Simple Deceit (The Harmony Series 2)

by Nancy Mehl

  “Well, I’ll miss her. Guess I’ll have to come up with someone else for Bill.”

  Sweetie snorted. “You don’t listen much, do you? I told you he ain’t looking for nobody.”

  I smiled at her. “Everyone’s looking for someone, Sweetie.”

  Sam laughed. “You’re incorrigible, you know that?”

  “Why, thank you so much,” I replied. “I resemble that remark.”

  Sweetie and Sam started talking about what work needed to be done on the farm during the upcoming week. I’d certainly learned the hard way that farmwork continues even when the trees aren’t blooming. My attention began to drift when Cora, Amos, and Drew Crandall approached our table.

  “I’m so sorry to interrupt,” Cora said in her sweet, high-pitched voice.

  “Not at all,” I said, happy for a reprieve from farm duties. “How are you guys?”

  “We’re doing very well,” Amos said. “Thanks to Sam and the other men who cleared the roads near our house.”

  “We didn’t get to every street,” Sam said. “Wish we could have done more.”

  “Well, you made it possible for us to get home and to church tonight,” Cora said. “We want to thank you.”

  “You’re very welcome,” Sam said with a smile.

  “We’re really looking forward to spending some time with Mr. Hampton tomorrow,” Cora said.

  “Grant?” I said. “I don’t understand. I figured he was on his way back to Wichita.”

  “He called us yesterday and asked if he could talk to us about Drew. He has a special son like ours.” Cora put her arm around Drew, who gave his mother a big smile. “I told him we are far from perfect, but we would be happy to help him in any way we can. He’s staying a few more days so we can spend some time together.”

  I was touched that Grant had seen something helpful in this wonderful couple. “I know you’ll be able to give him some needed advice,” I said. “He really does need it.”

  “I hope we can be of assistance,” Amos said. “We intend to do our best.” He tipped his hat. “You folks have a nice dinner. It’s time for us to head over to the church.”

  We said good-bye, and I watched them as they left. “What wonderful people. Isn’t it odd that with all the organizations and social workers in Wichita, it took a Conservative Mennonite couple in Harmony, Kansas, to give Grant the support he’s been looking for?”

  “Maybe Grant needed to see someone like Drew,” Sam said. “Probably gave him hope.”

  “You must be right.”

  Just then Mary arrived with our food. We spent the next hour talking, laughing, and stuffing ourselves. It was just the break I needed. On the way home, I told Sam that if the roads were clear enough, I felt I could drive home. “Besides, I really want to check on Ida.”

  “Remember what I said about the roads being slick tonight,” he said. “Why don’t you stay one more night and go home in the morning?”

  The possibility of icy roads, along with my growing sleepiness, made me easy to convince, so I agreed.

  Sam smiled. “Good. Besides, when you leave, Buddy will have to start sleeping with me again. And he seems to prefer you.”

  “He does like curling up next to me. Snickle used to do that, but he hasn’t been sleeping on my bed since I got here. I’m not sure where he goes at night.”

  Sam’s truck suddenly hit an icy patch, but he was able to regain control. Just as he had predicted, the moisture on the roads was refreezing.

  “I’m not so sure about you driving alone to Mary’s tomorrow night,” Sam said. “If it’s like this…”

  “Tell you what. If it seems bad, I’ll call you. Or maybe Mary can put me up for the night. I’m not a hero when it comes to icy roads. Trust me.”

  He hesitated.

  “Look, Sam. I really want to do this. Mary and I need to get the past behind us for good. I promise I won’t put myself in a bad situation.”

  “For crying out loud, Sam,” Sweetie said. “Gracie’s not a dummy. She’ll be fine.”

  He sighed. “Well, with two opinionated females against me, I guess I don’t have much choice.”

  When we pulled onto Faith Road, we could see John’s truck still in the driveway, but behind it was Sheriff Taylor’s patrol car.

  “What’s he doin’ here?” Sweetie grumbled.

