Summer's Glory: Seasons of Faith Book One (Arcadia Valley Romance 2)

by Mary Jane Hathaway

  He patted Silas’s hand. “Don’t worry. They haven’t made up their minds yet. There’s still hope.”

  Silas nodded, suddenly feeling ashamed that Ron was comforting him instead of the other way around. “You didn’t get much time together.”

  “That’s true. But we understand each other, and that gives me a lot of peace about the situation.”

  In the quiet, Silas could hear the faint beep of machinery and the hum of the vending machines down the hall. “Violet said you two didn’t always get along.”

  Ron smiled. “That’s putting it mildly. We butted heads every time we met. Something about the way she approaches a problem just rubbed me the wrong way. I always wanted to correct her, tell her it’s a lot easier to plow around the stump, you know?”

  He didn’t really, but Silas nodded again.

  “One day your mom told me that Elise was sweet on me. And that was it.” Ron snapped his fingers. “I was a goner.”

  “Sweet on you?” Silas was having trouble imagining how that would change everything so much.

  “Well, words whispered in your ear are heard a lot better than ones that are yelled.” He sat back as if it was clear.

  “So, as soon as you knew she liked you, all your arguments stopped?”

  “Oh, not at all. We’re opposites. We still disagree.” Ron snorted back a laugh. “It just changed the way I saw all the bickering we were doing. You see, when you love someone, things matter that don’t usually matter.”

  Silas frowned down at his shoes. He’d always thought that love erased all difficulties, that when you loved someone you overlooked all their faults. He hadn’t considered the idea of love making relationships more complicated. It made sense. Small slights from an acquaintance could be ignored, but would cut deep if they were given by someone you truly loved.

  “When people get sick, a lot of times friends and family will rush to say all the things that they never took the time to say.” Ron smoothed his beard. “But since Elise and I understand each other, I guess I feel like I need to tell you some things.”

  “Oh.” Silas wasn’t sure how to react.

  “That girl you’re dancing around? You need to just tell her straight. Tell her how you feel.”

  “It’s more complicated than you can imagine.”

  “I doubt that. I’ve heard some pretty bad stories. I bet you did something to her way back when you were stealing and generally being a nuisance, and now you’re trying to prove you’re different.”

  “It’s not like when I stole your ATV.” He wished it had been. It would be so much easier to apologize for something that was simply a matter of money.

  “Worse than when you hocked Elise’s jewelry?”

  Silas grimaced. “It’s closer. It’s just… I was mean to her, but in an everyday sort of way. She couldn’t escape me and I knew it. The more it upset her, the harder I tried.”

  Ron closed his eyes for a moment. “You bullied the girl,” he said softly.

  “Every day for years.” Silas felt his stomach roll with the familiar ache of regret.

  “You don’t think she’ll ever forgive you?”

  “I think… I think she has, actually. She takes that whole ‘forgive your enemies’ bit seriously.” It was still hard to believe that not even twenty four hours had passed since his apology and her acceptance. “But she can’t forget it.”

  “Of course not. Who could forget?”

  Silas felt his heart sink. Somehow he thought Ron would have some special words of wisdom, something he could take and create a miracle for between them.

  “But that doesn’t mean she can’t fall in love with the person you are now.” Ron fixed him with a look. “Don’t be so focused on what you did in your past that you force her to move on without you.”

  Hope flared inside him once more. Move on without you. She was moving on, it was clear. But was he going to stay behind, looking backwards at the kid he used to be? Or was he going to move forward and hope that Violet could see him as a person made new in Christ?

  ***

  Violet unlocked Fire and Brimstone and shooed Thor inside. She’d been hoping that Silas would be waiting for her in the parking lot, but it was empty except for her own little four-door.

  The restaurant was dark and silent. She wasn’t an early riser but this morning she was wide awake. She flicked the bank of lights and checked her watch. Maybe it was just worry over Elise, but her heart was beating faster than normal and she felt jittery. Her mother had returned from the hospital in the early hours of the morning and the news hadn’t been good.

