Simple Secrets (The Harmony Series 1) by Nancy Mehl Read Free Book Online Page B

comforting verses in Psalm 91 until the noises outside ceased, and I fell asleep.

     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter Five
    A loud knock on the door roused me. Was I late for work? Would Grant be mad? I opened my eyes and looked around. Where was I? This wasn’t my apartment. I was in Harmony, and there was a body buried on my property.
    The knock came again. I got up and shuffled to the front door. When my hand touched the knob, I remembered that someone or some thing had been outside last night. Daylight streamed in through the windows, so I felt safer, but still ... I yearned for my door in Wichita. There was a peephole where I could see who stood outside, waiting to come in. I’d just stepped over to the front window, hoping I could get a look at my visitor, when a face popped up right in front of me. I shrieked involuntarily before I realized it was Sam, looking as surprised as I felt. Trying to pat my hair into place, I cracked open the door.
    “Do you scream at everyone who stops by?” His eyes were still wide with alarm.
    “No, just you.” I swung the door open so he could come in.
    “Is that what you’re wearing to breakfast?” He stared at my rumpled clothes.
    “Oh. Breakfast. I forgot.” I pointed toward the living room. “I’m sorry. Come in. It will only take me a few minutes to get ready.”
    Sam entered the living room and walked straight to Benjamin’s letter, still lying on the floor. “Did you drop something?”
    I reached over and grabbed it out of his hand before he had a chance to look at it. “Yes, sorry. Please have a seat. I don’t have any coffee. I—I just...”
    “Woke up?” He offered me an uneven smile. “I couldn’t tell.”
    “Funny.”
    He glanced at the letter in my hand and then looked at me strangely. I’d planned to put it back inside the Bible, but that was out now. I’d have to take it upstairs with me.
    “I had a rough night. Something outside. Guess I’m not used to living this way—so far from other people.”
    He chuckled and plopped down in the rocking chair. “I understand. It definitely takes some adjustment.”
    “Actually, it was rather frightening. And I had no way to contact anyone.”
    “I’m sorry,” he said, the smile slipping from his face. “It’s important to have a way to get help if you need it. We’ll work out something.” He pointed toward the roof. “Most of the time, squirrels only feed during the day, but Ben mentioned that he heard something at night sometimes. Could even be raccoons or possums. That’s probably the noise that frightened you.”
    I frowned at him. Great. Nocturnal squirrels or something even bigger. His explanation might explain the scratching noises, but it certainly didn’t cover the odd thumping. Unless these were the biggest critters in the world.
    “Excuse me while I get ready.”
    “Sure. Is it okay if I wait inside? It’s a little nippy out there this morning.”
    I nodded, clutched the letter to my chest, and hurried away, somewhat charmed by the idea that he’d actually asked if he could stay inside the house while I changed my clothes.
    First I stopped by the bathroom to brush my hair and fix my makeup. Then I ran up the stairs to Mama and Papa’s room where I’d stored my clothes. I changed out of my wrinkled jeans and T-shirt and pulled on a clean pair of jeans and a dark green sweater that complimented my coloring.
    I stuck the letter from Benjamin in the top drawer of the dresser, underneath my socks. It would stay there until I could figure out a safer place for it. I had no idea what I was going to do with the information my uncle had passed on to me, but for now, I didn’t want it falling into the wrong hands.
    In the soft sunlight of a new day, the letter seemed like a bad dream. I wanted to read it again, just to make sure I’d understood it, but first I needed to seek God’s council. Before I went downstairs, I prayed, “Father, I’m asking You to show me the way. Give me