by Nancy Mehl
“Hallelujah.” He sighed with relief. “Except for the two trees that burned, they all seem okay. Of course, we can’t be sure until spring, but all in all, I’m very optimistic.”
“So what now?” I asked.
“Now we put out the fires, and I tell John to go home. I’ll put the smudge pots away tomorrow.”
Sweetie crooked her finger toward him. “Does this mean we get to go out tonight? I could use me one of Mary’s great steaks.” The eagerness in her face made Sam smile.
“I think that sounds like a great idea.”
“How do you know Mary will be open?” I asked. “You two act like she lives there.”
Sweetie laughed. “Maybe that’s because she does. Mary’s got an apartment over the restaurant. Cute little place. I saw it once when Sam and her was seein’ each other.”
“I guess that explains why she didn’t seem worried about getting home the other night after our first round of snow. I never really thought about it.”
“It’s also one of the reasons she’s always open,” Sam said. “Besides the fact that she enjoys having people around her. I think she’s pretty lonely when the restaurant is closed.” He shook his head. “Twenty-nine years old, and her life revolves around that place.”
I felt a wave of pity for Mary. She seemed so self-confident and comfortable with people. Goes to show we just don’t know what’s really hiding below the surface. “She asked if I could come by and have dinner with her tomorrow night. Do you think my Bug will be able to make it back and forth?”
Sam shrugged. “I guess we’ll get a better idea of road conditions tonight. I expect some of the snow has melted, but it’s likely to refreeze later. Let’s leave early, okay? That way we can get back before it gets too slick.”
“Hey, you’re the one who has somethin’ to do,” Sweetie reminded him. “We’re ready to go whenever you are.”
“Why don’t you see if John wants to come?” I said. “He deserves a night out. On you.”
Sam grinned. “You’re right about that. I’ll ask him.”
After he left to put out the fires, Sweetie and I finished up our work. About an hour later, Sam came stomping in the door, trying to shake the snow off his boots.
“Hey, there,” he said when he saw me on my way upstairs with an armload of clean towels and sheets to put in the linen closet. “Give me about thirty minutes to wash up, and we’ll take off.”
“What about John?”
“What about me?” John had come in the door without my hearing him.
“What about going to dinner with us?”
He looked down at his clothes. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m a mess.”
“I’ve got clothes you can borrow,” Sam said. “We’d really like you to come.”
John grinned at him. “I’m already wearing your clothes.”
“The clothes you had on when you came here are clean,” I interjected. “If that makes any difference.”
“Well, it just might at that,” he replied. “I would like to rinse off some, though.”
“No problem,” Sam said. “You can use the downstairs bathroom. I’ll use the one upstairs.”
Something suddenly struck me. “Wait a minute. I’ve been so excited about the trees being okay, I just realized we’ve forgotten something. We can’t go to town. What about the orchards? Whoever started the fire last night might come back.”
“I already thought of that,” Sam said. “Sheriff Taylor came by while John and I were outside. He offered to keep an eye on things while we’re gone.”
“But what if he’s the arsonist? We could be making a big mistake.”
Sam frowned. “What? Sheriff Taylor had nothing to do with that. You’ve got him all wrong, Grace. He’s trying to help us. He saved the trees—and you. Why are you so suspicious of him?”
I told him what Sweetie had said about Sheriff Taylor snooping around my house late at night.
He frowned at me. “So what? He’s the sheriff. He could have been investigating something. I’m sorry, but a sheriff outside with a flashlight sounds perfectly normal.”
“Then why didn’t he come and tell me why he was out there?”
“I have no idea. But I think you’re being paranoid.”
“Can I interrupt here?” John said. “I think Gracie has a point. We really don’t know much about Sheriff Taylor. I mean, he might be a good guy and all, but why take chances? You guys go to town, and let me stay here. I’ll keep an eye on things until you get back.”
“No way,” Sam said. “You’ve got to be exhausted. We’ll just go another night.”
