“I think I’ve listened enough.” All this talk about wanting to get to know him and Laura was a bluff. He saw that now. And once again he felt betrayed by it. He wasn’t a grandson to her. He was just DNA, someone to make sure her precious company stayed in the family.
“I know you don’t think you can run a company, but I can show you.”
“No. That’s not what you want to hear. I get that. But it’s my decision.”
She looked up at him. “You’ve made that very clear.”
“Then why are you still hounding me about this?”
He noticed a sudden weariness in her eyes, and he realized how late it was. When he’d been in New York, she’d complained of headaches and had gone to bed early at times. He thought it was a ruse, something she did to put off all his questioning and keep him with her longer. But maybe it was something else.
“Sawyer, please. Listen to me. You know what I can offer you.”
“Money, power, prestige. I’m not interested in those things.”
“Those aren’t the only things.” She stood and leaned her hands on the chair. “I’m offering you my legacy.”
Her words stopped him. He hadn’t thought of it that way. And for the first time he understood exactly how much she wanted to give him. It just wasn’t anything he wanted.
“It’s not God’s will for me to live in New York. Or run your company.”
“God’s will?” Cora’s voice grew indignant. “What does God have to do with any of this? He didn’t create the company or make it what it is today. I did.”
Sawyer shook his head. “You might not have acknowledged it, but God was with you all that time.”
“I suppose He was with Kerry when she died too?” She stepped toward him, anger replacing the weariness in her eyes. “If He was, He would have saved her.”
“We don’t always understand God’s ways.”
“And I don’t understand you. All this God talk. What does that have to do with anything?”
“God has everything to do with it. He’s in control of my life, He guides my decisions.” Pity made him start to reach for her hand. But he stopped. Anger radiated from her. Suddenly their fight about money and companies wasn’t important anymore. “I know you miss her. I do too.”
Cora looked away.
“For a long time I didn’t understand why my parents died. Why I had to live in a foster home. Even when I first lived with the Bylers, I was confused. But over time, I saw how God worked in other people’s lives. In my life. He took me from the foster home to a loving family. Brought me to a community where I fit in, where I can make a permanent home. He brought Laura to me. Without Him, none of it would have happened.”
“Coincidence. Circumstances. There’s a rational explanation for everything.”
“Along with a spiritual one.”
They stared at each other. Sawyer could see this conversation wasn’t going to end here. She didn’t understand. He wasn’t sure she ever would.
A few minutes ago all he wanted was for her to leave him alone. Now he realized something else: she was lost, in so many ways. She might have enough money to buy a small country, but she didn’t have peace. Over the past few months he’d come to understand peace, how it only came from developing a closer relationship with the Lord. He wished the same for his grandmother.
How could he turn his back on her? If he did, he couldn’t live with himself.
He touched her shoulder. She seemed to flinch at the gesture, and he realized he’d never even hugged her before. “Why don’t you go upstairs and get some sleep? You look exhausted.”
“I’m fine.”
“Well, I’m exhausted. We can finish talking tomorrow. I promise. After work.”
She turned from him, her shoulders slumping. Normally she had perfect posture. “I suppose it’s impossible for you to take a day off.”
“How many days off have you had?”
Cora paused. “Touché.”
“Grandmother, listen to me. We’re not finished talking. Tomorrow when I get home from work—”
“I may not be here.”
“I hope you will.” A moment ago he’d wanted her to leave. Now he needed her to stay.
“Do you mean that?” She looked puzzled.
“Yes. I do. Good night, Cora.”
He went upstairs. Shut his door. Leaned against it. And even after seeing how transparent she was, how single-minded and selfish she was being, he still knew that what he needed to do now was pray for her.
Cora stood, watching her grandson ascend the staircase. She held on to the edge of the chair, trying to keep her balance and her wits. Weariness washed over her, a heaviness that was more than physical. Her grandson had changed, even in the short time since she first met him. There was something about him—confidence, surety, calmness—she wasn’t sure. Maybe it was all three. Of one thing she was certain: talking wouldn’t convince him to change his course, even if they continued their conversation for the next five years.
Time she didn’t have.
She dropped heavily into the chair. Even with all her money and prestige, she couldn’t compete with these simple people. With the God who ruled their lives. It was as if her grandson had been brainwashed. He would join the church, get married, and she’d never see him again, despite any promises he might make to the contrary.
That filled her with more sadness than the idea of someone else running her company.
She couldn’t let that happen. Yet how could she stop him?
Cora looked at her trembling hands. She had one weapon left in her arsenal. One she hadn’t wanted to use. The last thing she wanted from anyone was pity. But this one time, perhaps she could use it to her advantage.
CHAPTER 14
Johnny woke up before dawn the next morning. He quickly did his chores and went back to the house. He showered, shaved, and put on a shirt and homespun pants, the ones that were the least wrinkled in his closet. He went back to the bathroom and combed his hair. The brush slipped out of his hand. He snatched it off the floor and tried to collect himself.
He had spent last night rehearsing what he would say to Katherine today when he dropped off her bag. He didn’t know if she had to work, so he hoped to catch her at home. If he had to, he’d go to Mary Yoder’s and wait for her to finish her shift. He was determined not to be a coward anymore.
