Sarasota Dreams (63 page)

“Did you run after her?”

“No.”

Pop shook his head. “You should have found out what she was thinking while it was still fresh. Now she’ll wonder if you even care.”

“What?”

“I’ve been married to your mother long enough to know that there are times when she needs me to show how much I care by working hard and digging for answers.”

“I didn’t think …” Charles cleared his throat. “I guess I just didn’t think.

Should I go after her now?”

Mom jumped into the conversation. “Your father is right, but now that you’ve let her go, why don’t you give her a little time to think? That might be all she needs.”

“But what if—”

“She’s not going anywhere, Son,” Pop said. “If you don’t see her sometime this coming week, you’ll see her at church on Sunday. Maybe you can talk to her then.”

Charles nodded and tried to consider Ruthie’s perspective. He doubted she’d ever faced this kind of situation in her past, so giving her some space to mentally process what had just happened was probably a good idea.

“So what do we do now?” Charles asked. “Looks like the place is ready for us. Are we staying here tonight?”

“I think so,” Pop said. “But it would be a good idea to go by and thank our generous hosts for putting us up and making this possible.”

After dinner at the Kauffmans’, they went to the Yoders’ and Penners’ houses to express their appreciation. They went to their new home with baskets of food the women had prepared so they wouldn’t have to cook for a while. Charles announced that he was hungry again, so Mom pointed to the baskets on the counter.

“Help yourself. You can help me put everything away after you’re finished.”

Charles filled a plate with baked chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, a tomato and cucumber salad, and chocolate cream pie. Mom ate another piece of pie before patting her tummy and making her usual comment about needing to go on a diet. Pop laughed as he took her plate to the sink. “You look good to me no matter what, Lori. Don’t worry if you put on an extra pound or two.”

Before they went to bed, Pop called David to let him know they’d moved. “Yes, I know that,” he said. “Abe gave me your new address. See you tomorrow.”

Early the next morning, Charles and Pop waited for David on the front porch in the dark. Mom stepped out and informed them that she wanted to sell the car as soon as they finalized everything with the insurance company.

Charles looked at Pop, who nodded his agreement. “Yeah, I think that’ll be a good idea. Then we can sell the vacant land and be done with it.”

Mom leaned in for a kiss from each of her guys. “Have a good day at the farm,” she said before darting back inside to get ready for her job at the restaurant.

Once she was inside, Pop shook his head. “Your mother seems much happier than she was before. I think she likes waiting on tables.”

“I didn’t see that coming,” Charles said with a chuckle.

“Neither did I.” Pop pointed to the road where a pair of headlights came toward them. “Looks like our ride is here.”

Each day that passed when Ruthie didn’t see Charles felt darker than the one before. “If I thought you would tell me, I’d ask if you were in love,” Papa said.

Ruthie didn’t respond. She’d just stopped by the shop to see if she could help, since Papa hadn’t replaced Rosemary. He’d already prepared the bank deposit, so he handed the pouch to her to take to the bank.

“I’ve spoken to Joseph Penner about asking Lori Polk to work here a couple of hours in the afternoon,” Papa said. “He said he’d send her over this afternoon.”

Ruthie looked down at the floor. She had no doubt Mrs. Polk would do an excellent job. She had people skills as well as experience balancing numbers. If she agreed to work at Pinecraft Souvenirs, Papa wouldn’t ever need Ruthie to return. Too much in her life was changing at once.

“Go on to the bank, Ruthie. I don’t want you to be late for work.”

Ruthie scurried out of the store and stopped by the bank on the way to the yogurt shop. The teller smiled as she took the pouch. “I’ll have the transaction receipt waiting for your father tomorrow,” she said. “Have a nice day.”

With a nod, Ruthie went to work, feeling as though nothing was right in her world. She’d been displaced from her family business, and she had a job that was still uncomfortable for her, even though Mr. Fresh continued praising her. A group from the church had made it very clear that they were making it difficult for the Polks to become members because of her, and not wanting to stand in the way of what was really important to them, she’d had to pull away from Charles.

Even thinking about him made her stomach ache. Papa was right. She had fallen in love with Charles. Until now she never understood what a romantic relationship was all about. She loved the strange sensations she had from being with Charles, and he acted like he enjoyed being with her, too. But being apart from him was painful.

Ruthie wished she had someone to talk to—someone who would understand what she was going through. She racked her brain trying to think of anyone who’d fallen in love with an outsider until she remembered how Shelley and Jeremiah had gotten together. He wasn’t completely an outsider like Charles, but he’d left the church long enough to create controversy. Maybe she could talk to Shelley.

That would be difficult for Ruthie, though, because Shelley had as much confidence as Ruthie lacked. When Shelley wanted something, she didn’t stop going after it. The more she thought about the similarities and differences between herself and Shelley, the more she realized confidence was the key.

Ruthie’s shyness had prevented her from stepping out and doing what she really wanted to do. Until now she preferred the safety net of hiding in the family home and business. But everything had changed. She didn’t have that safety net any longer. It was time to bust out and take charge of her own life. Papa had probably seen that, which was why he was pushing her outside her comfort zone.

Before she did anything though, she’d try to talk to Shelley. Since Mrs. Polk was still officially in training at Penner’s, Shelley continued working there, so Ruthie knew where to find her. Maybe she’d run over to the restaurant during her break.

