A Christmas Bride in Pinecraft

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  The policeman looked at the chairs, then shrugged. “If you don’t mind sitting outside, I suppose this would work just fine. It is beautiful out.”

  Once they were settled on the porch, Eric got right to the point. “What’s going on?”

  Roberts pulled out his smartphone and skimmed through a couple of screens. Eric noticed he was looking at some notes he’d typed on it. “First off, we’re fairly sure we found your burglar, Beverly.”

  Beverly scooted to the end of her chair. “You did? Who was it?”

  Eric wrapped an arm around the back of her chair. He wanted to be able to support her in case the news was worse than they thought. “Easy, Bev.”

  Glancing his way, her green eyes full of warmth, she exhaled and murmured, “I’m fine.”

  Officer Roberts was still scrolling through his phone. Then he spoke at last. “It looks like our suspicions were right,” he said. “Your burglar was a teen.”

  “Just one?” Beverly asked with a frown. “But there was so much damage.”

  “It seems that he wanted to make it look like there was a bunch of kids breaking in. This kid, he’s kind of a loner.”

  “Well, he did a good job,” Eric murmured. “He trashed several rooms.” He stood up. “I’m glad you discovered who did it. Thanks for coming to tell us the news in person. I know Beverly will sleep better now.”

  “Hold on. We need to talk about this some more,” the policeman said.

  “How about I stop by in the morning?” Eric asked, feeling protective. Beverly didn’t need to hear any of the details, at least not from the cops. Instead, he was sure it would be better if he heard everything, then sat down with Bev and gently told her everything she needed to know. “As long as he’s not out trashing more homes, it’s all good.” When Roberts didn’t say anything, Eric said, “I’m assuming you’ve arrested this kid?”

  “No. Not yet.”

  “And why is that?”

  Officer Roberts rolled his shoulders. “This boy is seventeen. It turns out the young man’s mother died a few years ago. Since then, he and his younger brother have been essentially making do on their own.”

  “On their own? What about their father?” Beverly asked. “Is he dead, as well?”

  “I can’t tell you everything, but he isn’t, ah, very involved in their lives.” He frowned. “I can share that their father doesn’t care for them as he should. He shows up at the house for a while, long enough to give the boys hope that he’ll be back, then he takes off again without any notice. This has been going on for a while. Of late, it seems he’s been leaving for weeks at a time.”

  “For weeks? Oh, but that’s terrible,” Beverly said. “Those poor boys.”

  Roberts nodded. “Yes, it really is terrible. They have been going through a pretty difficult time.”

  “How are they able to live?”

  “The house was paid for, but the father owes money to just about everyone. It’s amazing no one has turned off their water.”

  Eric winced. The whole situation sounded rough. And far too familiar. Though it had been almost twenty years, he still remembered how it felt to have no one really looking out for him except Jack.

  “Beverly,” Officer Roberts continued, “when we were talking to the oldest boy and attempting to figure out how he was making ends meet, his younger brother joined us and pretty much gave him away. And then this young man confessed everything. He even took us to a back shed and showed us your television. He also pulled out your lockbox and handed it over.”

  “Oh, my.”

  “He’d only used about eighty dollars of the five hundred. He said he’s been saving the rest.”

  “For what, do you think?”

  “Food.”

  Eric felt as if someone had hit him in the stomach. “They’ve been going hungry.”

  “But why wouldn’t one of the boys simply tell someone that their father kept leaving them?” Beverly asked innocently, her eyes wide. “They could have told a teacher, at the very least.”

  “If they’d told anyone in a position of authority that person would have been legally bound to do something,” Eric said. “The boys might not have liked what would happen next.”

  Roberts nodded, his expression grim. “That’s right. They would have been placed in foster care—if someone was willing to take in two older boys. If not, they would have been split up and put into two different homes or perhaps in a group home.”

  “What are their ages?” Eric asked.

  “Thirteen and seventeen.”

