A Reunion in Pinecraft

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  “This is fun, Graham. I’m glad you and the boys were in the mood for pie.”

  “You came upon us at the right time, for sure and for certain,” he said with a smile. “None of us wanted to be seen walking by ourselves with two pies in our hands.”

  She laughed. “It would be quite a sight, but not necessarily a bad one. And, of course, coconut cream pie is always a gut idea.”

  “To be honest, I didn’t really think we needed pie. But Matthew has a terrible sweet tooth. Sometimes it’s easier just to give him what he wants.”

  “I’ve done things like that with my girlfriends.” She smiled at Graham again. Unbidden, hope filled her once more. Maybe she and Graham were meant to be together after all.

  As they crossed another intersection, he said, “What do you girls go out to grab? I’m thinking it’s probably not pie.”

  “You’re right. It ain’t. Sharon is our family’s baker, you know. She’s always bringing something home from the bakery that didn’t sell or experimenting with a new recipe. We never run out of treats,” she said as she pushed the crosswalk button at the intersection. “Sometimes we do go out, to run errands or something, but it’s rarely for food. I like activity. I, um, don’t do well with just sitting around.”

  “I’m beginning to get that idea.” He smiled at her again, remembering how often he saw her get up to wade into the waves at Siesta Key.

  Another minute later, when the light turned, they crossed the street, then walked the rest of the way in easy silence.

  As they walked, Graham found himself wondering more about Sherry and even more about his reaction to her. Although he still thought Sharon was special, he’d begun to realize he felt more at ease around Sherry than he did around her sister.

  Had he fallen in love with Sherry’s letters and simply associated those feelings with a pretty girl, with Sharon? Or had it been the other way around? Had he become so fascinated by his one brief conversation with Sharon that he’d transferred all those feelings to the letter writer?

  Surely there was no such thing as love at first sight, was there? Yes, he’d had a strong reaction to Sharon when he met her, but he had become more than interested in Sherry through her letters.

  Whatever the case, he was glad his agreement with Toby had prompted him to get to know Sherry better.

  When they got to the bakery counter at the restaurant, Sherry pulled out the money she’d collected and asked for the pies. Then they stepped to the side to wait.

  Knowing he needed to figure out how he truly felt about Sherry, he thought he better keep their conversation flowing. “Tell me more about your job.”

  “Well, as you know, I work at a little nursery school as an assistant. I help the teachers with the two-and three-year-olds.”

  He winced. “That sounds difficult.”

  “It takes a lot of patience. I’ll give you that!”

  “But you enjoy it?”

  “Very much so.”

  “Why is that?” he asked after he collected the bag from the hostess and they started their way back home. “Why do you enjoy it? Is it because you like teaching kinner or because you want kinner of your own one day?”

  “Hmm. I never took the time to think about it that way. I guess my best answer would be both,” she said with a smile. “I do enjoy kinner. I like how free they are. I like how they’re unburdened by rules and expectations.” She shrugged as they stopped at the light again. “Being with them makes me happy and want to be less worried about such things too.” Rather sheepishly, she added, “I hope one day to be blessed with kinner like that.”

  “That’s a great answer.”

  “What? Were you judging me?”

  “Nee. I just . . . well, you gave me a lot to think about.”

  Looking up at him, her petite frame so slight but her very being so spunky, something new flickered in her eyes. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m starting to think I’m finally seeing the man I’ve been writing to for the last six months.”

  “Why would you say that?”

  She shrugged again, then admitted, “I don’t know how to say this without making either of us look bad. But, uh, looking back at when we first saw each other in the parking lot, I kind of get the feeling you were disappointed when you saw me again.”

  “I wasn’t.” This was terrible. He was lying to her.

  Looking far more mature than her years, she said, “It’s okay if you were. I mean, I know I seem confident, but I also know I’m not much to look at when I’m standing next to my sister.”

  This was becoming worse and more uncomfortable by the second. “Don’t say things like that, Sherry. It’s not true. I never thought that, either.”

