Plain Protector

by Alison Stone

  “Matt, the private investigator, and I served together in the army.”

  Sarah moved her potato salad around with her fork. “Jimmy has a lot of friends, and he’s very convincing.” Already she felt defensive.

  “You’re right. Jimmy claims you were fired from your last job and were forced to move away.”

  “He’s lying.”

  “I know.” Nick reached across and touched her knee. She was too weary to pull away.

  “What if your friend’s inquiries cause me more problems?”

  “We can trust my friend Matt. He’s a good guy. He’s smart. He won’t say anything to put you in jeopardy.”

  Sarah bowed her head and studied the blanket.

  “Can you trust me on this?”

  She slowly looked up, and a pang of regret zinged her heart when she saw the despondent look on his face.

  “I hardly know you.”

  “Hear me out. Matt made a call to one of his friends at Orchard Gardens police headquarters and discreetly checked the work rosters. James Braeden was working last night.”

  Her mouth immediately went dry. “Jimmy normally works the day shift.”

  “He apparently worked a few doubles recently. Maybe there’s something going on at work?”

  “Are you saying he couldn’t have been harassing me because he was at work?” She felt the knot easing between her shoulder blades.

  “It would seem that way.”

  Sarah nodded, letting what he said sink in. “That means someone else smashed the window and left the snake on my kitchen table.” But for some strange reason, a stranger harassing her seemed less threatening than Jimmy.

  Sarah bowed her head and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “That jibes with something else I learned today.” She looked up and met his encouraging gaze. “Mary Ruth told me she broke up with Ruben. Maybe he blames my influence for the demise of his relationship.”

  Nick nodded. “Maybe. What about her family? They would be upset, too. Baptism and marriage are important milestones in the Amish community. I understand Mary Ruth’s older brother recently moved away.”

  Sarah had yet to meet Mary Ruth’s family. It was almost like the young woman was working hard to keep the parts of her life separate. Considering their different backgrounds, Sarah understood that, but did that also mean she had a very angry family member at home who might blame Sarah for the perceived influence she had over Mary Ruth, especially in light of her brother jumping the fence?

  Sarah dragged her fingers through her hair. “I wish my job came with a training manual, sometimes.”

  Nick wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I’ll do some digging.”

  Sarah reached out and clasped his wrist. “Don’t make it obvious. I have a tough enough time getting the few Amish who do come to me for help to trust me. I don’t want them to think they no longer can.”

  “I understand.” He tilted his head to look deeply in her eyes. “Can you trust me?”

  Sarah nodded. She could. She had to.

  “There’s something else.” Nick bent his knee in front of him and rested his elbow on it and stared over the lake, giving Sarah the opportunity to study his strong profile.

  If only they had met under different circumstances...

  “I had Matt do a welfare check on your mother.”

  Sarah’s heart skipped a beat. She was unsure if she should be mad or grateful. Right now, she chose to be grateful.

  “How is she?” The world seemed to slow down as she held her breath and waited for a response.

  Nick slowly turned to look at her. “He’s never met your mom before, but he thought perhaps she wasn’t doing well. The house was a mess and—”

  “My mother always kept a meticulous house.” Suddenly the chicken sandwich didn’t sit so well in her stomach. Her mind drifted to the conversation last night. Her mother’s persistent cough. All Sarah’s doubts and regrets overwhelmed her.

  Maybe Sarah shouldn’t have left Buffalo.

  Sarah closed her eyes. “What am I going to do?”

  “I’ll help you. However I can.” Nick’s compassionate words washed over her. “But I don’t know if it’s safe to visit her. That’s what you’re thinking, right?”

  Tears burned the back of her eyes, and she struggled to find the words. What could she say? “You have to understand how hard it is to be away from my mom at this time.”

  His intense scrutiny unnerved her, so she redirected the conversation. “Are you close with your parents?”

