Yvonne stepped out of the buggy when Jake did, hoping her comment hadn’t been too over the top. Surprisingly, his sense of humor seemed to mesh with hers, and her playful tone of voice was meant to be just that—playful.
Her tour guide for the day retrieved a bucket from the back of the buggy, filled it with water from a gallon jug, then set it in front of the horse before gently rubbing the animal’s muzzle. Putting a hand to her forehead, Yvonne took in her surroundings. They were on a dirt road that seemed to lead to nowhere. After passing some gorgeous farms earlier, they’d stopped at two small shops. Jake had tended to the horse while Yvonne went in each and looked around. They’d then stopped for lemonade at a small stand run by three precious Amish boys. Then they’d taken a side street and had followed this narrow path for about fifteen minutes. “Where exactly are we going?”
He let the horse finish drinking from the bucket, then straightened. “Why? You scared?” Grinning, he pushed back the tip of his straw hat before he hauled the bucket back to the back of the buggy. After he’d set it inside, he said, “Well?”
Yvonne folded her arms across her chest and eyed the handsome, and whimsical, Amish man. “Nope. Not scared.” He was a bit mysterious, but now that she’d spent some time with him, Jake Lantz didn’t make her nervous at all. She was surprised by how comfortable she felt around him. “Just curious.”
He waved an arm for her to get back into the buggy. “Come on. I’ll show you something you wouldn’t see on any tourist trip, something a bit more off the beaten path.”
“I’m intrigued.” She climbed into the buggy. Even though she had heels on her boots, they were square and not very high. “I would have dressed more appropriately if I’d known I’d be going on an off-road adventure.”
“I think you look just fine.” He clicked his tongue and gave the horse a gentle flick of the reins, and they continued their trek to nowhere. Or somewhere. Yvonne was more focused on the fact that this nice Amish man had told her she looked just fine twice today. “Thanks,” she said, almost under her breath as she lifted her chin and kept her eyes in front of her.
Just when she thought the path couldn’t get any narrower, it did. She had to bend down to avoid getting slapped in the face with low-hanging branches.
“Sorry. I haven’t been out here in years, and I had no idea how grown-over this place might be.” He turned to her, his eyes brimming with genuine concern. “I think maybe we should turn back.” He pulled back on the reins, slowing the horse.
“Wait.” She twisted slightly in the seat to face him. “Is it worth the trip, whatever it is you want to show me?”
He sighed. “I don’t know anymore. In fact, you might think it is dumb.”
Yvonne loved anything mysterious, and this entire day was proving to be more fun than she could have anticipated. “You said you haven’t been out here in years. So, it’s somewhere you went as a kid?”
An eager look flashed in his eyes. “Ya, me and two other boys. We saw something, and . . .” He raised a shoulder and dropped it slowly, shaking his head. “Maybe we should turn around.”
Yvonne grinned. “No way. We’ve come this far. I’ve got to see this place now.”
The sun was just beginning its descent, but it felt later, darker than it was, with the trees forming a canopy over the road. “It feels a little creepy,” she said as she nodded in front of them. “I’m all in for a little adventure.”
Jake’s eyes brightened. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” He looked over his shoulder, then reached into the back seat of the topless buggy, pulling out a pair of rubber boots. “These will be huge on you, but you might want to wear them when we get there. I can’t really see you walking in the woods in those shoes.” He nodded to her black boots.
She swallowed hard as she began to rethink things. “Exactly how far will we be walking into the woods?”
“Not very far.” He paused. “You can still change your mind.”
Visions of scary movies flowed briefly through her mind—girls being led into the woods only to meet their demise by seemingly good guys. But there wasn’t anything sinister about Jake. She was sure of it. “Let’s do this.”
He chuckled. “Okay. Here we go. Watch for low branches.”
Yvonne’s insides swirled with an excitement she hadn’t felt in a long time as the buggy started to move a little faster.
* * *
Eva stirred the chicken and dumplings on the burner. She had flipped the sign on the front door to Closed right at five o’clock, expecting Jake to be back any minute. She glanced at the clock on the wall again. Almost six o’clock. A bitter jealousy stirred inside her, mingled with surprise that Jake had spent the entire day with the English woman. There wasn’t that much to see in Montgomery.
