motioning to the pastries.
Ruth swallowed against the bitter taste of bile rising in her throat. This man frightened her. No wonder Grace got so upset whenever Gary came around. She clasped her hands tightly behind her back to keep them from shaking.
Just then, Jake Clemons stepped out of the back room, where he and his wife did the baking. “Is there a problem here, Ruth?”
Before Ruth could reply, Gary looked at Jake and shook his head. “Nope. No problem at all. I just came in to get something for my sweet tooth.” He pointed to a layer of maple bars. “I’ll take two of those.”
Ruth released a sigh and quickly filled the man’s order. When Gary left the store, she turned to Jake with a grateful smile. “Thanks for coming to my rescue. That man makes me nervous.”
Jake skimmed his fingers along his temples and into his receding blond hair. “If he ever bothers you again, please let me know.”
“I will.”
When Jake returned to the other room, Ruth leaned on the counter and closed her eyes.
Dear Lord, please don’t let Gary Walker stay in town.
H ow’s it going in here?” Martha asked her father when she stepped into the barn and found him holding a spray can in one hand.
“I sprayed some of your mamm’s room deodorizer around and opened all the windows. I think the smell will be gone before she and Grace get back from town.” Dad’s eyebrows pulled together in a frown. “I think it’s best if they don’t know about this. No point in causing them to worry for nothing.”
“I’m in agreement with that, but I don’t think this is nothing.” Martha motioned to the shattered window across the room. “Someone deliberately threw that stink bomb into the barn. If it’s the same person who did the other things to us, then we have every reason to be worried.”
Dad set the can of deodorizer on a shelf. “Regardless of who’s responsible for this, I don’t want the rest of the family getting all upset. Especially not your mamm. She’s been through enough these past several months.”
“I don’t think the attacks affected Mom nearly as much as they did Grace,” Martha said. “With her being in a family way, it wouldn’t be good for her to have more stress added.”
Dad nodded solemnly. “Unfortunately, most of Grace’s upsets have been of her own doing.”
Martha didn’t argue. She had a hunch Dad hadn’t completely forgiven Grace for leaving home when she was a teenager or for keeping her previous marriage and the birth of her daughter a secret for so long.
“How’s that new job you’ve got with Irene Schrock working out?”Dad asked, redirecting their conversation.
“It’s okay.” Martha nodded toward the back of the barn, where the inside section of her dog kennels had been built. “With summer being here, more tour buses are scheduling dinners at the Schrocks’. Even though Carolyn’s able to help again, Irene asked if I would continue to work for her. So once I get enough money saved up, I’m going to buy a few more dogs. Maybe a couple of poodles this time.”
Dad grunted. “Poodles are too prissy to suit me. Besides, they yap too much.”
“Maybe I should get a pair of hunting dogs. From what I’ve read in the breeders magazine, they seem to have more puppies than some of the smaller breeds.”
“Now that makes good sense.” Dad removed his straw hat and slapped the brim of it against his knee, sending sawdust blowing off his pants in every direction. “Why don’t you get some German shorthaired pointers? Then Cleon and I can do some pheasant hunting this fall.”
“Since when have you ever gone hunting?”
“Went all the time when I was a boy. Might be nice to try it again.”
“I’d like to go hunting sometime,” Martha said.
“Hunting’s for men, not girls.”
“I’m not a girl, Dad. I turned nineteen a few months ago, remember?”
He grunted. “That may be so, but you’ve never shot a gun. It wouldn’t be safe for you to
Ruth swallowed against the bitter taste of bile rising in her throat. This man frightened her. No wonder Grace got so upset whenever Gary came around. She clasped her hands tightly behind her back to keep them from shaking.
Just then, Jake Clemons stepped out of the back room, where he and his wife did the baking. “Is there a problem here, Ruth?”
Before Ruth could reply, Gary looked at Jake and shook his head. “Nope. No problem at all. I just came in to get something for my sweet tooth.” He pointed to a layer of maple bars. “I’ll take two of those.”
Ruth released a sigh and quickly filled the man’s order. When Gary left the store, she turned to Jake with a grateful smile. “Thanks for coming to my rescue. That man makes me nervous.”
Jake skimmed his fingers along his temples and into his receding blond hair. “If he ever bothers you again, please let me know.”
“I will.”
When Jake returned to the other room, Ruth leaned on the counter and closed her eyes.
Dear Lord, please don’t let Gary Walker stay in town.
H ow’s it going in here?” Martha asked her father when she stepped into the barn and found him holding a spray can in one hand.
“I sprayed some of your mamm’s room deodorizer around and opened all the windows. I think the smell will be gone before she and Grace get back from town.” Dad’s eyebrows pulled together in a frown. “I think it’s best if they don’t know about this. No point in causing them to worry for nothing.”
“I’m in agreement with that, but I don’t think this is nothing.” Martha motioned to the shattered window across the room. “Someone deliberately threw that stink bomb into the barn. If it’s the same person who did the other things to us, then we have every reason to be worried.”
Dad set the can of deodorizer on a shelf. “Regardless of who’s responsible for this, I don’t want the rest of the family getting all upset. Especially not your mamm. She’s been through enough these past several months.”
“I don’t think the attacks affected Mom nearly as much as they did Grace,” Martha said. “With her being in a family way, it wouldn’t be good for her to have more stress added.”
Dad nodded solemnly. “Unfortunately, most of Grace’s upsets have been of her own doing.”
Martha didn’t argue. She had a hunch Dad hadn’t completely forgiven Grace for leaving home when she was a teenager or for keeping her previous marriage and the birth of her daughter a secret for so long.
“How’s that new job you’ve got with Irene Schrock working out?”Dad asked, redirecting their conversation.
“It’s okay.” Martha nodded toward the back of the barn, where the inside section of her dog kennels had been built. “With summer being here, more tour buses are scheduling dinners at the Schrocks’. Even though Carolyn’s able to help again, Irene asked if I would continue to work for her. So once I get enough money saved up, I’m going to buy a few more dogs. Maybe a couple of poodles this time.”
Dad grunted. “Poodles are too prissy to suit me. Besides, they yap too much.”
“Maybe I should get a pair of hunting dogs. From what I’ve read in the breeders magazine, they seem to have more puppies than some of the smaller breeds.”
“Now that makes good sense.” Dad removed his straw hat and slapped the brim of it against his knee, sending sawdust blowing off his pants in every direction. “Why don’t you get some German shorthaired pointers? Then Cleon and I can do some pheasant hunting this fall.”
“Since when have you ever gone hunting?”
“Went all the time when I was a boy. Might be nice to try it again.”
“I’d like to go hunting sometime,” Martha said.
“Hunting’s for men, not girls.”
“I’m not a girl, Dad. I turned nineteen a few months ago, remember?”
He grunted. “That may be so, but you’ve never shot a gun. It wouldn’t be safe for you to
Similar Books
