The Gift Read online

  “Came back to return this stuff to you.” The boy handed Adam a pair of gloves and the two small shovels he’d taken. “I know what I did was wrong, and I… I just wanted to say that I’m sorry.”

  Stunned, Adam hardly knew how to respond. He’d never expected to get the stuff back, much less receive an apology from the boy. “Why’d you do it?” Adam asked. “Was it just for the sport of it, or to prove that you could take those things and get away with it?”

  The boy shook his head. “My dad’s out of work, and my folks are short on money right now. So my mom’s been trying to sell some produce from her garden.” He frowned. “She’s been pulling weeds with no garden gloves, and the handle on the shovel she uses broke yesterday morning.”

  “So you came into my store and took what wasn’t yours.” A muscle on the side of Adam’s neck quivered. He felt bad about the boy’s father being out of work, but stealing was wrong, and the kid ought to learn a lesson.

  The boy dropped his gaze to the floor. “The stuff I took hasn’t been used. When my folks found out what I did, they said I had to bring everything back this morning.” His voice cracked. “Dad’s making me do extra chores around the place now, and he said I should do some work for you, too, to make up for what I did.”

  Adam stood with his arms folded, trying to decide what to do. If he let the kid go without making him do any work, would he really learn a lesson? “I’ll tell you what,” he said, clasping the boy’s shoulder. “You can do some cleaning in the store for me this morning, and when you’re done and ready to go home, you can take these with you.” He motioned to the gloves and shovel. “Not before you tell me your name, though.”

  The boy’s eyes widened. “You mean it, mister? You won’t turn me in?”

  Adam gave a hesitant nod, wondering if he was doing the right thing. “But you’ve got to promise that you’ll never steal anything from me or anyone else again.”

  “No, I won’t. I’ve learned my lesson.” The boy grabbed Adam’s hand and shook it. “My name’s Scott Ramsey. I’m pleased to meet you.”

  “Likewise, I think,” Adam mumbled, handing the boy a broom. “You can start by sweeping the floor.”

  “No problem. I’ll do a good job.”

  “Oh, before you do that,” Adam said, “I was wondering if you own a black Lab.”

  The boy shook his head. “Nope, just a beagle hound. Why do you ask?”

  “One was hanging around the store yesterday, and the mutt followed me home. He also brought a package of gardening gloves into the store. I figured it might be one of the pairs you took.”

  “I did take two pairs, but I dropped one on my way out.” The boy shrugged. “The dog ain’t mine, and I don’t know anyone who has a Lab.”

  After Scott moved down the aisle, pushing the broom, Adam went to his office and took a seat at the desk. This had been an interesting morning so far. Not only had he fed a dog he didn’t want hanging around, but he’d agreed to give the shoplifting kid the very things he’d stolen from him. He really must be getting soft in the head.

  Adam wondered if the dog would be waiting for him when he got home. When he’d checked the animal over this morning, he’d looked at the dog’s collar for a name tag or license, but there was nothing to indicate who the Lab belonged to. Adam hated to admit it, but deep down, he almost hoped the dog would still be there. He had to stop at his neighbor’s first, to pick up the eggs they had for him, but after that, he would be anxious to get home. Even though it meant extra work, having a pet to care for might relieve some of the lonesomeness and tension he often felt.

  CHAPTER 11

  Adam spent the next week getting ready for his sister’s arrival, making sure there was plenty of food in the house, the beds were all made, and the house was cleaned. He’d hired a couple young Amish women to do the cleaning, since he had little free time after work each day.

  As he sat on the front porch, watching for his family to arrive, Adam wondered what was taking them so long. They’d hired a driver and were coming in a van, but since it was Friday, the traffic might be heavier than usual, with people heading places for the weekend. Mary had said she and the family would arrive before supper and that she would fix the meal. But when Adam checked his pocket watch and saw that it was five o’clock, he figured they might not get here in time for that. Maybe he would take them out to eat, which would probably be better anyway. Since they’d been traveling all day, Mary was bound to be tired.

