Eva walked into the bookstore with a knot in her throat, but she held her head high, determined not to cry in front of Jake. She’d practiced all morning, after being up way too late the night before, shuffling back and forth between anger and hurt. She had waited for him to return for almost an hour after closing the store. He could have called if he was going to be late. He also could have phoned her later in the evening when she was home and offered an explanation.
She did have to consider that perhaps he was bothered that John had been in the store, especially if Jake had heard the rumors that John wanted to date her. But most prevalent at the moment was Eva’s jealousy that had eventually swum to the top of all her emotions. Jake had spent the day with an outsider and apparently hadn’t thought enough about their plans to even call her.
He was sitting behind the counter with his hands folded, his hat lying on the wooden surface next to him. His face was redder than she’d ever seen it before, and based on the way his eyes blazed into hers, she could almost feel his anger searing her skin.
Eva was only a few steps past the door when she stopped and wondered how the tables could possibly be turned. “What? What’s wrong?” she asked sheepishly, even though she was certain he should be the one apologizing.
“Did you forget something last night?” His jaw clenched as his eyes narrowed, and she could still feel the burn.
She shifted her weight indignantly as she brought a hand to her chest, her small black purse swinging at her elbow. “Did I forget something?” She huffed. “I believe I should be asking you the same thing.” She fired back the same unforgiving expression he was holding on to. Surely, he’d apologize now.
“Why did you leave the basement door open when you left last night?” His voice was uncompromising, but at least his eyes had softened a little.
Eva thought back. There were the two young men who had frightened her. Could they have gotten into the basement? No. They’d been there early, and she would’ve noticed if the door was open as she worked throughout the day. Later she’d heated the chicken and dumplings. And then . . . Then she’d unlocked the door, gone into the basement, wondered where they might sit, taken the book from beneath the rolltop on the desk, then gone back to the chicken and dumplings. Could she have forgotten to lock the door? No. She recalled fumbling with the lock. But maybe she hadn’t actually locked it like she thought. Either way, his anger wasn’t justified.
“I-I had trouble with the lock on the basement door. I unlocked it because I assumed we would read down there, and I checked to see if we might need anything. When I locked it back up, maybe it didn’t click into place, and—” She gasped before her throat seized like it might close up. “The book. I took the book from . . . Is it . . .”
“It’s gone. The basement door was open, and the book is gone.” He stood up and placed both his hands on the wooden surface in front of him, leaning forward. “Did you take the book home with you? Please tell me you did.”
Eva hung her head as she blinked back tears. “Nee, I didn’t take the book home.”
Jake waved his arm around the bookstore. “No one broke in, Eva. The place was locked up tight when I got here about thirty minutes ago. So how did someone get in and take the book?”
“I-I don’t know. There were these two men earlier in the day that made me nervous, but it wasn’t them, because I saw the book when I went down there, and I can’t imagine how someone might have gotten it, and . . .” She was rambling and crying at the same time, but she couldn’t even look at Jake, knowing how important that book was to him. “I’m sorry,” she said through her tears as she kept her head down.
Jake pounded his fist on the counter, a display of anger that Eva had never witnessed from her boss. She startled, her eyes wide and moist. “I’m sorry!” she repeated, louder this time.
They began talking over each other, boisterously, with Eva apologizing and Jake saying he didn’t understand how this had happened. And then the bell on the door chimed.
“Stop!” Yvonne took several long steps into the store until she stood beside Eva and faced off with Jake. “Stop all this yelling. I could hear you outside.”
She glanced back and forth between Eva and Jake before she ran a hand through her hair and sighed. Her eyes were puffy, and she looked like she’d been crying. Then she reached into her purse, took out the missing book, and set it on the counter. She took a few steps backward until she was standing next to Eva. “I took your book. Last night when I went to the bathroom and I saw the basement door open. So quit yelling at Eva.” She lowered her head, shaking it. “I shouldn’t have done it. I’ve never taken anything in my life. I just . . . borrowed it.”
Jake stood there, his nostrils flaring. Eva was speechless, unsure what surprised her more—Jake’s outburst or that Yvonne had taken the book.
