Lester removed his hat and gave her a look Jake could only read as “you’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Growing marijuana on God’s land is more than a little transgression.”
“Rebecca’s been through a lot,” Jake spoke up. “Now is not a good time.”
The Amish man wiped his forehead, then settled his hat back on his head. “Perhaps Mrs. Fisher should remember she is a baptized member of this community.”
A muscle started ticking in Jake’s jaw, but despite the fury racing through his brain, he got hold of his emotions. Blasting this man with a piece of his mind wasn’t going to help Rebecca.
“I was telling the professor he needs to find new subjects to study.” Rebecca’s voice was surprisingly firm.
Lester held up his hand. “Is that all this is?”
Jake slowly descended the steps. “Good night, Rebecca.”
“Good night, Professor.” She paused a brief moment. “Good night, Lester.” Rebecca turned around and went inside, obviously unwilling to discuss this further with either of them.
In the front yard, Lester turned to Jake. “I trust you’re not courting Rebecca.”
“Courting?” Jake asked noncommittally before changing the subject. “You are the bishop’s son.” Jake knew who Lester was, but he was buying time to formulate his thoughts…his words.
Lester tipped his hat.
“How often does someone join the Amish community?” From his own research, Jake knew it wasn’t often.
Lester’s eyes flared wide under the moonlight. “Join the Amish?” He let out a bark of laughter that grated on Jake’s nerves. “Are you considering joining us?”
Jake didn’t trust himself to answer, suspecting that clocking the arrogant man wouldn’t win him any favors.
“You don’t join the Amish like you’re joining a country club. This is our community. A way of life. A serious commitment.”
“I am very familiar with the Amish. I have been studying the Amish and teaching at the university for years.”
“So,” Lester said, the single word dripping with sarcasm, “is this the last step in your research? To join the Amish?” He shook his head and scoffed. “Through your vast research you should have already figured all this out.”
Jake blinked slowly, trying to tamp down his emotions. “I know outsiders joining the Amish is unusual, but it has been done.”
Lester’s eyes locked on the front door of Rebecca’s home. “The church elders will look unkindly on a man choosing to join the Amish for the wrong reasons.”
Jake kept his thoughts to himself.
“Joining because you want to court the widow Fisher is not valid grounds.” Lester took a few steps away, then turned around. “Rebecca was right. You shouldn’t keep coming around here.”
Jake narrowed his gaze, more than a little annoyed that Lester had obviously been eavesdropping on them before he’d made his presence known.
TEN
While Jake was driving home, he realized he’d never be able to sleep so he decided to go to his campus office and catch up on some work. He’d had his graduate teaching assistant cover his class today, but he couldn’t keep doing that. Not if he still wanted a job.
Jake easily found parking in the nearly empty lot. It was after nine, a few students were crisscrossing the campus on the quiet fall evening.
“Hi, Professor Burke,” a young woman said as he strolled across the quad to his office in the Stevenson building. He waved at her as he remembered his first day on campus a few years ago. He thought he had finally made it. He thought he should finally be happy because he had the education, he had the job, all the things that his father lacked.
So why had happiness—real happiness—eluded him until now? Until Rebecca had come into his life? The quiet Amish woman had made him feel content. But was Lester right? Were his motives to join the Amish pure or just a way to remain close to Rebecca?
Jake pulled open the large door to his building. Guilt pinged him. He’d had no right to kiss Rebecca. To take advantage of her. She was vulnerable.
Jake tried but couldn’t forget the feel of her soft lips, her quick intake of breath, the fresh smell of windswept hair…
Wrapped in the memory of the kiss, he walked down the long hallway, his footsteps sounding on the marble floor. As he approached room 214, he noticed a light filtering out from under the door. His head jerked back.
Jake turned the handle on the door; it was unlocked. The computer at Tommy’s desk was on, but he saw no sign of his assistant. He strolled into the office and heard a voice.
“Yeah, I’ll figure something out.”
