by Nancy Mehl
“Avery’s got it right. You give folks what they need. Keep some notes so we’ll know where everything went, but I’ve never known a one of ’em not to pay me back. Usually with more than they borrowed. And after the roads clear, if you run low on supplies, you go to Washington like I told you.”
“Okay. Will do. When are you coming home?”
There was a long pause. Finally she said, “I just don’t know, honey. It might be a while. And when I do come back, it will just be to get my stuff and sell my house. My sister needs me, Lizzie. I’ll be movin’ up here with her for good. Or for at least as long as she’s alive. The doctor tells me that could be quite a while. MS patients can live long lives, but they need an awful lot of help.”
I was stunned. “But what does that mean, Cora? What about the restaurant?”
“I been thinkin’ a lot about that, Lizzie. Why don’t you buy it from me?”
I snorted. “I don’t have a dime to my name. How in the world could I do that?”
She laughed. “When I get back, we’ll sit down and hash it out. We’ll come up with a fair price, and you’ll just send me what you can when you have it. My sister’s well-to-do, so I don’t need much up here. You send me a little every month until it’s paid off. I promise to make you a good deal.”
“I don’t know. I mean, I’ll have to think about it. Is that all right?”
“Of course it is. You take all the time you need. I’ll probably be here at least another three weeks. Will you be okay until then? Do you have enough money?”
“Yes, you left me quite a bit. Besides, there’s also the money we’re taking in. I’m sure there’s enough for three weeks.”
“Okay. Well, I gotta go, honey. I’ll call you again soon. Oh, and if you need me, my sister’s number is in my personal phone book in the little drawer to the left of the sink. Her name’s Georgia Ballwin. Don’t be afraid to call me. Sorry I didn’t give you the number before I left. I was just so flustered I didn’t think about it.”
“It’s okay. We miss you.”
“And I miss you too, Lizzie. How’s Charity?”
“She’s doing just fine. I plan to start her in school after the Christmas break.”
“Why, that’s great news. Leah’s a wonderful teacher, and she’ll fall in love with Charity, just like I did.”
I could hear someone talking in the background. “I gotta go, honey. But you take care. And think about what I said.”
I promised I would and hung up the phone. Then I leaned against the wall and considered her offer. Actually, it appealed to me. But what about Seattle? Clay promised Charity would go to excellent schools and have everything a girl could want if we went with him. Didn’t I owe my daughter the best I could give her? Why was I even considering the idea of staying in Kingdom to run a restaurant?
Thoughts tumbled around in my head like sightless birds flying into each other. I wasn’t doing myself any good thinking it over now. I had to find out what was happening in Kansas City before I could make any future plans.
Folks piled into the restaurant through lunch, but around one thirty the snow began in earnest and everyone headed for home. I’d hoped Clay would come in, but with the weather the way it was, I doubted he’d leave Belleville. My mother came into the kitchen, carrying dirty dishes.
“Mother, you need to head out. It’s liable to get bad.”
She was silent as she scraped off the plates.
“Mother? Did you hear me?”
“I . . . I wonder if I might be able to stay with you again, Daughter. I put some extra clothes and things in the buggy in case you would say yes.” She smiled sadly at me. “I find the house so lonely since your father left. I would like to be with someone I love. Especially if the storm snows us in for a while.”
I went over and put my arms around her. “Of course you can stay. You don’t even need to ask. We love having you here.”
She sighed. “Thank you, Elizabeth Lynn. But please, I will sleep on the couch. You do not need to give up your bed for me.”
“Don’t be silly. The couch is perfectly comfortable. And I must confess, when I put logs in the stove, I feel so comfortable and cozy that I’ve spent a couple of nights on the couch just because I love that room so much.”
She gently pulled herself out of my embrace. “Then I will also confess that many nights I would tell your father I needed to stay up and sew just so I could nod off in my rocking chair in front of the fire.”
“I remember Father chiding you for falling asleep in your chair. So you did it on purpose?”
