The Gift Page 4

  Hurrying, she zipped down the pasta aisle, grabbing a bag of noodles, the first item on Mom’s list. She turned and was about to head down the canned-goods aisle when she stepped in something gooey. Her feet slipped out from under her, and down she went.

  “Ach, my!” Leah gasped, seeing that she had sticky honey on her hands, knees, and the lower part of her dress. Then she noticed the broken glass pushed off to one side, nearly hidden under the bottom shelf. Someone must have either knocked the jar off the shelf or picked the honey up and dropped it.

  As Leah attempted to get back on her feet, she heard Adam’s voice.

  “Are you all right?”

  She looked up and grimaced when she saw him staring down at her. “I—I’m not hurt. I just slipped in some honey.”

  “That’s my fault,” he mumbled, extending his hand to Leah. “I dropped a jar a few minutes ago. The clerk said she would ask someone to clean it up, but I guess you got here first.”

  Despite her best efforts, Leah couldn’t seem to stand on her own, so she reached up and clasped Adam’s hand. It was surprisingly warm, and as he helped her stand, she noticed his look of concern.

  “Are you sure you’re not hurt?” Adam’s tone seemed sincere.

  “I’m fine. Just a sticky mess.” Leah let go of Adam’s hand and noticed that she’d transferred some of the honey onto his hand, too.

  “I’m really sorry.” He took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. “Oh, now look what I’ve done.”

  Leah held her breath, gazing at the sticky goo that had shifted from Adam’s fingers to his hair, making it clump in several places. He stood several seconds with a peculiar expression; then he burst out laughing. It was the first time Leah had heard him laugh, and she couldn’t keep from giggling herself.

  “We’re a mess, aren’t we?” Leah grew serious, trying to contain her laughter. “Anyway, it’s not your fault. If someone said they’d clean it up, they should have followed through.”

  “I’m sure they were planning to,” Adam said. “This just happened right before you got here.”

  “Well, I’m glad it was me who fell and not some elderly person. Besides, I didn’t get cut by the broken glass, and that’s a good thing.” Leah looked down at her hands and groaned. She really was a sticky mess, and wondered how she would ever get all that honey off her shoes, not to mention her dress. “I’d better head to the restroom and get cleaned up,” she said.

  “Jah, me, too.”

  “Danki for your help, Adam.”

  When Adam nodded, Leah noticed that he was smiling, as though trying to hold back more laughter. Was that smirking because he thought she looked funny, or was it just a friendly smile? Maybe Adam had an agreeable side that she hadn’t seen before. Well, there was no time to figure it out now. After she got cleaned up, she needed to get her shopping done quickly, because she had two more people coming for foot treatments this afternoon. Her shoes sticking to the floor with each step she took, Leah tiptoed her way to the restroom. She hoped someone would get the mess cleaned up soon, because she was making sticky spots all the way to the bathroom. I hope Adam doesn’t have any trouble washing that honey out of his hair, she thought, suppressing another giggle.

  CHAPTER 6

  Arthur

  Adam glanced out the window of his store and grimaced. Several soda pop cans were strewn about the parking lot, as if someone had just pitched them out the window of their vehicle. Most likely some thoughtless Englisher’s action, but then it could have been done by one of the local Amish youth. The litter made his business look scruffy, so he needed to dispose of it right away.

  “I’m going outside to pick up some aluminum cans,” he told Ben Otto, his newest employee.

  Ben looked up from behind the counter where he’d been waiting on an elderly Amish woman. “Want me to get ’em?”

  “No, that’s okay; I’ll take care of it.” It was getting hot and stuffy inside the store, even with the overhead ceiling fans that were run by a diesel air compressor, so this was a good excuse for Adam to get some fresh air.

  “I’ll keep an eye on things in here.” Ben ran his fingers through his wavy brown hair. “I enjoy working in your store, Adam, and I appreciate you giving me this job.”

