The Promise of Palm Grove

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  When everyone started laughing, even Effie, Zack felt his cheeks heat. “I’m out of here,” he said over his shoulder. “I’ve got some things to do.”

  “Oh, I bet you do,” Karl quipped as Zack walked out the door.

  Only when he was well and completely alone did Zack smile. His siblings were irritating, but they also had been right. He did have some things to do, and they all happened to revolve around Leona.

  Chapter 20

  It took a bit of convincing, but Leona persuaded Mattie and Sara to let her go downstairs to greet Edmund by herself.

  “Just give me fifteen minutes, then you two can come down and join us,” she’d said, trying her best to look far more optimistic about the upcoming meeting than she had felt. The truth was she’d felt a little sick.

  Mattie hadn’t been for it. At all. “Leona, he is my bruder. I know how he’s going to be feeling, and it ain’t going to be gut.”

  “It will be fine.” Hopefully, she’d thought.

  While Sara had looked extremely skeptical, Mattie simply shook her head. “I think it would be a good idea if we both talked to Edmund, at least at first. He’s going to be on a mission to talk some sense into you. When he gets that way, it can be a bit overwhelming.”

  “Believe me, I know how he gets. Don’t forget that I’ve known him for quite a while and have had many conversations with him, including breaking up over the phone. Right now I think I can handle just about anything he throws me,” Leona replied, almost proud of herself for holding firm. Actually, she was mighty sure that every word Mattie had said was true; she wasn’t looking forward to being lectured by Edmund.

  But there were some things a person had to do herself, and this was one of them. “Mattie, I know you are his sister. But no matter how close you two are, I’m pretty sure he came all the way to Pinecraft in order to talk to me. I need to give him that chance.”

  “Leona has a point,” Sara had said.

  “All right, but I’ll be watching the clock,” Mattie grumbled.

  “Watch all you want,” Leona had replied.

  Now, as she walked into the gathering room and saw his back to her, recognized the way he held himself, noticed that he was wearing his favorite blue shirt—the one she’d sewn for him as a birthday gift—Leona was scared to death.

  “Edmund?” she whispered.

  He turned around immediately. Examined her from top to bottom. She might have thought his close inspection would’ve made her feel a bit more attractive. Or maybe that he had been so anxious, he would have wanted to make sure that she was all right.

  But instead, it felt vaguely like he was inspecting her for flaws.

  “You are getting a tan.”

  She nodded. “Jah. I am.”

  “Must have been from your day at the beach.”

  Though she felt herself getting defensive, she tried to push through it. “Perhaps.” Then, when he stayed where he was, merely looking at her intently but not offering any more hints about why he had come, she knew she was going to have to take the first step.

  “Why are you here?”

  “We needed to speak, Leona. Obviously.”

  “You could have simply called.”

  “I didn’t have your phone number.”

  “You could have gotten the inn’s number from your parents or my folks.”

  “I didn’t want to talk to you on the phone.” He sat down on the sofa, his long-sleeve blue shirt, dark pants, and heavy boots looking completely out of place in the bright and airy room. “May we speak now? Or would you rather we went somewhere more private?”

  There was no way on earth she was going to go anywhere with him. Plus, he didn’t realize it, but his sister and her cousin were just minutes away from joining them. “Here is fine.” She sat down beside him.

  After a generous exhalation, he blurted, “When we got off the phone the other night, I was pretty angry.”

  “I know you were.”

  “Leona, you played me for a fool. And no matter what you said about wanting to make friends in Florida and such, we both know that you should have never, ever considered accepting that man’s invitation to go to the beach.”

  “I know how it must have made you feel.”

  “Nee, you have no idea. I felt betrayed. I was hurt, too.” He ran a hand through his brown wavy hair. “But now that some time has passed, I’ve decided to forgive you. If you promise to never do such a thing again, if you vow to never act so impulsively, I will forgive you and we can be engaged again.”

  Leona felt a lump lodge in her throat, but she wasn’t sure whether it was dismay that he could still think she’d want him back, or that she’d been mere months away from living with such a man for the rest of her life.

