She turned to him instantly with a bright, eager smile, which made him really happy. “Jah. Are we late?”
“Nope. You’re just on time.” And as she smiled again, looking even more pleased, he finally relaxed. She’d shown up and she was obviously happy to see him.
Already things were off to a really good start.
LEONA SMILED AT Zack. For the first time in almost twenty-four hours, she felt like she was able to breathe freely.
And now she knew that all the pain and tears she’d been going through had been worth it. Something special was brewing between the two of them. It was obvious in the way he looked at her.
And more obvious was the way she felt drawn to him. Why, even in Mattie’s company, she could hardly bring herself to look away from him.
She didn’t know if it was merely infatuation or the beginnings of a real relationship, but at the moment, she was so disheartened with how everything had ended with Edmund, she didn’t care. All she did know was that she’d done the right thing.
If she’d really been in love with Edmund, no other boy could have struck her interest. She had a feeling that if she’d been as in love with him as she’d hoped to be, she never would have even wanted to leave him to go to Pinecraft.
And since she was feeling only relief that she’d told him everything, she knew she’d made the right decision.
After she’d called Edmund, she’d called her parents. From the very first second that her mother had heard the worry in Leona’s voice, she asked what was wrong.
That concern had been like a dam bursting in Leona’s soul. After taking a deep, shaky breath, Leona had told her mom everything. Told her about Zack and his sister Effie, about the cat. And how disappointed Sara and Mattie were with her. Finally, she had relayed how her conversation with Edmund had gone.
“He was ready to end it right there and then?” Her mother sounded surprised. Mighty surprised.
“Jah. I couldn’t believe it. I mean, I knew Edmund might be upset with me, but I thought he’d want to try to work things out.”
“Leona, you did tell him that you were going to go to the beach with Zack,” she pointed out in her matter-of-fact way.
“I told him I was going to take Zack up on his offer to accompany Mattie, Sara, and me to Siesta Key. I didn’t say I was prepared to run away with him. There’s a difference, I think.”
“Mind your tongue, daughter.”
“I’m sorry.” And after double-checking about Leona’s state of mind, her mother asked what she wanted to do.
Leona knew the cautious thing to do would be to bide her time until she returned to Walnut Creek and spoke to Edmund in person. And maybe that was the right thing to do, too. But she simply couldn’t bring herself to do that. At last, she needed to be honest with herself—and her parents. “The wedding is off.”
After a barely muffled sigh, her mother replied. “All right, then. I’ll start contacting everyone.”
Leona closed her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’ll pay you and Daed back. I know you had to put lots of deposits down on everything.”
“We’ll talk about money when you get home.”
“Is Daed gonna be mad at me?”
“You’re our youngest daughter, dear. We want you to be happy.”
That wasn’t an answer. Which, of course, was an answer in itself. “Are you mad, Mamm?”
“Nee,” she said after a pause. “I wish you would have made this decision a few months ago, but I’m not mad. If you don’t feel in your heart that marrying Edmund is the right thing to do, then you shouldn’t marry him. Marriage is forever, you know.”
Her mamm was so wise. Leona knew she was so blessed to have a mother who cared more about love and happiness than plans and money. “I am really sorry. I know I’m causing you a lot of trouble.”
Her mother chuckled. “Jah, you are. But we still love you. This is a hard moment, but things will work out. They always do, jah?”
That had been music to her ears, and exactly what she’d needed to hear in order to feel some of the pressure in her chest start to lift. “Danke, Mamm,” she’d murmured. “I love you, too.”
After she hung up, Leona had forced herself to go upstairs and tell Mattie and Sara what had happened.
When she opened the door, she’d half expected to have found all of her things already packed. Instead, both Sara and Mattie were sitting on their beds, their eyes red with tears.
“What happened?” Sara asked.
“Edmund said we were finished if I went to the beach.”
Sara’s eyes turned to saucers. “What do you mean by ‘finished’?”