After another few minutes her angst shifted to worry, and she wondered if something had happened to them. There weren’t any windows in the back part of the building, only two skylights, so it was always a little dark in the room, but this time of year, it didn’t get dark until close to nine. She wondered if a storm might be brewing.
After she turned off the burner, she walked to the front of the store. Even though the sun was starting to go down, it was a cloudless early evening. Weather wasn’t an issue, which didn’t alleviate her worries. Accidents happened in buggies more than any of them liked to admit. But even though she had safety concerns, jealousy still fueled her irritation.
Sighing, she went behind the counter and found the set of keys that Jake kept in a box out of sight. There were keys for the front door—which Eva had a copy of—and keys for the basement and back door. They rarely used the back door, and until now Eva had never had a reason to go into the basement. But she figured she could at least get things ready for their reading time, assuming that was still on.
She fumbled with the vintage lock until the door clicked open, then she reached for the flashlight hanging on the nail by the door. Carefully, she made her way down the steps and stood there, shining the flashlight in every direction. Would they sit on the bed with a lantern lit nearby? Or would that feel too intimate? They’d most likely sit near the desk on two chairs. Eva didn’t really care where they sat, as long as they were together.
After a few minutes, she realized there wasn’t really anything to get ready. They’d light lanterns, and that would be about it. She lifted the rolltop on the desk and eased the book out, tempted to thumb through it, but she’d wait on Jake. She trudged back up the stairs and went back to the front of the store, disappointed that Jake’s buggy was still gone.
When she returned to the back room, she relit the burner and set it on Low underneath what was supposed to be their supper. After another glance at the clock, she wondered how long she should wait. She sat down at the small table and recalled her conversation with John. At first, he had looked visibly hurt, until Eva said that he could check with her in a couple of days. Her feelings wouldn’t have changed by then, unless Jake made it quite clear to her that she was his employee and friend—and nothing more.
* * *
Jake couldn’t believe he’d dragged Yvonne to this place, a spot he hadn’t been to in years but that was a permanent part of his youth, something he’d never forget. There was no way she was going to believe his story. As she trudged awkwardly in his rubber boots down the narrow path into the woods—also grown up like the canopy of trees on the road—he felt responsible for her well-being. He wouldn’t have brought her here if he’d known how much the conditions had worsened. Obviously, kids today didn’t take this path to what Jake and his friends had once considered a secret place.
“You okay?” He was ahead of her, pushing branches aside and holding them so she could get through the brush. She actually had a hand clenched around one of his suspenders as they walked, which should have felt odd, but at least he knew he hadn’t lost her somewhere behind him.
“Yes, I’m fine. I was thinking earlier, I’m in the middle of every teen flick where the seemingly nice man drags the heroine out into the woods to kill her.”
She made the comment without any emotion, and Jake stopped dead in his tracks and turned around, snapping his suspender in place as her hand let go of it. “What?” His chest tightened.
Yvonne burst out laughing. “I’m kidding. But you know how it always goes in those slasher movies.”
Jake stared at her, knowing his expression must show his confusion. “Nee, I don’t know. We don’t watch movies.”
She blinked at him. “Oh. That’s right. No electricity, no TV. Duh.” She rolled her eyes.
“I promise I’m not going to kill you.” He felt the weight of his words all the way to the pit of his stomach, but she just put a hand over her mouth after she smiled.
Then she cleared her throat. “I believe you.” She waved an arm forward as she squeezed her lips together, an obvious effort not to smile. “Carry on.” She raised her chin and her eyebrows.
Jake wanted to go back. Even though this place held a special significance for him—and others—Yvonne was going to laugh at what she would consider a tall tale. She was already comparing their trek to scary movies and joking around.
They’d taken about fifteen more steps when Jake finally saw the tree he’d been looking for. A virus had killed most of the ash trees over the past couple of years, and lots of them had toppled over since he’d been here, but the tree he’d been looking for stood exactly where it had always been, big enough that two grown men couldn’t get their arms around its girth.
“Here we are.” He sighed as he lay a hand against the tree, then pointed to his initials. There were at least two dozen more initials carved into the tree since he, Amos, and Lloyd had carved theirs all those years ago. Proof that, despite the overgrown path, there were some kids—or maybe curious adults—who had made the trip out here. But it had clearly been a while.
