Mom snapped a panicked gaze in Lil’s direction. “Then where are we going? You’re not taking me to the church. I told you I didn’t want to help with that fund-raiser.”
“We’re going to Michelle’s.”
“Oh Lil. I’m not up to that. I know she needs help, but surely you can’t expect me to—” Mom cut off midsentence, probably because she realized how selfish her remark was going to sound.
In silence, they passed a few farms where colorful combine harvesters moved through the golden wheat fields, kicking up a swirl of dust and chaff. When they pulled into Michelle’s driveway, Lil pulled as close to the house as she could. “Let’s just go see how she’s doing.”
Mom shook her head. “I know it sounds awful, but I can’t go in there because I know she needs me, and I don’t have anything to offer her. I’m sure you can’t understand. I don’t even understand it. But I feel paralyzed. Useless. We didn’t even bring any food. We should have brought a casserole or something.”
“We’re here now. Michelle has plenty of food stocked up and ready for use. I’m sure you want to see the grandchildren?”
“You know I love them,” Mom snapped.
“Let’s go inside. You can tell them.”
“No.” She turned her face away, toward Michelle’s huge vegetable and flower garden.
It was a reminder to Lil that not only was she trying to help her mom, but Michelle really needed them. Lil was ready to roll up her sleeves, but she had to try her plan first. “Mom.” Lil hardened her voice. “We are sitting in this car until you go inside. I’m not backing down.”
Mom put her hand on the door handle. “Then I’ll just walk home.”
“Good idea. And when one of the neighbors stops to pick you up and asks how your daughter’s ankle is doing, you can explain that you don’t know because you’re out for a leisurely stroll.”
When Mom flinched, Lil felt her pain. And Mom was correct; Lil didn’t understand it all completely, how a woman could turn her back on her family. But she saw the pain involved and thought she understood the root of the problem. Lil’s thoughts went to Fletch, and in her mind’s eye she told him, You better be right about this. But Fletch seemed world-wise with his multicultural upbringing. She trusted his judgment, happy to have somebody help her through unchartered waters.
Lil’s thoughts snapped back to her mom when she heard the car door open. “Fine, but let’s not stay long. Maybe we can take some laundry home or bring the children back to the house for you to watch,” Mom suggested.
Lil grinned inwardly. Mom was already focusing on the problem. Sure, she was figuring on Lil doing the actual work, but then she didn’t know about Lil’s plan.
Over an hour later, Lil pulled Jezebel into the Landises’ large circle drive and slipped into her usual parking place near the house. It would seem strange going into the empty house. As she headed toward the mudroom, she realized she should have told Dad about her idea before she toted Mom off to Michelle’s. But it was too late for—her thoughts broke off when she spotted a red dot peeking over the other side of the azalea bush. She scurried over and stopped in amazement.
The tomatoes had reseeded themselves in a place that was out of the way and hidden by the house-hugging shrubbery. That is until they had gotten leggy and scrambled over the azalea bush. Amazingly, the tomatoes were doing great without any human help. She yanked out a weed, tossed it in the yard, and brushed her hands against her brown skirt.
Normally, Mom kept a garden, but she also kept a couple of tomato plants near the house for quick use. These were experiments, too, using different hybrids and species. But this plant had survived without any human help. Lil cupped the ripest orb in the palm of her hand, thinking about her mom and wondering how she was doing. With a sigh, she stepped back and went to get a watering hose. When Mom returned, she’d have tomatoes to tend. Even if there wouldn’t be enough to can, it might give her mom a little joy.
Lil unwound the hose and dragged it toward the bush until it caught on something. Retracing her steps to see what hindered the hose, she stopped short. A blue Ford Focus was driving onto their property, moving along the far side of the drive.
It stopped, and Lil’s heart did a little flip to see Fletch step out of the car. With her free hand, she waved.
“Hi, Lil.” He gave his red cap a nudge so it didn’t block his vision or his gorgeous brown eyes. “I come bearing good news.”
