A Christmas Mourning by Laura Bradford

Author:Laura Bradford
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mystery, forgiveness, memories, family, christmas, memory, amish, shunning
Publisher: Beyond the Page Publishing

• • •

There was no denying the heaviness in her feet as Claire stepped back onto the main road. If she headed west, she might be able to make things right for Jakob, but at what cost? Ben had been through enough the last few months, hadn’t he?

The approaching clip-clop of a horse broke through her thoughts and she looked up to find Benjamin Miller smiling at her from his buggy seat. “Did you have a nice visit with Fannie Lapp?”

“How did you know I . . .” Her words petered off as she took in the mailbox little more than three feet away. “I did. She was very nice.”

“Does she remember the Christmas spoon?”

Aware of the slight tremble in her hands, she shoved them into the front pockets of her slacks and stared down at the gravel road beneath her feet.

“Claire?”

More than anything, she wanted to find the Christmas spoon, hand it to Jakob, and know that the guilt he carried because of it was gone once and for all. But if her hunch proved right, the end to Jakob’s pain would mean a resurgence of Ben’s.

“Claire?”

The sound of her name brought her gaze back to his. “She remembers.”

“Then that should be a reason to smile, yah?”

She tried. She really did. But when she’d set out to help Jakob, she hadn’t intended to hurt Ben in the process. The thought that she might do that made it impossible to smile with any sincerity. “Fannie does not know for certain what happened to the Christmas spoon. Nor do I. It is only my guess.”

He studied her closely for a few silent moments before motioning her to join him on the buggy seat. “You can tell me of your guess while I bring you home.”

“No, it’s okay. I can walk. It’s how I got here.”

“Soon the sun will go down. It is best if I drive you.” Again, he patted the seat. “It will not take long.”

Slowly, she stepped up and onto the buggy seat beside Ben. When he was sure she was settled, he whispered something in Pennsylvania Dutch to his horse and turned the buggy in the required easterly direction. When they were officially on their way, he returned them to the topic at hand. “Tell me of your guess.”

“It is silly, really.” She pointed to a calf off to their right and forced a lightness into her voice she didn’t feel. “That baby cow sure is cute, isn’t he?”

“It is a she, Claire.”

“Okay, yeah, I guess that makes sense on a dairy farm.” She heard the hollowness of her laugh and hurried to cover it with idle chitchat. “But what happens to the male calves? Are they sold to non-dairy farms?”

The buggy noticeably slowed in the wake of yet another unrecognizable command from Ben. “Why do you ask of cows when I have asked for your guess?”

Touché.

Ben was perceptive. It was one of the reasons she valued his friendship so much. But at that moment, she couldn’t help but wish he was a little less so .

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