Page 69 of Unforgiven

Tabitha grabbed the card with one hand and Melonie’s hand with her other. After pulling her inside, she slammed the door and clicked the deadbolt. “I’m sorry, but you can’t leave just yet.”

“Why not?”

“It’s not safe. I need to call Sheriff Johnson.”

Melonie whispered, “You’re serious, aren’t you? You really think there’s something wrong with these flowers.”

“I think whoever dropped them off is nearby watching.”

A chill went through Melonie. Maybe she should have listened to her brother and not gotten involved.

It was too late now.

24

Her house was in chaos. Both Sheriff Johnson and Deputy Ernst arrived within an hour after Tabitha had called the sheriff’s department. Soon after, the deputy had called Seth so he could pick up his sister, as well as Tabitha’s sister so Tabitha wouldn’t be alone.

Seth, Mary, Roy, and all four boys arrived at the same time. Thankfully Tabitha had not witnessed their meeting because she’d tucked herself in the kitchen to prepare drinks for Melonie and the police officers. When the front door opened and all seven of the newcomers greeted Melonie in the living room, the conversation confirmed that the first few minutes of the meeting had been tense.

Now Tabitha was surrounded by her nephews, Seth and Roy were outside speaking with the sheriff and his deputy, and Melonie and Mary were discussing Tabitha’s baskets. Chance, after greeting everyone, was asleep on the floor in front of the fireplace.

Tabitha supposed that to an outsider, it looked a bit like a party.

The reality was anything but that. When the sheriff and deputy had first arrived, they’d bagged the flowers and card as evidence. Then they’d spent quite a bit of time outside taking pictures and looking for evidence of footprints. She was pretty sure they hadn’t found a thing.

Melonie had been nervous and withdrawn until Seth arrived. After he’d spoken with her quietly for a few minutes, she seemed to ease. Then, to Tabitha’s surprise, Melonie refused her brother’s offer to see her home. She wanted to stay and offer support. Seth and Roy, despite their tense meeting, were now all business as they asked Sheriff Johnson and Deputy Ernst questions.

As the minutes passed, Tabitha felt a bit like a pinball. She answered the sheriff’s questions, consoled Melonie, reassured Seth that she was all right, and avoided Mary and Roy’s questioning and pointed stares as much as she could. If all of that wasn’t enough, her four nephews ran around in the midst of everything.

None of it was easy.

Finally, when it seemed no one was going to leave and the boys were growing restless, Tabitha pulled out a mixing bowl and some flour and sugar. She needed to do something, even if it was baking cookies in an attempt to prevent the boys from getting in the men’s way.

“What kind of cookies are we having, Aunt Tabby?” Petey asked.

“Oatmeal.”

“Oatmeal with chocolate chips?” he asked hopefully.

“Nee, child. They’re plain oatmeal.”

He frowned as he studied the contents of the mixing bowl. “Maybe you could add some peanut butter?”

She had to chuckle. No matter what his age or what the activity, her youngest nephew liked to push the boundaries a bit. “Perhaps another time, jah? Today it’s just plain oatmeal cookies.”

He gazed at her with big brown eyes. “What about butterscotch chips?”

“Stop pestering Aunt Tabby, Petey,” Anson said. “You’re being a nuisance.”

Petey wrinkled his nose. “Is that bad?”

“Jah.”

Tabitha couldn’t deny that Petey did need to stop pushing her for the moon and the stars, but she was glad that she didn’t need to be the one to chastise him. She was putty where all her nephews were concerned. “Anson, get out a cookie sheet, please. It’s in the cabinet next to the refrigerator.”

The eleven-year-old retrieved it without a problem. “Here you go.”

“Danke.”

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