Page 27 of The Pretender (Mifflin County Mysteries #3)
B Y THE END OF J ANUARY , winter had definitely settled within the hills and valley of Mifflin County.
Heavy snow had fallen last week and continued with each passing day.
Anthony was glad to be over the chicken pox, but unfortunately, his car was still in the shop, awaiting that part the mechanic kept saying he hadn’t been able to get.
Anthony was beginning to wonder if the guy had even tried to secure the part.
Surely it couldn’t have taken this long to get his car up and running again.
“Even if I did have my car back,” Anthony muttered as he tromped through the snow on his way out to the barn, “it would be hard to get home in this nasty weather—especially without snow tires, which I will probably need to buy once the car is finally repaired.” Anthony figured he could probably catch a bus home or even hire a driver, the way the Amish did when traveling any distance where they couldn’t take their horse and buggies.
But if he did that, once his car was ready, he’d have to find someone to give him a ride back to pick it up.
On top of that, it would involve seeing Rosa and her family again, which could lead to a discussion he didn’t want to have about the divorce Rosa’s parents would have been led to believe must have occurred.
“Everything’s such a big mess!” Anthony kicked a clump of snow off his waterproof boot that he’d gone to the Amish shoe shop to purchase when the weather had turned bad.
I have to wonder if I’m destined to remain here for the rest of my life.
Sure seems funny that I haven’t been able to carry through with the plans Rosa and I made before coming here.
If I were a betting man, I’d probably believe that the deck has been stacked against me.
When Anthony approached the woodshed near the barn, he was stunned to see that the entire roof of the small wooden building had caved in.
No doubt from the heavy snow that has fallen, he concluded.
I wonder if Rosa’s dad knows about this.
If so, I’m surprised he didn’t mention it before leaving for work this morning.
I’m sure he will want the roof replaced as soon as possible.
Otherwise, all the nice firewood that’s been stacked inside the building will get wet and laden down with snow.
He heaved a sigh and kicked at a chunk of ice this time.
Guess I’d better start working on this project as soon as I get the chores done in the barn that I promised Mahlon I would do this morning.
Anthony looked up at the cloudy sky, which he hoped wouldn’t bring more snow today.
With any luck, and a break in the weather, he might have the roof repaired by the end of the day.
Of course, he’d have to find the right roofing materials and tools for the project first. And that could take some doing.
Being careful of his footing lest he fall, Anthony made his way to the barn, shivering with each step he took.
I’m not cut out for this kind of life. I’m a cook, not a carpenter, and I wish I was inside right now, whipping up something good to eat instead of out here in the cold with chattering teeth and frozen fingers and toes.
“Are you feeling all right, dear one?” Elsie asked when she entered the living room and found Rosa lying on the couch with her head propped on a pillow.
“I’m okay, Mom. Just dealing with some nausea again and feeling a bit stressed out.”
“Because of the stomach upset?”
“Partially, but a lot of other things are bothering me too.”
Elsie took a seat on the opposite end of the couch and began rubbing Rosa’s bare feet. “Care to talk about it?”
“There really isn’t much to say, Mom.” Rosa put her hand to her mouth and yawned.
“Something must be upsetting you or you wouldn’t be stressed.”
“Yeah, that’s true.”
Elsie didn’t want to push too hard, but she felt the need to encourage Rosa to talk about whatever was on her mind. She knew from experience that it always felt better to discuss one’s feelings or share a problem with someone else.
Elsie sat quietly for a few minutes, wondering if Rosa might say more and hoping she would. It wasn’t good to keep things bottled up inside. But at the same time, she didn’t want to pry. To her surprise, Rosa finally sat up and spoke again.
“Anthony and I are dealing with some issues, Mom.”
“Like what?”
“For one thing, he’s not happy living here.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Has anyone in the family said or done something to offend Anthony or hurt his feelings?”
“No, it’s nothing like that.”
“Maybe it’s because he doesn’t have a job,” Elsie suggested.
Rosa shook her head. “No, that’s not it either.”
“What is the problem, then, Rosa?”
“It’s kind of hard to explain.”
“Is he not happy about the baby? Does Anthony think he won’t be able to support you and the child?