  “He said he’d be keeping an eye on things,” Sam said with a frown. “I still don’t see why you two have such a problem with him. We should be thanking him, not criticizing him.”

  Sweetie mumbled something under her breath that even I couldn’t understand, and I sat right next to her. Since I was positioned between her and Sam, he probably didn’t hear her either. Probably for the best.

  When we pulled up to the house, Sheriff Taylor came walking around the side of the house with John.

  “I hope nothing else has happened,” I said.

  Sam didn’t respond, but he turned off the truck engine and jumped out, jogging over to where the two men stood. Sam almost always opened the truck door for me and Sweetie, so I knew he was concerned. We got out and joined the three men.

  “Is something wrong?” I asked.

  “Everything’s fine,” Sam said. “Sheriff Taylor drove by and didn’t recognize John’s truck. He wanted to make sure John wasn’t trying to burn down our orchards.”

  John grinned. “I was getting a little concerned about coming up with bail money.”

  Sam laughed. “I wouldn’t worry about it. As long as your crime isn’t too costly, you can count on me.”

  “So how are the roads into town?” John asked. “I was thinking about going to the store before I head home.”

  Sam shook his head. “They were pretty good going in, but they’re refreezing. I’d wait if I were you.” He cocked his head toward me. “Of course, Miss Demolition Derby here is planning a late-night private dinner with Mary tomorrow night.”

  “Might be best if you don’t do that,” Sheriff Taylor said gruffly. “Sounds like you’d do better to stay where you are.”

  I wanted to thank him for his advice and inform him that I didn’t need him to tell me where I could go or what I could do, but I just smiled and nodded. “I’m going inside,” I said. “It’s too cold out here for me.”

  “I’m with you,” Sweetie said.

  We left for the house, the three men still deep in conversation. Once inside, Sweetie pulled her coat off and almost threw it into the closet. “I still don’t trust that man, Gracie.” Her harsh tone echoed her suspicions toward the lawman. “I mean, why is he showin’ up here all the time? What about the rest of the county? I’m tellin’ you, somethin’ is wrong here. Real, real wrong.”

  I had to agree with her. A county sheriff shouldn’t be hanging around one of the smallest towns in the state with as much frequency as Taylor. It didn’t make sense.

  “I don’t understand it either. I still think we need to keep an eye on him.”

  “Both eyes would be better,” she grumbled. “Well, I’m gonna head to bed a little early. I’m plumb tuckered out. ‘Sides, there’s a show I don’t want to miss. Hope I can stay awake through the whole thing.”

  Almost every night Sweetie turned on the small TV set in her room before she went to sleep. And almost every night she fell asleep with it on. She appeared to use it as a sleeping aid. Didn’t speak much for whatever she watched, but it seemed to work for her. I said good night and went into the living room. The fire in the fireplace was getting low, so I added a few more logs. Knowing that this was my last night in the beautiful house made me a little sad. I hadn’t been on the couch long before Sam came in the front door and called out my name.

  “I’m in here,” I said.

  A few seconds later, he stuck his head around the corner. “There you are. I sent John home. Things seem to be quiet. I’ll get up a couple times during the night to look around outside, though. Sheriff Taylor told me to call him if anything happens.” He came over and plopped down next to me on the
couch.

  “Where will Sheriff Taylor be?”

  “He’s headed back to Council Grove, but he said he’d check in sometime tomorrow.”

  I wanted to say that the orchards might actually be safe with him gone, but I decided to keep my comment to myself since Sam seemed to trust the sheriff.

  “Hey, I want to talk to you about something,” Sam said, drawing his words out with hesitation.

  “Sure. As long as this isn’t the ‘It’s not you—it’s me’ speech.”

  He laughed nervously. “Well, in a way…”

  My heart almost leapt from my throat. “What are you saying?”

  He put his arm around me and pulled me up close to him. “Relax. This isn’t that; it’s something else.”

  I leaned against his chest. “Okay, hit me. What’s going on?”

