Faithful to Laura (14 page)

She chided herself for her foolishness. He had to have a girlfriend stashed somewhere. He was too nice and good-looking not to.

Not that she cared whether he did or not.

She exhaled nervously, and the Yankee woman’s invoice slipped off the counter and fluttered to the floor. They both bent over to pick it up. Her head smacked into his.

“Ow!” she said. She pressed her hand against the top of her
kapp
.

He stood, his face red. “Laura, I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” She rubbed her head.

“Are you sure?” He moved closer. “You don’t have a knot or anything?”

“Really, Sawyer. I’m fine.” She stepped back, disoriented by a fluttery feeling in her stomach.

“I’m okay, in case you were wondering.” He leaned his hip against the counter.

“Sorry.” How could he be so unaware of how attractive he was? Why couldn’t she stop noticing it? “I s’pose I oughta get back to work.”

Sawyer chuckled.

“What’s so funny?”

“You.” He grinned. “You’re just very direct. When you do talk, that is.”

“I don’t believe in wasting time.”

“I can see that.”

Laura turned to go to her office before she made a bigger fool of herself. Initially, her biggest concern about the job had been dealing with the public. Now she was more worried about keeping herself immune to the charms of Sawyer Thompson.

“Wait,” he said.

She turned.
“Ya?”

“Would you like to go to lunch today? I can show you around town and we can stop and pick up a bite to eat.”

Laura clung to the invoice. “I have a lot of work to do.”

“You have to eat.”

“I have lunch at my desk.”

“Not much of a break.”

“I don’t need one.”

He tapped his fingers against the smooth wood countertop.

“Everyone needs a break.”

“I’m sure you can find someone else to eat with.”

“Ouch.”

Laura closed her eyes. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“But I understand why you did.” He held out his hands.

“Laura, I’d like to talk to you.”

“We talk enough in the truck.”

He laughed. Her skin tingled at the deep, throaty sound. “I talk in the truck. You listen. Or maybe you tune me out.”

“I don’t tune you out.” She pressed her lips together.

“There’s not much for us to talk about, I guess.”

“Not sure I agree with you on that.”

His answer surprised her enough to meet his gaze. “We don’t have too much in common, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“We have more in common than you think.” He ran the pad of his thumb along the counter. “I know what it’s like to be in a new town.”

“You’ve said that before. More than once.” Her chin twitched. She clenched her hands, resisting the itchiness. It seemed to crop up at the worst times.

“Guess I have said it a couple times. But I also know what it’s like not to fit in.”

She let her gaze rake him from head to foot, taking in his short haircut. Blue jeans from the store. Machine-manufactured sweatshirt. Baseball cap with an orange football helmet on it.

Today must be his English day. He switched from Amish to English clothes without any apparent logic. “I think I fit in better here than you do.”

“On the outside, maybe.”

His words forced her to look away. She barely knew this man, yet he somehow managed to peek inside her soul. The vulnerability unnerved her.

“Laura.” He paused, his tone serious, soft. “If you plan to stay here awhile, you’re going to need a friend.”

“The Shetlers are
mei
friends.”

“I’m glad they are. But I don’t think they understand what you’re going through. I do. I can help.”

“Trust me, Sawyer. I don’t need any help.”

“That’s what I used to say. Especially when I was pushing people away.” His expression held a mix of concern and kindness.

“Just remember, when you’re ready to talk, I’m ready to listen.”

Half an hour later, Laura heard a knock on the office door. She stood from her chair and looked through the glass. A young woman with red hair smiled and waved.

Laura frowned. Katherine Yoder? What was she doing here?

She opened the door. Katherine grinned. “Surprise!”

“Hello,” Laura said. “This is . . . ah, unexpected.”

“That’s what makes it a surprise,” Katherine said. “Today is my day off, so I stopped by Emma’s to say hello.” She came into the office, still bubbling. “Emma said you were working here. Congratulations on the job. Does this mean you’ll be staying in Middlefield?”

“For a while.” Laura spotted a stool in the corner and pulled it out for Katherine. “Do you want to sit down?”

“Sure.” Katherine settled her thin frame on the stool while Laura sat in her office chair across from her. “I’ve never worked in an office before,” Katherine said. “Just at Mary Yoder’s restaurant. Is the work fun?”

Laura looked at Katherine’s wide, bright blue eyes, filled with sweetness. And innocence. “I’m enjoying it so far, but it’s only my second day. I used to work in my
familye’s
bakery.”

“Oh!” Katherine retrieved a letter from her purse. “Speaking of, Emma wanted me to give you this. She said it was delivered with the morning mail.”

