Sarasota Dreams (64 page)

One of the other workers said he’d take care of the equipment so they could follow Abe. All the way, Charles tried to figure out what could be so urgent.

Once they arrived at the picnic table beneath the shade tree, Abe gestured for them to sit. After they were in place on one side of the table, Abe sat down across from them.

“I just heard that there’s some reason to believe the fire at your house was caused by arson.”

Charles and Pop both gasped. “What?” Pop said. “Who would do something so terrible?”

Abe’s temple pulsed, and he nodded. “According to Mr. Hostetler, you are the prime suspects. Some of the little explosions were from aerosol cans throughout the house and a case of craft finishing spray in the attic.”

“Mom got a good deal on craft supplies, but she never used it all, so I put it up in the attic to get it out of the way. How can they think—”

“Ya, but that’s not the biggest concern. Mr. Hostetler claims that the authorities are most concerned about the chemical accelerant you purchased the day before the fire. They found it in the bedroom where the fire started.”

“Chemical accelerant?” A sick feeling washed over Charles. “Where does Mr. Hostetler get his information?”

“I am not certain, but I have heard he’s been talking to the firemen. Unfortunately, they are merely speculating on limited information they’ve received.”

There was no way he would have or could have started the fire. First of all, nothing like that ever crossed his mind. And secondly, he wasn’t even home when it happened. Abe couldn’t possibly believe they were guilty. “I was with Ruthie when the house burned,” he said.

“True,” Abe acknowledged, “but your mother was home.”

Pop tensed but he didn’t move. Charles had no doubt his father was as confused and enraged as he was.

Abe stood. “I’m not saying I believe them. In fact, I don’t. I just wanted to let you know what is going on so you aren’t surprised when you go back into town this evening.”

“Do … do you want us to continue working?” Charles asked.

“It is up to you. If you feel that you are capable of working after getting this news, please continue. If not, I will understand.”

Charles turned to Pop who had buried his face in his hands. He wanted to wrap his arms around the man who’d raised him to always do the right thing and let him know that everything would be all right. But at this point, he wasn’t sure about anything.

Charles looked back up at Abe. “Can you give us a few minutes alone?”

“Ya. Just come to the house and let me know what you decide.”

After Abe was out of hearing range, Charles looked at Pop. “What do you want to do?”

Pop rubbed his neck and sighed. “If all we had to worry about was us, I’d say let’s stay here. But your mother is in town by herself. No telling what she’s having to deal with.”

“Good point.” Charles thought about it for a few seconds. “How about if I stay and you go be with Mom?”

A hint of a smile flickered on Pop’s lips as he nodded. “Good thinking, Son. I like that idea.”

Together they went to Abe’s house to let him know what they’d decided. “Abe, I can promise you that no one in our family did a thing to start that fire. I have no idea what the authorities found, but we didn’t do it.”

Abe held his gaze then looked at Charles before he nodded. “I believe you. Let’s say a prayer together before we call David to come for you.”

Shelley’s talk helped Ruthie get through the remainder of the day. When Ruthie and her parents sat down to supper, Papa didn’t waste any time talking about the Polks.

Papa had offered Mrs. Polk the job, in spite of the warnings from Mr. Krahn and Mr. Hostetler. “I don’t believe she had anything to do with the fire,” he said firmly when Mother questioned his judgment.

“But the authorities said—”

Papa’s glare stopped Mother midsentence. “Mr. Hostetler is the one who said that, not the authorities. Jonathan came into the store this afternoon,”

Papa added. “He looked worried sick about his wife, and I can’t blame him.”

Mother shook her head and clucked her tongue. “This has to be difficult on the whole family. If they’re found innocent, I can’t imagine them wanting to continue attending our church.”

Papa shook his head. “Don’t forget the power of the Lord, Esther. He’s in control, not us. If He wants them to stay with our church, they will.”

Ruthie remained quiet, although she agreed with Mother. If she were in Charles’s position, she would seriously consider running as far away from the accusers as she could.

“Remember that those doing the accusing are still in the minority. There doesn’t appear to be conclusive proof that the Polks did anything wrong,” Papa added. “Most of us still don’t believe they’re guilty.”

Mother tilted her head and raised her eyebrows. “According to the sewing group, a lot of people are changing their minds now that there’s some evidence.”

Ruthie jumped at the sound Papa made. She’d never heard him growl like that before. “Samuel!”

Papa exchanged a glance with Mother before turning to Ruthie. “I found out that Rosemary has been reporting back to her uncle, who has joined the group against the Polks. I don’t understand how a girl raised in the Word can do something so deceptive. She didn’t want to work for me, so she tried to use this tragedy to convince her uncle she should leave.” He shook his head and lowered his gaze to the table before looking Ruthie directly in the eye. “Sorry, Ruthie, but this is so frustrating. I wish there was something I could do to make everything right.”

That was one of the things Ruthie most admired about Papa: his sense of justice. He had a very strong sense of right and wrong, and the line between them was bold. Ruthie had all sorts of questions about Rosemary, but she knew how Papa was about letting things go.

