to hurt you.”
“Don’t bank on me promising you the same.” She ground out the words as she lowered her body, taking him with her, and then threw back her head, smacking him in the mouth.
“Ow!” He dug his fingers into both her arms and pinned them, wrestling her to the ground. Blood dripped from his lip onto her back. “I’m trying to be easy. Would you just stop?”
She squirmed, cursing at him and trying to throw him off “Let me go!”
“When you calm down, then we’ll negotiate.”
For her size her strength astounded him. Her salty language—exactly what he expected from a thief.
Ephraim’s mouth ached all the way across his face. “Either you stop fighting and talk to me, or I’ll call the police, and you can talk to them.”
To his shock she became perfectly still. He released one arm and held on to the other as he stood, helping her stand with him. She was probably five foot three and couldn’t weigh much over a hundred pounds. “You’ve been stealing from us.”
“I suppose that was your dress I took?”
“Cute. But it wasn’t yours.”
“I didn’t steal it.”
He wiped blood from his mouth. “It wasn’t yours, and you took it. Is there a new definition for the word steal that I’m not familiar with?”
“I brought money back.”
“Sure you did.”
“You can argue with me about it or go look for yourself. It’s on the clothesline.”
Still holding on to her arm, he walked to the spot. A ten-dollar bill hung from the line, pinned securely.
Moonlight shone across her face, revealing her beauty. He saw something else too—the confidence of a woman, and suddenly she didn’t look as young to him. With her size and defiant stance and the jeans and a shirt that showed her stomach, he’d assumed she was a teen. But the way she held her own, staring at him with a certain assurance, he truly looked at her for the first time. “So giving money after taking things that weren’t for sale is okay?”
“Lofty words coming from someone whose mommy and daddy gave him everything he needed his whole life.”
“And what else has your little sister seen you steal?”
She stilled, but she didn’t answer him.
“Speak up. What else did you take?”
She studied him, looking rather awed by his question. “You’ve got so much you don’t even know what’s missing?”
Somehow he was losing this argument. How was that possible? “Tell me what you took.”
“Just some food and a blanket.”
“You planning on paying me back too?”
She didn’t respond, but he knew the answer. So why did she return to leave money only for Deborah?
“Where do your folks… do you live?”
She opened her mouth but then seemed to change her mind.
“Well?”
“I won’t borrow anything else, and I’ll never set foot on this place again. I promise. Just let me go.”
He figured that answer was the best he’d get from her. Whatever was going on, he didn’t have it in him to call the police. After all, she had brought money to replace the missing dress and taken items from him he’d never miss.
He released her. “Go.”
She paused, staring at him as if he’d done something she didn’t expect. Then she took off running.
Ephraim turned to look at his Daed’s house. The dim shine of kerosene lamps barely left a glow on the lawn. Daed and Becca would be home tomorrow, and he intended to keep things calm around here.
She stole food and a blanket? He tumbled that thought around.
Was it possible this young woman and her sister were using Levina’s, or rather his , barn as a hangout… or maybe even as a place to sleep?
Wondering if his brother knew either of the girls’ names, he headed for the house. Once inside he went to the sink, grabbed a clean rag, and ran cool water over it. Placing it on his bleeding lip, he sighed. Why did she have to show up now? Her presence would only make it more difficult to keep things peaceful and quiet for his Daed.
She knew how to hit a
“Don’t bank on me promising you the same.” She ground out the words as she lowered her body, taking him with her, and then threw back her head, smacking him in the mouth.
“Ow!” He dug his fingers into both her arms and pinned them, wrestling her to the ground. Blood dripped from his lip onto her back. “I’m trying to be easy. Would you just stop?”
She squirmed, cursing at him and trying to throw him off “Let me go!”
“When you calm down, then we’ll negotiate.”
For her size her strength astounded him. Her salty language—exactly what he expected from a thief.
Ephraim’s mouth ached all the way across his face. “Either you stop fighting and talk to me, or I’ll call the police, and you can talk to them.”
To his shock she became perfectly still. He released one arm and held on to the other as he stood, helping her stand with him. She was probably five foot three and couldn’t weigh much over a hundred pounds. “You’ve been stealing from us.”
“I suppose that was your dress I took?”
“Cute. But it wasn’t yours.”
“I didn’t steal it.”
He wiped blood from his mouth. “It wasn’t yours, and you took it. Is there a new definition for the word steal that I’m not familiar with?”
“I brought money back.”
“Sure you did.”
“You can argue with me about it or go look for yourself. It’s on the clothesline.”
Still holding on to her arm, he walked to the spot. A ten-dollar bill hung from the line, pinned securely.
Moonlight shone across her face, revealing her beauty. He saw something else too—the confidence of a woman, and suddenly she didn’t look as young to him. With her size and defiant stance and the jeans and a shirt that showed her stomach, he’d assumed she was a teen. But the way she held her own, staring at him with a certain assurance, he truly looked at her for the first time. “So giving money after taking things that weren’t for sale is okay?”
“Lofty words coming from someone whose mommy and daddy gave him everything he needed his whole life.”
“And what else has your little sister seen you steal?”
She stilled, but she didn’t answer him.
“Speak up. What else did you take?”
She studied him, looking rather awed by his question. “You’ve got so much you don’t even know what’s missing?”
Somehow he was losing this argument. How was that possible? “Tell me what you took.”
“Just some food and a blanket.”
“You planning on paying me back too?”
She didn’t respond, but he knew the answer. So why did she return to leave money only for Deborah?
“Where do your folks… do you live?”
She opened her mouth but then seemed to change her mind.
“Well?”
“I won’t borrow anything else, and I’ll never set foot on this place again. I promise. Just let me go.”
He figured that answer was the best he’d get from her. Whatever was going on, he didn’t have it in him to call the police. After all, she had brought money to replace the missing dress and taken items from him he’d never miss.
He released her. “Go.”
She paused, staring at him as if he’d done something she didn’t expect. Then she took off running.
Ephraim turned to look at his Daed’s house. The dim shine of kerosene lamps barely left a glow on the lawn. Daed and Becca would be home tomorrow, and he intended to keep things calm around here.
She stole food and a blanket? He tumbled that thought around.
Was it possible this young woman and her sister were using Levina’s, or rather his , barn as a hangout… or maybe even as a place to sleep?
Wondering if his brother knew either of the girls’ names, he headed for the house. Once inside he went to the sink, grabbed a clean rag, and ran cool water over it. Placing it on his bleeding lip, he sighed. Why did she have to show up now? Her presence would only make it more difficult to keep things peaceful and quiet for his Daed.
She knew how to hit a
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