An Amish Honor

by J. E. B. Spredemann

  “Go ahead, Jonah. I didn’t ask for good news, I’d just like to know the meaning of my dreams. If you know, please share it with me.”

  “Okay. Well, the entire Midwest is going to have some terrible weather. The storms are going to decimate the corn production and it will affect the entire country.”

  “Oh, no.”

  Joseph blew out a breath. “I told you it was bad.”

  “What can I do? Is there anything I can do?”

  “Well, you can put extra corn away but it’ll never be enough to feed the entire country.”

  “Say on.”

  “The worst of the foul weather won’t be for a few years, but it won’t be the weather that causes the total desolation.”

  “What will it be then?”

  “Insects or Parasites.”

  “Parasites?”

  “Yeah. They’ll destroy everything and there will be nothing you can do about it.”

  “Can’t I just spray an insecticide on it?”

  “Nope. The strain that is coming will have built up a resistance to all commercial insecticides and herbicides. Not to mention that stuff causes cancer and all sorts of other health issues for the consumer.”

  Governor Hanson folded his hands together. “So, what kind of destruction are we talking about here? Will there be a famine in the entire country?”

  “That depends.”

  “On what?”

  “On what course of action you take.”

  “What do you advise?”

  “It’s hard to tell for the long haul. But since it seems like this will only affect the corn crops, I suggest growing an alternative crop. You’ll need to warn the farmers.”

  “Like what?”

  “Well, I’d suggest doing a soil test to see what crops—other than corn—the acreage will tolerate. If farmers heed the warning and grow other crops, the country will be able to wade through the bad years. If they won’t heed the warning, well, let’s just say those who did will have a whole slew of hungry families on their doorstep.”

  “Replacing established crops can be very expensive. I’m not sure the farmers will be willing to do that.”

  “Then they’ll be risking their very lives.”

  “What if you’re wrong?”

  “Believe me. In this case I wish I were. But I’m not. This will happen whether people choose to believe it or not.”

  “Oh, man. I don’t know if I’m ready to handle something like this.”

  “You have a few years yet. And you can hire someone to manage it for you. It has to be someone who will be responsible—a person you can trust.”

  “Will you take the position? You have more knowledge in this than anyone I’ve ever met.”

  “Me? You trust me for this? In case you didn’t realize it, I just came from prison. Straight from prison. I’m not sure I’m your man.”

  “You’re definitely my man, Jonah. I have it on good authority that you were falsely accused.”

  “What?”

  Governor Hanson grinned. “That’s the word on the street. And if it’s true, you’re entitled to press charges for false imprisonment.”

  “I’ve chosen to forgive. I didn’t relish my time in prison and I’d never wish a prison sentence on anyone.”

  “You really are something else. By the way, do you have a place to stay?”

  “No. Like I said, I just came from prison. I was planning to look into that.”

  “Stay here.”

  “Here? In the Governor’s Mansion?”

  “If you’re going to be my assistant, I can’t very well have you living at the Rescue Mission. Can I?”

  Joseph shrugged.

  “Really, Jonah, I insist.” He smiled. “I’m also offering you a sign-on bonus along with your first six months’ salary in advance.”

  Joseph swallowed. “How much is that?”

  “Let’s just say you’ll be able to afford a nice down payment on a house, a car, and whatever else you’ll be needing.”

  “Oh, wow. I don’t know what to say. Thank you.” After making twenty-five cents an hour while working in prison, this offer felt like a million dollars.

  “You’re welcome. But I really should be thanking you.”

  “I’m sorry but I can’t take any credit for this. It’s God and God alone.”

  “Well, then I guess I’ll have to thank Him too.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Joseph jumped from the plush chaise in his room and set his Bible on the small table next to it. He pulled the door open to answer whomever had knocked from the other side.

  “Mr. Millerton, the governor would like you to join him for dinner.” A petite uniformed woman stood on the other side of his door.

