A smile eased across the sheriff’s weathered face as he handed her an envelope. “I know better than to say Dexter and Phil won’t ever run afoul of the law again, but at least they’ve been held accountable for some of the damage they’ve done,” he said cordially. “Seems their boss at the pet food factory told them they wouldn’t have jobs there any longer unless they repaid you and your neighbor, whose horse they shot. When I told him you Amish folks don’t believe in insurance to cover such losses, he decided to pay you forward, and he’ll withhold money from their paychecks until he’s been repaid. You’re to tell me if this check doesn’t cover your loss of income.”
Leah’s fingers shook as she pulled the check from the envelope. The total amount—the number of zeroes preceding the decimal point—made her suck in her breath. “But—but I’ve already been paid for the meat I had Abner Gingerich process and sell at his butcher shop,” she began hesitantly. “And he didn’t charge me for processing the meat we kept—”
“Don’t go selling yourself short,” Sheriff Banks said with a kind smile. “The way you Amish folks make the most of misfortune has always impressed me—but it doesn’t change the fact that you lost all but a few of the animals you raise for an income,” he reminded her. “I believe we’ve seen some justice done, and I know you’ll put Dexter and Phil’s repayment to good use.”
Leah stared mutely at the check. She’d always considered herself pretty capable of running her business, but the money she’d earned over the years by selling her eggs, goat’s milk, chickens, and cows paled in comparison to the lump sum she’d just received. It boggled her mind.
The lawman’s face creased with a friendly smile. “No doubt in my mind you folks will prosper and move ahead,” he said. “I have to tell you that I bought some of your veal and roasts at Abner’s shop, and the meat was fabulous—and nearly gone,” he added quickly. “Abner said a couple of specialty restaurants in Columbia and St. Louis are offering local grass-fed beef and veal on their menus and they can hardly keep it in supply. I suspect there’s a profit to be had for folks hereabouts who’re raising cattle without corn or hormones these days.”
After the sheriff left, Leah’s mind was spinning in fast, tight circles. She carefully stashed the check in her coffee can in the pantry, where she kept her egg money, until she could deposit it in the bank. She and Jude would discuss how best to use all that money—thousands of dollars they hadn’t anticipated. With a baby on the way, it would be good to acquire the furniture and supplies they’d need, but even after that, their bank account would have a substantial chunk of change in it.
Stevie gazed at her as she poured milk into glasses and took some cookies from the cookie jar. “Are we rich now, Mama?” he asked softly.
Leah sat down at the table beside him and pulled him close, savoring the feel of his solid, healthy body and the way he asked such astute questions. “Stevie, God has always provided our family with all we need,” she replied as she chose a peanut butter cookie. “We have our home and our health. We have food on our table, and we have one another. The check we got today can’t make us any richer in the ways that truly count, but jah, we now have a chance to expand our family’s income—and to share more with folks who aren’t as fortunate.”
Stevie considered her words as he gulped some milk. When he smiled at Leah, his milk mustache made her chuckle. “So we’re blessed,” he said softly.
Leah hugged him close. “You’ve got it exactly right, son.”
Chapter 26
“Mama, it’s so gut to have you here again,” Leah said as she preceded her mother up the stairs with her suitcase. “We have a lot to catch up on since you left a month ago.”
“Jah, we do,” Mama agreed. “I was glad you invited me here for Mother’s Day this weekend—and to celebrate Adeline’s and Alice’s being baptized into the church in a couple of weeks. I hope it’s all right that I brought some summer-weight navy blue fabric to make them new dresses for the occasion.”
Leah laughed. “I suspect you’ll notice an improvement in their attitude about Plain dresses, among other things.”
Mama glanced into the bedroom Leah and Jude shared before heading down the hall. “Mighty sorry that Betsy’s no longer with you,” she said as she sadly shook her head. “I hope her young mamm’s taking gut care of her.”
“I pray for her every single day.” Leah entered the guest room and tossed the heavy suitcase onto the double bed. “And I pray for you, too, Mama, out there on the farm by yourself. How are you getting along, really? When I call, you sound cheerful enough—and you tell me you’ve got more quilt orders than you can handle—but I wonder how you handle so much time alone.”
Mama hefted the suitcase she carried onto the bed beside the other one. As she went to the window to look out over the yard and the blooming flowers, Leah watched her closely. She detected an air of loneliness camouflaged by Mama’s stalwart smile . . . along with something else in her mother’s sparkling eyes she couldn’t define. Was it her imagination, or did Mama have a secret? Had a nice man been keeping her company perhaps, with the intention of marrying her?
“We’re never alone when we live in our Lord, Leah,” Mama replied softly. “Jah, the evenings and the long visiting Sundays without church drag on at times—but I didn’t come here to whine. I intend to enjoy every moment I’m here with you and Jude and your kids!”
Leah knew better than
