The memory of the smell of guts and decay made Sarah want to puke. Thankfully, Nick had donned yellow latex kitchen gloves and disposed of the snake before he left.
Gross, gross, triple gross, ran over and over in her head as she scrubbed her kitchen table one more time for good measure, using almost a whole roll of paper towel. She took the garbage and tied it up in a plastic bag. Holding the bag as far away from her body as she could, she pushed through the screen door. She went around the side of the house, dumped it into the trash can. After securing the lid, she glanced around. Awareness prickled her skin.
Relax, you’re okay. Even Sarah knew that Jimmy was too much of a coward to attack her in broad daylight. The hallmark of his abuse included keeping it a secret and making everyone question her story. Not his.
She strode back into the house and turned the lock on the door all the same. She said a silent prayer that this lock would be enough. Nick had found one of her windows unlocked, and they assumed this had been the point of entry. Now that it was secured, she should be safe.
Please, Lord, let me be safe.
After Nick had cleaned up the snake, he had bagged the phone for prints. Sarah doubted uncovering the intruder would be that easy.
A little voice in her head, no doubt planted by Jimmy’s relentless barbs, told her she had brought all this upon herself. She should have never called her mom last night.
But what about the incident at the church prior to that? What had she done to bring that on?
Nothing. She had done nothing. But she knew what she had to do now. She washed her hands, changed her clothes and headed out on the walk to the center of town to Apple Creek Community Church.
Normally she enjoyed the peaceful stroll along the quiet country road, the solace of it, but today it was too quiet. The wind rustling through the cornstalks lining both sides of the road unnerved her. Nick had told her to call him for a ride, but she needed to do this one thing before she lost her nerve.
And she didn’t want Nick to be any more involved than he already was.
She’d have to resign her position at the church and leave Apple Creek.
Run away.
Again.
The memory of the phone call with her mother reverberated in her mind. She couldn’t go too far. Her mother wasn’t doing well, despite her protests.
The gravel on the berm of the road crunched under her tennis shoes as Sarah picked up her pace. The occasional truck and horse and buggy passed her, but mostly she was alone out here. She hated the feelings of being out of control. Afraid. Unprotected with only cornfields on either side of the road.
Running away to Apple Creek had sent Sarah into a downward spiral, but now—even after all the precautions she had taken—it seemed Jimmy had found her. She fought off the pit of despair that tried to consume her.
The dark emotions reminded her of when her father died. Her world had swirled out of control. Her father had been her protector. Her hero. And then he was gone.
Leaving her and her mother as an incomplete family of two.
After her father’s death, she had spent her early adulthood picking the wrong men. Perhaps looking for a father figure. Someone to love her. Someone to protect her. She thought she had found that in Jimmy Braeden. He had been so attentive. Affectionate.
Abusive.
But she didn’t realize the latter until it was far too late. Until Jimmy had her in his clutches and wouldn’t let go.
The midmorning sun beat hot and steady on her head. She wished she had grabbed a hat before heading out the door. She ran a hand across her forehead. Don’t think about it. Keep walking.
It had been next to impossible to leave Buffalo the first time. Now it would be difficult to move again. Sarah had grown accustomed to the quiet, and she’d miss her new friends, however few.
The six months she lived in Apple Creek had been tranquil.
Until yesterday.
Now, with the events of the past twenty-four hours weighing on her shoulders, she arrived at the church. She jogged the last fifty feet, as if a burst of decisiveness wanted to outrun her indecision. And she longed for the wall of air-conditioning she knew would hit her as soon as she opened the door to the church basement.
When Sarah reached the door handle, it made her think of home base in hide-and-seek, a game she had played with the neighborhood kids as a child. They’d run as fast as they could until they threw themselves at the tree, front porch or a square in the cement. Whatever arbitrary location the players had chosen as safe. And then they’d flop over, exhausted, relieved, knowing they were safe and some other sap would be “it.” But as an adult, she realized she no longer had a home base.
No place was safe.
Not anymore.
