Please tell Daniel that I will miss him. He is gut and kind, and I will never forget him. He needs to buy that house and property we looked at. It is right for him, and in the future, as I look back at my time with him—with all of you—I’ll think of him happy with his business on the property, and a wife with children in that house. I’m so sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused. Know in my heart that I’ll always look upon you as family. You were there for me when no one else cared.
Love, Emma.
Daniel looked at his aunt and uncle. They appeared as destroyed by the note as he was. “I have to look for her.”
“Where?” Arlin said.
“Anywhere. Everywhere,” Daniel said. “And while I’d love to ask everyone to search for her, I believe if she sees any of us, she’ll bolt again. I need to do this on my own. If I can’t find her, I’ll let you know.” He drew in a sharp breath. “I don’t want to involve the police. Emma is terrified of them. She’s afraid she’ll be sent back to her foster family, and we can’t allow them to do that to her.”
Arlin nodded. “Whatever you think is best.”
“How can I help?” Missy said hoarsely, her eyes filled with tears.
The sight of their tears brought home how much the young runaway Englisher had worked her way into their hearts. Especially mine.
He chose Emma over his job at the construction company. There was no question in his mind that he needed to find her. He stopped by Whittier’s Store first to call his foreman from Bob’s phone to explain that he wouldn’t be able to make it in to work today. The man was pleasant enough, although Daniel knew he wouldn’t be happy if he called out for more than two days straight. But he would if he had to. He could get the property, but without Emma nothing would be the same. And if he didn’t find her today? He would keep searching for her—and he would make an offer for the house and have it ready for when he eventually found her.
As he steered his buggy to the edge of the parking lot at Whittier’s, Daniel thought about where to look first. How much money did she have? She probably had made one hundred eighty dollars the first week and two hundred eighty-eight dollars her second week at the Yoders’. She’d put a hundred from her first week into the register. Then left Missy and Arlin a hundred dollars on the bed. After two weeks of work, that would leave almost three hundred dollars that she took with her.
He drew the horse to a halt and thought hard. Where would she go? She had enough money for a hotel room. At least for one night, he thought, maybe more. Daniel remembered how she didn’t want to enter the city of Lancaster. She’ll go in the opposite direction.
He flicked the leathers and turned away in the direction he thought she’d head. “Emma, where did you go?”
Chapter Thirteen
Emma walked through the night without incident. Every time she heard a car or truck, she hid so no one would see her. She was cold, but she’d be fine as soon as she found a room for the night she could afford. She paused to rest a moment and realized she’d been foolish not to bring food with her. But she’d never steal from Missy and Arlin.
Emma walked until she reached a small hotel that promised a free breakfast and a room for sixty-eight dollars a night. She hadn’t gone far, but it didn’t matter. She was ready to get out of the night air. The hotel belonged to a familiar chain, and she figured she’d be safe there. The light was on in the front office. She entered with her small bag of belongings and approached the reservation desk. Wearing her Amish garments, she didn’t look as bad as when she’d first arrived in Happiness in her threadbare English clothes. And she had money.
“I’d like a room for one night, please,” she told the night manager.
The woman looked at her. “Credit card?”
“Nay.” Emma shook her head. “But I have cash.”
“All right. It’s your lucky day. You have a choice—first or second floor?”
“Second floor, please.”
“That’ll be seventy dollars,” the woman said.
Emma handed over the money, and the manager handed her a room key. “Breakfast is in a room off the lobby between six and nine thirty.”
Emma nodded, then with key in hand, she headed toward the elevator. She found her room on the second floor and let herself in. The room was clean and had recently been scrubbed, the scent of cleaning products still in the air. A virtual paradise to someone who thought she’d have to stay in a dirty hotel somewhere. And with the added benefit of breakfast. She glanced at the alarm clock on the night table and saw that it was nearly eleven. She put her things inside a dresser drawer and hid her money in a sock, which she shoved between the mattress and bedspring. She’d put out a do-not-disturb sign whenever she left the room until she checked out. She just needed a place to rest and recharge and figure out what to do next. She set the alarm for 6:00 a.m., hoping that there would be no one at breakfast at such an early hour. Then Emma slipped beneath the covers and closed her eyes. All she could think about was Daniel and how upset he’d be once he learned she’d left.
If she didn’t have the threat of Bryce Turner—or if she hadn’t been shunned by her former Amish community along with her parents—she might have found a way to stay. Because she’d loved it there. But she had to keep focused on the future. Maybe tomorrow after she’d eaten and returned to her room, she could make some plans past this one night. She wouldn’t get far on the money she had. Maybe she could find a job in a small town. She knew how to work a cash register. And she could wait tables. Except she was underage, and she didn’t have anything to prove how old she was.
She slept until her alarm went off, then she got up, got dressed and went downstairs for breakfast. As she hoped and prayed for, there were no other diners at that early hour. Emma nodded to the night manager who was still on duty, then proceeded to fill up a plate. There were trays of eggs and sausages. And there was a waffle iron with a pitcher of batter if she wanted waffles. She chose eggs, sausage, a biscuit and an apple. She filled a cup with hot water and grabbed a tea bag, then headed upstairs to eat in her room.