  Nick laughed. “Well, my parents are a little different. They’re entrepreneurs and they travel the world. Work has always been their first priority, but they always made sure we had everything we needed. And they’re very generous in the community.”

  Curiosity piqued her interest. “How did both you and your sister end up in Apple Creek?”

  “When we were little, my parents wanted to get away from the city. They needed a quiet place to think. Since they owned their own business...well, businesses now, they could live anywhere. We moved from Buffalo to Apple Creek when I was around seven.”

  “You didn’t follow them into the family business?”

  Nick shook his head. “It never appealed to me. I wanted to do something more concrete. To help people.”

  “And your sister became a doctor in a health-care clinic. Interesting.”

  “Yes, and my parents see to it that the clinic is fully funded.”

  “Wow.” Sarah took a sip of water. The soft breeze against her skin felt wonderful.

  “Oh, but I have another sister. She went to school for accounting and she’s very successful, running one arm of the family business.” Nick got a faraway look in his eyes. “The lifestyle never interested me. My parents were always gone. I was raised more by the nanny than my parents.” He waved his hand in dismissal.

  “Trust me, growing up with a lot of money in a big house in the country wasn’t a hardship. But when the time came, I wanted to go in a different direction careerwise. My parents were always supportive in the way they knew how. They paid for my college and they support the clinic.” There was something lonely in his eyes that Sarah could relate to.

  Sarah took another long drink of water. “What am I going to do about my mom? I’m hiding in Apple Creek to stay safe, but I won’t be able to live with myself if my mom dies alone.” Her voice cracked over the word dies.

  Nick reached out and covered her hand. “Then I think we should pay her a visit.”

  Fear washed over her, and her anxiety made her stomach knot. “I promised my mother I’d stay safe.”

  “I’ll keep you safe.” The conviction and sincerity in his eyes warmed her heart. “You can’t run away.”

  “I don’t know...”

  “Can you trust me?” He asked her yet again. He squeezed her hand.

  Sarah had no reason not to trust him, but she had been wrong in her assessment of people before.

  But what choice did she have? She nodded and turned to face him. They locked gazes. Sarah found herself hypnotized by his kind eyes. Before her brain engaged and she nipped her heart’s impulse, she leaned in at the same time Nick did. His soft lips covered hers, a fleeting kiss full of promise. He pulled away and a light glistened in his eyes.

  “I won’t let you down.” A small smile played on his lips.

  A million emotions tangled inside her. Sarah shifted and turned her focus to the sparkling lake and let out a long sigh.

  Dear Lord, I need Your guidance on this one. Can I trust this man?

  SIX

  On the drive home from their picnic at the lake, Sarah tried to sift through her conflicted feelings of despair, uncertainty and a new emotion: hope. Could she trust Nick to protect her secret? To protect her? Could th
ey really go visit her mom?

  Her swirling thoughts created overwhelming anxiety that nearly consumed her by the time they reached her house. Sarah was about to tell Nick to forget their plans of checking on her mother in Buffalo—it was too risky—when she noticed Mary Ruth sitting on her front porch. Her bonneted head leaned in close to a dog, a golden retriever. He must belong to the Zooks. Mary Ruth stroked his soft fur and seemed to be lost in thought.

  Nick noticed the Amish girl at the same time Sarah did. “Mary Ruth, right?”

  “Yeah, she usually visits me at the church. I wonder why she’s here. I saw her earlier today.”

  “Do you want me to come with you to talk to her?”

  Sarah slowly shook her head. “No, if something’s wrong, she’s more likely to open up to me when I’m alone.” She cut a sideways glance to Nick. “No offense.”

  “None taken.” Sarah was still trying to adjust to his easy manner. “Think about that trip to Buffalo. I could take you later this week.”

  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Sarah’s stomach dropped. Can I really visit my mom?

  “Yes. You’ll be fine. You can wear something nondescript,” Nick continued. “Do you have a baseball cap?”

