Promise at Pebble Creek

by Lisa Jones Baker

  Marcus let out a low whistle. “You Amish folk lead interesting lives,” he joked. But he knew inside that he meant it. And by looking at the simple, hardworking men and women in the community, it was difficult to imagine anything like what Hannah had explained.

  “I’m glad things worked out,” he said as she pressed her palms against her hips and smiled at him. Suddenly, he remembered his promise to the boys. He turned and stepped toward the door. “Now, I’ve got a commitment to keep.”

  He winked at Hannah before turning to Ruth and Mrs. Lapp. “Ruth, your dinner was delicious . . .” He smiled a little. “I can’t even begin to thank you for your hospitality. And everything you’ve done for me since I came to town.”

  Ruth joined him at the door. “It’s my pleasure, Marcus.” She motioned outside. “Four little boys are waiting for you.”

  The kids peddled their bikes up to where Marcus stood.

  Isaiah’s young voice challenged Marcus. “You said you’d race us.”

  Marcus rubbed his palms together as if deciding whether to accept the invitation. Finally, he put his hands on his hips and looked at the eager group. “I did, didn’t I? Okay, where do we start and where’s the finish line?”

  David got off his small bike and made an imaginary line with his shoe near the side porch. “From here . . .”

  Mervin chimed in. “Okay, from here to the barn.”

  Marcus nodded in agreement. The barn was in between Ben and Ruth’s home and the one-room rental where he lived.

  “Sounds like a plan.” As the boys walked their bikes to the imaginary line, Marcus narrowed his brows. “Okay, I’m going to say, ‘on your mark, get set, go!’”

  Hannah’s enthusiastic voice chimed in as she stepped outside. “I’ll do it.”

  Marcus smiled at her as the side door slammed shut. “Deal.”

  Hannah waved her hand. “Okay, Marcus, step in line with the boys.”

  Obediently, he made his way in between Isaiah and David.

  To make the race seem as important as he could, he knelt and bent his knee, as he’d learned to do when he’d been in track and field at school.

  “Okay, on your mark, get set, go!”

  Marcus took off running while the boys on both sides of him stood up on their bikes and peddled. He knew his boots were a disadvantage and wished he was wearing tennis shoes; still, the point was to let the boys win anyway. They were so sincere, so earnest, so young.

  At the finish line, Mervin shouted, “I won! I won!”

  Marcus crossed the line after the boys and congratulated each one for a great race. Hannah began making her way to where they stood. Isaiah turned his bike in the other direction and shouted, “One more time! Now we have to go back!”

  “Okay, let’s find our positions.”

  Moving out of their way, Hannah said, “Okay, last race of the day. And the winners get the sponge cakes that are being made.”

  “Okay. On your mark, get set, go!”

  As Marcus and the four made their way to the imaginary finish line, Hannah hollered, “Go, Isaiah! Go, David! Go Mervin! Go, Samuel! Go, Marcus!”

  At the line, Marcus threw up his hands in defeat as Samuel screamed victory.

  As the boys put away their bikes for the night, Hannah smiled up at Marcus while they stepped through the side door. “I just learned a lot about you.”

  He arched a brow and looked down at her. “Oh? What?”

  She grinned up at him. “Three things. That you’re great with kids.”

  “And?”

  She laughed. “That I’ll never race you.” After a slight pause, she added, “I think you must have been a runner at some time in your life.”

  “Track and field. Junior high and high school. What’s the third thing you learned about me, Miss Lapp?”

  “That someday, you’ll make a great daed.”

  Chapter Nine

  That evening, Hannah smiled as she relaxed on her bedroom rug with her back against her soft mattress. She contemplated the evening and how she felt because of it.

  I feel gut. Inspired. I’ve met someone I love being with. She expelled a satisfied sigh as she pulled up her knees and put her notepad on her lap. But I know I can’t share my life with Marcus. He’s Englisch.