The return address was Etheridge, Tennessee. Laura hesitated before accepting it. Despite the homesickness writhing inside, she didn’t want to read this letter. It would make everything worse. But she took the envelope from Katherine anyway and set it on her desk. “
Danki
for bringing it. And again, for the quilt. I have it on my bed at the Shetlers’.”

“
Gut
. That’s what it’s for, to be used.”

Laura watched Katherine’s smiling, animated face. Did this woman ever have a bad day? Was she really that chipper, or simply unaware of reality? She seemed to radiate kindness and warmth, but as Laura well knew, compassion could be faked.

“I really enjoy making them,” Katherine was saying. “Do you sew?”

Laura shook her head. “I can bake. Oh, and do office work.” She returned Katherine’s grin. “I’ve never been very
gut
with a needle.”

“Oh, then I must teach you how. It’s very easy. We can start with a prayer quilt.”

Laura’s smile faded. “I don’t know . . .”

“Sewing is very important. Especially after you’re married.

You’ll have all the sewing to do for the children, and the grandchildren.” Her gaze grew wistful. Then she shook her head, as if clearing a thought. “I’ve been sewing since I was a
kinn
. And knitting and crocheting. I taught my cousin Amanda how to crochet a few years ago. She sent me this scarf for Christmas last year.” Katherine held up the dark blue scarf.

“It’s very nice.”

“She lives in Pennsylvania with her
familye
, but she stayed with us for a school year.” Katherine brought her hand to her mouth. “I’m babbling again. I do that all the time.
Mei daed
said I was born jabbering and never stopped.”

Laura chuckled. For a moment she forgot about her letter, about Sawyer, about everything. “I’m glad you stopped by, Katherine. And I don’t mind the chattering a bit.”

“Oh
gut
. Does that mean we’ll work on a quilt together?

We can start with a lap quilt. We’ll do something easy, like a rag pattern. I know the perfect fabric—spring colors. Teals, roses, whites. It will be beautiful.”

“I don’t know. I’d like that, but—”

“You let me get the materials, and we can meet at Emma’s house. Maybe Thursday evening?” She stood. “I’d better go.

See you Thursday. It’ll be fun.”

Katherine was still talking when the door closed behind her.

And despite herself, Laura found herself smiling.

Then her gaze landed on the letter. Laura picked up the envelope. She’d written her parents one letter, and that was while she was in the hospital. She didn’t go into details about the fire or the glass that shattered all over her face. She only told them where she was, that she was safe, and that she wouldn’t be coming home for a while. She should have known it wouldn’t be enough to assuage their concern.

She closed her eyes and bittersweet memories flooded over her. Supper with her parents. Working with her mother in their garden. Helping out in the family bakery. Going to Sunday singings with her friends. Sleeping in her own bed. She’d lived a peaceful life. Content with her family and with herself. Until Mark King appeared.

Seeing her mother’s handwriting thrust the knife of pain and homesickness deeper. She ran a finger under the edge of the seal, pulled out a plain piece of white paper, and began reading.

Dear Laura,

Your father and I were very happy to hear that you’re safe. We were so worried when you ran away. We don’t understand why you left, but we feel it has something to do with Mark. You haven’t been the same since he disappeared.

Please come back home. We miss you and love you. We’re not mad, especially not at you. We just want our daughter back here with us, where she belongs. The past is gone, and all we can do is move forward. Please, Laura, come home.

Love, Mamm

Laura folded the letter, put it back in the envelope, and laid it on her desk. Her parents didn’t understand. She couldn’t expect them to. They were kind, open, and nurturing. Easy targets for a man like Mark.

She had trusted him. They had discussed marriage, so his questions about their bakery business made sense. But it was just a way to get his hands on the money. She’d been a fool to trust him. A fool about so many things.

But not anymore.

She could handle the homesickness. Much as she might miss her parents and her friends and church, she wouldn’t go back to Tennessee. Not until she finished what she’d set out to do.

A knock sounded at the door, and before she could compose herself, Sawyer walked into the office.

“We just had another customer. I saw Katherine was here with you, so I . . .” He frowned and moved toward her. “Are you okay?”

A tear spilled from her eyes. She averted her gaze and wiped it away. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine.” He shut the door and sat on the edge of the desk. “Katherine didn’t upset you, did she?”

“Of course not.” Laura sniffed and looked at Sawyer, feigning a smile. “She’s so sweet and . . . cheerful. I can’t imagine her upsetting anyone.”

“I’ve never known her to.” He scanned her face for a moment, then his eyes focused on the desk. He nodded. “A letter from home?”

Laura snatched the letter and shoved it into a desk drawer.

“This really isn’t your business.”