” Elsie moved closer to her daughter and lifted Rosa’s legs so that her feet were in Elsie’s lap.
“If that is the problem, then maybe your daed can find something for Anthony to do at the Meat and Cheese Store.”
“I can’t imagine what there would be for Anthony to do at Dad’s place of business,” Rosa said. “Anthony’s a cook, not a salesperson or a bookkeeper. Besides, Norman and Susan are already working at the store with Dad, and I doubt that he’d need another employee for any position.”
Elsie bobbed her head. “Guess you’re right. Well, maybe one of the restaurants in Belleville or one of the surrounding towns might be in need of a cook. It would be worth Anthony checking into, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know—maybe.” Rosa rolled her neck from side to side, and then she pulled herself up and rose from the couch.
“I’m really not up to this discussion right now, Mom.
Think I’ll go upstairs to my room and lie down for a while.
Give me a holler when you’re ready to start lunch, and I’ll come down to help you fix the meal. ”
“Okay.” Elsie watched as Rosa ambled out of the room.
The poor thing looked beyond tired, and if she and Anthony were having marital problems, that was no doubt taking its toll on her too.
Perhaps what the couple needed was some marriage counseling—if not from Mahlon, then maybe one of the other ministers in their church district.
Mahlon had make it clear that he didn’t care much for Anthony, and his relationship with Rosa wasn’t as good as it should be either.
So it might not be in the couple’s best interest if he was the one to counsel them.
For now, though, Elsie determined that she would speak to Anthony when he came inside and see if she could find out what the problem was between him and Rosa.
If it was a simple matter, Elsie thought she might be able to help them work through it.
Otherwise, she would see about talking with one of the ministers on behalf of her daughter and son-in-law.
It was the least a concerned mother-in-law could do.
Rosa lay on her back, pressed against her mattress, while staring at the ceiling overhead.
She couldn’t believe all the questions her mother had asked, and worse yet, she’d almost blurted out the fact that she and Anthony were not married.
Truth be told, if Rosa hadn’t left the room when she had, she might have done just that.
This secret was getting harder and harder to keep.
And to compound the problem, the longer Anthony stayed, the more Rosa wanted him to remain here.
She rolled onto her side, facing the window, and blinked against invading tears blurring her vision.
I should never have involved him in my problems. It would have been better for both of us if I hadn’t told Anthony I was pregnant and fearful of going home to tell my parents that I was an unwed mother.
Anthony is too nice a guy to just shrug his shoulders and walk away.
He’s the kind of person who would never have said the situation I had found myself in was my problem, not his.
Rosa swallowed the bile rising in her throat and sat up quickly, hoping she wouldn’t throw up.
I’ve made such a mess out of my life, and there’s no way to go back in time and fix any of it.
Instead of being fearful of my parents’ rejection, I should have returned to the Big Valley alone and begged for their forgiveness for running away.
Then I should have told Mom and Dad the truth about the baby and pleaded with them to take me in.
Rosa rose from the bed and moved over to the window to look out at the wintry scene in the yard below. She spotted Anthony standing near the barn with both hands on his hips. He’s such a great guy, she thought ruefully. Some woman will be lucky when he falls in love with her and proposes marriage.
Frustrated and cold, Anthony entered the kitchen, hoping to fix himself something warm to drink to take off the chill and give him a much-needed break. He found Elsie there and promptly told her about the collapsed roof on the woodshed.
“I’d planned to at least get started tearing off what’s left of the roof,” he said, “but I couldn’t find any tools to do the job, and since I have no transportation, I can’t go to town for the things I would need to do the job.”
“I could call one of our drivers to take you there. Several of them have vans, and one fellow we know has a pickup truck, so that would be a good option, since he’d have plenty of room to haul whatever you need.”
Anthony pulled his fingers down the side of his bristly face, which he hadn’t taken the time to shave that morning. “Guess that might be a good idea. Right now, though, I want something warm to drink. It’s freezing out there this morning.”
“Well, of course.” Elsie scooted over to the stove and turned on one of the gas burners. “Would you like me to fix you a cup of tea or maybe some hot chocolate?”