Jake turned the corner and saw Tommy sitting on the floor of his office, leaning against the wall with his legs stretched out in front of him. Tommy looked up when Jake entered the room. “Gotta go,” he said into the phone. He ended the call and scrambled to his feet.
“Hey, Professor, what are you doing here?” Tommy moved around to the desk. The chair squeaked when he plopped down into it and leaned back.
“I suppose I could ask you the same thing.”
“I come in here to use the computer when the computer lab’s too busy.” Tommy wiggled the mouse and the screen came to life. Some Word document was on the screen. “My laptop bit the dust and I can’t afford a new one.”
Jake waved his hand, indicating it wasn’t a problem. He stepped into his office and sat behind his big desk. He moved some of the papers and books around. Once this—all of this—had meant everything to him.
Studying the Amish had made him feel connected, but not in the way that Rebecca made him feel…connected. When he was with Rebecca, he felt as if he was home.
“Professor Burke?”
Jake snapped his attention to the door. Tommy had a look that made Jake think he had called his name a few times.
“What’s up, Tommy?”
His assistant jabbed his thumb toward his desk. “I’m going to wrap things up here and call it a night.” Tommy leaned across the desk and clicked a few buttons on the computer. “…And sent. Got to love technology. Paper was due by midnight. I submitted it through email.”
Jake nodded. He still gave his students the option of handing in a paper or sending him an email.
A slow smile spread across the young man’s face. “Everything okay? You look like someone stole your favorite toy.”
Jake laughed. “No, just trying to catch up with work here.”
“You’re spending a lot of time with the Fisher family.” It was more a statement than a question. Tommy crossed his arms and leaned his hip on the frame of the doorway. “You’re really deep in research mode.”
“Mmm” was Jake’s only response.
“This whole growing marijuana on the Amish farm will make a great paper. You’ll put the Amish Apple Creek community on the map. Kinda like that gunman did with the Amish in Nickel Mines.”
Anger started burning deep in Jake’s gut, but he didn’t want to lash out at Tommy. He was a kid, not exactly socially savvy.
“I’m not going to write about it.”
A smirk slashed across Tommy’s thin lips. “Really? I thought it would make an interesting paper.”
“I want to be respectful.” Jake stood, walked around the front of his desk and perched on its corner. “I’ve been giving her a hand since the Yoder brothers quit. She needed help with the harvest.”
“I’m sure some of their Amish neighbors would step up to the plate.” Tommy stuffed something into his backpack and zipped it up. “You’re an expert on the Amish. They help one another. You know that.”
“The Fishers have felt isolated since Willard Fisher was convicted of murder. Hopefully with time, things will change.” If Jake stayed away that might help bridge the gap. Rebecca had to learn to rely on her Amish neighbors again. Her Amish neighbors needed time to forgive, even if they never forgot.
Tommy shook his head. “Talk about bad karma with that family. It’s like they’re a bad-luc
k magnet. But you know as well as I do that the Amish will eventually find forgiveness in their hearts. Someone will step forward and help them in their time of need.”
“One can hope.”
Tommy slung his backpack over one shoulder and gave Jake a knowing look. “Forgive me for speaking out of turn, but do you have something for Mrs. Fisher?” He lifted an eyebrow.
Jake couldn’t help but laugh. He threaded a hand through his hair. “I enjoy spending time with Rebecca.” Jake waved his hand. “But that’s it. I’m just helping a person who’s having a rough time.”
Tommy levered off the doorframe and nodded slowly. “Guard your heart, Professor. Mrs. Fisher…she’s gonna break yours.” He turned to leave, then muttered over his shoulder. “They always do.”
“We are not having this conversation.”
Tommy turned around to face him. “I can’t see you becoming Amish.”
“That’s what I call jumping to a conclusion without supporting evidence.” Jake kept his voice even.