“Don’t be goofy,” John said. “I saw some leftover meat loaf in Sweetie’s fridge. I’d love nothing more than to sit in a quiet house, eat a meat loaf sandwich, and spend some time with Buddy and Snickle. To be perfectly honest, tonight I’d really like some time to myself. I love you guys, but I live alone. I’m not used to this many people around all the time. It kind of wears me out.”
I started to object, but John stopped me. “Please. I’m with you, Gracie. Someone needs to watch this place until we know who started that fire. You all may be stuck at home for a while. Let this be my gift to you. Let me be your tree sitter for tonight. Besides, there will be lots of other times to go out to dinner. It’s not like you don’t know where to find me.”
“It’s up to you, Sam,” I said. “These towels and bedsheets are heavier than they look. Why don’t you two duke it out? I’ll be back in a minute.”
I continued up the stairs, put the towels and sheets away, and was headed back down when Sam came bounding up the stairs.
“So what’s the verdict?” I asked.
“Get spruced up, good lookin’. We’re going out.”
“John talked you into it?”
“Yeah, I think he really wants to stay here. We need to get away, and he wants to be by himself for a while.” He chuckled.
“Besides, I think he’s serious about Sweetie’s meat loaf. I know how he feels. It’s great.”
I had to agree. Sweetie had a way with meat loaf. I wasn’t sure what she put in it, but it was better than my mother’s. Even better than my grandmother’s. “Okay. I’m going to call Abel and tell him we’ll be at Mary’s tonight. Maybe he can meet us there.”
“That’s the real reason you want to go to town. Admit it. You want to know the identity of the baby’s mother.” He reached over and tweaked my nose.
“Hey, don’t do that!” I gave him a lighthearted slap on the hand. “It’s not just because I’m nosy, although I have to admit I’m really curious.” I sighed. “As much as I love this house, I would like to see some different walls for a few hours.”
He grabbed my hand and kissed it. “And so you shall. The next walls you see will be a weird shade of blue and decorated with grease splatters.” He offered me a goofy bow. “Only the best for you, my dear.”
“Stand up straight, you big dork,” I said, laughing. “You really do need a night out, don’t you? And by the way, those walls are cerulean blue. And they’re not the least bit weird.”
He got to his feet. “It’s a little bright for me. I guess I like my blues a little more subtle.”
I kissed his cheek. “Because you have no imagination, my friend. Now get your shower. Trust me, you need it.”
He grinned and put his hand over his heart. “You have wounded me to the depths of my soul. I shall take my stinky body to the showers, posthaste.”
“Not posthaste enough. Now get out of here.”
He bowed again and headed down the hall to the bathroom. My heart felt lighter than it had for a while. Even though we still had no idea who’d tried to destroy the orchards and given me a second bump on the head, Sam was obviously so relieved that his fruit trees were safe, his spirits were flying high.
I changed clothes and waited downstairs while Sam got ready. John made it to the kitchen first with his own clean clothes on. “Wow. Feels good to wear my own stuff. Not that I don’t like Sam’s war
drobe, but I’d started to feel like a homeless waif who had to rely on the kindness of others.”
“And how do you know how a homeless waif feels?” I asked innocently.
“Okay. You got me. I’m just guessing about that. But now I’m about to beg for my dinner, so I’m right back where I started.”
“You ain’t gotta beg for nothin’,” Sweetie said, walking into the room. John and I both did a double take. Sweetie’s ever-present overalls had disappeared. Instead she wore a pair of nice black slacks and a cream-colored sweater with beadwork on the bodice. And her ratty tennis shoes were replaced with black pumps. Her dark gray hair was still in a bun, but it was neatly wrapped and accentuated with a decorative, beaded comb. Although Sweetie abhorred makeup, I could detect a slight bit of blush, mascara, and lipstick.
“Wow. You look great, Sweetie,” I said.
John nodded his agreement.
“Well, for cryin’ out loud,” she barked. “You know I been goin’ to Abel’s church. Did you think I was wearin’ my coveralls there every Sunday?”
“No…I guess not,” I agreed. “I’ve never seen you right after church. I don’t know what I thought.”
