The Quilt Room finally cleared out, and Trini heaved a sigh of relief. She had nothing to complain about. Her business was bustling, to say the least, but it had been a long day.
The door chime sounded. Trini looked up from her cash register to see Abby and Serenity. “Gut afternoon,” she said, suddenly recalling that it was that very special day of the week when she and her besties met in the back room to quilt and to spill their deepest secrets.
Enthusiasm edged Abby’s voice. “I have gut news about Gabe and me!”
Trini and Serenity glanced at her. Trini responded, “He asked to court you!”
Abby sealed her lips and shook her head. Then her mouth lifted at the corners into a happy smile. “You’ll have to wait to find out!”
Serenity stepped to the back while Abby and Trini chitchatted. At the same time, Trini compiled some lists into a neat little pile. During their conversation, the gentle, unique scent of herbs began to migrate into the main area.
Trini and Abby shared a glance. “That’s our health guru!”
Abby nodded. “And that’s one of the many reasons we love her.” After Trini agreed, Abby looped her arm around Trini’s waist.
Side by side, they entered the small area and claimed their usual chairs.
As they organized their quilting materials, Serenity directed her attention to Trini. “Customers have come in and out of your shop all day.”
Abby agreed. “And we’re not even approaching a holiday.” After a slight pause, she added, “What’s up?”
Trini heaved a sigh. “Lots of stuff going on.” After a slight hesitation, she softened her voice. “I hate to say this, but I think my business has picked up because of what happened to Serenity.”
“What?” Serenity’s voice reflected surprise.
Trini nodded. “You know how Margaret said that something gut usually comes out of something bad?”
Two heads nodded.
“I think the enormity of what happened to our Serenity has made our community more appreciative of our loved ones.” She smiled. “In my opinion, the awful attack has sparked more love and generosity. Customers have mentioned that because of the unexpected incident, they have become more aware of how they want to show their love to each other. And gifting quilts is a unique way to do that.”
Serenity shrugged. “Same thing with my floral business.” She paused. “At least, something good came out of it. Showing our love for one another is what Gott wants from us. But I still don’t understand why the men were in my barn or why they attacked me.”
Abby’s voice was filled with emotion. “I’ve wracked my brain trying to figure out why it happened.”
Trini pulled a needle from her blue pin cushion and squinted while she threaded the eye. After she completed her task, she pulled the short end, ran her fingers over the doubled thread, and scooted her chair closer to the frame.
“Not to change the subject, but I’ve hired a part-time clerk to help with bookwork, so that’ll free me up for more time to design.”
She stopped a moment and set down her needle. She couldn’t stop an appreciative smile from lifting the corners of her lips when she glanced at Abby and Serenity. “How are both of you?” Before either could respond, Trini’s voice filled with emotion. “I’ve missed you.”
Serenity released a small sigh while she addressed Trini’s heartfelt statement. “Oh, Trini, I’ve missed you too.” Then she turned. “And you too, Abby.”
Abby lowered her eyes to the frame before dropping her work to her lap. “A lot has happened since our last meeting—that’s for sure.”
Trini and Abby both turned to Serenity as Trini spoke. “I don’t think our lives will be normal again until those guys are caught. We just have to accept that.”
Serenity crossed her legs at the ankles and sipped her tea. Trini took in her calm expression. But she was quick to glimpse the anxiety behind Serenity’s baby-blue eyes. Trini empathized with the florist so much that frustration filled her day and night for not being able to do more to help her to carry on from the “bad day.”
Abby softened her voice to a sound that was half urgency and half curiosity. “Do they have any new leads?”
Trini chimed in. “How about the fingerprints on the eyeglasses?”
Trini was quick to note the expression of disappointment on Serenity’s face as she put down her cup and leaned forward a bit. “Not yet.” She crossed her fingers. “Please keep praying that we’ll get a match.”
Abby looked down at her sturdy black shoes and spoke in a low tone that was barely more than a whisper. “I hope so.”
Trini thought a moment before responding. Then she narrowed her brows while she considered what had happened right here in the safe little countryside town of Arthur, Illinois. In her best friend’s barn. “The question everyone is still asking is why. Do the police have any inkling yet of why those two were on your property?”
Serenity lifted her hands in a helpless gesture and gave a strong shake of her head. “No.”
Abby moved toward the edge of her seat and straightened her shoulders. “I feel so helpless! There’s got to be a next step.”
Trini narrowed her brows. “A next step?”