  Feeling a wet nose nudge his hand, Adam looked down. The Lab was still with him, lying on top of his feet. Adam had resigned himself to the fact that the dog had adopted him. He’d asked around to see if anyone had lost a Lab, but no one knew anything about the dog. Adam had even hung several “Lost Dog” flyers around town but had gotten no response. He didn’t have the heart to let the dog roam around, neglected, and since the mutt seemed to have claimed Adam as his new master, he’d finally given in. He had named the dog Coal because of the color of the animal’s thick coat of hair. Adam knew that naming the Lab was just as significant as if he’d signed adoption papers.

  “Guess you and me are stuck with each other now.” Adam smiled, moving his feet while Coal let out a low moan. The dog felt like a sack of potatoes and was cutting off the circulation in Adam’s ankles. But it was kind of nice, having the dog around. He’d actually caught himself looking for Coal every day when he got home from work. Faithfully, the dog was there, either on the porch wagging his tail or sitting at the end of the driveway, barking when Adam’s horse and buggy came into view.

  Even in the little bit of time Coal had been around, he’d proven his worth. On Wednesday, Adam had noticed the disgusting smell of a dead animal permeating the barn. After finding a hole coming up through the floor where he kept bales of straw, Adam realized that the groundhog had actually made a tunnel under the barn and was probably the source of the stench. Adam wasn’t sure how to get the critter out but hoped that after a while the odor would fade. The next morning, when he walked out onto the porch, Coal sat with the dead groundhog, smelling even worse than the day before. Adam had no idea how Coal managed to get the carcass out from under the barn, and he wasn’t even going to try and figure it out, but he was glad the dog had.

  Adam snickered, thinking that if his sister had been visiting and found a smelly old carcass right by the door, she would have probably fainted. At any rate, that evening, Coal had gotten a bath, and his coat still shone like a piece of blue-black coal. No more did the Lab have that mangy mongrel look. Now Coal had the appearance of a sleek purebred black Labrador retriever. Not only would Adam have a dog to introduce to his nieces, but he’d have a clean dog at that.

  The groundhog wasn’t the only thing the dog had surprised Adam with this week. Last evening, Coal had walked into the barn, where Adam had gone to feed his horse, and dropped a ripe tomato at his feet. Adam recognized it right away, being the first to ripen on the vine. He’d been watching it for the last week, and now the plump tomato was perfect. Adam had intended to pick that tomato this morning, to have with dinner tonight, but Coal had beaten him to it. Amazingly enough, the tomato was intact, with no teeth marks on it—just dog slobber. Luckily, that could be washed off.

  “How’d you like to play a game of fetch?” Adam asked, as the dog’s tail thumped the ground.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” Adam headed for the barn, and like a shot, Coal followed. Once inside, Adam pulled the plastic lid off an old coffee can. “This oughtta work fine for what I have in mind.”

  With Coal at his heels, Adam left the barn and stood in the middle of the lawn. “If you can fetch a tomato, then this makeshift Frisbee should be easy for you.” Adam flung the lid high and hard, and it flew across the yard.

  The dog watched it go, and just before it hit the ground, he chased after it. Returning the lid to Adam, Coal looked up in anticipation. Woof! Woof!

  Adam chuckled. “Okay, okay, don’t get so impatient.” He threw the lid again and smil
ed, watching the dog race across the yard, leap into the air, and catch the object with his teeth.

  They continued playing for a while until Adam called a halt to the game. “Enough is enough, boy. We both need to relax.”

  Coal flopped onto the grass, and Adam stood staring at the trees lining his property, appreciating the fact that this place was his.

  Several minutes went by until Coal grunted, drawing Adam out of his musings. He squatted down and rubbed the dog’s ears. “You’re a fair enough pooch, but don’t get any ideas about sleeping in the house. Even though you are nice and clean, a dog’s place is outside, so you can just keep sleeping in the barn till I find the time to build a doghouse with a fence around it.”

  As if in response, Coal put his head on Adam’s knee and closed his eyes.

  Adam smiled. When Carrie, Linda, and Amy got here, they’d probably be excited to discover that Adam now owned a dog.