Sarah yanked on the door handle, and the heavy blue door swung open. Pastor Mike had said they were a welcoming church. Locked doors would only create barriers to those who wanted to get closer to God. Or those who were seeking...something.
She slipped inside, and the door slammed behind her and her nerves hummed to life. Anyone could be in the basement meeting room of the church. Yet another reason she had to leave. She’d gather a few of her personal things from her office and then tell Pastor Mike her plans.
Sarah tried not to look at the plywood covering the broken window—had it been some reckless teenagers?
Oh, but what about the snake on my kitchen table?
Either way, she was grateful that someone had cleaned up the mess. She had already dealt with too much this morning. Sarah scrunched her nose, trying to dispel the horrid smell of the dead animal that still lingered, even if only in her memory. Focusing on the task at hand, she emptied a box of hymnals, figuring the pastor wouldn’t mind if she used the empty box to pack. She stacked the books neatly on a corner table. As she gathered her personal items, she heard the door open and then after a long silence, click closed. Sarah froze. Her decision to return without her personal protector suddenly didn’t seem like a good idea. What would they call her in one of those movies? Too stupid to live?
“Hello.”
Sarah’s heart soared. Miss Ellinor’s voice had never sounded sweeter. “You’re in the office early today. I noticed you jogging across the parking lot as if a wild hog was chasing you through the fields. Is everything okay?” Her words floated down the staircase as the older woman gripped the railing and descended each step gingerly.
When she reached the bottom step, Miss Ellinor planted a fist on her hip. “Everything isn’t okay. What’s going on?”
Sarah stopped putting items into the box. “I was hoping to talk to you and Pastor Mike at the same time.”
“He’s visiting a church member in the hospital. Poor Mrs. Mann fell and broke a hip.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Sarah admired how the pastor and his wife devoted their lives to their ministry. Helping people as a social worker was the best part of Sarah’s job, but lately she wondered how much more she could give to other people before she lost herself entirely.
A pang of guilt pinged her insides. She felt selfish. People in Apple Creek had begun to count on her, and she was ready to run again, leaving them without an advocate when it came to receiving the services they required and deserved.
Let someone else do it. I have my own problems.
Selfish! But dying wasn’t going to help anyone.
Miss Ellinor lowered herself into one of the rickety old wooden folding chairs that were probably manufactured circa 1960 and were ubiquitous in church basements. “You’re leaving us.” It was a statement, not a question.
The look of disappointment on the older woman’s face slammed Sarah in the heart. Sarah grabbed a chair and propped it open. She sat next to Miss Ellinor. “I can’t thank you and the pastor enough for taking me in. For finding me a place to live. But I’m afraid—” she paused, unwilling to utter his name “—he knows where I am. I have to leave. I can’t risk anyone getting hurt on account of me.”
Miss Ellinor folded her hands in her lap. “I thought the police found a few young men misbehaving in town?”
“They did.” Sarah scratched her head and blinked away the image of the snake.
Miss Ellinor pressed her palms together as if she were praying. “Then, there’s nothing to worry about. And now that you’ve gotten to know that nice handsome officer, he can protect you.”
Sarah smiled, unwilling to be rude to the woman who had been so kind to her. She didn’t want to remind her that her last boyfriend—her current stalker—had been a police officer. And Nick was a deputy sheriff.
“I’m not interested in dating.”
Miss Ellinor squared her shoulders and pressed her lips together, the face she often made before she was ready to regale her with a story. “Now, that would be a shame. Nick is such a nice man, and his last girlfriend treated him like dirt. Broke his heart. I’d love to see a girl like you end up with a strong, handsome man like him. A man who treats you right.” She quickly shook her head, as if reading Sarah’s mind. “He’s tough on the outside, but that man has a heart of gold. Do you know his parents are the wealthy folks who have that fancy house up on the hill?” Nick had mentioned something about his parents’ wealth.
“Nick could have walked right into his father’s business,” the pastor’s wife continued, “and have a fancy car and all, but he chose to first serve his country and then join the sheriff’s department here. Nothing glamorous about that,” she added, as if thinking aloud. “Only a good man would make a choice like that when he could have had almost anything he wanted.”
