The Chill of an Early Fall

by Mary Alford

  “Perhaps I should wait to do the fieldwork another day.”

  Sadie approached where he stood. “No, Elam. We have two deputies stationed outside. We’ll be safe. You and Jonah take care of yourselves. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.”

  He reached for her hand, his eyes for her alone. “I’ll be fine. He’s not after me.”

  She flinched at his choice of words, and he noticed it. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

  Sadie shook her head. “I know. My nerves are a little on edge.”

  His jaw tightened. “I hate leaving you and Irene.”

  And she hated that she’d disrupted so many lives by coming here. “We’ll be fine. Do what you need to do.”

  For the longest time, they gazed at each other. Her heart drummed against her chest at the tenderness in his eyes. Had those feelings been there all along? Elam was a handsome, vibrant man who was strong and dependable, and her heart was opening up to him a little more with each look. Each touch.

  Her cheeks grew warm under his searching gaze. Behind them, Mamm cleared her throat, and Sadie freed her hand and moved away. She couldn’t go there. Her life was in chaos. Elam deserved someone who could give herself to him completely. Not someone as mixed up as she was.

  “Come lock the door behind me,” Elam said, his voice rough with unspoken emotion.

  She didn’t trust her own voice. After a second passed, he slipped outside and Sadie quickly locked the door, her hands less than steady. She tried to recapture her composure. When she looked at her mother, Sadie was slightly calmer. “Should we start the desserts?” she asked when her mother didn’t say a word.

  “Is something going on between you and Elam?” As usual, her mother went straight to the point.

  Sadie tried to fake shock. “What? No. Elam is just worried about me.”

  Her mother shook her head. “I see the way he looks at you. He’s always had a soft spot for you.”

  Sadie couldn’t meet her mother’s keen gaze. “You’re wrong. Elam is only a friend.”

  Mamm started to say more but must have changed her mind. “I thought I’d make some of my molasses cookies and perhaps a friendship cake. Those always sell well.” Her mother went to the kitchen.

  Drawing in a deep breath, Sadie followed, but all she could think about was what her mamm said about Elam.

  Sadie mixed together the sugar and shortening before adding eggs, molasses, and vanilla. She’d memorized her mother’s molasses cookie recipe years ago. As she worked, all the things she and Elam had done together in the past ran through her head. Growing up, Elam walked her to school each day. When Gabriel Stutzman tried to bully her, Elam quickly put an end to it. He was her best friend, and she couldn’t picture her life without him in it.

  ◆◆◆

  “I can’t believe this is happening to Sadie,” Jonah said after Elam finished telling what had happened.

  “It’s bad news.” Elam wiped his brow and stared out at the field ahead of him. Every minute seemed like an hour since he’d left Sadie and Irene. All he could think about was their safety.

  Jonah pinned him with a familiar glance “How is it being close to her again?”

  Elam pretended not to understand what he meant. “She’s only here because she’s scared.”

  “And you’ve only been in love with her since you were ten years old.”

  “Jonah!” Elam’s sharp tone—meant as a warning—didn’t faze his brother.

  “Don’t Jonah me. You’re in love with her.”

  Elam blew out a sigh. “Well, it doesn’t matter because she’s no longer part of our world. As soon as her troubles are finished, she’ll be gone.”

  “Are you so sure she doesn’t have feelings for you?”

  Elam’s mouth twisted into a bitter smile. “What do you think?” He couldn’t let himself have hope. As soon as he was sure Sadie was safe, he’d head to West Kootenai to his cousin’s dairy farm there. Put distance between the memories. Hopefully, get her out of his heart for good.

  “Well, I hope you’re wrong. I think you and Sadie were meant to be together.”

  Elam shook his head at the hopeless romantic standing before him.

  “Let’s get these fields harrowed and planted. I’d like to be done before the first snow.” He glanced up at the threatening skies. “And that could be any time.”

  Elam climbed up on the plow and shook the reins.

