Promise at Pebble Creek

by Lisa Jones Baker

  “Marcus, love is a blessing. And it’s something you can’t decide. It just is. So instead of worrying what to do, be grateful that you have something. The Apostle Paul said, ‘And the greatest of these is love.’”

  “But what about becoming Amish? I don’t know if I can do it, Ben.”

  To Marcus’s surprise, the man next to him laughed. “You know what I think?”

  “What?”

  “You’re making this way too hard, my friend. It’s like you’re trying to talk yourself out of love.” He hesitated before clearing his throat. “I’m gonna be straight up with you, my friend. Usually, Amish folks don’t encourage their own to marry outside of the faith. That’s not something I’d normally do. There aren’t many of us, and we want to ensure our beliefs carry on to the next generation.”

  Marcus watched his pensive expression.

  Ben narrowed his brows. “Joining the faith would take time and it would require total commitment.” He lifted his chin a notch. “But if you decide to go that route, I’ll be there with you every step of the way.” A long silence ensued before he added in a soft tone, “And Marcus?”

  Marcus glanced at Ben to go on.

  “Old Sam used to say something that might help you through this. He said that if Gott takes you to it, He’ll get you through it.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Where was Marcus? Hannah was surprised he hadn’t come by to check on her. Monday evening, at Amish Edibles, the last group of customers finally cleared out of the shop. Hannah expelled a sigh of relief, stepped to the entrance to lock it, turned the sign to “Closed,” and stepped toward the back room.

  As she glanced at her nearly finished quilt, she smiled a little. She took in what appeared to be chaos in front of her. But in reality, she had everything organized. To the right of the piece of fabric was a pile of eight cut squares in between a pile of thimbles and several reams of blue thread.

  A small sound prompted her to glance at the corner, where Scarlet stretched her front paws. “Sorry, I forgot about you, munchkin. I’ll go grab you some milk.”

  Hannah bent in front of the feline for the round plastic bowl, poured a bit of powdered milk into it from the nearby Carnation box, added water from the half-full bottle on the work desk, and gave the mixture a quick stir with a plastic spoon. She returned the full bowl to its place, stood, and gingerly crossed her hands over her chest. “There ya go, girl.”

  As the cat lapped the white mixture, Hannah reflected on the day and the past weekend. While she enjoyed the break from customers, she acknowledged that her relief wasn’t because she was now free of selling her jelly and other items.

  It was because she was free from answering questions about the robbery at Lapp Furniture. It seemed as though people couldn’t get enough of the phone call she’d made to the 911 operator and that she’d hidden in the bathroom until the police had arrested the intruder.

  Her pulse zoomed every time she relived the sequence of events that had led to her calling and awaiting help. I’ve lived through my very own adventure story. And I never want to do that again. But while I was waiting for the police to come save me, I realized something very important. Something I must tell Marcus as soon as possible.

  Before she left for the night, she pulled the light blue thread from its spool, put the end between her lips, and squinted to get it between the eye of the needle.

  She pulled two squares, dark blue, and one that was a shade lighter, and began sewing them together. As she took in the beautiful hues of the mixed blues, she smiled a little. Then, she put down her work and began readying the shop for tomorrow morning.

  She needed to get home for dinner. This morning, after collecting eggs and cleaning the animal stalls, she’d placed a pork roast with cabbage in the oven. Maemm was to keep an eye on it and turn it off.

  After checking the locks on both doors, she hitched Miracle to the buggy, stepped inside, and started home on the blacktop. In front of her, the setting sun melted into the horizon.

  She expelled a breath of awe. Sunsets had always fascinated her. Sunrises too. The sunrises reminded her of starting a stopwatch, and sunsets were when the stopwatch was turned off. It was as if Gott gave them so much time to get things done. And then the day was done, and it was time to rest.

  As Miracle swished his tail and made an uneven clomp-clomping sound, she reflected on the time she’d spent in Lapp Furniture on Saturday. What had happened had changed her life. At the time, she hadn’t realized what the experience had done inside her, but now, looking back on the day, things that had seemed irrelevant before were now important.