“Goodness gracious, Gracie. I’m not some hick from the sticks, you know.”
John and I exchanged quick glances. He turned away and stared out the window.
“Now about the food you thought you had to beg for,” she said, opening up the refrigerator. “I heard you wanted a meat loaf sandwich, is that right?”
John had recovered enough to turn and face her. “Yes, ma’am,” he said with a smile. “I’ve had your meat loaf sandwich on my mind all day.”
“How ‘bout some of my homemade potato salad and a big piece of peach pie to go with that?”
I could almost feel John’s contentment rise and fill the room. “That sounds perfect.”
“Everyone about ready?” Not only was Sam clean; he looked incredibly handsome in a black sweater and blue jeans. The sweater highlighted his blond hair and gray eyes. I almost gulped when I saw him, but forced it back. I’d have felt like a cartoon character. Next my tongue would be rolling out of my mouth and my eyes would pop way out of my head. None of those options seemed particularly attractive.
“Let me finish gettin’ this young man somethin’ to eat,” Sweetie admonished. “Then we can get goin’.”
“Hey, you look beautiful,” Sam said to me, his eyes sweeping over me with appreciation.
“Funny, I was going to tell you the same thing.”
He laughed easily. “And Sweetie, you look gorgeous, too. Maybe we’re all too good-looking for Mary’s Kitchen.”
John snorted. “Guess it’s a good thing I’m not going with you guys. I hate to lower the beauty bar.”
“Thank you,” I said sweetly. “We really appreciate that.”
He stuck his tongue out at me but quit paying attention to the rest of us when Sweetie put his plate in front of him. Sweetie’s meat loaf had taken over his brain, and further communication would fall on deaf ears.
“I’m going outside to warm up the truck,” Sam said. “You two ladies join me when you’re done here.”
“Won’t be more than a minute,” Sweetie said while cutting John a piece of pie big enough for two people.
“As soon as I eat, I’ll take a tour of the orchards, Sam,” John said with his mouth half full.
“That’s great,” Sam replied. “But remember what I said. Once every hour is plenty. You can see almost everything from the back porch. I don’t expect any trouble tonight. Not with you here and the sheriff circling around.”
The expression on John’s face agreed with my feelings. Watching Sheriff Taylor might be the most important part of John’s vigilance. But neither of us said anything.
Sam left to start the truck, while Sweetie made sure John was set up with enough food to feed a small army. While she fussed with him, the phone rang and I picked it up. It was Eric letting us know that everyone had made it home safely. I thanked him and hung up. I still felt uncomfortable with what he’d said to me as he was leaving. I hoped it wouldn’t hurt our working relationship should he find a way to complete the project.
We got our coats and went outside. Fitting the three of us in the front seat was pretty snug, but the arrangement actually offered additional protection against the cold. Maybe the temperature was climbing, but you couldn’t prove it by me. It was still chilly enough to make me wonder if staying home and having a meat loaf sandwich hadn’t been the wiser choice.
The roads were in much better shape than I’d imagined, thanks to Sam and the other men who’d worked so hard to clear away the snow. As Sam had predicted, some of the snow had melted. As the temperature rose, the roads would get even better, although it would be a long time until the snow was gone.
As we drove past the spot where we’d found Sarah, I shuddered involuntarily. I couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if we hadn’t found her when we did. Gabe and Sarah’s buggy was gone, but I had no idea who had moved it or where it was. Hopefully it was back at their house. I forced myself to push the thoughts of Sarah from my mind. Tonight was supposed to be a fun break from the tension of the past few days. My mind needed a vacation just as much or more than my body.
Although we had to drive slowly, we made it to downtown Harmony just fine. These streets looked as if they’d received very careful attention. There were quite a few cars parked near Mary’s. I recognized many of them. They belonged to members of Bethel who’d stopped in for dinner before church began at seven. We parked next to Abel’s car.
“He’s here,” I said.
“I’m sure happy to know that poor little baby is back with its mama,” Sweetie said. “I hope things go good for her. Wonder if there’s somethin’ I can do to help.”