Sarah could feel heat and shame pulsing through her veins. Part of her wanted to stop the woman from invading Nick’s privacy, the other half—the curious part—wanted to pepper her with a million questions.
Someone broke Nick’s heart?
Why didn’t he go into the family business?
And he’s still single?
Sarah shook the silly thoughts aside. It was totally none of her business, and poor Nick would probably be embarrassed if he knew Miss Ellinor was spilling his secrets.
A cool knot twisted in her stomach. Had Miss Ellinor ever shared Sarah’s secrets? Secrets that could jeopardize her safety?
“I’m not looking for a boyfriend,” Sarah said, her common sense winning out over her curiosity. Certainly not one who is a cop. “I don’t imagine Nick would like us talking about him.”
Miss Ellinor waved her hand. “Oh, I’m not being gossipy. All of Apple Creek knows what happened to Nick. That girl was a fool for cheating on him. And when he was serving our country. Can you imagine that girl’s nerve? Some of the younger generation are so self-involved.”
Miss Ellinor leaned forward and pulled Sarah’s hands in hers. Tears bit at the back of Sarah’s eyes as she stared at their clasped hands. She hadn’t realized how separate she had held herself here in Apple Creek. She had missed the simple comforts of a deep friendship. Of course, Sarah had become friendly with Mary Ruth, but out of necessity, Sarah kept a certain distance between them. A tear slipped out of the corner of Sarah’s eye and rolled down her cheek.
“Oh, honey, it’s okay. Don’t cry. What can I do for you?” Miss Ellinor patted her hand.
“I’m a grown woman and I’m crying because I miss my mom.” Her nose tingled and she had to swallow back a knot of emotion. “It’s silly, I know.”
Miss Ellinor stood and bent over, hugging Sarah. “You aren’t silly at all. You’ve had a rough time of it. Of course you miss your mother. How does she seem in her letters?”
“Her letters are all cheery. She’s putting on a brave face.” Sarah decided not to get into the prohibited phone call she had made last night. “I’m worried.”
“We’ll keep her in our prayers.” Miss Ellinor patted her back and straightened. “Please don’t go. Apple Creek needs you.”
Sarah bit her lip, considering. A little part of her wondered if Miss Ellinor had only said that out of pity.
“I do like my work here.” She traced the flat edge of the rickety wooden folding chair.
“Then stay.” Miss Ellinor held herself with an air of determination. “You’re running before you know what’s going on. Can you stay until you know you’re really in danger from that evil man?” She gave her a knowing glance.
“Even if it’s not my former boyfriend, someone’s harassing me.”
The pastor’s wife planted a fist on her hip. “Every time you run into conflict, you’re going to run away?” The older woman shook her head. She pursed her lips, but she had a twinkle in her eye, obviously knowing she was slowly chipping away at Sarah’s resolve.
Miss Ellinor pointed to the stairway. “We’ll add security features here at the church. We’ll lock the doors and make sure you have an escort back and forth from your home.”
“But what about the pastor’s open-door policy?”
Miss Ellinor waved her hand. “Never hurt a person to knock or ring the bell. Your safety is more important than anything.” The older woman patted Sarah’s shoulder.
Sarah gave her a sad smile. As much as she appreciated everything Miss Ellinor was willing to do to keep her safe, nothing and no one could protect her from Jimmy if he had a mind to hurt her.
* * *
Sarah collapsed into an oversize leather chair in her tiny office in the church basement after her only client for the day left. The hum of the AC unit in the window kept her company. She traced the six-inch tear in the black leather, and her mind drifted.
The client who had just left—she wasn’t Amish—had two young children, and although she wouldn’t admit it, Sarah suspected she was in an abusive relationship. The young woman wanted to get a divorce, but had no means of support. Sarah promised her that if she really wanted to leave, Sarah would find resources for her.
This was the reason she needed to stay. But could she?
“Are you okay?”
Sarah bolted upright in the chair and swung around. She pressed a hand to her beating chest. “You scared about ten years off my life.”
“Sorry, I thought you heard me come in.” Mary Ruth smiled sheepishly.