She nodded. “There is something about a warm fire on a cold night that makes me feel so secure. Strange, is it not?”
“Well, if it is, I’m just as strange as you are.”
She laughed lightly. “I will clean up the rest of the dishes, but then I must move Blackie to your father’s shop. He will need to be protected from the storm.”
I shook my head. “Why don’t you do that now, before it gets any worse? I’ll finish up the dishes.”
She nodded. “Thank you, Daughter. That might be best.”
I hadn’t gotten the chance to tell her about Cora’s offer, but that could wait for a more opportune moment. I was rinsing off the dishes when the phone rang again. As with the first time, I almost jumped out of my shoes. Twice in one day. Maybe it was Cora calling back. I picked up the phone. It was Clay.
“Lizzie, I wanted to come out there today, but with the storm moving in, it might be better if I stay put.”
Disappointment flooded through me even though I was expecting the news. “I understand, Clay. I think it’s wise. Sounds like it might be a pretty big storm.”
There was silence for a moment. “Lizzie,” Clay said finally, an odd tone in his voice, “one of the reasons I wanted to see you today is because I have some news. I’m afraid it will upset you.”
My stomach turned over. “What is it?”
“I heard back from my contact in Kansas City, and it’s not good.”
My knees suddenly felt weak. I grabbed Charity’s small chair, pulled it over near the phone, and slumped down. Thankfully, she was drawing in the dining room, since all our customers were gone.
“Just tell me, Clay. What did he say?”
I could hear him take a deep breath. “They’re definitely looking for you. Harbor House has filed charges against you for embezzlement, and the story has hit the newspaper. So far, they’re not naming you in the press. They’re just calling you a ‘former employee.’ If there’s any good news, it’s that no one knows where you are. That guy, Parsons, if he was hired by someone at Harbor House, never got the chance to reveal your location. My source knows some guy named Webb on the city council who’s dating that Reba woman who’s running Harbor House, so I’m sure this information is accurate.”
“Are you sure your source won’t tell Commissioner Webb about me?”
He snorted. “I said he knows the guy. I didn’t say he liked him. Seems Webb has a pretty rotten reputation. You can be assured my contact won’t say anything that will lead to your location. But Lizzie, I think you can see how important it is that we get out of here as soon as possible. I’ll take you and Charity to Seattle. No one will ever find you there. You’ll both be safe.”
My head swam, and I felt faint. “I thought about going back to face these charges, Clay. But how can I put Charity through that?”
“I understand,” he said gently, “and I agree. I’ll take care of you, Lizzie. I promise. You need to start packing. As soon as this storm moves out, we have to go. There’s no time to lose.”
“All right. We’ll be ready.”
“I love you, Lizzie. Everything will be all right. Trust me.”
“I . . . I do. We’ll see you soon.”
We both said good-bye and hung up. I sat there, rocking back and forth with my hands wrapped around my knees. So there it was. The decision had been made for me. I wanted to feel grateful that Charity and I had a place to go. But
the idea of leaving Kingdom, my mother, and this wonderful restaurant, especially after Cora’s offer, hurt me inside. Somewhere along the way, I’d fallen in love with this town and its people. A place I couldn’t wait to get away from had become home. Now I’d have to leave. Again.
And though I didn’t want to think about him, I couldn’t get Noah out of my mind. How could I explain the situation to him? The idea of leaving him made it hard for me to catch my breath. Unfortunately, I had no other choice. I had to get Charity away from danger. Besides, Clay loved me. He would give us a good home.
I forced myself to stand up and finish the dishes. Mother came back after taking Blackie to shelter, and Charity, finding that she had both of us captive, used the situation to make us play Candy Land. I made hot chocolate and brought out a plate of cookies. Then I stoked the fire in the large fireplace and added several logs. We stayed downstairs so we could watch the storm through the large windows in the front of the restaurant.
