The
Harmony Series
Book 1
Secrets Buried Alive
Simple Secrets
Never Die
Graphic designer Gracie Temple wants it all: the big city lifestyle and
a successful job in advertising. And it looks like her life is on the right
track when she takes a job at a struggling, midsize firm in Wichita.
But when Gracie inherits a house from her unknown uncle in the
mostly Mennonite town of Harmony, Kansas, she’s not sure what
God’s trying to tell her. Especially once she discovers the house comes
with a dark legacy and a cast of eccentric neighbors. Will Gracie shake
off the dust of this town, or will its secret charms pull her in to stay?
All Sam Goodrich wants is to get married and start a family. . .and he
thought he’d do it with his fiancée. But he can’t bring himself to agree
to a wedding date. When he meets Gracie Temple, Sam discovers
she’s everything he doesn’t want. He loves his fruit farm, and he loves
Harmony. So why does he feel so drawn to an outsider?
When someone tries to keep Gracie from discovering the truth behind
the town’s collection of secrets, will Sam and Gracie cling to their faith
to help them decide what’s most important—before it’s too late?
Mehl
U.S. $12.99
ISBN 978-1-60260-512-1
5 1 2 9 9
EAN
9 781602 605121
Fiction / Christian / Romance
Simple Secrets
Simple Secrets
Nancy Mehl
© 2010 by Nancy Mehl
ISBN 978-1-60260-512-1
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means without written permission of the publisher.
Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. niv®.
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of
Zondervan. All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either
products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual
people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.
For more information about Nancy Mehl, please access the author’s Web site at the
following Internet address: [Link]
Cover image: © Chris Reeve/Trevillion Images
Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, OH 44683.
Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value
and biblical encouragement to the masses.
Printed in the United States of America.
Dedication
A parent always hopes that in some way, they will be their child’s hero.
But I am blessed because I have a son who is my hero. I love you,
Danny, and I will always be thankful to God that He has allowed me
to be your mother.
Acknowledgments
No writer writes alone. There are always others who help to make a
story ring true. I want to thank the wonderful people who helped me
to create Harmony, Kansas and its citizens—past and present.
First of all, my thanks to Judith Unruh, Alexanderwohl Church
Historian in Goessel, Kansas. I don’t know what I would have done
without you.
A big thank you to the woman I now call my “fruity friend,” Sarah
Beck, owner of Beck’s Farm in Wichita. You are a joy to work with!
Thank you to Marjorie Shoemaker from the Mennonite Heritage
Museum in Goessel who took the time to answer all my questions and
give me a “guided tour.”
Thanks to Penny and Gus Dorado for helping me with my
Mennonite research. You guys are real blessings in my life.
To my wonderful and unique friend Elly “Singer” Kraai: thanks
for the Sunrise!
I also want to acknowledge my wonderful agent and friend, Janet
Benrey and my first editor, Susan Downs, both of whom have opened
doors of blessing for me.
My deep and abiding appreciation to Becky Germany and all the
incredible folks at Barbour for giving me a chance.
To my wonderful husband, Norman: I love you so much. This
“writing thing” would be impossible without you.
To my critique partners Faye Speiker, Kim Woodhouse and Alene
Ward: thanks for your invaluable help.
To my readers who have been so encouraging and supportive: you’ll
probably never know in this life how much you mean to me. YOU are the
reason God gave me this opportunity. I will never take you for granted.
To the Mennonite people who have given our country such a rich
heritage of faith and taught us to respect the things in life that are
really important: I hope I’ve represented you well. I’ve certainly grown
to love and admire the principles you stand for.
Lastly, and most importantly: to my Very Best Friend. You are the
air I breathe. . .
Chapter One
She wants a talking pizza on the cover.”
Grant slid my proposal across the desk until it rested in front
of me. His dark eyes narrowed, warning me not to argue. We both
knew it was useless, but I couldn’t stop myself. I’d worked hard on
a menu cover for Pizzazz Pizza. The lines were clean and bold,
the graphics eye-catching.
“You know pizzas don’t actually speak, right?” An attempt to
keep a note of sarcasm out of my voice failed miserably.
He sighed and ran his hand through his short salt-and-pepper
hair. Managing an advertising agency isn’t easy, and Grant works
with more problem clients than most. Grantham Design is a
mid-range firm. Not the worst but not the best. Grant’s dream is
to make it to the top like Sawyer, Higgins, and Smith, the number
one advertising firm in Wichita. I’m pretty sure I knew what those
guys would tell Olivia Pennington to do with her chatty Italian
pie if this was their account. But unfortunately for Grant and me,
we couldn’t afford to lose her as a client.
I sighed and picked up my beautiful proposal. Maybe I could
make it work for someone else—a client who was savvy enough
to leave designing to the designers.
