I’ve seen, his parents keep close tabs on him, so it’s hard to believe he could have been wandering around after dark.”
“Somebody was.” She moved restlessly. “You mentioned there’d been some vandalism in the area. Could it have something to do with that?”
“I don’t know. The incidents have been pretty harmless, as far as I’ve heard. Mailboxes knocked down. Somebody threw a bucket of purple paint at an Amish house. The police seem to think it’s caused by teenagers looking for a little excitement. Nothing here was damaged, but maybe they’re branching out into intimidation.” He’d rather imagine it was random mischief, not deliberate malice toward the inn.
She nodded, frowning. “What do you think we should do?”
We. The simple pronoun stopped him for a moment. Andrea considered him an ally. She didn’t want to make this decision alone, and she didn’t want to worry her elderly grandmother, or Rachel, stuck in a wheelchair. So she’d turned to him.
All the resolutions he’d made about living a detachedlife here were on the line. Panic flickered. He couldn’t make himself responsible for them.
But he’d put himself in this position. He’d interfered, and he couldn’t back away and say it was none of his concern just because his emotions were getting involved.
“It seems to me that the police are already doing about all they can do, under the circumstances. The fact that you saw a prowler again probably wouldn’t change anything.”
He was being drawn in. He was starting to think like a lawyer again. He didn’t want to, but he couldn’t help it.
“I suppose not, but doing nothing doesn’t resolve the situation.”
“Look, why don’t you give it a day or two? Let me talk to some of my Amish friends, sound them out about it. See if there’s any animosity toward the inn among the Amish community.” Doing so might harm the delicate balance of his relationship with them, but the alternative was worse.
She studied him for a moment, as if weighing his sincerity. “All right.” She got to her feet too quickly for him to reach out a helping hand. “If you’ll do that, I’ll talk to Uncle Nick. He may have some ideas, and I’m sure he’d keep anything I tell him in confidence. He wouldn’t want to upset Grams.”
Obviously Andrea wasn’t one to leave everything in someone else’s hands, but maybe she was right. Bendick did seem to have his finger in a lot of pies in the township.
“What about Levi? Do you want me to talk to Emma?”
“No. I’ll see if I can bring it up without upsetting her.” She shook her head. “I’m not looking forward to it.”
“Better to talk to her than let the suspicion affect your attitude toward him.”
“True enough. If I didn’t say it before, thank you, Cal. For last night, and for being willing to help. I appreciate it. And Grams would, if she knew.”
“Any time.”
He meant it, but he had to be careful. Andrea had broken through barriers he’d thought were completely secure, and trying to deny the attraction he felt was pointless.
But that attraction couldn’t go anywhere. The life Andrea prized was the kind of life that had nearly destroyed his soul.
The gold lettering on the plate glass window jolted the cool facade Andrea had meant to maintain for this visit. Unger and Bendick, Real Estate and Insurance. She hadn’t imagined that Grandfather’s name would still be on the business.
It was a name that stood for something in this quiet country village. Uncle Nick probably hadn’t been eager to give that up, and she couldn’t blame him.
Grams had assured her that Uncle Nick would be in the office on a Saturday morning. Fortunately she hadn’t asked why Andrea wanted to see him.
A bell tinkled when she opened the door. Clever of Uncle Nick to retain the old-fashioned flavor, even when he was dealing with visiting urbanites looking fora little piece of country to call their own. Or maybe especially
“Somebody was.” She moved restlessly. “You mentioned there’d been some vandalism in the area. Could it have something to do with that?”
“I don’t know. The incidents have been pretty harmless, as far as I’ve heard. Mailboxes knocked down. Somebody threw a bucket of purple paint at an Amish house. The police seem to think it’s caused by teenagers looking for a little excitement. Nothing here was damaged, but maybe they’re branching out into intimidation.” He’d rather imagine it was random mischief, not deliberate malice toward the inn.
She nodded, frowning. “What do you think we should do?”
We. The simple pronoun stopped him for a moment. Andrea considered him an ally. She didn’t want to make this decision alone, and she didn’t want to worry her elderly grandmother, or Rachel, stuck in a wheelchair. So she’d turned to him.
All the resolutions he’d made about living a detachedlife here were on the line. Panic flickered. He couldn’t make himself responsible for them.
But he’d put himself in this position. He’d interfered, and he couldn’t back away and say it was none of his concern just because his emotions were getting involved.
“It seems to me that the police are already doing about all they can do, under the circumstances. The fact that you saw a prowler again probably wouldn’t change anything.”
He was being drawn in. He was starting to think like a lawyer again. He didn’t want to, but he couldn’t help it.
“I suppose not, but doing nothing doesn’t resolve the situation.”
“Look, why don’t you give it a day or two? Let me talk to some of my Amish friends, sound them out about it. See if there’s any animosity toward the inn among the Amish community.” Doing so might harm the delicate balance of his relationship with them, but the alternative was worse.
She studied him for a moment, as if weighing his sincerity. “All right.” She got to her feet too quickly for him to reach out a helping hand. “If you’ll do that, I’ll talk to Uncle Nick. He may have some ideas, and I’m sure he’d keep anything I tell him in confidence. He wouldn’t want to upset Grams.”
Obviously Andrea wasn’t one to leave everything in someone else’s hands, but maybe she was right. Bendick did seem to have his finger in a lot of pies in the township.
“What about Levi? Do you want me to talk to Emma?”
“No. I’ll see if I can bring it up without upsetting her.” She shook her head. “I’m not looking forward to it.”
“Better to talk to her than let the suspicion affect your attitude toward him.”
“True enough. If I didn’t say it before, thank you, Cal. For last night, and for being willing to help. I appreciate it. And Grams would, if she knew.”
“Any time.”
He meant it, but he had to be careful. Andrea had broken through barriers he’d thought were completely secure, and trying to deny the attraction he felt was pointless.
But that attraction couldn’t go anywhere. The life Andrea prized was the kind of life that had nearly destroyed his soul.
The gold lettering on the plate glass window jolted the cool facade Andrea had meant to maintain for this visit. Unger and Bendick, Real Estate and Insurance. She hadn’t imagined that Grandfather’s name would still be on the business.
It was a name that stood for something in this quiet country village. Uncle Nick probably hadn’t been eager to give that up, and she couldn’t blame him.
Grams had assured her that Uncle Nick would be in the office on a Saturday morning. Fortunately she hadn’t asked why Andrea wanted to see him.
A bell tinkled when she opened the door. Clever of Uncle Nick to retain the old-fashioned flavor, even when he was dealing with visiting urbanites looking fora little piece of country to call their own. Or maybe especially
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