“Eileen and I discussed some possible ways of reuniting the owner with the ring. You have a social media account, don’t you?”
“I have one on Facebook.” Kenzie grimaced. “But I’m hardly ever on it. I basically opened it so I’d know what was going on at Beech Street.”
“Eileen suggested making a post about finding a ring. She said not to mention how you found it, but only that you found it. It’s all right to say it’s white gold with a gemstone, but beyond that, keep the description vague. The real owner will know that it has a wide band, that the stone is a round diamond, and that it bears an inscription inside the band. If someone can give you all those details, you’ll know you’ve found the rightful owner.”
Kenzie considered everything Ruby had said. “I think I only have about thirty friends. Will posting to them do any good?”
Ruby’s laughter came again. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry. Eileen will actually post it, so her name will be attached to it, not yours. Then she’ll encourage others to share it. Hopefully the post will get spread around—what they call going viral. And if we’re lucky, eventually the right person will see it and contact you.”
Kenzie sighed. “Do you really think it’ll work?”
“It’s worked for other things.” Confidence tinged Ruby’s tone. “People have been reunited with lost relatives or purple hearts or even teddy bears through social media sharing. So it’s worth a try, don’t you think?”
“I suppose, but…” Daed’s stern voice blasted in Kenzie’s mind—“Don’t be foolish, Mackenzie, and open yourself up to mistreatment. Protect yourself. The world is full of thieves and evildoers.” She hugged the pillow tighter. “You said unscrupulous people would try to claim it if they knew about it. I’m kind of uneasy about making my contact information available to people I don’t know.”
“Oh, trust me, Kenzie, you won’t be in any danger. You won’t put any of your personal information on the internet. We’ll word the post very carefully and set up a secondary email account where people can reach you.”
“Um…” Kenzie released an embarrassed laugh. “I don’t really know how to do that.”
“I can help you. We’ll do it after work tomorrow. All right?”
Eagerness to return the ring to whoever lost it propelled Kenzie to her feet. She set the pillow aside and nodded. “All right. Thanks so much for your help, Ruby. I appreciate it.”
“You’re very welcome, and both Eileen and I are proud of you for wanting to give it back. You’re a good person, Kenzie. Goodbye now.”
The connection went silent, but Grossmammi’s voice filled the void. “You’re a good, good girl, my Mackenzie Faith. I know God loves you very much.” The memory should have brought a smile to Kenzie’s face, but pain stabbed her heart. When she was a child, it was always so important to be good and thereby be found favorable by the almighty God.
She didn’t want to return the ring to its owner in order to win favor from God. No deed, no matter how big or important, could ever be enough. She’d been given undeserved grace, and she wanted to do right to please the One who’d saved her soul from sin’s damnation. She believed that Ruby understood Kenzie’s motivation. But would Grossmammi, Mamm, and Daed understand?
Bradleyville
Merlin
Merlin awakened with a start. He sat up in his recliner and blinked across the dusky room to Leah. She smiled at him from her chair next to the unlit floor lamp. An open book rested in her lap. She clicked on the switch, and light flooded the area.
He pointed to the book. “Have you been reading in the dark?”
She chuckled. “No. I was napping, too, until you started to snore. I had my book ready for when you woke yourself. I knew you would. Not only were you snoring, you were kicking at something.” She tilted her head, her brows rising. “Bad dream?”
He couldn’t recall what he’d been dreaming, but he’d probably kicked because his foot was tingling. An annoying sensation that had become far too common. The doctor told him it was a side effect of high blood pressure. Wasn’t his new medicine supposed to help bring it down? As was hiring someone to relieve some of his responsibilities.
Merlin snapped the recliner’s footrest into its frame and sat up. “I’m sorry I disturbed you. I can’t believe I fell asleep like that. How long has it been since I took