Sarasota Dreams (5 page)

“Okay.” David gestured toward Mary. “You better go, or you might lose her before you have her. I’ll be right here.”

Abe got out and strode over to Mary, who quickly glanced away. “Been waiting long?”

She turned back to face him, her face flushed and her hands in a tight clasp in front of her. “Yup. Too long. What were you and that man talking about?”

“That’s David. He’s one of the folks who picks up some of the farmers when we need to come to town. He wanted to know when to pick us up.”

She tilted her head and smirked. “Is that all?”

“I don’t know.” Abe rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and extended the other hand toward the van. “Come on, Mary. David can take us to the beach.”

She hesitated. “I don’t know David.”

“But I do. The beach is too far to walk.”

“I generally ride a bus that has a route and other people.”

“I’ve been using David as a driver for a long time, and I trust him.” He gave her the best assuring look he could. “Why would we ride the bus when David’s right here?” Abe glanced over his shoulder and saw the amused expression on David’s face. He didn’t know what to do, so he just stood there, looking back and forth between Mary and David.

“Oh all right,” Mary finally said as she forged ahead toward the van. “I’ll have you to protect me if anything happens.”

Abe opened the door for Mary; then he climbed in after her. “Mary, this is my friend David.”

“Nice to meet you, Mary.” David nodded to Mary and grinned at Abe. “Buckle up, and we’ll be on our way.”

They were at the beach ten minutes later. Abe helped Mary out of the van and handed David some money.

“What time do you want me to pick you up? The wife has plans for us tonight, so I’ll need to be home by seven.”

“We won’t be that late. I’ll call you.”

“My evening will just be getting started.” David gestured toward Mary. “See you two soon.”

Abe and Mary stood on the sidewalk and watched David drive off before Abe turned toward her. “David is a good man.”

“Yes, he seems to be.” Mary shielded her eyes from the western sun. “There sure are a lot of people out today.”

“That’s because it’s nice out.” Abe wasn’t sure what to do next, so he reached for her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm. “Let’s enjoy ourselves this afternoon, okay?” For a moment, he thought she might remove her hand, but when she didn’t right away, he relaxed a little.

They took a few steps on the sidewalk, then stopped to remove their shoes. It was easier for Mary because all she wore was a pair of clogs. Abe had to remove his shoes and socks, then turned to Mary in time to see the grin form on her lips.

“So what is this all about?” she asked once they resumed walking on the sidewalk beside the road. “Why have you been so adamant about hanging around me lately?”

“I—” Abe was interrupted by the honking of a horn.

“Hey, Abe! What are you doing with her? Taking a walk on the wild side?”

“Who was that?” Mary asked.

Abe narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. “That’s Jeremiah Yoder.”

“Oh yeah, I remember him. I heard he left the church.”

“He did,” Abe replied. “He never came back after his rumspringa.”

“That happens to a lot of people, doesn’t it?”

“Ya. I s’pose once some folks get a taste of the wild life, some of them have trouble finding pleasure in plain, simple living.” He shrugged. “But I think most have the sense to come back.” As soon as those words left his mouth, he regretted it. Abe never wanted Mary to think he was judging her for something she had no control over.

“Yeah, it must be hard.” Her voice was laced with pain and defensiveness.

Abe stopped and turned Mary around to face him. “I am so sorry, Mary. I never should have said that.”

“No big deal. Don’t worry about it.”

M
ary tried her best to hide the lump in her throat. What Abe just described was exactly what had happened to her mother. He continued shaking his head. “I would never want to say mean things to you, even when you aren’t nice to me. I understand—”

She reached up and gently touched his lips. “Don’t.”

Before she had a chance to retract her hand, he reached for her wrist and held her fingers to his lips. Her heart hammered as he kissed her fingertips, one by one, until her knees almost buckled beneath her.

Abe’s expression was tender as he looked down at her. Mary’s dry mouth prevented her from speaking at first. She yanked her hand back and covered it with her other hand.

“I’m sorry, Mary.” He grimaced then shook his head. “No, I’m not. I take that back. I’m not sorry in the least.”

