The Promise of Palm Grove (4 page)

“Oh, Zack. It's a wonder you three didn't get stung.”

He shrugged off her worry. “Next thing I knew, Serena jumped down from the tree limb like it was six inches off the ground instead of six feet, and pranced over to Leona. Right then and there, she rubbed herself against Leona's legs and meowed. Leona bent down and picked her up, just like that cat was her long-lost friend.”

Serena wasn't known for being an especially cuddly cat. That, Effie thought, was one of the reasons she escaped so much. If Mrs. Sadler had her way, Serena would be in her arms or on her lap all day long. “Did Leona get scratched up?”

“
Nee
. Fact is, Serena didn't fight her at all.” He shook his head in wonder. “It was something to see.” He looked beyond Effie again, his gaze settling on Leona.

“I bet. So that's how you met Leona?”

“Yeah. I introduced myself. Well, all three of us boys did. Leona and her friends are down from Ohio on vacation.”

Effie felt her spirits sink, though she wasn't quite sure why. The actual population of Pinecraft was pretty small. She didn't know all the Amish, of course, but she recognized most of the folks who lived in her area. Still, if Leona were a local, Effie would have remembered her. With her blond hair, brown eyes, and high cheek bones, Leona was so very pretty.

And, judging by the way Zack kept looking in her direction, it was fairly obvious that he thought Leona was attractive, too.

After their server brought them their drinks, Effie made a decision. “Zack, why don't you go over and see if they want a tour of the area or something?”

“What?”

“All right. Maybe not a tour. But maybe you could show them how to get on the bus to go to Siesta Key. It's a little tricky, at least the first time. I mean, everyone says that. And then, since you'll be on the bus with her, you could go to the beach, too.”

Something flickered in his eyes before he firmly tamped it down. “I bet she'd think that was a bit much, me going up to her table and offering to take her to the beach.”

“I bet she'd think that was nice. How else is she going to figure things out? I'm pretty sure she wouldn't ask you to take her.”

“Why wouldn't she?”

Effie rolled her eyes. “Because she's the girl, Zack. Even I know that answer.”

“I don't know. I don't want to say the wrong thing. Or scare her off.”

“You don't have to say another word to her if you don't want. But I kind of think she would be relieved if you offered. Ain't so?”

“You think?”

“
Jah
. Those girls have probably been wondering how much it costs, how to get tickets, where it stops . . . all that stuff. I've read the guides. If you don't know the streets, it don't make much sense. It's much better to be with someone who knows what to do and where to go.” She smiled then, really pleased that she was able to help him out for once.

Her brother cracked a few of his knuckles, something he always did when he was thinking hard. “You may be right.”

“I know I'm right.” Eager to help him, since he was always looking out for her, Effie added another thought. “I think there might be another reason she's gonna be glad you asked.”

“Why is that?”

“Because I saw her looking at you the same way you've been darting glances at her.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Zack frowned. “A girl like that is probably taken, though, don'tcha think?”

“You won't know unless you start talking to her, silly. It's not like she's going to be wearing a ring on her finger like the
Englischers
do.”

“You're probably right,” he muttered under his breath.

Effie almost laughed. Her brother was one of the most confident people she'd ever met. Nothing ever seemed to fluster him. Not his life at home—which basically amounted to taking care of everything—not his friends, not even her handicap. He took everything in stride.

Except this girl. Yep, there was something about this Leona that had his stomach in knots and set him on edge. And though she was only twelve, she thought it was cute. “Go on and ask before she leaves.”

He braced his hands on the table, obviously ready to push away, then paused. Indecision shone brightly on his face, so vividly that Effie could have sworn a ticker tape of thoughts flickered in his eyes.

At last he stood up. “I'll be right back,” he murmured, then walked over to Leona's table.

Taking a sip of iced tea, Effie smiled to herself.

Thank you, Lord.

When she'd arrived at Yoder's, she'd only been thinking about herself. About her legs, about her handicap, about the girls in her class and how she wished she'd never heard of Perthes disease.

But now He had given her the opportunity to concentrate on someone else. To be the encourager, the strong and confident one. It was a nice change. It was a
really
nice change.

So much so, she hardly noticed when Jennifer C. and Melanie walked by, waving at her slightly before they followed their mothers to the cashier.

For the first time in a long time, what she wanted and how she was feeling didn't matter to her at all. Not one bit.

B
everly loved having three young guests in the house. The girls in the top attic room were polite, had sunny dispositions, and chatted a mile a minute. When the house seemed especially quiet, Beverly had discovered that if she stood in the middle of the stairwell, she could hear the girls' voices.

Snippets of conversation would float downstairs, shared laughter punctuated by teasing, and then accompanied by strains of thoughtful silence. It was all music to her ears.

