The Wedding Caper by Janice Thompson

determined to stick to my lesson plan.
    “What
would you think about a little trip to that bed and breakfast you’ve always
wanted to go to? Sound good?”
    “W–What?”
Forgiveness washed over me at once. A criminal would never offer to take his
wife to a B&B in the Amish country. “Really?” I could see it all
now—the rolling farmlands, the quaint shops, the ever-present buggies. Sounded dreamy, even if it meant spending time away with
someone I wasn’t sure I trusted at the moment.
    He pulled
me into his arms and rested his chin atop my head as he explained, “Yes. The
girls and I were thinking you’d like a few days alone.”
    “Alone?”
I pulled away as understanding set in. “You want to send me away?”
    He gave
me one of those Is-this-your-hormones-speaking-or-is-this-really-you? looks .
“Of course not. We just thought you would like the peace and quiet. We were
thinking Sheila could go with you.” I could see the hurt in his eyes as he
concluded: “I had a doozie of a time getting a
reservation, but our travel agent owed me a favor.” He pulled a brochure from
his shirt pocket and placed it in my hand.
    His words
to the person on the other end of the phone now raced through my brain once
again: I can’t believe I got away with it. And Annie doesn’t suspect a thing.
    That made
perfect sense to me now. He’d been talking to our travel agent, Joan Edwards.
Warren had been planning a surprise. . . for me!
Suddenly, I felt absolutely ridiculous. In an attempt to make up for
everything, I planted approximately a dozen kisses on his pouting lips and then
apologized for my off-beat behavior. “I love you, and
I’m very grateful. Thank you so much.”
    He nodded
and offered a mumbled response, then headed off to the yard to rake the leaves.
With my emotions now firmly in check, I settled onto the sofa and looked
through the colorful brochure. What a tremendous blessing, especially in light
of all I’d been through. Surely the Lord had dropped this little weekend
get-away in my lap. Out amongst the simplistic backdrop of the Amish country, I
could clear my head, think more logically, spend time listening to His voice,
get His perspective on things.
    Then
again, if Sheila came along, things might not be so simple. She always had a
way of seeing deep inside me—to the places others rarely took the time to
see. And she knew how to needle the truth out of folks, one painful sliver at a
time.
    Hmm. I
contemplated the inevitable a bit longer. Yes, if Sheila came with me, I’d
probably end up baring my soul—telling her what I’d been up to over the
past couple of weeks. Before all was said and done, she’d know about my
suspicions.
    Would
that be so bad? What would it hurt, really, for someone else to know? Maybe,
between the two of us, we could get this crime solved, set my husband free from
the cloud of guilt hanging over his head. Maybe we would become known as Clark
County’s “Crime Fighters Extraordinaire”—an example for all young
would-be sleuths.
    Or maybe
we’d just spend the weekend eating chocolate and talking about pedicures.
    Either
way, we’d have a whopper of a time.
     
     
     

 
    Chapter Nine
     
    I couldn’t help
but laugh as Sheila backed her SUV into my driveway. Her new “Honk if You Love
Peace and Quiet” bumper sticker seemed just right for our weekend getaway in
the Amish country. Surely she had purchased it with this occasion in mind.
    In my
heart, I did long for peace and quiet. Ached for it, in fact. That’s why, as I
watched Sheila’s arrival through the living room window, I had to wonder if
having her along on this little jaunt to “God’s country” had really been His
idea—or my husband’s. Only time would tell.
    She
bounded from the front seat in her usual quirky fashion. I chuckled as I
noticed the leopard print scarf she wore around her neck. Very
fashionable. The autumn wind snagged a hold of it and whipped it across
her face, nearly knocking off