Sarah stood and turned off the AC unit, sending the room into silence, save for Sarah’s still-racing heart. She waved her hand. “It’s okay.”
Her Amish friend turned around and pointed to the box Sarah had left outside her small office. “Are you going somewhere?”
“I was thinking about it.”
A thin line creased the young woman’s forehead. “Because of what happened here last night?” Mary Ruth leaned back and looked at the boarded-up window. “I feel bad that I wasn’t here when it happened.”
Sarah shrugged. She was growing tired of being the center of attention. The one thing she enjoyed about Apple Creek was the anonymity. Someone wasn’t asking her questions every other minute. Until now.
“It’s fine.” Then feeling a little embarrassed that she hadn’t thought about how this mess had affected Mary Ruth, she asked, “How’s Ruben? I hope he’s not in too much trouble with his father.”
Mary Ruth cocked her head and drew a hand down the long string of her bonnet. “I wouldn’t know.”
Sarah watched the emotions play across her friend’s face. “Aren’t you and Ruben getting along?”
Mary Ruth tapped her boot nervously on the doorframe. “I called things off with Ruben.”
Sarah made an effort to hide her surprise. “I didn’t know.” Did last night have something to do with it? Smashing bottles seemed like a minor offense. “Why?”
“It wonders me if I’m not cut out for married life.”
Sarah ran her hand over her mouth and gave her next words careful consideration. “Marriage is a huge part of Amish life. If not Ruben, maybe someone else.”
Mary Ruth simply raised her shoulders and let them fall. “Maybe.”
Sarah thought back to the past few months. Mary Ruth had been spending more and more time helping her. “I appreciate your help here, but maybe it’s interfering with your plans to live the Amish way. Maybe you shouldn’t have skipped the Sunday singings this past week. You enjoy that time.”
“It was easier than facing Ruben,” Mary Ruth said, frustration evident in her voice. “He can be very persistent.”
Alarm bells clamored in Sarah’s head. “He hasn’t hurt you, has he?”
Mary Ruth lowered her gaze and shook her head adamantly. “Neh, neh...” She slipped into her Pennsylvania Dutch. “He still wants to court me.”
“He hasn’t accepted the breakup?” Sarah searched the young girl’s face.
“He will. He just wants to save face. We hadn’t been officially published, nor had he talked to the bishop about marriage, but—” she shrugged again “—people start getting ideas. People talk.”
“Do you think it’s just a matter of time and he’ll move on?” Something about Mary Ruth’s hesitation unnerved Sarah. Or maybe she was overly sensitive to boy-girl relationships gone bad.
“Yes, that’s it. It’s a matter of time.”
“Please let me know if I can do anything.” Sarah lifted her hands, indicating her small office. “This is my job.”
It was Mary Ruth’s turn to wave her hand. “It’s nothing as serious as that. Ruben needs to move on. That’s all.”
Sarah pressed her hands together and studied Mary Ruth. “What are your plans?”
“I admire the work you do. I’d love to be able to help people.”
Education beyond the eighth grade was frowned upon in the Amish community. On the farm, there was no need for education beyond the basics. A highly educated Amish person might get ideas. So, it wasn’t like Mary Ruth could go to college to become a social worker.
Sarah’s pulse beat low and steady in her ears. She swallowed hard. “Are you thinking of leaving the Amish?” Mary Ruth’s parents would be devastated, having already lost a son to the outside world. Sarah also realized if her closest Amish friend left the church, it might make Sarah’s work in helping the Amish more difficult. Already she was considered an interloper, and if Mary Ruth left, the worst fears of the Amish would be realized.
She was a negative influence.
Sarah shook away the thought. Besides being selfish, did it really matter? Hadn’t Sarah decided to leave Apple Creek, anyway?
As if reading her mind, Mary Ruth said, “I have no plans to leave the Amish.” She leaned her hip against the doorframe. “But maybe, somehow, I can find a way to help people.”
Sarah subconsciously ran a hand across her bandage. “I’m glad you told me. I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”
Mary Ruth tipped her head toward the box again. “Where are you going?” A frown pulled at the corner of her mouth.