  Ever since Jonah had fallen in love with Willa, he’d been after Elam to find someone to settle down with. But when Elam thought about love, Sadie’s pretty face materialized in his mind. The hopelessness of the situation made him realize he’d been clinging to something that didn’t—couldn’t—exist. He had to find a way to move forward with his life. Maybe the temporary relocation to West Kootenai would be what he needed to set him on the path to letting Sadie go once and for all.

  With Jonah’s help, by midday, they’d made a huge dent in the work. When all the planting was finished, he could leave without feeling guilty. He’d spoken to his gut friend, Saul Lantz, who’d agreed to help Jonah out with all three farms so it wouldn’t be a hardship for his brother.

  “Willa made fried chicken for lunch.” Jonah brought the horses to a stop next to Irene’s porch.

  Elam cringed. “Is Willa getting any better at cooking?” He hesitantly lifted the cloth covering the basket. Several pieces of chicken appeared overcooked to the point of burned.

  “No. But she tries, and she makes me happy, so who cares?”

  As happy as he was for his brother, sometimes watching Jonah and Willa holding hands or sneaking little kisses reminded him of what was missing in his life. He’d spent way too long hoping Sadie would return to her faith and realize he loved her. It was time to move on and time to tell his brother about his plans.

  They sat on the top porch step. Jonah bowed his head. Elam did the same. He poured out his soul to Gott and told Him all the troubles of his heart.

  “Amen,” he said and raised his head.

  Jonah passed the basket of chicken. Elam picked around the burnt pieces and found a leg.

  “So what else is troubling you, bruder?” Jonah asked between bites.

  Elam never was good at keeping his feelings to himself. He forced a smile and mentioned his plans to Jonah. “If we can get a workable dairy farm set up here, we should be able to provide for our families and not have to be so beholden to the weather.” He stopped and waited for an answer.

  Jonah wiped his mouth. “Are you sure you’re not running away from your feelings?”

  His brother knew him well. “I’m thinking about the future. Soon you and Willa will be having a family. Maybe someday I will as well. I want to make sure our families will be taken care of.”

  Jonah held his gaze. “Have you let Sadie know about your plans?”

  Elam reached for his napkin and rubbed his hands with a little more force than necessary. “This has nothing to do with Sadie. This is about our future.”

  Jonah’s brow shot up but he said nothing.

  A noise in the distance drew Elam’s attention away from the conversation. It sounded like a car engine. Elam set his plate down and sprang to his feet.

  Jonah did the same. “What do you see?”

  Elam barely registered his brother’s question when he noticed a car easing down the driveway. Right away, he recognized it. The black sedan that ran he and Sadie off the road. The same one.

  “Go inside the house,” Elam said and shifted toward Jonah. He had barely spewed the words out before the car stopped. The driver exited and lifted something in his hand.

  A gun!

  “Get down,” Elam shouted. He and Jonah ducked low while Jonah reached for the doorknob. Shots rang out, one coming close to striking Elam. The door finally opened. They fell into the house.

  Elam slammed the door shut, locked it, and crawled to the window. The man stopped to reload before he continued firing at them.

  �
�He’s not giving up. We’d better get out of here, bruder,” Jonah said.

  “You’re right.” Elam covered his face with his hands as a bullet shattered the window. Pieces flew everywhere. Some embedded in his hands.

  “Let’s get out of here,” Elam said when a silence followed. Elam guessed the man needed time to reload again. Taking advantage of the peace, Elam helped his brother to his feet and pointed to the rear entrance. The back of the house would be out of the man’s line of sight.

  “Where are we heading?” Jonah asked.

  “Back to my place. We’ll take the shortcut through the woods, but we need to be quick. He’ll storm the house soon enough.” Elam cracked open the backdoor. The steady sound of the weapon discharging filled the air.

  Counting to three in his head, Elam ran for the woods behind the house with Jonah close by his side.

  Once they reached the shelter of the trees, they moved to a position to see the man heading for the house with the weapon pointed in front of him. Shots blasted off the wood siding.

