Plain Peace (A Daughters of the Promise Novel) (16 page)

“Have you been able to convince
Daadi
to let me spend time with Jacob?”

“I’m working on it, dear.”
Mammi
slid past her toward the kitchen, and Anna followed her.

“What were you and Cora doing in the basement?” Anna picked up a banana from the fruit bowl on the table and started peeling it.

Mammi
opened the cabinet under the sink and pulled out her cleaning bucket. “
Ach
, nothing really. Just chatting.”

“In the basement?” Anna took a bite of the banana and waited.

“Uh . . .
ya
.”

“Did you tell Cora that
Daadi
has forbidden me to see Jacob?” Anna sat down at the table and took another bite of the fruit as her grandmother took inventory of the items in the bucket.

“
Ya
. Jacob told her what happened, and they both assumed there would be a problem with your grandfather.”
Mammi
picked up the bucket and shook her head. “You should have known better than to not be truthful with him, Anna. I’m trying to talk to him, but I suspect it will be awhile before he agrees to let you spend time with Jacob.”

Anna stood up, tossed the peel in the trash, and faced off with her grandmother. “Are you being truthful with
Daadi
about what you do down in the basement?” She slammed her hands to her hips. “What do you do down there, anyway?”

“Anna, I don’t have time to get into this with you now. I’ve told you that it’s my quiet place, and—”

“I know what you’ve told me. You also keep the door locked.” Anna grinned. “But I know where the key is.”

Mammi
turned pale as the white wall behind her.

“Don’t worry. I don’t go in there.” Anna shook her head. “I’m
going to go tend to the garden.” She took a few steps, then turned around. “Please keep trying to talk to
Daadi
. I really like Jacob, and unless
Daadi
wants me to live with you for the rest of my life, he’s going to have to start giving me some freedom.”

Her grandmother nodded, but Anna wasn’t holding out much hope.

Jacob opened the envelope Anna had left and pulled out a flattened dime. Then he unfolded a white piece of paper and read her note.

Hope your wish came true. I’ll be at the train tracks on Saturday at three o’clock. Anna
.

Jacob’s heart raced, even though he knew he shouldn’t see Anna against her grandfather’s will. He wondered briefly if he should go talk to Bishop Byler before Saturday, but he didn’t want to risk not being able to see Anna, so maybe he would talk to the bishop after the next worship service.

He slid the note back in its envelope and tucked it into his pocket, then signaled Bolt to pick up the pace. He was glad he’d taken the family buggy to work today. The drive home gave him private time to think the situation out. Anna was proving to be much more than a distraction from his family problems. Thoughts of her kept him up at night.

It was nearing the supper hour when Jacob turned into his driveway. He was pleased to see the flowerbeds filled with colorful blooms. Maybe everyone was starting to heal after all.

“The flowers are pretty,” he said to his sisters when he walked into the kitchen.

Mary Jane carried a loaf of bread to the table. “
Mamm
planted those earlier today.”

Jacob nodded, then walked to the living room and hung his hat on the rack. He glanced around but didn’t see his father or brothers. Or his mother.

“Where is everyone?” He pulled a pitcher of tea from the refrigerator.

Anna Mae leaned up against the kitchen counter. “Who knows where
Daed
is. Eli and Abe are at the creek. I told them to be home by supper.”

Jacob sat down in one of the chairs at the table, hoping everyone’s absence wouldn’t hold up supper. “What about
Mamm
?”

“She said she had an errand to run.” Anna Mae moved toward a pot on the stove. “She was walking, so she couldn’t have gone very far.”

Jacob mentally calculated how much more money he would need before he could buy his own buggy, then sighed. It was going to be awhile. But he could walk to the railroad tracks on Saturday if he had to. He got off work at two that day, so it wouldn’t be a problem. He thought about the wish he’d made that day and smiled.

A few minutes later
Mamm
breezed into the kitchen, a smile on her face and a small pink box in one hand.

“Be right back to help you finish supper.”
Mamm
was smiling, almost skipping, as she left the kitchen. Then Abe and Eli came in carting an ice chest full of fish and grinning from ear to ear. Even Anna Mae and Mary Jane were giggling among themselves about something. Jacob wasn’t thrilled to hear Ben Raber’s name mentioned. Ben hadn’t been very nice to Anna the day Jacob met
her. He hoped one of his sisters hadn’t taken a liking to him. Still, it was nice to hear laughter in the house.

But as he looked around at people talking, smelling the aromas of supper, he couldn’t help recalling a time when there were two more place settings at the table. Though time had offered a measure of healing, the pain was still there. Would his family ever be healthy again?

He strained his neck to see out the kitchen window, but there was no sign of
Daed
.

Again.

Noah drove to Lucy Turner’s house to return the pendant Anna had brought to him. He dreaded facing her. She hadn’t been very pleasant the few times he’d met her. But the longer Noah had stared at little Benjamin’s picture, the more certain he was that Ivan would want the Stoltzfus family in his son’s life. Noah wanted to be a part of that, even if it meant having to deal with Lucy.