“There’s a lot going on right now, and I really don’t know what I’m doing.”
Mary Ruth levered off the doorframe. “I’m here if you need someone to talk to, too.” She smiled.
“Thank you.”
“I stopped by to see if you needed help cleaning up the mess, but I see someone already has.” Mary Ruth looked around.
“I appreciate it.”
“Well, I better go, then. My mem needs help with my little sisters so she can run some errands. I told her I’d hurry back. Last time I didn’t arrive home on time my dat got mad. I don’t want him to start telling me I can’t come here.” Mary Ruth’s father worked at a nearby business that manufactured outdoor play sets, allowing—much to his dismay—more freedom for his family to do things away from the farm. Like Mary Ruth helping Sarah. Or like his son getting in with the wrong gang.
“Go then. I’ll see you soon.”
“Of course.” Mary Ruth spun around, her long dress twirling about her.
Sarah leaned back in her large chair and listened to Mary Ruth’s footsteps up the stairs. Why didn’t I know Mary Ruth and Ruben were no longer courting? Sarah must have misread Mary Ruth’s hope for the future all wrong. Mary Ruth hadn’t been excited about settling into marriage. She had been excited by other possibilities.
Sarah smiled to herself.
Perhaps it was Sarah’s turn to learn something from the young Amish girl.
Excited by the possibilities.
Then another thought struck her like a freight train. Mary Ruth’s boyfriend suddenly had motive to make Sarah’s life miserable.
No, Ruben was a good guy. He had always been pleasant around her. Helpful, even. Well, until his aloofness this morning. But that’s to be expected. He was probably still angry about having to go down to the sheriff’s station after smashing the bottles.
All indications showed Ruben was a solid young man, intent on living in the Amish way.
Mary Ruth’s family might not be too happy with Sarah, either. Her stomach pitched.
Sarah was grasping at straws. It was Jimmy who was harassing her. It had to be. Right? Sarah winced at the headache forming behind her eyes.
How could she ever trust herself again to be a good judge of character?
* * *
Outside the church, the late afternoon sun beat down on Nick. He drew in a deep breath. After serving overseas in times of war, he’d never again take for granted the clean scent of country air, even with its manure undertones. But fortunately this afternoon, he only caught a whiff of bundled hay and fresh-cut grass.
Miss Ellinor had called him at the station, encouraging him to check on Sarah when he got out of work. The pastor’s wife had insisted it wasn’t an emergency, but that the “sweet thing” looked like she could use a friend. Miss Ellinor’s phone call had been serendipitous because Sarah had been reluctant to agree to meet him at the diner to discuss the next course of action. Now he had an excuse to see her. He had made a few phone calls today to a friend in Buffalo, and Sarah’s story didn’t seem to add up.
Nick didn’t like secrets.
He slammed his truck door shut and spun around at the sound of gravel crunching under footsteps. He wasn’t partial to surprises, either.
Miss Ellinor lifted a picnic basket by the handle and smiled, by way of explanation. “I had some leftovers, and I thought you and Sarah might like a nice picnic. Down by the lake maybe?”
Nick shook his head and smiled. “You’re incorrigible. I’m guessing Sarah didn’t really look like she could use a friend.”
“Oh, no, she looks like she could use a friend, especially a handsome young friend like yourself.” She smiled coyly and without a hint of apology.
“I’m not as young as you might think.” He ran a hand across his scratchy beard.
“All the more reason to get you settled down.”
Nick slowly shook his head but couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face. He wasn’t interested in getting involved with someone. Especially not with someone who seemed to be harboring as many secrets as the last woman he had gotten involved with. He had seen firsthand the destruction secrets had on a solid relationship. Never mind trying to build a relationship on the shaky foundation of skeletons in a closet.
The side door of the church swung open and Sarah stepped out clutching her large bag. She seemed to startle a minute when her gaze landed on Nick. She composed herself and made her way over to where he and Miss Ellinor stood.
“Um...” Her gaze drifted from Nick to the picnic basket in Miss Ellinor’s hand and back to Nick. “Did we have plans?”