“Our whole relationship would be done. That he would end our engagement.”
Mattie leaned forward. “How did you respond?”
“I said I was still going to go the beach.” Looking at her two best friends’ sad expressions, Leona felt lower than a starfish clinging to the ocean floor. “I’m sorry. I know you both are disappointed in me, and I don’t blame you.”
She chewed on her bottom lip, attempting to make some sense of what she was doing. “All I can say is that marriage is forever, and that forever is a long time. And when I thought about being married to someone who always had to be right and expected me to always blindly obey, I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t.”
Standing in front of them, she braced herself for the worst. Would they kick her out of the room? Start yelling at her?
But instead of making her feel even more guilty, both girls burst into tears and ran to her side. Next thing she knew, they were in their own small huddle, all three of them with arms around each other. All three of them sobbing.
“We’ve been feeling so bad for being mean to you, Leona,” Mattie said.
“What?”
“I’ve never been in love. I don’t know what I would do in your shoes,” Mattie continued. “All I do know is that while I love my brother, he would drive me to drink.”
Leona had been so shocked, her tears had momentarily stopped. “I can’t believe you said that!”
Mattie shook her head. “I love him dearly, but he’s more than a bit controlling. He always has been.” Lowering her voice, she added, “I was secretly hoping you would be a good influence on him.”
Sara grinned. “I feel bad, too. You’ve been my best friend forever. Friends don’t treat friends the way I treated you this evening. Who you want to marry is your business, not mine. And it sure isn’t my place to tell you what to do. No matter what you decide, I’ll support you.”
And that, of course, made Leona burst into tears.
This morning, Sara had bowed out of the beach, saying she was eager to visit the library and have a quiet day to herself. Since Sara was kind of a loner by nature, Leona understood that.
Mattie, on the other hand, was eager to go to the beach. They’d mutually decided not to speak about Edmund or marriage, to simply concentrate on having a good day.
And now they were almost to Siesta Key. Zack and his friend Danny kept glancing their way.
And they were going to spend the day at the beach.
God had given her a new day, and she was so very grateful for that.
Chapter 13
Out of all the places I’ve thought of taking you, the last place I considered was the Selby County Library,” Beverly told Jean and Ida as they walked along the tree-lined sidewalks of downtown Sarasota toward the large library. “Do you two really need new books?”
“Of course I do,” Ida said. “It’s a long bus ride down here to Pinecraft, you know.”
Actually, Beverly didn’t know. When she’d made the decision to move to Pinecraft, she’d asked some of her Mennonite friends if they’d let her ride in the car with them. Then, after she’d gotten settled, the moving company had moved her things down.
“It is a long drive,” she said. “And I suppose it is a good walk to Selby.”
“Do you come here often?”
Beverly shook her head. “Not reall
y. I never have much time to read anymore.” Because she was now Mennonite, she was able to have an e-reader, which she was finding so handy. Now she could get a good deal on brand-new books. “I should come here more often. This is a wonderful library.”
“Best in the whole state,” Jean said. “It won an award, you know.”
This was news to her. “Really?”
“Oh, for sure and for certain! You should learn more about your new home, Beverly,” Jean chided.
“You’re right, I should.” Actually, Jean was very right. When Beverly had first moved to Sarasota, she’d been so hurt and dismayed, she’d hardly done much but try to get through each day. Then, slowly, she’d gotten acclimated to the slower pace and easy atmosphere of Pinecraft.
After Aunt Patty had passed away and Beverly had taken over the inn, work had consumed her. Each day revolved around her inn’s guests and their whims and needs. Only late at night, when her to-do list was done and she was so tired she could hardly stand up, did she think about herself.
But unfortunately, by that time of night, she stuck to the basics: trying to remember if she’d showered, eaten; if she needed to press a dress or buy a new pair of sandals. Only now did she feel like she was ready to stop sticking her head in the sand.