  “And I appreciate everything you do.” Adam was glad he’d hired Ben. The twenty-three-year-old Amish man had a good work ethic. Adam had quickly discovered that he could depend on Ben, who aimed to please.

  When Adam stepped outside, the heat and humidity almost took his breath away. Not even a hint of a breeze was blowing. So much for the fresh air he was hoping to find. No wonder it had gotten so hot and stuffy inside the store. It was the middle of July, so warm temperatures could be expected. But this extraordinary heat surprised him.

  Gathering up the empty cans, Adam tossed them into the recycle bin. Then he headed around to the back of the store to make sure his and Ben’s horses had plenty of water. He’d built a lean-to for the animals so they had enough shade inside the small corral. Adam’s other employee, Henry Raber, usually rode his bike to work, but today Henry hadn’t come in because he’d pulled a muscle in his shoulder yesterday while picking up a heavy sack of cement at the close of work. Adam had suggested that Henry take today off and see one of their local chiropractors. Hopefully he’d done that and would find relief. Adam figured they could get by without Henry for a few days, but so far this summer, business had been brisk. He couldn’t afford to be shorthanded for any length of time.

  Try not to worry about it, he told himself. As Dad used to say, “Just take one day at a time.” What was that verse Dad always quoted? Oh, yeah, Matthew 6:34: “Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”

  Adam glanced around the parking lot once more to be sure he hadn’t missed any cans or other litter. A few weeks ago, he’d discovered that someone had emptied their car’s ashtray in the planter box by the entrance door of the store. The planter had colorful petunias growing in it, so surely the person knew it wasn’t a container for waste. He wondered what would make someone get out of their car, walk up to the entrance door where the planter sat, and empty their cigarette butts. Adam didn’t know if he was being overly critical because of the way things were these days, but he sure wished folks would be more considerate.

  Satisfied that the parking lot looked clean and inviting, he returned to the store. He found Ben waiting on their bishop, Levi Kauffman. Since Ben seemed to have everything under control, Adam started toward the other side of the store to see if he was getting low on any gardening tools. First though, he needed to make sure the dolly was readily available, because anytime now, the delivery truck should be pulling in with his most recent order. Various-sized bags of thistle and sunflower seed were due in today, which was good, since there wasn’t much left of either in the store right now.

  Adam went to the storage room, which was in the rear of the building and led to the back door where deliveries were usually dropped off. He always liked to help the driver unload supplies, so he pushed the dolly over and left it sitting close to the back door. That would be one less thing to look for when the truck arrived.

  As Leah headed to the health food store to buy some vitamins, she found herself panting for breath. The road was perfectly flat, so pedaling the bike wasn’t causing a problem. What had zapped her strength was the unrelenting heat. Summer was nice, but when it was humid and hot like this, Leah longed for the cooler days of fall, but they hadn’t even reached the dog days of August yet. What she wouldn’t give for a gentle breeze right now. Up ahead, she was glad to see a huge maple tree that provided some shade along the road.

  Leah stopped to catch her breath, and took a drink from the Thermos of iced tea she carried in her basket. The next time she made the trip to town this summer she would take the horse and buggy. At least then the horse, who was trained to pull and could withstand the heat, would be doing all the work and not her.


  She watched as a delivery truck approached. It wasn’t unusual to see trucks on this road making deliveries into Arthur or to businesses just outside of town. As the truck whizzed by, it created a breeze that felt really good for the few seconds it lasted, even though it smelled of exhaust. All too soon the air grew still again.

  Leah looked up into the tree. The thick cover of maple leaves hung motionless. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, standing there just a bit longer. She took the cap off the Thermos and guzzled more of the iced tea, grabbing a small ice cube with her teeth to let it melt in her mouth. When she peeked into the Thermos and saw only a few ice cubes left in the remaining tea, she snapped the lid back on, knowing if she stayed any longer, the humidity would get worse and her tea would no longer be cold. Taking one more look around, she watched a butterfly slowly flitter past and land on some chicory weed that was growing in clusters along the road. Even the butterfly’s wings looked bogged down from the clammy, moisture-laden air as it sat on the blue, daisylike flower.

