The Search by Shelley Shepard Gray Read Free Book Online Page A

exclaimed as she scurried to Deborah’s side and came to her rescue. With a gentle tug, the lady maneuvered the pups off and helped her to her feet. “All you all right, dear?”
    Deborah was not. Her kapp and bonnet were skewed to one side, her pink dress and black apron were covered in dog fur, and one of her black stockings now had a quarter-sized hole at the knee.
    But she pretended none of that mattered. “ Jah . I am fine. Never better.” She smiled wanly. “Those puppies are sure frisky.”
    â€œIndeed.” Still trying to corral the exuberant monster pups, Mrs. Schrock looked her over with a worried expression. “You’re not hurt? Are you sure?”
    â€œI am fine, Mrs. Schrock. Truly, I like dogs. They just caught me off guard, that’s all. They are adorable puppies.” More like overgrown horses, but still . . . their sweet brown eyes, pink tongues, and happy antics were terribly cute.
    Mrs. Schrock chuckled as two of the puppies lay down, exhausted. “They don’t usually greet newcomers quite so enthusiastically. They must like you.”
    â€œLucky me.”
    Mrs. Schrock’s eyes twinkled merrily. “Yes, indeed.” Raising her voice, she opened the door to the storeroom and called out, “Walker? Where are you? I need your help, dear.”
    â€œWalker left, Mamm,” a familiar voice replied, sending the last tiny bit of Deborah’s composure out the window. “It’s just me here.”
    Her arms full of puppy, Mrs. Schrock frowned. “I didn’t see Walker leave.”
    â€œDaed sent him to go help with a delivery—I thought you knew?” Jacob called back.
    Listening to the conversation, Deborah’s spirits sank. Oh, but this visit to Schrock’s had just gone from bad to worse.
    Jacob Schrock was back in town.

Chapter 5
    â€œPerry loved animals, for sure. He cried for days when his beagle died. It was a blessing we had a new puppy for him.”
    G LORIA S CHROCK
    D eborah fought to keep her expression neutral. But it wasn’t easy, because all she really wanted to do was leave the store and never return.
    Ignoring Deborah, Mrs. Schrock shifted the puppy in her arms. “Well, what are you doing, son? Haven’t you been hearing the commotion out here?”
    â€œWhat do ya think I’m doing?” Through the open doorway, Jacob’s voice held more than a touch of impatience. “I’m trying to fix this pen so the dogs stop escaping.”
    â€œIt shouldn’t be too difficult. Your father put it together last night.”
    â€œDaed put it together wrong. That’s why the pups were running loose all night.”
    Mrs. Schrock glanced at the entrance to the storage room and winced. To Deborah, she whispered, “It was quite a mess back there this morning.”
    â€œAh,” Deborah said.
    Raising her voice, Mrs. Schrock said, “I don’t know what your daed could’ve done wrong, Jacob.”
    â€œThere’s no telling. Daed can hardly put a shoebox together, let alone a wire pen.”
    â€œNow, Jacob, that’s not very charitable.”
    â€œYou know I’m right.”
    Deborah couldn’t help but smile at the interplay. It was so familiar. Well, how her family would have been if Perry hadn’t . . . if everything hadn’t fallen apart like it did.
    As if she had suddenly remembered Deborah, Mrs. Schrock cleared her throat. “Jacob, I need your help right now. These puppies are running amuck. We can’t go on like this much longer.”
    â€œMamm, stop. I can’t round up puppies and fix the cage at the same time.”
    Deborah gasped at his tone.
    Mrs. Schrock, too, looked a bit disgruntled by his remark. However, she must have been used to it, because after a moment’s pause, she glanced Deborah’s way. “Do you have a problem with the puppies, dear?”
    Deborah shook her head.
    â€œ Gut.