by Nancy Mehl
Sam stood next to me. “Let’s talk about this,” he said to the enraged man. “You’re being irrational. We’re your friends. You’re important to us. And Sarah is an adult. She has the right to make her own choices.”
Gabe let go of Sarah and advanced toward us. For a moment I was afraid he intended to hit Sam, but Sam held his ground and refused to be intimidated. I prayed there wouldn’t be a fight. Gabe’s anger showed no sign of the passivity his faith embraced. Would physical violence be next? He stopped about two feet away from us, his face twisted with contempt.
“I don’t need your advice on anything. My daughter and I are not your business. Not anymore. And we were never friends. Friends don’t bring pollution into your life.” He focused his attention on me. “If you’d been my friend, you would have told me about John Keystone. You wouldn’t have allowed that…that disgusting heathen to put his hands on my daughter!”
His last few words were screamed at us. Sam took my arm and began to pull me out of the room. At first my concern for Sarah made me fight him, but I could see that Gabe was coming unglued. Sobbing, Sarah waved at us to go. I decided to leave for her benefit, but not before I made sure of one last thing.
I pointed my finger at Gabe. “I want you to know that I will be checking up on Sarah whether you like it or not. If you lay one hand on her, so help me…”
With that, Sam pulled me from the room. We got our coats and made our way out the front door. I couldn’t help but notice the Honeysuckle Grace candle still sitting on the counter. Emotion hit me like a punch in the gut as we stepped outside and closed the door behind us. The snow that covered Harmony sparkled like millions of little diamonds. But the hurt in my heart dulled the beauty before me. I’d lost my friend. No, I’d just lost two friends.
“We’ve got to warn John,” I said to Sam. “He needs to know what’s coming.”
He shook his head in disgust. “Great. All we need is for him to go tearing in there to save Sarah.” He put his arm around me. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I’m just worried about Sarah. And Gabe, too.”
He sighed. “You want to tell me what happened? I mean, I realize your suspicions about John and Sarah turned out to be correct. But what set Gabe off?”
“Sarah told me she loves John. She’d never told anyone before. Wanted someone to confide in. Wonderful result, huh? The first time she shares her heart, Gabe goes crazy and bans her from ever talking to anyone again.”
“He didn’t actually tell her she couldn’t talk to anyone.”
I stamped my foot in frustration. “I know that. I’m just trying to make a point.”
He hugged me. “I know. Sorry. Let’s see if John is in his store.”
We hurried as quickly as we could through the snow to John’s, but the windows were dark, the door locked. “He must have made it home,” Sam said. “Good thing. It would be best if he stayed out of town until Gabe calms down.”
“Calms down? I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon. Let’s check Mary’s. If he’s not there, we need to call him.”
“I agree. How about a hot cup of coffee? I’ll use Mary’s phone.”
We walked across the snow-covered street to the restaurant. Sure enough, it was open. I wondered if Mary had spent the night in town, too. When we stepped inside, it was obvious several Harmony residents hadn’t made it home. Many of them were wearing the same clothes they’d had on the night before. The Crandalls sat together at a table against the back wall. Cora waved and smiled as I approached their table.
“Have you all been here the whole night?” I asked.
Amos nodded. “Our place is too far away, and our car is too old to make it through that much snow. So Mary put us up. Some of us slept in booths, and the rest of us slept on the floor. Ruth and Carol gave us blankets to keep us warm.”
Cora laughed. “Ruth’s beautiful quilts were certainly more comfortable than Paul and Carol’s horse blankets. But we were all warm and overly fed.”
As if on cue, Mary came out of the back room with plates of food in her hands. She dropped them off at a nearby table, laughing and joking with the people who sat there. She turned and spotted us. “Hey, you guys back already? This is getting to be a habit.”
“Just couldn’t stay away, Mary,” I said. “I see you have some captive customers.”
“Tried to get them to leave, but they kept whining about the snow and the bad roads.” She grinned. “Bunch of big babies.”
Her comment brought laughter from the assembled “babies.”
“You two hungry?”
