His Promise

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  She also no longer had to have her mother’s approval in order to do what was right. And speaking of right . . . she really needed to tell her about Dorma before she woke up from her nap and came downstairs.

  Pulling out one of the kitchen barstools, Grace said, “Mother, we really do need to talk about something right now.”

  “You don’t intend to come home with me, do you?” Some of the happiness that had been in her voice faded as she looked around the kitchen. “If it’s not because of John Michael, is it because you’ve made yourself so comfortable in this place?”

  Grace heard something new in her mother’s voice. It didn’t sound completely like criticism, but it didn’t sound complimentary, either. “Not exactly. I do the best I can in the houses where I am working. You know that.”

  “Jah. But most houses aren’t like this.”

  Snooze padded toward them, his brown eyes studying Mamm in a curious way.

  Her mother smiled and knelt down. “Is this the hund you are watching?”

  “It is. This is Snooze.”

  “You are adorable, pup.” But when she leaned forward to grab him, Snooze jumped backward, like he thought she was going to hurt him.

  Mamm gasped.

  Snooze growled and then started frantically barking.

  Her mother eyed him with disdain. “Is this how he’s been acting this entire time?”

  “Snooze takes some getting used to. He doesn’t warm up to people easily.”

  “Your father ain’t going to like it if he’s barking at everyone in the house.”

  “I know that.”

  She got back to her feet. “Is that why you don’t want to come home, because of this tiny terror?”

  “I would have told you why ten minutes ago if you would have let me talk,” Grace chided. “Every time I’ve tried to explain things from my point of view, you’ve interrupted me.”

  Her mother folded her arms over her chest. “Talk, then.”

  “There was a fire. Actually, there have been lots of fires in the area. It’s been mighty scary. Most were of empty buildings and old barns, but Dorma Schultz’s home burned down.”

  “Who?”

  “Miss Dorma. She and her husband used to own all this land.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t place her.”

  “Come on, Mamm. Remember how she used to give all the kids candy at church?”

  “Well, I think I remember her now,” she said in a vague way. “She was kind. So her haus burnt down? Well, that is mighty sad.”

  Now they were finally getting somewhere! “Yes it was.”

  “But I’m still confused. What does her haus burning have to do with you?”

  “Grace?” Dorma called out. “Grace, where are you?”

  Her mother’s eyes widened. “Grace?”

  Instead of answering, Grace walked toward the hallway. “I’m in the kitchen. My mother came to visit, Dorma. Come and say hello.”

  As they heard Dorma’s soft footsteps approach, her mother walked to her side. “Grace, what is going on?” she whispered under her breath.

  “I invited Dorma Schultz to live with me, Mamm.”

  “You invited her here?” Her voice rose. “To live with you in another family’s home?”

  Put so boldly, she knew it did sound presumptuous. “Well, yes.”

  Her mother closed her eyes in exasperation. “Grace . . .”

  “Mamm, listen to me. Dorma has nothing. Not even any clothes. And it is Christmas. There was nowhere else she could stay.”

  “Grace, I’m sure there were other—” she began, just as Dorma peeked in. And like that, her demeanor changed. “Hello, Dorma. I’m Josephine King.”

  Dorma slowly approached, eyeing Grace’s mamm like she was an unusual specimen at the fair. “Do I know you?”

  “We’ve met before. I’m Grace’s mother.”

  A beautiful smile transformed Dorma’s usually lax features. She reached out and grasped Grace’s hand and linked her fingers with her own. “Grace is a wonderful-gut girl. She has been a gut friend to me.”

  Though she at first looked taken aback, her mother nodded. “I am glad to hear that. Our Grace has a good heart.”

  Grace bent her head. That praise meant everything. “Danke, Mamm.”

  Still holding Grace’s hand, Dorma squeezed it. “She is going to be such a good frau to John Michael. Ain’t so?”

  And just like that, all the warm feelings that had insulated her evaporated within seconds.