“I’ll leave this picnic basket here,” Miss Ellinor said as she placed it in the bed of Nick’s truck. “I went through a lot of effort, I wouldn’t want it to go to waste.”
“Thank you.” Nick didn’t take his eyes off Sarah, who narrowed her gaze.
“What’s this about?”
“Miss Ellinor called me and told me to come check on you.”
Sarah raised a skeptical eyebrow.
“But apparently it was a ruse to send us off on a picnic.” Nick walked around to the back of his pickup truck and lifted one side of the picnic basket. The items were neatly secured, but he could smell the fresh bread and a hint of egg and onion. “Oh, man, I think she made us her famous potato salad.” Nick wasn’t the kind to attend church, but as a deputy sheriff, he had the occasion to sample Miss Ellinor’s cooking at the annual church outing. Most of the town attended, even the Amish, so he never felt out of place despite his lack of Sunday church attendance.
“Potato salad?” Sarah shook her head, smiling. “I suppose it would be a shame to let it go to waste.”
“We need to eat, right?”
“We do.” Sarah surprisingly seemed downright agreeable. Or maybe she was hungry.
Once they were settled in his truck, Nick turned to her. “Should we have a picnic by the lake?”
Sarah shoved her oversize bag down next to her legs. “That’s fine.”
He turned out onto the road and decided he needed to get a few things off his chest before they reached the lake. Maybe then they could relax and enjoy their meal.
“I made a few phone calls this morning.”
“Phone calls?” He could hear the trepidation in her tone. “In regards to me?”
“I have a friend who’s a private investigator in Buffalo.”
“What did you do?” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it held tremendous restraint. “I’ve been hiding in Apple Creek for six months, keeping all my communication with my mother carefully orchestrated, and then I meet you. Now, you up and call a friend? An investigator whose questions will likely raise more questions. About me!” Her voice grew high-pitched. “Take me home.”
“Please, we need to talk.” A muscle worked in his jaw.
Sarah shifted in her seat and said what was really on her mind, “What if the two incidents weren’t Jimmy? Now you’ve drawn him a map to my front door. He’ll find me for sure.”
“My friend can be trusted.”
“I need to know everything you said. I need to know who he talked to.” Sarah turned to face him, and he gave her a sideways glance. The distrust in her eyes cut him to the core.
* * *
Sarah watched the cornfields roll by as Nick drove along the country road. She clamped her jaw shut, seething at his audacity at calling a private investigator about her situation.
“I asked him to quietly look into Jimmy Braeden,” Nick said, his voice holding a hint of an apology. “Check out his work schedule. See if he could find out what the man was up to without drawing any attention to himself...or more importantly, you.”
“You shouldn’t have.” Sarah closed her eyes and sank into the seat. Nick had no right to contact anyone in Buffalo on her behalf. She could only imagine what Nick had said about her. Her ears grew hot at the thought of people talking about her, discussing her situation.
“By all accounts, Officer Braeden is a good guy.” Nick’s comment was like a knife to the heart.
“Do you think I’m lying?”
“I’m trying to uncover the truth.”
“I don’t lie.” Sarah fisted her hands in her lap as he slowed the truck and turned into a gravel lot. “Why would I make up a story about an abusive boyfriend?”
Nick cut her a sideways glance. “You have no reason to.”
Sarah wasn’t sure if he meant it or if he was saying it to appease her. Why had she agreed to come on a picnic with him?
“Can we please enjoy this meal Miss Ellinor made for us? Call a truce for the next hour?” Nick sounded so sincere.
Sarah turned and looked out over the water. The afternoon sun was glittering on the lake. It was beautiful. She found some of the anxiety ebbing away. Not all of it, but some. She figured just enough to allow her to hold a civil conversation and maybe enjoy the picnic Miss Ellinor had taken the time to prepare.
Without waiting for an answer, Nick hopped out of the vehicle and went around and opened the door for her. Jimmy had long ago stopped making her feel special by performing simple courtesies. Like opening a car door.