  He took a deep breath and released it slowly. I could hear the air leave his chest, followed by the beating of his heart. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. About the way I reacted when you showed me that note. I realized that I’ve never really forgiven my mother for leaving me. I thought I had. I thought putting it out of my mind was forgiveness. But it wasn’t. Now don’t get me wrong. When we forgive someone, eventually we need to quit thinking about it. Dwelling on it. But if we just refuse to think about it, well, it just isn’t forgiveness.” He ran his hand over my hair. “And that’s why I acted so badly with you. It brought back those painful memories. Waiting at that church for my mother. Wondering where she was. Finally realizing she wasn’t coming back. The looks of pity on the faces of the people at the church when they realized I’d been abandoned.” At this, he choked up.

  I sat up and grabbed his hand. “What happened to you was awful, Sam. No child should ever go through something like that.”

  He quickly wiped his eyes. “No, you’re right. But I know in my heart that my mother thought she was protecting me. Giving me a better life. Her drug habit cost us both plenty. Many times we didn’t have food. Sometimes we had nowhere to live. We slept out on the street or crashed at some other druggie’s house. A few months before she left me, things seemed to have turned around. She had a job, and we lived in a decent apartment. But right before she took me to that church, I could tell she was using again. It was the way she acted. Her mannerisms and our lack of money.” He paused for a moment and gazed into the fire. When he started speaking again, his voice was so low it was hard to hear him. “I know that’s why she decided to send me to live with Sweetie. She didn’t want to put me through that again.”

  “But you didn’t know that at the time?”

  He shook his head. “No. I began to realize it as the years went by.” He shrugged. “Even though I started to understand her decision, I held on tight to my anger. It took my reaction to the note to finally make it clear to me that I’ve got to forgive my mother if I have any hope of having a normal life.” He squeezed my hand and looked deeply into my eyes. His own gray eyes were shiny with tears. “Or to have a good future with you.” He smiled crookedly. “That’s why I said that our problems weren’t you. They were me.” He leaned over and kissed me.

  When he pulled back, he reached for my other hand. “I’ve decided to forgive my mother, Grace. Completely. And to let go of the past so we can have the kind of life together I know is within our grasp. And I also want to ask you to forgive me for treating you the way I did. I hope you understand why I acted so badly. ”

  It was difficult to answer him with a catch in my throat and tears in my eyes, but I have to believe that the long kiss I gave him said what words couldn’t begin to express.

  Chapter Fifteen

  After a breakfast of Sweetie’s homemade waffles with bacon crumbled into the batter, I felt fortified enough to drive home. I was sad having to say good-bye, but I actually looked forward to some time at home. Snickle’s low rumbling from inside his carrier made it abundantly clear that all the going back and forth between cities and houses was beginning to fray his kitty nerves. I tried to reassure him, but watching for slick spots didn’t allow me to focus much of my attention on my irritated feline friend. Sam had been right about the roads freezing overnight. If the trip to my house hadn’t been a short one, I might have turned back.

  All in all, though, I didn’t have much pity for Snickle. Last night, during a midnight trip to the bathroom, I heard Sweetie’s TV still playing loud enough to make it difficult for me to go back to sleep. I sneaked quietly into her room, expecting her to be sound asleep—which she was. But what I didn’t expect was to find Snickle contentedly curled up next to her. This solved the question of where he’d been at night. I turned off the TV, petted him, and whispered, “Fraud,” to Sweetie even though she was out like a light.

  By the time I got home, I’d decided to take Sam’s advice about driving after dark. Even though he’d offered to come and get me, I didn’t want him out on icy roads either. I called Mary to see if I could stay the night if the conditions were treacherous. She reassured me that her foldout couch was at my disposal. Feeling better about my plans, I set about doing some housework, unpacking, and washing my laundry. But instead of even trying to use the dryer, I hung everything up on the clothesline I’d put up in the basement. I could hardly wait for the day when the electrical setup in the house was more dependable. As I pinned my clothes on the line, I thought about Ida, who did this all the time. Maybe having certain conveniences spoils people when they have to go without them, but not having them in the first place keeps you from ever missing them. Perhaps it was that way for Ida, Sarah, and Gabe.