7
Nancy Mehl
“A talking pizza,” he said once again. “And don’t get too
creative, Gracie.”
“Exactly what every designer strives for, a complete lack of
imagination.”
“Just make it work.” With that, he turned and strolled out
of my office, leaving me with a rejected design and a verbal food
product in my future. I stared out the window at the deli across
the street. Feeling hunger pangs, I glanced at my watch. Maybe I
could consider the new menu design over lunch. Uptown Bistro
serves the best hummus in town. Just thinking about it made my
mouth water. My jaw dropped when I saw the time. Nine thirty?
How could it only be nine thirty?
I flashed back to the excitement I’d experienced two years
earlier when I graduated from college with a degree in graphic
design. I was determined to set the design world on fire. But
since then I’d discovered that the real world is a lot different
than what I’d imagined. Most clients aren’t interested in seeing
my ideas. Instead, they boldly declare that they “know exactly
what they want.” Unfortunately, their brilliant suggestions are
simply remakes of overused, hackneyed concepts, completely
inappropriate for their needs. Like a talking pizza. I rubbed my
forehead, trying to rid myself of the beginnings of a tension
headache. Sometimes I felt like a kid who’d been handed a box
of crayons and admonished to “color in the lines” without any
chance for creativity or fresh ideas.
I put the Pizzazz Pizza packet in my drawer and stared at
my computer screen. Well, if she wanted chatty food, I’d give
her chatty food. At that moment, several ideas popped into my
head that would make for interesting dialogue. Of course, none
of them were appropriate for a family night out at the local pizza
parlor. Then I began to wonder just what a pepperoni-covered
pastry would say if it could talk. I was pretty sure it would scream
“Help!” as loudly as possible since it was about to be sliced into
8
Simple Secrets
pieces and devoured. However, I doubted seriously that Olivia
Pennington would appreciate the humor behind such an idea. A
few other entertaining concepts were drifting through my mind
when the phone rang.
“Hello, Snicklefritz!”
I sighed into the phone. “Dad, I thought you were going to
stop calling me that.”
“Grace Marie, I’ve been calling you Snicklefritz ever since you
were a little girl. You used to like it.”
I leaned back in my chair and stared at the framed photograph
of my parents that sat on the edge of my desk. “But I’m not five
anymore. What if you accidentally use it in public again—like you
did at graduation?”
My dad laughed. “Your friend Stacy said I was ‘darling.’ ”
“Stacy was not and never will be my friend, Dad. She told
everyone about that silly nickname. There are still people from
school who call me Snicklefritz.”
My dad’s hearty laughter made me grab a strand of hair and
twirl it around my finger—a nervous habit I couldn’t seem to
shake.
“So what’s up?” My stomach tightened a notch. He usually
never contacts me at work unless something’s wrong. Like two
weeks ago when he told me he’d broken his leg and would be out
of commission for a while. And the call last year after Mom was
diagnosed with cancer. Thank God, she’s fine now.
“Honey, we got word today that your uncle Benjamin passed
away.”
My stomach relaxed, and I let go of my hair. I’d never even
met my father’s only brother. He lived in a little Mennonite town
somewhere in northeast Kansas.
“What happened, Dad?”
There was a prolonged silence. When he spoke, my father’s
voice trembled slightly. “It was his heart, Gracie.”
9
Nancy Mehl
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, honey. I just wish. . .”
“You tried everything you could to mend your fences with
him, Dad. You have nothing to feel guilty about.”
A shaky sigh came through the receiver. “I know that, but it
doesn’t make it any easier right now.”
“Do you need me to come home? When’s the funeral?”
“The community has already held the service.”
“You mean no one told you about your own brother’s funeral?” I
didn’t even try to keep the indignation out of my voice. “What kind
of people are these? Is it because you’re banned or something?”
“Now don’t jump to conclusions. Turns out Benjamin left
strict instructions that this was the way he wanted it. The pastor
who called me felt badly but didn’t know what else to do except
to honor my brother’s wishes. He—he also wanted me to know
about Benjamin’s will.”
“So what did he leave you?” It couldn’t be much due to
Benjamin’s lifestyle.
“He didn’t leave me anything, honey. My brother left his house
in Harmony, along with all of his belongings to you, Gracie.”
Goofy talking pizzas had obviously warped my brain. My
father’s words made no sense.
“What? He left what to who?”
“Left what to whom, Gracie.”
“Dad, this is not the time to correct my English. Why in the
world would Uncle Benjamin leave me his estate? He didn’t even
know me.”
“I don’t know, honey. The congregation we belonged to when
I was young believed in The Ban. Benjamin embraced the practice
the rest of his life, even though the church as a whole doesn’t do
it anymore. You were born after your mom and I left Harmony.