  “Maybe not you, but I’m sure a lot of people can’t help but compare the two of us. And it’s fairly easy to see who’d come out on top.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “My sister Sharon is the beauty. She’s also cool and reserved.”

  He hated that she was putting herself down. “Please, stop saying things like that. You’re attractive too. And it’s pretty obvious you have much to be proud of.”

  Her expression softened. “Danke.” When they turned right on Magnolia, she continued. “Graham, please don’t misinterpret what I said. I wasn’t fishing for compliments. It’s just that . . . What I’m trying to say is you shouldn’t feel bad if you find me lacking next to Sharon.”

  “Did your parents do this?” he asked angrily. “Did they make you feel like you weren’t as gut as your older sister?”

  “Nee.” With a sigh, she pressed her hands to her cheeks. “I’m just being silly. Please, may we drop this now?”

  “We don’t have to.” Actually, he liked seeing this new, less confident side of Sherry. While he hated for her to have insecurities, her weaknesses made her seem more approachable.

  “Well, I’d sure like to.” Grimacing, she said, “And while we’re at it, maybe we could forget that I brought it up in the first place? That’s a fault of mine. I say what’s on my mind, then live to regret it.”

  Just before they turned to walk up the front steps to the inn, Graham stopped. “Sherry, don’t apologize anymore for who you are. There’s nothing wrong with you and a whole lot that’s great. You have qualities Sharon doesn’t have. I’m sure she’s a little envious of some of your attributes too.”

  “Maybe so.”

  “Listen, I’m one of three boys. We all farm together too. I have a lot of experience trying to keep up with my older brother. My younger brother, Caleb, has said he often tries to keep up with me. It’s the way of siblings, I think.”

  She blinked. “I never thought about it that way.” As they started walking up the steps, she looked up at him. “You know what, Graham? I’m starting to think maybe all my experience with preschoolers is going to pay off.”

  “How so?”

  “Over and over again, I try to teach them about the value of patience. But maybe I’ve learned a bit about patience too.” She looked down at her feet. “On the way to Pinecraft, I was sure something good was going to happen right away. But now I realize there’s not much value in trying to force anything to happen. Maybe it’s best when we have to do a little bit of waiting and praying.”

  Her words couldn’t have been more true. They resonated with him . . . though, unfortunately, they also made him feel more confused than ever. He smiled weakly as he held open the door.

  Matthew was lounging on one of the easy chairs in the living room. “Do we finally have our pie?”

  Graham laughed. “We do, and nee thanks to you. Go round up everyone and tell them to meet us in the dining room.”

  CHAPTER 9

  “HEY, GRAHAM?” TOBY ASKED LATE THAT NIGHT WHEN THEY were settled in their beds.

  “Hmm?”

  “What did you really think was going to happen with Sherry when we booked our bus tickets?”

  “You know, I thought I’d see the girl I’d been writing to for month
s again and fall in love. Instead, I got myself in a real mess.”

  “Do you still feel like you’re in a mess now?”

  After his walk with Sherry? He wasn’t sure. “Nee. One minute I don’t want to do anything but relax and have a gut time. The next I’m half planning the rest of my life.”

  “I’ve been kind of doing the same thing. Do you think it’s Pinecraft that’s making us so crazy?”

  “Maybe.” Thinking about Sharon’s beauty and Sherry’s cuteness and bubbly personality, he said, “Maybe it’s the girls. Or maybe I’ve stopped dwelling on the assumptions I made and started concentrating on the needs of other people. Maybe I’m finally growing up.”

  “Yeah.” Toby punched his pillow and flipped on his side. “I didn’t come here with any expectations other than I wanted to take a break from construction. But now . . .” He blew out a harsh breath. “Now I can’t stop thinking about Sharon.”

  “You and she have hit it off, then.”

  “I think so. Well, we talked a bit on the beach. And we spent some time together after supper.”

  “I’ve seen you together more than that.”