Abby waved her hands in frustration. “Jah! You know! Something else we can do. There’s always a next step.”
All three women had ditched the project to focus on this serious subject. Trini was the first to stand. Then Abby. Then Serenity. Quick, urgent steps took them to the window, where they stood in a circle.
They joined hands. Trini looked at Serenity, then Abby. “I know what we can do, ladies.” After two curious sets of eyes met hers, she spoke. “Pray.”
Serenity nodded. Abby smiled with affection. “Trini, you always know what to do.”
At the same time, they bowed their heads, and Trini prayed with a great sense of urgency. “Dear Gott, we’re only here to serve You. Thank You for all You do for us. But right now we have a special request. Dear Lord, please catch the men who hurt our friend. Answer our questions. And please … guide us to do what needs to be done to catch them. Amen.”
Serenity thanked Trini and Abby. Trini smiled slightly. She could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks as she began to get lightheaded. When she reached for a chair for support, Serenity grabbed one arm. Abby caught the other.
Suddenly, the subject of conversation was on Trini as her two besties helped her sit down.
Serenity rushed to the water tank and began filling a glass with water. Abby laid her hand on Trini’s forehead. “You’re warm.
Honey, I think you’re sick.”
Trini looked up. “No. I’m pregnant!”
That evening, Serenity enjoyed time with Angel. Inside the barn, she ran her hand with great affection over both sides of her horse’s long nose. As she did so, she thought of today’s conversation in the Quilt Room with Trini and Abby. Her stomach ached. Her whole body felt tense.
While she considered the recent unusual happenings, she reached for Angel’s brush, stepped inside his stall, closed the gate behind her, and made her way to his side to caress his thin hair. “I’m at peace here. Mostly because you’re with me.” After a few long, drawn-out strokes, she said in what was barely more than a whisper, “But it’s time I figure things out.”
Angel closed his large eyes while Serenity moved her brush over his strong body. She breathed in the animal smell and the earthy scent of fresh straw and oats. It was funny. In this very barn the worst thing in her life had happened. But it was also inside this old, comforting structure that she found a sort of peace and solitude that she’d never experienced anywhere else.
For many reasons, Angel made a good sounding board. He didn’t criticize. He didn’t offer bad advice. But here, with Serenity’s dear four-legged confidant, she felt at ease enough to convey her thoughts. “I know it’s not easy being a horse. It’s hard being a human too.”
She ran her free hand down the sensitive place between his eyes. He gave a soft whinny. Serenity’s movements appeared to calm the standardbred. The motions also slowed the anxious pace of her own heart to a speed that enabled her to relax and finally sigh in relief.
Outside the Plain Faith, there were many means to help alleviate stress. She spoke to the Englisch every day at her shop. There were therapists. Facials. Massages. Spas.
Serenity was fully aware that there were numerous brands of churches, and that most of them shared what was important: belief in Jesus Christ, that He’d died on the cross, and that He’d risen from the dead. She was sure that if she’d been born to Catholic parents, she’d be Catholic. If her parents had raised her Lutheran, she’d most likely be Lutheran. Of course, the truth was that many within her church didn’t think as she did, but that was fine. We all walk our own path. And I’m on my journey alone with Gott.
The smell of straw, the scent of oats—even the old wooden steps leading up to the hay loft—were Serenity’s loves. So it was only fitting that this very structure would be where she voiced what really bothered her.
It’s time to decide how to handle my feelings for Stephen. I learned a lot from my sickness as a youth. It taught me what a strong role the mind plays in emotions.
I believe that Gott blessed me with an extraordinary amount of tenacity to recover. And I’m forever grateful. But right now I need to figure out another matter. Stephen has serious romantic feelings for me. And I reciprocate. But I must use my mind to rid them, the way I did when I said goodbye to my virus. The two scenarios are different. But in a way, aren’t they the same?
She stopped to consider the question. When her hand dropped to her side, Angel clomped his hooves and gave such a strong shake of his head that saliva hit Serenity in the face. She laughed as she closed her eyes and ran the back of her hand over her eyes. “Really?”
She considered Trini’s unexpected, joyous announcement. Serenity couldn’t stop a wide smile. Serenity had already started planning the dried flower arrangements she would create for the baby’s room. That way, whenever Trini rocked the little one, she’d breathe in the most calming scents that nature offered.
That thought quickly reminded Serenity to check the eucalyptus that hung from lines in her darkroom. She gently patted her horse on the side and used her most reassuring voice. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back.”