  As Leah removed a pair of her father’s trousers from the clothesline, she thought, once again, about Elaine and Priscilla and their boyfriends. Elaine had been seeing Ben, and Priscilla had Elam. Leah had no one, and even though her reflexology was meaningful, she secretly longed to be a wife and mother. But Leah had never had a serious suitor. Was there something about her that turned men away? Was it her looks, or didn’t they care for her personality? While Leah had never considered herself beautiful, she didn’t think she was homely, either. Her father always said Leah had pretty blue-green eyes, and Mom often commented on Leah’s lovely golden brown hair.

  There must be something about my personality that repels any would-be suitors. Leah sighed, shaking out another pair of dry trousers. Well, what does it matter? If I’m meant to be married, then it will happen, in God’s time.

  Arf! Arf! Arf! Leah’s Jack Russell terrier darted across the lawn and skidded to a stop in front of her laundry basket. Before Leah could say one word, the dog stuck its snout into the basket, grabbed one of Dad’s clean shirts, and raced back across the yard.

  Leah chased after the dog, shouting, “Come back here right now, Sparky, and give me Dad’s shirt!” Of all things, it was one of Dad’s good Sunday shirts. If Leah didn’t get the shirt from Sparky soon, she’d have to wash it again and hope it would dry before the sun went down.

  To her annoyance, the dog kept running without looking back. As Leah bore down on him, he darted around the side of the barn, slipped under the fence, and disappeared into the field of corn.

  Leah groaned. “Oh, great! Guess Dad won’t be wearing that shirt on Sunday.” After she took the clothes inside, she was supposed to set the table, because her brother, Nathan, and his family were coming for supper. Well, she’d have to go after Sparky and get Dad’s shirt back before heading up to the house. She hoped by the time she caught the dog that the shirt would still be in one piece.

  Adam was about to head out to the phone shack to check for messages, thinking his sister might have called to let him know they were going to be late, when the sheriff’s car pulled into his driveway. Adam swatted at the annoying little bugs hovering in a cloud around his head. Humid weather seemed to make them worse, and they appeared as soon as one walked outdoors. Those gnats could be so aggravating, especially when they went right for one’s eyes or ears.

  The sheriff got out of his vehicle, and from the man’s serious expression, Adam had a feeling this wasn’t a social call. He glanced over at Coal, who moments ago had been rambunctious but was now sitting quietly by the porch steps.

  “What can I do for you?” Adam asked. He knew the man because he’d come into his hardware store a few times.

  The sheriff cleared his throat. “Brace yourself. I’m sorry to say that I’ve come with bad news.”

  Adam’s heart started to pound as he waited to hear what the man had to say. Dear God, please don’t let it be about Mary or anyone else in her family.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Beachy, but there’s been an accident. The van your sister and her family were traveling in was hit by a truck just outside of Arcola.”

  Adam’s mouth went dry. “Are… are any of them hurt?”

  The sheriff nodded. “But I don’t know how badly. Everyone, including their driver, has been taken to the hospital. If you’d like to go there now, I’ll give you a ride.”

  Fear such as Adam hadn’t known since he was boy rose in his chest. He had no idea what to expect once he got to the hospital; he just knew he had to get there as quickly as possible. Grabbing his straw hat from the porch, he followed the sheriff to his car, not even stopping to put Coal away. All Adam could think about was his beloved sister and her dear family. Dear Lord, please let them be okay.

  CHAPTER 12

  Leah had just captured Sparky when a black Lab wandered into the yard. She thought it was the same dog she’d seen at the end of Adam’s driveway. Figuring the dog must be a stray, she waved her hands and shouted, hoping to chase it off. Instead, it sniffed around, as though looking for something. The dog looked a bit different from when Leah had seen it before. Its coat was black as night, and there was an almost bluish tint to its fur. This clean animal was not the shabby, dingy-looking mutt from before.

  “Go home!” Leah hollered.

  The Lab wagged its tail and let out a loud bark. That brought Sparky from the barn, where he’d gone with his tail between his legs after Leah had finally rescued Dad’s shirt.