“I thought you said someone who left their baby wasn’t much of a mother,” I said. “Now you want to help her? That’s a big change. What happened?”
Sweetie sighed and looked at Sam. “I figgered out that I was just mad at my sister for leavin’ Sam. I don’t know this baby’s mama or why she thought she had to walk away.” She looked at me and smiled. “I’m far from perfect, Gracie. But at least I’m aware of it. I asked God to help me change ‘cause I know I can’t change myself. And you know what? He’s doin’ it. I’ll start to say somethin’ that I wouldn’t have thought about twice a few months ago, and suddenly the Holy Spirit reminds me that my words ain’t right. That I’m gettin’ ready to say somethin’ I shouldn’t. It might take me a bit longer than most to clean up my act ‘cause I been so mean-minded for so long, but God don’t give up on us—ever.”
“Good for you, Sweetie,” I said, hugging her. “I’m proud of you. Very proud of you.” I looked over at Sam, but he seemed preoccupied.
“You both stay in the truck until I get you,” he ordered.
“There’s still some snow and ice near the steps, and I don’t want you slipping and falling.”
He climbed out and came around to the passenger door. First he escorted Sweetie up to the front door of the restaurant and then came back to get me.
“You need to say something encouraging to your aunt,” I said quietly as he helped me out of the truck. “She’s trying so hard to change.”
“Humph,” he grunted. “She’s said stuff like this before. Let’s see how long her newfound personality lasts. Just a couple of days ago she ripped some TV commentator to shreds because she didn’t agree with his politics.”
“Wow. That’s a really negative attitude. How about cutting her a little slack, Mister Self-Righteous?”
He grunted. “Okay, I get the point. You’re right.” We walked up the steps to where Sweetie waited for us.
“Man, I can hardly wait to rip into one of Mary’s rib-eye steaks. Hector does somethin’ to ‘em that makes ‘em so juicy, you think you’re drinkin’ meat instead of eatin’ it.”
As we entered the restaurant, I tried to get the concept of liquid meat out of
my mind. Mary spotted us when we came in.
“Hey, I’ve been wondering about all of you. How are you guys?”
Before Sam or I had a chance to open our mouths, Sweetie launched into a diatribe of our experiences over the last few days. By the time we sat down, Mary had been thoroughly briefed. The only things Sweetie didn’t reveal were my bump on the head and our suspicion that the fire that started in the orchard was arson. I was pleased she hadn’t spilled out all our business.
“I’m glad the trees are okay,” she said, “but what about Sarah?”
“She’s fine,” I said, “but we sure were worried at first.”
“She’s such a sweet person,” Mary said with a frown. “I hate the idea of her being out in that blizzard by herself.”
“Thank God He led us right to her,” Sweetie said. “It was a miracle if you ask me.”
Mary nodded. “Sounds like it.” She took her notepad out of her pocket. “What can I get for you all?”
We placed our drink orders, but I asked Mary to give us more time to decide what we wanted to eat. She left our table and I glanced around the room, looking for Abel. I spotted him across the room sitting with Emily and Hannah. I hadn’t seen either one of them since I got back to town. I excused myself and headed for their table. Abel saw me coming and waved me over.
“Gracie,” he said with a big smile, “I’m so glad to see you. I heard about the fire in Sam and Sweetie’s orchard. Glad everything’s okay.”
“Who told you about that?” I asked, surprised.
Emily grabbed my hand and squeezed it. “It was Sheriff Taylor,” she said. “We ran into him here at lunch. We don’t usually eat out twice in one day like this, but the road to our house is still pretty bad. Abel decided we should hang around town today so we wouldn’t run into any problems getting back for tonight’s service.”
Abel chuckled. “I was as surprised as anyone when he came up to our table to talk to us. I was giving Mary my order when he interrupted and told us about the fire. He seemed very concerned about all of you. Said he intends to keep a watchful eye on Sam’s place.”
“For a minute, I wondered if we were under arrest,” Hannah said, giggling. “He doesn’t like Mennonites, you know.”