Mary managed to find her voice. “So what was that all about, Abe? Were you trying to distract me? Or are you in cahoots with Jeremiah and his buddies?”

“No. Never. I have nothing to do with Jeremiah.”

“I don’t think that’s so good either.” Mary shoved her fist on her hip and leaned away from Abe.

“What? Did I say something wrong?”

“So you believe in shunning people who leave the church?”

“Don’t be so touchy, Mary.” Abe widened his eyes as he took a step closer to her. Before she had a chance to react, he reached out and closed his fingers around her wrist again. “I never said that I believe in shunning. What I do believe in is doing what is right and standing up for someone I care about. I can’t let someone say such things about you, Mary.” He bent his elbow toward her and placed her hand back in the crook of his arm where it had been. “Come on. We’re supposed to be walking on the beach, and that’s what I intend to do.”

Mary’s confusion deepened. She wanted to appreciate Abe’s chivalry, but she still didn’t know why he’d bother with her when there were plenty of other Mennonite girls who would love to be with him.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked as they stepped off the sidewalk onto the warm sand.

“What makes you think anything is on my mind?”

Abe rubbed her knuckles with his other hand. “That’s my girl. I like when you answer my questions with a question of your own.”

She paused at his comment,
That’s my girl
. “But why?”

He beamed down at her. “You make me think. I like to be with people who make me think.”

“Sometimes thinking is overrated.” She stumbled over some uneven sand, and he quickly reached around to steady her. “I can be so clumsy.”

“It may be overrated to you, but it keeps our minds sharp. And you are not clumsy—just a little unsteady, having trouble navigating the sand today.”

Yeah, she was unsteady, but it had nothing to do with the sand. It was all about the butterflies flapping around in her abdomen every time Abe touched her or looked at her with those light brown eyes with golden flecks that sparkled in the late-afternoon sun.

They walked about a quarter mile before Abe tugged on Mary. “Let’s take a break. I want to slow down and enjoy our time together.” He tucked his fingers beneath her chin and tilted her face up.

Her stomach lurched, and she stepped back. Another tender moment would send her senses to a place she wasn’t ready to go. She had to change the mood—quickly. “There’s something else I don’t understand, Abe. You went away to college and got your degree in business. What do you plan to do with your education?”

He shrugged. “I s’pose I’m doing it.”

“Working on the farm? You didn’t have to go to college to do that. You could go into business if you wanted to.”

“What business?”

“Banking?” She couldn’t think of anything else.

“Neh, not banking. I like farming. Besides, who says I’m not in business? I run one of the biggest and most productive dairy farms on the west coast of Florida. I’ve managed to convert the last of the celery crops to citrus, and we expect to have our best yield next season.”

Mary was impressed, but her insides still swirled from Abe’s nearness, making it difficult to hold an intelligent conversation. She extended her foot and glided it across the sand, smoothing out a section.

“Do you want to walk some more or sit down for a while?” he asked.

“Um … I didn’t bring anything to sit on.”

Abe laughed. “That didn’t stop you before. You sat right down on the sand.”

Yeah, but she didn’t have anything to risk … like her heart. “This is a nicer skirt than the one I wore yesterday.”

“Ya, I s’pose you should think about your skirt.” Abe held her gaze as a suppressed grin twitched the corners of his lips.

She swatted at him. “Let’s walk.”

“Ouch.” He feigned being injured. “Apparently you didn’t know we Mennonites are opposed to violence.”

“If that hurt, you’re a bigger sissy than I ever thought, Abe.”

He pulled his straw hat down a little in the front. “No one ever calls Abe Glick a sissy.”

Mary tossed him a playful glance then took off running. “Sissy, sissy, sissy! Abe Glick is a sissy!”

“Oh, you.” He ran after her and quickly caught her in his arms.

As he pulled her close, she knew running had been a big mistake. Abe had never been one to back away from a challenge, and he’d never let her get away. It took him about two seconds to catch her in his strong arms, but his grip was very gentle. He was stubborn but not mean. His Mennonite heritage ran deep with Abe—all the way to his core.

