SummerHill Secrets, Volume 2 (41 page)

The flyer was far better than anything I could’ve come up with—probably because my brain wasn’t functioning up to par. I was too caught up in the loss of my beloved pet. Sadly, the chances of finding him seemed more dismal with every passing hour.

I’d even cried myself to sleep the night of Dad’s retirement party, wishing the storm had never happened. Wishing something else, too—that Abednego wasn’t such an exasperating pet, forever running off. Anguished, I’d stared hard at the long wall near my bed, unable in the dark to make out the mini gallery of my own framed photography. Several pictures featured Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—my very first, and oldest, cats. Lily White had come into my life one year ago this month, so she was still the baby of the bunch.

“Where’s your head, Merry?” called Ashley from across SummerHill Lane.

I snapped back to attention. “Uh, sorry, guess I was just daydreaming…about Abednego.”

Unknowingly, I’d stopped at a quaint little springhouse off the side of the road. It was the most serene place, almost like a playhouse made of old hand-hewn stone. Delicate willows draped their branches low, creating a leafy green-fringed frame. The ideal setting for a country picture.

Ashley came running, followed by Chelsea and Lissa. “We have another idea,” she said.

I was ready for a new approach…anything! We’d knocked on every neighbor’s door within a one-mile radius. No one had seen Abednego. Not a single soul.

Ashley’s hair was pulled back in a long ponytail, and her face shone with this most recent brainstorm. “Your neighbor is Old Hawk Eyes, right?”

“What about her?” I asked.

She paused, as if rethinking what she was about to say. Chelsea and Lissa hung on, waiting for Ashley’s idea. “So…spill it out,” Chelsea said.

Ashley took a dramatic deep breath. “Have you ever come right out and asked Miss Spindler how she keeps track of everyone?”

“Well, no,” I answered. “She’s a very private person. Seems a bit nosy, if you know what I mean…but…why do you ask?”

We all looked at Ashley, waiting for her response.

Ashley raised one eyebrow in a questioning slant. “Well, I just thought the old lady might be able to find out where your cat is, that’s all.”

Chelsea chuckled. “Yeah, she does seem to know the most intimate details about nearly everyone around here.”

I nodded. “You can say that again.”

“So what do you think?” Ashley said, eyes eager. “Why don’t you ask her how she keeps tabs on things?”

I gave her a sideways glance. “Well, I’ve thought of doing that but never followed through.”

“Why not?” asked Chelsea.

“Because it’s like asking her to let me in on a big secret.” I sighed, frustrated. “How
does
she spy on all of us?”

All three girls shrugged—nobody knew for sure. Quiet now, we began to walk back up SummerHill Lane. The sky was filling up with fluffy white cloud balls, reminding me of cats. Lots of beautiful alabaster cats.

Ashley got the Miss Spindler question rolling again. “You
did
ask her to keep an eye out for Abednego, right?”

“I sure did. In fact, Old Hawk Eyes’ home was the first place I went during the storm.”

That seemed to satisfy her, and we set out for my house. On the way, I glanced at my watch. “If we hurry, there might still be a few chocolate chip cookies left,” I said. “My mom made a big batch yesterday after Dad’s retirement party.”

The prospect of homemade cookies made us pick up our pace, and we scurried past one Amish farm after another. Today was an off Sunday for the SummerHill Old Order church district, so lots of Plain folk were out visiting relatives and friends—the reason for the many buggies clattering up and down the road.

“Do you ever get tired of meeting up with the Amish?” asked Lissa.

“On the road, you mean?” I studied her, trying to figure out what she was really asking.

“Well, you know.” She was clamming up on me.

“No, I don’t,” I replied. “Spell it out.”

She shook her head, recoiling like she’d been hit.

“Look, Lissa. I can’t read your mind. How can I know what you’re thinking if you don’t explain?” I asked gently. She’d suffered years of abuse at the hands of her father, and although he was taking therapy seriously and steadily improving, she still showed the emotional scars of a girl who’d been through the mill, so to speak.

She shook her head. “It’s not important,” she insisted.

“Yes, it
is
if you said it,” Chelsea spoke up.

Ashley was nodding her head, encouraging Lissa to continue.

It looked as if we’d have to drag the question out of her. Finally, after repeated pleas, she told us what she’d meant to say all along. “I’m curious about Levi Zook—his coming home for college break and all,” she said.

I bristled at the comment. “If you’re asking how I feel about him, I’m cool with our relationship,” I confessed. “That’s all I’m saying.”

Chelsea ran her fingers through her hair. “But isn’t Levi, like, in love with you or something?” As soon as she realized what she’d let slip, Chelsea covered her mouth, her eyes wide. “Oh…I’m sorry, Mer, I shouldn’t have said anything.”

I laughed it off. Had to. If I made too big a deal of it, she—
all
of them—would get the wrong idea. So I simply said, “Levi’s a dear.”

“And what about Jon? He’s a dear, too, right?” Ashley piped up.

That got Lissa and Chelsea laughing. I joined in, hoping none of them would notice my cheeks growing warmer by the second. Truth was, I liked both boys, in spite of the pain Jon had put me through in the past. But as far as I was concerned, there was no rush to choose either one.

“Does Rachel Zook ever talk about Jon to you?” Chelsea asked, which surprised me to no end.

“Never,” I said. “After all, she’s got a beau.”

“Is a beau what I think it is?” asked Chelsea.

“Yep, and his name’s Matthew Yoder. I wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up marrying him in a year or two.”

The girls fell silent, and for the first time since we left the house, I heard birds singing.