  Beside him, Beverly gasped. “Officer, by any chance, was this younger boy’s name Josiah Yoder?”

  Roberts stilled. “Do you know Josiah?”

  “Nee. But, um, we just had a visit from a friend whose daughter is friends with Josiah. The girl was worried about him.”

  “She has every right to worry about him. I’m going to need the girl’s name.”

  Beverly bit her lip.

  Eric leaned close. “It’s just like what Ginny said the other day, Bev. Breaking a confidence is sometimes the right thing to do.”

  “My friend’s name is Ginny Kaufmann. Her daughter Effie is Josiah’s friend.”

  “Thanks,” Officer Roberts said. “I know the Kaufmanns. I’ll stop by and talk with them tomorrow.”

  Beverly looked so upset, Eric reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “So, what’s going to happen now, Officer?”

  “They’re staying in a temporary home tonight. But a family here in Sarasota knows the boys. They’ve asked to look after them both until everything gets sorted out.”

  “Who is taking them in?” Eric asked. “Can you tell us?”

  “I probably shouldn’t, but Pinecraft is such a tight-knit community everyone will know within an hour. Jay and Emma Hilty are taking them in.”

  “My goodness. They are newlyweds. I must say I’m surprised,” Beverly murmured.

  Officer Roberts smiled. “I was caught off guard, too. But then Jay told me that he thought they might be a good fit. He’s currently raising six kids and they have a big house. It seems that one of his boys knows Peter and has been worried about him. Their youngest son, William, knows Josiah, too.”

  “I know Jay and his boys. They stayed here before they moved to their farm,” Eric said. “I can see Jay being concerned and wanting to help.”

  “Beverly, there’s a lot of information to sort through in order to make the right decision for both you and the boys. The law says we can arrest Peter and charge him for vandalism and theft. He’s admitted it, so he could get fined.”

  “But because he doesn’t have any way to pay those fines, he’ll get put in juvie,” Eric said. His stomach tightened as he remembered his first night there. He’d been so scared.

  “Maybe,” Roberts allowed.

  Just imagining how being incarcerated would affect an Amish boy for the rest of his life made Eric feel sick. “We can’t let that boy go to jail, Bev.”

  “You’re right.” Beverly was already shaking her head. “We canna do that. What is the other option?”

  Officer Roberts stared at her. “I was thinking that Peter could come over here and apologize for what he put you through. Then, maybe we could come up with a contract together, one that would ensure he’d pay you back the money that he owes you—both the money from the lockbox and the money to replace the broken window and lamps.” He hesitated, then added, “But he wouldn’t be arrested.”

  Beverly’s eyes were swimming with tears. “I can’t believe he was so desperate that he broke into the inn because he needed money to feed his brother.”

  “It seems to me that he’s already been suffering a lot,” Eric said.

  Officer Roberts nodded slowly. “I was thinking the same thing. I don’t usually get emotionally involved. But this one got to me, you know? Poor kids.”

  “Did you get hold of their father yet?” Eric asked.

  “No. But I have to tell you that part of me hopes we don�
��t find him for another week or two. Those boys deserve a couple of nights in a warm house with some good meals. Jay and Emma Hilty are going to give them that.”

  “What do you want to do, Beverly?” Eric asked. “I do feel sorry for those boys, but I won’t ever forget how shaken up you were. You are the victim here.”

  “Eric’s right,” Officer Roberts said. “There is nothing wrong with seeking retribution.”

  She shook her head. “Nee. I don’t want retribution. If I’ve learned anything since the robbery, it’s that I have a lot of blessings in my life. I have friends to lean on, I have savings in the bank to pay for crises, and I am stronger than I thought I was. I’d much rather hope and pray that something good will come from this whole situation. I have to think that God planned it this way so I would remember my blessings, but also so that something good would happen for those two boys. I promise, an apology from Peter will be enough.”