“You’d never give all this up. You’ve worked too hard.” The young man scrunched up his nose. “You may have a romanticized notion of the Amish from your research, but studying and living it are two different beasts.” Tommy adjusted the strap on his shoulder. “Trust me. Been there, done that. Got the T-shirt—or should I say, broad-brimmed hat—to prove it.”
*
The next morning at the diner, Rebecca’s head pounded. Not getting enough rest despite her recent injury was bound to do that. Rest was long in coming. After her job at the diner, she still had chores to do on the farm. Samuel had promised to see that his little sisters got to school, and her sister-in-law Gloria would pick them up after school and bring them home after Rebecca’s shift.
Rebecca rolled her shoulders, trying to ease out the kinks. She grabbed the milk from the counter, screwed on the lid, then yanked on the lever of the walk-in freezer.
“Hey, hey, hey…” Flo walked up behind her and put a hand on her back. “Dear, unless we plan to plop frozen milk into glasses, we better put that back in the refrigerator.”
Rebecca blinked a few times, wondering how she’d ended up standing in front of the freezer with a jug of milk in her hand.
Flo took the milk and put it in the refrigerator. “What’s on your mind today? Worried about Samuel?”
Rebecca was always worried about Samuel, but something else was pressing on her heart this morning. She looked up, met Flo’s warm gaze and smiled.
Flo tilted her head, a pleading look in her eyes. “Dear, if you’re gonna spill it, you better do it soon before the breakfast crowd gets here. Then you’re going to have to hold your peace until midmorning.” She twirled her hand in a get-on-with-it gesture. “And you are not going to leave here today without telling me what’s on your mind.”
Rebecca smoothed a hand across the edge of her bonnet and her mouth went dry. “The professor and I visited for a bit on the porch last night.”
Her friend’s eyebrows shot up. “You did, did you?”
Rebecca couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s response. Oh, how she wished it was as simple as Flo thought it was.
Flo crossed her arms and leaned her hip on the silver counter, settling in for all the gossip. “Did something happen?” Flo had a way of pinning her with a penetrating gaze. Flo’s hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, something happened. Did he kiss you?”
Rebecca had no plans to kiss and tell.
“I didn’t mean to embarrass you, dear. You’re young and pretty and you have your life in front of you.” She leaned in close. “I say go for it.”
Rebecca laughed. “Go for what? You know how conservative the Amish are. He’d have to become Amish for us to have a future.”
Flo ran a finger across her bottom lip. “There is that.” Her shoulders sagged. “Poor girl, you have that handsome man paying you visits, yet you’re bound to the Amish ways.” She bit her lower lip and furrowed her brow. “Are you sure? Maybe a fresh start would be a good thing for you.”
Rebecca knew there was no way her friend would understand. “A fresh start would mean leaving everything I’ve ever known.”
The bell on the door jangled, indicating their first breakfast customers, a handful of retired men who stopped in five days out of the week to chat.
“I’ll get this table.” Flo walked toward the dining room, then glanced over her shoulder. “Considering everything you’ve been through, would a fresh start be so bad?”
*
After another long day at the diner and a ride home from Flo, Rebecca hung her coat on the hook and turned to see a horse and buggy come up the driveway. She hustled to the front door and greeted her daughters. Gloria walked them to the door briskly through the steady rain while Mark waved from the buggy.
“Thank you,” Rebecca yelled to her brother, then smiled at Gloria. “I can’t thank you enough. I appreciate you bringing them home.”
Gloria touched each of the girls’ bonnets with a tender look on her face.
The two girls ran into the house, shaking off their damp coats.
“Go on up and get into your nightclothes,” Rebecca said to her daughters. She missed seeing their sweet faces all day long.
Once the girls had pounded up the stairs, Gloria leaned in close and whispered, “It wonders me if we should let the girls stay at our house during the week. Since you have to work. We’d love to have them.”
Rebecca frowned and she cast her glance toward the floor. “I’m their mem. They need to stay here.”
“Yah, well, I know you’re their mem,” Gloria said, compassion in her tone. “It’s too much back and forth. The girls might feel more settled. It will be right like they’re home.”