  “A gut wife, daughter?” her mother asked in a chilly voice. “It seems we have something more to talk about.”

  Dropping her hand, Dorma looked around the kitchen. “Is John Michael here or is he still sleeping?”

  “Sleeping? As in here?”

  “It’s not what you think, Mamm.”

  Her mother rubbed her temple. “Oh, Grace. I fear it is everything that I think.”

  Fearing that the discussion was going to get worse before it got better, Grace poured herself another cup of coffee. It was sure to be a very long conversation.

  Chapter 32

  John was back at the firehouse washing fire trucks. Washing vehicles when it was below freezing outside was an unsung and underappreciated job. Though they closed the bay doors, the cold still seeped through. It became a race to wash and dry the vehicles before ice formed.

  But now, as he stared at the engine, its red paint as shiny as if it had just rolled out of the factory doors, John Michael felt extremely satisfied. It was clean enough to eat off of, and they’d completed the job before another call came in or he got half frozen in the process.

  “Looks good, Miller,” Captain Butler said as he walked out of his office, Chief Nolan and Sheriff Brewer behind him.

  “Danke.” He grinned. “To be honest, I always dread this chore, but I’m so pleased about it when it’s done.”

  Chief Nolan chuckled. “I feel the same way about my paperwork.”

  John Michael smiled as he picked up one of the discarded cloths he’d been using to wipe down the sides of the truck, expecting the men to walk past him and into their vehicles.

  Instead, they paused.

  “Hey, John, come over here for a moment,” Captain Butler said.

  He tossed the used cloths on a table and looked at all three men expectantly.

  “Is your girlfriend still housing Dorma Schultz?” Sheriff Brewer asked.

  “Grace is living with her at the Lees’ house. But she ain’t my girlfriend. She’s a just a good friend.” Then, remembering the kiss they shared and how special it had been, he looked down at his boots. “I mean, yes, she is my girlfriend. Unofficially.” Well, now he sounded like an awkward teenager.

  His captain laughed. “We weren’t trying to pry into your relationship, John. We just want to know how Miss Dorma is doing. Do you know? Has Grace said?”

  “Well, I think she’s doing okay. I mean, as well as can be expected, this soon after the fire. And, well, you saw how she was yourself. She’s forgetful.”

  The sheriff stared at him intently. “Has she said anything more about the fire?”

  John Michael wanted to look at his captain to get an idea of what he’d told the other men, but he didn’t dare. He had a feeling that it was important that he speak for himself. “I don’t think so. Speaking of anything to do with the fire upsets her, and Grace has been trying to calm her down, you know?”

  “Has she mentioned her relatives to you? Given you any specific information about them?”

  “Nee.” He swallowed. “I know that there are rumors that some of her relatives swindled her money from her. I’ve also heard that her two nephews had been after her to give them more money. She was afraid of them.”

  The fire chief and Sheriff Brewer exchanged glances. “She had good reason to be afraid of them,” the sheriff said. “Yesterday we discovered some more information. Now we’re fairly certain that they are the ones behind all the fires and the burglaries. My deputy f
ound some of the items that were stolen in a pawnshop in Nashville. One of the workers mentioned Benjamin’s name.”

  Feeling like things were finally turning in the right direction, John Michael smiled. “That’s great news.”

  “It would be if they were in custody,” Brewer replied.

  “Are you looking for just the two of them, or for more people?” he asked before he realized he should probably keep his theory to himself. “I mean, that’s a lot of work, setting fire to things and then robbing other houses.”

  “That’s a good question. I think they have to have at least one more person helping them.”

  “What do you need me to do, Sheriff?”

  “You’re staying with Grace and Dorma now, aren’t you?”

  He felt his cheeks heat. “I am. So far, it’s going all right. I’m glad I’m there.”

  “We’re not your parents, son,” Chief Nolan said with a smile. “Don’t forget, I’m glad you are staying with Grace and Dorma.”