“Thanks,” Sam said, “but we already ate. Maybe we could give you a hand.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I’ve got lots of help taking orders and getting food to the tables.” As if on cue, Ruth came out of the kitchen carrying some trays, along with Pastor Jensen and his wife, Wynonna.
“I see what you mean. But if there’s anything else I can do…”
“Not unless you can cook.”
“Unfortunately, it’s not one of my strong points. But if Hector can tell me what he needs, I’m more than willing to try.”
Mary picked up some dirty plates from one of the tables and cocked her head toward the kitchen. “Follow me. If you can flip pancakes and make toast, it would be a big help.”
“I’m going to round up some of the men and see what we can do about getting Main Street cleared,” Sam said.
“And maybe you could make that call?”
Sam understood I was talking about John and nodded.
“I’ll take care of it.” His grim expression made it clear he didn’t look forward to telling John about the dramatic scene we’d witnessed between Gabe and Sarah.
Mary looked at us oddly but thankfully didn’t ask any questions.
“And while you big men are working to clear the streets, be careful not to run over my car, okay?”
Sam hugged me. “I’ll try, but it’s so small we might not be able to see it.”
He tried to give me a quick kiss, but I pushed away from him. “Sorry, bub. No more of that until I know my Slug Bug is safe.”
“I’ll do my best, but when a guy can’t get a kiss, it throws everything off. Not sure what will happen now.”
I gave him a quick shove. “Get out of here. I’ve got to flip pancakes. That’s real work.”
Sam grinned at me and waved good-bye. I waved back and followed Mary to the kitchen. I’d never been in the back room and was surprised to see how big it was. A large grill took up most of one wall. Hector was busy pushing a large pile of bacon around with a spatula. Several eggs crackled on the hot grill. He greeted me quickly, but it was obvious his concentration was on the work at hand. On the other side of the kitchen, rows of shelves held all kinds of pots and pans. Nearby, a huge refrigerator hummed away, and a large dishwasher whirred softly as it cleaned the dirty dishes. I noticed a door near the refrigerator and asked Mary where it led.
She put her tray on the counter. “Follow me,” she said. She swung the door open to reveal a walk-in freezer full of different kinds of frozen foods. “A lot of what we keep in here is meat. Some folks like to buy a side of beef because it’s cheaper, but they don’t have anyplace to put it. I let them store it in my freezer as long as I have the room.” She pointed to some large chest freezers in the back.
“Wow. I had no idea so much went on back here. You could feed a small army from this place.”
She closed the door. “Harmony isn’t a big town, and there’s not a lot to do. Eating out is special to folks. You’d be surprised how many people come through here in a week.”
“I guess I would.”
She handed me an apron slung over a nearby chair. “I need you to put this on. And you either need to put your hair in a net or pin it back.”
“I’ve got a scrunchie in my purse. What if I put my hair in a ponytail?”
“That’ll work. And you’ll have to wash your hands thoroughly.” She pointed
to a dispenser on the wall. “Hot water. Use lots of soap, and dry thoroughly. Then put on gloves.” She pointed to a box of plastic gloves. “You’ve got to put on fresh gloves if you touch anything new or if the gloves get dirty. And rewash your hands every time.”
“Boy, lots of things to remember.”
“It’s not that bad. We just work hard to keep everyone healthy.”
Hector pushed some plates onto a counter next to the grill. “Order up,” he said.
“You get ready, and then Hector will tell you everything you need to know. And thanks, Gracie. I appreciate your help.”
She grabbed the new plates and left the kitchen. I found my scrunchie, pulled my hair back, thoroughly washed my hands, and put on my gloves. I spent the next two hours following Hector’s orders. I flipped pancakes, made toast, held out the plates for him to fill with hot, steaming food, and listened to Hector’s stories about growing up in Mexico. The minutes flew by, and I had a wonderful time. I could hardly believe it when Mary told me Sam was looking for me.
“We’re all caught up, Gracie. Thanks,” she said, smiling. “How’d she do, Hector?”
He laughed and pointed his spatula at Mary. “You should hire this little gal full-time. She did a great job, and she didn’t get bored by my stories. Ella es muy buena trabajadora.”
