A Sister's Test (10 page)

Grace glanced over at her daughter, who sat cross-legged on the floor with the kitten in her lap. “Anna, why don’t you take the kitten out to the porch and play with her there?”

“Why can’t I stay here?”

“Outside’s a better place for the kitten.”

Anna clambered to her feet and headed out the door.

Mom pushed a jar of honey in Grace’s direction. “With the boppli coming soon, you need to get plenty of rest and remain calm.”

Grace added a spoonful of honey to her tea. “It’s hard to relax knowing Gary is back and might have been the one who threw the stink bomb into Dad’s barn.”

Mom nodded. “Did you see the mess we woke up to?”

“What mess was that?”

“Someone strung toilet paper all over the house, barn, and your daed’s woodworking shop.”

“I saw a piece of toilet paper hanging from a branch in the maple tree, but that was all.”

“The men cleaned it up before they went to work this morning.”

Grace shivered and leaned back in the chair, her thoughts racing.

“Are you cold? Would you like one of my shawls to drape around your shoulders?” Mom asked with a look of concern.

Grace shook her head. “I’m not shivering because I’m cold. I’m afraid Gary might have come back to continue harassing our family. The stink bomb and TP mess could be just the beginning.”

“I hope not.” Mom lowered her voice, even though Anna was no longer in the room. “Your daed mentioned that Luke dropped a hammer during the work frolic on your new house and that it almost hit Ruth. Did you hear about that?”

Grace shook her head, then pushed her chair aside and stood.

“Where are you going?”

“I think I should make another trip to Berlin to see if I can find Gary. If he’s hanging around town, I’m going to have a talk with him.”

“Ach, Grace, I don’t think that’s a good idea. And I don’t think Cleon would like you going into town alone—especially if he knew what you had in mind.”

“I won’t go alone. If you’re able to watch Anna, I’ll see if Martha’s willing to ride along.”

“I guess I could watch Anna, but—”

“Where is that little sister of mine?”

“Out in the barn as usual.”

“I’ll go see if she’s free.” Grace rushed out the door before Mom had a chance to respond.

Since there was a lull between customers, Ruth decided it was a good time to clean the outside glass of the bakery case, where fingerprints from customers were always a problem. She enjoyed her job at the bakeshop but looked forward to the day when she became a wife and mother. Cooking, cleaning, and wiping children’s runny noses would be more rewarding than waiting on impatient customers all day.

Ruth squirted liquid cleaner on the front of the glass and began
wiping it with a clean rag, but her thoughts were on Martin and his gentle, caring ways. She was quickly falling in love with him and hoped the feeling was mutual.
Will Martin ask me to marry him someday? I’d say yes if he did.

She smiled, picturing Martin’s deep dimples and the genuine smile he so often gave her.
If we were to marry, I wonder if our kinner would have his cute little dimples.

The telephone rang, and Ruth’s musings were halted. Someone probably wanted to place a bakery order.

A few minutes later, she hung up the phone and had just slid a tray of maple bars into the bakery case when she heard a man clear his throat. She looked up and saw Gary Walker standing on the other side of the counter, staring at her with a look so intense it made her toes curl inside her shoes. “Y–you’re back,” she stammered.

“Sure am,” he said with a twisted grin.

She gestured to the baked goods inside the case. “Do you want more maple bars?”

“No, but I wouldn’t mind a strong cup of coffee.”

“We don’t serve coffee here, just baked goods.”

He raked his fingers through the back of his thick auburn hair. “How about you and me having a cup of coffee somewhere? Maybe we could go to that restaurant on the other side of town where your sister used to work.”

She shook her head. “I can’t leave the bakeshop. My boss wouldn’t like it if I left the front counter unattended.”

Gary placed both hands against the display case and leaned toward her.

So much for cleaning the glass.

“You do get breaks, don’t you?” he asked.

She nodded and leaned away from the disgusting odor of cigarette smoke that made her want to sneeze. She hadn’t noticed a smoky smell on him before. Maybe his spicy aftershave had covered it up.

“Tell me when your break is, and we’ll meet wherever you like.”

Ruth’s mouth felt so dry she had to swallow several times in order to speak. “Wh–why would you want to meet me for coffee?”

“I’d like to talk to you about some things, and it would be easier
to do it away from here.”

She looked over her shoulder, hoping Jake would come into the room, but she figured he probably couldn’t hear the conversation over the noisy mixer running in the back room.

“I don’t believe we have anything to talk about,” she said through tight lips.

He leaned so close she could feel his sultry breath blowing against her face. “You’d be surprised how much we might have to talk about.”

Ruth closed the sliding door on her side of the bakery case. “If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”

Gary chuckled. “From what I can tell, I’m your only customer right now. Don’t you think I deserve your undivided attention?”

Ruth gripped the edge of the counter so hard her fingers turned numb. “If you didn’t come here to buy anything, then I’d appreciate it if you’d leave.”