  For instance, she’d never really appreciated feeling safe and secure in her family store. It was something she’d taken for granted. Now, she acknowledged that security wasn’t something to be taken for granted.

  And she’d never really appreciated that at the end of the day, she’d eat dinner with her family. It was another thing she’d always taken for granted. Until she’d seen and heard the back doorknob at Lapp Furniture jiggle. Until she’d quickly realized that someone was trying to break in to the store.

  For a moment, an ache filled her chest. As the warm summer breeze fanned her eyelashes, she narrowed her brows. The moment the doorknob in the back room had turned, she’d realized something very important. That the wonderful life she had could be taken away from her at any given moment.

  What if the thief had opened the door before I got out of the room? What if the police hadn’t arrived when they did? If the man who broke into the shop had unlocked the door faster, what would he have done when he faced me? Would I even be alive to think this through?

  As her home came into view, an eerie shiver crept up her spine. Her reaction was to shake her head to rid it of the unwanted sensation. Maybe what happened was meant to wake me up to appreciate blessings I’ve never considered. Maybe what happened was meant to give me an answer to the question Marcus asked me at the top of Pebble Creek.

  Adventure stories had always excited her. In fact, she’d always dreamed of participating in one. It’s more fun reading them. That way, there’s no danger.

  But in her life, there was another adventure story occurring. And like her adventure stories, it also involved risk. But the risk wasn’t a life-or-death situation. At the same time, her real-life story with Marcus had an undecided ending. But she had the opportunity to decide it.

  I’ve always dreamed of marrying an Amish man. I still do. But now, I’m thinking outside of the box. The dangerous situation at Lapp Furniture has made me more open-minded. And I know what I need to tell Marcus. But first, there’s someone I need to talk to.

  * * *

  The following afternoon, while Maemm ran Amish Edibles, Hannah tied her horse next to Mary Conrad’s. Outside of the Conrad home, beautiful beds of flowers decorated the large front yard. Different hues of roses bloomed on both sides of the entrance.

  As she caressed Miracle’s nose, the horse let out a whinny. She whispered, “I love you” to her four-legged friend and smiled. One reason was that she adored her horse. The second reason for smiling was because she knew without a doubt that she could confide in the plant guru; that was to her advantage because it just so happened that Rebecca and William’s only daughter was a natural expert at offering advice, which made sense because she’d been close to Old Sam.

  Grinding sounds floated out of Conrad Cabinets, which was a separate building behind their home. In the distance, their fishing pond loomed. Hannah was fully aware that Jonah Conrad loved to fish. She also knew that two young boys had come close to drowning there once at a church party.

  As Hannah patted the horse between his ears, he swished his tail to rid himself of a fly. Hannah firmed her voice. “I’ll be back. I’m just going to have a talk with my friend. And don’t worry; I’ve got a sugar cube for you for your patience.” He whinnied again, and she began walking toward the flower garden to the right of the large, two-story home.

  As she took i
n the vast area of land on which the Conrad home sat, Rebecca’s voice pulled her from her reverie. “Hannah! It’s so gut to see you! Come here and let me give you a hug!”

  Quick steps took her to Mary’s maemm, where they embraced each other tightly. After they released their arms, an odd combination of regret and relief reflected in Rebecca’s eyes. Tiny lines of concern crinkled around her eyes.

  “Oh, honey . . .” Rebecca paused as her breath caught. “I can’t tell you how worried we all were when we learned that your family’s furniture store was being robbed and that you were inside.”

  When Hannah’s jaw dropped in shock, Rebecca smiled widely and laid an affectionate hand on her shoulder. “You know how quickly word travels around here.” After a pause, she laughed. “Even without cell phones!”

  Hannah joined in the friendly laughter.

  “We were quick to get a prayer chain going, and fortunately, our prayers worked to keep you safe. Annie, Rachel, and I were catching up when we got word that the police had been called. Rachel was telling us that one of Doc Zimmerman’s horses had made a remarkable comeback from a serious infection when we heard.”