“About the hogs?”
“Yes. It’s not the PRRS virus.”
Lil gave a relieved sigh. She knew that the threat of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome was a dreaded threat to any hog farm. “I’m so relieved. You have no idea.”
“I think I do.”
He stepped nearer, causing her mind and body to act all befuddled. He hadn’t put on his mucking boots yet, and there was something intimidating about those red sneakers. Her mind picked up the warning, but his smile charmed her traitorous heart, as if it had never learned anything about men. His eyes sent dual messages. When flirtatious, she was defenseless. When sincere and caring…. Wait! She was defenseless then, too. Had the Africans he’d grown up with been as confused about the blond-haired boy? She swallowed uncomfortably.
And he stepped nearer. “The vaccinations are done, but I’ll still need to take some random blood draws.”
She nodded, grateful to see him again. No. She shouldn’t fall for him or his red sneakers. He didn’t fit on this farm, wearing his clean white T-shirt and standing more than a head taller than any of the Landis men. He was different. Even if he was a Mennonite. He reminded her of her imaginary Rollo. Why had she made her imaginary circus performer tall and blond?
The closer Fletch came, the more she worried that he might try to kiss her again. That she might let him. Right here in the yard, where her dad or any one of her brothers might observe them. She turned away and yanked on the hose, freeing it from its obstacle. Her voice came out thick with her family’s Dutch accent, as it usually did when she was emotional about something. “I was taking your advice, just now.”
Keeping her back to the wonderful intruder, she dragged the hose toward the tomato bed, her pulse speeding when she heard the soft sound of red sneakers following.
“I don’t remember giving any advice on watering tomatoes, but I can tell you that you need to turn the faucet on.”
Biting back a smile, she tossed the end of the hose to the ground at the edge of the tomato plants and started back toward the faucet, tossing over her shoulder, “I just got back from Michelle’s.” When she turned, she noticed his intriguing dark brows formed a sharp V.
“Matt told me about her ankle. That’s too bad. How’s she doing?”
“She’s in pain because she doesn’t believe in taking medicine unless it’s a last resort.”
“I’m sorry to hear about her accident. Who’s taking care of your nieces?”
She watched the water gush into the dry soil surrounding the tomato plants and adjusted the flow. “My mom. I hope. I tricked her into getting into the car and then convinced her to go into Michelle’s house. Then after visiting a few minutes, I snuck out the side door. I left her there,” she admitted. Her eyes widening over the gravity of her deed, she glanced over at Fletch.
His left cheek twitched. He glanced at the barn and back. “Are they in on the scheme?”
“No. I acted on impulse. So if this backfires, it’ll be my fault. But I think Dad will go along.” She shrugged. “Nothing else is working.”
Fletch arched his brow. “Will Landis does not seem very flexible.”
Lil glanced toward the barn, wanting to disagree. Actually, her dad was compromising a lot these days. She admired him for it, too. But when she saw the teasing light in Fletch’s eyes, she let his comment slide. “If you’re scared of him, you’d better not let him see you loafing like this. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that I’m testing your theory about Mom needing a purpose.”
“From what I saw th
at night at supper, the grandchildren will lift her spirits. There’s general need, and then there’s family needs. And family trumps everything else.”
“You play Rook?”
“Poker.”
Lil’s mouth dropped open. But before she could reply, he laughed. “You’d be surprised at some of the games I’ve played. But even across continents, most games are similar.”
She nodded, intrigued by the mysteries of his background and understanding what he meant about family. “Michelle will call if my plan backfires.”
Fletch touched her arm. “Let me know how it turns out. You’re right, though. I need to get to work. To give your dad the good news.” After another reluctant gaze toward the barn, he turned away. But he’d only taken a few steps in that direction when he turned back to her.
Embarrassed that he’d caught her watching him, she quickly dropped her gaze to the ground.
“Lil? Would you like to go out with me sometime?”