“I’ll take a maple bar.”

“Just one?”

“Yep.” He thumped his stomach. “Don’t want to get fat, or pretty women like you may not find me attractive.”

Ruth clenched her teeth, placed a maple bar on a square of waxed paper, and handed it to him. “That will be fifty cents.”

He paid her, then bit into the maple bar and smacked his lips. “This tastes almost as sweet as your big sister’s lips.” He gave her a flirty wink. “How about you? Have you ever been kissed by an English man?”

Ruth heard the echo of her heartbeat in her head.

An English couple entered the bakeshop. Gary grunted and stepped aside as they approached the counter.

“May I help you?” Ruth asked.

The man nodded. “We’d like a dozen chocolate doughnuts and an angel food cake.”

As Ruth reached into the bakery case to remove the items, she looked up and saw Gary heading for the door. “I’ll come back when you’re not so busy,” he called over his shoulder.

Ruth cringed. The last thing she wanted was to see that man again!

W
hen Martha pulled her buggy up to the hitching rail near the back of the bakeshop, she pointed to Gary Walker as he came around the corner of the building. “There he is. Are you sure you want to speak with him, sister?”

Grace nodded despite her sweaty hands and rapidly beating heart.

“I’ll park the buggy and go with you.”

“I think it would be better if I speak with Gary alone. Why don’t you wait for me inside the bakeshop?”

Martha’s forehead wrinkled. “I don’t think—”

“I’ll be fine.”

Martha shrugged and stepped down from the buggy.

As her sister headed for the bakeshop, Grace hurried toward Gary, who was almost to his car.

He whirled around to face her. “You following me, Gracie?”

When she opened her mouth to reply, the only thing that came out was a little squeak.

“I wouldn’t think a married woman who’s expecting a baby would be running down the street chasing after other men.”

“I’m not. I mean, I just wanted to ask you a question.”

He leaned on the hood of his car and folded his arms. “About what?”

“I was wondering how long you plan to stay in Holmes County.”

“As long as it takes.”

“For what?”

“For me to write the stories I’m after.” He leveled her a penetrating
look that sent shivers up her spine. “Are you feeling the need to check up on me, Gracie?”

She swallowed hard, unsure of how to respond.

“I didn’t come back to Holmes County to make your life miserable, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

The urge to ask if he had toilet-papered their buildings and thrown the stink bomb into the barn was strong, but Grace figured he might take satisfaction in knowing she was afraid. “I would think you could find other things to write about than the Holmes County Amish,” she said as a horse and buggy rumbled by and turned into the cheese store parking lot across the street.

Gary leaned away from his car and moved closer to her. “None quite as interesting as you.”

Before she could comment, he snickered and said, “I think your sister who works at the bakeshop is pretty interesting, too.”

Grace’s fingers pressed into her palms until the nails dug into her flesh. “Stay away from Ruth.”

“If I don’t?”

“I’ll tell the sheriff what I think you’re up to.”

Gary snorted and slapped his knee. “It’s a free country, Gracie. I have every right to visit the bakeshop whenever I get the urge for something sweet. Besides, it’s not like the sheriff’s going to arrest me for buying a few doughnuts.”

“The sheriff’s aware of the break-ins and vandalism that went on at our place several months ago. He told my dad that he plans to keep an eye on things.”

“I told you before that I had nothing to do with any of those occurrences.” Gary flung open the car door. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got work to do.”

“That man makes me so angry,” Grace fumed as Gary pulled away from the curb. “I’m sure he’s the one responsible for those attacks, and he’s probably trying to make it look like it’s someone else.”

“I can’t believe you let Grace speak to that reporter by herself,” Ruth said after Martha came into the shop and told her what Grace
had decided to do.

“I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn’t listen.” Martha groaned. “You know how stubborn our big sister can be when she makes up her mind about something.”

“Jah, I know.” Ruth skirted around the front counter and hurried over to the window near the door. She craned her neck to see up the street but saw no sign of Grace or Gary.

“Do you want me to go after her?” Martha asked.

“She probably wouldn’t like it. Besides, I’m sure Gary wouldn’t do anything foolish right here in town.” Ruth moved back to the bakery case, and Martha followed.

When Grace stepped into the bakeshop a few minutes later, her face looked pale, and she shuffled across the room as if she had no strength in her legs.

Ruth rushed into the back room and grabbed a stool. “You’d better sit down.”

Grace nodded and did as she was told. “I held up pretty well while I was talking to Gary, but after he left, my knees felt so shaky I thought I might not make it here.”

“What did the man have to say?” Martha asked.

“I asked how long he plans to stay in Holmes County, and he said as long as it takes to get the stories he wants. Then he mentioned Ruth, and I threatened to notify the sheriff if he doesn’t stay away from her.”

Ruth’s heart slammed into her chest. “I hope Gary doesn’t think I’m interested in him, because I’m surely not.”