  She thought of the moment when Silas had reached out for her and wondered if she was a terrible person for remembering it with happiness. Elise was seriously ill, and Violet was replaying how wonderful it had felt to be in Silas’s arms.

  Violet slumped onto a stool, not even bothering to try and focus on the book she’d brought to read while she waited. She was a mess. She’d been as steady as a rock for years, but for some reason she’d lost her bearings and was spinning around like a leaf in the wind. It really wasn’t a mystery. Silas Black had that sort of effect on her.

  A light tapping sounded at the door and she looked up to see him walking inside. She stood up, her heart in her throat. He was carrying a heavy leather tool belt, clearly ready for the installation of the counter bar. She could see his truck through the glass and noted a large trailer attached.

  “Hey,” she said.

  “Hey,” he answered, his eyes fixed on hers. Thor stood up behind Violet and Silas stopped a few feet away. “Hi, Thor.”

  The dog made a sound in his throat, as if he wanted to bark but knew he would get into trouble.

  “No bloody noses today, buddy.” Silas looked back at her. “And how’s your… eye?” His cheeks went pink.

  She laughed. “My eye and other parts are better. I never realized how hard our dining room chairs were before, I’ll say that.” She looked toward the door. “I thought you were bringing a helper. Unless they’re in the trailer?”

  He smiled. “Just the bar in the trailer. And my helpers should be here in about fifteen minutes. Jose Sandoz and Eric Cooper. Good guys. They work hard and are careful of the wood.” He paused. “I stopped off at the hospital first to see Ron.”

  “How’s he doing?” She shook her head. “That’s a dumb question.”

  “I know what you meant. And he’s doing okay, actually. He’s at peace with the situation. Maybe because she knows he loves her. I think that helps a lot.”

  Violet’s phone chirped and she checked the screen. “That was a reminder. I keep forgetting to print out the schedules for next week.” She glanced around the dark restaurant. “Maybe I’ll run do that while you wait for the guys.”

  “Sure.” He nodded. “I’ll hang out here. In the dark. Alone.”

  “Somehow I think you’ll be okay.”

  His gaze fell on the book she’d left on the counter. “Already finished the Lehane?”

  “No, this is just…” She waved one hand, as if that explained it all.

  “Just?”

  “Comfort reading. You know, those books you’ve read a hundred times and always turn to when you need a few minutes with an old friend.” She laughed a little, as if she expected him to make fun of her.

  He held out his hand and she placed the book in his palm. “Master and Commander? Great movie. Russel Crowe is amazing.”

  She snorted. “You’re hilarious. I’m pretending you never said that.”

  “But seriously,” he said, “it’s a great book. This is your comfort reading? I didn’t take you for a reader of nautical adventures.”

  “I love the whole series. The friendship between the doctor and the captain is my favorite part. Maybe because I’ve never had a friendship like that.” She tried to speak matter-of-factly but there was a note of sadness, even to her own ears.

  “Neither have I.” He turned the book over in his hands. “But some books come close to it.
”

  “Yes,” she said, feeling the truth of his words slide into her heart. “What are your comfort reads?”

  He handed the book back to her. “I’m embarrassed to say.”

  “Oh, come on. It’s not fair that you know one of mine and won’t tell me yours. How bad can it be?”

  “Someday I’ll tell you. I promise. Just not today. It’s― it’s a long story.”

  She rolled her eyes at him but was more amused than angry. “Fine. Someday better be tomorrow. I’m going to go make those copies.” Seconds later she was in the office and still smiling. Something had changed between them in the last few days. There was still awkwardness and a residual shyness that might never go away, but there was a new sense of trust. She didn’t examine every word he said for a double meaning. He didn’t seem to be afraid to talk to her like a friend.