“Uh . . .” She leaned closer, and her eyes traveled from one set of markings to another. “You brought me to a tree with carved initials? I don’t even see any cute little hearts around the initials.” Her eyes darted nervously back and forth between Jake and the tree, ultimately locking on Jake as she raised an eyebrow.
Jake hung his head and sighed again. “This was a bad idea. I don’t know why I thought you’d want to see this place. Maybe I just wanted to see it again.” He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
He waited as her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“Every person who carved their initials in this tree claims to have seen the same thing,” he said. “Although, I’m not claiming I saw anything. I did see something.”
She kept her eyes fused with his as she raised her palms to the sky. “Am I supposed to guess?”
Jake took a deep breath, never having felt more foolish in his life, and prepared for a roaring round of laughter. “I saw a Sasquatch, and the other people who carved their initials in the tree claimed to have seen it also.”
Yvonne stared expressionless at him. “You mean, like Bigfoot?”
Jake stiffened, knowing it was going to make him angry when she laughed, even though the situation surely warranted it. Most people didn’t believe in such things. And Yvonne was older, educated, and wasn’t going to buy this at all. “Ya, I guess that’s what some people call it.” He twisted his mouth from side to side, willing himself not to get angry.
“What did it look like?” Her hazel eyes glistened with what appeared to be curiosity.
When he was sure she wasn’t going to laugh, he said, “It was big, way taller and broader than I am. And . . .” He still wasn’t sure if she was just playing along and boisterous laughter was getting ready to erupt. “And it had red eyes.”
She bit her bottom lip, then lowered her brow at him. Somewhere along the trek, she’d pushed her sunglasses up on her head again. “How old were you?”
“Fourteen.” He scratched his cheek and wondered if his face was red. “Mei two friends saw it too.” Tapping the tree, he said, “And all these people saw something too.”
She was quiet as she gingerly ran her hand over some of the carvings.
“This feels so dumb. I don’t know why I thought you’d want to see this.” Jake shook his head, frowning.
For the first time, she smiled. “Are you kidding me? This has been the best part of the day. How many people get to say they saw a Sasquatch? That’s amazing. I was in Colorado once, in a small town called Bailey. They have an entire museum dedicated to the many sightings of Sasquatch in the area. I happened to be in there when a teenager told me that he’d seen one before, and he said it had red eyes. Then my friend I was visiting in the town told me that she had also seen one. She said the same thing—red eyes. I think it would be fabulous to see something so rare.” She paused. “Although I’m aware most people probably don’t believe in such things.” Shrugging, she said, “But I do.” She pointed a finger at him. “Now, if you said you’d seen a ghost, we would be having a different conversation.”
Jake was still reeling and coming to grips with the fact that she hadn’t laughed. “You believe in a Sasquatch but not in a ghost? I think there are probably more people who believe in ghosts.”
“Well . . .” She folded her arms across her blue blouse, which was now speckled with leaves and bits of debris. She sighed. “If you believe in ghosts, then you have to believe in an afterlife, that the soul goes on. And I don’t.”
Jake shifted his weight and stared at her. “You don’t believe in Gott?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t say that. There probably is a God, but He’s not up there waiting for us. I think He lends a hand while we’re here on earth, though.”
“Have you always believed this way?” A sadness wrapped around Jake as his eyes studied her face, searching for something that wasn’t there. Faith.
“Pretty much.” She uncrossed her arms and waved one in the air. “I think God is probably real, but the rest is just . . .” She stared somewhere over Jake’s shoulder. “Just not real.”
Jake waited until she looked back at him. “Can I ask what made you decide this?” He was stepping into territory he had been taught to avoid. His people didn’t believe in ministering to outsiders.
“It’s basically the way I was raised.” She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. Jake was sure there was a story there, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it. “I’m thrilled that you brought me to a place where all these Sasquatch sightings have happened. Just amazing. I wish we would see one now.”
Jake was relieved when she changed the subject. He took out his pocket watch, the one his grandfather had given him. “Wow. It’s getting late. We’ve still got plenty of time before dark, but I guess we should get going.”
Yvonne dropped her sunglasses down on her nose. “Yeah, you’re probably right. It’s been a full day. A great day.” She waited for him to take the lead, although she didn’t latch on to his suspender this time.
