She sat in the inky silence, longing for God and longing for Fletch. The desire melded together. It seemed so right. The peace and the sweet longing.
Thanks, Lord. Lil groped the black interior of her purse and pulled out her phone. It was late, but if she was right, Fletch wouldn’t care.
“Hello,” Fletch said drowsily, not having the sensibility to look at his phone before he answered. Over the years he had become used to receiving calls at odd hours because his parents often lived in different time zones and made use of phones whenever it served their purposes.
But the feminine voice that hesitantly pronounced his name wasn’t his mom’s. Its sweet quiver brought him wide awake.
“Lil? Is everything okay?”
“Sorry it’s late. I was driving home from work. Thinking about you. Everything you said.”
His heart thudded. “That’s great to know.”
“I overheard you talking to Matt in the barn. Thanks for doing that.”
He rolled over on one elbow. “Aha. Eavesdropping again?”
“Yes. Thanks for trying to help Matt.”
“He’s my friend.” The line grew quiet. Fletch savored the moment as if they were actually together. He drank in her presence. “It’s so good to hear your voice.”
“Yours, too. I’m sitting beside the road in Jezebel.”
“What! Now, I’m torn. I’d like to imagine you sitting there in the moonlight. But that’s dangerous, Lil. I don’t like it. Why don’t you go on home and call me back?”
“This from the guy who asked me to meet him in the pasture at midnight?”
“On your property, with me to protect you,” he reminded.
She laughed. “Not tonight. But you can call me sometime.”
“Does this mean … you’ll see me again?”
“I suppose that depends on your persuasion and persistence.”
He knew exactly where he wanted to take her. “Would a mystery date entice you?”
She sighed. “You know it would.”
“Then hang up. I’ll call you right back. Only, don’t answer. I’ll leave details that you can check when you’re safe at home. I can’t wait to see you again.”
“Sweet dreams, Fletch.”
“Where are you going?”
Lil halted her steps before she reached the mudroom and turned. Her mom looked pretty in her long, night-tousled hair and snug slippers with the home-sewn elastic around the heels. “Hi, Mom.”
Rose padded across the kitchen’s hardwood. “Off to Michelle’s so early?”
The day that Lil had rushed into her mom’s bedroom, bearing the fresh wound of Fletcher’s deception, her mom had become her advocate. It had been the turning point where Mom regained her ability to plant her slippers in the real world again. Otherwise, Lil might have bitten her tongue instead of revealing her plans.
“Fletch invited me to meet him. He claims he’s falling in love with me.”
The scoop in Mom’s hand trembled, scattering coffee grounds across the counter and onto the floor. Grabbing a dishrag, she asked, “When did you and Fletch start talking again?”
Lil got the broom and cleaned up the floor. “Just yesterday. It’s something I need to do.”
Mom poured water into the coffeemaker then turned to face Lil, taking the broom from her hand. “I understand. You’re at that age where a girl has choices to make that will set her life’s course. Some decisions cannot be reversed. Tread carefully, daughter.”
“I am. That’s why I must see him. If he’s the one and I let him get away, I may regret it the rest of my life.”
Mom turned thoughtful. “On the other hand, I married my true love, but even so, life is not what I imagined it would be.”
“There is still time,” Lil urged. “Tell me what you imagined, so that I can help you find your dreams, too.”
Laughing softly, almost bitterly, Mom shooed Lil away. “Nonsense. Dreams are for young women. Women my age are meant to get the work done.” Her voice faded. “So that when I’m feeble, I will have something to show for all my years. Now go.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Lil knew their mystery date location was a rural address. She was familiar with the general location but didn’t know the exact property. Perhaps Fletch was going to let her go on a job with him or maybe another picnic. Fishing? The day at the park they’d watched some kids fishing and talked about doing it sometime. Lil’s mind was occupied trying to outguess her persuasive and persistent suitor.