  Pulling the warm sheets from the machine, Violet stacked them on the desk and glanced into the little mirror above the desk. Her dark hair was growing longer and she wondered whether it made her look older or younger. Sometimes her students would tease that she didn’t look much older than they did, and it was true. With her chin-length bob and small stature, she could pass for a middle schooler if someone didn’t look too closely. Violet frowned at her reflection. Men didn’t want to date someone who looked like a kid. Silas probably dated women who looked their age, with long legs and serious curves. He certainly wouldn’t want to date someone a foot and a half shorter than he was. They must look ridiculous standing next to each other.

  Letting out a grunt of irritation, Violet turned away from the mirror. She didn’t care who Silas dated. It was none of her business and didn’t affect her in the slightest. She repeated the words to herself as she left the office and headed down the long, dark hallway toward the restaurant.

  A sound caught her attention and she froze, remembering the last time she’d rushed around the corner. Thor was barking, deep and loud. Angry voices sounded from the main area.

  Violet crept forward, listening hard. Silas was speaking calmly, his words blurred together. Another man yelled an answer and Violet heard him clearly. “I said get on the ground.”

  Her eyes went wide in the darkness. She didn’t have to see to know his workers would never talk like that. Jesus, help us!

  Silas spoke again, his words still unintelligible. Violet reached for her cell phone. Stepping backwards, she dialed 911. Whispering urgently, she gave the address and tried her best to answer questions. She wasn’t even sure how many people there were. Sneaking forward again, she peeked around the corner.

  Silas was standing near the front door. A bright circle of light from the hostess station illuminated the scene. He had his hands up and was standing in front of Thor, as if trying to shield the dog. A man in a dark shirt and ski mask pointed a gun at them both.

  Violet stepped back into the hallway and told the operator it was just one man. “Please, please hurry,” she whispered. She couldn’t stand there and do nothing. Thor’s frantic barking echoed through the restaurant. Peeking out again she saw Silas trying to reason with the man.

  “I told you I’m alone. If you want me to get the cash, you have to let me go to the register.” Silas looked calm but Violet could hear the careful tone in his voice.

  “You think I’m stupid? The cash is kept in a safe in the office. Somebody knows the code and they’re around here somewhere. They had to let you in. So, get on the ground with your dog and nobody gets hurt. And get him to stop barking!” The man stepped forward angrily and Thor responded with a lunge, growling deep in his throat.

  Fear shot through Violet. Thor would never obey Silas. He might protect Silas, but he wasn’t going to lay on the floor with him. Lord, please keep them safe. Help me know what to do.

  “No, I’m telling you, she let me in and left. There’s nobody else here and the money is still in the register, not the office. It’s over there. And I have a lot of tools out in my trailer. Expensive tools. You can have those.” A note of panic caught Violet’s ear and she realized she was standing directly in the path of the robber. Silas was trying to lure him into another area, giving her a chance to leave the office.

  “Then whose car is that outside?” The robber shouted at Silas, sounding more unhinged every moment.

  “Who knows? It was here when I arrived,” Silas said.

  Her heart pounded as she weighed her options. She could hide somewhere in the office or even the bathroom next to it. Or she could head for the kitchen. The robber was hoping to find someone to open the safe, and that person would be her.

  Stepping around the corner, she snuck toward the kitchen. Silas’s gaze flicked toward her and then he got on his knees. “Fine, we can wait. You’re right. She’ll be back. She just stepped out for a second.”

  “You better call her.” The robber reconsidered his words and said, “Give me your phone. I don’t want you dialing 911.”

  Silas reluctantly handed over his phone. “She probably won’t answer. She doesn’t usually have it on her.”

  The robber stepped forward again and shouted, “I’m not stupid, so stop lying to me.”

  Thor barked and lunged, teeth bared. Silas looked from the dog to the robber, clearly trying to decide whether Thor could reach the man before he could squeeze off a shot. “Thor, it’s okay, buddy.” He didn’t reach out to touch the mastiff. Thor wouldn’t take well to either of them reaching for him at the moment.

