shaken hands on it or not. “Fine.”
“You can prove Glick’s guilt and leave here tomorrow with your community’s respect.”
She suppressed a scoff and managed a nod. “Sure.” She knew better. Rueben had her exactly where he’d wanted her all along—having to face the church leaders.
Samuel moved to the nail in the wall that held a clipboard. “You really don’t think so?”
“No,” she managed to whisper. “I will have no one’s respect when tonight is over.” She turned her back to him. “And certainly not yours or Jacob’s.”
She had wanted to avoid the humiliation of it all for her family’s sake, especially her Daed. He’d spent a lifetime trying to help her navigate the storm-tossed waves of who she was. Rhoda had done her best to hide every forewarning—until the day Emma was killed.
“The district can paint me in any light they want. I don’t care, not for myself. But it breaks my heart to think of what tonight will do to my family and to my Daed most of all.” He was the one others held accountable for who Rhoda was. As the head of the family, he would have clumps of fresh shame thrown at him.
Samuel said nothing, and she turned to look at him. His eyes met hers for a brief moment before he looked at the clipboard and flipped through the information. “He’s like his daughter. Strong enough to stand up and do what’s right.”
Was Samuel right? Did she tend to see her Daed as the broken man he was after Emma died?
Samuel moved to a raised bed of mint herbs—peppermint, Kentucky Colonel, and apple mint—and plunged his fingers into the soil. Some weredoing well. Others would be tossed into the compost pile to become additives in the mulch they were creating to spread on the Maine apple orchard.
He rubbed his fingertips together, studying the soil. “Do you want me to begin loading them on the moving van?”
She shook her head. “Not yet.” That’s all she needed to tell him. He didn’t require an explanation that she wanted them to have the benefit of a few more hours under the lamps. He trusted her opinion about plants.
Did he have any idea what he’d done? She had trusted him. Even more sad than the injustice that would be doled out to her and her family tonight was knowing she could never turn to Samuel again—the man she had dared to confide in more than any other.
He brushed his hands together, scattering dark soil onto the packed dirt floor. “I know the timing of the meeting is horrible, and you’re angry, but someone has to stand up to Glick, and you’re strong enough to do it. If you don’t go tonight, your brother and his family won’t be able to leave tomorrow.”
“What?”
“That’s the biggest part of the message Daed was trying to get to me when he sent Jacob to find me.”
Her heart palpitated. “Whatever else is going on, the church leaders intend for me to be at this last-minute meeting.”
He closed his eyes, shaking his head. “Rhodes …” His gentle tone reminded her of the day she’d told him her secrets. He’d been kind and supportive. She’d never had that before, not from someone outside her family.
She removed her gloves. “Since we voted to buy that abandoned farm and apple orchard, you’ve been distant or difficult or both. You don’t listen to what I have to say except when it comes to horticulture.”
He returned his attention to the clipboard. “Let’s stay focused on the problem at hand. If I can find Eli in time, he’ll be there to tell about Rueben pumping him with questions to find out when you and your family would be gone.”
“I haven’t seen him since breakfast.”
“He’s hanging out with his friends, using his last day of freedom somewhere.”
“On our final day here?”
“Since he’s not going to Maine, he thinks that his responsibilities concerning the farm will triple once we leave tomorrow. So he ducked out on helping us pack, but he plans on being home around eight tonight to say
“You can prove Glick’s guilt and leave here tomorrow with your community’s respect.”
She suppressed a scoff and managed a nod. “Sure.” She knew better. Rueben had her exactly where he’d wanted her all along—having to face the church leaders.
Samuel moved to the nail in the wall that held a clipboard. “You really don’t think so?”
“No,” she managed to whisper. “I will have no one’s respect when tonight is over.” She turned her back to him. “And certainly not yours or Jacob’s.”
She had wanted to avoid the humiliation of it all for her family’s sake, especially her Daed. He’d spent a lifetime trying to help her navigate the storm-tossed waves of who she was. Rhoda had done her best to hide every forewarning—until the day Emma was killed.
“The district can paint me in any light they want. I don’t care, not for myself. But it breaks my heart to think of what tonight will do to my family and to my Daed most of all.” He was the one others held accountable for who Rhoda was. As the head of the family, he would have clumps of fresh shame thrown at him.
Samuel said nothing, and she turned to look at him. His eyes met hers for a brief moment before he looked at the clipboard and flipped through the information. “He’s like his daughter. Strong enough to stand up and do what’s right.”
Was Samuel right? Did she tend to see her Daed as the broken man he was after Emma died?
Samuel moved to a raised bed of mint herbs—peppermint, Kentucky Colonel, and apple mint—and plunged his fingers into the soil. Some weredoing well. Others would be tossed into the compost pile to become additives in the mulch they were creating to spread on the Maine apple orchard.
He rubbed his fingertips together, studying the soil. “Do you want me to begin loading them on the moving van?”
She shook her head. “Not yet.” That’s all she needed to tell him. He didn’t require an explanation that she wanted them to have the benefit of a few more hours under the lamps. He trusted her opinion about plants.
Did he have any idea what he’d done? She had trusted him. Even more sad than the injustice that would be doled out to her and her family tonight was knowing she could never turn to Samuel again—the man she had dared to confide in more than any other.
He brushed his hands together, scattering dark soil onto the packed dirt floor. “I know the timing of the meeting is horrible, and you’re angry, but someone has to stand up to Glick, and you’re strong enough to do it. If you don’t go tonight, your brother and his family won’t be able to leave tomorrow.”
“What?”
“That’s the biggest part of the message Daed was trying to get to me when he sent Jacob to find me.”
Her heart palpitated. “Whatever else is going on, the church leaders intend for me to be at this last-minute meeting.”
He closed his eyes, shaking his head. “Rhodes …” His gentle tone reminded her of the day she’d told him her secrets. He’d been kind and supportive. She’d never had that before, not from someone outside her family.
She removed her gloves. “Since we voted to buy that abandoned farm and apple orchard, you’ve been distant or difficult or both. You don’t listen to what I have to say except when it comes to horticulture.”
He returned his attention to the clipboard. “Let’s stay focused on the problem at hand. If I can find Eli in time, he’ll be there to tell about Rueben pumping him with questions to find out when you and your family would be gone.”
“I haven’t seen him since breakfast.”
“He’s hanging out with his friends, using his last day of freedom somewhere.”
“On our final day here?”
“Since he’s not going to Maine, he thinks that his responsibilities concerning the farm will triple once we leave tomorrow. So he ducked out on helping us pack, but he plans on being home around eight tonight to say
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