  He frowned down at the jeans, polo shirt, and white tennis shoes he wore that seemed to have stamped on them ‘straight from prison’. “I don’t have proper attire.”

  “He said to come as you are. It will be a casual affair.” She smiled.

  “Okay, thank you.”

  “The meal will be served in twenty minutes.”

  Joseph nodded. “Thank you.”

  ~

  “Thank you for joining me. This will be somewhat of a business dinner. I hope you don’t mind. We’ll convene with a meeting in my office after dinner, unless you have other plans.”

  “Uh, no. I have no immediate plans.”

  “Good. Won’t you have a seat?” Governor Hanson gestured to a chair at the table, where a fancy place setting, along with stemware filled with water, had been attentively placed.

  “Thank you.” He’d never sat at such a fancy table, although the china reminded him of the set Mamm had kept in her cupboards. On very special occasions, she’d take it out and use it.

  “I’ve also invited another guest, one of my closest advisors. I’m excited for you two to meet. I feel you’d have quite a bit in common.”

  Joseph frowned, wondering if he was referring to Alex. But no, he’d said ‘meet’ as though the man were a stranger.

  The governor glanced down at his watch. “He said he was running a little late. He should be along shortly.”

  “Great.” Joseph took a sip of his water.

  “Do your accommodations suit you?”

  He felt like laughing. After almost a year and a half in prison, sleeping in a car would have been wonderful. “Yes, sir. My room is perfect. Thank you.”

  “Do you have any questions about anything?”

  “I do, actually. I’ve been thinking about something. Well, you brought me here, and Alex is here too…” He shrugged. “Do you make a habit of hiring former prisoners? Not that I’m complaining or anything. I just find it interesting.”

  “I can see how one would think that’s strange.” The governor chuckled. “Let’s just say that I’m a firm believer in second chances. I’ve always considered myself a pretty good judge of character. Alex was a former employee and he messed up, but he’s a good guy. I’m not perfect, nor do I expect others to be. And as for you, well, I’m hoping to find a great asset in you. If one of my friends recommends someone, I don’t take that lightly. I’m confident you will meet or exceed my expectations and conquer the challenges ahead of us.”

  A couple of voices echoed through the entrance to the kitchen.

  “It appears our guest has arrived.” Governor Hanson smiled and rose from his chair.

  Joseph was unsure what to do, so he took his cue from the governor and stood as well.

  As soon as his guest walked through the door, Joseph grinned. “Chaplain Hal?”

  “Jonah! What a pleasant surprise. I had no idea.” The man stepped forward and embraced him heartily.

  “I take it you two already know each other?” The governor smiled.

  “We do. And, Jonah, I’d like to introduce you to someone else.” Chaplain Hal said with a twinkle in his eye. He stepped back into the room he’d emerged from with a young woman on his arm. “My daughter.”

  A freight truck ru
nning him over couldn’t have impacted him more. Joseph looked back and forth from the young woman to Chaplain Hal. “Azalea?”

  It felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. His heartbeat quickened. The room began to spin. He might just fall flat on his face at any moment.

  “I’m sorry. I can’t do this.” Joseph rushed past all of them and hurried to the front door, desperate for some fresh air. Azalea is here? And she’s Chaplain Hal’s daughter?

  This wasn’t a dream—it was a nightmare.

  Why, God? As soon as I regain my bearings, You throw me for another loop. I don’t understand this. What are You doing? My heart can’t take much more, Lord.

  “Jonah?” Azalea’s voice called from behind.

  No, not now. He squeezed his eyes shut. “Please. Just leave me.” He didn’t dare turn around.

  “I had no idea you’d be here. Really. I thought you were still—”

  “In prison?” He shook his head. “Where I should be, right?”

  “Jonah…” She sighed. “I want to apologize. Dad said that he believes you were innocent this whole time.”

  “He does?”

  “Yes.”