  What she knew, without a doubt, was that if she still loved him, nee, if she had always, truly loved him, she would have agreed to his request right away. She would have promised to never accept another invitation because she wouldn’t have ever wanted to be around another man besides him for the rest of her life.

  But, in that moment, there was no way on earth she was going to put up with such a statement.

  “Edmund, you were mad enough at me to break things off on the phone.”

  “You caught me off guard.”

  “I did? Is that why you didn’t want to hear my explanations?”

  “I told you, Leona. I have now changed my mind.”

  “Well, so have I. I’ve decided that I’m mighty glad this happened.” When his head popped up, she felt a little bad, but she soldiered on. “I am grateful that we are no longer engaged. Obviously, God has been working overtime with us. He brought me here, He encouraged me to have new ideas. Marrying each other would have been a terrible mistake.”

  “What happened with that man at the beach?”

  “Nothing.” Then, remembering how she hadn’t wanted to leave Zack’s side, she amended her words. “I mean, nothing really. But I would be lying if I said that he doesn’t mean anything to me.”

  “Leona, I came all the way down here on the bus to make things right.”

  To him “making things right” meant her giving in. Again. Yet again, he’d ignored everything she had told him and instead concentrated on only what he wanted to hear. That realization made her frustrated and sad and confused.

  Why had she ever thought he was the man for her, anyway?

  She was saved from coming up with a satisfactory comment when Sara and Mattie came barging into the room.

  Leona turned to them, relieved. “Oh! Look who is here,” she chirped.

  “Edmund,” Sara said graciously. “It’s nice to see you here in Sarasota.”

  He got to his feet. “Jah.”

  Mattie, on the other hand, was looking at Leona, asking her without words how it had been going.

  Since it hadn’t been going well at all, Leona tried to express just how frustrating the conversation had been through her eyes.

  When Mattie’s eyebrows rose and Sara visibly winced, Leona figured she’d done a pretty good job of that.

  “Mattie, you are looking well,” Edmund said.

  “Danke,” Mattie said as she walked across the room and gave him a hug. “What a nice surprise to see my brother. We’ll have to have a nice chat about why you are here. Unannounced and uninvited.”

  Edmund’s eyes narrowed. “Mattie, now isn’t a gut time.”

  “Sure it is.” Looping her arm through his, she gave a little tug. “I’m starving, and we need to find you a place to stay. How long are you staying in Sarasota?”

  “Only until the bus leaves tomorrow.”

  “That means we’ll have to take you to Yoder’s right now,” Mattie said, just as if they were on the verge of an emergency.

  “Goodness, yes,” Sara said with a nod. “I’ll join you. We’ll give you a tour around Pinecraft, too. We’re practically experts on the area now.”

  “I’m not here to see Pinecraft,” Edmund said. “I came to talk to Leona.”


  “We’ve already talked,” Leona blurted.

  He turned to her. “Leona, you mustn’t be so stubborn.”

  “I think I must.”

  Just as Mattie and Sara looked like they were tempted to yank Edmund out to the front porch, Miss Beverly entered the room. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but you have another visitor, Leona,” she said, looking a bit apprehensive.

  Leona gaped at the man behind the innkeeper. “Zack?”

  “Gut matin, Leona. Sara. Mattie.”

  “Hi, Zack,” Mattie replied. She stepped forward and not-very-subtly looked just beyond him. “Are you alone or is Danny here?”

  Edmund’s eyebrows rose. “Danny?”

  “Zack’s friend,” Mattie supplied under her breath. “And mine.”

  “Yours?” Edmund blurted.

  “I’m sorry, but I had to come alone,” Zack said to Mattie. “Danny’s working.”

  Mattie frowned. “That’s too bad.”

  Zack’s lips twitched. “Jah.”

  Edmund crossed his arms over his chest. “What is going on?”