Mr. Fresh greeted her at the door, but the instant she walked in, he frowned. “Are you not feeling well today?” he asked.

“I’m okay.”

“If you want, you can do the prep work for a little while … until you feel like facing customers.”

Ruthie forced a smile. “I’m really fine.”

“If you’re sure …”

She nodded as she brushed past him to get her apron. Without another word, she took her place behind the counter and took the next customer’s order. Although she still didn’t feel 100 percent confident, she was getting better and less fearful of messing up each day.

The shop was so busy, time flew by until break time. She tossed her apron onto the counter and ran down to Penner’s where Shelley stood by the coffee station, waiting for a pot to finish brewing. She glanced up and smiled at Ruthie.

“Hi there. Did you need a menu?”

“Not today,” Ruthie said. “I just wanted to know if you could talk to me sometime soon.”

Shelley frowned with concern. “Is there a problem?”

“Sort of, but I’m on break now, and I don’t have time to discuss it.”

“What time do you get off work today?” Shelley asked.

“Three.”

Shelley glanced over at Mrs. Polk, who was waiting on a table. “I’m supposed to work through cleanup after the lunch shift, but Mrs. Polk is doing so well, I think Mr. Penner will let me go early. I’m meeting Jeremiah at his parents’ house after work. Why don’t you stop by, and we can walk together?”

“Thanks!” Already Ruthie felt a load being lifted. She was glad Jeremiah’s parents lived a block from her.

The rest of Ruthie’s shift went by very slowly, so when Mr. Fresh said it was time to leave, she was ready. All the way to Penner’s Restaurant, she prayed that Mr. Penner would let Shelley leave an hour early. To her delight, Shelley was outside waiting for her. However, as she got closer, she saw the sadness on Shelley’s face.

“Did something happen?” Ruthie asked.

Shelley hesitated then nodded. “Ya. We just heard bad news about the Polks.”

“What?” Ruthie couldn’t have heard right.

“Mr. Hostetler came by after you were here and said he talked with one of the people at the fire department. They said it appeared that someone had started the fire intentionally. They found evidence of some accelerant chemicals that could have been used to start the fire.”

“Did the authorities actually find something, or is this conjecture on Mr. Hostetler’s part?” Ruthie asked as numbness crept over her entire body.

“That’s what Mr. Penner asked. Mr. Hostetler reminded him that it is difficult to sell a house these days, and the Polks were struggling to keep up with their bills.”

“But …” Ruthie didn’t have any idea what to think, let alone say. All the questions she’d planned to ask Shelley were now irrelevant. Then she thought about the fact that Mrs. Polk still worked at Penner’s.

S
o what did you need to discuss?” Shelley asked.

“Is Mrs. Polk still working at Penner’s?”

Shelley nodded. “Mr. Penner said he didn’t want to do anything drastic until he sees the final report, but I suspect he’ll have to let her go. Oh, by the way, did you know that your father wanted her to come by and see him this afternoon?”

“Ya.”

“I guess you better let your father know about the Polks.”

Ruthie nodded. “I will.”

“What else is on your mind, Ruthie? I’m sure you didn’t want to talk to me about Mrs. Polk working at Penner’s.”

“It doesn’t matter now,” Ruthie said. “I think my problems have just taken care of themselves.”

They walked in silence for a few seconds before Shelley spoke up. “So it’s true, isn’t it?”

“What’s true?”

“You and Charles Polk have fallen in love.”

Ruthie couldn’t lie but this wasn’t the right time to admit something she couldn’t do anything about. So she didn’t say anything.

“That’s okay if you are, Ruthie. Granted, if Charles was responsible for the fire, you’ll need to learn to get over him, but if he wasn’t, the Lord will see a way to bring you together—that is, if it is His will.”

“I don’t know, Shelley. This whole situation has gotten so complicated. I don’t think it’s meant to be that way.”

Shelley laughed out loud. “Trust me when I tell you that this isn’t any more complicated than when Jeremiah and I fell in love.”

“But you knew what to do.”

Shelley stopped and turned to face Ruthie. “Is that what you think?”

“Ya. You always know what to do.”

“Not at all. In fact, I had no idea what to do. Between my little brother pulling his disappearing act all the time, my mother’s depression, and my father being at work most of the time, I thought there was no way I could fall in love with someone who’d left the church and been so … wild.”

“But everything worked out for you and Jeremiah,” Ruthie reminded her.

“Ya, and that was all the Lord’s plan and His work. I didn’t see how Jeremiah and I stood a chance for a very long time.”

Ruthie found some comfort in Shelley’s words, but that still didn’t negate the fact that the Polks were suspects in their own house fire.

“If I have any advice to give,” Shelley continued, “it would be to continue praying and let the Lord lead the way. The truth will most likely come out, and once you have the facts, He’ll show you what you need to do.” She offered a comforting smile. “And I’ll pray for you along the way.”

Abe walked out to where Charles, Pop, and a couple of temporary workers were plowing a new section for some fall crops. Pop lifted a hand in greeting but continued working. Charles had to do a double take at Abe, whose expression didn’t change. Normally he offered at least a hint of a smile.

“Jonathan and Charles, I would like to speak with the two of you for a few minutes.”

“Sure thing, Abe,” Pop said as he straightened and brushed the dirt off his hands. “When?”

“Now.” Abe turned and walked back toward his house, leaving Charles and Pop to wonder what was going on.