  Violet felt panic clawing at her throat and she willed herself to remain calm. If Silas called her, the phone he denied she was carrying would ring, and it was in her pocket at that moment. She was feet from the kitchen door but she fumbled for the phone, trying to turn off the ringer.

  “Which one is she?” the robber asked.

  There was a short silence and Silas said, “Romy.”

  “We’re gonna do this on speaker so I’ll know whether you lied to me,” the man said.

  Violet reached the kitchen and slipped inside, easing the metal swinging doors shut as quietly as possible. If Romy answered and Silas asked her when she was coming to Fire and Brimstone, she’d be confused. The man would know Silas had lied. Horrific scenarios appeared in Violet’s imagination and she pushed them away. Violet could hear her own breaths in the quiet kitchen, sharp and fast. She looked around, praying for inspiration. There were plenty of knives but she wasn’t sure she had the strength or the guts to stab someone. She’d also have to get very close. Lord help me. I don’t know what to do.

  She scanned the kitchen, whispering desperate prayers. She reached for a large sauté pan but then saw something better. Peels were neatly stacked on the counter and the long wooden handles seemed to beckon to her. Could she possibly get close enough without being seen?

  Violet carefully lifted one from the stack and tiptoed back across the kitchen. Cracking the door, she listened hard. Romy’s voice sounded in the restaurant, confusion layering her words.

  “I don’t understand. Why do you want me to get out of bed and come down there again?”

  “Listen carefully―” Silas started to say.

  There was the unmistakable sound of a phone being crunched under a boot. “I told you not to try and trick me!”

  Violet felt sick at the fury in the robber’s voice. Silas had done his best to buy her enough time to get out of the office but there was nothing more he could do. Sirens sounded faintly in the distance.

  “Who called the police? Huh? It couldn’t have been you.” The robber was panicking now, backing toward the register. “She’s here, isn’t she? The girl who can get into the safe. They told me she’d be here.”

  Silas held his hands up, still on his knees. “She’s not. Really.”

  The sirens grew louder but as relieved as Violet was to hear them, it only made the man more angry. He stalked back toward Silas and Thor, prompting the dog to let loose a series of deafening barks. The robber looked out the window at the red and blue flashing lights moving at speed toward the restau
rant.

  “You’re a liar. I’m gonna go to jail anyway. Might as well get my revenge while I can.” He wasn’t shouting anymore. He was deadly calm.

  Violet crept out the door of the kitchen, the handle of the peel gripped in both hands. She had never been the athletic type. Playing tennis in P.E. class had been the extent of her exposure to swinging anything heavier than a jump rope. She’d always been happy with her non-athletic body, more graceful than strong, fit enough for gardening and teaching but not dead lifting weights. Now Violet had never wished harder for six more inches and another forty pounds.

  The robber stood over Silas, moving the gun between the dog and the prisoner. He was talking but Violet couldn’t focus on his words over the pounding of her heart. The sirens were piercing now and the patrol car swung into the parking lot. Thor was barking non-stop. Silas looked up at Violet and gave the faintest nod, as if to say, “You got this.” The robber lowered the gun at Silas and straightened his arm.

  Violet swung the peel as hard as she could, closing her eyes at the very last moment.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.”

  ― Walt Whitman

  The shock of the impact knocked Violet off balance and she stumbled to the left. Silas was on his feet in a flash, tackling the man around the waist and slamming him to the ground. Thor leaped forward and clamped his jaws around the man’s leg.

  The next moment police officers rushed into the building, guns drawn, and Violet backed out of the way. Violet knew better than to get in the way, but fear washed over her as she saw the officers approach Thor and Silas, unsure of who was the criminal and who was the victim. This was how innocent people got shot, she thought, and for the first time since the robber had entered the restaurant, Violet held her breath in pure terror.