“When does Lori start the new job?” Mother asked.

“Tomorrow,” he said. “She’s coming in immediately after she finishes her shift at Penner’s.”

Mother frowned. “I can’t imagine wanting to work two jobs.”

“She said she’s thankful for the work,” Papa said. “Her family needs the money to pay off some of their bills. That’s one of the reasons I believe in their innocence. The Polks don’t seem to mind hard work. In fact, Abe says Jonathan and Charles are very industrious, and they are an asset to his team of workers.” He looked at Ruthie. “Do you have plans to see Charles soon?”

“Neh.” Ruthie looked down. “I don’t think I’ll be seeing him anymore.”

“Do you think they’re guilty?” he challenged.

“No! I don’t believe for one minute they’re guilty, but if I continue seeing Charles, Mr. Krahn and the other men will never leave the Polks alone.”

“That is not a good enough reason to stop seeing someone you love, Ruthie,” he stated firmly. “That is, if they’re innocent.”

“Correction.” Mother grinned and winked. “That is, if you love him.”

Papa leaned back and folded his arms. “Ruthie, are you in love with Charles?”

Both of her parents watched her without blinking. Ruthie had never lied to them before, and she didn’t plan to start now. She slowly nodded. “Ya, I believe I am.” She cleared her throat. “Or at least I was.”

Pop stayed in town the next day to talk with the fire marshal. Charles went to the farm with the understanding that he’d come home if needed. Mom went to her job at Penner’s because she felt she was better off busy than trying to help when she didn’t have any idea what she could do to help.

Throughout the morning, Charles glanced up toward Abe’s house to see if there was any sign of news. When lunchtime rolled around and no one came to get him, he headed to his favorite spot under the shade tree. He’d barely opened his lunch bag when David’s van came rolling up the sandy road.

Charles started to pull out his sandwich, but when he saw what appeared to be Ruthie sitting beside Pop, he paused. No, that had to be his imagination. What would Ruthie be doing here?

David pulled to a stop, but no one got out of the van right away. That was odd. Pop generally hopped right out so David could get to his next fare.

Charles put his lunch bag down, got up off the picnic bench, and walked toward the van. He was about twenty feet from the van when he saw that his eyes hadn’t played tricks on him. Ruthie really was sitting next to Pop, and they were talking with David about something.

He paused for a moment until Ruthie turned and looked directly at him. His heart felt as though it would pound right out of his chest. Instead of waiting, he ran toward the van and yanked open the door.

“What are you doing here, Ruthie?”

Pop shook his head and chuckled. “Why are you talking to your girlfriend like that, Son? After I got some good news, I went to tell her and her parents. She wanted to see you, and who am I to stand in the way?” Charles noticed the joy on the faces of both Pop and Ruthie.

“But—”

“I spent the morning with the fire marshal, and we’ve been cleared of any wrongdoing. The chemicals they found were paint thinners used on the exterior of the house.”

“Do the authorities know how the fire started?” Charles asked.

“Some faulty wiring that got out of control when sparks ignited the materials we used for painting,” Pop said. “Now that they know we had nothing to do with it, the insurance company is going to come through and settle everything.” He got out of the van and helped Ruthie out.

Ruthie smiled at Charles. “I am so glad that’s all over with.”

Charles wasn’t sure what to do next, but Pop was right on top of the situation. “Don’t let this girl get away, Son. Make sure she knows how you feel.” Pop gave him a gentle nudge with his elbow. “Do it now.”

“Um … Ruthie, I like … no, I love you, and I’d like to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“Whoa, Son,” Pop said with a chuckle. “That’s not exactly what I was talking about. Slow down and wait until the timing is right … and you’re alone.”

“You said not to let her get away.”

Pop didn’t try to hide a goofy grin. “I did say that, didn’t I?”

“See?” Charles heard David laughing in the background, but that didn’t bother him. “And she went to all this trouble to come out here with you, so I’m not wasting another minute. I love Ruthie, and she’s the girl I want to marry.”

“Well …” Pop got David’s attention and motioned to follow him to the tree. “Since I can’t control my son’s sense of urgency, why don’t we go over there and give them some space?”

“You don’t have to do that,” Charles said. “I don’t care if everyone in the world knows how I feel.”

David was still laughing as he and Pop left him and Ruthie alone.

“Well?” Charles said as he turned back to face Ruthie, whose face was flaming red. “Do you feel the same way?”

She looked down for a few seconds then slowly raised her gaze to meet his. He held his breath until she finally nodded. “Yes, Charles, I do feel the same way.”

“Okay then.” He sucked in a breath. “I guess I should have asked your father for your hand first, right?”

“Probably,” Ruthie gave him a shy grin, “but I think he’ll understand.”

Ruthie’s nerves were a tangled mess as she rode back home in silence. Occasionally she caught David glancing at her in the rearview mirror, but once she looked at him, he turned his attention back to the road. After he pulled up in front of her house, he hopped out and ran around to open her door.