When she got close, she matched the number from her paper to a mailbox and steered Jezebel into a farm drive. Fletch’s eager face popped out of a barn. He was dressed in jeans and work boots. She jiggled her car door open and jumped out, shimmying it closed again.
“Isn’t this the old Stutzman place?”
“I wouldn’t know about that.” His eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, and his mouth tilted into a winsome smile. “But I heard you a mile away. Why don’t you just marry me, and we’ll haul Jezebel to the auto graveyard?”
Lil put her hands on her hips. “Is that supposed to be persuasive? Cause it sounds a lot like bribery.”
“Just dreaming.”
She grinned at him.
“Come and let me show you the nursery first. I can’t get anything done; I just keep ending up in there. This place grows on you. The animals seem more like pets than livestock.”
Of course! This was the shelter. Clasping his offered hand, she allowed him to lead her into the barn. It was nothing like their smelly hog barn. This one carried the scent of fresh straw and pungent hay.
“Over here.”
The sound of their voices provoked a little bleat from behind a stall’s enclosure. Fletch pulled the gate open and drew Lil inside. Still adjusting to the dark interior, she let her gaze follow the soft bleating and rustling of straw to the little fellow standing on shaky legs. Instantly, she dropped to the floor. “Oh! You’re adorable.”
“He’s something, isn’t he?”
She petted his wrinkled fleece, and he cupped his nose into her hand.
“Name’s Cottonball. But there’s a baby next door that still needs a name. When Ashley heard you were coming, she suggested you name the other lamb.”
Lil took a sharp intake of breath. “Ashley?”
“Yes.” Fletch knelt beside her. “I have some things to tell you.” She listened to his explanation of all that had occurred since the last time they were together. “Since I’m staying here for a couple of days, I thought I could show you Marshall’s farm, that it might help you understand some things about me.”
“I’m so sorry about Marshall.”
She sympathized with his grief over Marshall’s cancer, understood his need to help Marcus. Regarding the video, she believed Fletch intended to eventually destroy it. But until it was done, it remained a threat to their relationship and to her family. So many things hinged on that silver hunk of technology that most people in her church didn’t even know how to operate. Their innocence made them all vulnerable to situations like the one that had happened at the Landis farm. The Conservative people would not place lawsuits. Was that why Marshall had sent Fletch into their community? To take advantage of them?
Fletch interrupted her thoughts. “I sent my dad an e-mail this morning, telling him about … everything. About you, too. I can’t contact him by phone right now, but he checks his e-mail every time he gets into Goma.”
“You asked him for advice?”
“I guess.”
The real-live man beside her was not an imaginary Rollo, and life was no circus. Fletch had gotten himself into a fix, and she wondered how it would all end. How it would affect her.
The lamb nudged her again. The skinny little creature melted her heart. “How can the lamb we are to name be any tinier than this sweetie?”
“Come see for yourself.”
She hated to put the lamb down.
“We’ll come back in a minute. I’ll let you feed Cottonball
his bottle.”
“Really?”
The newborn was tinier, but fortunately it had a mother. “Oh my,” she murmured. Fletch didn’t take her inside the stall because the ewe was still recovering.
“It’s a male.”
“How about Flannel? And when he grows up, he can be Sir Flannel.”
Fletch grinned approval. “I love it.”
“I just want to take you home,” she purred through the slatted gate.
“I’m all yours,” Fletch replied.
After Lil returned to Cottonball and gave him his bottle, Fletch finally managed to pull her away for an outside tour of the farm, explaining the renovations that had taken place and about the many donors Ashley had found for supplies. He told her about the volunteers who lived and worked at the shelter.
“Honestly, a month ago, I didn’t even know there was such a place as this. I never thought there would be a need.”
“Let’s head for the house, and I’ll introduce you to Ashley.”
Lil stumbled to a halt. “Wait a minute. You’re staying here with a girl?”
“She’s Marcus’s girlfriend. There are other volunteers here, too. Mostly guys. A couple of girls. But you’re the only girl for me.” He gently touched her chin, tilting her face up. “Remember? You’re my sunshine.”