  “What about you and Sherry?”

  Thinking about their conversation on the streets going back and forth from Der Dutchman, Graham said, “I’m starting to see she’s more than I thought she was.”

  “Huh.”

  The burden was killing him. “Will you keep a secret?”

  “Of course.”

  “Well, these letters? I thought I was writing to Sharon. Not Sherry.”

  Instead of looking horrified, Toby looked merely amused. “Really? That’s kind of hard to believe. They’re really different.”

  “I know that now. I didn’t when I was writing.”

  “The signature at the bottom of the letter didn’t clue you in?”

  “It would have, if I hadn’t confused their names. I remembered meeting Sharon but not her first name. I only remembered her last name was Kramer. So when Sherry wrote and said she just wanted to say hi because she liked letter writing, and I saw the name Kramer, I thought she was the woman I remembered.”

  “But she wasn’t.”

  “Nee.” Wondering why he’d even decided to tell Toby the truth because now he was feeling stupid, he said, “At first I thought maybe Sharon wrote chatty letters because was a little shy. I thought maybe shy girls liked to express themselves more through the written word or something.”

  “The amount of information you don’t know about the female mind is staggering.”

  “Like you are any better.”

  “I have two sisters. I know better.” Making a come-closer gesture with his fingers, he said, “So how did you finally figure it out? Did Sherry say something about her red hair or something?”

  That would have been great if she had! “Nee. I, um . . . well, I didn’t actually discover who exactly Sherry was until I got here and we were all standing in the parking lot.”

  Toby gaped. “Nee way.”

  “It’s true.”

  “What did the girls say when you told them?” He grinned. “I bet you got an earful!”

  “They haven’t said anything. Because I haven’t told them the truth yet.”

  Toby stilled. “Are you saying Sherry still thinks you knew you were writing to her?”

  “Jah.” He swallowed. “I couldn’t figure out what to do. Or how to tell them without hurting anyone’s feelings. I mean, either I tell Sherry I liked her letters but had been picturing her sister, or I tell Sharon I didn’t remember her name, so she was essentially forgettable.”

  “Neither option is gut.”

  “I know that.” Thinking he might as well confess the whole story, Graham said, “I almost convinced myself it was okay and that I didn’t want to seriously court either of them.”

  Toby slapped his hands on his face. “But now you do?”

  Graham shifted uncomfortably. “Jah. I think I do.”

  “Do I even want to know which one you’re interested in now? And before you say anything, I hope you recall that I asked you on the beach who you liked.”

  “I remember.”

  “Well? Who?”

  “At first I thought it was Sharon, but now I think it might be Sherry.”

  “You think it might be,” he repeated. After a pause, he scowled. “You are seriously playing with people’s lives here, Graham.”

  “It’s a mess,” Graham agreed. “I feel bad about it too. Anytime either of them mentions the letters, I kind of want to throw up. I hate this secret. But you have to know I’m not playing around. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, and I just don’t know if I should come clean or not.”

  He’d known Toby most of his life, but never had Toby looked at him with such disdain. “Nee, Graham. That’s not what you’re doing. You’re more concerned with your pride than with being honest. And that’s not being grown up at all.”

  “Hey, now. It ain’t—”

  “It is. You need to tell those sisters the truth tonight, or I will.”

  “You can’t do that. What about promising to keep my secret?”

  “That was before I realized your secret is going to ruin my life,” he said before turning away.

  After some thinking—and praying—Graham realized two things.

  First, Toby was completely right. He hadn’t been truly thinking about Sharon or Sherry. He hadn’t been thinking about Toby either. He’d been thinking only about his own wants. It was time to change that. He just hoped he wasn’t going to be on the receiving end of several cold shoulders for the rest of this vacation. If that happened, this trip was indeed going to go down as one of the worst ideas in his whole life.

  Second, he now knew which sister truly made his heart beat just a little faster, and he didn’t want a lie to stand between them.

