The Search The Secrets of Crittenden Cou - By Shelley Shepard Gray Page 0,78
this very moment, he’d been sure that they were one and the same thing.
Chapter 26
“I wish I had tried harder to understand my son. But that don’t count for much now, does it?”
ABRAHAM BORNTRAGER
The Schrock Variety Store loomed in front of her like an imposing city skyscraper made of glass. Staring at it made Deborah sweat. She truly wished she was anywhere else in the world.
Though she’d been happy to accept Abby Anderson’s invitation to run errands together, Deborah had never imagined that Schrock’s Variety Store was Abby’s destination.
Through the partly open doorway, she heard a few voices chattering. Children’s laughter. She spied the store’s vast array of merchandise. Until recently, just seeing all the bright items made her feel like an excited child in a candy store.
Now it only made her uncomfortable. Somewhere inside was Jacob Schrock. “Abby, I’ll wait here while you go inside,” she said. “Take your time.”
Abby rolled her eyes. “I was afraid you were going to do this.”
“I’m not doing anything.”
“Oh yes, you are. We both know that.” Grabbing her hand, Abby tugged. “Come on, Deborah. There is no way you are going to stand out here on the porch.”
But just like an ornery mule, Deborah didn’t want to be budged. “Abby, don’t push so. I’m perfectly fine sitting on one of these rocking chairs.”
“Like the old people do on Saturday afternoons?” Abby shook her head. “No way are you doing that.” Lowering her voice, she said, “You’ve got to face him sometime, Deborah. It’s not like you can avoid people you don’t want to see. It’s impossible to do that in Crittenden.”
Abby had a point. But still, there was no need to be in a hurry to be scowled at. “I’ll see him soon. Maybe at church we’ll talk.”
“If you’re going to see each other during church services, you might as well talk to each other now.” Obviously trying to hold on to her patience, Abby tugged again. “Come on, Deborah. You know as well as I do that you’ll feel better after you see Jacob again. It’s always the waiting and wondering that’s the hardest.”
“When did you get so full of wisdom?”
“Since I’ve been hanging around my Amish grandmother,” she said with a smile. “And since I learned to . . . you know . . . like myself.”
Abby’s words were heartfelt and simply said. Since Deborah knew how hard it must have been for her to admit such a thing, she let herself be pulled into Schrock’s.
When the door partially closed behind them, Abby darted a concerned look her way. “Okay?”
“I am fine.” With a shooing motion, she presented a fake smile. “Now go do what you need to do. I’m going to look at these things here.”
“Sure?”
“Positive.” She smiled more brightly until Abby turned away. Then, as Abby darted down the aisles looking for her brother, Deborah hovered around the front display of garden tools.
For once, Mr. Schrock wasn’t manning the front counter. She couldn’t find a stray animal or snake, either. Instead, it was fairly quiet—the only voices she heard were mumbled conversations in the back near the dairy and some children giggling by a candy display.
Little by little, she relaxed. Yes, all she was going to have to do was stay in the front of the store. Out of the way. Hope and pray that the one man she wanted to avoid at all costs was working in the back storage room.
And if she was really lucky, Abby would decide that she didn’t need to spend much time talking to Walker and would want to leave. Soon.
Resigned to her fate, she picked up a metal gnome and looked at it. Turned it on one side then the other. Noticed the spout was from the top of the red hat. A handle arched out from his back. The gnome’s expression was of perpetual surprise, as she would be if she’d become a watering can, Deborah supposed.
Who would buy such a thing? she wondered.
And if it was purchased, what did the owner do with it? Trying out the handle, she knew she, for one, would feel terribly silly fetching water in such a thing. Though, well, it certainly did seem to be a trusty sort of object.
“See something you like?”
Jacob! Deborah almost dropped the gnome. “Nee.” When his eye followed the length of her arm, she felt obligated to explain herself. “I was just examining this . . . ah . . .”