  Zack looked from Leona to Edmund and back. “I hope I’m not intruding. It’s just that, well, I remembered telling you how good the fruit was at Yoder’s Market. So I picked you up a couple of pieces.”

  Leona couldn’t have stayed on the other side of the room from him if she’d tried. “This is so nice of you.”

  “It was nothing.” He smiled at her, then looked at Edmund again. “Zachary Kaufmann,” he said, holding out his hand.

  “Edmund Miller. I’m Leona’s fiancé.”

  Zack’s look of amusement faded. “Leona, I thought you two were through?”

  “We are,” Leona said.

  “Have you already gotten back together?”

  The expression on Zack’s face mirrored the moment of panic she’d just felt in her stomach. “Nee, Zack,” she said gently. “Although I feel mighty bad about how things happened, Edmund and I are no longer engaged.”

  “Then why did he say such a thing?”

  “It’s a mystery,” Leona said, “because we definitely broke up.”

  “But he still came down here?” Zack asked. He was staring at her intently. As if they were the only two people in the room.

  “It seems so.” Her words were tart, but Leona knew what Zack meant. There was no way one could ever describe the twenty-hour bus ride to Pinecraft as something one did in the spur of the moment. The trip was long and it wasn’t exactly inexpensive, either.

  “You really had no idea—”

  Edmund, however, didn’t appreciate being ignored. “Leona,” he interrupted loudly, “we still need to talk.”

  She glared at him. “We do not.” Then she stepped closer to Zack and lowered her voice, almost to a whisper. “I promise, I didn’t know Edmund was going to come here.”

  “I hope not.” For once, there wasn’t a bit of humor in Zach’s expression. Instead, his gaze was serious, his posture protective, making her feel warm.

  Making everything between them seem a little more sincere, a little more intent. Leona had the feeling if they’d been alone, Zack would have pulled her into his arms by now. She would have also stepped into those arms willingly.

  “Leona,” Edmund’s voice was louder now. “You are being rude.”

  “Nee. Nee, I don’t think so.” Taking a deep breath, she said, “Edmund, I think it would be best if you went with Mattie and Sara to Yoder’s and looked for a place to stay tonight.”

  “Leona, I’m going to tell your parents about how much you’ve changed. They’re not going to be happy.”

  Since she’d already talked to them, she knew they weren’t thrilled about the change in plans. But she knew they were also not going to be happy with Edmund and his high-handed behavior. Moreover, they had made it clear that they loved her and wanted her to be happy. Therefore, she didn’t say a word and let her silence speak for itself.

  Sometimes there was simply nothing more to say.

  Chapter 21

  Watching the sun set while sitting on the beach at Siesta Key was one of Beverly’s favorite things to do, and she was delighted to have the opportunity to share it with Jean and Ida.

  They’d taken beach chairs, a blanket, and a picnic supper with them for the trip. Beverly had even asked one of her friends from Palm Grove Church to drive them so they wouldn’t have to lug everything on the SCAT. The bus was easy enough, but the older she got, the more she appreciated the ease of going to the beach in a car.

  Now, as she sat on the sand next to Jean and Ida, the three of them quietly watching the sunset transform the blue sky into a dozen shades of red, orange, and pink, Beverly felt as if she had finally come full circle.

  She’d gone from a life in Sugarcreek, where she’d had lots of friends and family surrounding her all the time, to a life in Pinecraft that centered around work. Little by little, the pain of her past had faded and she’d been able to reach out to the people in her life who cared about her.

  Now, with Jean’s and Ida’s visit, Beverly was realizing that she was strong enough to start seeing these people face-to-face. She hadn’t known she was ready. Only by the Lord bringing Jean and Ida to Pinecraft had He shown her that.

  “I’m really glad you both came here to see me,” she murmured as they continued to watch the sun slowly fade into the horizon. “It’s been a wonderful couple of days.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” Jean said. “Now I’m kind of sad that we made plans to go to Disney World, but it’s probably for the best.”

  “Houseguests and fish, you know,” Ida quipped.

  “I don’t think your company would ever be that tough to take.”

