Huckleberry Summer (21 page)

“It doesn’t matter. When it comes to you, Dat doesn’t have a good side.”

She might as well have kicked his dog for as stricken as he looked. “This would definitely make it worse,” he whispered.

“I don’t want to be the girl no one can count on.”

Aden placed his hands on her arms. “You’re cautious, that’s all. You work very hard to do what is right. I admire you for that.”

“Even Estee says I’m a chicken. You told me one day I’d find out what it is I’m willing to take a risk for. Well, this is it. I want to do this for the puppies.”

Aden shook his head. “It is not for the puppies. It’s because Estee got mad at you.”

“I sat there for five hours worried sick about my sister, and I didn’t lift one finger to do anything about it. I was too scared to leave the house. You are the reason things didn’t turn out much worse.”

“That doesn’t mean you should come with us.”

“I’m so ashamed of doing nothing.”

Compassion filled Aden’s eyes, and he pulled her into his embrace. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. I like you just the way you are, Lily, concerned about doing the right thing. I would find you very unappealing if you were one of those girls always looking for a way to break the rules.”

“Saving puppies isn’t breaking the rules.”

“Nae.”

“I want to show you I can do it.”

Aden fell silent as he held Lily in his arms. He felt so warm, he probably could have melted ice in the dead of winter.

He suddenly let go of her and took two giant steps backward. “Oy anyhow, I should never have kissed you.”

Lily almost choked on his words. “What?”

“Because I want to do it all the time now.”

Lily’s heart did a little pirouette. “Don’t change the subject.”

“What were we talking about?”

“Please let me come.”

Aden slumped his shoulders. “Okay, but you’re staying in the truck.”

Lily gave a little hop for joy. She wasn’t about to tell Aden that she had no intention of staying in the truck. He’d find that out soon enough.

 

 

They pulled down the deserted country road past the house and parked near the thick bushes off the blacktop. Jamal killed the engine, and they sat in silence for a few moments. Could Jamal and Aden hear Lily’s pulse pounding? It seemed to be the loudest thing in the cab of the truck.

For the hundredth time, Lily rethought her decision to come along. Aden had not been exaggerating. Lily had ridden in a lot of cars with a lot of different drivers, but Jamal was the worst driver she had ever seen. He liked to talk and drive, and he looked at the person he talked to instead of watching the road. Lily regretted sitting between Jamal and Aden. Jamal leaned forward to look at Aden when conversing with him, leaving no one to actually mind the steering wheel.

Aden had told Jamal three times to “shut up and drive,” but it wasn’t until Jamal missed a tree by mere inches that he paid Aden any heed. Lily had not planned on dying in a truck accident. Maybe she and Aden could walk home.

“Okay,” Jamal said. “Here’s how it’s going to go down. First you’ve got to sort of amble around the barn area and see if there is anybody on the lookout. Figure out a way to round them up and get them into the house.”

“Any suggestions on how to do that?” Aden asked.

“You’re the brains. You’ll think of something. Or let Lily think of something. She looks a lot smarter than you do.”

“She’s staying in the truck.”

“No, I’m not,” Lily said, daring Aden to contradict her. “I can help you.”

Aden frowned. He didn’t look like he wanted her help.

Lily tried a different strategy. “What if a wolverine attacks me in the truck? I’d be safer with you.”

“A wolverine can’t open doors.”

“Nae, but he could gnaw through the metal before you and Jamal got back. You wouldn’t want that on your conscience, would you?”

Jamal fiddled with his camera. “She’s got a point, Aden.”

“Wolverines can’t chew through metal.”

“No, I mean about being able to help you. You’d be a lot less suspicious with two of you, especially if one of you is a girl.”

“I’m not staying in the truck,” Lily said. “If you go without me, I’ll wait until you leave and sneak out behind you.”

Aden rubbed his face and slowly let out a breath. “Okay, but only because I don’t want you wandering around this place by yourself. But you’ve got to promise to stick by my side every minute.”

“Cross my heart,” she said. That was a promise she would have no trouble keeping. Her legs were already weak with fear, and they hadn’t saved one puppy yet.

They got out of Jamal’s truck and shut the doors as silently as they could.