“I had no intention of stealing it. I just wanted to see . . . to read . . .” Yvonne pressed her lips together as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. “I only read about forty pages, but . . . I’m so confused.” She dabbed at her eyes, and Eva glanced at Jake, who now looked just as stunned as Eva felt. “Never mind. I’m sorry I took it. Well, I’m not. I mean . . .” She squeezed her eyes closed, brushed away a tear, and said, “I shouldn’t have taken it. I shouldn’t have read any of it.”
Her gaze landed on Jake. “As soon as I can get a flight, I’ll be heading back to Texas. You don’t have to worry about me bothering y’all anymore. I won’t be badgering you about selling that stupid book.” With a shaky hand, she pointed to the book, opened her mouth to say something, then pressed her lips together and ran out the door.
Jake’s mouth hung open. Eva was still reeling that Jake had spoken so harshly to her, and even more confounded at Yvonne’s revelation. But Yvonne now stood in the parking lot with her hands over her face, crying. Eva shot Jake the meanest look she could before she rushed outside. She put a hand on Yvonne’s back. The woman tried to blink back tears when she saw Eva, but instead she began to cry harder.
“Everything is all right.” It wasn’t, but Eva was at a loss for words. “Can I get you a drink of water, or is there anything else I can do?” Eva almost couldn’t believe she was comforting the woman who had just earned her a verbal lashing from Jake. But even though she didn’t know Yvonne at all—and was certainly upset that the woman had taken Jake’s book—she hated to see her crying.
“Don’t be nice to me,” Yvonne said in a high-pitched voice. “So it was you who left the basement unlocked. Big deal. I’m the one who went down there and took the book.” She pulled a tissue from her purse and blew her nose, beginning to regain a tiny bit of composure as she looked at Eva. “I just wanted to know about it, to read a little of it and see what makes it so important. I’m sorry Jake yelled at you that way. He doesn’t seem like the type.”
Eva lowered her hand from Yvonne’s back and sighed. “He’s not. I’ve never seen him like that.”
“Well, his anger was misdirected.” Yvonne sniffled. She was dressed in blue jeans and a yellow blouse today, much more casual than her other visits. “I thought I could sneak the book back into its place without anyone knowing it was ever gone. I had come to terms with the fact that Jake isn’t going to sell it. We had such a fun day together that I considered just asking him to show it to me. But an opportunity presented itself, and I took it, in case he refused again to let me see the book. It was just a weird hunch to go down there, and I’m not usually that impulsive.”
Eva sighed. “Jake is a forgiving person, and since you and he hit it off prior to this, I’m sure he won’t hold a grudge.”
Yvonne dabbed at her eyes with her fingers. “When you say it like that—‘hit it off’—you make it sound like something romantic.” She locked eyes with Eva. “Your boss is a very handsome man.”
Eva felt her heart dropping into her stomach. She couldn’t compete with a fancy English woman as pretty as Yvonne. Apparently, Eva had been wrong about Jake not getting involved with an outsider.
Yvonne held up her left hand and wiggled her finger, the one with a large diamond ring on it. “I have a handsome fiancé back home whom I am madly in love with. You have nothing to worry about as far as Jake and I are concerned.” Sniffling, she gave her head a quick shake. “I don’t remember the last time I cried, but that book . . .”
Eva clung to Yvonne’s statement about Jake, even though she was angry at him for his harsh words. But the book was also taking on a mysterious edge. “What was it about the book that upset you so much?”
Yvonne took a deep breath and bit her bottom lip. “All of it. Like I said, I only read about forty pages, but something spoke to me in a way that I wasn’t expecting.” She shook her head. “It just confused me. Then, when I walked in and heard Jake yelling at you, I guess I just lost it. I’m sorry he took out my misdeed on you.”
Eva wondered if maybe Jake had reconsidered about selling the book. Maybe he’d thought it over and decided to break his promise to his grandfather, and then when it went missing, he went all crazy.