And don’t forget moonbeam. The light in your heart. Her insides went as soft and warm as marmalade pudding, and she might not have been able to resist if he’d tried to kiss her in the barnyard under the sun he raved about. Only Buddy chose that moment to come bounding across the yard. His ears nearly swept the ground, his droopy eyes fastened on Lil.
She crouched down, and he licked her face and then nuzzled into her touch. She felt Fletch’s smile. The basset, the lambs, and his work all reflected his love for animals. She loved both the passion and gentleness he demonstrated.
Buddy wagged his tail, and his whole behind did a little jig.
Lil giggled. “He’s doing the garbanzo dance. Only with the wrong end.”
Grinning, Fletch said, “What’s that?”
The basset was as soft as the lamb. How, when she lived on a farm, had she missed the wonder of the animal kingdom? She had tried to make pets of the baby pigs, but her parents had warned her away from such affection and cautioned her that hogs were dangerous animals. Eventually, she’d grown indifferent toward them and most animals. It felt amazing to feel the stirring of awareness now.
She answered his question about the garbanzo dance as they walked to the farmhouse. He stared at her as if he’d just tasted her best-ever entrée.
When they went inside, Ashley was a wonderful surprise. Lil wasn’t sure what kind of woman she’d been expecting, but surely nobody as classy yet friendly as the blond woman who greeted them.
“There’s a job for a cook here. Doesn’t pay much, though,” Ashley admitted. “Except room and board. But it’s fun working here.”
The offer did not appeal to Lil, except the part about being near Fletch. But she understood that was only a temporary arrangement. “Actually, I’m already set at a great restaurant.”
“But as head chef?” Ashley probed.
Lil gave Fletch a hurt glance, wondering if he’d shared her personal dream with Ashley. Had he even made sport of her? He quickly threw his hands up. “I never said a word. Ashley’s perceptive. That’s how we manage to survive around here.”
Giving a skeptical nod, Lil told Ashley, “Thanks for the offer, but like I said, I have a great job with opportunity for advancement.” Not head chef, but Lil figured if she wanted to cook on a farm, she could continue to live with her parents. That wasn’t her idea of a good job.
“Okay, well while you’re here, how about you stuff some flyers?”
Lil laughed at the other woman’s ingenuity and doggedness. “Can I see them?”
As she eyed Ashley, the blond waved at Fletch. “Scat. Go brush a horse or something.”
“I get no respect around here,” he joked. But it wasn’t a joke to Lil because she saw the setup for what it was: a time to ask Ashley some questions about the man who claimed he was falling in love with her. Only she wasn’t about to stuff any of her propaganda. She did look it over, making sure there weren’t any Landis hogs inside. Thankfully, there weren’t.
CHAPTER 23
Later that day, as Lil set her mom’s table for lunch—her dad and brothers were all coming inside for a special treat of mush and eggs—Lil relived the thrill of being with Fletch. Their mystery date had only lasted a couple of hours because he had to go in to work, but it had been long enough to leave her with many unanswered questions.
Fletch was a lot like Jake, responding to life from the inside, rather than judging himself against what the church allowed or didn’t. Even the mistakes he had made came from the loyalties he felt toward Marshall, something on the inside. Fletch was funny, gentle, and compassionate. Smart, too, and he was falling in love with her. She was his sunshine. The light in his heart. He …
“Here. Be careful—it’s hot,” her mom warned.
“Mmm. Smells good,” Stephen said, washing his hands at the sink.
“You should do that in the sink outside,” Mom scolded.
“Too crowded.”
Lil figured the smell had lured him in. If anything, Stephen was predictable. Soon the others could be heard removing their shoes in the mudroom.
It blessed Lil to watch Mom scurry about the table, making sure there was ample tomato gravy for those who liked that better than syrup. Once the men were served, Lil and her mom sat down to join them.
About midway through the meal, Matt told his brothers, “I took a new proposal to the Plain City Bank.”