  “I’ll stay in touch then,” Officer Roberts said, and left a few minutes later.

  After he was gone, Eric grabbed her hands. “Are you sure you’re all right with this?”

  She nodded. “I’m going to be just fine.”

  “I have to say that you’re handling everything well. I’m impressed with how strong you’ve become.”

  “You know what? I didn’t think I had become stronger, but I know I actually have,” she said with a smile. “I’ve been able to handle things that I wouldn’t have even a year ago.”

  “I’m glad. I wonder what changed.”

  “That’s easy. I now have you. Because I have you to lean on, nothing is insurmountable.”

  Her honesty blew him away. “I feel the same way, Beverly. You have become incredibly important to me.”

  Actually, he knew exactly how important she’d become.

  He’d fallen in love with her.

  Chapter 19

  December 21

  A lot had happened over the last couple of days. The whole sequence of events felt amazing to Mark and more than a little too close for comfort.

  He’d certainly never anticipated that his daed and Emma would have offered to become foster parents to Peter and Josiah!

  But now Mark was going to have to face Peter, knowing that he was at least partly responsible for him having to leave his house and being removed from his father’s custody. He’d only been trying to help Laura, not trying to get Peter into big trouble.

  Mark felt sick inside. Actually, he felt like he was about to throw up.

  “Daed and Emma are going to be here any minute, Ben,” he said. “By now Peter probably knows that I went with Laura to the police station. I bet he’s going to hate me.”

  Ben sat down on the stoop next to him. Inside, Tricia was reading a book to Lena, Mandy, and Annie. “Peter ain’t going to hate you.”

  “You can’t be sure about that.”

  After nudging Mark’s arm, Ben said, “You did what you had to do, Mark. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “That’s easy for you to say. How would you feel if this happened to you?”

  “I have no idea. Stealing money in order to take care of my little brother hasn’t happened to me. But then again, I’ve never had to handle things on my own like Peter had to.”

  “I guess that’s true.”

  “I can say that if things are really as bad as Emma and Daed made it sound, then I would have probably stolen money, too.”

  Mark stared at him in surprise. “You really think so?”

  “I know so.” After a pause, he said, “That’s what love is, don’t you think?”

  Ben had lost him. “Stealing?”

  “Nee. What I’m trying to say is that love is everything. It’s warm and sweet and good, to be sure. But, well, it’s also a powerful motivator. It makes men and women and even kids do things they never thought they would.”

  Put that way, Mark thought, maybe Ben had a point. Love—true love—was so powerful that it could override most any other thing, even the desire to follow rules and obey laws.

  “You know, I’d do just about anything to take care of Tricia,” Ben said quietly. “I’d do just about anything because I promised her and God that I would take care of her. And well, I think I would actually do anything to take care of you and William, too. Especially if I thought you were going hungry. You two are my younger brothers.”

  Mark knew he would, too. Their little brother, William, was a handful. But he was their handful. Without a doubt, Mark knew he would do whatever it took to make sure William felt protected and safe, too. He’d even do things he wasn’t proud of—if he had to.

  “I’d do anything for you and William, too,” he said at last.

  “That’s all you have to tell Peter,” Ben said. “Maybe not the minute he gets here. Maybe not even tonight. But if you tell him that you understand why he did something so bad, that you understand what it means to love someone so much that you were willing to sacrifice yourself in order to make sure they eat? Well, I bet there’s a good chance that someday, he’ll understand why you had to be by Laura’s side and help her.”

  “I hope he does.”

  “I hope so, too. But Mark, if he doesn’t, you can’t let that bother you. You did the right thing. You couldn’t have looked the other way.”

  “Are you surprised about Daed and Emma offering to take them in for a while?”

  “No. They’ve both lost people important to them. They know what it’s like to grieve. And, well, we do, too.”

  Mark never thought he’d ever be even a little glad to have lost his mother, but if it meant that he could help Peter and Josiah, he supposed his mamm up in heaven would be happy about that. “It’s funny how life works, huh?”