Jake had surprisingly had a good time also. The pushy English woman had turned out to be a fun and lively companion, and she didn’t even laugh about his Sasquatch sighting. But now, as their time was coming to an end, his thoughts returned to Eva and John. Jake was supposed to read with Eva this evening. She’d even brought supper. He wondered if plans had been changed now that John was in the picture.
“Thank you for a lovely day and for sharing your special place with me,” Yvonne said once they got off the narrow path and back onto the main road. “It was unexpected, and I enjoyed it very much.”
“It was a gut day.” It saddened him that Yvonne felt the way she did about God, but that was not his burden to bear. He would pray for her to find her faith, though. “I’m glad you had a nice time.”
They were nearing the bookstore when she pushed her shades up on her head and waited until he looked at her before she spoke. “Still nothing I can say to get you to change your mind about the book?”
Jake sighed. He should have known she wasn’t going to let it go, but maybe this was her final attempt. “Nee.” He needed to be firm. “There is zero chance that I will sell the book.”
With that, the store came into view. Jake didn’t see Yvonne’s expression at his reply, and if she said anything, he didn’t hear her. All he saw was a closed shop and an empty parking lot. Eva’s buggy was gone. He looked at his pocket watch again. It was ten minutes after six. His heart sank as he wondered how long Eva had waited for him after closing the store at five.
“Can I use your restroom before I get on the road?” asked Yvonne as he turned into the lot. “It’s not far to Gasthof Village, but . . .” She gritted her teeth.
“Ya, sure.” Jake tethered his horse, found his keys, and opened the door for her. “I’ll walk you back. It will be dark back there.” He took the flashlight from the counter just inside the door and shone it on the floor in front of him, and Yvonne followed him to the back room. “Straight through there.” He handed her the flashlight as he picked up one from the small kitchen counter. The aroma of chicken and dumplings hung in the air, and his stomach grumbled, but it wasn’t just because he was hungry. “I’ll be up front or out giving mei horse some water.”
She took the flashlight. “Thanks.”
Jake trudged back to the counter, to the spot on the left of the register where he and Eva left each other notes or phone messages, but there wasn’t anything there. He chastised himself again for missing supper and their planned reading time. But couldn’t she have waited for me? Her departure probably had something to do with John.
Every time Jake pictured the two of them together, it fueled a combination of emotions—regret, jealousy, and questions. How could he now look at Eva every day knowing she was seeing John? He’d never expected to react so strongly to this new scenario.
He popped the register open and was glad to see that Eva had taken the money with her, which she’d done before when Jake wasn’t there to close the store. That done, he went outside to wait. He was thankful he didn’t live far. His old mare was surely worn out.
After he filled up the water bucket and gave the horse a long drink, Yvonne emerged and rushed straight to her car.
Jake locked up the store as she gave him a quick wave. “Thank you again!”
He waved back, hoping she was far enough away not to see the moisture in his eyes.
* * *
Yvonne sat down on the bed and pulled off her boots, wiggling her toes and reflecting on the day. She had stopped in the restaurant for dinner and now wished she’d found a place to buy a bottle of wine. Maybe tomorrow.
Yawning, she kicked her feet up on the bed and leaned against her pillow before calling Trevor.
“I guess I miss you a little,” she said after he answered.
“So, I haven’t been replaced by the Amish guy, then?”
Yvonne chuckled. She’d called him earlier to tell him that Jake would be showing her around. “I don’t know. He’s really nice looking.” It was true, and Jake was a nice—and entertaining—man, but Trevor held the key to her heart. “But alas . . . I’m in love with this great guy named Trevor whom I’m going to marry in a few months.”
“Well, I’m happy to hear that I haven’t been upstaged. I’d hate to start all over, looking for another woman to marry.”
“Ha-ha,” she said, smiling. “You know I get a little nervous about the whole marriage thing from time to time, but I love you with all my heart, and I really do believe that we will be happy for the rest of our lives.”
“I know we will be, and I can’t wait to start our lives as Mr. and Mrs. Adams.”
Yvonne breathed in a sigh of contentment, deciding marriage probably did require some work, as Jake had mentioned. She’d maintain her independence, even if she had to fight for it a little. But Trevor wouldn’t push her on that. He knew she wasn’t cut out to sit home and play housewife. From now on, when her nerves tried to get the better of her, she was only going to picture their lives together as blissfully happy.
“So, tell me about your day,” he said.
“It wasn’t anything like I expected, but I actually had a really good time.” She filled him in on the day’s events.