They both turned to Jake when the bell on the door chimed as he stepped onto the porch. He raised both his shoulders, held them there, then let them fall. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you that way, Eva. And, Yvonne, obviously you are upset, and I’m sorry for my part in that. But you shouldn’t have taken the book.”
“She knows that.” Eva spat the words at him before she turned back to Yvonne. “Are you going to be okay?”
“Yeah. I guess. I’m probably better off that I won’t be finishing that book. I’m going to forget I ever read any of it.” Yvonne swiped at her eyes.
“Do you want to go get a cup of kaffi at the little café not far from here?” Eva touched Yvonne on the shoulder.
“I’d like that a lot. I’m happy to drive. Or . . . I love riding in the buggies.” She smiled a little for the first time since she’d arrived.
“Then the buggy it is. Do you want to drive? Bonnie is a dear, sweet horse. She won’t give you any trouble at all.”
Yvonne pressed her palms together, the hint of a smile on her face. “Really? I would love that, if you’re sure it’s okay. Will she get spooked in traffic?”
Eva giggled. “There’s not really any traffic where we are. We can go to the same café you and Jake went to for breakfast, or there is another place not much farther up the road.”
Yvonne cut her eyes at Jake before she looked back at Eva. “I think I’d like to try the other place, if that’s okay with you.” She glared at Jake before they started walking toward Eva’s buggy.
Perhaps neither of them should be judging Jake right now. But he could have conveyed his feelings without yelling. Eva didn’t even turn around.
* * *
Jake stood in front of the bookstore with his mouth open, wondering what had just happened. Both women had just sliced and diced him with their eyes, but he was pretty sure his actions had been justified. Although he hadn’t expected either of them to cry.
By the time he was back in the store and sitting on the stool, he realized he had been way too hard on Eva. Now he wondered if she was even coming back. At the least, she would have to bring Yvonne back to her car. He was disappointed in Yvonne, but she could have easily taken off with the book and gone home with it. But she’d chosen to return it. Regardless, Jake hadn’t gotten a word in where she was concerned. Her hysteria had walked in the door with her, and she hadn’t let up until Eva got her calmed down.
What could she have possibly read in the book that upset her so much? Now Jake wanted to read it more than ever, but he wasn’t sure Eva would even be speaking to him when she returned. Sighing, he put his head in his hands. He didn’t notice a buggy pull in, and he startled when the bell on the door chimed. It was the elderly sisters who ran The Peony Inn, a bed-and-breakfast up the road. Usually, Jake welcomed the eccentric ways of the two widows—Lizzie being the queen of quirkiness—but he wished he could just be alone with his thoughts right now.
They walked in side by side. Esther was the older, heavier sister who stood almost a foot taller than Lizzie, who might not weigh a hundred pounds. But Lizzie had enough spunk to make up for what she didn’t have in size.
“Wie bischt, Esther and Lizzie. How can I help you today?” Jake did his best to smile, but Lizzie shuffled up to the counter and set her little brown purse down with a thud, scowling at him.
“What’s wrong with you?” Lizzie raised her chin, cocking her head slightly to one side. “And where is Eva? She’s usually the one behind the counter.”
“She’s, uh . . . out having kaffi with a friend.” Jake wasn’t sure Eva and Yvonne were friends, but they’d certainly left as allies.
“And this is why you look like you’ve lost your best friend?” Lizzie folded her arms across her chest.
“Lizzie, don’t badger the boy.” Esther joined her sister at the counter, but despite her comment, she also seemed to be waiting for an answer, one eyebrow raised.
Jake sighed. Esther might give up, but Lizzie wouldn’t rest until she got an answer that satisfied her. “I got upset with Eva about something, and I think I was probably much too hard on her.”
Lizzie’s eyes widened. “Please tell me you didn’t make that sweet maedel cry.”
Jake lowered his head in shame. “Ya. I did.”
“What are you going to do to fix it?” Lizzie unintentionally spit when she talked sometimes. A problem with her dentures, Jake thought. He did his best to ignore it.
“I’m sure Jake will make things right.” Esther nudged her sister just as Jake lifted his head. “Right, dear?”