Serenity pulled hairs from the brush, threw the handful in the trash, returned the brush to its place on the oak shelf, and stepped to the corner room near the entrance. Before opening the door, she pulled the lantern from its hook on the wall and flipped the ON switch.
At the entrance to the small floral room, she adjusted the lantern in her right hand. Drying flowers and greenery were best accomplished in a dark room since light faded the plants’ colors. She turned the handle, stepped inside, and quickly closed the door behind her.
Inside, the fresh scent of her favorite filler made her close her eyes to appreciate the fragrant moment. She opened her lids and carefully checked the lines that traveled from one wall to the other. Dried eucalyptus branches hung upside down so the oils would drip toward the top of the branch, and therefore the leaves would also dry upward. In this room, there was no need to worry about rodents. Mice and rats didn’t like the smell.
Because there wasn’t much space, Serenity was very careful not to bump the stems, which had been in this dark, dry area for a few weeks. The small light enabled her to check the bundles, held together by rubber bands.
She checked the floor. No twigs had fallen from the line. She smiled with satisfaction, lifted the light to see the handle, turned it, and closed the door behind her. On the opposite side, the vast contrast of scents was hard to ignore. She appreciated both.
She flipped the OFF tab on the lantern and hung it next to the spare. For long moments, she stood very still while taking in the piles of straw at the back of the barn.
I will not be afraid. But amazingly, her fear didn’t stem as much from the intruders as it did from the way she’d warmed inside when Stephen was with her.
All of this time, I’ve ignored what I came in here to address. I can’t continue to sweep my feelings for him under the rug. Or his obvious love for me.
Angel let out a demanding neigh. Serenity rolled her eyes. “I promised you I’d come back. But no caresses right now. I’ve got to replace your straw so you’re comfortable.”
Serenity stood on her tiptoes to reach the rake handle hanging from a hook near the horse bridle. Rake in hand, she made her way to Angel’s stall and began clearing the corner closest to the gate. The moment the metal spears met the concrete with an unpleasant squeaking sound, the horse made an abrupt turn and proceeded out to the pasture.
I can’t say that I blame you. I don’t like that sound either.
She cleared dirty straw and continued to transport it outside until the burn pile was large. Ensuring that the gate to Angel’s stall stayed locked, she gripped the wooden handles and pushed the wheelbarrow from and to the stall. As she did so, she contemplated the horse’s obvious longing to explore the main area of the barn. Serenity wasn’t sure why he longed to go on the prohibited side. She supposed it was just the nature of the animal.
Serenity had taken notice that the bar that separated the stall from the open barn area had been moved. In fact, somehow, Angel had managed to push the latch out of its holder. If he figured out what to do next, he’d have access to the entire barn. I must have the old latch replaced.
It’s weird, Before the intruders, Angel never tampered with the latch. My horse tried to warn me, but I assumed that his chaotic behavior was the result of the storm, despite weather never before causing such a reaction in him. How wrong I was. Angel has never feared bad weather. But I never would’ve suspected strangers were in our barn.
After she filled the wheelbarrow, she pushed it back outside to the burn pile and emptied it. Then she moved it back into the old barn. She needed to designate thinking time. About Stephen. Now.
Outside Serenity’s barn, Stephen shoved his hands into his pocket and heaved a sigh of satisfaction. He had mailed his heartfelt letter to Charlotte. At least, he’d taken a step to hopefully move his relationship with Serenity forward. There was no guarantee that he’d get a response. And if he did, he had no reason to be concerned about his letter being printed in her column. The fine print had made it clear that if the magazine intended to publish a letter, the sender would be required to sign an authorization form.
Stephen’s heart pumped with a combination of uncertainty and excitement when he glimpsed Serenity raking Angel’s stall. After giving his letter much thought, he realized that he still wanted Serenity to know his feelings and his intentions. And that Charlotte, if she responded, could add important helpful details to assist him to better understand Serenity’s stance from a woman’s viewpoint.
He stood at the entrance to the barn, lifted his hand, and knocked to announce his arrival. As he did so, his arm froze in midair while he watched her work.
As he took in her slender figure and the long, loose blond hairs that had escaped the confines of her kapp, his heart fluttered. But the excitement that passed through him wasn’t so much a physical longing as it was a deep respect and great appreciation for everything gut this woman offered the world. And for what she’d contributed to his life.
As she loaded her wheelbarrow, he noted her agility. Her entire body radiated energy and positivity. An enthusiastic shiver swept up his back and landed between his shoulders.