But determination didn’t settle his nerves—or eradicate the fear that she wouldn’t see him, much less talk to him. He couldn’t imagine sweet Katie sending him away. Yet he wouldn’t blame her if she did.
He got himself in presentable shape and was just about to leave when his cell phone rang. It was a small, cheap phone, the kind you could buy off a rack at a discount store. And even though he had permission as a business owner, he felt guilty using it.
All thought of guilt vanished when he saw the name on the ID: Wagner. He clicked on the phone. “Hello?”
“John! How are you this fine morning?”
“Good.” He looked at Katherine’s bag lying on the table. He started pacing the length of his kitchen. “Yourself?”
“Doing fine. Wanted to let you know, Lois and I made a decision about investing in your venture.” His boisterous voice paused.
“And?” Johnny gripped the phone. Held his breath. Prayed for the right answer.
“We’d like to talk about it with you further. We have some ideas we’d like to run past you before we make a large financial commitment.”
“Ideas?”
“Yes. Lois came up with some terrific ways to make your little farm a huge success. But I don’t believe in talking business over the phone. How about if we come out tonight? Have another one of those tasty meals you served last time?”
Johnny hesitated. No way he’d ask Katherine for her help again. Not until he’d smoothed things over with her. Even then, he wouldn’t treat her like his personal caterer. He was done taking advantage of her.
“Tonight is fine. But I’ll be h
onest, I’ll have to order out.”
“Your friend isn’t available to cook?”
Johnny thought Wagner seemed overly fixated on food, but who was he to judge? “No. She’s not,” he said firmly. “But takeout from Mary Yoder’s is just as good.”
Almost. It was a meal he could ill afford—it would take up most of what was left from his last paycheck. But what choice did he have?
“All right, that will be fine. About six o’clock?”
“Sure.”
“We’ll see you then—wait.” Wagner’s voice sounded far away. “What’s that, hon? You want to meet earlier?” A pause, then Wagner’s voice came through the phone receiver at full strength. “Lois said tonight isn’t any good. Bridge club. She can’t miss that.”
“Ah.” A muscle jerked in Johnny’s jaw.
“How about lunch? We can be there in an hour.”
Johnny looked at the clock on the wall. He’d have to put off seeing Katherine until tonight. But hopefully by then he’d have good news—an investor in his horse farm and a secure future to offer her. He relaxed and smiled. “I’ll see you in an hour.”
“Great. You’re gonna be excited about what we have planned, John.”
Johnny grinned wider. “I already am.”
Laura sat on the small back deck of her parents’ house in Ethridge, Tennessee. It was after eight, and a waning quarter moon bathed the scene in blue-white light. She’d arrived less than an hour ago, and she had barely set down her suitcase before her mother had put a cup of strong coffee in one hand and a donut stick in the other.
She sipped the coffee and breathed in the fragrance of blooming flowers. Azaleas, gardenias, even a whiff of night-blooming jasmine.
Everything here was the same as it had been when she left. Familiar. Comforting. Why had she waited so long to return?
But she knew the answer. Sawyer. She hadn’t wanted to leave him. Even though she was sure of his love, a small part of her feared that her relationship with him was too good to be true. She had trusted Mark King too. Had thought she loved him. And that had brought her nothing but pain.
She gripped the coffee cup. Sawyer wasn’t Mark, she reminded herself. And her love for him didn’t compare to the infatuation she’d felt for Mark. Sawyer would be there for her when she returned. She was sure of it.
“I can’t tell you how happy your daed and I are that you’re home.” Her mother bustled onto the deck and sat down next to her, also holding a cup of coffee and a plate of donut sticks. Her plump cheeks filled out further when she smiled. “We thought we might have to come after you.”
“I didn’t mean to worry you.” She smiled, feeling at peace. “I’m glad Sawyer convinced me to come home.”
“Sawyer. He’s the yung mann you wrote to me about?” Laura’s mother deposited the plate on the small table between them and cradled her cup in her hands.
Laura nodded. “He is.”
“From your letters he sounds like a special bu.”
“Very special.” She grew serious. “He’s nothing like Mark. I promise.”
“Lieb, I’m sure he isn’t. And you weren’t the only one taken in by him.” Her mother sighed.
“What?”
“I just wish you’d come home sooner. We missed you so much.” Her mother blinked back tears. “I can’t tell you how many times your daed and I thought about making the trip to Ohio. But after what happened with Mark, we didn’t want to force you back. We knew you needed time. And your letters did give us some comfort. At least we knew you were all right.”
Remorse filled her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause you both so much pain. Again.” Laura stared at her lap. “I made so many bad choices.”
“You’re being too hard on yourself. We never blamed you for what happened.”
“But it was all my fault.”
“Not just yours. We trusted Mark too, remember? He worked for us in the bakery. We thought he was who he said he was.” She touched Laura’s arm. “He had us all fooled.”
“He took your money because of me.”