“I hope I can.” Jake could still picture Eva’s tear-streaked face, but it was quickly replaced by another image—those beautiful brown eyes that had thrown daggers his way before she’d left. And there was Yvonne’s little breakdown as well. He hated for her to leave in such an emotional mess. Maybe both women would return feeling better. He hoped.
Lizzie shook her head and rolled her eyes. “Men.”
Esther cleared her throat. “Lizzie is here to look for some new novels to read. I am here to pick up some new pens and writing tablets. I like to leave some in each guest’s room. We know where everything is, of course. We’ll let you be and pray that things are resolved between you and Eva.” She tugged on her sister’s sleeve. “Come on, Lizzie.”
After Lizzie grunted, they shuffled away, leaving Jake with only his thoughts, like he’d thought he wanted. But a pit of despair hung in his gut. He wasn’t going to feel right until he made things right with Eva. What Yvonne had done was awful, but he didn’t want her going home feeling so sad. He’d actually had a nice time with her the day before. He liked her, which made it that much more upsetting that she’d borrowed the book without permission.
He wondered what Eva and Yvonne were talking about. The only thing they had in common was him. He flinched.
* * *
Yvonne ran her finger around the rim of her coffee cup. “Thank you for letting me drive the buggy. It was a fun reprieve that took me out of my head for a little while.” She stared at the beautiful young woman across the table from her whom she didn’t even know but who had quickly stepped up to the plate to offer her comfort. “I rarely get hysterical like that. I’m so sorry Jake directed his anger at you the way he did.”
“I’ve never seen him that mad.” Eva blew on her coffee before she took a hesitant sip. “We had planned to read the book together. Since you arrived and were so interested in it, we were curious how any piece of literature could demand such a large amount of money.” She paused, a knot in her stomach. “I don’t know if that will still happen.”
“I’m sure the experience would be different for you, but the book challenged the way I’ve always believed about the world, myself, and death.” Yvonne shivered even though it was almost too warm in the small café they were in. The place was similar to the eatery she had visited with Jake, but smaller. And she and Eva were the only ones there. Yvonne wondered how some of these places stayed in business.
“Do you mind me asking why that is? Only if you’re comfortable talking about it.” Eva had dimples when she smiled even a little, which made her appear younger than when she wasn’t smiling.
Yvonne wasn’t comfortable talking about it, but she didn’t want to be rude, especially after what she’d put Eva through. “My parents were killed in a car accident when I was young, and I was raised by my aunt and uncle. They were great people, but they didn’t believe in an afterlife, and I never have either. I wanted to so badly after my parents died. I needed to know that they weren’t gone forever, just part of the ground . . . My aunt and uncle, sympathetically and with total compassion, explained to me that I must accept the loss and not hold out any hope of ever seeing them again.”
Eva’s eyes brimmed with tenderness and compassion as she cupped both hands around her coffee cup and stared at Yvonne. “I am so sorry for your loss.”
Yvonne swallowed hard. She had expected Eva to challenge her beliefs. She’d read that the Amish were Christians. “As a young adult, I read up on the subject, but I could never find enough hard evidence to change the way I was taught to believe. But that book gave me pause and touched on a few sensitive areas that did nothing but confuse me. It was the first time I’d ever felt real doubt about my beliefs.”
Eva cleared her throat. “I don’t believe there is a replacement for the Bible, but sometimes I think the Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways.”
“A book, no matter how powerful, can’t change the way you have believed for your entire life.” Yvonne paused, recalling some of the testimonials she’d read in the first forty pages. “But I felt like God was testing me somehow, and it brought forth a bunch of emotions I couldn’t process.”
“Ach, so you do believe in Gott?” Eva raised a hopeful eyebrow.
“Yes, I do. I think He keeps us all on an even keel and helps when He can. But I don’t believe the same way y’all do.” Yvonne could have never predicted she would be having a religious conversation with an Amish woman, but she wouldn’t have thought any book could have such an effect on her. She wasn’t sure how she felt about revealing so much information, but Eva didn’t seem to be judging her.
Eva smiled. “I like the way you talk. It’s very . . .” She tapped a finger to her chin.