  Hannah looked at Rebecca to continue while she contemplated how quickly, indeed, word traveled among the Amish. An appreciative smile tugged the corners of her lips upward.

  “I’m glad you prayed. Because Rebecca, I needed strong prayers. And to be honest, it all happened so quickly, there wasn’t much time to think.” After a slight pause, she shook her head. “All I can say is, I’m glad the police arrested the person responsible and, hopefully, our town will never be robbed again.”

  Hannah contemplated what had been going on while she’d been locked inside the bathroom in Lapp Furniture. She certainly hadn’t realized so many people were aware of her predicament, and that they were all begging Gott for her safety. If she’d known, perhaps she wouldn’t have felt so alone.

  Rebecca squeezed her eyes closed and took Hannah’s hands in hers. She lowered the pitch of her voice to a more serious tone. “Gott answers prayers, Hannah. And we’re so thankful you’re okay.” After a slight pause, she expelled a breath of relief. “But I know someone who can’t wait to see you.”

  Side by side, they made their way to the backyard, where Mary wore a large work apron while she bent to water tall purple flowers. Without actually knowing her friend was working in the flower garden, Hannah had guessed it.

  When Mary straightened up, Hannah watched her place what appeared to be some weeds into a plastic bucket at her side. Rebecca cupped her mouth with her hands and shouted, “Yoo-hoo!”

  As Mary turned, she offered a wide smile and waved to Hannah. With a quick movement of her hand, Hannah returned the gesture, stepping closer to the flower garden as Mary motioned her to come join her. Rebecca stepped away and made her way back toward the house. Hannah could hear the screen door snap shut.

  Water pitcher in hand, Mary met Hannah at the edge of the garden, where grass met dirt, and put her pitcher on the ground. Swatting a fly away from her face, enthusiasm edged her voice as she lifted her chin a notch.

  “Hannah! It’s so gut to see you!” Immediately, Mary stepped to her, hugged her tightly, then held her at arm’s length and looked into her eyes. “Oh my friend; you don’t know how gut it is to be right here in front of you.” She gave a quick shake of her head. “I just can’t believe what happened to you at Lapp Furniture.”

  Hannah had been questioned so many times about the attempted robbery, by the police, her family, and by curious customers at Amish Edibles, the last thing she wanted to discuss was her narrow escape from a thief.

  But Mary was her true friend. And because of that, Hannah was fully aware that the woman next to her honestly cared about what had happened. Because of that, she would patiently convey the details to the plant guru. After all, this woman was special in every way.

  As Hannah smiled at her, Mary pushed her glasses up her nose. “Mary, I’ll tell you all about it. But it will take me a while to spill it out.”

  “Gut.”

  As Hannah took in the panorama before her, she couldn’t help but appreciate the beauty of the collection of flowers, as well as the array of exotic-looking hues.

  The flower garden looked so beautiful, the landscape made Hannah’s breath catch. Gorgeous colors made this garden a masterpiece. Hannah was far from a plant expert, but she knew enough to identify the section of rosebushes and the hot pink geraniums. As she stepped closer, she touched a white rose petal that was outlined with a beautiful yellow hue. As she took in the heavenly fragrance, she closed her eyes for a moment.

  “Those are my Chicago Peace roses. My absolute favorite.” Mary pointed to the one on the end with brown on the ends of the leaves. “You see that one?”

  Hannah nodded. A frown followed. “What’s wrong with it?”

  “I’m not sure, but it might be a fungus. But I just treated it with my miracle cure.” She winked. “My potion hasn’t failed me yet, so I’m expecting this little guy to perk back up by tomorrow.” After taking a breath, she went on. “How ’bout a chat over a fresh-squeezed lemonade?”

  Hannah offered a quick, decisive nod. “Sounds just like what I need to tell you about my adventure inside Lapp Furniture.”

  As they neared the house, Hannah stopped to take in the rose beds in the area in between the sidewalk and the foundation of the house.