Nick smiled at her, one that seemed to be asking for forgiveness. She wished it was as easy as that and this was simply a nice first date between two single people in Apple Creek, but her life had taken too many twists and turns over the years to let her guard down.
Besides, she wasn’t staying in Apple Creek. Not long term anyway.
And she wasn’t interested in dating. Not a cop. Not Nick.
He grabbed the picnic basket and headed toward the water’s edge. She was surprised no one else was out enjoying the park.
He set the basket down and opened one side and pulled out a red-and-white-checkered blanket.
“Looks like Miss Ellinor thought of everything,” Nick said as he spread the blanket on the grass. He plopped down on it and seemed unconcerned that Sarah was standing there watching him.
“She’s a wonderful cook.”
Nick laughed. “And apparently a matchmaker.” He shrugged. “I suppose it’s not that unusual. As a pastor’s wife, she must meet a lot of people who have things in common.”
“Do we?” Sarah asked, unable to keep the sarcasm from her tone.
He pulled out a cold bottle of water and handed it to her. “I’d like to think so.” He squinted up at her and smiled, a smile that reached his warm brown eyes. She accepted the bottle and dropped to her knees on the blanket.
Nick pulled out potato salad in two plastic containers, a bag of chips and individually wrapped sandwiches.
Sarah’s stomach growled. “I’ve been so busy all day, I didn’t realize how hungry I was.” She pulled back the plastic wrap covering hers and took a bite of the chicken-salad sandwich. “Wow, this is really good.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes until Nick spoke. “Now about those phone calls I made...”
Sarah’s adrenaline spiked, and she lowered her sandwich. “Has it already been an hour? Remember our truce?”
Nick lifted an eyebrow as if to say, “You didn’t actually think we could avoid the elephant in the room?”
Sarah maneuvered her legs from a kneeling position to a more comfortable sitting position. Her feet tingled from lack of circulation. “You know how to ruin a girl’s appetite.” She held her breath, waiting, anxious to know if his phone calls had uncovered anything.
“Matt, the private investigator, and I served together in the army.”
Sarah moved her potato salad around with her fork. “Jimmy has a lot of friends, and he’s very convincing.” Already she felt defensive.
“You’re right. Jimmy claims you were fired from your last job and were forced to move away.”
“He’s lying.”
“I know.” Nick reached across and touched her knee. She was too weary to pull away.
“What if your friend’s inquiries cause me more problems?”
“We can trust my friend Matt. He’s a good guy. He’s smart. He won’t say anything to put you in jeopardy.”
Sarah bowed her head and studied the blanket.
“Can you trust me on this?”
She slowly looked up, and a pang of regret zinged her heart when she saw the despondent look on his face.
“I hardly know you.”
“Hear me out. Matt made a call to one of his friends at Orchard Gardens police headquarters and discreetly checked the work rosters. James Braeden was working last night.”
Her mouth immediately went dry. “Jimmy normally works the day shift.”
“He apparently worked a few doubles recently. Maybe there’s something going on at work?”
“Are you saying he couldn’t have been harassing me because he was at work?” She felt the knot easing between her shoulder blades.
“It would seem that way.”
Sarah nodded, letting what he said sink in. “That means someone else smashed the window and left the snake on my kitchen table.” But for some strange reason, a stranger harassing her seemed less threatening than Jimmy.
Sarah bowed her head and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “That jibes with something else I learned today.” She looked up and met his encouraging gaze. “Mary Ruth told me she broke up with Ruben. Maybe he blames my influence for the demise of his relationship.”
Nick nodded. “Maybe. What about her family? They would be upset, too. Baptism and marriage are important milestones in the Amish community. I understand Mary Ruth’s older brother recently moved away.”
Sarah had yet to meet Mary Ruth’s family. It was almost like the young woman was working hard to keep the parts of her life separate. Considering their different backgrounds, Sarah understood that, but did that also mean she had a very angry family member at home who might blame Sarah for the perceived influence she had over Mary Ruth, especially in light of her brother jumping the fence?
Sarah dragged her fingers through her hair. “I wish my job came with a training manual, sometimes.”
Nick wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I’ll do some digging.”