Just as predicted, the wind picked up and heavy snow began to fall, blown sideways by huge gusts of wind. I was thankful we were inside, where it was safe and warm. Seeing it was almost six, I’d gotten up to make dinner when a pickup truck suddenly roared up outside the restaurant. Someone jumped out and ran up to the door. It was Noah. He had to fight the wind as he pushed the door open. His face was red from the cold, and he looked upset.
“Lizzie, Avery called me about thirty minutes ago. The horse he sold to your father just found its way back to his stable. He’s obviously broken free of his harness. Do you know where your father might be? We’re concerned that there may have been an accident, and your father might be stranded out in this storm.”
“No,” I said. “I have no idea.” I looked at my mother, who had gone pale, her hand covering her mouth. “Mother, do you have any idea where he’s staying?”
She nodded slowly. “Yes. I am fairly certain he is at the old Strauss farm about two miles north of the main road.”
“I thought that place was deserted. Why would he be there?”
“Mr. Strauss contacted your father about three months ago, asking him to oversee the sale of the property. It has not been lived in since their daughter, Ava, died over twenty years ago. So far no one has shown any interest because the house needs so much work. Your father thought perhaps he could do some repairs to make the property more desirable. Since he has the keys, it is the most logical place to look for him.”
“I’ll drive over and see if he’s there,” Noah said. “If not, I’ll search the roads around that area.” He turned to go.
“Wait a minute,” I said. “I’m going with you.”
Noah shook his head. “It’s not a good idea, Lizzie. The weather—”
“He’s my father,” I said with determination, “and it’s not open for debate. Wait here while I get my coat.” I ran up the stairs, bundled up as much as I could, and hurried back down to the dining room. It seemed obvious that my father had met with an accident, but the words of that anonymous note echoed in my mind. Running away has only put more people in danger. Was this really an accident? Or was someone still stalking me? Still stalking my family? I shook the thought out of my head. Not every mishap was part of an evil plan to harm me or the people I love. Besides, Dave Parsons was dead. Dead men couldn’t reach beyond the grave. Could they? When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I found Charity and my mother sitting together at the table while Noah stood near the door. “Watch Charity for me, Mother. And don’t worry. We’ll find him.”
She nodded, not saying a word, but I could see the fear in her eyes. It was echoed in my daughter’s face.
“Everything will be okay, Cherry Bear. I’m just going to get Grandpa. I’ll be back in a little bit.”
She smiled bravely, but I could still see the anxiety in her expression.
“I’ll take care of your mother, Charity. I promise,” Noah said, smiling.
“Okay, I guess,” she said slowly. “If you promise.”
“Anna,” Noah said, “please lock this door behind us after we leave.” He frowned at me. “I know Kingdom is a small town, but you should still lock your doors at night.”
“I know,” I said. “I just keep forgetting.”
I’d started to follow him out the door when Charity called out for me. I hurried back to her, hugged her tightly, and reassured her once more that I’d be back soon. She finally nodded, and I ran out the front door. As I came down the steps, Noah was just getting into his truck. Although I thought it odd that it had taken him so long to reach his vehicle since he’d left the restaurant before me, I pushed the thought away as unimportant.
We both got inside the cab, and he started the engine. He was turning the truck around when Mother ran out the door of the restaurant with something in her arms. Noah stopped, and I rolled down my window.
“Take this blanket,” she said. “If Matthew has been out in the cold for long, he will need it to warm up.”
“Good idea. Thanks,” I said quickly. I took the blanket from her and held it in my arms as Noah started down the road.
“You can put that in the backseat,” he said, nodding at the blanket.
I turned around, surprised to find another seat behind us. A quick look around the cab revealed that Noah had a rather new truck. I tossed the blanket in the back. “Nice truck,” I said. “I thought an elder in the church would have something more humble.”
He shrugged. “Got a great deal on it. I need something I can rely on for the farm. No one’s complained.”