“Now that I feel like I have everything in control at the inn, I’m sure I’ll get out and about more,” she promised.
Ida and Jean exchanged glances.
“What are you two smiling about?” Beverly asked.
“Nothing, dear. It’s simply that you’re never going to be completely in control. The Lord is.”
“I know that.” And she kind of did. But privately, sometimes she kind of didn’t. After all, why would the Almighty encourage Marvin and Regina to see each other when Beverly had been ready to commit herself to him for life? That hardly seemed fair.
“I hope so,” Ida said. “Now that we’re here, we’ll make sure you get out and about every day.”
“That will be nice, but please, don’t forget that the inn is my job. I have to cook and clean and keep everything running smoothly, you know. If I don’t do these things, they won’t get done.”
Ida brushed off Beverly’s comment with a careless wave of her hand. “Don’t you worry about that none. We can help you cook and clean.”
It seemed they had an answer for everything. “I couldn’t let you do that.”
“Gut, because we weren’t going to ask, we were just going to tell you what we’d done after the fact,” Jean said.
“You two never change.”
“I surely hope not,” Jean teased. “I kind of always liked the way I was.”
Beverly chuckled as they entered the large library through the wide glass double doors. She smiled as Jean and Ida stood in the large area and gaped. The main entrance boasted a beautiful archway aquarium that led into a large, expansive rotunda.
Immediately, the two ladies looked like children in a candy store.
“Oh, heavens,” Jean said. “This is a wonderful place.”
“And so big,” Ida murmured. “How about we meet you back here in an hour?”
“An hour?” She’d been hoping she could be back at the inn within the hour.
Jean frowned. “Oh, I bet you want to look around as well. Is an hour enough time?”
“One hour is plenty of time for me,” Beverly answered quickly. Looking at the circulating desk, she remembered she’d wanted to sign up for a library card anyway. “Meet me at the desk and we’ll check out your books.”
“Right.” Ida nodded, then walked over to a sign indicating new fiction.
Feeling at a bit of a loss at the unexpected free time, Beverly waited in line, showed her identification card and proof of address, and got a library card.
Then she wandered over to the mysteries and, giving into temptation, decided to find a book or two to read. As she started walking along the stacks, glancing at the titles, she felt her body immediately relax.
This was probably what she needed to be doing as often as possible. Taking time for herself. Taking time to relax. Her favorite verse from Psalm 46 rang in her mind: Be still and know that I am God. Perhaps it was time to be still for a bit and let the Lord take care of the rest.
And as she pulled out two Anne Perry books, realizing with a bit of dismay that she hadn’t been keeping up with Anne’s latest releases, she skimmed the back of one of the books as she walked to a chair . . .
And promptly ran into a very tall man holding a very large stack of books. “Whoa,” he muttered, just as he reached out to clasp her arms.
Which, of course, was the wrong thing for him to do, because the books fell like a waterfall onto the floor, toppling onto her toes and scattering like a spray of water.
“Oh!” Beverly cried. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.” Kneeling down, she attempted to pick up the books as quickly as possible.
The man knelt down, too. Then, there they were, picking up too many books, too close together. She lifted her chin and met his gaze, then blinked because he had really dark brown eyes that somehow managed to look warm and assessing at the same time.
“I really am sorry,” she said. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“Nothing to be too concerned about. It’s just books that fell, not hot coffee.” His black golf shirt strained along the muscles in his chest and shoulders as he reached for the last of his books.
As he got up, she got to her feet, too, thinking that he really was tall. Why he had to be over six feet!
Then, she of course had to bend back down to grab her purse and those two mysteries that had caused all the trouble in the first place. Feeling that he’d been exactly right, that she was on the verge of making a big deal about nothing, she smiled at him sheepishly. “Sorry,” she said. Again. Obviously, it was time to go sit in a corner and hide out until Ida and Jean were ready.
