Huckleberry Harvest by Jennifer Beckstrand Page A

he should insist she see a doctor.
    The minute that thought came into his head, he shoved it away. He’d promised no hospital. Besides, he knew how futile it was to try to persuade someone to do what she didn’t want to do. It wasn’t his job to worry himself sick about her.
    Kristina glanced in their direction. “Mandy,” she squealed. “You’re alive!” With arms outspread, she charged at Mandy and nearly knocked her over. Noah reached out to steady Mandy but thought better of it. She didn’t want his help.
    Kristina worked herself into hysteria in a matter of seconds. “I didn’t mean to push you in. I was just so excited and I—”
    Mandy patted Kristina’s cheek. “It’s all right. I’m okay.”
    Kristina abruptly released Mandy and threw her arms around Noah before he had a chance to defend himself. “Noah. You are my hero. I knew you could save her. You could lift a truck with those muscles of yours.”
    Noah raised his hands as if in surrender. Kristina might be hanging around his neck like a snake but he refused to touch her. And she didn’t fool him. She was using Mandy’s mishap as an excuse to get close to him. It was just another one of her tricks.
    “Krissy,” Mandy snapped. “Let go and leave Noah alone.”
    Kristina’s suction-cup grip slackened, but she didn’t back away.
    “Kristina Beachy, let go this minute.”
    Kristina slid her arms from Noah’s neck. Looking at Mandy with wide eyes, she twitched her lips and giggled halfheartedly. Mandy glared at her as if she’d just broken all the rules of the Ordnung.
    Kristina stuck out her bottom lip. “You said you weren’t mad at me for pushing you in the river.”
    Mandy’s expression remained unyielding. “I’m not mad at you for the river,” she said, pointing an accusing finger at Kristina. “You know why I’m mad.”
    Kristina batted her eyes innocently. “What? What are you mad about? I never did nothing wrong.”
    Mandy growled, took Kristina by the elbow, and practically shoved her in the direction of the woods. “We’ll talk about it later. I’m taking you home.” With Kristina in tow, Mandy stalked into the woods with a pronounced limp, like an old woman with two broken legs. She didn’t even look at the policeman eyeing her curiously as she passed.
    Kristina shuffled her feet as best she could while Mandy tugged on her arm and refused to let go.
    “Don’t you even believe in forgiveness?” Noah heard Kristina whine as she and Mandy disappeared into the thicket. “I guess my best friend has forgotten about forgiveness. If you don’t forgive others, God won’t forgive you.”
    Noah practically exploded with gratitude. It was about time someone put that girl in her place. He just hadn’t expected it to be her equally silly and childish best friend.
     
    The front door squeaked when Noah opened it. He’d have to take care of that later. At least a squeaky hinge was an easy fix. Jethro’s picker was a different story altogether. Noah had ordered a new axle from Green Bay, but it wouldn’t be here for at least a week. In the meantime, he’d jerry-rigged a couple of metal pipes and some baling wire so the Coblentzes would at least be able to start getting the corn in.
    His Polish hound dog Chester came padding down the hall and greeted Noah with a wet tongue. “Any trouble while I was away?” Noah paused to stroke his dog’s ears before hanging his hat on the hook near the door. It wouldn’t be there long. He’d promised Tyler Yoder he’d be by at noon to help install a new LP gas fridge.
    “Dat,” he called.
    No answer. Still asleep, no doubt. He’d had a rough night last night. Noah massaged his shoulder. Dat wasn’t the only one who’d had a rough night.
    Not to mention Noah’s rough morning. He’d jumped into the river and swam until he thought his lungs would explode, pulled Mandy Helmuth out of the water, and hauled her in his arms for over a mile. That was a strain on even his strong