broken into sometime during the night, and it has us all plenty worried.”
Esther’s forehead wrinkled, and she patted Grace’s arm in a motherly fashion. “That’s terrible. I understand now why you’re shaking. You have every right to feel nervous.”
“I didn’t say anything about this before, but someone broke into our house a week ago, too,” Grace whispered.
Esther’s pale eyebrows lifted high on her forehead. “How come you didn’t tell me this sooner?”
“Dad said he thought it was a one-time thing, and since nothing was taken at that time, I saw no point in mentioning it.”
“Do you have any idea who might be responsible, and do you think both incidents were done by the same person?”
“We don’t know, but Dad suspects it might be some rowdy English fellows.” Grace wasn’t about to tell Esther whom she suspected.
Esther slowly shook her head. “Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again—to your family or to anyone else in our community.”
Grace nodded and headed back to the dining room with her customers’ coffee. Having Gary Walker back in town was hard enough to deal with. Now she had the added worry of whether another break-in would occur.
Chapter 11
“It’s good you could meet me and Ruth after work today,” Grace said to her mother as the three of them headed down the sidewalk toward the quilt shop, where a variety of fabric was sold.
Mom nodded. “I thought if we looked at some material for your wedding dress, it might take our minds off this morning’s break-in.”
“Did Dad get everything cleaned up?”
“Jah. He and Martha worked on it while Luke made some deliveries.”
Ruth pursed her lips as she slowed her steps. “I don’t suppose he changed his mind about calling the sheriff?”
“He says he will turn the other cheek, just like before.”
“What if it happens again?”
“Then we’ll have to deal with it.”
Grace clenched her fingers around the straps of her black handbag. How do we deal with it? She wanted to scream out the question but knew it was best to keep silent. When Ruth had met her after work, she’d mentioned that Gary had come into the bakeshop asking questions. It made Grace feel more anxious than ever. What if Gary didn’t leave Holmes County? What if he decided to stay and torment her indefinitely? What if more break-ins occurred?
“Oh, there’s Cleon’s mamm, Irene.” Mom pointed to the dark-haired Amish woman who’d just gotten out of her buggy across the street. “If the two of you would like to go inside the quilt store and start looking around, I’ll join you in a few minutes. I want to see how the Schrocks’ trip to Rexford went and speak to Irene about making some beeswax candles for your wedding.”
“Sure, Mom, we can do that,” Ruth said as the two of them moved toward the door of the shop.
Ruth nudged Grace’s arm as they began looking through some bolts of blue material. “I’m so happy for you and Cleon. I’ll bet you can hardly wait for the wedding.”
“I am looking forward to it,” Grace admitted, “but it’s hard to concentrate on wedding plans with what’s been going on lately.”
“You mean the break-ins?”
“Jah.”
“Like Dad said, maybe it won’t happen again. Maybe whoever broke into his shop got what they wanted when they stole his tools.”
Grace wished she could believe it wouldn’t happen again, but she had a terrible feeling that the break-ins were only the beginning of their troubles. If Gary had come here to make good on his threat to get even with her, then there could be more attacks. Should she tell her folks who Gary was—that she’d dated him during her rumschpringe years? Would that be enough to convince Dad that he needed to notify the sheriff?
She cringed. If she told her folks about Gary, wouldn’t that lead to more questions? Should she tell them the truth about her marriage to Wade, or would it be better to keep quiet and see what happened with
Esther’s forehead wrinkled, and she patted Grace’s arm in a motherly fashion. “That’s terrible. I understand now why you’re shaking. You have every right to feel nervous.”
“I didn’t say anything about this before, but someone broke into our house a week ago, too,” Grace whispered.
Esther’s pale eyebrows lifted high on her forehead. “How come you didn’t tell me this sooner?”
“Dad said he thought it was a one-time thing, and since nothing was taken at that time, I saw no point in mentioning it.”
“Do you have any idea who might be responsible, and do you think both incidents were done by the same person?”
“We don’t know, but Dad suspects it might be some rowdy English fellows.” Grace wasn’t about to tell Esther whom she suspected.
Esther slowly shook her head. “Let’s hope it doesn’t happen again—to your family or to anyone else in our community.”
Grace nodded and headed back to the dining room with her customers’ coffee. Having Gary Walker back in town was hard enough to deal with. Now she had the added worry of whether another break-in would occur.
Chapter 11
“It’s good you could meet me and Ruth after work today,” Grace said to her mother as the three of them headed down the sidewalk toward the quilt shop, where a variety of fabric was sold.
Mom nodded. “I thought if we looked at some material for your wedding dress, it might take our minds off this morning’s break-in.”
“Did Dad get everything cleaned up?”
“Jah. He and Martha worked on it while Luke made some deliveries.”
Ruth pursed her lips as she slowed her steps. “I don’t suppose he changed his mind about calling the sheriff?”
“He says he will turn the other cheek, just like before.”
“What if it happens again?”
“Then we’ll have to deal with it.”
Grace clenched her fingers around the straps of her black handbag. How do we deal with it? She wanted to scream out the question but knew it was best to keep silent. When Ruth had met her after work, she’d mentioned that Gary had come into the bakeshop asking questions. It made Grace feel more anxious than ever. What if Gary didn’t leave Holmes County? What if he decided to stay and torment her indefinitely? What if more break-ins occurred?
“Oh, there’s Cleon’s mamm, Irene.” Mom pointed to the dark-haired Amish woman who’d just gotten out of her buggy across the street. “If the two of you would like to go inside the quilt store and start looking around, I’ll join you in a few minutes. I want to see how the Schrocks’ trip to Rexford went and speak to Irene about making some beeswax candles for your wedding.”
“Sure, Mom, we can do that,” Ruth said as the two of them moved toward the door of the shop.
Ruth nudged Grace’s arm as they began looking through some bolts of blue material. “I’m so happy for you and Cleon. I’ll bet you can hardly wait for the wedding.”
“I am looking forward to it,” Grace admitted, “but it’s hard to concentrate on wedding plans with what’s been going on lately.”
“You mean the break-ins?”
“Jah.”
“Like Dad said, maybe it won’t happen again. Maybe whoever broke into his shop got what they wanted when they stole his tools.”
Grace wished she could believe it wouldn’t happen again, but she had a terrible feeling that the break-ins were only the beginning of their troubles. If Gary had come here to make good on his threat to get even with her, then there could be more attacks. Should she tell her folks who Gary was—that she’d dated him during her rumschpringe years? Would that be enough to convince Dad that he needed to notify the sheriff?
She cringed. If she told her folks about Gary, wouldn’t that lead to more questions? Should she tell them the truth about her marriage to Wade, or would it be better to keep quiet and see what happened with
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