The Promise of Palm Grove

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  During this time his brother Karl began working more hours at the motel and their mother continued her job, working as an aide at Effie’s school.

  And so Zack began doing even more yard work. He began taking care of the grocery shopping, too. Eventually, he started doing the laundry, too, since it wasn’t too hard to wash a load and then hang out the clothes on the line to dry.

  When the neighbors noticed that he was around quite a bit, they’d started asking him to do odd jobs for them. Jobs like staying in their homes for a week or two while they traveled up north to see family and friends. Because he wanted to make some money and contribute financially, he did that, too.

  But most of all, he helped with Effie. He was in charge of helping her with her physical therapy exercises every day. He made sure he was home to greet her school bus when their mother had to stay after school for meetings. He took her to lunch when she was on vacation, to the beach on Sunday afternoons, and basically tried to ensure that she didn’t sit by herself when she wasn’t at school.

  Thinking about all he did—none of which was all that important but still took up a lot of time—Zack realized that he was a fairly busy man. Yet none of what he did was only for himself.

  He’d never minded that. He loved his sister. He liked his family, he liked being needed, and he liked that none of it gave him reason to lose sleep at night.

  He’d never regretted his choices, that is, until he met Leona Weaver.

  There was something about her golden hair, brown eyes, pretty smile, and friendly nature that struck him as special and unique.

  Unfortunately, he had an idea that when she found out that he didn’t actually have an important job or lofty goals, the warmth in her eyes was going to fade real fast. He was fairly sure that no woman would find anything appealing about a man who spent his time cleaning, gardening, and caring for a little sister.

  Why wouldn’t a beautiful girl like Leona feel exactly the same?

  He couldn’t blame her. He didn’t want to blame her.

  It was just that, for the very first time, he wished he was a little bit more special. A little bit more perfect.

  A little bit more.

  Chapter 7

  Leona knew she had to tell them. She had to. Otherwise she was going to go bald, because every time Mattie and Sara started talking about the upcoming wedding, she had the terrible urge to start pulling her hair out.

  She just about had a heart attack when Mattie told her that she’d started counting down the days until they’d be sisters, and they now had less than sixty days to go.

  After supper, as the three of them leaned on the fence at Pinecraft Park, watching the men and women play shuffleboard and the boys play basketball on the green cement court, Leona mentally practiced various ways to tell her girlfriends that she was having second thoughts about marrying Edmund.

  And though she’d considered several scenarios, running the gamut between being bold and honest to evasive and shy, Leona knew neither Sara nor Mattie were going to take the news well. It was more likely that they’d take the news badly. Really badly.

  So, instead of being open and honest, she held her thoughts to herself for a little bit longer. Worried her bottom lip. And tried not to think about how shocked and disappointed those girls were going to be. How upset and irritated and dismayed everyone in her whole family was going to be with her.

  To make matters worse, she wasn’t going to blame them one bit. She’d made many mistakes. She’d accepted Edmund’s suit when she wasn’t completely sure he was the right man for her. She’d kept her worries and doubts to herself because she hadn’t wanted to risk upsetting her mother, who had so enjoyed planning her wedding. Then, when she started being sure she didn’t want to have a lifetime of being expected to follow her husband’s wishes without discussion, she knew something had to change.

  Time and again, she tried to discuss her worries with Edmund. But true to form, he ignored her wishes.

  Now all of this timid behavior was going to cause a lot of heartache.

  “Leona, oh my gosh. There’s that guy again,” Sara said with a careful head tilt toward her right.

  “Who?”

  “Zack.”

  “Zack?” With all her might, she attempted to look only mildly interested. But inside, her heart was pounding.

  “Jah,” Sara continued. “You know, he’s that man who was chasing after the cat. And then we saw him at Yoder’s yesterday with his sister Effie, and he offered to take us to the beach.”

  Leona turned and looked in the direction Sara was pointing. Then she forced herself to contain the smile that was threatening to form when she located Zack. He was standing with his sister and a couple of men and women his age. His arms were crossed over his chest; his hat was tilted slightly forward in an effort to shield his eyes from the setting sun.

  “Pinecraft is so small, I guess we’re bound to be seeing some of the same people over and over. Ain’t so?”

  Mattie leaned closer, peering across the crowded park that was made up of shuffleboard and basketball courts, grassy areas and a covered pavilion. “Do you see any of his friends? All I see is his sister.”

  While Sara gave Mattie an exasperated look, Leona couldn’t keep from glancing at Zack. And his sister, too, of course.

  When Effie caught her eye, she gave a little wave.

  Leona waved back. “That Effie is so cute. And sweet, too, didn’t you think?”

  Mattie waved at Effie, too. “You said it. I was never that sweet when I was her age.” With a wink, she added, “And I know you weren’t, either, Sara.”

  “Oh, stop,” Sara ordered, though her lips were curving upward. “But you’re right. I wasn’t. But you were, Le.”

  “I wasn’t,” Leona protested. For some strange reason, she did not want to have been the sole goody-two-shoes at twelve.