“Southern,” Yvonne said, also smiling. “I was thinking the same thing about the way you talk. Kind of . . .” She tipped her head to one side.
“German?” Eva brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen from beneath her prayer covering. “We learn Pennsylvania Deitsch before we are taught Englisch when we start school.”
Yvonne’s phone buzzed in her purse. She pulled it out and looked at the number. For the second time, she’d failed to call Trevor before she went to bed the night before. “I’m sorry. I need to take this.”
“Please, go ahead.”
Yvonne didn’t see a need to step outside since it was only Eva and her in the café. Even their waitress was out of sight at the moment.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized to Trevor. “I forgot to call you before I fell asleep.” She glanced at Eva. “I was reading a book, and I lost track of time.” In truth, she’d been bawling her head off for reasons she didn’t know how to explain to Trevor. “I’ll make it up to you when I get home. I’m going to try to get a flight out this afternoon.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” he said with an exaggerated sexiness in his voice.
Then she listened as Trevor told her that he needed to go to New York. The investors he had met with wanted him to fly back on their private jet to discuss another project in Manhattan.
“Wow. That sounds like a huge opportunity.” Yvonne wasn’t crazy about New York. She thought of herself as a city girl, but with a whole lot of country thrown in since her aunt and uncle had raised her in a rural area. New York was a bit busy, even for her, but Trevor loved his trips to the Big Apple. “How long will you be gone?”
“I’m not sure. Maybe a few days.”
Yvonne glanced at Eva, who was patiently sipping on her coffee. “Listen, I think I might stay here awhile longer, since you aren’t going to be home.” She raised her eyes to see Eva staring at her curiously. “I got a bit sideways with the bookstore owner, Jake Lantz. I’ll probably never see the guy again, but I’d like to leave on a good note.”
Yvonne listened to a few more details about Trevor’s trip. She would eventually tell him about taking the book. But not yet. She wasn’t proud of her actions, but it had left her in a weird state of mind. If she told him about her experience last night, he would probably want to talk about it in depth. Yvonne wasn’t up for that right now, and that conversation probably needed to happen in person.
“I will miss you terribly,” she said, and she meant it. Sometimes it took a couple of days before she truly missed him, but she was emotionally whipped, and nothing sounded better than crawling into the comfort of his arms. She was still angry with herself for allowing words on a page to rip at her emotions so much. For now she just wanted to bask in the steadfast truth that Trevor loved her.
“I love you too,” she said after he did. He told her he had another call coming in, so they quickly said their goodbyes.
She clicked the phone off and dropped it back into her purse. When she looked at Eva, the woman was so misty-eyed that Yvonne wondered if her verbal display of affection had embarrassed Eva. “What?” she asked tentatively. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“That just sounded so nice.” Eva put her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands. The woman’s eyes transformed from misty to dreamy. “You really love him, don’t you?”
“With all my heart,” Yvonne replied without hesitation. “I’m super lucky to have him.”
Eva sighed, then straightened and took a sip of her coffee. “I bet you are so excited about getting married.”
Yvonne thought about all the arrangements that had been made. “I was a little nervous at first . . . I still am at times. But my nervousness is slowly becoming sheer excitement. Yes, I am thrilled about becoming his wife in the fall.” She paused. “I know that y’all do things a little simpler here than we do.” Understatement. “I’m guessing you don’t make a big thing about weddings.”
Eva laughed so hard, Yvonne thought she was going to spit coffee when she covered her mouth with her napkin. “Ach, you’d be surprised,” Eva said.
Yvonne was intrigued, especially since she’d only recently wrapped up months of wedding plans. “So, it is a big affair, then?”
The waitress, an older woman who walked with a limp, brought them a basket of muffins. “As you can see, we aren’t really busy, and I thought you girls might like a snack.”
“Danki, Lanora. That’s very kind of you.” Eva selected a banana-nut muffin, and so did Yvonne.
“So, do tell. What is an Amish wedding like?” Yvonne was genuinely interested.