  Leah moved on, trying to keep her focus on the scenery instead of how miserable she felt. Sweat ran down her back as the sun beat relentlessly on her body. The creek, running from one side of the road and through a pipe to the other side, looked inviting as Leah pedaled over it and continued onward.

  She knew how good the cool water would feel, but there was no time for such a childlike venture. She giggled, thinking how silly it would look if she showed up at the health food store soaking wet.

  As Leah proceeded, her bicycle pedals kept slipping. Something must be wrong. When they quit working altogether, she had to stop and get off.

  Looking down at her bike, Leah groaned. The chain was loose, and she had nothing to tighten it with. “At this rate, I’ll never get to the health food store,” she mumbled, making sure her bike was on the shoulder of the road as she began to push. Even when she did get there, she’d either have to walk the bike home or find some way to fix the chain.

  While Adam waited for his delivery to arrive, he went back to the main part of the store and headed to the first aisle, where the garden tools were kept. There he caught sight of a freckle-faced English boy who appeared to be in his early teens. The kid had his hands in the pocket of his jeans, and a worn-looking baseball cap covered most of his red hair, which was pulled back into a ponytail. He stood staring at the shelf full of gardening gloves and hand shovels and didn’t seem to notice Adam standing nearby. Adam thought it was strange that the boy was wearing a denim jacket, buttoned up to his neck. On a day as warm as this, he didn’t think anyone would feel the need for a jacket.

  Just as Adam was going to ask the boy if he needed any help, the kid grabbed two pairs of gloves off the shelf, along with two of the small shovels, and stuffed them inside his jacket. Then he turned, caught sight of Adam, and froze.

  Adam didn’t say anything at first, hoping the boy would take the items to the checkout counter to pay. Of course, that wasn’t likely. Most people who planned to buy something didn’t stuff the articles inside their jacket.

  Time seemed to stand still as they stared at each other. Adam didn’t back down, and the kid nervously broke eye contact, glancing toward the front doors. Adam didn’t have time to blink before the boy ran past him, headed for the exit.

  “Stop where you are!” Adam shouted, convinced the boy was shoplifting. He raced after him. “You’d better give me those items you took!”

  Glancing to her right, Leah saw Adam’s hardware store come into view. Thinking she might find some type of tool there to fix her chain, Leah pushed the bike into the parking lot and set the kickstand. She noticed the delivery truck that had passed her earlier was parked along the side of the store. The driver, talking on a cell phone, stood by the rear of the truck.

  Leah went up the front steps and reached for the door handle. The door flew open, and—wham!—a teenaged boy crashed into her, knocking her down. As she tried to clamber to her feet, Adam barreled out the open door, shouting for the boy to stop. In his haste, Adam plowed into Leah, and they both landed on the porch in a heap.

  CHAPTER 7

  Are you okay?” Adam and Leah asked at the same time.

  Leah looked at Adam and bobbed her head. “When I reached for the door to your store, I never expected to get plowed down by that boy. He didn’t even look back or apologize.” She looked at her hands and noticed that they were a bit scraped. Nervously brushing them together, she added, “The least he could have done was to ask if I was all right.”

  “I’m sorry about that.” Adam stood and reached for her hand. “And I never expected to catch someone shoplifting in my store.” He grimaced. “I didn’t actually catch the fellow, now did I? Thanks to me tripping over you and falling, that young thief got away.”

  Leah scrunched up her face, realizing the hand Adam held in his stung more than she’d first thought it did.

  “Let me look at those hands,” Adam said, his voice filled with concern. Before she could react, he took her other hand and examined it as well. “I have some witch hazel in the store. We’d better get your hands cleaned off.”

  Leah quickly pulled back from Adam’s grip. Confusion mixed with a bit of irritation bubbled in her soul as she gazed up at him. Wiping her hands on her dress, she asked, “Are you suggesting that it’s my fault you didn’t capture the boy?”