“Rachel’s pretty young to be thinking about settling down with a husband, but that’s the way Amish do things. The younger you’re married, the more children you’ll be able to have,” I explained.

“So…if you married Levi, would you have a whole houseful of kids, like the Amish?” Lissa asked.

I felt my cheeks blushing. “Do we
have
to discuss this?”

“C’mon, Merry,” Ashley spoke up. “Don’t avoid the question. You know you’re fond of Levi.”

Fond? Where’d she ever get that idea?
I wondered.

“Well, I can see this conversation is way out of hand,” I told my friends. “Let’s talk about someone else’s romantic interests for a change.”

Ashley’s eyes darted away from my gaze, and Chelsea flung her long, thick hair to one side without saying a word. Lissa, on the other hand, just pursed her lips, trying not to smile.

Glancing down the road, I noticed Abe and Esther Zook pulling out of their dirt lane, the boxlike gray carriage filled with children. Rachel was along, too.

“Look, there’s your future mode of transportation,” Lissa informed me with a stifled snicker. “If you marry an Amishman, that is.”

It was high time to set them straight, once and for all. “Levi is no longer Amish,” I said. “In fact, he never took the baptismal vow to join his parents’ church. He’s Mennonite now, studying to be a preacher at Bible school.”

“Oh” was all Lissa said.

“Case closed,” I said, waving to the Zooks as their horse and buggy approached us.

Ashley ignored my comment. “What’s Jon Klein want to be?”

“You mean when he grows up?” added Lissa.

I shook my head in playful disgust. “You three are every bit as mischievous as my wayward cat.”

Chelsea clutched her throat. “Oh, tell me it isn’t so!”

We burst into giggles and ran to my house.

At first I thought it was my lost cat jumping onto my bed, but then my bedroom burst to life with the early morning rays of the sun. Another too-real dream. One of many.

Mom called for me to “rise and shine” from her end of the hall. “Day’s a-wasting,” she added.

“I’m getting up!” Sliding out from under the lightweight blanket, I let my legs dangle off the side of the bed.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Lily White remained asleep, all three of them curled up tight against the dawn.

“Maybe today’s the day Abednego comes home,” I said, hoping it would be true.

Meow
. Shadrach was all ears. And Meshach and Lily White leaped off the bed, stretched, and padded into the walk-in closet with me.

“You’re truly lonely for Abednego, aren’t you?” I whispered to my cat trio. “Well, I’m not giving up, so don’t you worry your furry heads, okay?”

Lily White rubbed against my bedroom slipper, and Meshach hung around like he hardly knew what to do with himself. Shadrach waited, intense eyes blinking only occasionally.

“Count on me to find him,” I promised. But I had no idea what my next move would be. Abednego had already been gone for two days.

Meshach seemed terribly insecure and followed me to the bathroom door. “This is where I draw the line,” I said, picking him up and kissing his soft, warm head. “I take showers
alone
.”

Meow
. It was as if he was pleading to be with me, and the sad expression on his face broke my heart anew. “We’ll talk this afternoon when I get home from school,” I told him.

I knew we wouldn’t have much time to “talk”—Meshach and I—because as soon as the school bus dropped me off, I’d have to get myself packed and head over to Miss Spindler’s.

In the shower, all I could think of was Abednego, possibly struck by lightning or drowned…or maybe only half alive.

Downstairs, Mom had something akin to a royal feast prepared for breakfast. It was her typical Saturday morning brunch fare, except today was Monday. She’d gone to lots of trouble to cook up her favorite recipes because she and Dad were leaving for Costa Rica this afternoon.

“I want this to be a breakfast to remember,” Mom declared as she served up little pancakes, cheese omelets with onions and green peppers, German sausage, and French toast with powdered sugar and maple syrup.

“You outdid yourself,” I said, placing my napkin in my lap.

Dad raised his eyebrows. “Better be thankful, kiddo,” he said. “I doubt Miss Spindler will come close to spoiling you like this.”

I nodded, waiting for Mom to join us.

She dried her hands and then sat down, smiling across the table at me. “Ruby Spindler is an extraordinary cook, so I’m positive you won’t go hungry.”

Then I knew why Mom had chosen our eccentric neighbor to watch over me. She wanted someone to dote on me—look after me with meticulous care. “Oh, Mom, for pete’s sake. Miss Spindler doesn’t have to baby me.” I was laughing.

“Well, she’d better give it her best shot,” Dad said, winking at me.

I bowed my head for the prayer, grateful to have such thoughtful parents. Dad gave thanks for the meal in his deep voice, and I knew I’d miss them. Even though they’d be gone only for six days.

Later, we hugged our good-byes. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be just fine,” I assured them. “And have a great trip.”

Dad whispered in my ear, “Be kind to Old Hawk Eyes.”

I giggled, trying not to distract Mom from her packing. Glancing at my watch, I grabbed my school bag and headed down the front stairs to the door. “My bus is coming,” I called to them.

“Have a good day at school,” Mom said from the top of the steps. “Remember to set the lamp timers before you leave for Miss Spindler’s this afternoon.”

“I’ll remember.”

“And take your cats along with you,” Mom reminded.

“Naturally,” I called up to her. Didn’t she know I wouldn’t leave my precious babies alone in an empty house?

I headed out the front door and down the steps, thinking again of Abednego. My emotions were hanging by a thread—I missed him that much. And when I spied Chelsea on the bus, we talked of my runaway cat from the time I sat down until we scrambled to our lockers.

“We’ll find him, Mer,” she said, trying to soothe me.