Rebecca wrung her hands. “Why do you think the girls aren’t settled?”
“I can tell I’ve offended you. I know you’re doing the best you can. The girls need stability. With everything going on with Samuel, maybe it’s best if they weren’t around that.”
“Samuel is their brother. Samuel is innocent.” Rebecca hesitated a minute. He was innocent, wasn’t he? What if he went to jail all the same? Her poor family would be the subject of more finger-pointing.
Rebecca let out a long, slow breath and ran a hand over her face. Her eyes felt gritty from a long day at work. Another day in which she had been away from her family.
Her little girls.
“Maybe they could stay with us until things settle down. I’d hate for something to happen to them,” Gloria said.
Suddenly that piece of apple pie with ice cream Rebecca had had before she’d left the diner didn’t seem like such a good idea.
“What do you mean, ‘something happen to them’?”
Gloria bowed her head and her cheeks turned pink. “Many evil things have surrounded your family.”
Rebecca gasped. She struggled to find the words. “You don’t think they’re safe here?” Apprehension knotted her stomach.
Through the open front door, Rebecca could see her brother sitting in the buggy, his broad-brimmed hat pulled down low on his forehead as he stared straight ahead, squinting against the wind and rain blowing in the open sides. Served him right for taking the coward’s way out and leaving his wife to broach this difficult subject.
“Grace asked me if they could still visit if you married the professor.”
“What?”
“She’s worried that she’ll be leaving the Amish community. She’s worried she won’t get to see her cousins, but she seemed somewhat comforted by the idea she could still play with your friend Hannah’s children.”
Rebecca blinked slowly, trying to absorb it all. She laughed, a nervous sound. “Kids get silly ideas. The professor has been helping me. There’s nothing romantic going on.” The little white lie burned on her lips.
“Perhaps things would be less complicated for you if you spent more time with the Amish than with the English.”
Little feet sounded on the stairs and Rebecca spun aroun
d. Grace descended the stairs with a doll under her arm. “Can I play with my doll before bed?”
Rebecca smiled at her sweet daughter. “Of course. Let me finish talking to Aenti Gloria. I’ll be right up to hear all about your day.”
Rebecca watched her daughter climb the stairs, then when she was satisfied the little girl was out of hearing distance, she turned to Gloria. “I was desperate when I approached the professor.”
“Why didn’t you come to us?” The hint of accusation in her sister-in-law’s question heated Rebecca’s skin.
“When was the last time you spent time with Samuel?”
Gloria bristled, but didn’t say anything.
“The professor has been meeting with the Amish youth. I thought he could provide insight into Samuel’s behavior.”
“I’ve never liked the idea of outsiders coming into our community and studying us.”
Rebecca laughed. “Me neither, but the professor is a good man.”
Gloria raised a curious eyebrow.
“His parents were Amish.”
“Really?”
“They left before they got married.”
Gloria lowered her voice. “You’re not planning on leaving, are you?” There was an ominous quality to her voice.
Rebecca slowly shook her head. “I’m not leaving. You know that. I’ve been working hard to guide Samuel on the right path. Why would you ever think I was planning on being a fence jumper?” An iciness sped through her. “Did the church elders come to you? Did they put you up to this?”
Her dear sister-in-law nodded. “Everyone’s worried.”
“I wish the elders had jumped in to condemn the members who have been harassing us. We’ve felt all alone.”
“I believe those incidents were addressed. The community was devastated by your husband’s actions.”
Tears bit at the back of Rebecca’s eyes. “They were addressed, but not with the tenacity that they have been addressing the issues with Samuel. Lester stopped by and told us the bishop wants to meet with Samuel. I’m reluctant to send him over there for fear Samuel will run away for good.”
“You can’t ignore the request.”
“I don’t plan to, but I do plan to go with him. The last thing I want him to feel is ganged up on.”
Love Inspired Suspense September 2015 #1 Page 31