  He shook his head. “You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  “So if I hadn’t come to the hardware store, you’d have your merchandise back by now?”

  Adam shrugged. “Can’t say for sure, but there’s a pretty good chance I would have caught the kid.”

  “Maybe you should go after him now. Did you see what direction he took?”

  “No. Did you?”

  Leah’s hands went straight to her hips. “Of course not. How could I see anything with you lying in a heap beside me, blocking my view?” She bit back a chuckle, thinking how silly Adam had looked when he fell down. His thick blond hair was in a disarray, and she resisted the urge to reach up and comb it with her fingers.

  Adam stared at Leah. Then, in a surprise gesture, he reached out and touched her head covering.

  She pulled back slightly. “Wh—what are you doing?”

  “Your kapp is crooked. Looks like it’s about to come off.” Adam’s voice seemed deeper than usual, and Leah swallowed hard as she stood, letting him readjust her covering.

  “Are you going to call the authorities about the shoplifter?” Leah questioned, hoping the change of topic would get her mind off his dreamy brown eyes.

  “I’m not sure what I’m going to do.” Adam grunted, rubbing his chin. “If I call the sheriff, I should do it soon, but if I wait, maybe I’ll see the boy in Arthur or somewhere else in our area and approach him myself.”

  “That could be dangerous, don’t you think?”

  “He’s just a kid, Leah. Maybe there’s a reason he stole from my store.”

  “I can’t understand why anyone would steal. Even if a person is poor, they should ask for help. Our community is always willing to help out when Amish or English have a need.” Leah reached up and felt her head covering, noting that it seemed to be in place. “Danki for fixing my kapp.” Feeling a bit tongue-tied, she could feel her cheeks warm. Why was Adam staring at her like that again? Was something else off-kilter? Should she ask?

  After what seemed like forever, Adam blinked and looked away. “So, uh… what brings you to my store today?” he asked, looking down and brushing at the dust on his trousers.

  “The chain on my bike came loose. I was hoping you might have something here that would help me fix it.”

  Adam chuckled. “I’m not a bike shop, Leah.”

  The heat she felt on her face intensified. “I know that, but I thought maybe—”

  “Come to think of it, I do have a tool in the back of my buggy that’s exactly what you need.”

  “Would you mind if I borrow it?” she asked.

  His eye
s narrowed. “You really think you can fix the chain?”

  Leah’s defenses rose. “Despite what you might think, Adam, I’m not dumm.”

  “I never said you were dumb. Just didn’t know if you’d ever tightened a bicycle chain.”

  She relaxed a little. “I’ve never done it before, but I think I can figure it out.”

  “Okay.” Adam shrugged. “If you’ll wait right here, I’ll get it.”

  That young woman is sure hard to figure out, Adam thought as he made his way around the back of the store to his buggy. One minute she’s sweet as date pudding, and the next minute she acts like she has a bee under her kapp. Sure wish she hadn’t come along when she did; I’d have my shoplifter by now. Who knows where he ran off to, or why he took those things from my store.

  Adam picked up his pace, noticing that the delivery truck was already there. Luckily, the driver was talking on his cell phone, so that would give Adam a few extra minutes before he’d need to help the guy unload his order. Sure wish Leah wasn’t so pretty. Makes it hard for me to look at her and not long for a wife. I wonder how well she cooks.

  He slapped the side of his head. Now where did that foolish notion come from? I’m just not thinking straight today. Must be all the excitement.

  When Adam reached the buggy, he opened his toolbox and took out what he needed. Then he went back to where he’d left Leah but discovered she wasn’t there. He glanced at her bike, parked in one of the bicycle racks. No sign of Leah over there, either.

  Adam crouched down to examine the chain and realized that it needed to be shortened. Thinking Leah may have gone into the store, he went inside, where he discovered Leah near the checkout counter, talking to Ben.

  “Here you go, Leah.” Adam handed her the tool.

  She stared at the object. “What’s that?”