  “Sorry,” he said, feeling even more embarrassed. “I guess I do sound like a worried teenager.”

  “How about I stop by tomorrow morning when you get off?” said the sheriff.

  “It’s fine. Whatever you need.”

  “Great. Hopefully, we’ll have a quiet night.”

  “Yes, sir. Hopefully.”

  A few minutes later, when John was back upstairs in the dayroom grabbing a bowl of soup, he went ahead and called the Lees’ house. He wanted to check on Grace and Dorma and let Grace know the latest developments.

  Unfortunately, she didn’t pick up. He hoped she was out walking Snooze and that nothing was wrong.

  Then the bells started ringing again and he didn’t have time to do anything but race back downstairs, pull on his turnout gear, and climb into his jump seat.

  “Shame we’re about to dirty up this very clean truck, Miller,” Hank said good-naturedly.

  “It is a shame. A real shame, indeed.”

  Four hours later, pulling back into the garage, John Michael felt like he’d just been fighting a fire for forty hours instead of four. His arms and back were sore from handling the powerful hoses, his nose was running, his eyes burned, and the rest of him was covered with a thin layer of sweat.

  He knew the other men felt much the same way. The three of them had climbed back in the truck like old men. The captain even grunted when he sat down in the passenger seat.

  After the briefest of updates with Butler, John had leaned back in his seat. Hank drove the truck back, taking each curve with care, and smiling wearily at a little boy waving to him through his car window. John Michael kept to himself.

  So had the captain. It was no wonder. They were all exhausted. The fire had run hotter and had acted more deadly than any of them had first imagined. The captain had ended up calling another team when the exposures—the buildings around the abandoned farmhouse—looked to be in danger of burning.

  By the nature of the area, fighting the flames had been a dirty job. The frozen dirt had turned to mud from the heat of the flames—and that mud seemed to have remarkable suctioning abilities. There had been times when John Michael was sure that he was going to need a hand to pry a boot loose from the sludge.

  Of course, the mud and dirt was now coating the clean truck.

  Hopping down, John glared at the wheels. Those alone would likely take an hour to clean.

  “Do you ever feel like we just fought a fire in the middle of a bog?” Hank drawled.

  “I have.” John lifted one mud-splattered leg. “Like today, for instance.”

  After Hank hung up his gear, he grabbed the hose they used for the vehicles. “How about I rinse everything off for a round, then you can follow and scrub?”

  “You’re going to help?”

  “Yeah. There’s no way I could leave this to you on your own.”

  “I appreciate it,” John Michael said simply.

  “Don’t worry about it. We’re all a part of the same team, right?”

  He nodded, liking the reminder. They really were all on the same team—just as he was on the same team as Grace.

  Now he just had to be sure that she stayed safe and secure and happy. He didn’t ever want to let her go.

  Chapter 33

  “You don’t have to make me breakfast, Grace,” John Michael said. “I can go home or make my own.”

  Grace looked fondly at him, knowing that if she hadn’t realized she was falling in love with John Michael before that moment, she would feel like she was when he said things like that. “It’s no trouble. If I’m cooking for two, I might as well cook for three.”

  “All right, then. I’m afraid I don’t have it in me to protest any more than that.”

  “You had a rough shift, didn’t you?”

  “Jah.”

  “Would you like to talk about it?”

  He rubbed a hand along his smooth cheek. “There’s not that much to tell you, other than I cleaned the ladder truck from top to bottom twice.”

  “One day, will you take me over there and show me all the trucks and the equipment?”

  “You’d want to do that?”

  “Of course. It’s not only important to you, but I want to have a picture in my mind when you tell me about ladder trucks and such.” As she placed a plate of scrambled eggs and sausage in front of him, along with two biscuits and a dish of honey butter, she added, “If it’s not too much trouble, I want to feel for myself what that turnout gear feels like.”

