Beatrice clipped on Heath’s leash and held it out. “Please? Otherwise I’ll have to go outside dressed like this.”
Heath sat at her side until she transferred the leash to my hand. In a burst of energy, he bounded from the porch, pulling me off my feet.
“Heath!” Beatrice stepped out onto the porch. “You behave, you naughty dog.”
I knelt and then struggled to my feet as Heath continued tugging. I had the oddest notion he was beckoning me to follow him. Now I wished Mark hadn’t left, even if he chided me. Or Stephen. And Jake was long gone. Jake had shown me he didn’t really love me. I needed to accept the truth.
I allowed Heath to lead me to the café. He whimpered. “No dogs allowed inside,” I told him as I tied the leash to a post by the door. I slid in the key, unlocked the door, and cracked it.
An arm wearing a wool shirt slid around my neck, cutting off my air supply. I struggled as a man walked me inside and closed the door behind us. As he exhaled, the warm, foul odor of alcohol made me gag.
He loosened his grip enough for me to see grubby Englisch clothes. “Ralph?” I gasped for air and coughed.
“Yeah. It’s me, honey.”
“How did you get away from the fire?” My voice was raspy.
“A window in the loft in the nick of time, not that you really care.” He loosened his choke hold, but I was still his captive. No one would hear me scream if I could even get the sound out.
As my heart beat triple time, I admonished myself to remain calm. “I’m glad you’re okay. Really, I am.”
“Oh, yeah? Then let’s you and me have a little fun.” His grin exposed crooked yellow teeth. “How’s about a little smooch?”
“Nee, I can’t.” I recoiled as he turned me toward him. He pulled off my kapp and tossed it to the floor.
“Too good for me? I hate you Amish. Always think you’re too good for the rest of us. When I was young, I had the biggest crush on an Amish girl…” His words were garbled. “She wouldn’t even give me a second look, like I was beneath her. You’re all like that.”
Outside, Heath barked, a muffled sound as if he were in a fish tank, confirming that no one would hear our voices. I prayed in my head to the Lord to save me.
The door blew open, and Heath barged in, followed by Jake.
His hackles raised, the dog growled and bared his teeth.
Jake stopped dead in his tracks. “Hey, Ralph. You’re okay.” Jake seemed to be containing seething anger.
“No thanks to you.” Ralph’s words were slurred. Heath rushed forward, menacing Ralph.
“Get that mutt away from me.” Ralph reached out, grabbed a butcher knife off the counter, and held the blade to my neck. “Jake, control that animal or your girlfriend is dead meat.” The words bulleted into my brain, exploding. I wondered if I’d be in the newspaper again—in the obituaries. I thought of my parents.
Heath rushed over and bit Ralph’s ankle. Ralph yowled, his knife-wielding arm swinging out. “Get that dog away from me!”
Jake sprinted over and yanked me out of Ralph’s hold.
With agility, Jake kicked the knife out of Ralph’s hand and allowed Heath to corner the man while he called 9-1-1.
“I’m going to tell the police you lit the barn on fire,” Ralph said in slurred words. “I’ll tell them what really happened. How I barely got out with my life when you trapped me up in the loft.”
“You’re drunk.” Jake pulled out a chair. “Sit down and shut up.”
Ralph thudded onto the chair and bent at the waist until his head rested on his hands.
Jake turned to me. “Are you okay, Evie?”
“Just shaken up.” My legs trembled.
Hackles raised, the dog kept his gaze latched onto Ralph.
“Evie, sorry about the way I acted,” Jake said. “Like a jerk.”
“I’m glad you came back.” I was still trembling. “Denki.”
By the time two officers arrived, Ralph had sobered up enough to give them an earful about how Jake and I had burned down the barn across the road and how we’d attempted to kill him just now. “Tried to slash me with a knife.” He pointed toward Heath. “Sicced that dog on me.”
Jake crossed his arms and shook his head. “No way.”
I stepped forward. “I’m the manager of the café. Ralph grabbed me when I opened the door, and then he held a knife to my neck. The fire chief will want to question him about that barn fire.”
“They tried to burn me alive” were Ralph’s last words as an officer escorted him to his squad car.
I took Heath’s leash from Jake. Heath knew I belonged here, and I trusted him. I wished I possessed complete trust in Jake.
THIRTY-EIGHT
The next morning the rumble of diesel engines woke me. My clock by the bed declared it was six o’clock. I arose and peeked out the window to see clear skies. The sunrise was turning the world golden. Soon its glorious warmth would dry the mud left over from the fire hoses.
I hoped last night’s ghastly scene at the nursery would evaporate from my thoughts. My muddled mind flipped through the events as if reading a book. Jake leaving me in the parking lot, Mark’s negative remarks, meeting up with Ralph—who wanted to kiss me of all disgusting things. Then he threatened to kill me. I abhorred violence, but I could have been a victim of his drunken wrath.
Jake had returned and saved me. Or would Ralph have eventually stumbled out the back door with Heath nipping his heels? My mind was muddled.
I wasn’t ready to see Jake yet. I imagined the many activities I’d missed as I’d waited for