Aden pointed into the thicket near the edge of the road. “Jamal, hide over there until you see us go in the house. Hurry and get your pictures, because I’ll run out of things to say in about two minutes.”

Aden took Lily’s hand, and they walked around to the back of the small clapboard house. “Where are we going?” Lily whispered.

“Follow my lead.”

She could tell his nerves were tight as a wire as his gaze darted back and forth around the yard.

He squeezed her hand. “I shouldn’t have let you talk me into this.”

“You won’t regret it.”

“I already do.” He stomped around the backyard. “Is all this excitement making you thirsty?”

Before she could form an answer to his strange question, a dark figure loomed in front of them. Lily bit back an impulsive scream. If she wailed like a baby, she would rouse suspicion if she hadn’t already.

A boy, probably a few years younger than Lily, stepped out of the shadows and scowled at Aden, a pretty gutsy expression considering Aden was almost a foot taller than the boy. Even Lily stood taller than the boy did.

What he lacked in height, he made up for in bulk. His arms and legs could have been fashioned out of tree trunks.

Jamal had been mistaken. This boy wasn’t Amish. He wore a cowboy hat and blue jeans with a silver belt buckle the size of a large orange.

“What do you want?” the boy said.

Lily clamped her fingers around Aden’s hand, likely cutting off his circulation.

“Do you know where Hannah and Marvin Lapp live?” Aden said.

“There ain’t no Lapps around here,” the boy said.

Aden looked as if he were quite unhappy about this news. “Is this State Road Forty-Five?”

The boy shook his head. “Twenty-Nine.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.” Keeping hold of Lily’s hand, Aden turned as if to go. “I’m sorry to bother you, uh . . .”

“Bud. The name’s Bud. Forty-Five is south. If you go west until you’re almost to Wittenberg, there’s an exit to Forty-Five.”

“Thanks,” Aden said. He put his arm around Lily. “Do you think she could have a drink of water before we go?”

Bud eyed them suspiciously before giving a curt nod. “In the house.”

Aden nudged Lily away from him. “You go, Lily. I’ll stay out here and have a look around.”

Lily thought she might faint. Aden was abandoning her mere minutes after he told her to stick by his side? Should she refuse to go?

“Let’s all go in,” Bud said. “I’d like a drink myself.”

“I’m not thirsty,” Aden replied.

“Come in the house,” Bud said. “I won’t leave anyone out here alone.”

Aden turned to Lily and winked. She managed a shallow breath. Aden had never planned on leaving her alone. He had manipulated Bud into coming with them. His skill impressed her. He’d cleared a path for Jamal and hadn’t told one lie.

The screen door slammed shut behind them as they stepped into the house. Lily jumped involuntarily. That slam sounded final, as if they’d never escape.

A lampshade shrouded an electric lightbulb hanging over the kitchen table. Two men sat at the table drinking beer and eating ribs. The older man had to be Bud’s father. He had the same tree-trunk arms and the same blond, curly hair, except less of it on top.

Both men looked up and scowled at the same time. That one was definitely Bud’s dad. They had identical scowls.

“Who’s this?” Bud’s dad said.

Bud stood in front of the door as if he were guarding the exit. “They’re looking for the Lapps on highway Forty-Five.”

Bud’s father narrowed his eyes and stood up. “You’re Amish.”

Aden stretched a smile across his face and extended his hand. “I’m Aden Helmuth from Bonduel.”

Bud’s father didn’t take the offered hand. He turned to the other man still seated at the table. Lily had only seen it once before, but his glassy stare indicated he was drunk, or at least halfway there. “Hey, Reggie,” Bud’s dad said, “you know any Lapps on Forty-Five?”

Lily kept her eyes to the floor and her hands clasped tightly together. They mustn’t see how violently she shook.

Reggie leaned back in his chair. “I don’t know, Earl. Is them the folks with the blue silo?”

“No, that’s the Jorgensens.”

“They want a drink, Dad,” Bud said.

Even though she felt like she had a mouthful of dust, Lily couldn’t have swallowed a sip of water if her life depended on it. It took all her willpower not to knock Bud aside, dash out the door, and flee into the woods. How much more time would Jamal need?

Bud’s dad, Earl, settled into his chair once again. “Glasses are in that cupboard.”