It wasn't that she tried to listen to private conversations, of course. Instead, she simply enjoyed the reminder of another time when she'd felt nothing but hope. A time when her future was so bright that she'd viewed all of her goals and dreams as completely possible.

The girls had been here four days now, and seemed to have settled into a routine of sorts. They were the last guests to arrive for breakfast but lingered at the table the longest. Then, after a round of discussion—and there was always a lot of discussion—they'd set off to explore Pinecraft and the surrounding city of Sarasota.

Later, they would return, their hands laden with shopping bags and lots of stories about the things they'd seen. Then, with more chatter and smiles, they would meet Beverly in the living room for informal tea.

Beverly had a pretty good idea that their devotion to the hour in her living room had much to do with cups of hot tea, and freshly baked lemon bread and sugar cookies. Free food was the best food, especially to girls on a budget.

But they also seemed to enjoy hearing Beverly's perspective about Pinecraft, the tourist season, the beach, and their various concerns. In no time, they became fast friends with Wilma and Sadie, too, as well as all of Beverly's friends who stopped by for tea on occasion.

There really was something about the bright-eyed girls that brought out the best in everyone at the Orange Blossom Inn.

As she set out a platter of carefully sliced grapefruit Bundt cake next to the tray of thinly sliced turkey and watercress sandwiches, Beverly wondered what their conversation would be centered upon today.

Or, perhaps, they had elected to do something else with their afternoon.

“You sure put out a great spread,” Wilma said as she fixed a plate, piling it high with the desserts. “You've got the luckiest guests in the area.”

“And maybe the luckiest friends as well?” Beverly countered with a meaningful look at Wilma's plate.

Wilma had the grace to look embarrassed. “You don't mind, do you? I mean, I know I'm not one of your guests, but it always looks like you have more than enough.”

“Of course I don't mind. I love playing hostess every afternoon. I'm glad that you can stop by so often.”

“And we like taking you up on your hospitality,” Wilma said just as Sadie entered through the front door. “Sadie, just in time,” she called out, just as if she was the hostess! “Beverly made her cream cheese grapefruit Bundt cake today.”

Sadie, the oldest one of their group, smiled. “Oh, I know all about the grapefruit Bundt. It's better than
gut,
why, it's
wonderful-gut
. Why do you think I'm here early?”

“Help yourself to a plate,” Beverly offered just as she heard a burst of giggles and a trio of footsteps scamper down the stairs.

Sadie looked toward the wooden stairs and smiled. “Looks like the girls will be joining us again.”

Beverly winked. “I think so, too.”

Wilma filled her mug with hot water just as the girls appeared, their faces wreathed in smiles. One of them had a pink nose, too.

“Good afternoon,” Beverly called out. “Will you be joining us for tea today?”

“Oh, yes,” Mattie said. “Believe it or not, we plan our afternoons around this.”

“I believe it,” Wilma quipped. “I do, too.”

Beverly chuckled. “I host a tea in the hopes that folks will come. I'm glad you do. So, are you having a good day?”

Sara, the quietest of the trio, nodded. “We thought about going to the beach, but we weren't up for it. I think all this traveling has gotten the best of us.”

“We fell right asleep last night in the middle of a conversation,” Mattie said as she heaped her plate almost as high as Wilma's. “I woke up in the middle of the night with my reading glasses on.”

“I've done that a time or two,” Beverly admitted. “I like to
read at night. Sometimes I can't put my book down. I keep telling myself, just one more page.”

“And then one more, and one more,” Sadie said with a wink. “I've done that a time or two, myself.”

Beverly lost track of the girls' conversation as her other guests appeared. Currently, she had all seven of her guest rooms filled, which pleased her a great deal. She liked being busy, and she liked being able to put a little bit of money aside to save for a rainy day.

Unfortunately, her other guests weren't quite as outgoing or cheery. One couple was older and seemed to have regretted their decision to come to Pinecraft from the moment they boarded their bus. All they did was grumble about the fact that they weren't home. Two other couples never came to tea and barely ate any of Beverly's breakfast. They seemed to have their own plans and agenda.

The last room was occupied by a mother and daughter who didn't seem to bring out the best in each other. The daughter, who seemed to be about fifteen or sixteen was a complainer, her mother only less so.

They, however, liked to linger at their meals and sit in the living room. After struggling to make conversation with them the first day, Beverly now did her best to avoid them.

But she still felt obligated to make sure the tureens were filled with hot water, the trays were kept plentiful, and everyone's needs were met to the best of her ability. She circled the living area, chatting with each group, pouring more tea and lemonade, bringing more napkins and spoons, and generally doing everything she could to ensure her guests became repeat visitors.