  After I felt caught up, I drove slowly over to Ida’s to check on her.

  “Ach, Gracie,” she said when she opened the door. “You and Sam are too worried about me. I am used to this kind of weather, you know. I grew up where winters were much harsher than they are in Kansas.”

  I entered the door she held open. “I know, but with the phones out, we wanted to make sure.”

  She clucked her tongue at me. “I did not even realize the phone was inoperable.”

  I went over and picked up the receiver, happy to hear a hum. “Well, it’s working now. And you have my word. We’ll quit bothering you so much.”

  “My dear, I love knowing you and Sam care so much for me. You may drop in anytime. You are always welcome.”

  I stayed for a little while to visit, telling her about Sarah, the fire in the orchard, and lastly about Rand McAllister.

  “Ach, no,” she said sadly. “Poor Thelma and Jessica. How will they get by?”

  Although I didn’t tell her that Jessica was the abandoned baby’s mother, I did share the news about the insurance policy.

  She clapped her hands together. “God is so good, ja? He goes before us and provides for situations we don’t even know are coming.”

  I also left out my hit on the head because I knew she’d worry. But passing the fire off as an accident didn’t get past her sharp mind.

  “How could a fire start like that, Gracie?” she asked with a frown. “I know about burn barrels and smudge pots. Although the pots can blow over, it is rare. It did not seem windy enough that night to cause such a problem.”

  I shrugged and tried to look innocent. “I don’t know much about this kind of thing, Ida.”

  She searched my face for a moment. The thought crossed my mind that I wouldn’t want to play poker with the astute Mennonite woman. I’d lose. But there was little chance she’d be caught dead playing poker anyway. A mental picture of Ida with a cigar hanging out of her mouth, saying, “I’ll call your five and raise you ten,” flashed in my mind, and I smiled. For some reason the gesture seemed to reassure her, and she changed the subject.

  “So how does Rand’s death affect the sale of his land to Mr. Beck?”

  “It doesn’t. Thelma wants to stay in Harmony. She never wanted to sell the land in the first place.”

  Ida breathed a deep sigh. “Good. So maybe the development will go somewhere else?”

  “Unless he finds o
ther property.” I had no intention of telling her I’d asked Eric if he was interested in part of my land. Being so close to her place, I was certain she’d be horrified.

  Suddenly she grabbed my arm. “Listen to me, child. There is still something that disturbs my peace. Even this news does not calm it. You must promise that you will be very careful the next few days. I feel…I don’t know…as if you might be in some kind of danger.”

  I could see the sincerity in her face. “Okay, Ida. I will. I promise.” Although I still believed Ida’s overdeveloped sense of protection toward Harmony was the cause of her disquiet, her warning made me even more committed to staying off the roads after dark tonight. My assurance seemed to bring her a little comfort, and we visited for another hour. Then I left, promising to come back soon. The temperature had risen some, and the drive home was better than the drive there. Snow, melting some from the large piles pushed up against the sides of the road, had turned into wet, sloppy mud. Not a good sign since it was definitely supposed to drop down below freezing tonight.

  I puttered around the house until six thirty then took off for Mary’s, bringing a change of clothes and some pajamas. When I got to the restaurant, Mary was shooing out the last of her customers, including the ever-present Harold.

  “Thanks for coming, guys,” she said to one family who’d just paid for their meals. “Sorry to rush you out, but I’ve got plans tonight.”

  “ ‘Bout time you had something to do besides boss me around,” Harold interjected as he waited next in line.

  Mary laughed. “Someone’s gotta do it, Harold. And it’s my pleasure. Now you get out of here. Why don’t you go visit Esther Crenshaw? I saw her making goo-goo eyes at you in church last week.”

  Harold’s florid face lost some of its color. “Esther Crenshaw? That woman’s a menace. All she does is gossip. And those wigs of hers.” He shook his head. “No thank you.” A smile lit up his face. “But I might stop by that pretty Kay Curless’s place.”

  Mary’s mouth dropped open. “Why, you old rascal. Have you been seeing Kay?”