Her dimples in full view, Eva took a deep breath. “We usually have around four hundred guests, and—”
“What?” Yvonne said around a mouthful of muffin. She quickly chewed and swallowed. “That’s over twice as many as are invited to mine and Trevor’s wedding. I’m guessing around a hundred and twenty-five will show up. A bunch are from out of town or out of state.”
Eva was still grinning. “The marriage of two people is a sacred vow, and it is celebrated as such. The event starts early in the morning, and the last of the guests don’t leave until late afternoon or early evening. We have a large meal, and it is a full day filled with festivities.” Her expression fell as she shrugged. “Although, I’ll be twenty next month, and I’m wondering if I’ll end up an old maid.”
Yvonne put a hand over her mouth to keep from smiling, but she finally couldn’t stifle her amusement. “I’m thirty-two. It took me this long to find the perfect man for me.” She recalled the little research she had done about the Amish, remembering that they often marry young. “Sweetie, I assure you, you aren’t—and won’t be—an old maid.” Pausing, she thought about her alternative motives—to get Eva to help her with Jake, to convince him to sell the book. But with everything that had happened, maybe she could make up for some of her misdeeds by offering Eva some words of wisdom. She recalled telling Trevor how Eva needed to up her game when it came to Jake. “It seems obvious to me how you feel about Jake. I see the way you look at him, and I’ve caught him looking at you in the same dreamy way. But you’re going to need to be a little more outspoken to get his attention, a little more . . . flirty. Unless there is something going on with you and a guy named John Yoder.”
Eva’s brown doe eyes widened as a blush filled her face. “What? And how do you know I, uh . . .”
“I mentioned something to Jake about how gorgeous you are.” She grinned when Eva’s face reddened even more. “It’s true—and he agreed—but he also said something about a man named John Yoder who wanted to date you. The guy in the bookstore.”
Eva shook her head. “John is not the one who holds mei heart.” She almost swooned in her seat, and Yvonne smiled. “It’s always been Jake, but it would be unladylike for me to . . . um . . .”
“Seduce him?” Yvonne chuckled. “Maybe something a little more subtle. But . . .” She pointed a finger at her new friend. “You make him apologize for the way he yelled at you today. That wasn’t justified.”
“He’s not normally like that. Like I said earlier, he is very forgiving, but also quick to apologize if he’s wrong.” She smiled. “Jake’s the best man I’ve ever known.”
Even his name seemed to dreamily slide off Eva’s tongue.
“I think he was just deeply upset about the book.” Eva sighed.
“Well, it’s a very upsetting book.” Yvonne shivered again just thinking about all the confusion it had caused her.
“I’m wondering if we will actually still read it together like we’d planned.” Eva glanced around the room, as if to make sure no one had slipped in. “The basement is dark, and I thought we would read down there only by the light of lanterns, and that we would experience whatever was in the book together. It hadn’t been important to Jake until you showed such an interest, and I think it rekindled fond feelings about his grandfather.”
Yvonne threw caution to the wind and slathered butter all over the second half of her muffin. “Well, that is certainly setting a romantic scene, reading by lantern together. But the content might put a big fat hole in that scenario.” She paused, thinking. “Or maybe not since your people believe in heaven and . . .” She wasn’t sure whether or not to say the word. “And the other place.”
“Maybe if you had finished the book, you might feel differently?” Eva asked, her eyes glowing beacons of hope.
“No, I think I had enough of that piece of literature to last me a lifetime.” It seemed like a strange choice of words, and it must have to Eva since the woman raised both eyebrows. “Anyway, let Jake apologize, and I’m sure he will. Then resume your plans to read together in the basement. But you probably need to let him know that you aren’t interested in that John Yoder fellow.”
“Maybe I should just grab him and kiss him!” Eva straightened in her chair with an ear-to-ear smile.
Yvonne’s mouth fell open. “Well, I guess that’s one way to go.”
They both laughed, which felt good. Yvonne was going to root for Eva, maybe even pray about it. It wasn’t something she did all the time, but she had reached out to God before. She’d also pray to get some sort of peace about what she’d read. Maybe God could clear all that up for her—one way or the other.