“I thought you were going to try some banks in Columbus?”
“Dad and I talked about it, and we think this might work better. We need the new barn quick, to isolate the hogs. Hoop barns are cheaper, and we think the bank might go for it.”
Hank’s fork clinked against his plate. “Have you been talking to that Stauffer spy?”
Lil didn’t even feign an appetite any longer, but folded her hands on the lap of her skirt. “He’s not a spy.”
Hank frowned at her. “Why have you changed your tune? Are you talking to him?”
Lil wished she’d had the discipline to remain quiet. She raised her chin. “I am a grown woman, and I will make my own decisions about who I talk to. Anyway, this isn’t about me.”
“You won’t be dating him,” her dad interjected. He placed his fist heavily on the table. “And that’s final.”
“I don’t believe it is final,” Mom disagreed.
Every gaze swiveled to fasten on her.
Stephen’s face showed stark horror.
“What do you mean?” Dad asked, with a gravelly voice.
Mom’s eyes glittered with anger. “I mean Lil should make up her own mind who she wants to date.”
Dad stood up and slapped his napkin down on the table. “She needs to date a Conservative man!” He marched into the mudroom.
Mom’s face turned beet red.
Matt told the others, “Fletch just made a mistake. He isn’t a bad guy.”
Hank’s expression hardened. “Don’t be leading our sister down the wrong path.”
“What does that mean?”
“It’s one thing for you to leave the church, but she is a woman. Chasing after Fletch would be leaving the protection of her father and family. This is dangerous ground.”
“I did not leave the church. I only moved to a different one,” Matt protested.
“I will back your idea about the hoop farm, but don’t get too big for your britches, little brother.”
Matt pushed back his chair and stood, seething with anger.
Lil stood up, too. “Stop it. Please.”
Hank turned to Lil, softening his voice but still clearly angered. “You don’t know anything about making a farm prosperous. You just stick to cooking, little sister, and stay away from Stauffe
r, because one way or another, he’s going to hurt you. That’s all. It’s for your own good.” He seemed to have something more to say, but after a glance at their mother, he grew quiet.
Stephen wiped his mouth with his napkin, the last to stand. He asked Hank, “Think we need to pay Stauffer a visit?”
“Don’t you dare,” Lil objected.
“We’re just worried about you, Lil.”
“I know. But this time, you’re all wrong.”
“Thanks for the mush, Mom,” Stephen said, following Hank out of the kitchen.
Matt stepped up to Lil. “You didn’t make things any easier for me just now.”
Her mouth flew open in disbelief. “I—”
“I like Fletch, too. But the others are probably right about you and him.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying this. He’s your friend. He’s helped you, and you even told him you forgave him.”
“I see you’ve been talking to him. Be careful. Like the others said, I don’t want to cause you to stumble.”
Hearing the tender catch in his throat, Lil could only nod.
“Sorry, Mom,” Matt said, before he left them.
Once the men had all gone, Mom put trembling hands on her hips.
“Well that was about as bad as a fox in a henhouse,” Lil observed.
“It was the roosters causing the trouble.”
“I guess!” But even with her mom’s attempt at humor, Lil could see that the whole incident had shaken her. “Thanks for sticking up for me.”
Mom’s hands slipped off her hips; her head sadly dipped. “More than one of us is being a bad example for you.”
Lil wished they all didn’t make such a cackle about protecting her. Couldn’t they see she was a grown woman?
“I don’t make it a practice of going against your dad’s wishes, because I believe a woman is to be submissive to her man, but sometimes I just can’t keep quiet.” She grabbed Lil’s sleeve. “But child, a woman must pick her battles. You do realize I’ll have to apologize to him later? But maybe in the meantime, what I said will sink in a little bit.”
Lil wanted to roll her gaze heavenward. What kind of twisted theology was that? She started to clear the plates, scraping the leftovers into the trash.
Plain City Bridesmaids Page 53