“He says you’re a very good worker. Seems you’ve made another fan,” Mary said as she held out her hand for my apron. “I guess we’ll just have to add Hector to your list of conquests.”
There was a tone in her voice that took me by surprise. I looked carefully at her but couldn’t detect anything unfriendly in her face. I decided she must be joking and shrugged it off.
I thanked Hector and left the kitchen. The main room had emptied to only a few people. Sam stood near the kitchen door.
“Where’d everyone go?” I asked him.
“We were able to clear enough of Main Street so folks had a chance to get home. ‘Course the side streets are still bad, but almost everyone decided to chance it. A few of the guys followed behind some of the cars just to make sure everyone made it home safely.”
I looked out the window to see the street definitely looking better. The cleared area was just a little bigger than one lane. “What if two great big vehicles meet each other going opposite directions?”
“Then someone better turn around. Leave it to you to find the fly in the ointment.”
“How in the world did you guys accomplish all this?”
He shrugged. “Besides a few of us who have our own snowplows, Joe has a couple of small plows, and Paul keeps one in the storage shed behind his store. It’s not in great shape, but it does the job. Boy, it’s a lot of work, though.” He rubbed the side of his face. “I’m really tired. Do you think we could sit here a bit and grab a sandwich before we head home?”
I had to admit that all that cooking had made me a bit weary as well. And all that food had stirred up my appetite even though we’d had a fairly substantial breakfast. We sat down at a nearby table. I glanced around to see if we were in earshot of anyone else. “What did John say when you called him?”
Sam shook his head. “I couldn’t reach him. The phone just rang and rang. Either he’s not home or the storm has caused some trouble on the lines.”
“Oh, Sam. What if he comes to town not knowing what’s happened?”
“There’s nothing I can do about it, Grace. We’ll try him again from my house. Maybe we’ll get through.”
Just then Mary came out of the kitchen. “I thought you two were leaving.”
Sam explained his need for food, and before long we were eating. Sam had a hot roast beef sandwich, but I had a stack of pancakes. Watching those light, puffy rounds of dough brown and sizzle on the grill had given me a real desire for a stack of my own. I wasn’t disappointed.
“This is your second breakfast,” Sam noted. “What’s for dinner? Cereal?”
I waved my fork at him. “Maybe. What business is it of yours, bub?”
“Absolutely none,” he replied with his mouth full of roast beef. “Your dietary dilemma is your own.”
“Oh, thanks.”
Mary walked over to the table with a frown on her face. “Have you heard the weather report?” she asked.
We both shook our heads. She aimed the remote control in her hand toward the small TV mounted on the wall near the counter. A man from the Weather Channel had a big map behind him with a large white and pink mass displayed in the middle of the country. And Kansas was in its path. A few minutes into the broadcast, the weariness in Sam’s face turned to concern and he stopped eating. When the forecast was over, Mary lowered the volume.
“Looks like we’re in for another round,” she said.
“Worse than this one,” Sam said. “I’m afraid the work we did on the streets will only last a few more hours before it’s completely covered up.”
“What do we do?” I asked.
“You all get out of here as soon as possible,” Mary said. “I don’t mind being an impromptu boardinghouse for one night, but I’m not looking to do it again.”
“We need to get the word out,” I told them. “What about all the people without TVs? How will they know what’s coming?”
Mary smiled. “That’s nice of you to think of them, but this isn’t our first big storm. The Mennonite people take care of each other. A warning will be passed around faster than you can imagine.”
I wanted to feel reassured by her words, but I didn’t. “Sam, at least call Abel. Okay?”
“Sure. Can I use the phone again, Mary?” he asked.
“You can use the phone whenever you want. You don’t have to ask.” She took off toward the kitchen.
Sam went to make the call while I thought about being snowed in at home. With the electricity being so unreliable, was it a good idea? I didn’t need to worry. When Sam came back, he told me he’d reached Abel, and sure enough, as Mary had said, the news was already being spread throughout the Mennonite community that a big snow was coming. He assured Sam that everyone would be fine.
