by Amy Clipston
“It’s Alice.” Kayla shook her head and sighed. “She’s been screaming all morning. Her temperature is up, and I can’t get it down. I’ve tried everything, and I’m out of pain reliever. I can’t reach Jamie’s driver. He took Jamie, Dat, and Roy out to get supplies. I can’t remember the phone number for mei dat’s driver, and I’m just so worried about her. It could be a tooth coming, but I’m just so exhausted.” A tear trickled down Kayla’s cheek.
Cindy’s heart nearly shredded as Calvin began to cry along with his sister.
“I can help you.” Cindy touched Kayla’s arm again as an idea gripped her. Although she hadn’t seen Drew in nearly two weeks, she was certain he would help in an emergency. “I’ll ask Drew if he can take me to the store. Today is Thursday, and he mentioned he has classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I’ll offer to pay him. Let me just get my purse, and I’ll go ask him.” She started toward the stairs.
“Danki,” Kayla called after her.
“I’ll be back soon. I promise,” Cindy told Kayla when she returned.
“Where are Florence and Sarah Jane?”
“They went up the street to visit a neighbor, but they should be home soon.” Cindy walked Kayla and the children out the back door. “I’ll come to your haus as soon as I get back with the medicine.” She gave Calvin a quick hug. “Don’t worry. We’ll get your little sister what she needs.”
“Danki,” Kayla shouted over Alice’s cries as Cindy rushed away.
As she jogged up the Lapps’ driveway to Drew’s house, she thought about how disappointed she was that he hadn’t come to her house to deliver her empty container. She didn’t want to go to his house without a better reason than asking for it.
Today she had a good reason, and she prayed he would help her. Relief flooded her when she spotted his truck parked beside his house. Now she just had to convince him to give her a ride.
She knocked on his door and then turned toward the sound of barking. When she spotted Bruce standing in the doorway of the barn, she rushed over there.
“Hi, Bruce,” she said. “Is your dat in the barn?”
Bruce barked again and wagged his tail.
“Cindy?” Drew appeared in faded jeans and a black T-shirt. He pulled gloves off his hands as he walked over to her. His jaw was again covered with light-brown stubble, and even in her panic, she noticed his eyes were bright and intelligent. “How are you?”
“I need your help.” She pointed toward his pickup. “I need to get to a drugstore, and our driver isn’t answering his phone. Kayla desperately needs medicine for Alice. Could I pay you to give me a ride?”
“No.”
She stared at him. Had he really said no?
“I’ll take you to the drugstore, but you’re not going to pay me.” He nodded toward his house. “Let me clean up a little, tell Ervin or Gertrude I’m leaving, and then we’ll go. What’s wrong with Alice?”
“She’s running a fever and she’s really fussy.” Cindy fell into step with him as they walked toward the house. “Kayla has tried all the usual ways to bring the fever down, and nothing has worked. She needs pain reliever, but she’s out of it.”
Once up the steps, he opened the front door and stepped back for her to go through. “Just give me a minute.”
“Thank you.” She stepped inside.
“There’s no need to thank me.” He headed toward the kitchen. “I need to give you your empty container too. Maybe more cookies can be my payment.”
“That works.” She smiled as he disappeared through a doorway beyond the kitchen, and the door clicked shut.
She stood by the front door and scanned the family room, taking in the pile of books by his laptop on the coffee table and the modest furnishings. Other than the fact it had electricity, she hadn’t noticed much about the place when she was here before, looking in from the doorway.
Bruce appeared at her feet and licked her hand.
“Hi there.” She scratched his head, and he tilted it to give her better access. “Danki for getting your dat for me.”
She spotted the table in the corner with the puzzle and walked over to it. She knew she shouldn’t be in his house with him alone, but they were in separate rooms. Surely her presence was acceptable given the circumstances.
The puzzle featured a beautiful waterfall with a bright sun and rainbow above it. She touched a few puzzle pieces and imagined him sitting at the table in the evening, fitting in the pieces and thinking of his aunt.