“Sasquatch, huh? Not sure I believe in that stuff.” He laughed, pretty much solidifying that he didn’t.
“Jury’s out for me. Too many people claim to have seen the big furry creature with red eyes. Remember, a while back I told you my friend Sherry swore she saw a Sasquatch up on the mountain where they live?” She paused. “I guess I’m open to the possibility.”
“I guess I’d have to see to believe.”
“Speaking of seeing to believe, I didn’t earn any points with the Amish guy when a conversation came up about religion. My fault. I sort of stepped into it, but when I said I didn’t believe the soul goes anywhere after we die, I think Jake Lantz felt the need to save me. But he probably didn’t know where to start. Besides, we don’t know each other, and it seemed a heavy conversation to dive into, so I changed the subject.”
Yvonne and Trevor didn’t talk about religion much. Trevor didn’t align with her beliefs. He believed in heaven and hell, and they had agreed to disagree a long time ago. Maybe that was why he was quiet now, unwilling to respond to what might end up as an argument.
“Anyway,” she said through a yawn, “it was a nice day.”
“Are you coming home tomorrow? I actually miss you too.” She could feel him smiling back in Texas and appreciated his warm tone and the fact that he hadn’t pushed her on anything religious.
“I’ve got one more thing up my sleeve. The Amish girl who works for Jake seems totally in love with him. I can tell by the way she looks at him, and I think he has feelings for her too. The woman is beautiful, and she seems super nice. I’m going to try to impart some of my worldly wisdom so she can get her hooks in Jake. She just needs to up her game.”
He laughed a little. “I see where this is going. And in return, you’re hoping for an ally to talk Jake into selling you the book.”
“Bingo.” Yvonne grinned. “And don’t call it manipulative, because the outcome is good for all.”
“Except Jake breaks his promise to his grandfather.” Trevor’s voice held a sense of regret.
“I don’t like that part of it, but if the book is so important, it’s meant to be shared, right?” She squeezed her eyes closed, knowing Trevor would counter.
“Shared? Maybe. Sold? Apparently not.” He paused for a long while. “You said you liked this Amish guy, Jake. Why force him to break a promise? You don’t need the money. And before you say anything, yes . . . I know you like the challenge. But this time, maybe George just doesn’t get this particular rare book.”
“You might be right. But at the least, I’d like to know what’s so important about the book. Jake wouldn’t even let me see it.” She sighed. “I don’t know. He knows me a little better now. Maybe he would have let me have a peek at it. I can’t stand the thought of leaving here without knowing the contents.”
“Why does it matter? You said you were told the book has healing powers for those who are spiritually lost. That doesn’t sound like your kind of book.”
Yvonne chewed on her bottom lip and tried to decide if there was a jab in his statement. Deciding there was, she stayed quiet.
“Honey, don’t get mad. I probably shouldn’t have said that.”
She waited a few moments. “I’m not mad.”
“I love you. I know you. And I can tell when you’re upset or angry. I’m sorry.”
“It’s just . . .” She took in a deep breath and sighed. “I don’t know. Curiosity, I guess. And I love you too. I’m going to get a shower, but I’ll call you before I go to sleep.”
“Yes, I’ve heard that before.” His voice was light, but tonight she’d make a point to call him before he went to sleep.
“I promise I will.”
After they’d ended the call, Yvonne stared at the foot of her bed—and at the book atop the red-and-white floral bedspread. If she hadn’t gone into the bookstore to use the bathroom, she probably wouldn’t have noticed the basement door was ajar. She’d just happened to shine the light around the area, then had had an overwhelming urge to rush down the stairs since she knew Jake was outside tending to his horse. And there, in plain sight, had sat the hundred-thousand-dollar book. All three hundred pages.
Luckily, when she’d stuffed it underneath her shirt, then practically run to her car, Jake was closing up the store. She’d locked her purse in her car before they’d taken off in the buggy that morning. All she had was her car keys in her pocket. But Jake hadn’t even noticed the slight bulge in her shirt.
Yvonne had never stolen anything in her life—and she wasn’t now. She was only borrowing it. Tomorrow she would carefully put the book in her purse, arrive at the bookstore early, and somehow sneak her way down to the basement. No one would be any the wiser.
She would read as much as she could tonight and at least know what all the fuss was about.