  She couldn’t help but smile. Nick sounded like he was planning a bank heist. Not a trip to her childhood home. “I might be able to find a cap.”

  “Great.” Nick turned to face her, and a light twinkled in his eyes. He reached out and covered her hand with his, and the warmth spread up her arm and coiled around her heart.

  Heat warmed her cheeks, and once again she wished their circumstances had been different. She couldn’t allow herself to be caught up with another charming guy.

  Especially not another cop.

  Sarah might be willing to trust Nick to keep her safe, for now. But she couldn’t trust her heart to him.

  Then why did I kiss him by the lake?

  Sarah pulled her hand out from under his. “Later this week we’ll go to Buffalo. Visit my mom. But we can’t tell her ahead of time. I’d hate for her to tell someone in her excitement.” She forced a confidence into her voice that she didn’t feel. She climbed out of the truck and walked slowly toward the front porch. Mary Ruth didn’t get up to greet her; instead she seemed to be holding tighter onto the dog’s collar as his tail whacked the young girl’s shoulder when it stood and barked, enthusiastically greeting Sarah.

  “Is this my guard dog the Zooks promised?”

  “Yes, Mrs. Zook walked him over while I was waiting for you. I didn’t have the heart to tell her you were leaving. And she didn’t seem to want to stick around to talk to me.”

  “Temperance knows about you and Ruben?”

  “I suppose everyone knows about me and Ruben.”

  “Word really does spread quickly in a small town.” Sarah leaned a hip on the porch railing. She studied Mary Ruth. While most girls her age back home were experimenting with makeup and fashion, Mary Ruth looked fresh and cute in her bonnet and makeup-free face.

  Such innocence. Yet underneath lay such turmoil.

  “I had to come by. I couldn’t get the fact that you’re leaving out of my head. I hope you’ll reconsider.” Mary Ruth swiped at a tear. “You can’t run away like my brother.”

  Sarah bit her tongue, not wanting to disappoint her friend further, but also unable to lie. Sarah had no idea how much longer she could stay in Apple Creek.

  “Mary Ruth, you’re stronger than you think.” The young woman needed to know that, for many reasons. Mary Ruth needed the confidence to face her parents, Ruben, the bishop, her community if she hoped to find peace in her life.

  Mary Ruth hitched a shoulder. The dog licked the Amish girl’s cheek, sensing her need for comfort.

  The conversation Sarah and Nick had had by the lake flitted in her brain like a fly trying to make its escape out the closed window and bouncing off the screen. “Does your family know you’ve called off your courtship with Ruben?”

  “Yah, my dat was asking a lot of questions about if I’d be joining the next baptismal class.” An Amish person was baptized prior to marriage.

  Sarah sat next to her young friend. She wanted to put her hand on her back, but she didn’t know how well it would be received. The Amish weren’t big on outward displays of affection.

  “I have all these decisions to make, and I’m scared and confused,” Mary Ruth whispered. “My parents expect so much of me since my brother left. They’re worried. It’s every Amish parent’s wish that their children stay in the community.”

  Sarah knew that overwhelmingly, the young Amish did remain, which explained the growing numbers of Amish. Sarah supposed it was easier to commit to the familiar than make the bold move to leave home, often forever.

  The dog walked over Mary Ruth’s lap and wedged himself between the two women and put his head down on Sarah’s lap. She ran her hand absentmindedly down the smooth fur of his head.

  “Take it as it comes. You’re young. You have time to figure it out. If you don’t join the next baptismal class, you can join the one after that.” It would be worse if Mary Ruth were baptized and then decided to leave. Baptism was a forever commitment. If she left after baptism, she’d be shunned.

  “They’re worried I’ll be a negative influence on my siblings. They want me to hurry up and commit for fear I won’t ever.”

  The stalks of corn rustled in the wind in the nearby field. All these months Sarah had gotten to know Mary Ruth, she thought the young girl was steadfast in her determination to be baptized into the Amish community and then be married. Turned out no one ever knows what was truly in another person’s heart.