She turned and saw a bookcase in another corner of the room, beyond the television. A couple of framed photographs sat on one shelf. With Bruce at her heels, she crossed the room and examined them.
The first one she picked up featured a young boy sitting between a man and a woman who looked to be in their early forties. The boy had to be Drew with his light-brown hair, bright ice-blue eyes, and wide smile. Cindy guessed he was about ten years old, and he looked so happy as he gave the camera a toothy grin. His parents also beamed. She studied them, realizing Drew had his father’s eyes and his mother’s thick light-brown hair and smile.
She set the photograph down and picked up the second one, which looked only a few years old. Smiling, Drew stood with his arm around an older woman who also posed for the camera with a bright grin. She looked to be in her early sixties, and she had kind blue eyes.
“That’s my aunt Shirley.” Drew’s voice was close to her ear.
Cindy jumped with a start, almost dropping the photograph as she spun toward him. He had changed into clean jeans and a green T-shirt. His hair was brushed, and a whiff of spicy cologne permeated her senses.
“I’m-I’m so sorry.” She set the photograph down on the shelf. “It was rude of me to touch your things. I apologize.” She stepped away from the bookcase and tried to will her cheeks to stop burning.
“You don’t have to apologize.” His smile was warm as he picked up the frame and ran his fingers over it. “She was a saint. She put up with my moods and my temper when I was an ornery teenager, angry at the world for what happened to my parents.”
He set the photograph down and then picked up the other one. “These are my parents. This was taken about a month before they died.” He stared at the photograph, and Cindy longed to read his mind. Was he remembering the happy times? Or was he thinking about how they died?
“You must still miss them,” she said, her voice sounding soft and reverent to her own ears.
“Yeah. I do.” He gave her a sad smile as he set the photograph back on the shelf. “I think about my parents and my aunt every day. Sometimes I even find myself talking to them. Does that sound crazy?”
“No. I completely understand.”
He met her gaze, and she was almost certain something unspoken passed between them. It was as if she truly saw him, and he saw her grief in return.
In that moment the connection she’d thought she felt suddenly became real, almost tangible, and it terrified her. How could she feel so close to someone who wasn’t a member of her community?
“We should go. I need to get Alice’s medicine to her.” Cindy scooted past him and out the front door.
five
Cindy could feel Drew’s eyes watching her as she took two boxes of pain reliever off a shelf in the drugstore. A tingle of awareness shimmied up her spine.
“That should do it.” She looked at him, and he smiled, making her feel off kilter. “I’ll go pay.”
“Are you sure you don’t need anything else?” He gestured around the aisle.
“No, thank you.” She hurried to the cash register and took her place at the back of the line.
When she turned toward the exit, she found Drew leaning against the wall and perusing a magazine. She felt as if her nerve endings were frayed after the strange moment they shared in his family room. She was grateful Drew had kept the conversation light during the drive to the store. He’d made small talk about the weather and his college classes, and Cindy answered his questions while peering ou
t the window to avoid another awkward encounter. She had to dismiss her growing admiration for him before it got her into trouble with her family.
After she paid for the medication, she followed Drew out to his truck and climbed into the passenger seat.
“I appreciate your help today,” she said as he steered out of the parking lot. “You really helped my family.”
“It wasn’t a big deal at all.” He kept his eyes focused on the road. “I’m happy to help anytime. Just come and get me if you need a ride somewhere.”
“Thank you.” As they motored through the heart of Bird-in-Hand, she fiddled with the plastic bag containing the medication and racked her brain for something to say. The quaint business area zoomed by her window, and she watched tourists walking in and out of the quilt stores, the gift shops, the hardware store, her favorite little bookstore, the fire station where Jamie volunteered, and Dienner’s Family Restaurant, which her sister-in-law Kayla’s family owned.
“Remember how you asked me how Bruce got his name?”