  Elam pointed to the shortcut that led to his house. He had no idea what this man’s plans might be, but the stalker had turned this game deadly.

  Chapter Eight

  Voices raised outside snapped Sadie’s attention from the cookies she’d been working on.

  “That’s Elam.” She dashed to the window. Elam and Jonah were speaking with the two deputies outside. The agitation on Elam’s face was clear.

  “Something’s happened.” She opened the door and bolted down the steps to Elam’s side while Mamm followed her. “What’s wrong?” she asked, her mind buzzing with possibilities. Elam’s buggy was nowhere in sight.

  She spotted blood on his hands. “You’re hurt,” she exclaimed with her heart racing.

  “I’m fine. That man showed up at Irene’s home. He shot at me and Jonah. The window shattered. Some of the glass hit me, but the cuts aren’t deep and I removed the glass. We’ll have to go back and board up the broken window when it’s safe to do so.”

  Her eyes widened, alarm etched on her face. “Why is he coming after you and Jonah? It’s me he wants.”

  “He probably sees Elam as a threat,” Deputy Harris told them. “I think we should all go inside. The less time out in the open the better.”

  Sadie glued herself to Elam’s side, and they dashed inside.

  Deputy Harris closed the door. “I’m guessing this man has seen you with Sadie since he started the attacks. In his mind, you’re standing in the way of him being with her. He has to take you out.”

  The deputy’s words sent goosebumps up Sadie’s arms. “He could have killed you,” she exclaimed with a shaky voice. If something happened to Elam because of this madman, she’d never forgive herself.

  “Sheriff Mackenzie and the rest of the team are heading to the Eicher place with the crime-scene unit,” Deputy Anderson said once he ended his call and joined them inside.

  “For the time being, the less you’re out in public the better. If you’d like, we can deliver the desserts once we have a better idea of what’s going on,” Deputy Harris said.

  “Thank you.” Sadie couldn’t believe this was happening. What did this man want with her?

  Office Harris smiled. “You’re welcome. In the meantime, I think it’s best if you stay inside as much as possible.”

  “What about my wife?” Jonah asked with a troubled look on his face. “If this guy is coming after me and Elam, Willa could be in danger too.”

  “Let’s go get your wife and bring her here,” Deputy Anderson said. “For the time being, you both should prepare to stay for an indefinite period of time.”

  “Be careful,” Elam said to his brother.

  Jonah patted his shoulder. “I will. Don’t worry about me. Just take care of Sadie and Irene.” Jonah followed the deputy.

  “I’ll be standing guard if you folks need anything at all,” Deputy Harris assured them and headed outside.

  “Why is this man doing this?” her mamm said.

  Sadie wished she could answer that question for herself.

  “I don’t know, but we’re safe here, Irene,” Elam told her mother. “We have police protection close. We’ll be fine. Soon, Jonah and Willa will be here. The sheriff and his men will catch this guy. It’s only a matter of time.”

  Sadie wished she believed him. But so far, this man had proven himself more than determined.

  With a nod, Mamm rose with a troubled look on her face. “We need food.” Her mother was a strong woman. When things became bad, she took control of what she could. Sadie remembered after Daed passed away, her mother had the house cleaned, meals prepared, and was ready for visitors—all the while mourning the loss of her husband of thirty years. She would deal with this new fear in the same way.

  Sadie started for the kitchen with her mother, but Elam reached for her hand and stopped her. Their eyes met.

  “Sadie, wait . . .” Elam started to say something more, but she touched his face and stopped him.

  “I’m fine.” She tugged her hand free and left him without waiting for his answer. More and more lately, she depended on Elam like she had when she was younger. But she wasn’t that same young girl anymore. She’d been on her own for a while now.

  When Sadie entered the kitchen, Mamm was busy slicing vegetables for a pot of chicken corn soup. Sadie took the knife from her and started chopping while her mother deboned the chicken she’d cooked earlier.

  “He’s worried about you,” Mamm said.

  Sadie stopped and sighed. “I know. I guess I’m not used to having people watch out for me. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time.”