  “Nee. It’s good how life works. No matter how hard it is, the Lord always helps. That makes me feel like we’re not alone.” Suddenly Ben grinned. “They’re here. Come on, let’s go greet them.”

  Mark walked slowly down the front steps to where a black SUV had stopped. He watched everyone pile out: Daed, Officer Roberts, Emma, Peter, and Peter’s brother, Josiah. He watched Ben shake Officer Roberts’s hand and say hi to Peter and Josiah.

  “Hey,” Mark said. “Josiah, I’m Mark. Glad to know ya.” And then it was time.

  Peter turned his way, his face an expressionless mask. It felt almost as if he were staring right through Mark.

  Mark reminded himself that he might have acted the same way. Looking directly at Peter, he said the only thing he could think of that made sense. “Wilcom.”

  Peter blinked. Then, to Mark’s surprise, his eyes lit with a new warmth. “Danke.”

  TWO HOURS HAD PASSED since Officer Roberts had come over and relayed everything to Beverly and Eric. Practically the moment he’d left, one of their guests had needed directions to the mall, then another had had some questions about restaurants they’d read about in a magazine. Almost glad for a reason to push aside her worries, Beverly had efficiently answered questions, drawn maps, and given out her opinion. By the time she’d finished, Eric was on the phone.

  She took advantage of the break and the quiet. Walking back to the kitchen, she put on the kettle, unfolded one of her favorite chamomile tea bags into a cup, and allowed herself to reflect on both the officer’s visit and the news she’d learned.

  The mystery surrounding the break-in had been solved. But with this news came the reminder that there were so many things far more important than some cash in a lockbox and a sense of security.

  Never had she imagined that the robbery would have set off this whole series of events. From the time she’d walked up her street and seen the three police cars, she’d held so many emotions deep inside her. She’d been holding fear and indignation close to her heart. Then she’d felt anger and resignation. Now? She merely felt sad for those boys.

  “Are you as stunned as I am?” Eric asked as he entered the room.

  Looking at him, she noticed some new lines of tension around his lips. He seemed dazed by the turn of
events, too.

  “Jah,” she replied at last. “I have to admit that almost every evening since the break-in I’ve gone to bed praying for an answer. I focused so much on this robbery that, to me, it sort of became the most important thing happening in Pinecraft. I’m kind of embarrassed now.”

  “You don’t have a thing to be embarrassed about. Anyone would feel upset and scared after discovering that their home was robbed.” He opened up her cookie jar, pulled out a plate, and started piling shortbread cookies on it. “That said, I’ve gotta tell you that I didn’t see this coming.”

  His words, combined with his tall stack of cookies, made Beverly decide to pour Eric a cup of tea, too. It seemed he could use a little bit of chamomile calm. While he brought the cookies to the table, she poured water into mugs, added a spoonful of sugar into each, then followed him to what had become their spot, the kitchen table.

  It occurred to her as they did this that it had become routine. They didn’t knock into each other or waste conversation asking each other’s preferences.

  Now, they already knew.

  Two minutes later she was holding her favorite mug, letting the warmth heat her hands. Eric had already had two cookies.

  They were now able to discuss things.

  “So,” she said at last. “Our mystery has been solved.”

  “It has.” He shifted, kicked out his bare feet, then crossed them at the ankles. “I’m glad about that.”

  “Me, too,” she said around a sigh. “It was awful, not knowing.”

  He nodded. “I know you said you forgave that boy, but are you truly okay with how everything was resolved?”

  She thought about it. “I am.” Shifting into a more comfortable position, she said, “Eric, when Officer Roberts was telling us about Peter and his brother, all I could think of was how upset I’d been when I first walked inside and saw the mess. I acted like it was the end of the world.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself. And don’t forget, you called me as soon as everyone left. Besides, anyone would have felt what you did.”