Cindy angled her body toward him. “You said your aunt named him after her favorite movie star, right? Was it Bruce Wilson?”
“Bruce Willis.” He smiled as if his mind had produced a special memory. “Besides her other health problems, my aunt had arthritis in her hands, and in her last couple of years she couldn’t even do puzzles anymore. So she mostly sat in front of the television and watched movies. I adopted Bruce so she’d have company while I was at work all day. She loved action and adventure movies the best, and she’d watch her favorites over and over. When I told her she had to name her new friend, she said she wanted him to be her hero. That’s why his name is Bruce.”
Warmth filled her chest. “That’s a great story.”
Drew slowed to a stop at a red light. “I do miss her.” He turned his head toward her and smiled. “But I remember the good times.”
“What are your favorite memories?”
“Hmm.” He rubbed at the stubble on his chin. “I would guess popping popcorn and watching movies with her. I think of her every time one of her favorites comes on television.”
“That’s wonderful. Her memory can live on with her favorite movies, right?”
“Right.” He looked at her again. “Have you ever seen a movie?”
She shook her head. “I once went to visit an English neighbor, and she had the television on. I had to wait for her to give me something for my mom, and I saw a few minutes of the television program. But I’m not sure what it was.”
“Do you remember what the program was about?”
She bit her lower lip and tried to recall the details. “I think it was about police officers investigating a murder. It seemed like a mystery program.”
“A lot of those are on television. What did you think of it?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t see enough of it to form an opinion.”
He turned his attention to the light, and when it turned green he eased through the intersection. “What are your favorite happy memories?”
Cindy stilled as his question barreled over her. Memories of her mother echoed through her mind, and she tried to swallow against the messy knot of emotion that threatened to strangle her. She opened her mouth, but words refused to come as grief descended like a bank of dark clouds.
He peeked over at her, and his pleasant expression faded. “I’m sorry. I crossed a line, didn’t I?”
She turned toward the window to avoid the regret that seemed to flicker on his face.
An awkward silence floated inside the cab of the truck like a rude, uninvited guest. As much as Cindy wanted to open her heart to Drew and share all her guilt, regret, and sadness over her mother’s death, she couldn’t. Those feelings had been trapped inside of her, locked up for seven years.
“My aunt used to say God sends us friends when we need them most.”
Cindy’s gaze snapped to his. “She did?”
He nodded. “I think that’s why he led me to the job at the Lapps’ farm.”
She studied his eyes and searched for clues to the hidden meaning of his statement. Was he referring to her friendship or her entire family? Did he also feel a bond growing between them?
Of course he was referring to her entire family, but also the Lapps. Why would he want a close relationship with her when they were from different worlds? She was kidding herself by thinking she might be special to him.
She turned her thoughts back to Kayla and Alice and looked out the windshield as her father’s farm came into view.
Drew parked in the driveway and Cindy leapt out of the truck before hurrying down the path to her brother’s house. She rushed up the porch steps and wrenched open the screen door. Kayla was rocking Alice in the family room.
Cindy opened the bag and pulled out the medication. “I got you two boxes of pain reliever.”
“Danki.” Kayla’s expression eased slightly. “What do I owe you?”
“Nothing.” Cindy took the bottle from its box and opened it. She read the dosage instructions and then helped Kayla give it to Alice. “I hope this helps her quickly.”
“Danki so much.” Kayla stroked her daughter’s hair.
“Can I do anything?” Cindy pointed toward the kitchen. “Would you like me to make supper or clean? Do you need me to take Calvin for the afternoon?”
“No.” Kayla shook her head. “I can handle them both.”
“Are you sure?” Cindy asked.
“Ya, but danki.” Kayla looked past Cindy and smiled. “Thank you for taking Cindy to the store for me. You saved the day.”
Cindy turned to where Drew stood in the doorway. He looked solemn.
“How is she?” he asked.