She should probably act thirsty and get the water. Forcing one foot in front of the other, she located two glasses and filled them from the squeaky tap that smelled of sulfur.

“Bonduel?” Earl said. “How’d you get all the way out here?”

“We have a driver,” Aden said. Lily admired how cool he seemed, as if he were shooting the breeze with Floyd or Jamal.

Earl didn’t like that answer. He frowned and scooted his chair out from under the table. “Outside? Bud, go invite their driver in for a drink.”

“Oh, he’s not thirsty.”

Bud let the door slam behind him, and Lily jumped out of her skin at the crack of wood against wood. Water sloshed in the glasses and dribbled onto the floor.

Her legs turned to stone. She stood with the two glasses of water in her hands staring dumbly at Aden as if he could make everything all better.

Aden gave her a slight shake of his head. What did he think she wanted to do? Try to talk her way out of this? Didn’t he remember what a coward she was?

“Lily,” Aden prompted, “do you want to give me a drink?”

She shuffled to Aden as if she were holding two sticks of dynamite. He didn’t break eye contact, which helped calm her nerves significantly. No matter what happened, she was with him, and he would make everything okay.

She handed him both glasses of water and stepped slightly behind him. He chuckled softly and finished off the first glass in four gulps. Lily kept glancing at the door. What was happening out there?

The screen door creaked open, and Jamal walked slowly into the room. Bud followed close behind with Jamal’s camera dangling from his fingers. Another boy, taller and thicker than Bud, came last.

Lily held her breath. The last boy had a rifle. He didn’t point it at anybody, although that did nothing to calm Lily’s galloping heart. He held it slung over his arm as if it were a part of his body instead of a deadly weapon. If she could have moved her feet, she would have bolted for the door and screamed for Jamal and Aden to follow her. Why, oh why had she asked to come?

Bud lifted the camera to show his dad. “He was taking pictures.”

Glaring menacingly, Earl stood up and went toe to toe with the bigger boy, probably also his son. Same hair, same build. Only this one looked as if he could break a lamppost across his leg. “And what were you doing, Sammy? Sleeping?”

Sammy pursed his lips like a naughty ten-year-old. “Sorry, Dad.”

Earl turned his attention to Jamal and put his nose within three inches of Jamal’s face. The older man had to stand on tippy-toes. “What are you trying to pull?”

“Nothing bad,” Jamal said.

Lily was amazed that he didn’t cower or back down. As Aden had told her, both he and Jamal had plentiful experience in situations like this. They probably enjoyed the thrill. All Lily wanted to do was go home and knit something. She promised herself then and there that she would never, ever do anything so foolish ever again, and she would ask Anna to give her knitting lessons as soon as she got home.

Earl stuck his face closer, forcing Jamal to back away. “You want to shut me down or something?”

Jamal’s expression darkened, and he pressed his lips together into a hard line.

Aden stepped in front of Lily and shielded her completely from Earl. “Jamal, don’t say anything.”

“A man who mistreats animals like you do should be shut down,” Jamal spat out, as if he couldn’t hold the words inside him.

Earl took his large hand and shoved Jamal against the wall. Jamal’s shoulder bumped a picture and sent it crashing to the floor. Shards of glass exploded everywhere. Earl and Reggie yelled obscenities at Jamal as if he’d thrown a rock through their window.

Aden grabbed Lily’s arm. “Lily, get out of here. Go out the front door.”

Lily hesitated to leave the relative safety of Aden’s side. Her legs wobbled, and she couldn’t imagine being able to run to the door. She would be all alone outside. The thought terrified her.

Aden pushed her toward the front of the house. “Lily, get out!”

The harshness in his voice shocked her and spurred her into action. She bolted past Reggie at the table and ran in the likely direction of the front door. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Aden grab Reggie’s arm so he couldn’t chase her down. She ran even harder.

Utterly terrified, she didn’t stop running until she got to Jamal’s truck. Compared to the chaos in the house, the silence outside felt almost eerie. She didn’t know what to do. Should she get in the truck and wait? More likely than not, those brutes would find her. Neither Jamal nor Aden would want her back in the house, no matter how badly Aden needed help. Even if she charged back in there, there was nothing she could do to help him.