She hadn’t spoken so much as one word to him, yet just watching her had energized him. Since adulthood, Stephen had never encountered anyone who’d ignited something so wonderful and inexplicable.
Don’t get tongue-tied. You can do it.
He knocked again, louder. She turned and smiled. “Stephen!” She motioned. “Please. Come in.”
He stepped toward her. She was inside the stall. When he stood on the opposite side of the gate, she rested her rake against her thigh and let out a breath. “You’re just in time to help.” Before he could say anything, she went on. “I’m only kidding, you know.”
He opened the gate and joined her. “But I’m serious.”
She lifted a curious brow. “You can work with me on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
The ray of sunlight coming in allowed him to glimpse the creamy flecks that danced behind her irises with an odd blend of uncertainty and determination.
She leaned forward slightly and spoke in a soft tone. “You must let me help you clean your barn.”
He narrowed his brows. Then he grinned and gripped the wooden handles of the wheelbarrow, which was filled with dirty straw. As he opened the gate, pulled the barrow backward over the metal hump that divided the open barn from the stall, then started to move toward the entrance, he stopped a moment to offer her a conciliatory nod of agreement. “Deal.”
Outside, he emptied the used straw into the burn pile and made his way back into the building. Ask her. Now. There won’t be a better time.
Inside, Serenity was headed toward the back of the old structure. “If you want to bring that over here, I’ll stock it with a fresh bale.”
They stopped where the straw piles started. He watched as she retrieved an aluminum ladder from the wall and pulled the legs apart. He stopped her with his hand. “Allow me.”
She stepped aside while he ascended the steps and shoved the nearest bale off the top of the stack so that it fell into the wheelbarrow. He jumped down, folded the ladder, returned it to its hook on the wall, and pushed the load of straw. She walked behind him.
“Stephen, I’m used to doing this, you know.”
At the stall, he stopped, lifted the straw by its twine, and turned to her. “Where do you want it?”
She motioned to the back right corner. “There.”
He placed it where she’d pointed.
“I usually start at the back and rake forward.”
Their eyes met. Then he pulled his cutting knife from his pocket. “I do it the same way.”
With one swift motion, he slit the twine in the middle. The straw immediately fell into a pile. Serenity started spreading the bedding as Angel stepped into the barn.
When the horse entered the area, Stephen held up a hand and moved to the other side of the gate. He clicked the latch into place and chuckled. “I don’t intend to be your horse’s next victim.”
Serenity immediately stroked her standardbred’s long nose. It never ceased to amaze Stephen how she and her horse seemed to share a mutual understanding. And when she planted a kiss on him and told him to go back out to the pasture, Angel obeyed.
It’s a relationship I’ll never understand. But if I’m going to be part of their family, I’ll have to figure out a way to befriends with him. It’s ridiculous that I’m even thinking like this.
Serenity propped her rake in front of her and met Stephen’s expression with sudden curiosity. “Are you okay?”
Stephen stepped closer and offered a delayed nod. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking.”
“About what?”
“That I never want you to go through anything like that ‘bad day’ again.”
She smiled appreciatively.
“Me neither. I don’t expect it will happen again. Once was enough—that’s for sure. But Stephen, if it does, I’ll be strong. Gott will protect me. Just like He did before.”
Stephen cleared his throat and tried to think how best to tell her what he’d come here to say. “Uh, Serenity?”
“Jah?”
He was so close to her, he could smell the fresh citrus scent of her hair. He glimpsed the unsure look in her eyes.
He took the rake from her fingers, lifted it over the gate, and propped it against the nearby wall.
His voice came out as barely more than a whisper. “Serenity, we make a gut team, don’t you think?”
After a slight pause, she responded. “Stephen, you’ve become a gut friend to me. You must know that.”
Their noses nearly touched. But he took great care not to physically touch her. It wouldn’t be appropriate, and he would respect that. He was on one side of the gate; she was on the other.
The breeze came in through the open doors and moved a loose strand of hair on her face. With one very gentle, deliberate motion, he held the strand between his fingers and carefully placed it back behind her ear.
“Serenity, I want us to be more than friends. I’ve been picturing you as a mamm, chasing our kinder in the yard. I dream of us going to church in a buggy filled with little ones. Serenity, I’ve never felt so strongly about a woman.” He paused, and his voice caught with emotion. “I want to be your protector 24-7.”
After a slight pause, he asked, “Will you be my wife?”