She raised her gaze. “Yes!” Instantly regretting her eagerness, she qualified, “But I shouldn’t.”
He tilted his face with confusion. “Why not?”
“Because we don’t go to the same church.”
“But we both attend a Mennonite church.”
She arched an eyebrow at him. “You know what I mean.”
“Could we just talk about it? Maybe it’s not the big obstacle we think it is. Look, I’m still in school, and I don’t have much money. But what if we went on a picnic?”
Lil glanced toward the barn, saw her dad striding toward them, and wondered what he would have to say about the matter. She wanted to settle her internal conflict over Fletch once and for all. Would a date do that? She didn’t have much time until her dad would be able to hear their conversation. “All right.”
Fletch grinned. “Great! How about Sunday after church?” He explained that Vic gave him time off to attend church, so it shouldn’t be too hard get the extra time off for a picnic.
“Yes. That will work.” She whispered, “I’ll provide the food.”
“Great!” he repeated. “I’ll see you then.” He turned and ran smack into Lil’s dad, who let out a surprised grunt. “Oh! Sorry, sir,” Fletch quickly apologized. “I was just….”
Dad shoved his straw hat back and frowned. “Was what?”
Lil tried not to smile at Fletch’s reddening neck. She really should have warned him.
“Just coming to give you the good news.”
They started toward the barn together, and she hurried inside, doing the garbanzo dance all of the way through the mudroom.
CHAPTER 12
Most mornings, the clinic was open for drop-in clients, but Vic didn’t set regular appointments because his loyalties were with the local farms, and he wanted to be available for emergencies. Fletch was glad that Vic often trusted him to work unsupervised. He had just finished muzzling and treating a house cat for infected animal bites. When the waiting room had finally emptied, he felt Vic clutch his shoulder. “You’ve been a great help. I wish I could afford to hire somebody full-time.”
Glowing under the praise, Fletch turned. “Well you have me full-time for a while yet.”
Vic gave him a halfhearted smile. “About the time I get you trained, your term will be over.”
“Maybe you’ll get a quicker student next year.”
“Huh?”
Fletch saw the momentary confusion in Vic’s eyes. “You thinking of quitting the program with the school?”
Vic turned and washed his hands in the basin, talking over his shoulder. “This is the first time I’ve ever had a student. I wouldn’t have even thought about joining the program if Marshall hadn’t approached me with his offer.”
“What offer?” Fletch probed, grabbing a bottle of bleach and water mixture.
Vic dried his hands and stared at Fletch. “You didn’t know that Marshall set us up together?”
“He only told me he knew you, highly recommended you, and that he’d gotten the school’s approval. He thought it would be ideal because it was close to OSU.”
Vic gave a sardonic laugh. “Probably bribed the school with donations just like he did me.”
Fletch didn’t understand Vic’s insinuations. “It’s true that Marshall is a generous man. What is it you have against him?”
“I don’t like being coerced.”
Fletch spritzed a table and wiped it down with paper towels, trying to tamp down a rising premonition. “So he gave you money to join the off-site program?”
“Don’t you get it? It’s all about the farm shelter. I didn’t get it at first either. I thought I was just taking his gift and returning a favor, but now that I’ve been out to the shelter, I see there’s strings attached.”
Fletch swallowed, feeling a bit coerced himself when it came to the farm shelter. He put the bottle back in the cupboard. “Do you mind telling me the entire story?”
“This stays between us?”
Fletch quickly considered. “Yes.”
Vic grabbed the broom, his strokes matching his frustration as he explained. “Somehow Marshall found out that I was in financial trouble. It was my own fault. I took too much money personally. But Britt was always nagging me, wanting this and that. Anyway, he bought me some equipment I needed and paid off a debt I had. In return, I was to apply at the college for the off-site experience. He led me to believe that I was supporting the veterinary school. Like that was his main objective. To me, it seemed like a win-win situation. For me, the school, the student—you.”