She'd just finished her second lap when she spied one of
the girls staring intently out the window. There was such a look of worry in her eyes that Beverly took a seat next to her. “Leona, is everything all right with you?”

“Me? Oh,
jah
.”

“Are you sure? I don't want to pry, but you look a little melancholy.”

Leona smiled weakly. “That's not it at all. I just was thinking about someone.”

“Your fiancé?” The girls had told Beverly when they arrived that they were in Pinecraft to enjoy one last trip together before Leona said her vows.

“Nee.”

Beverly blinked. Leona's voice was a little sharp. She wondered if she was feeling a little homesick. It certainly wasn't her business. “Please let me know if you need anything else,” she said, and stood.

“I've got a problem,” Leona blurted.

Beverly sat back down. “You do?”

After darting a glance at her friends, who were chatting with the whiny fifteen-year-old, Leona said, “See, I made a friend here.”

“Yes, that happens a lot.”

“You don't understand. The friend I made? It's a boy.” She shook her head. “I mean, a man. I mean, he's local. His name is Zack Kaufmann. Any chance you know him?”

“Yes, I do. All of us in the community know pretty much everyone, at least by sight.”

“Is he . . . is he a nice man?”

“He seems to be. His father, Frank, has done some remodeling for me. I'm pretty sure Zack helped him out from time to time.”

Leona heaved a sigh of relief. “That's good to know.” After another quick look at her friends, she leaned closer. “Miss Beverly, he and his friends have offered to take us to Siesta Key, to show us how to get on the bus and everything.”

“That was nice of him. Those buses can be tricky.”

“I don't know, though.”

“Okay. Well, if you don't want to take them up on their offer, I'll be happy to show you what to do . . .”

“That's not it,” Leona said, moving a little closer to Beverly. “The thing is, I want to take him up on his offer. I think it would be a lot of fun to spend the day together.”

“Then, what is wrong?”

“I'm engaged.”

Things were starting to come together. “I remember. Are you worried your fiancé will get jealous?”

“I'm worried that I don't even want to tell him that I'm going to the beach.”

“Why not?”

“Edmund, well . . . he ain't a man who likes surprises. Or for me to do things he doesn't approve of.”

“I see.”

“He's good man,” Leona said quickly. “Just, um, a bit controlling.” After darting yet another look at her girlfriends, Leona shared, “I'm not thinking about being unfaithful, of course. But I'm worried that going to the beach with a man will seem disloyal.” She grimaced. “As well as the fact that I
want
to go with him.”

“Ah. What do Sara and Mattie think? Do they think your fiancé will get upset if you all go to the beach with your new friend?”

“Jah.”

“Any reason why?”

“They know how Edmund is. They don't think I should do anything to make him cross at me.” Taking a breath, she added, “They're excited about the wedding, you see. They're excited about everything.” She looked like she was about to add something more but jumped to her feet instead. “
Danke
for the treats. They are mighty
gut
.”

“I'm glad you liked them. If you're done, I'll take your plate.”

“
Danke
,” she whispered before walking over to her friends. Moments later, the three of them darted out the door.

“Is she okay?” Wilma murmured as she walked over to take the still-full plate out of Beverly's hands.

“I'm not sure.”

Sadie gestured toward the slice of cake that looked hardly touched. “She either didn't like your cake or decided she wasn't hungry.”

Beverly laughed. “Maybe she's watching her figure. Young girls do that, you know.”

“Oh, you,” Wilma said. “I wish you wouldn't say things like that. It makes you sound far older than you are.”

“Sometimes I feel far older than my years,” she quipped just as her front door opened and a pair of women walked in, their eyes wide. “Hello, may I help you?”

One walked forward, then stopped and stared at her. “Beverly, look at you! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes! And you look lovely, too. Just as pretty as a picture.”

Beverly felt as if her whole body had just frozen. “Jean? Ida?”

“Of course,” Jean said.

“What in the world are you two doing here?” She hated to sound so inhospitable, but she was beyond shocked to see Marvin's sisters.

“We figured we might as well surprise you, since it was becoming obvious that we weren't going to receive an invitation anytime soon,” Jean said.

Then, to Beverly's shock and amazement, Jean scampered over, tossed down her colorful quilted duffel on the floor, and enveloped her in a fierce hug.

“Oh, Beverly,” she murmured. “I missed you. Do you have room for two surprise guests?”

“I'll make room,” she promised, once she found her voice.

Though at the moment, she wanted to do nothing more than run upstairs to that attic room and shut the door behind her.

What in the world were Marvin's two sisters doing in Pinecraft? And more importantly, why in the world had they sought her out after all this time?