  CHAPTER 10

  SHERRY WAS DOING HER BEST TO STIFLE HER YAWNS ON the back patio. But it was late, she was tired, and Graham had been incredibly vague about why he wanted to talk to both her and Sharon at ten thirty at night.

  “What do you think Graham wants to talk to us about?” she asked Sharon for about the fifth time.

  “Like I said before, I have nee idea. Maybe Graham wants our opinion about something.”

  Sherry was just going to ask what opinion could be so urgently needed when the back door opened and Graham came out. Just behind him was Toby. What was going on?

  “Hey,” Graham said as he looked at one of them, then the other. “Danke for meeting me.”

  “We didn’t know Toby was coming too,” Sharon said. “Is this a party or something?”

  “I wish it was,” Toby muttered.

  Graham glared at him. “Toby came for moral support.”

  Sharon raised her eyebrows. “You need moral support to talk to us?”

  “I didn’t come for Graham’s moral support. I came in case you two needed me,” Toby clarified.

  Sherry had had enough. “Graham, come sit down and get this over with,” she said impatiently. “I’m tired, and I’m done guessing what’s on your mind.”

  Graham pulled out one of the wrought-iron chairs and abruptly sat down. Far more slowly, Toby joined them too.

  After exhaling a deep breath, Graham blurted, “I have to tell you both something that’s been weighing on my mind ever since you arrived in Pinecraft.”

  “What is it?” Sharon’s expression was full of concern.

  Looking as though he was about to have a tooth pulled, he said, “I . . . well, I, um, I had a problem with the letters I wrote to Sherry.” Before Sherry could ask what he was talking about, he rushed on. “Sherry, I didn’t realize I was writing to you. I thought I was writing to Sharon.”

  Stunned, Sherry looked at Toby, who seemed irritated, and at Sharon, who was gaping. Then she burst out laughing. “You’re being ridiculous, Graham. I signed my letters Sherilyn Kramer.”

  “I know you did. But I didn’t remember meeting you, not until you got here.
I only remembered meeting Sharon.”

  And just like that, all her amusement fled. “You didn’t remember meeting me?”

  Graham got to his feet and clenched his hands at his sides. “I remembered meeting Sharon, but I only remembered her last name. I couldn’t remember her first name. I assumed it was Sherilyn when I got that first letter signed Sherilyn Kramer.”

  Sherry was starting to feel sick, like she’d eaten a beetle or something. “So all this time you were writing to me, telling me about your life and how you couldn’t wait to see me in Pinecraft, you were really wanting to see my sister.”

  Graham hesitated. “Kind of.”

  Sharon tilted her head to one side. “What do you mean by ‘kind of?’ ” Her voice was hard.

  “I wanted to see the person who was writing me so many entertaining letters.”

  “And you thought the author of the letters looked like Sharon, right?” Sherry asked. “What about when I mentioned my red hair and freckles?”

  “You never told me that.”

  “I did in my last letter. I sent it just before I left for our trip.”

  “I didn’t get that letter, remember? I left a couple of days before you did, and it didn’t come in time.” Sitting back down, he said, “I’m sorry. I don’t know what else to say.”

  “Only that you didn’t remember meeting me.”

  “Don’t feel bad, Sherry,” Sharon said. “Graham here might have remembered what I looked like, but he didn’t even remember my name.”

  Graham leaned his head back and took another deep breath. When he looked at them again, he said, “I know I sound like a jerk, but I promise it wasn’t like that.”

  “Graham, why didn’t you say anything when we arrived?” Sharon asked.

  “I didn’t know how to tell you,” he said after a brief pause. “Then, well, I tried to tell myself it didn’t really matter that I got so confused. After all, it was an honest mistake, and it wasn’t like I had known either of you well. I thought maybe we could have a gut time in Pinecraft and simply be vacation friends.”

  Sherry knew what he meant, but she wasn’t about to let him off the hook. “And by ‘vacation friends,’ you mean women you weren’t serious about. Women with whom you only wanted to have a fling.”