  “When things settle down I’ll take you.”

  She smiled at him. “Eat up now.”

  “I want to wait for you.”

  “Dorma and I ate an hour ago.”

  “I guess it is late, heading toward nine. Practically the middle of the day for you, being an Amish girl.”

  She giggled. “It’s not quite that, but Dorma and me have been up for some time. She likes to go along with Snooze and me on our morning walk.”

  “That’s good for her.” He spooned a bite of eggs into his mouth. “This is good, Grace. You make a fine breakfast.”

  “Danke.” She turned from him and began slowly washing the dishes in the sink so he wouldn’t feel obligated to eat slowly or try to make conversation.

  But by the time he finished his plate, she had finished scrubbing all the pans.

  When she held out a hand, he ignored it and took his plate to the sink. “I’ll wash my dish.”

  “Suit yourself.” As he focused on the small task, she knew it was time to bring up her mother’s visit. But how did she broach the subject without adding a good bit of her frustration to the storytelling? The last thing she wanted to do was make things more uncomfortable than they were about to be.

  When the faucet turned off, he spoke. “Hey, Grace, we’re going to have visitors today.”

  “Oh, I know.” Maybe he’d already heard about her mother?

  “How did you hear?”

  “I was just going to ask the same of you.” She smiled. “Or are you not surprised that my parents came back early and they aren’t real pleased that you are living here?”

  He coughed. “Nee. I had no idea they were back.”

  “So you were talking about something else? What visitors were you speaking of?”

  “The sheriff and the fire chief are going to be stopping by within the hour.”

  “Again?”

  “They have some more questions to ask Dorma about her nephews.” He frowned. “I’m sorry, Grace. I know you feel like there’s nothing else to say. They’re really desperate to find these guys, though.”

  “I sure wish you would’ve told me they were coming the minute you got home.” She felt her cheeks heat. “I mean here.”

  “I know that, but I knew you would have fretted, and there wasn’t anything you could do.”

  “I suppose you’re right. Besides, I have some news for you, too.”

  “You mean about your parents?”

  “My mother came over yesterday and
she’s mighty unhappy with me.”

  “Because of you and I?”

  “Yes. And because I didn’t want to leave here and go home. And because of Dorma. And because you’re staying here.”

  He froze, then smiled slowly. “Hmm. I guess I could probably understand why she wouldn’t have wanted to know I was sleeping here. Did you tell her about the robberies and the fires?”

  “A little bit. But I didn’t want to alarm her.”

  “Sounds like she might be alarmed anyway.”

  “It wasn’t good. When she left, she made sure that I knew she wasn’t happy with me.”

  “Did she say anything about Beth?”

  “Only that Beth was going to be mad at me, too.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  Grace liked that he asked that question instead of telling her how she should handle her family. “Nothing,” she said after turning a couple of answers over in her mind. “I’m not going to abandon Dorma or Snooze or the Lees.”

  “Or me?”

  “Or you.” Though her face felt warm, she forced herself to be open and honest with him. “You make me feel safe, John. It may be selfish to admit it, but I don’t want to leave just because my parents want me to make Beth’s life easier.”

  “For the record, I think I would have done the same thing,” John said.

  “Really?”

  He nodded. “Mr. and Mrs. Lee are going to be home soon, so it seems kind of silly to relocate now. And Dorma seems like she’s doing so much better.”

  “She is. I feel certain she is.”

  “I know she’s going to have to move somewhere soon,” said John Michael, “but I think if you do that now, just when she has gotten settled, it might cause her harm.”

  “If I took Dorma to someone else’s house, I’d feel like I abandoned her,” Grace admitted.

  “I’ll support you with whatever you want to do, but be warned—you are going to have to live with the consequences.”

  “I’d rather live with consequences from something that I chose to do instead of something I was forced to do.”

  John Michael’s expression filled with respect. “I like the sound of that.”