Sarasota Dreams
Authors: Debby Mayne
© 2011
Shades of the Past
by Debby Mayne
© 2011
Trusting Her Heart by
Debby Mayne
© 2011
Unlikely Match
by Debby Mayne
Print ISBN 978-1-62836-167-4
eBook Editions:
Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-62836-984-7
Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-62836-985-4
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publisher.
Scripture taken from the H
OLY
B
IBLE
, N
EW
I
NTERNATIONAL
V
ERSION
®
. NIV
®
. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.
Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683,
www.barbourbooks.com
Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses
.
Printed in the United States of America.
Dear Readers,
Welcome to Pinecraft, a delightful Mennonite and Amish community in Sarasota, Florida. I’ve been there several times, and during each visit I learn something new. I’m thankful to the many people I met who were willing to answer questions for my books. One such person, Lee Miller, always took my calls and shared his vast knowledge to help with keeping these stories grounded in reality.
Although I’m not Mennonite, I discovered that the people I wrote about share the same human conditions we all do. They experience joy, sadness, confusion, and all the other emotions that have us turning to God and trusting in His greater understanding. Some of the folks in Pinecraft choose to continue living the simple life, while others have embraced some modern conveniences. The population of this community increases significantly during the colder months as winter visitors come down to bask in the Florida sunshine.
If you ever take a trip to Florida, please plan to visit Sarasota and have a hearty lunch at Yoders Restaurant. They have some of the best pies you’ll ever taste. After lunch, stroll around Pinecraft, where you’ll find produce stands, candy stores, gift shops, and some very friendly people who love the Lord.
Blessings to you and your family,
Debby Mayne
www.debbymayne.com
S
HADES OF THE
P
AST
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my daughters, Lauren and Alison, and my granddaughter, Emma.
Thanks to Lee Miller and Pastor Rocky Miller for answering dozens of questions about the Mennonite community in Sarasota.
I appreciate Tara Randel’s willingness to read the first few chapters and the suggestions she made to help bring this story to life.
M
ary Penner lowered herself to the hot, moist sand, gathered the front of her skirt, and twisted it around her shins as she pulled her knees to her chest. She carefully tucked the folds of her skirt around her to cover herself. It was only May, yet the intensity of heat from the sun reflecting off the beach in Sarasota, Florida, sent droplets of perspiration trickling down her back. But she didn’t mind. Being here in a stable home, living among the Conservative Mennonite folks, and knowing her grandparents would always be there for her gave her a sense of peace—even if they wished she’d never been born.
Mary still had confusing and sometimes even bitter moments when she couldn’t put her past completely behind her. Today was especially difficult because it was the ninth anniversary of her mother’s death.
The gentle whisper of waves as they lapped the sand blended with the sound of seabirds on their never-ending search for food. Children scampered around blankets, sand buckets in hand. Teenagers and young adults lay sprawled on beach towels, catching the last of the day’s rays, their bronze bodies showing very little modesty. Years ago she would have been among them, but now … well, it embarrassed her.
Mary extended her arm and studied her shadow before she pointed her index finger and drew a figure eight in the slightly moist sand. That was how her life seemed sometimes—a double circle that started out as though going someplace, yet it managed to meet back up at the beginning. Just like her thoughts.
“Mary?”
She snapped her head around at the sound of the familiar voice. “Oh hi, Abe.”
He drew closer and squatted. “Nice day.”
“Yeah.” Mary sniffled and turned slightly away from Abe Glick. His presence had always created the strangest sensation—sort of a dread mixed with exhilaration in her chest. The stirrings of emotion confused her as always. “What are you doing here?”
Abe chuckled. “I was about to ask you the same thing.” He gestured to the sand beside her. “Mind if I join you?”
She cast a quick glance in his direction, then looked back toward the water, hoping he wouldn’t notice her heat-tinged cheeks. “That’s fine.”
He slowly sat down and stretched his long, navy-blue twill-clad legs toward the water. “It’s a mite hot today.”
“I don’t mind.”
A Frisbee zoomed a few feet past them, followed by a half-dressed teenage boy. “Sorry,” he said. His gaze lingered long enough to satisfy his curiosity, then he took off after the Frisbee.
Abe nodded toward the kid, a half smile on his face, before turning to face Mary. “So what are you thinking about?” Abe asked.
Mary shrugged. “Work. Family.” She paused to take a deep breath before adding, “Just everyday stuff.”
“I don’t think so.” Abe tilted his head back and let out a deep chuckle. “Based on the look on your face, I think it’s much more than that.”
Mary darted a quick look in his direction, then turned back toward the water. “Is it any of your business?”
He lifted his hands. “Sorry if I offended you, but I did it innocently, I promise.”
His apology deflated her short burst. “That’s okay. I’m sort of touchy today anyway.”
“So do you wanna talk about it?”
Mary snorted and shook her head. “You are something else, Abe. Do you ever give up?”
“Giving up isn’t in the Glick vocabulary.”
“Okay, so what if I tell you I was thinking about the past?” Mary leveled him with an I-dare-you-to-ask-more-questions look. “Does that make you happy?”
He looked right back at her with as much of a dare as she had. “Ever miss your old life?”
“Never.” She paused as she considered his question. “I love being with Grandma and Grandpa. They’re good to me.”
“Indeed they are.” Abe’s sidelong glance at her heightened her pulse rate. “There was never any question about that.” He turned completely toward her and stared until she met his gaze. “Or was there?”
He asked too many questions, and she was growing more irritated by the second. “No, of course not!”
“You don’t have to be so defensive, Mary. I’m not the enemy.”
A soft grunt escaped her throat. “Never said you were, Abe. What’s this all about anyway?”
“Just curious, I s’pose.”
“Curious? How about nosy?” Mary shifted a few inches away from him. “Why did you follow me all the way here?”
“Who says I followed you?” He lifted an eyebrow and gave her a teasing grin.
Mary mimicked his expression, then turned back to face the water. “Did you have some business on the beach?”
“Ya, I came to see you.”
“See? That’s what I’m talking about.”
Abe laughed. “You’re too easy to rile, Mary Penner.”
“Is that what you’re trying to do? Rile me?”
His teasing had always annoyed her.
He lifted a shoulder then let it drop. “Maybe.”
“Stop trying to make me mad, Abe Glick,” she tossed right back. “Sometimes it seems like that’s all you live for.”
“Oh there’s much more to life than making you mad, Mary. I like making you laugh and getting you to think. And sometimes it’s fun to scare you. Remember that snake?”
“How could I forget that snake? That
fake
snake. You got me in so much trouble, you’re lucky I’m talking to you now.”
“I don’t believe in luck.” He gave her a teasing grin. “Sounds like you’re holding a grudge.”
“Maybe I am.”
Abe touched Mary’s arm. “That was eight years ago, so if you aren’t over it by now, I would suggest you start working on not holding grudges. God doesn’t want us to be angry.”
“That was seven years ago,” she corrected, “and I’m not angry.”
Abe snorted and turned to face the water. “Sure is pretty, isn’t it? I can’t imagine living in a place where I couldn’t get to the beach once in a while.”
“No one ever asked you to.”
“You’re still a mite touchy, Mary. I suppose I should leave you to your thoughts.”