  “And what about you, Azalea? You still believe I’m guilty, huh?”

  “I’m still trying to process all this. Honestly, I don’t know what to think. With all my heart, I want to believe that you’re innocent.”

  “But you don’t,” he said flatly.

  He felt her hand touch his shoulder.

  “Please. Turn around. Look at me.” Her voice trembled as she spoke the words.

  He shook his head. “I don’t know if I can.”

  She moved to stand in front of him and lifted his chin so their eyes met. “I still love you.” A tear slipped down her cheek as she spoke the words.

  He ached to pull her into his arms. “No, you don’t,” he said roughly and stepped back from her. “Love is built on trust. You don’t even trust me. You can’t trust me, Azalea.”

  “I’m trying.”

  “Trying isn’t enough.” He moved to the side. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must go inside.”

  With that, he strode back toward the entrance.

  “Jonah! Please. Don’t go.” Azalea’s desperate cry was practically his undoing.

  He couldn’t stand this a moment longer. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. Then he abruptly spun around and marched toward Azalea. Without a word, he wrapped one hand around her waist and the other behind her head and pulled her close. Before she could complete her gasp, his mouth pressed firmly against hers and he gave her the kiss he’d kept bottled up for nearly the past year and a half.

  She responded with equal passion and sighed when they broke away from each other.

  “Marry me.” Joseph’s eyes searched hers. If she did love him, as she said, agreeing would be the ultimate declaration of trust.

  “I…”

  He met her hesitation with another breathless kiss.

  “Marry me?”

  She nodded, as though convincing herself it was the right thing to do, then nodded again with a smile the size of Indianapolis. “Okay. Yes, Jonah. I’ll marry you.” Her teeth tugged her bottom lip inward.

  “Really?” A cautious hope kindled in his heart. His eyes examined hers for a hint of doubt, of reticence. “You’re really saying yes?”

  “Yes.” Tears shined in her eyes. “Yes, Jonah. I’m really saying yes.”

  He closed his eyes and tossed his head back. “Thank You, God.”

  “Let’s go inside and talk to my father.” She grasped his hand and started toward the door.

  “Wait…do you think…?” He shook his head. “I don’t know…”

  “Jonah, my father loves you.”

  “He does?”

  “Yes. He will welcome you into our family with open arms. He would come home from his prison chaplain duties and talk about you. He’d talk about what a good man you are.”

  “Wow, I…”

  “Come on.” She tugged his hand again.

  “Okay, if you’re sure.”

  “I’ve never been more sure about anything.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  “I have an urgent phone call to attend to.” The governor motioned to his office. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to step out for a few moments.”

  Joseph, Hal, and Azalea all nodded in understanding.

  “I still can’t believe that you’re Azalea’s father.” Joseph leaned forward on the couch and shook his head. He forked a bite of the delicious cheesecake he’d been served and savored the creamy texture.

  Chaplain Hal smiled, sipping his coffee. “The one and only.”

  “So this whole time…” Joseph’s mouth went slack. “Wow.” There was no doubt in his mind now that God had all this planned from the beginning.

  “When we spoke the first time, I didn’t know it was you. It wasn’t until Azalea opened up to me that I realized that you and her boyfriend were one and the same.”

  “But you…? I don’t understand. You know what I’ve been accused of. How can you trust me with your daughter?” He glanced at Azalea sitting next to him, who seemed to be quietly listening. Either that or she was entranced by the magnificent dessert they’d been served. He winked and she smiled back.

  “From what Azalea’s told me about you, and from what you’ve told me and the behavior I’ve seen from you while in prison, combined with my knowledge of Miranda Brandenburg, let’s just say I’d take your word over hers any day.”

  Joseph’s forehead wrinkled. “But I thought your families were friends?”

  “In a very loose sense of the word. We’ve never been close, although, if Miranda would get her way, we’d be quite a bit closer.”