Luckily, there weren’t any other people in the immediate vicinity.
“Well, um, enjoy your day.”
The corners of his lips curved up, revealing perfect teeth, which just happened to go with his perfect jawline, perfectly trimmed dark hair, and unusually expressive eyes. “I will. Thanks. You, too.”
She’d just taken a step away—thinking few men could pull off a pair of khakis and a golf shirt and flip-flops like he could—when he said, “Hey, do you live here in Sarasota?”
“I do. Are you visiting from out of town?”
“Yeah, but I’m actually thinking about moving to Sarasota. Do you like it here?”
With relief, she donned her cool and professional inn demeanor. She could talk about the beauty of her adopted city all day long. “Very much so.”
“Are you a native?”
“Not at all. I’m from Ohio. I moved here three years ago.”
“And you haven’t ever been tempted to leave?”
“Never. What about you? Where are you from?”
“Pennsylvania. Near Philly.”
“Ah.”
“I’ve been exploring the area for days. But when the manager of my motel suggested I come here for more information, I became hooked on this place. It’s one of the nicest libraries I’ve ever been in.”
“Yes. Well, um, it’s won an award, you know.”
“I bet it’s won a ton of them. Hey, any chance you have a minute to talk?”
“I do.” Then afraid she sounded way too eager, she sputtered, “I mean, I have a couple of minutes. I’m here with two ladies, but they’re going to be awhile longer.”
“Great.”
Suddenly, she couldn’t help but agree. Yes, it was great that Ida and Jean were taking their own sweet time.
It wasn’t so great that she seemed to be tripping over her words and acting like she was standing in the lunch line next to the cutest boy ever. “I’ll be happy to answer any of your questions.” She pointed to a pair of comfortable-looking leather chairs. “Want to sit down?”
“Yeah. I do.”
As th
ey walked, he looked over at her, seeming to notice her dress and the small lace covering on her head. “Are you Mennonite?”
“Yes. Are you?” He wasn’t wearing especially conservative clothes, but some branches of the Mennonite church were rather progressive.
He shook his head. “No, though I grew up in a fairly conservative church.”
“I grew up Amish.” With a shrug, she said, “When I moved here, I decided to not be baptized in the faith.”
“We each have to follow the Lord’s will in our own way,” he murmured.
She liked that. Liked how he phrased his statement. And really liked that he wasn’t being judgmental. Smiling, she sat down and set her things to one side, then leaned forward. “So, what are you interested in? Have you been to Pinecraft?”
“I’ve been to the Der Dutchman Restaurant. Does that count?”
“It counts. Have you been to Pinecraft Park yet?”
“Nee.” Pointing to the books on the ground, he said, “I’ve been getting a bit of information about the lay of the land. I’m going to be running a local bed-and-breakfast.”
“I guess we were meant to meet,” she said with a laugh. “I own a B and B.”
He shook his head. “That’s crazy. Talk about it being a small world! Hey, by the way, I’m Eric Wagler.”
“I’m Beverly Overholt.”
“Pretty name.”
“Danke.” She shrugged. “Is this B and B you’re gonna be working at already running?”
“It is. Maybe you know of it? It’s called the Orange Blossom Inn.”
She blinked. “Are you sure that’s the name of it?”
“I’m positive. Why?”
“That’s the name of my inn.”
“Wow, that is strange.” He opened up a plastic folder that was secured with a rubber band and fished through some papers. “Yes, my lawyer said it was called the Orange Blossom Inn. On Gardenia Street.”
“That is absolutely my inn.” Feeling that he was playing some awful, terrible game with her, she glared. “So, what are you talking about, saying that you’re going to be running it?”
“I had a neighbor, John Eicher, for almost twenty years. When he passed away, his lawyer contacted me. It seems John had been leasing it to his ex-wife for decades.” With a shrug, he said, “I guess she passed on a couple of years ago.”
The Promise of Palm Grove Page 9