“Now that we’ve taken care of that,” Sam said, pulling on his coat, “let’s get out of here. I’ll take you to your house to get Snickle and some clothes, but you’re coming home with me. I don’t want to worry about you alone in that old house, not sure if you have electricity. There’s some wood for the fire, but not enough to last out a long period if it comes to that.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks. I was hoping you’d offer.”
“I’ve already called Sweetie to tell her you’re coming. She’s thrilled.” He shook his head. “She comes off like a tough old bird, but she’s more tender than most people think. And she loves you, Grace. Very much.”
“I know she does, and I love her, too.”
He held out my coat. I quickly took a couple more bites of my pancakes then stuck my arms in my coat sleeves and grabbed my purse. Before we left, Sam checked with the few remaining customers, making sure they had a way home or a place to go. When he was satisfied everyone was okay, we left the restaurant.
Sure enough, my Volkswagen was uncovered from its snowy tomb. “Can I drive it home?” I asked. “I really don’t want to leave it here.”
“Okay. I’ll follow behind you.”
As I walked toward my car, I noticed Gabe’s buggy was gone. “So Gabe and Sarah got out okay,” I said. “Did you see them go?”
“Yeah, I sure did. Gabe didn’t acknowledge me, and Sarah looked absolutely miserable.”
“Can we drive past John’s on the way home and tell him what’s going on?”
Sam shook his head. “That storm could hit anytime. We just can’t. Not now. As soon as it’s possible, I’ll try to get over to his place.”
I didn’t like not being able to talk to John about Gabe and Sarah, but it didn’t seem like there was much choice. I tried to open my car door but couldn’t get the key to turn. Sam fetched some deicer out of his truck and sprayed it into the lock. A few se
conds later, I was able to open my door, and soon we were on our way.
Even though Sam and the men had made the main road better, it certainly wasn’t ideal. I slipped and slid so much, it felt as if my little car had skate blades instead of tires. I got stuck twice. One time I was able to get myself out; the second time Sam had to help me.
Finally we made it to my house. It didn’t take long to pack a few things, but it took a little longer to catch Snickle and put him back in his carrier. Sam and I chased him around the house for at least fifteen minutes before Sam finally trapped him in the bathroom. As he carried Snickle out, the very offended feline hissed to let us know he wasn’t happy to be imprisoned again.
“I hope he doesn’t drive Sweetie up the wall,” I told Sam as he deposited my cat in his carrier. “Being trapped for a day or two with your aunt when she’s unhappy isn’t a pleasant prospect.”
Sam chuckled as he snapped the carrier door shut. “Around my house, that’s pretty much life as usual.” He handed the carrier to me while Snickle yowled with unhappiness. “Although I must admit, she’s trying to change. Now when she begins to lose her temper or say something nasty about someone, she’ll usually catch herself and stop.” He grunted. “Makes for some rather quiet moments while she searches for something positive to say. Sometimes she just gives up, goes out on the back porch for a while, and stomps around. ‘Course even though the porch is enclosed, it still gets pretty cold out there, so she doesn’t stay long.”
“Hey, she’s trying. That’s the most important thing. I respect that.”
“You know what? I do, too. I’m proud of her.”
“Have you told her?”
He snorted. “No, because then she gets upset and tells me I’m imagining things.”
I laughed.
Sam checked around the house to make sure everything that should be off was off and everything that should be on was on, and we left. I felt bad leaving my home once again, but the idea of being snowed in alone, without heat, made me feel even worse.
I watched my house grow smaller in the rearview window as I drove away. Even though I was excited to be staying once again in Sam’s big, beautiful house, I’d grown to love my simpler home with its history and old-fashioned character. I forced myself to focus on the next few days. Maybe the storm wouldn’t be as bad as predicted. Maybe I’d be able to go home tomorrow. That prospect made me feel a little better. After some more slipping and sliding, we finally made it to Sam’s place. I could see the road up ahead, past the big red house, and wondered just where Eric had gotten stuck. Neither Sam nor I had mentioned him since the incident. Of course, Eric would be back to Harmony sooner or later to work on his real estate deal, so at some point, Sam would have to face him. Hopefully things would be peaceful between them.