Sarah reached out and clasped his wrist. “Don’t make it obvious. I have a tough enough time getting the few Amish who do come to me for help to trust me. I don’t want them to think they no longer can.”
“I understand.” He tilted his head to look deeply in her eyes. “Can you trust me?”
Sarah nodded. She could. She had to.
“There’s something else.” Nick bent his knee in front of him and rested his elbow on it and stared over the lake, giving Sarah the opportunity to study his strong profile.
If only they had met under different circumstances...
“I had Matt do a welfare check on your mother.”
Sarah’s heart skipped a beat. She was unsure if she should be mad or grateful. Right now, she chose to be grateful.
“How is she?” The world seemed to slow down as she held her breath and waited for a response.
Nick slowly turned to look at her. “He’s never met your mom before, but he thought perhaps she wasn’t doing well. The house was a mess and—”
“My mother always kept a meticulous house.” Suddenly the chicken sandwich didn’t sit so well in her stomach. Her mind drifted to the conversation last night. Her mother’s persistent cough. All Sarah’s doubts and regrets overwhelmed her.
Maybe Sarah shouldn’t have left Buffalo.
Sarah closed her eyes. “What am I going to do?”
“I’ll help you. However I can.” Nick’s compassionate words washed over her. “But I don’t know if it’s safe to visit her. That’s what you’re thinking, right?”
Tears burned the back of her eyes, and she struggled to find the words. What could she say? “You have to understand how hard it is to be away from my mom at this time.”
His intense scrutiny unnerved her, so she redirected the conversation. “Are you close with your parents?”
Nick laughed. “Well, my parents are a little different. They’re entrepreneurs and they travel the world. Work has always been their first priority, but they always made sure we had everything we needed. And they’re very generous in the community.”
Curiosity piqued her interest. “How did both you and your sister end up in Apple Creek?”
“When we were little, my parents wanted to get away from the city. They needed a quiet place to think. Since they owned their own business...well, businesses now, they could live anywhere. We moved from Buffalo to Apple Creek when I was around seven.”
“You didn’t follow them into the family business?”
Nick shook his head. “It never appealed to me. I wanted to do something more concrete. To help people.”
“And your sister became a doctor in a health-care clinic. Interesting.”
“Yes, and my parents see to it that the clinic is fully funded.”
“Wow.” Sarah took a sip of water. The soft breeze against her skin felt wonderful.
“Oh, but I have another sister. She went to school for accounting and she’s very successful, running one arm of the family business.” Nick got a faraway look in his eyes. “The lifestyle never interested me. My parents were always gone. I was raised more by the nanny than my parents.” He waved his hand in dismissal.
“Trust me, growing up with a lot of money in a big house in the country wasn’t a hardship. But when the time came, I wanted to go in a different direction careerwise. My parents were always supportive in the way they knew how. They paid for my college and they support the clinic.” There was something lonely in his eyes that Sarah could relate to.
Sarah took another long drink of water. “What am I going to do about my mom? I’m hiding in Apple Creek to stay safe, but I won’t be able to live with myself if my mom dies alone.” Her voice cracked over the word dies.
Nick reached out and covered her hand. “Then I think we should pay her a visit.”
Fear washed over her, and her anxiety made her stomach knot. “I promised my mother I’d stay safe.”
“I’ll keep you safe.” The conviction and sincerity in his eyes warmed her heart. “You can’t run away.”
“I don’t know...”
“Can you trust me?” He asked her yet again. He squeezed her hand.
Sarah had no reason not to trust him, but she had been wrong in her assessment of people before.
But what choice did she have? She nodded and turned to face him. They locked gazes. Sarah found herself hypnotized by his kind eyes. Before her brain engaged and she nipped her heart’s impulse, she leaned in at the same time Nick did. His soft lips covered hers, a fleeting kiss full of promise. He pulled away and a light glistened in his eyes.
“I won’t let you down.” A small smile played on his lips.
A million emotions tangled inside her. Sarah shifted and turned her focus to the sparkling lake and let out a long sigh.
Dear Lord, I need Your guidance on this one. Can I trust this man?