Read Online Simple Deceit (The Harmony Series 2) by Nancy Mehl - Free Book Online Page A

away from Eric and his unpleasant luncheon companion that I was confident we couldn’t be overheard.
    “I agree he’s not a very nice person,” Sam said. “I have no idea why he acts that way, but he’s been contrary from the first day he arrived. I think someone in his family left him some land, and he felt he had to move his family here. He’s not a farmer, even though he makes a halfhearted attempt to grow wheat. Almost every year some of the other farmers have to help him harvest it. Rand always has some kind of injury, you know. Something that keeps him from doing his own work.”
    “Why do people help him if they know he’s just lazy?”
    “Because he has a wife and daughter. You know how people are around here, always looking out for each other. His wife and daughter go through enough just living with the man. No one wants to see them go hungry.”
    The front door of the restaurant slammed shut loudly, and I turned to see Sheriff Pat Taylor saunter into the room. His gaze swung around until it rested on me. My stomach knotted. He watched me for several seconds. Then he ambled over to an empty table and sat down.
    “Sheriff Taylor is here,” I whispered to Sam. He started to turn his head to look. “Don’t look,” I hissed. “I don’t want him to think I care one way or the other.”
    “No, we wouldn’t want him to think he has any effect on you.” Sam’s exaggerated tone made me feel a little silly.
    “He has every right to be here, I know that. It’s just that…I don’t know…I feel like I’m under surveillance.”
    Sam raised his right eyebrow. “So you think the sheriff of Morris County drove all the way to Harmony for lunch because he’s interested in
you
?”
    I started to say something when Sam shook his head. “I will admit it’s a little strange. He hasn’t been around here for months. Now suddenly he stops you on the highway then shows up in town the next day.”
    “Well, now I
am
worried. I thought you were going to tell me I’m imagining things.”
    “I’d love to, but to be honest, that guy makes me nervous. There’s something…not right about him.”
    Before I could respond, a woman’s voice rang out, interrupting our conversation.
    “Well, there you are!” I looked up to see Mary Whittenbauer standing next to our booth, holding two glasses of water. “I’vebeen wondering when you’d stop in.” Her wide smile quelled any fear that there was still some animosity between us.
    Mary had once considered herself to be engaged to Sam, even though Sam wasn’t certain just how their “engagement” happened. Her negative reaction to me when I first came to Harmony only deepened as Sam and I became closer. However, a few months ago, Sam and Mary had finally talked honestly to each other. It had become clear to both of them that their relationship had no future. From that point on, Mary and I had started to mend our broken fences. The letter she sent to me in Wichita expressed her heartfelt desire to be friends. Although I’d forged a relationship with Sarah Ketterling, I really wanted a friend who was a little more like me. Someone I could talk to about everything. There were things I hesitated to bring up to Sarah because of her Old Order lifestyle.
    “Got in last night,” I said, smiling back at her. “A little later than I’d planned.”
    “I’m so glad you’re back.” Mary’s sweet, heart-shaped face lit up. “I know just how to celebrate. Lunch is on me. Anything on the menu. The both of you.”
    Sam and I thanked her profusely and placed our order.
    “Boy,” Sam said after she left, “she sure has done a one-eighty.” He sighed with relief. “Must be God.”
    “She’s probably come to her senses and figured out she missed a bullet when she dumped you.”
    Sam raised an eyebrow. “Dumped me? She didn’t dump me; I—”
    “Save it, Romeo.” I grinned at him. “Men and their egos.”
    He chuckled while I glanced toward the sheriff. Although he