A Perfect Square Read Online Free PDF Page A

husband, not even two years ago. They’d had no children, but there had been the one miscarriage. She’d felt so alone, so deserted when Rick had died. Then she’d received the letter informing her Aunt Daisy had passed away. She hadn’t intended to move to Shipshewana. Deborah would say God had plans for her — perfect plans. All of that had led to Callie becoming the shop owner of Daisy’s Quilt Shop — and, yes, she could see how it had
all worked for the good
, as Deborah was fond to quote. This, though — this couldn’t be good.
    Jonas was ahead of them in his buggy. He’d pulled up beside Esther and the children. Callie jumped out of Trent’s truck before it came to a complete stop. Even from a distance, she could see the anxious expression on the face of Deborah’s husband.
    Jonas tossed the reins of the horse on a nearby bush, not looking where they landed. His face pale around his beard, he strode toward Esther and scooped up Joshua, who’d run toward him.
    “Callie, maybe you should give them some time.” Trent reached out for her arm. She heard his words, knew he might be right, but she could no more have stayed away than they could have held back the sunrise that morning if they’d all stood against the eastern horizon and pushed.
    Running toward the group, Max at her heels, Callie saw Jonas glance up and then south, around the curve of the pond, where Esther was pointing.
    Finally, finally Callie saw a splash of color from Deborah’s dark gray dress, then her white
kapp
, then the bit of her blondish-brown hair that had escaped from her
kapp.
    Finally she saw Deborah standing and talking to Officer Taylor and Reuben.
    Callie skidded to a stop so fast Max loped past her, then turned around and gave her a quizzical look.
    Trent caught up and placed a hand at the small of her back. “What is it?”
    Bending over, Callie pressed one hand to her side, rubbing at the stitch that had appeared. She hadn’t run that far, but perhaps she’d forgotten to breathe. Perhaps her fear had stolen her breath. Or perhaps she’d finally realized the value of friendship — on this bright fall morning, standing beside Reuben’s pond.
    In that moment Callie realized Deborah’s friendship was more dear to her than she would have guessed — Deborah’s and Esther’s and Melinda’s.
    She’d known it when they’d all faced danger before.
    And she knew it again now.
    Perhaps some lessons had to be learned anew each day.
    “Callie? What’s wrong?” Then Trent must have caught sight of Deborah and Taylor and Reuben, because he began rubbing her back in small circles. “She’s all right. Deep breaths. I believe you might be having a panic attack.”
    “I thought it was …” She waved toward the south end of the pond. “I thought the dead person …”
    “I know. I know what you thought.” Trent’s voice was calm, solid, ever the newspaper man, but under that she heard her friend — and maybe, possibly, something more. Where Trent was concerned, she still hadn’t decided. “Are you okay, gorgeous?”
    Pulling in a deep breath, Callie stood straighter, adjusted her long dress, and smiled — though it felt shaky and unnatural.
    “Yeah, I’m fine.”
    “Let’s go see Jonas then and find out what this is all about.” Then Trent raised his Nikon camera and clicked a shot.
    Deborah reached her family and
freinden
mere moments after she saw Callie and Trent arrive.
    “How are you?” Jonas asked, running his hand up and down her arm.
    “Are we free to go?” Esther looked worried, but steadier than before, holding on to Leah’s hand.
    “Tell me you were never in danger!” Callie cried, throwing her arms around Deborah’s neck.
    Joshua reached for Deborah too, pulling at her dress with his chubby hands and saying over and over, “
Mamm
,
Mamm
,
Mamm
,” in a sing-song voice. That he was completely unaware of what was going on brought her some measure of peace.
    Trent stood back, taking it all in