  “Here.” Mary pointed to the beautiful white petals with pink on the edges. “You’ve got to smell this one.”

  As Hannah bent to take in the scent, she gently touched the soft, velvety petal. “It’s so soft and fragile.”

  Hannah breathed in and closed her eyes in amazement. “And its smell is every bit as gut as its beauty.”

  To Hannah’s astonishment, Mary carefully snipped the ornate-looking flower with her cutters and presented it to Hannah with a smile of satisfaction. “Here. It’s yours.”

  Hannah’s jaw dropped as she held the gorgeous stem in front of her.

  “Inside, we’ll put it in a vase, and then I’ll wrap it so you can take it home in the buggy.”

  Hannah grinned as she gently brought the petal to her nose again. “I see why you like to work with plants. I wish my entire house smelled like this.”

  Mary laughed. “It would. If you were a florist.”

  Hannah joined in the friendly laughter.

  Hannah immediately sensed a great feeling of appreciation for her friend’s green thumb. “I’ll never question why you love growing things.”

  “And only Gott can create this beauty, Hannah.” She let out a breath of awe and stretched out her hands in front of her. “All I do, really, is plant the seeds and water them.” She lifted her shoulders in a small shrug. “Just look at this. All I can say is . . .” She breathed in. “This is a miracle. And it’s here for us to enjoy.”

  Hannah glimpsed a white plastic bucket next to the entrance and turned her attention to her friend. “You’re pulling weeds?”

  Mary rolled her eyes and winked. “Jah. Unfortunately, like anything in life, there are always going to be weeds.” She had lowered her voice to a more confidential, serious pitch.

  Hannah stepped closer for fear of missing anything her friend said. Mary was wise beyond her years. Gott had blessed her with an uncanny ability to look at a difficult situation and immediately put things into perspective. And that’s exactly why Hannah was there.

  “Hannah?”

  Hannah returned to reality.

  “Are you okay?”

  Hannah lifted her palms to the sky in a helpless gesture and gave a slow shake of her head. “Not really, Mary.”

  An affectionate touch warmed Hannah’s shoulder, and Mary whispered, “It’s okay. My, you’re doing much better than I would have predicted.” After a few steps, she glanced at Hannah. “I know what happened was shocking, and it might take you some time to fully recover.” After a slight pause, she let out a breath. “My friend, I’m lucky to be standing here with you.
But let’s talk things out. I certainly don’t have a counseling degree, but I can use common sense. And trust me, I’ll do whatever I can to make sense of what happened to you.”

  Hannah smiled a little. “I’ll tell you all about it, Mary. But amazingly, the robbery at Lapp Furniture is only part of what’s weighing heavily on my mind.”

  Mary parted her lips in surprise as she held Hannah’s gaze. “There’s something else?”

  As the women stepped inside the side porch, Hannah glimpsed Rebecca heading to the barn. That meant she and Mary would be alone. Which was a gut thing.

  In the kitchen, Mary closed the door behind her and pointed to the glossy oak table.

  Hannah took a seat and pulled the chaise close to the table while Mary washed her hands in the hall bathroom. A few moments later, Mary brought two glasses of lemonade to the table, placed them on coasters, and claimed the empty chair opposite Hannah.

  “Now, you’ve really got me curious. Hannah, I’m listening.”

  After expelling a breath, Hannah started in a soft voice, “Mary, I’m going through something serious.”

  Mary leaned closer and narrowed her brows.

  “It’s about me and Marcus Jackson.”

  Mary started to say something, but stopped herself before any words came out. Hannah explained about how her simple, innocent friendship with the Englischer had turned into true love. She went on about how she’d always planned to stay Amish before revealing what had gone on in her mind when she’d locked herself in the bathroom at Lapp Furniture.

  She stopped to take a sip of lemonade. Mary did the same. As they returned their glasses to the coasters, ice cubes clinked against the glasses.

  “I love him, Mary.”

  Mary choked. As she tried to stop coughing, Hannah wondered what her parents’ reaction would be if her friend was this surprised.