With force, he pushed the first tinges of the depression he’d been battling away. He wasn’t going to go there tonight. Not when there were so many other things to concentrate on.
As everyone around him started talking quietly, Harley allowed himself to glance at each one. Next to him were Logan and Tricia. On Tricia’s other side was Will Kurtz. Will was Amish and worked at the trailer factory with John B., who was on Will’s other side. Will’s mother used to watch them all from time to time when they were young.
Sitting next to John B. was his sweetheart, Marie. John had grown up Amish but had recently jumped the fence for a variety of reasons, the main one being that he and Marie had fallen in love, and she was as English as a girl could be. Next in the circle sat Elizabeth Anne, all red hair, properness, and smiles. She was Mennonite and was best friends with Katie Steury, who was Amish like him.
Against his will, Harley let his gaze settle on Katie, thinking of how she looked so like the heroine in one of the more recent Star Wars movies. Back during his rumspringa, they’d all gone to the movies and thought Katie looked so much like a blond version of the actress Natalie Portman that they’d called her that for days.
Last but not least was Kendra Troyer, who was sitting on his left. Kendra was shy and a little awkward, and all of them were protective of her. He’d been glad that she’d become part of their extended group when they were teenagers.
“Harley?” Will called out. “You okay?”
“Hmm? Oh, jah. Just sitting here thinking.”
“About what?” E.A. asked. “You look so serious.”
Not wanting to admit that he’d been silently struggling with Andy’s loss, Harley thought quickly. “Nothing much. I was only thinking about the night Marie and Andy graduated high school and we all went out together.”
“Boy, I haven’t thought about that night in ages,” Marie said with a grin. “Hey, did any of your parents ever find out everything that we did?”
Will shuddered. “No way. Mei daed would have tanned my backside.”
“You were lucky. My brothers found out,” John B. said. “I had to do both James’s and Anton’s chores for a month in order for them to keep the secret.”
Kendra waved a hand. “What actually did happen that night? I remember hearing that something had occurred, but I never heard the details.”
“Believe me, you don’t want to know,” Marie said.
“I do,” Tricia called out. “Come on, you Eight, don’t be a tease. Andy never whispered a word about his graduation night.”
“I ain’t sure tonight’s the best time to share it,” Harley hedged. “I mean, it’s a long story.”
“Go ahead and tell it, Harley,” Katie prodded. “It’s Friday night, and none of us have anywhere else to be.”
“All right. But don’t say I didn’t warn ya. It for sure doesn’t show any of us in the best light.”
“I’ll try not to be too shocked,” Kendra murmured, sarcasm thick in her voice.
Tricia reached for Logan’s hand. “I am getting a little worried about what I’m about to find out.”
“Don’t get too worried,” John B. said. “We didn’t do anything that bad. I mean, we could have been a whole lot worse.” Chuckling, he added, “As much as the story embarrasses me, I wouldn’t change a bit of it.”
“It ain’t like we could ever change the past anyway,” Will said.
Harley guffawed. “I do love it when you try to act all pious and perfect, William.”
Looking sheepish, Will picked up his can of soda and sipped. “You’re right. We were all once young and stupid. And for the record, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Start talking, Harley. And don’t leave anything out.”
Feeling some of the pressure that had been weighing on him lighten at last, Harley stood up.
And, after mentally raising a toast to Andy, he began.
Continue Reading…
The Loyal One
Shelley Shepard Gray
READER QUESTIONS
1. What do you think about The Eight? Who are your lifelong friends? What do you think makes some friendships last years and years while others fade over time?
2. Much of the novel is about how different characters struggle with their friend Andy’s death. What has helped you recover from a loved one’s passing?
3. At first glance, one might determine that John B. and Marie have nothing in common. I happened to disagree! What do you think made their relationship work?
4. What did you think about John’s choices? Did you agree, or do you think he made the wrong decision? How did you feel about his parents’ and grandparents’ reactions?
5. One of my favorite characters was Molly. What do you think will happen in her future?
6. The following verse from Proverbs guided me while I wrote this book. “Some friends may ruin you, but a real friend will be more loyal than a brother.” How does this verse resonate with you?
7. I thought the following Amish Proverb could be good advice for many of the characters in the novel. “Our eyes are placed in front because it is more important to look forward than to look back.” How might you or someone you love put this advice to good use?
8. Which characters are you hoping to read more about in an upcoming book?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
DIANNE BOMAR AT THE NEW STUDIO
SHELLEY SHEPARD GRAY is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than sixty novels that have been translated into multiple languages. She lives in Colorado with her family and writes full-time.
FOR MORE ON THIS AUTHOR:
Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Shelley-Shepard-Gray
SimonandSchuster.com
Facebook.com/GalleryBooks
@GalleryBooks
Also available from Shelley Shepard Gray and Gallery Books
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2019 by Shelley Shepard Gray
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First Gallery Books trade paperback edition April 2019
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Interior design by Erika Genova
Cover design by Chelsea McGuckin
Cover image © Willard/Deposit Photos, Michael Brennan/Contributor/Getty Images
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
IS
BN 978-1-9821-0087-2
ISBN 978-1-9821-0088-9 (ebook)
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