  She frowned, then decided to distract herself with the story she was writing. However, in my imagination, we can be together. And in the story I’m dreaming up.

  As she settled into a comfortable position, she glanced down at the notepad on her lap. The warm breeze came in through her window screen, filling the room with the aroma of freshly cut grass. She breathed in and closed her eyes for a moment to savor the sweet smell. When she opened her lids, she quickly went over recent events.

  Especially the time she’d spent with Marcus and how he and her nephews had appeared to be one happy family. If my life were one of my stories, one day Marcus and I would be married.

  Hannah sighed and shook her head as she began to accept her reality. She glanced back down at the lined pages, her attention on what had already happened. My life can be with Marcus in my fiction. Her heart began picking up speed to an exciting pace.

  As a bright moonbeam soared into her room via her large window, she put pen to paper. To both sides of her, lanterns helped to provide enough light to write by. Ideas sparked in her mind, and she began to fill the first page with ink.

  Hannah waited. Still no dial tone. Frustrated, she tried again. And again. The phone was dead. Common sense told her that there wasn’t time to hitch Miracle to the buggy and get away. She also was fully aware that she couldn’t run fast enough to make it to the closest house, which was about two miles away. Maybe she could hide in the nearby cornfield.

  As she heard the loud noise in back, her instincts told her that whoever had tried to get inside had broken down the door. She looked around for something to use to protect herself. As her gaze locked on the Halon fire extinguisher attached by brackets to the wall, an idea struck her, and she went for it.

  Her fingers shook as she unlatched two metal brackets and removed the small red extinguisher. In the background, she could hear cabinets opening. Things being thrust against the walls.

  Extinguisher in hand, she glanced at the seal. She proceeded to twist it off. She’d never used anything like this, but logic told her that all she needed to do to protect herself was to press on the silver lever and aim at the person’s face. If need be, she’d use it.

  “What would Sydney and Carson do? Would Sydney think of something better?”

  Hannah focused as hard as she could on an answer. Really, she couldn’t know that, as much as she wanted to. Because she was without her partner.

  She continued writing.

  At that very moment, she heard a different noise. It was the crunching sound of gravel underneath car tires. Her heart pounded to the fierce beat of survival as she rushed to the front, where Marcus was pulling into the parking lot of Amish Edibles. They could use his phone to call for help.

  Still gripping the Halon extinguisher, she rushed to him. But while she did so, an armed man wearing a mask ran out the front door.

  Marcus and Hannah stood absolutely still as he pointed the gun at Marcus and then at Hannah. “Don’t move or I’ll shoot.”

  A light knock on the door startled her, and Hannah straightened and looked toward the sound. Maemm smiled a little. “May I come in?”

  “Sure.”

  Maemm’s gaze landed on Hannah’s notepad, and before she jumped to any conclusions, Hannah explained. “Just doing some writing.”

  Her mother nodded and came to sit on the edge of the bed. Hannah wasn’t about to tell her what she was writing. With a slow motion, she closed her pad, set it on the floor, and joined her maemm on the quilt.

  “Is everything okay?”

  Maemm offered an indecisive shrug that indicated something was up. “There’s just something I want you to be aware of.”

  Hannah narrowed her brows and frowned.
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  “It’s about Marcus.”

  Hannah listened.

  “He seems to be a fine young man, but since King’s Bakery was robbed, there’s been some speculation that Marcus might have been involved. In fact, I heard talk this afternoon in the grocery store.”

  Frowning, Hannah leaned closer toward her mother. “Jah?”

  Maemm nodded. “From some of our church friends who were waiting in line. Of course, it’s only chitchat. Still, I’m aware that you and Ben’s renter have an odd sort of friendship. I just want you to be careful, Hannah. We don’t really know him that well.”

  Hannah stood and looked down at her mother with narrowed eyes. “I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation. Marcus had absolutely nothing to do with that robbery. And to be honest, I’m surprised at you for even thinking he could be.”