  Jean chuckled. “You never know. Plus, you’ve got a lot on your mind now that Mr. Wagler has shown up.”

  Beverly nodded. She’d told Ida and Jean a little bit about Eric the night before. “It’s been on my mind, but I’m okay.”

  Wrapping her arms around her knees, Jean said, “That’s good to know. Don’t worry, dear, I’ll fill everyone in about how you are doing.”

  “I’ve been writing lots of letters,” Beverly pointed out.

  “Jah, but this is different. Everyone is going to want to hear a full report.”

  Beverly bit back a smile. She was fairly sure Jean would tell everyone and anyone all about how she was doing. “Danke.”

  Ida clucked her tongue. “Now that it’s been brought up . . . what are you going to do about Mr. Wagler?”

  These ladies were nothing if not tenacious! “I don’t know what I’m going to do about him, or about the inn. I’m not even sure if he wants me to move out right away. I hate the idea of giving up everything to someone who doesn’t even care about this place.”

  “If you do have to leave the inn, perhaps you should come home,” Jean ventured. “You might have left Sugarcreek, but I promise everyone there hasn’t left you. I bet that once you see the rolling hills and all the familiar sights, you’ll be glad you returned.”

  Home. Funny, after only three years, Pinecraft felt like home now. She liked going to the beach. She liked the warmth of the winter and the flowers that constantly bloomed. Most of all, she liked the idea of seeing the friends she’d made who didn’t bring with them a whole host of dark memories that she’d rather forget.

  She might be wrong, but Beverly couldn’t imagine how Marvin’s and Regina’s betrayal would ever be far from everyone’s minds.

  But who knew what the Lord had planned for her? If she’d learned anything, it was that His will couldn’t always be predicted.

  “I don’t know what I’ll do,” she replied at last. “But when I do, I promise to let you know.”

  Shifting, Ida curved her legs and brushed off the sand that had blown onto the fabric of her dark teal dress. “That’s all we can ask, I suppose.”

  Just as the sun drifted lower, finally dipping into the waves on the horizon, Jean chuckled.

  Startled, Beverly turned to her
. “What made you laugh?”

  “Oh, I was just thinking about those girls and those boys at your inn this morning.”

  Beverly grinned. “I didn’t know you witnessed all that drama. It was quite the to-do.”

  “Who could miss it? Ida and I were in the kitchen, just about to take our cup of kaffi into the gathering room when we heard Leona greet that boy.”

  “And what words they had! She certainly gave him a mouthful.”

  “And then some,” Ida added.

  “It was certainly exciting. Like we were watching a play or some such!” Jean exclaimed.

  Beverly chuckled because Jean wasn’t exactly wrong. Every time she thought one of them was about to back down, things had only gotten worse. “I tell you what, I could not believe it when Zack Kaufmann sauntered in, bringing with him a quart of ripe, red strawberries.”

  Jean grinned. “Just like they were roses.”

  Ida waved a hand in front of her face. “I was worried that Edmund was going to toss those berries in the trash.”

  Beverly started laughing. “Then, when I found out that one of the other girls was the boy’s sister! It made everything that happened to me almost pale in comparison.”

  “All we needed was popcorn,” Jean said. Peeking over at Beverly, she murmured, “I guess you aren’t the only lady with a bit of excitement in her personal life. Or who has had her share of disappointments.”

  “This is true,” Beverly said. “This is very true. When does your van come to take you to Orlando?

  “Early tomorrow morning.” Ida grinned. “All the guidebooks say to arrive at the park as early as possible.”

  Jean winked. “Ida doesn’t know this, but I intend for us to hit every roller-coaster there. We’ve got a busy day planned.”

  LEONA SAT ON a stone bench on Bahia Vista Street and watched the bus leave. She’d elected to stay out of sight when Mattie and Sara met Edmund for lunch, choosing instead to sit with Zack on the Orange Blossom Inn’s back patio. On their way outside, Leona had washed Zack’s berries and deposited them in a thick earthenware bowl.