  Arf! Arf! Arf! Sparky chased after the black dog, barking and nipping at its heels.

  Woof! Woof! The Lab zipped around the yard twice then turned and chased Sparky.

  Panting for breath, Leah ran after Sparky, who was now chasing the Lab. After calling several times, her ornery little dog would not stop. The overwrought animal either didn’t hear her or chose to ignore her commands, for he wouldn’t give up the chase. Desperate to find a way to bring it to an end, Leah picked up the garden hose. Turning it on full force, she sprayed both dogs with a blast of water.

  Yip! Yip! Yip! Arf! Arf! Sparky and the black Lab took off like a shot for the field of corn.

  “Go ahead and run, you crazy critters!” Leah called, shaking her head. She sure wasn’t going to chase them into the field; she’d already gone there after Sparky, and once was enough. Leah pulled her dad’s shirt from around her neck, where she’d draped it before chasing the dogs. She wasn’t sure how, but Dad’s Sunday shirt was still in one piece. But it would need to be washed again.

  Turning toward the house, Leah halted when a horse and buggy pulled in. Behind them, the sky was turning a brilliant orange as the sun began to set. Her brother and his family had arrived, and she was a hot, sticky mess. Not only that, but she hadn’t done a thing to help Mom get supper on. Because Nathan worked in the bulk food store and had to close it up for the evening, Leah was glad Mom had planned to serve supper later than usual—especially with this dog episode.

  “What happened to you?” Nathan asked when he got off the buggy. “Your dress is dirty, and your face is flushed.”

  Leah could see little Zeke’s arms going up and down on his mother’s lap. Holding out her own arms to greet Rebecca and Stephen, who were trying to get to her first, Leah smiled. “It’s a long story, and I’ll tell you all about it when we go inside.”

  Adam sat in the hospital waiting room with his eyes closed and head bowed, praying fervently and waiting for news on the condition of Mary and her family. All he’d been told was that Mary and Amos were in serious condition and that the girls and their driver had minor injuries. He clenched his fists until his fingers dug into his palms. Mary and Amos had to make it. Their girls were so young and needed their parents. For that matter, Adam needed Mary, too, for she was his only sibling and his closest living relative. Adam’s father was dead, and for all he knew, his mother was, too. Not that he’d ever want to see her again. Even if she was still alive, in every sense of the word, his mother was dead to him. All Adam wanted right now was to see his sister and know that she would be all right.

  How could something like t
his have happened? he asked himself. And whose fault was it, anyway? Was it the driver of the van they’d hired, or was the person in the other vehicle responsible for the accident? Oh, Lord, I can’t lose Mary, too.

  Adam’s thoughts came to a halt when a young doctor entered the room and took a seat beside him. “Are you Mr. Beachy?” he asked.

  Adam nodded. “Do you have word on my sister and her husband? Are they going to be okay?”

  The grave look on the doctor’s face told Adam all he needed to know. “I’m sorry, Mr. Beachy, but Amos has died, and Mary is seriously injured. She’s lost a lot of blood. I’m afraid she doesn’t have long to live.”

  Barely able to believe the doctor’s words, Adam sat in stunned silence. His chin quivered as he closed his eyes. It wasn’t possible. He felt as though he was in the middle of a horrible dream—a nightmare.

  “Is… is she awake? Can I see her?” Adam asked when he finally found his voice.

  “Yes. She’s been asking for you.” The doctor stood. “If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to see Mary now.”

  Numbly, Adam followed the doctor down the hallway, which bustled with normal activity. Adam barely noticed.

  “She’s in here,” the doctor said, leading the way into a dimly lit room, where a nurse stood beside a hospital bed.

  The window blinds were tilted, allowing pink light from the sunset to flow between the slats onto Mary’s bed. How could something so beautiful be happening outside when inside this room everything was horrible? The silence at Mary’s bedside was broken only by the slow, erratic beep of the heart monitor.

  Adam swallowed around the lump in his throat as he looked down at his sister’s battered body. “Mary,” he whispered, touching her hand.

  She opened her eyes and blinked, tears trickling down her swollen, bruised cheeks. “Adam?”