As she ate breakfast, she thought of Daniel and the people she’d left behind. Why did I leave? I had people who cared for me. A safe place to stay until her birthday. She was doubting herself, wondering if she’d made a mistake leaving Happiness. After finishing her food, she made another cup of tea using the room’s electric coffeepot. As she sipped her tea, she thought of Missy and their tea times together. She closed her eyes as she fought back tears. She’d let down everyone—Leah and Henry. Missy and Arlin. Daniel and the Lapps.
Could she go back? Apologize and ask for another chance? Would they welcome her with open arms or send her away?
“What do I have to lose?” she whispered aloud. She finished her tea, packed her few belongings and stowed her money in her shoes. She hadn’t come that far. Maybe she could return before they missed her.
She went downstairs, handed in the room key and left. Emma realized that she needed to get back to Happiness. She would ask for another chance and hope they would understand that she was confused.
Emma exited the hotel and headed back the way she’d come. While she walked, she prayed and pleaded for another chance and hoped that God would lead the way back home.
* * *
Daniel drove east on Route 340, away from Bird in Hand toward Intercourse, where he pulled into the parking lot near a coffee shop. He went inside to order a cup of coffee and some pastries to share with Emma when he found her. A police officer was at the counter, waiting for his order. Daniel thought nothing of it until he saw the officer show a photo to the girl behind the counter.
“Have you seen this teenager?” the officer asked.
The girl shook her head. “I’m afraid not.”
Daniel stepped up and gave his order to the girl, then turned to the officer. “You’re looking for someone?” he asked casually.
Th
e officer met his gaze. “Yes. A teen runaway from Maryland.” He shoved the photo in Daniel’s direction. “Her foster family is eager to get her back.”
Daniel took the photo and studied it with a calm gaze while his heart beat faster and his stomach started to burn. It was Emma. Dressed in English clothes. He handed the photo back. “Can’t help you.” He paused. “What’s her name? In case I see her,” he added. He expected to hear Jessica Morgan and was stunned at the name the officer gave.
“Emma Beiler.”
“Why did she run away?” Daniel asked.
The officer frowned. “That’s the thing. I found her the last time she ran away. Running away a second time makes me wonder if everything was as it should have been at her foster home.” He tucked the photo in his shirt pocket. “I was hoping to find her and talk with her. Find out how things really were for her there.”
Daniel received his order and followed the officer outside. “What should I do if I see her?”
The officer hesitated. “Get in touch with me.” He handed Daniel a business card with a phone number and the address of his police station.
“I’ll do that.” Daniel gave him a nod. “Have a nice day, Officer.” He untied his horse and debated which way to go next. He doubted she would continue east. Maybe south? There were a lot of hotels and motels along Lincoln Highway. Would she have looked for a cheap place to spend the night?
Emma Beiler. Her name was Emma Beiler. He didn’t know if he should be angry or not. She could have lied about her identity because she feared getting caught.
Would she check into a hotel under her own name? Use Jess Morgan or a different alias?
Daniel steered his buggy south. It was still early. Looking for her was like searching for a needle in a haystack. He sighed. He could head back in case she decided to return on her own, although he doubted she would. Fear for her safety rose within him. He needed to find her and convince her to return. Why did she leave? What triggered her sudden desire to go? Because he’d told her he enjoyed spending time with her?
He continued to search for her, driving south and then heading north again. Then suddenly he saw her. An Amish girl walking along the road. There was something about the set of her shoulders, the way she moved, that he instantly recognized her. He pulled up beside her.
She stopped walking and faced him. “Daniel?”
He stared at her. “Get in, Emma.”
“I was on my way home,” she told him.
He felt something inside him soften, but he needed answers, not only for himself but for Missy and Arlin and Leah and Henry.
Emma didn’t move. “Please, Emma,” he said. “Get in and I’ll take you home.”
She blinked rapidly but raised her chin. Then she crossed the road and climbed into his vehicle.
“Where did you spend the night?” he asked.
She released a sharp breath. “In a hotel. It came with free breakfast.”
“What made you decide to return?”
“Because I realized that I was letting everyone down—Leah and Henry. Missy and Arlin.” She sniffed. “You.”
“I’m just glad you’re oll recht,” he said huskily.
“You were looking for me?”
“Ja. Ever since I went to the house to take you to work and discovered that you’d left.” He ran his gaze over her, hoping to read her thoughts. “Why did you leave, Emma?”
“Because I don’t deserve to stay.”
“Yet you were coming back to us.”
“Ja. Because I couldn’t stay away.”
* * *
He was more than a little upset with her. But could she blame him? She’d left without a word—just a note. It must have hurt Missy and Arlin terribly to find it. To know that she’d left them after they’d given her a home, love...
Emma took surreptitious glances at the man sitting beside her. Would Missy and Arlin be angry as well? She wondered what time it was. Did Leah and Henry know that she’d left, abandoned them in their time of need? She closed her eyes.
