known their mother to ever be inhospitable to anyone in need.

  “Ginny, what is wrong?” Daed asked.

  “Nothing. I mean, of course I don’t mind . . .”

  “Then why are ya acting so upset, Mamm?” Effie asked.

  “I’m not upset. It’s just that we are going to need to rearrange things.” She stared at them all, obviously reconfiguring sleeping arrangements in her head.

  “What’s there to rearrange?” Daed asked. “Beverly can have the guest room. That’s what it’s there for.”

  She nodded slowly. “That would work. But that also means that we’re going to need to change sheets and clean bathrooms . . .”

  Effie shook her head. “But everything’s just fine.” Looking around their spacious living room, Effie thought things looked rather neater than normal. Everything was picked up, the floor had been swept, and even her mother’s favorite stack of Better Homes and Gardens magazines were neatly organized.

  “Not for an innkeeper like Beverly to see, it’s not.
”

  “Violet and I can freshen up the bathrooms and change sheets,” Leona said. “And Effie can help, too.”

  “I guess we have a plan then,” their mamm said.

  “We do, but it can’t take all night,” Zack said. “I promised Eric I’d get over there as soon as possible. He was really worried about Beverly being alone.”

  “I agree,” their father said with a look of understanding. “Dear, we’d better go over to the inn within the hour.”

  That apparently spurred Mamm on. “That gives me just enough time to whip up some pumpkin-and-chocolate-chip bread.”

  Violet groaned. “Mamm, we don’t need bread . . .”

  “Oh, yes we do.” Her voice turned sharp. “This is Beverly Overholt, remember. She bakes fresh goodies for dozens of people every day. Every single day.” After letting that announcement percolate for a few seconds, she added, in a more panicked tone, “She also offers complete strangers a clean, beautiful place to stay.”

  “That’s her job,” Violet said impatiently. “She runs an inn. She would never expect us to go to so much trouble or to act so formally.”

  “That is true, but she still has eyes and a nose.”

  Effie wrinkled her nose. “What does that mean?”

  “Everything. I don’t want her going around thinking that I have a dirty house with nothing good to eat.”

  Zack looked as if he was about to lose his patience. “Beverly is coming over because she’s upset, not because she wants fresh bread.”

  Leona reached out and squeezed Zack’s hand. “If we get started, we’ll be done in no time,” she said in her usual soft manner.

  “I agree with Leona,” Violet said. “I bet together we can make everything perfect in an hour or less.”

  It was as if that reminder about time was all she needed. Their mother took a deep breath, steeled her shoulders, and nodded. “You are right, kinner. One hour is more than enough time to make this house shine.” And with that, she started barking out orders ruthlessly, adding a generous amount of pointing as she did so.

  Before heading to her room, Effie walked to her brother’s side. “You’d best get out the egg timer, Zack.”

  “You think?”