“But now you believe that he handpicked you because you were close to the shelter, and he wanted me to get involved there?”
Vic stopped sweeping and studied Fletch a moment. “He recently called me and requested that I volunteer at the shelter. Britt was already upset because I work so many hours. A lot of the work there is routine, so naturally, I can turn that over to you.”
Fletch swallowed, hating to blacken Marshall’s character without knowing the full truth, but also feeling like he owed Vic some loyalty. “I think Marshall wanted me to help at the shelter. Marcus wants me to video sick animals for a documentary they’re doing.”
Vic ran his hands through his hair. “So that’s it. You understand they’ll use it against the farmers? The shelter is probably connected with organizations that hope to abolish animal abuse by establishing laws that make it harder for the farmers to make a living.”
“I don’t like abuse. You don’t either.”
“Of course not. And I’d do something about it if I came across it. But my clients are good people. I don’t want to get in the middle of an issue, right or wrong, that could ruin my practice. I’m not going to that shelter any more than I have to until our agreement is over. I’ll send you in my stead, like Marshall wants. But I want you to be discreet about this. And don’t be taking any videos. Marshall may have me by the throat, but just remember that you need my recommendations to get a passing grade. Until the new term starts, I can still back out of the program.”
Fletch wondered. Surely he’d signed a contract, but he didn’t know that for sure. “Yes, sir.” But he determined to call Marshall that very evening. He didn’t like being caught in the middle.
The next day, Lil punched the speed dial and waited for her sister’s voice. “How’s it going over there?”
“You checking on me or Mom?” Michelle asked.
“Both. It’s hard not knowing what’s happening at your house. I feel like I should be there.”
“Let’s just say that I smell fresh zucchini cake, and I hear giggles coming from the kitchen.”
“Whew!” Lil blew out a sigh of relief. She twisted a lock of her hair. “It’s too soon to come and get her. If I bring her home tonight, most likely she’ll take to her bed tomorrow to recuperate.”
“She thinks you’re coming back to get her. Last night she slept in our attic bedroom. Does Dad care if she’s here?”
“He’s skeptical, but he’s all ri
ght with it.”
“Ouch!”
“What?”
“Oh I just bumped my foot.”
“You’re not out of bed?” Lil demanded.
“No. Tammy just left some toys on the bed. But I can’t stay in bed forever.”
“How quickly you change your tune. I thought you were always complaining that you needed rest.”
“I know. But now I’m rested.”
“Are you in much pain?”
“It’s bearable. But I need some magazines or something.”
“What about hand sewing?”
By the time Lil finished her conversation, she felt confident she was doing the right thing for her mom and Michelle. And even though Michelle was already growing restless, she could use some pampering.
On Friday, Lil joined Megan for lunch at a restaurant near the company where Megan was interviewing for a job. Although Megan claimed she didn’t need the moral support, she’d allowed Lil to come along. Right across the street was the Italian restaurant that Beppe had always raved about. It was his model for running Riccardo’s. Lil wanted to scope the place out to see if it might be a place where she could apply for a job.
Megan parked her dad’s restored dark-blue Chevy Nova at the far edge of the parking lot to avoid paint dings. Even so, a few heads turned at the car’s rumble and watched the two Conservative Mennonite girls step out of the classic car. Megan seemed used to it, but Lil always enjoyed the attention. Megan locked the Nova with her key, and they started toward the restaurant.
Lil’s excitement mounted over dining at Beppe’s favorite restaurant. “They have valet parking here in the evenings.”
At the entrance, a hostess greeted them. They passed stone pillars that imitated ancient Roman architecture. Lil saw that the eating facility was upscale and received a lot of corporate clientele. She understood Beppe’s obsession.
They ordered soft drinks, and a menu was placed in front of each of them, but Lil resisted the temptation to open it because once she did she would be absorbed with it. Instead, she leaned forward on her elbows. “So tell me all about your interview.”
Plain City Bridesmaids Page 43