  Maemm pressed her lips together in silence.

  “You and Daed always taught me to give others the benefit of the doubt, didn’t you?”

  Before Hannah’s role model could respond, Hannah went on. Frustration edged her voice. “I know the theft happened right after Marcus came to town, and that’s unfortunate. Because Marcus is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He’s trying to start a life for Gott. The last thing he’d do is go out and rob a store.”

  Her maemm raised a surprised brow.

  “I’m sure Ben would agree.”

  “Hannah, just be wary . . .”

  “I don’t need to be wary. Not of Marcus anyway. I’m ashamed of whoever started this gossip. Because that’s what it is.”

  Her mother waved a defensive hand. “I’m sorry, but I thought you needed to know.”

  “You surely don’t think Marcus robbed King’s Bakery, do you?”

  Finally, Maemm shook her head.

  “Marcus had absolutely nothing to do with that robbery.” An idea struck her, and she put her hands on her hips. But how can I prove it?

  * * *

  The following afternoon, inside Amish Edibles, Marcus met Hannah at the cash register. As he paid for two containers of raspberry jelly, he broached going to church with her family.

  She responded with a quick nod, despite the brief conversation she’d endured with her maemm. “I think it’s gut.”

  As he handed her some bills, he took in her small work area. Again, he glimpsed The Adventures of Sydney and Carson sticking out from a shelf near the cash register. Amusement curved his mouth as he answered her question. “I’ve been giving it a lot of thought.”

  His gaze stayed on the book.

  She looked at him and narrowed her brows. “What?”

  He pointed. “Sorry. I just happened to notice. You like adventure stories?”

  Her cheeks turned rosy red, and she lowered her gaze.

  He softened the pitch of his voice. “It’s okay. I just couldn’t help but wonder . . .”

  She lifted her chin, glanced at the book, and pulled it from the shelf. “Marcus, I just love these adventure books. And please, don’t say anything to my brother.”

  Marcus gave a quick, firm shake of his head. “No worries, Miss Hannah. You’ve got my word.” He paused for a moment before his lips widened into a wide smile. “So, our Hannah’s an adventurous woman.”

  Color returned to her cheeks.

  He realized she was extremely embarrassed. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he acknowledged that Hannah was a far cry from the typical Amish woman, or at least what he knew so far about Amish women. He wanted to reassure her that what she was doing was okay.

  “Hannah, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

  Her voice took on a defensive tone. “Who said I was embarrassed?”

  He grinned. “The color in your cheeks.”

  Several heartbeats later, she laughed. He joined her in the laughter.

  The pitch of her voice softened. “I just love these.” She pointed to the book she was holding.

  He took in the bold print. “The Adventures of Sydney and Carson.”

  Without hesitation, she offered an eager nod. “This is just between us . . .”

  “Of course.”

  “Sometimes, Marcus, my life seems . . .”

  The pensive look in her eyes told him she was trying for the right word. He thought a moment, then offered, “Mundane?”

  She nodded. “I guess you could call it that.” The blades of the large battery fan behind them continued to whirl in a continuous motion. The pleasant aroma of cinnamon filled the air. The view outside the front window revealed Hannah’s horse, her black buggy, and his Chevy. Fields of corn and soybeans loomed in the distance.

  Hannah’s pitch took on a more defensive tone as she organized some homemade hot pads into two neat piles. She followed the act by straightening them.

  Then she faced him. “Don’t get me wrong, Marcus. I’m not complaining. In fact . . .” She offered a gentle lift of her palms. “That’s the last thing I’m doing. When I think of my life, I’m sure that I must be the luckiest woman in the world to have been born into so much love.”

  Her statement warmed his heart, and he was certain that she must be right.

  “To you . . . to anyone, really, my life must look awfully simple, but all in all, Gott has provided me with the things that are most important.”