  Azalea gasped. “What do you mean, Dad?”

  “Do you remember after your mother passed away?”

  Azalea nodded and set her empty dessert plate on the coffee table.

  Hal continued. “The Brandenburgs had brought over a couple of meals. Well, let’s just say that I had a feeling that she was offering more than just condolences.”

  Azalea’s hand flew to her chest. “Really?”

  “She never made a pass at me, like she did Jonah, but her body language told me that she was…available.” He shook his head.

  “That’s terrible.” She reached over and squeezed her father’s hand.

  “I never had any concrete evidence other than the way she eyed me and her tone of voice. And I tried my best to ignore it. Just tried to steer clear of her.”

  “I can’t believe that, Dad. I never had any idea.”

  Joseph lightly rubbed Azalea’s back, hoping the motion would calm her.

  Her father shrugged. “Well, it’s not really something I wanted to shout from the balcony. And poor Fred.”

  Hal blew out a breath. “But when I met Jonah in prison and he’d declared his innocence, I didn’t automatically dismiss it like I usually do. Something inside told me to keep an open mind. And then, when I learned that it was Miranda who’d been the one to file the charges, well, I tended to believe Jonah’s words even more. And every time we met, I became more and more convinced of his innocence.”

  “But couldn’t you have spoken up for him? Got him an appeal or something?” Azalea leaned forward on the couch.

  He shook his head. “I didn’t have any clear evidence. I’m still trying to decide whether I should have a talk with Fred. The situation is rather embarrassing. And I’d hate to lose his friendship. But he probably should know about his wife’s shenanigans.”

  Joseph sighed. “There was most likely nothing you could do anyway. Besides, I’m confident that it was the Lord who put me in that prison, not Mrs. Brandenburg.”

  “You’re right. Didn’t you say that you were able to lead a few prisoners to Christ?”

  “A couple, yeah.” Joseph smiled and nodded. “That’s the best feeling in the world.”

  “Isn’t it? Knowing you’ve made a differe
nce for eternity…” Hal’s grin widened.

  “Not that I want to go back there or anything.”

  Azalea linked her arm with his, pulled him close and kissed his cheek. “No way. I’m not letting you go again for anything.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  Three months later

  “Come on.” Azalea stood from the couch in her father’s great room and reached for Joseph’s hands.

  He pretended to allow her to pull him up, but instead pulled her down into his lap. He brought her close and kissed her thoroughly. “I don’t think I want to go anywhere,” he mumbled.

  “You need clothes for our honeymoon. I’m taking you shopping.”

  He frowned. “Shopping? Really?”

  “I’d thought you’d be happy to spend the day with me.” She gave a faux pout.

  “Yes, but shopping?”

  “I’ve been dying to see you in a pair of Wranglers and a western shirt.” The warmth of her hand on his chest through his shirt could get him to say yes to almost anything. “And we can go someplace special for lunch.”

  “Special?”

  “Or wherever you’d like to go.” She shrugged.

  “How about Chick-Fil-A or Cracker Barrel?”

  “I’m game. Let’s go?”

  He held her stare for several seconds, longing for the day he could share all his love with her. “Your wish is my command.”

  ~

  Joseph strode out of the dressing room, sporting the clothing Azalea had picked out for him. A pair of jeans that fit him just right, a plaid button-up long-sleeve shirt, and comfy leather cowboy boots. His shirt size had upgraded to a large due to the time he spent working out in prison. To his delight, Azalea had commented on how she appreciated the extra bulk. And he admitted that he didn’t mind it much himself either. He turned around at Azalea’s prompting so she could examine his getup.

  She whistled. “Wow, Jonah Millerton. Cowboy looks really good on you.” She shook her head.

  The corner of his mouth lifted at her unabashed assessment. “You think so?”

  “No. I know so. I’m going to have the handsomest husband this side of the Mississippi.”

  He chuckled. “Lying is a sin, Azalea.”