He took a deep breath and knocked, then glanced around at the overgrown yard. His brother had built the house, but he’d still been married to Katie Ann when he died, so the house had technically belonged to her. But when Katie Ann moved to Colorado, she’d deeded the house to Lucy. Not many folks in Paradise could wrap their minds around that. Why would Katie Ann give her husband’s mistress the house? But Noah had known Katie Ann a long time, and he assumed she had her reasons. A fresh start, perhaps. Noah wasn’t even sure if Lucy understood just what Katie Ann had done for her.

Alice Turner opened the door, her hair tousled, but she
looked clean and wore a different dress? “Do you need more strawberries?”

Noah held up his palm toward her. “No. No I don’t.” He smiled. “How are you, Alice?”

“I think I’m okay.” She scratched her chin. “Why are you here?”

Noah reached into his pocket and pulled out the pendant. “Is this yours?” He handed it to her, and right away her face lit up.

“My Benjamin necklace!” She turned and yelled over her shoulder, “Lucy! I have my Benjamin necklace back!” Pulling it to her chest, she squeezed her eyes tight for a few seconds, then looked back at Noah. “Thank you.”

Noah nodded just as Lucy walked up beside Alice. She didn’t look anything like the Lucy Noah remembered—bleached-blond hair, too much makeup, clothing a size too small. This new Lucy had short, dark hair and a freshly scrubbed face. She was dressed in simple blue jeans and a loose green T-shirt.

“Noah?” She asked as if she wasn’t sure. They’d only been around each other a few times, and that was before Benjamin was born.

“Hi, Lucy. I brought Alice something I think she lost.” He nodded toward the older woman.

“Momma, why don’t you go check on Benjamin.” Lucy gently pulled her mother inside, then stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind her. “Thank you for returning her necklace. I have no idea where she lost it, but it’s very important to her.”

Noah shifted his weight, knowing he was about to get Alice in trouble, but Lucy should know what was going on. “Alice, I’m assuming, is your mother?” Lucy nodded. “I think she’s been stealing strawberries from some of the Amish gardens. Anna Byler found the necklace in her garden after seeing an older woman there.”

Lucy raised her chin, frowning. “So that makes Momma a thief?”

Noah shrugged. “Well, since she brought me a ton of strawberries, the strawberries were stolen by an older woman, and her necklace was on the scene . . . looks guilty to me.”

Lucy rubbed her forehead, and Noah noticed the dark circles under her eyes. That, too, was a big change from the woman he remembered.

“I’ll make this right,” she said. “I’m not sure how yet, but I will. Who all did she steal from?”

“As far as I know, just the Bylers and maybe the Lapps.” Noah paused. “I know both those families, and they would have probably just given her the strawberries. I guess I’m wondering what would make her steal them late at night.”

Lucy glanced over her shoulder, then looked back at Noah. “Momma had a stroke awhile back. She hasn’t really been right in the head since then.”

Noah swallowed hard. “Is she okay in there with your baby . . . with Benjamin?”

“Oh yeah. She loves Benjamin with all her heart. I don’t leave him alone with her, but she’d never do anything to put him in danger.” She opened the door and stepped backward. “Thank you for bringing back her necklace, and again . . . please let the Bylers and the Lapps know I’ll pay them for the strawberries. I’m not working much right now . . .” She pulled her eyes from his, paused for a few moments, then went on. “But as soon as I can, I’ll make it right.”

Noah shook his head. “I really don’t think that’s necessary. I just thought you should know what happened.” He peered over her
shoulder, and in the distance he could see Alice holding Benjamin. “Do you think maybe I could—”

“I’m sorry. I have to go. Thank you again.” Lucy took a final step backward and closed the door.

Noah turned to leave but heard voices inside. He stopped and listened.

“None of them Stoltzfuses like you. I’m surprised that nice doctor even came over here to bring me my necklace back.”

Noah moved in closer to catch what else Alice had to say, but Lucy spoke up next.

“Whether they like me or not, yes, it was nice of Dr. Noah to bring your necklace. But, Momma, you can’t be going into other people’s gardens and stealing fruit.”

“Well, it ain’t like you make any money for me to pay him, and he saved my life! Don’t you think he deserved a little something for that effort?”

“Momma, I would have found a way to pay him. I told you that. Stealing is not the answer.”

Noah listened as Alice began to cackle. “Well, ain’t you the high and mighty one! You listen to me. You’re not right in the eyes of the Lord, so I don’t think you’d best be criticizing me.”

“Momma, please don’t start this again. You know I’m trying to live a better life! And God loves everyone.”

Noah was now back up on the porch listening. His heart ached for Lucy, despite her past.

“God doesn’t love you. No one loves you, Lucy Turner. Even my Benjamin will grow up not to love you. And he’ll leave you as soon as he can.”

Noah held his fist to the door, feeling an overwhelming urge to
knock. Because maybe that would put an end to the old woman’s vicious words. And because he wanted more than ever to meet his nephew.

But he pulled back his hand, eased down the porch steps, and walked to his car. He wondered if Lucy knew that there were medications for people like Alice, whether her problems stemmed solely from the stroke or involved something like depression or even Alzheimer’s. Maybe he’d try to talk to Lucy at another time.