  “Oh, yes, you were,” Mattie retorted. “You were perpetually happy. Perpetually thoughtful and considerate, too.” Scowling, she added, “It was so fun to be friends with you back then.”

  Leona did not appreciate her sarcasm. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means, we always got compared to you, Leona,” Sara said. “And, according to my mother—”

  “And mine,” Mattie added.

  “We always came up short,” Sara finished.

  Leona winced. She had been a bit of that type of girl. Actually, she’d kind of prided herself on her good attitude and the ability to always get along with others. Looking back on it, she realized she’d probably been a bit too full of herself and more than a bit insufferable. “Sorry.”

  Sara waved off the apology. “Oh, stop. You can’t help who God made you to be.”

  “I think your sweet, sunny disposition is what Edmund has always liked about you,” Mattie said. “We’re all secretly hoping you’ll rub off on him.” Pulling her lip in between her teeth, she murmured, “Maybe one day you will.”

  She wasn’t so sure about that. “Well, um, I don’t know.”

  “Don’t worry, we all think that once you are married, Edmund will be far more easygoing,” Mattie said. “Mamm and Daed and I were just talking about that the other day.”

  Ugh. Every conversation came back to her upcoming marriage. And Edmund!

  Needing to put some space between what her girlfriends were saying and what was churning inside her, she pushed back from the metal fence. “I’m going to go say hello to Zack and Effie.”

  “Do you think that’s wise?” Sara asked.

  No, she did not think it was. But Sara surely didn’t need to know that. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

  Sara leaned in closer. “Because I think he likes you.”

  “Really?” With effort, she attempted to look only mildly interested.

  Sara gave her the type of look that came from knowing each other for most of their lives. It pretty much told Leona to stop acting so clueless. Then she nodded slowly. “I really do think he likes you. At Yoder’s,
he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of you. Your back was to him, but I faced him. Every two or three minutes he would look our way and stare at you.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with making a new friend or two while we’re in Florida.”

  “I don’t disagree, but I think we should concentrate on making girlfriends, not boyfriends.”

  “We’re not fifteen, Sara. We can be friends with men.”

  “That may be true, but I don’t think that is what Zack is thinking about. Plus, he doesn’t know you’re engaged.”

  “I know.” She bit her bottom lip. Did she sound as muddled as she felt?

  Mattie folded her arms over her chest and lifted her chin. “I’m just gonna say it, Leona. You were looking intrigued by him when we first met him at that church. You were not acting like an engaged woman. You also didn’t immediately refuse his invitation to the beach.”

  Leona flinched, not because Mattie’s words were cruel but because she feared Mattie was exactly right. She had been delighted to speak with Zack again at Yoder’s, and she hadn’t bothered to hide her pleasure even a little bit.

  However, no matter how much she wanted to retreat and ignore all things Zack, there was something about him that had caught her interest and her imagination and she knew it had little to do with his blue eyes and everything to do with the qualities that made him Zack. She’d noticed it when she’d heard him laughing in that tree.

  It had deepened when he’d pulled that silly cat from her arms and teased her about being the only person able to capture a cat.

  And then there was the way she’d noticed him with his little sister. He’d been gentle with her but not condescending. It made her wonder how he would act toward other important people in his life.

  It made her wonder how he’d act with her, if she were important to him.

  “I hear what you’re saying, but I think it would be rude not to say hello. Do you two want to join me or stay here?”

  Sara looked incredulous. “You’re still going to go over there?”

  “Jah.” She didn’t bother with excuses or explanations. She had none that would make any sense and she realized that. All she did know was that she felt like something was propelling her forward. Something greater than her common sense.

  She also felt a little nervous, almost like she knew she would regret it for the rest of her life if she didn’t make that short walk to see him. It made no sense, but at the moment, it didn’t need to make sense. All she knew was that she wasn’t going to ignore the feeling.

  “Again, would you like to join me?”

  “I’m going to stay right here,” Mattie said.

  Treating Leona to yet another scorching, extremely meaningful look, Sara nodded. “Me too.”

  Right then and there, Leona knew they were going to start talking about her. She didn’t appreciate it, but at the moment she was willing to be the subject of their irritation in order to visit with Zack again. She truly felt as if there was a reason they kept running into each other and she intended to figure out what that reason was.

  “You two are being silly, but if that’s how you want to be, I won’t try and change your mind.” And with that—which was a pretty good parting shot, if she did say so herself—she walked over to Zack and Effie.

  They both were facing her as she got closer. Effie was smiling broadly. Zack was looking pretty pleased, too, though only a warmth in his eyes conveyed his feelings.

  When she got within speaking distance, he stepped forward. “I was just about to walk over to say hello.”

  “I’m glad I saved you the trip, then. It’s so nice to see you again.” She took special care to smile at Effie, just to make sure that the little girl understood that Leona was including her in the greeting. Tonight, Effie was holding some kind of crutches. When she saw Leona’s eyes dart to them, her expression stilled.

  Zack smiled. “Are things okay? It looked like you and your girlfriends were having a pretty intense conversation.”

  “I wouldn’t call it intense. We just were talking.”

  Effie raised her brows. “They’re looking at us now and they look kind of mad.”