Since you were never part of the church, I guess in Benjamin’s
mind you’re the only relative left who isn’t off-limits.” He sighed.
10
Simple Secrets
“You know, my brother wasn’t always so judgmental. Originally,
Benjamin fully supported my decision to leave Harmony. But
after your mom and I settled in Fairbury, something happened.
He changed—and not for the better.” My father paused. “I wish
I’d taken him with me when I left. Maybe things would have
turned out differently.”
“I’m sorry, Dad. I really am. But this still doesn’t make any
sense.” It would take some time before I could grasp the idea that
I was now a property owner in a little Mennonite town.
“I wish I could help you more, Gracie. But with this leg, I
can’t travel. And Mom needs to stay here to take care of me. I’m
overnighting the papers so you can look at them yourself. You’ll
have to decide what to do from there.”
“Seems to me that Uncle Benjamin took a big chance leaving
everything to someone he didn’t know. I might decide to sell the
land and plant a Motel 6 in the middle of Harmony.”
My dad chuckled. “Well, that would definitely shake things
up a bit.” He hesitated for a moment. “Your mother and I left
Harmony because the bishop of our church opposed our marriage
even though our parents supported us. He ruled that town, Gracie.
His judgmental attitudes made life unbearable. But your mother
reminds me that he’s been gone a long time. Pastor Mueller, the
man who called today, seemed nice. Very understanding. Not at all
like Bishop Angstadt. I’m not crazy about the idea of your going
to Harmony alone, but your mother tells me I’m overreacting.
Pastor Mueller said he would do everything he could to help you.
He sounded very sincere.”
“Send me the papers, Dad. I honestly don’t know what I’m
going to do about this.”
“I don’t want to make your mind up for you, Snickle. . .er,
Gracie. But maybe you could go for at least a week or two. See if
you can find someone to buy the place. The money would certainly
create a nice nest egg for your future. And while you’re there, you
11
Nancy Mehl
could rescue some of the possessions that belonged to Mama and
Papa so they can stay in the family. When my folks left Harmony,
they deeded the house to Benjamin and left almost all their
belongings behind. My guess is that Benjamin kept most of our
family heirlooms. It would mean a lot to me if we could get them
back.” He paused and took a deep breath. “But once you get them,
if you feel uncomfortable in Harmony, I want you to turn around
and come home. Forget the stuff. You’re more important than any
heirlooms. Promise me, Gracie.”
“Okay, I promise.” My dad tends to be overdramatic when
it comes to me. His emotional response to their old hometown
didn’t alarm me. I suddenly thought of my grandfather. “Dad, are
you going to tell Papa that Benjamin died?
“No. Mom and I have talked about it. I don’t know if he even
remembers Benjamin anymore. It would just confuse him, I’m
afraid.”
Papa Joe lived in a nursing home and was in the last stages of
Alzheimer’s. Mama Essie had passed away almost five years ago.
They’d never been able to understand why Benjamin had turned
his back on the family and stayed in Harmony. Now it was too
late for them to reconcile. At least in this world.
Harmony. Strange name for a place that had brought so much
destruction to the Temple family. Would this gift from my uncle
help to heal the past, or would it bring even more pain? It was
impossible to know the answer to that question by just sitting in
my office.
I smiled down at the sketches of Pizzazz Pizza’s new logo. Let
Grant figure out what conversational cuisine says.
I was going to Harmony.
12
The
Harmony Series
Book 1
Secrets Buried Alive
Simple Secrets
Never Die
Graphic designer Gracie Temple wants it all: the big city lifestyle and
a successful job in advertising. And it looks like her life is on the right
track when she takes a job at a struggling, midsize firm in Wichita.
But when Gracie inherits a house from her unknown uncle in the
mostly Mennonite town of Harmony, Kansas, she’s not sure what
God’s trying to tell her. Especially once she discovers the house comes
with a dark legacy and a cast of eccentric neighbors. Will Gracie shake
off the dust of this town, or will its secret charms pull her in to stay?
All Sam Goodrich wants is to get married and start a family. . .and he
thought he’d do it with his fiancée. But he can’t bring himself to agree
to a wedding date. When he meets Gracie Temple, Sam discovers
she’s everything he doesn’t want. He loves his fruit farm, and he loves
Harmony. So why does he feel so drawn to an outsider?
When someone tries to keep Gracie from discovering the truth behind
the town’s collection of secrets, will Sam and Gracie cling to their faith
to help them decide what’s most important—before it’s too late?
Mehl
U.S. $12.99
ISBN 978-1-60260-512-1
5 1 2 9 9
EAN
9 781602 605121
Fiction / Christian / Romance