  “Did something else happen? Besides your brother leaving?” Sarah pivoted, and the dog shoved his snout under Sarah’s chin and she couldn’t help but smile and pat his head. Some guard dog. “You know, your brother may find his way back. Don’t give up hope. And please, don’t make a lifetime decision because you’re afraid of disappointing your parents. You have to reach in deep and do what you feel God is calling you to in your heart.” Sarah had always been careful not to sway an Amish person against their way of life, but she sensed Mary Ruth’s struggle was real. The poor girl had to find her place in the world.

  A pink flush crept up Mary Ruth’s face. “You think differently than I’ve been taught. The Amish are more community driven. It’s not supposed to be about what I want.”

  Sarah grabbed the railing and stood. The dog jumped up, perhaps thinking they were going for a walk. “I’d never try and convince you to leave the Amish community. I’m just asking that you dig deep and try to envision the life that’s best suited for you.”

  Mary Ruth stood and swiped at the back of her long skirt. “Please don’t leave Apple Creek.”

  Sarah hated to disappoint her friend, but she couldn’t lie to her, either. She didn’t know what her next step was.

  Sarah rubbed the dog’s head, and he leaned into her leg. She laughed, shaking her head. “Do the Zooks really think this dog—what’s his name? Buddy?—will make a good guard dog?”

  Mary Ruth laughed. “He barks every time a stranger comes up. What more do you need?”

  “Can you do me a favor?” Sarah asked as she stroked the dog’s fur. “Can you take the dog back over to the Zooks? Tell them I’ll be happy to have him come back, maybe in a few days.” She didn’t want to worry about Buddy when she and Nick took their trip into Buffalo.

  Mary Ruth’s mouth formed into a perfect O.

  “You can’t keep avoiding Ruben. It’s a small town.” And maybe some of the hard feelings would go away if Ruben and Mary Ruth had a chance to talk.

  The image of the dismembered snake flashed in her mind. Could Ruben be that angry? No, that had all the markings of Jimmy. Mary Ruth stomped down the steps, her posture resigned. At the bottom of
the steps, she turned around and faced Sarah. “You always give me advice, but can I give you some?”

  Sarah raised her eyebrows and held out her hand as if to say, “Go ahead.”

  “You deserve happiness, too.”

  Not sure what to say, Sarah plastered on a false smile. Sarah made her life’s work about helping others without revealing much about herself.

  “You help people like me, but you seem sad and lonely.” Mary Ruth absentmindedly reached for Buddy as he jumped around the folds of her long dress, eager for attention, lightening the mood.

  Sarah smiled. “Buddy wants to play.”

  Mary Ruth crouched down and patted the dog’s head. “He makes it hard to have a serious discussion.”

  “I know.” Sarah crossed her arms and grew solemn. “I can’t share why I’m in Apple Creek, but I’m learning to trust Nick.” She wasn’t sure why she shared this information, but she supposed she didn’t want her young Amish friend to worry.

  It was Mary Ruth’s turn to raise her eyebrows. “So, it’s Nick now.” She beamed. “You’re not leaving?” Her hopeful tone buoyed Sarah.

  “Not yet.”

  “Gut.” Mary Ruth said.

  “And Mary Ruth... Don’t feel you need someone else to make you happy. Find happiness within yourself.” This had been a mantra Sarah repeated to herself often. She understood the Amish way wasn’t to pursue personal goals, but rather work for the community, but she wanted her friend to make this very serious choice about baptism and marriage from a place of strength and not out of desperation, need or loneliness.

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Sarah watched Mary Ruth cross the yard. Sarah’s heart started pounding when she noticed Ruben cutting across the property to meet her at the fence. Sarah lifted her hand to wave, but he turned his back to her without waving back. He must not have seen her.

  Or maybe he really was angry with her.