A glance in the rearview mirror revealed my Mother standing in the street, watching us drive away while fighting the wind for all she was worth. Her long dress whipped around her, and she held on to her bonnet with both hands. It wasn’t long before the snow made it impossible for me to see her any longer.
“She still loves him,” Noah said.
“Yes. Yes, she does. If anything happens to him after she made him leave . . .”
“It won’t, Lizzie. We’ll find him.” Noah reached over and popped open the glove compartment. He pulled out a flashlight and handed it to me. “When we get past the edge of town, use this to check this side of the road. Just in case. I’m going to the Strauss place first, but if he isn’t there, we’ll search the other side on the way back. If you see anything unusual, anything at all, let me know. Okay?”
“Okay.” The snow almost blinded us as it covered the windshield. Noah drove slowly, out of necessity, and it gave me plenty of time to check the road for an overturned buggy. But even with the high-powered flashlight, it was hard to see much of anything. Noah was silent as he concentrated on the road. Although my concern was for my father, my mind drifted back to Clay’s phone call. Was I doing the right thing? Was going away with Clay my only option?
“I heard Clay Troyer’s still hanging around,” Noah said suddenly, as if he’d been reading my mind. The coincidence startled me.
“Well, yes. I mean he isn’t ‘hanging around.’ We’ve spent some time together. He’s getting to know Charity.”
“Nice of him to show up now. Where was he when she was born?”
I started to tell him that it really wasn’t any of his business, but before I spouted off, I realized he’d only asked because he was concerned about me. I took a deep breath and calmed my ruffled emotions. “Look, Clay explained what happened.” As I began to recount the story Clay told me about his father’s death and his attempt to find me, Noah’s expression grew even harder.
“Oh, come on,” he said when I’d finished. “He’s really plugged up all the holes, hasn’t he? And how do you know any of this is true?”
“I asked my mother about the letters, and she confirmed that he really did send them. I never got to see them.”
Noah didn’t say anything for several seconds, but his knuckles turned white on the steering wheel. “Maybe he did write,” he said finally, “but I still don’t trust him. Didn’t trust him when we went to school together. Don’t trust him now.”
“You were never close to him in school, and you haven’t seen him for years. You have no idea what kind of a person he is.” I shook my head. “How can an elder in the church judge someone this way? What happened to ‘Thou shalt not judge’?”
“Maybe I am being too critical. I don’t know. There’s just something about Clay Troyer that sets off alarm bells in my gut.”
“I think your alarm bells are nothing more than your own jealousy. I’m leaving Kingdom with him, Noah. We’re getting married.” I hadn’t meant to announce my plans yet, but Noah’s high-and-mighty attitude made me angry. After the words were out, I felt a sense of relief. Why not marry the man I’d fallen in love with all those years ago? Charity and I would be safe. Besides, I was tired of living hand to mouth. Reuniting with Clay seemed to be God’s plan.
Noah kept his eyes on the road, acting almost as if he hadn’t heard me. But the muscles in his jaws were working furiously. Finally he muttered, “Well, congratulations. I hope you’ll be very happy.”
“I’m not sure you mean that, but thank you for saying it. I wouldn’t hurt you for the world, Noah. But I have to do this. There’s no other choice. I hope we’ll still be friends.”
He didn’t respond, but I could see the hurt in his face. For some reason, it made me want to cry. I tried to keep my focus on the side of the road as I watched for my father’s buggy, but the tears in my eyes made it hard to see.
Noah was quiet the rest of the way to the Strauss farm. The wind screeched with fury as it rocked the truck back and forth. We made it to the main highway with Noah driving as fast as he dared. The truck spun out on the icy roads more than once. Each time he expertly fought the sliding tires and brought the vehicle back from the edge of the road.
“That’s the farmhouse up there,” he said suddenly. “I don’t see any lights.”
We drove slowly up to the place where the driveway should have been. Problem was, it was hidden under the snow. I shone the light out the window, trying to help Noah. “I think I see it,” I said. “It’s right there.” I pointed toward our right.
