Read Online Huckleberry Summer by Jennifer Beckstrand - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jennifer Beckstrand
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you in jail long?”
“One night. A local reporter heard about it and wrote a story for the paper. The judge couldn’t very well sentence me to jail after the whole town called me a hero.”
“That was brave. Just thinking about sneaking onto someone’s property makes me feel like I am going to have a heart attack.”
“Jamal Drake contacted me after that. He works for an environmental group, and he thought it would be fly to have an Amish guy helping out.”
“Fly?”
“It means wonderful gute.”
“You shouldn’t have been arrested for that.”
“I only spent one night in jail, and all charges were dropped, but my bishop had words for me. Good Amish men do not get involved in other people’s business. He thought my behavior was not in keeping with Gelassenheit , or the yielding to a higher authority.”
“I would have been too frightened to do it, even if I’d seen the need.”
Aden gave her a half smile. “There are some things worth taking the risk for. You can be brave when it’s important enough.”
Could she? She didn’t know. She always felt so comfortable in her own little world. It was the way she had been raised, always encouraged to be content with where God had placed her.
The dog leveled Junior to the ground, and Junior gave him a squeeze. “The children adore Pilot,” Aden said. “I look at him and think, what’s not to love? ” His lips twitched into a teasing grin. “But you barely tolerate him. Is it because he ruined your cookies?”
Lily coughed as if a bee had flown down her throat. “I like him.”
“Don’t be so polite. You practically bathe in hand sanitizer after you touch him.”
Lily didn’t know what to say. A confession might send Aden running in the opposite direction. She slumped her shoulders. “Don’t hate me, but I don’t especially love dogs.”
“Are you afraid of them? I saw how shaken you were on that first day. I guess I just assumed you were angry.”
She stared at the ground. “I know. I’m a big chicken. Estee is always reminding me.”
Aden risked standing closer and laid a hand on her arm. It felt warm and strong. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Lots of people are afraid of dogs, especially Pilot. He’s kind of intimidating.”
“Kind of?”
“But I can work with that.” Aden’s eyes danced with excitement. “You just need to get to know Pilot. You won’t be so afraid anymore.”
Lily couldn’t match his enthusiasm. “I guess so.” If she truly wanted Aden to stay away from her, this would be the perfect time to tell him the whole truth. He’d run away as fast as he could if he knew she was responsible for the death of a dog.
Aden grinned sheepishly and took two steps back. “Sorry. Four feet.”
Lily felt a little silly at his strict adherence to Dat’s directions. She turned her face away and watched as the children found themselves in a pileup with the dog. “Where is Amanda?”
Aden looked to the children and then swept his gaze around the yard. “I don’t see her. Junior,” he called, “where’s Amanda?”
Junior and Rose stopped wrestling with the dog and stood up. “She was right here,” Junior said, sweeping his gaze around the yard.
Aden furrowed his brow. “Go check behind the barn. Rose, go around the other side of the house. And be careful. There are some thorny bushes over there.”
Aden and Lily called Amanda’s name and looked behind every tree and bush in the front yard. She had disappeared.
Junior came running from the barn at the same time that Rose came around the other side of the house. “She’s not over there,” Junior said. “And not inside the barn either.”
Rose shook her head. “I didn’t find her.”
Lily’s heart hammered inside her chest and panic rose like bile in her throat. “She was here two minutes ago. Where could she have gone?”
Aden took her by the shoulders. “It’s going to be okay. Take Uriah and the girls and go check the house.”
“She
“One night. A local reporter heard about it and wrote a story for the paper. The judge couldn’t very well sentence me to jail after the whole town called me a hero.”
“That was brave. Just thinking about sneaking onto someone’s property makes me feel like I am going to have a heart attack.”
“Jamal Drake contacted me after that. He works for an environmental group, and he thought it would be fly to have an Amish guy helping out.”
“Fly?”
“It means wonderful gute.”
“You shouldn’t have been arrested for that.”
“I only spent one night in jail, and all charges were dropped, but my bishop had words for me. Good Amish men do not get involved in other people’s business. He thought my behavior was not in keeping with Gelassenheit , or the yielding to a higher authority.”
“I would have been too frightened to do it, even if I’d seen the need.”
Aden gave her a half smile. “There are some things worth taking the risk for. You can be brave when it’s important enough.”
Could she? She didn’t know. She always felt so comfortable in her own little world. It was the way she had been raised, always encouraged to be content with where God had placed her.
The dog leveled Junior to the ground, and Junior gave him a squeeze. “The children adore Pilot,” Aden said. “I look at him and think, what’s not to love? ” His lips twitched into a teasing grin. “But you barely tolerate him. Is it because he ruined your cookies?”
Lily coughed as if a bee had flown down her throat. “I like him.”
“Don’t be so polite. You practically bathe in hand sanitizer after you touch him.”
Lily didn’t know what to say. A confession might send Aden running in the opposite direction. She slumped her shoulders. “Don’t hate me, but I don’t especially love dogs.”
“Are you afraid of them? I saw how shaken you were on that first day. I guess I just assumed you were angry.”
She stared at the ground. “I know. I’m a big chicken. Estee is always reminding me.”
Aden risked standing closer and laid a hand on her arm. It felt warm and strong. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Lots of people are afraid of dogs, especially Pilot. He’s kind of intimidating.”
“Kind of?”
“But I can work with that.” Aden’s eyes danced with excitement. “You just need to get to know Pilot. You won’t be so afraid anymore.”
Lily couldn’t match his enthusiasm. “I guess so.” If she truly wanted Aden to stay away from her, this would be the perfect time to tell him the whole truth. He’d run away as fast as he could if he knew she was responsible for the death of a dog.
Aden grinned sheepishly and took two steps back. “Sorry. Four feet.”
Lily felt a little silly at his strict adherence to Dat’s directions. She turned her face away and watched as the children found themselves in a pileup with the dog. “Where is Amanda?”
Aden looked to the children and then swept his gaze around the yard. “I don’t see her. Junior,” he called, “where’s Amanda?”
Junior and Rose stopped wrestling with the dog and stood up. “She was right here,” Junior said, sweeping his gaze around the yard.
Aden furrowed his brow. “Go check behind the barn. Rose, go around the other side of the house. And be careful. There are some thorny bushes over there.”
Aden and Lily called Amanda’s name and looked behind every tree and bush in the front yard. She had disappeared.
Junior came running from the barn at the same time that Rose came around the other side of the house. “She’s not over there,” Junior said. “And not inside the barn either.”
Rose shook her head. “I didn’t find her.”
Lily’s heart hammered inside her chest and panic rose like bile in her throat. “She was here two minutes ago. Where could she have gone?”
Aden took her by the shoulders. “It’s going to be okay. Take Uriah and the girls and go check the house.”
“She
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