When Abe turned her around, everything outside their bubble of closeness was blurry. She wanted him to kiss her, but she wasn’t ready to put herself in such a vulnerable position. A memory of her mother being fondled by one of the many faceless men in her life flashed through her mind. Panic overrode her desire, so she yanked away and nearly threw herself onto the sand as she popped out of his grip.

“What happened, Mary?” The look of concern on Abe’s face tweaked her heart. “Did I hurt you?”

“No,” she said quickly. “Yes, but not like you think.”

“Why do you talk in circles? Either I hurt you, or I didn’t. I asked a direct question, and I expect a direct answer.”

“Too bad.” Mary tucked the loose strands of hair back beneath her kapp. “I don’t have any answers to give.”

“Why do you continue to shut people out, Mary?”

“I’m not the one shutting people out. In case you haven’t figured it out, other people have already made up their minds about me, and there’s nothing I can do to change them.”

“Maybe you’re imagining some of it.”

“I don’t think so.” She folded her arms.

He glanced at her arms then looked her in the eye. “Perhaps people are afraid to get close to you because you are so standoffish. Perhaps your shame made you that way?”

“What? I am not standoffish.” She unfolded her arms and lifted her hands. “I’m as open as the next person.”

He gave her a lopsided grin. “Oh you are, are you?”

“Never mind. You’d have to be me to understand.” She took a step back.

His once-rigid shoulders sagged. “You confuse me.”

Not as much as she confused herself. All she knew was how the flood of emotion when she was around Abe rendered her incapable of logical thinking. She opened her mouth to respond, but she had no idea what to tell him, so she shook her head and lifted her hands before letting them fall back to her sides, slapping her skirt.

They studied each other for a moment before Mary looked down at the sand. Abe took a few steps toward the water, his hands in his pockets, his hat tipped low in front. She had a brief flashback to what Jeremiah had hollered as he drove past them honking. Did Abe really like her, or did he have an ulterior motive in wanting to be with her?

She remembered Mama saying once that everyone wanted something. Was Abe looking to take a “walk on the wild side,” as Jeremiah had so crudely put it? Or did Abe feel sorry for her? These were questions she had to ask herself, and she’d never be satisfied until she knew the answers.

“Abe?” She squared her shoulders and tried to put on a brave front.

He spun around and took a couple of steps toward her. “Ya?”

Mary licked her parched lips. As he looked into her eyes, her bravery faded. She offered a closed-mouth grin. “Never mind.”

Abe awkwardly offered his arm, but she pretended not to notice. He quickly retracted. “Ready to head back now?”

“Yeah.” Mary turned to face the water before adding, “You should call David now.”

“That’s exactly what I’m about to do.”

Mary heard Abe let David know they were ready for him to come pick them up. After he flipped his cell phone shut, she remained standing with her back to him.

“If I knew what I did wrong, I could apologize.”

“You did nothing wrong. Where is David picking us up?”

“Where he dropped us off,” Abe replied. “He said he’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

“Then we best get going.”

Since they hadn’t gone far, they were able to saunter back. Quite a few people—most of them tourists—stared at them. Mary thought she was used to it, but now it bothered her. She didn’t like feeling like a sideshow. She wanted to be accepted for who she was deep down—not for something she was trying to be. The problem was that she wasn’t sure who she was.

David was waiting for them when they arrived. “Glad you finished up early. The wife called and said to come home as early as possible.”

“It’s always a good idea to make the wife happy,” Abe said as he helped Mary into the van.

David chuckled. “That’s a wise comment coming from a single man.”

This discussion made Mary very uncomfortable. After buckling her seat belt, she shifted and faced the window. Abe left the seat next to her empty, and he took the one by the opposite window. She didn’t want to admit it, even to herself, but she enjoyed having him close. His quiet strength gave her a sense that nothing bad could happen.

Instead of chatting, David turned up the music a little louder. The oldies song on the radio brought her back to a time she constantly tried to forget. Good thing they didn’t have far to go.

The van slowed down a few feet from the walkway to the restaurant. “Nice meeting you, Mary.”

She smiled and nodded. “Thank you.”

“Could you wait here a minute while I walk Mary inside?” Abe asked.

David glanced at his watch then nodded. “Take your time. I don’t think a few minutes will make that much difference since you called so early.”