  Leona refrained from turning and glaring at Mattie and Sara, but only barely. Honestly, couldn’t they try to be a little more easygoing?

  “Are they mad at you?” Effie asked.

  “Ef, that ain’t none of our business,” Zack chided. “Sorry, Leona.”

  When Effie’s cheeks started coloring, Leona made sure that she shrugged off her worries as much as she could. “Don’t worry about us. Three girls, together twenty-four-seven. You know how that goes.”

  Zack’s lips twitched. “Actually, I don’t.”

  She laughed, liking his sense of humor. “I guess you wouldn’t. Suffice it to say that every once in a while we don’t agree on something. It’s no big deal, though. It will pass.” Eager to stop thinking about how it was very likely that Sara and Mattie’s irritation with her wasn’t going to pass any time soon, she brightened her smile. “So, how are you two?”

  “I’m only okay,” Effie said.

  “Just okay?”

  Looking at her brother, Effie frowned. “Zack made me do all my exercises tonight. And that is why I’m in my braces tonight and have to use my crutches.”

  He pressed his hand on her shoulder as he explained. “Effie works with a physical therapist, so every day she has to do exercises to help her limbs grow stronger.”

  “That’s great. I mean, you were walking at Yoder’s when we saw each other yesterday. So that means your therapy must be working, right?”

  Effie nodded. “I’m getting better but the exercises still make me sore and tired.”

  “And grumpy,” Zack added.

  “I wouldn’t be so grumpy if you weren’t being so pushy, Zachary.”

  Leona chuckled. “Effie, I think you’re really blessed to have a bruder who will give you his time to help you do exercises. I don’t have a brother, but I’m imagining most wouldn’t be so nice or so patient.”

  “Zack’s always helped me. He helps me do everything.”

  “That’s admirable, to be sure.” Leona liked how Effie jumped to her brother’s defense. Looking his way, Leona smiled, and was surprised to notice that he was blushing.

  “It’s nothing. I just help out when I can.”

  “Zack does everything for everyone. He even does laundry sometimes.”

  “Wow.” This time she was the one who was trying her best to keep her expression even and not judgmental. But the truth was that she was a little taken aback. She’d never heard of a man doing a household’s laundry.

  If anything, he looked even more uncomfortable. “Effie, there’s Amy. She’s been waving at you for a good five minutes. You should go over and say hi.”

  After gazing at her brother and Leona, her eyes lit up. “All right. See ya, Leona.” She started walking toward a girl about her age who was standing with her parents.

  “’Bye, Effie.”

  “Sorry about that,” Zack said. “I’m pretty sure the last thing you wanted to hear tonight was my life story.”

  “I like learning more about you.” Plus, as far as she was concerned, he was going to have to share a whole lot more information for her to have any real idea about his life story.

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. Especially since what I’m learning is that you are a really nice guy. I meant what I said, Zack. I really do think Effie is blessed to have a bruder like you.”

  He still wasn’t meeting her eyes. “Both my parents work, and my brother and sister are busy with their own lives. Someone needed to be around for Effie.”

  “That’s really kind of you. I mean, I bet a lot of people, men or women, wouldn’t want to make that sacrifice.”

  “It’s not a sacrifice,” he protested, his eyes flashing, almost like she’d just offended him. “I enjoy being with Effie. She’s a great kid. I’m glad I can help her out.”

  “I’m glad you ca
n, too.”

  His smile warmed. “Leona, have you given any more thought to going to Siesta Key tomorrow?”

  She definitely had. She really did want to go with him. She wanted to get to know him better. But she was also worried that she was about to make a terrible decision and ruin everything she had with Edmund . . . and maybe even life-long friendships with Sara and Mattie. “I don’t know if my girlfriends want to go.”

  “Even if they don’t, will you still come?” he interrupted, almost like he was ready to put any excuse to rest. “We wouldn’t even have to stay all day. We could leave around nine and be back by two. I, uh, need to be back in time to get Effie off the bus, anyway.”

  She liked the way he said that. Not like he resented it, more like he wasn’t sure how she would react but he still wanted to be honest.

  And because of that, she listened to what her heart was saying. Maybe it was her heart, maybe it was her guardian angel . . . maybe it was the Lord himself, but somehow everything inside of her was clamoring for her to accept his invitation.

  To spend just a little more time with him.

  Even if it meant that she was going to have to face the consequences and risk making Sara and Mattie even madder at her.

  Even if it meant risking her relationship with Edmund.

  “I’d love to go.”

  “Gut. I mean great. That’s just great. We can all meet here at nine in the morning.”

  “No matter what, I’ll be here.”

  “Me too.” He smiled at her then, and it was warm and sincere and tempting.

  And it scared her and excited her and made her happy.

  And, she was starting to realize, she hadn’t been really, really happy in a very long time. Not since she’d realized that a lifetime by Edmund’s side would likely drain all the happiness out of her.

  After discussing what she should bring to wear and how much money she might need to have with her, they parted ways. Then, reluctantly, she joined her girlfriends who were looking at her with twin mutinous expressions.