The Arlin Stoltzfus house loomed ahead. Daniel turned onto the property, and Emma’s heart started to hammer. She felt sick to her stomach when she saw that there was another buggy on the property. Leah and Henry’s?
Daniel pulled his vehicle behind theirs. He jumped down, tied up his horse, but didn’t come around to help Emma out. He was angry with her, she thought.
Expecting worse inside, Emma headed toward the house, knocked on the side door and waited. The door opened, and Missy stood there as if in shock. Then with a cry, she opened the door and pulled Emma inside. The woman hugged her. Arlin sat at the kitchen table, looking haggard. Henry and Leah had taken the chairs across from him. They took one look at her, then as one, they stood. “You’re back,” Leah said.
She nodded.
“Where did Daniel find you?” Henry asked.
“On the road. I was on my way back here. I...” Tears filled her eyes. “I shouldn’t have left.” She turned away. “I’m sorry,” she whispered brokenly.
Daniel had come in behind her. Emma was aware that everyone was staring at her.
“When did you leave?” Missy asked.
Emma blushed. “Last night, after you were asleep.”
“Where did you spend the night?” Leah asked.
“At a hotel. I... I didn’t want to sleep in a barn.” Her head was throbbing, and she lifted a hand to rub her temple.
Missy nodded. Arlin hadn’t said a word. Emma knew that she had hurt him. She shouldn’t have left but since she did, maybe she should have stayed away.
“I know I shouldn’t have left, but I think ’tis for the best. You don’t need me here.”
Arlin stood abruptly. “Nay, you will not leave, dochter. You will go upstairs and think about what you did and how your disappearance affected the rest of us.”
Emma gaped at him. Joy hit her hard when she realized he’d called her his daughter. “Ja, Arlin.”
When she left the kitchen, it was silent. No one said a word. Clutching her small bag, she went up to her bedroom. She went inside, set down her bag, then lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She wouldn’t hurt them by leaving again. Not until she turned eighteen and they expected it from her. She felt emotionally overwrought and exhausted. Emma closed her eyes and slept.
* * *
“The police are searching for her,” Daniel said.
Missy and Arlin exchanged concerned glances.
“You spoke with an officer?” Leah asked.
“Ja. I stopped in a coffee shop for something to drink. The officer was showing her photo to the girl behind the counter.”
“What did he say?”
Daniel pulled out a seat and sat at the table with the rest of them. “That she’s a runaway foster child from Maryland.” He rubbed the back of his neck wearily. “The officer did express concern that despite her foster father’s eagerness to get her back, things might not be what the man is claiming. That she is his daughter in every way except by birth.”
“Ja, we know the truth. It was a terrible situation for her,” Leah said.
“There is something else you should know.”
“What is it?” Missy asked. Arlin leaned forward with his arms on the tabletop.
“The girl lied to us about her identity. Her real name is not Jess Morgan. ’Tis Emma Beiler.”
Leah smiled, seemingly unconcerned. “No wonder she said she could easily answer to Emma. The name was my idea.”
Daniel hesitated. He was hurt by the way Emma had left and the fact that she’d lied to all of them. He had confessed that he liked to spend time with her—and she’d run away. “Are you going to keep her at the store?”
“Ja, she’s a gut worker,” Leah said.
Daniel glanced at Henry.
“I don’t have any problem w
ith it. She’s proven trustworthy at work.”
Something shifted inside him. “Why did she leave?” He hoped that they had an answer and it wasn’t the same one he’d come up with on his own. “Her birthday is in less than three weeks.”
“I know.” Missy appeared concerned as she took a sip from her tea. “Something is troubling her. I thought she was happy here, but something in her past has hurt her badly, and she’s afraid to care.”
Daniel stared at her. “But what?”
“I don’t know. Ever since Visiting Day, she’s seemed quiet. I don’t know what happened that day, but she was upset by something.”
He thought of his time with her. Had he upset her? He hoped not. She would be leaving, and he couldn’t be emotionally involved with her. He needed to distance himself from her. To concentrate on work and looking into the property he’d viewed. That he and Emma had viewed. Daniel stood. “I need to get to work. I called in, but Fred wasn’t too happy with me. I don’t want to lose this job.” He paused. “I don’t think I can take Emma to work in the morning.” Or any other morning. Not if he wanted to spend less time with her so that when it was time to go, it wouldn’t hurt so much.
“Not to worry. I’ll take her,” Arlin said.
Daniel picked up his hat and headed toward the door. Leah and Henry followed him outside. They needed to open the store. Concern for Emma had brought them here. Emma. Not Jess. Emma. It bothered him that she hadn’t trusted him enough to tell the truth. She’s an Englisher. She’d never be happy here.
And that knowledge hurt.
* * *
She heard the sound of buggy wheels through her open bedroom window. Emma got up from the bed and went to peer outside. She didn’t have a view of the yard. She could see the street, though, and she watched as one buggy left the property and turned left toward Yoder’s store while the other one pulled to the road and stopped. She didn’t know why, but she knew it was Daniel. He waited until a car passed, then turned in the opposite direction of the store.
Finding Her Amish Love Page 14