Read Online A Perfect Square by Vannetta Chapman - Free Book Online
Authors: Vannetta Chapman
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differently.
Regardless, Andrew Gavin didn’t seem to fit completely into the
Englisch
side of things. In fact, in a lot of ways, Gavin reminded Reuben of a younger version of himself. In other words, he was built like a bull: solid. Some folks would say stocky, but he was really six feet of muscle.
The fact that he’d served in the
Englisch
military would have normally put a wedge between any friendship, but he was impossible not to like. Quiet and unobtrusive, Gavin had always been respectful of their plain ways. He was also a good customer for Reuben’s burgeoning woodwork business. Over the last year they’d moved from being acquaintances to something more — something that included a deep respect for each other’s work.
“Is there a reason you’re in here … right now?” Shane glanced at his watch. “We were in the middle of something.”
“Right. The Captain asked that I tell you they’re ready to move the body to the morgue.”
“Got it.”
Gavin turned to go, then stopped as if he’d forgotten something. When he turned back toward them, Reuben wanted to shout out, to stop him, but he didn’t know how without pulling the entire barn down on top of them all.
“By the way, Reuben, I wanted to say I’m sorry for your loss.”
Reuben nodded once in thanks, hoping Gavin would move on to his work. He nearly did too. He was practically out the door, when Shane called him back.
“What did you mean by that?”
“By what?”
“That you were sorry for Reuben’s loss.”
Gavin looked from Shane to Reuben and back again. “Only that she was his friend and now she’s dead. I wanted to offer my condolences.”
Silence filled the barn as Shane let Gavin’s words sink into the night. Reuben still hadn’t moved, his muscles growing rigid fromstanding there in one spot for so long, from anticipating what would happen next.
“I’m curious. Why would you say the deceased was his friend?”
Once again Gavin glanced from Reuben to Shane. This time his military training took over though. He clasped his hands behind his back, posture perfect, and limited his response to the bare facts. “Because when I was here last Saturday, I saw them coming out of the main house together.”
Chapter 8
S AMUEL COULD ACTUALLY SEE better once darkness fell.
The
Englischers
had set up large lights around the pond, mounted on poles and the tops of their vehicles. Harsh and unnatural, they cast everything in a ghoulish brightness. Giant shadows leapt across the water as the
Englischers
moved west to east, working the net — throwing it into the water, allowing it to sink, then dragging it toward the other end. It wasn’t a fishing net, that much was certain. He wondered what they hoped to find in the deep water among the fish and turtles of the pond, which was surrounded by the wildflowers Katie had found so lovely.
Katie’s body remained in the ambulance.
He’d watched them place it into a dark bag, zip the bag closed, then place it on a wheeled stretcher.
As if they could take her in the ambulance to their hospital and make her well.
As if they could fix all that had gone wrong.
As if they could turn the clock back …
“It seems real, now that we have the official papers.” Katie clutched the envelope with their legal papers allowing them to marry in her hands, scooted closer to him in the open air buggy.
“It is real.” Samuel hunched over the reins as he drove the buggy slowly away from town, back toward her father’s farm.
“Can you believe it though? Less than a week and we’ll be man and wife. It’s what I’ve dreamed of for a long time, Samuel. Since the first day you came to work for my dat.”
Samuel did smile then, there was no helping it. “You’re telling me you knew over a year ago that we would fall in lieb?”
“I didn’t know for certain, but I knew that you were a gut man. I could tell by the way you shook hands and the way you set to work. A woman notices these things.
Regardless, Andrew Gavin didn’t seem to fit completely into the
Englisch
side of things. In fact, in a lot of ways, Gavin reminded Reuben of a younger version of himself. In other words, he was built like a bull: solid. Some folks would say stocky, but he was really six feet of muscle.
The fact that he’d served in the
Englisch
military would have normally put a wedge between any friendship, but he was impossible not to like. Quiet and unobtrusive, Gavin had always been respectful of their plain ways. He was also a good customer for Reuben’s burgeoning woodwork business. Over the last year they’d moved from being acquaintances to something more — something that included a deep respect for each other’s work.
“Is there a reason you’re in here … right now?” Shane glanced at his watch. “We were in the middle of something.”
“Right. The Captain asked that I tell you they’re ready to move the body to the morgue.”
“Got it.”
Gavin turned to go, then stopped as if he’d forgotten something. When he turned back toward them, Reuben wanted to shout out, to stop him, but he didn’t know how without pulling the entire barn down on top of them all.
“By the way, Reuben, I wanted to say I’m sorry for your loss.”
Reuben nodded once in thanks, hoping Gavin would move on to his work. He nearly did too. He was practically out the door, when Shane called him back.
“What did you mean by that?”
“By what?”
“That you were sorry for Reuben’s loss.”
Gavin looked from Shane to Reuben and back again. “Only that she was his friend and now she’s dead. I wanted to offer my condolences.”
Silence filled the barn as Shane let Gavin’s words sink into the night. Reuben still hadn’t moved, his muscles growing rigid fromstanding there in one spot for so long, from anticipating what would happen next.
“I’m curious. Why would you say the deceased was his friend?”
Once again Gavin glanced from Reuben to Shane. This time his military training took over though. He clasped his hands behind his back, posture perfect, and limited his response to the bare facts. “Because when I was here last Saturday, I saw them coming out of the main house together.”
Chapter 8
S AMUEL COULD ACTUALLY SEE better once darkness fell.
The
Englischers
had set up large lights around the pond, mounted on poles and the tops of their vehicles. Harsh and unnatural, they cast everything in a ghoulish brightness. Giant shadows leapt across the water as the
Englischers
moved west to east, working the net — throwing it into the water, allowing it to sink, then dragging it toward the other end. It wasn’t a fishing net, that much was certain. He wondered what they hoped to find in the deep water among the fish and turtles of the pond, which was surrounded by the wildflowers Katie had found so lovely.
Katie’s body remained in the ambulance.
He’d watched them place it into a dark bag, zip the bag closed, then place it on a wheeled stretcher.
As if they could take her in the ambulance to their hospital and make her well.
As if they could fix all that had gone wrong.
As if they could turn the clock back …
“It seems real, now that we have the official papers.” Katie clutched the envelope with their legal papers allowing them to marry in her hands, scooted closer to him in the open air buggy.
“It is real.” Samuel hunched over the reins as he drove the buggy slowly away from town, back toward her father’s farm.
“Can you believe it though? Less than a week and we’ll be man and wife. It’s what I’ve dreamed of for a long time, Samuel. Since the first day you came to work for my dat.”
Samuel did smile then, there was no helping it. “You’re telling me you knew over a year ago that we would fall in lieb?”
“I didn’t know for certain, but I knew that you were a gut man. I could tell by the way you shook hands and the way you set to work. A woman notices these things.
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