“He stole our money for himself. Although I appreciate you repaying it, we never expected you to.” She looked at Laura. “How did you make so much money so fast? You mentioned an office job with a carpenter. I didn’t realize they paid so much in Middlefield.”
This was the moment Laura had dreaded. In her letters, her mother had never asked how she came up with the money. But it was only fair that she knew the truth. “Sawyer’s grandmother gave me a check.”
Her mother frowned. “She paid off your debt? To people she doesn’t even know?”
“It’s more complicated than that.” She faced her mother and swallowed. “She paid me to leave Sawyer. I took the money and used it to find Mark.” Shame filled her. “Then I gave the rest to you and Daed.”
“Laura.” Her mother shook her head.
“Mark would never have returned the money he stole.”
“We would have managed without it. God always provides. Often in ways we don’t expect.”
Like Sawyer. God had provided a man who healed her heart, even when she thought she’d never love again.
“I wish you hadn’t left us,” her mother continued. “I wish you’d stayed here and let it all be. Then maybe . . .” She looked away.
“I wouldn’t have the scars?”
Her mother nodded. With her fingertip she wiped underneath her eyes. “I wish you hadn’t gone through it alone.”
“I didn’t. I had the Lord. He was always with me. And I had Sawyer.” She angled her body toward her mother. “If I hadn’t gone to Middlefield, I wouldn’t have let geh of my resentment toward Mark. It would have grown inside of me until it would have taken me over completely. I realize that now. I would have never learned to trust God. To let Him deliver justice, not me. Mark’s in prison for what he’s done, but he’ll also have to face the Lord.”
“Very true.” Strain showed on her mother’s face. “But how can you love a man whose familye would pay to be rid of you?” Laura let out an involuntary gasp. “I don’t mean to hurt you, kinn,” her mother continued, “but you told me as much just now.”
Laura gripped her coffee cup. “That was Sawyer’s grossmudder. She doesn’t understand.”
“Maybe she understands more than you think. Don’t you think you’re rushing into things with Sawyer? Much as you rushed into a bad relationship with Mark?”
“I’m in love, Mamm. Truly in love.”
Even in the moonlight, Laura could see the hard look her mother gave her. “You thought you were in love with Mark.”
“This is different.” She set her cup down on the deck. The peace she felt a moment ago vanished. “I should have stayed in Middlefield.”
Her mother stood. “Nee. You did the right thing. You came back. And you need to stay here, and not just for a couple of weeks. Put some separation between you and Sawyer. Pray about what you’re doing—”
“How can you judge someone you haven’t met?”
“I’m not judging.”
“Sounds like it to me. And you sound just like his grossmudder, dismissing him before you get to know him.”
“Has he joined the church yet?”
She shook her head. “He plans to in a few weeks. He’s meeting with the bishop. And he’s lived with his adoptive familye since he was fourteen. They let him make his own decision to join the church. Like you let me.”
“And is he joining the church for the right reasons?”
Laura didn’t hesitate with her answer. “Absolutely.”
Her mother sat down. She didn’t say anything for a long time. Dread filled Laura. She had wanted her parents, especially her mother, to be happy for her. Instead, Mamm seemed anything but. “We plan to marry in November,” she said.
“So soon?”
“That’s nearly six months away.”
“When is he coming to Ethridge?”
“We’re getting married in Middlefield.”
A heavy sigh escaped her mother. “Why would you do that?”
She looked at her mother, her gaze intent. “Middlefield is home to me now. I love you and Daed, but I have to be where mei husband is. His business is in Middlefield. His familye.” She didn’t mention Cora.
“But what about your friends here? Your familye?” Her mother bit her lip. “Does this mean you’ll never come back home?”
“Of course I’ll visit as often as I can,” Laura said. “And I hope you will come and see us.”
Her mother looked away. “You’re determined, then.”
“Ya. I am.”
Suddenly her mother jumped up from her chair. “I can’t believe this, Laura. First you want me to accept that you’re marrying someone who’s not Amish—”
“He will be—”
“Who we don’t know, whose familye tried to get rid of you—”
“I already explained that.”
“It doesn’t make sense. And now you want to get married not only in another district but another state. All this after we haven’t seen you for months?” She crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re being selfish, Laura. Flat-out selfish.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “Mamm, please—”
But her mother spun around and went inside the house.
Laura flinched as the door slammed shut.
Johnny showed up at Mary Yoder’s right before noon. He’d called in his order half an hour earlier and had a taxi bring him so the food wouldn’t get cold on the way home. He went inside to the counter and gave the girl behind the register his name.
“Your order will be right up.” The Yankee girl smiled and gestured for him to move to the side. Another couple behind him was ready to cash out.
Before he stepped away, he asked, “Is Katherine Yoder working today?”
The girl paused. “I don’t think so. I haven’t seen her.”
“Okay, thanks.”
He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at a few of the items in the gift shop—Amish novels and cookbooks on the rack, Amish-themed gifts, candles, and baked goods. He knew this stuff appealed to tourists and that the tourist trade was important to lots of Amish families in the area. He wouldn’t begrudge them making an honest living. But he had no desire to cater to the Yankees in that way.
The Middlefield Family Collection Page 54