  She lifted her hands in front of her and began counting with her fingers. “Food on the table. This wonderful store. A Christian family.”

  After a pause, she continued while enthusiasm lifted the pitch of her voice. “And now, I’ve met you.” She squared her shoulders in confidence. “And that surely must be the ribbon on the package.”

  He grinned at her analogy.

  “I’m blessed with so much, it’s a bit overwhelming. What else could I ask for?”

  He looked at her to answer her own question. When she didn’t, he did it for her. “Good question. What more could you possibly want?”

  She looked away for a moment, as if considering what to say next. When she finally continued, she looked at Marcus and narrowed her brows. At that particular moment, her face took on the most vulnerable expression.

  The sincerity and innocence that filled her eyes and the flush of soft pink that filled her cheeks prompted his heart to speed up its pace to a beat that was a combination of excitement and tenderness. A breath caught in his throat. He couldn’t find his voice. All he could think of was how intrigued he was with Hannah Lapp. What’s wrong with me?

  She let out a small sigh. “I guess that, really, there’s nothing more for me to yearn for.”

  Her sentence took an uncertain dip, and he narrowed his brows. “But do you feel something’s missing?”

  She looked around; he wasn’t sure why, no one was there but them. A few seconds later, she waved a dismissive hand. “Marcus, there is something I would like. Something I don’t have.”

  “What is it?”

  She pulled in a deep breath and let it out. “If I spill this, you’ll be the only one I’ve told.” Before continuing, she waved a dismissive hand. “Just listen to me talk about myself. I feel guilty for even telling you this. Even more so for wanting something I don’t even need. I mean, I have everything that’s important.”

  The more she tried to avoid answering his question, the more curious he became about this Amish woman and what she did not have that she obviously yearned for. Something she must feel guilty about. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have such difficulty confessing whatever it was.

  She motioned to the shelf that held the containers of jelly. At the same time, they stepped to the next row and Hannah began evening the jelly into straight rows.

  A long silence ensued before she finally offered him a wide smile. As he watched her slender fingers, he couldn’t help but notice what beautiful skin she had. The color reminded him of his mother’s porcelain china set. He wondered if her hands were as soft as they looked.

  “Sometimes, I would love to hike.”

  He considered what she’d just said
and finally lifted his shoulders into a shrug. “And what’s stopping you?”

  Her eyes widened. “Nothing, really. I love climbing Pebble Creek, but there are two things missing when I do it.”

  With growing interest, he waited for her to go on as he pretended an interest in some wooden, hand-carved buggies in front of him.

  “I dream of hiking with my husband, a little one on my back, and a whole line of toddlers behind us.”

  He laughed. She joined him.

  “I guess it sounds kind of funny when I say it out loud.” She lifted her hands in a helpless gesture. “But that’s it, Marcus. That’s what I dream of. Nature hiking with my family.”

  The pitch of his voice lowered into an understanding softness. “Hannah, that’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “It is?”

  He nodded. “But when you think about it, there’s not much, really, stopping you from having your dream. All you’ve got to do is find a husband. One who likes to hike,” he added with an amused chuckle.

  “Jah . . .” She lowered her voice to a more inquisitive tone. He wondered what was coming next. “Marcus, do you mind me asking you something?”

  Wondering what her question would be, he offered a quick shake of his head. “Of course not. Go ahead.”

  She pressed her lips into a line before meeting his gaze with a serious expression. “I certainly don’t have any type of degree in human nature, but I know we are who Gott created us to be. And I’ve always been taught that wanting to be someone else is an insult to Gott. But Marcus, do you think there’s anything wrong with imagining yourself in a life that’s so very different from your own?”

  The question didn’t take much thought. Several heartbeats later, he offered a decisive shake of his head. “Not at all. I think . . .” He tapped the toe of his boot against the floor and narrowed his brows, trying for the best explanation he could to help Hannah. “Speaking from my own heart, I believe that imagination is an asset, not a liability.”