Kayla pushed the rocker into motion. “Her temperature is still up, but I got her to calm down. The medication will help a lot.”
“Where is Calvin?” Cindy asked.
“He’s reading books in his room.” Kayla leaned her head back on the rocker. “We’ll be fine. I promise.”
Cindy stood. “I’ll come by later to check on you.”
“Danki.” Kayla waved.
Cindy met Drew at the doorway, and then they stepped outside together.
* * *
“I can’t thank you enough,” Cindy said as she stood beside Drew on the porch steps.
“You can stop thanking me now.” Drew felt his lips turn up into a smile. “But I do seem to remember something about a pie.”
Cindy snapped her fingers. “You’re right. I do owe you a pie.”
“You don’t owe me anything, but I’ll accept a pie.”
Cindy seemed relieved by this. “I’ll make you one.”
“All right.” Guilt nipped at him as he took in her face. The pain in her eyes when he’d asked her to share a happy memory was almost too much for him to bear. He had to apologize. “Listen, I’m really sorry for what I asked you in the truck—”
“Please don’t worry about it.” She waved off the statement. “Oh, there’s mei dat.” She hurried down the steps as a white van pulled into the driveway.
Drew frowned as he followed her. Was she angry with him for bringing up something so personal? Or was she simply avoiding a painful issue? He squelched the urge to pull her back and insist she speak to him so they could sort this out. But he had no right to force her to tell him anything. He simply cared about her feelings.
“Dat!” Cindy rushed over to where Vernon, Roy, and Jamie were unloading the back of the van. “Drew had to take us to the drugstore to get medicine for Alice.”
“Why?” Jamie’s eyes widened. “Is Alice okay?”
Cindy nodded. “She’s better now, but she was inconsolable before. She’s been running a fever. Nothing worked when Kayla tried to bring it down, and she needed more pain reliever.” She turned to the man standing beside Vernon. “She tried to reach you, Blake, but she couldn’t. So I asked Drew to help.”
“She couldn’t reach me?” Blake moved to the driver’s side and f
ished around until he pulled out his phone. “My ringer was off.” He frowned. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Cindy looked at Drew and her expression warmed. “It all worked out.”
“Thank you for helping my family, Drew,” Jamie said.
“You’re welcome,” Drew told him.
Jamie wore a concerned expression as he started walking fast toward his house.
Drew moved to the back of the van. “Let me help you.” He picked up two bags of chicken feed.
“Oh, no, no.” Vernon shook his head. “I’m sure you have chores of your own to do on Ervin’s farm.”
“I don’t mind helping.” Drew turned to Cindy. “Where does the chicken feed go?”
Cindy opened her mouth to respond, but she was cut off by her stepmother’s loud voice.
“Vernon!” Florence called as she and Sarah Jane walked up the driveway. “You’re back. How was your trip to town?”
“Gut, but Alice is krank.” Vernon motioned toward Jamie’s house. “Drew took Cindy to get medication for her.”
Florence’s dark eyes widened. “Alice is sick?” She hurried up the path toward Jamie’s house with Sarah Jane following close behind her.
“I’ll take that.” Roy took the chicken feed from Drew. “We can handle this. Danki for helping Cindy.”
“You’re welcome.” Drew turned to Cindy. “See you soon.”
She gave him a little smile. “Thank you again.”
“Don’t forget about my pie,” he whispered, and then gave her a wink and sauntered over to his truck.
After he climbed into the driver’s seat, he lingered for a moment, watching the Riehl family interact as they unloaded the van. His heart suddenly felt heavy, and envy was like a snake twisting his insides. Would he ever have a loving family of his own?
* * *
Drew was reading the instructions on the back of a frozen pizza when a knock sounded on the door. After setting the box on the counter, he crossed to the front door and found Gertrude on the other side of his screen door. In her mid-seventies, she was several inches shorter than he was, and she reminded him of his aunt with her graying brown hair, kind brown eyes, and welcoming smile.