  Mamm glanced up. “Maybe it’s time you let someone help. We all need some aid from time to time. It’s not a sign of weakness, Sadie. You were always so proud. It’s not gut.”

  Sadie stood still with the knife in her hand. What Mamm said hurt. Was she proud?

  She thought about that time when she left the community all those years ago. When Samuel told her someone else had caught his eye and he couldn’t marry her, all she thought about was how she couldn’t face the community after his rejection. Sadie hadn’t thought about the impact her leaving would have on anyone else. And not a day went by that she didn’t regret her impulsive decision.

  ◆◆◆

  Sometimes, Sadie could be the most infuriating woman he knew. Elam tossed wood into the stove with a little more force than necessary. Why couldn’t she see he was only trying to protect her? Letting go of his anger wasn’t easy, but he had to try. Having Jonah and Willa so close would complicate things. Jonah would be watching Elam’s every interaction with Sadie and speaking his mind whenever the brothers were alone. He’d have to get his feelings under control before that happened.

  Hopefully, Irene and Sadie wouldn’t mind bunking together. That way Jonah and Willa could stay in Jonah’s old room. He’d sleep on the sofa like he had the previous night.

  Elam went to gather some of his things. His bedroom window reflected the cloud-heavy midafternoon. This room had always been one of his favorite spots. As a kid, he’d loved gazing out at the Mission Mountains in the distance. A breathtaking valley dotted with orange, red, and yellow trees spread out before them. Many of the aspen trees had already lost their color. Some of the mountaintops were covered with snow. Winter was coming on quickly. Fall rarely lasted as long as the calendar indicated.

  Something moved outside, catching his attention. An animal? Instinctively, Elam ducked away from the window. What happened earlier had him on edge. After a couple of breaths, he eased forward enough to look out. Nothing. Yet he was positive it hadn’t been his imagination. Something in the valley caught his eye. When he finally realized what it was, he ran from the room and raced outside.

  Deputy Harris spotted him and hurried over.

  “Is everything okay?” The deputy asked as frown lines appeared between his eyes.

  “He’s been here.” Elam explained what he saw. “He left
roses behind the house. They weren’t there earlier. He’s been here recently.”

  “Go back into the house. I’m calling for backup.” The deputy disappeared around the side of the house.

  Elam whirled to find Sadie and Irene standing on the porch. They both appeared terrified. Letting go of a breath, he raced up the steps. “Get inside. Now.” With a hand on each of their arms, he urged them into the house. Before they made it across the threshold, a barrage of gunshots rang out close by. Elam felt the breeze kicked up by the bullets.

  Sadie screamed. He shoved both women across the threshold and forced them down to the floor. “Stay away from the entrance.” Elam grabbed Irene’s hand. “Get as low as you can,” he said and looked to Sadie, who confirmed with a nod. Crouching down with Irene at his side, he moved toward his room with Sadie close.

  Once they were safely inside the bedroom, he shut the door and urged them against the wall and away from the window. Outside, the noise of gunshots continued.

  Sadie covered her ears, and curled up into a ball as tight as she could get.

  After several tense moments, the shooting stopped.

  Relieved, Elam explained what happened earlier. “I saw movement behind the house. That’s why I was speaking with the deputy.”

  Sadie stared into his eyes. “There’s something more, isn’t there?”

  He couldn’t keep secrets from her. “He left more roses. I’m pretty sure there’s a note as well.”

  All the color drained from her face, and he pulled her close. “I know you’re scared, but we’re protected here.”

  Tears filled her eyes as she looked up at him.

  “You’re not alone, Sadie,” he whispered against her ear. “You have people who care about you.”

  She relaxed against his chest, and he expelled a heartfelt sigh. He didn’t know how long he’d have her here with him, but when she left this time, he had a feeling it would be for good.

  A knock on the door broke them apart.

  Elam stared down at her pretty face and smiled. “That’s probably Deputy Harris.” Brushing tears aside, he let her go.