As they walked toward the main building, Lukas said, “Darla wants me to talk to him with her. I want you and me and someone else to go with her.”
“You think he’s that dangerous?”
“Nee, I fear he’s that delusional. I’m afraid we need more than the two of us there. I don’t want Aaron to ever lie about our conversation or our actions. If three of us go, he can’t later say we did something that we didn’t.”
Simon grunted. “Who else do you want to come? Levi?”
“I don’t think Levi is the right choice.”
“He’s still blamin’ John Kurtz for the fire?”
Lukas shrugged. “He would be on our side about Hannah, I don’t doubt that. But I think his emotions are still too raw when it comes to Aaron and Darla.”
“Who then?”
“Roman Schrock,” Lukas replied after a moment’s thought. “He’s steady, well-respected by everyone, and a few years older than us. He might be the voice of reason Aaron needs.”
Simon smiled slightly. “He’s also as strong as an ox. If Aaron gets out of hand, we’ll have no worries there. Roman will make sure he behaves himself.”
Changing direction, Lukas headed toward the custom-woodworking warehouse. Roman was a master craftsman and was often called upon to work with some of their most demanding and wealthiest customers. No job was too difficult. He was calm in any situation.
He looked up from the board he was carving when they entered. “Morning, Lukas. Simon. Can I help ya?”
“Jah. I’m afraid there’s no easy way to say this except to come right out with it. I need you to come with Simon and me to talk to Aaron Kurtz.”
Roman wiped down his station. “What’s going on?”
“Aaron accosted Hannah Eicher on Main Street this morning. I know I might be overstepping my bounds, but I’d sure appreciate it if you could come with us now to try and convince Aaron to seek help.”
“We’re a community. A church community. One of our members needs help? Of course we need to help him. You’re not overstepping anything, Lukas.”
That was why Lukas had known Roman would be the right person to bring with him and Simon. Roman was devout. He also cared about everyone deeply. Just as important, he was known for being compassionate and level-headed.
“Danke,” Lukas said.
As the three of them walked back to the main office, they stayed silent. Lukas had taken to praying for guidance again. He didn’t know what was going through the other men’s minds, but he imagined they were thinking many of the same things.
It seemed that another turning point had come in their lives, and this one could be just as devastating. Now, instead of fighting a fire, they were going to have to fight a man’s bitterness and determination to ruin other people’s lives. It was going to be up to Lukas, Simon, Roman, and Darla to make sure that didn’t happen. And at the moment, the situation seemed as out of Lukas’s control as the fire had been. Anything could happen.
And that meant it probably would.
Chapter 20
Darla had been biting her nails while she waited for Lukas to return to his office. Though he’d been gone for less than twenty minutes, it had felt like an eternity. She supposed that was what happened when a person was at a complete loss about what to do.
And that was how she felt about Aaron. Every time his anger snapped, she’d hoped it would be the very last time. She supposed there had been a part of her that had assumed he would simply wake up one day, apologize for the way he’d been acting, and return to his regular self.
But of course that hadn’t happened.
Now he was hurting other people. Sweet Hannah Eicher, who had already lost Paul.
Darla felt partly responsible for the incident. She’d been so determined to not take her injuries seriously, so intent on protecting Aaron, that she hadn’t done more to stop him.
And now it had come to this.
“Sorry you had to wait so long,” Lukas said when he entered the room, Simon and Roman on his heels. Each was wearing a grim, determined expression. As a matter of fact, they looked like a trio not to be messed with. If she hadn’t known they were on her side, she would’ve been anxious not to cross their path.
“It wasn’t long.” Darla deliberately folded her hands on her lap so she’d stop biting her nails. “Hi, Roman. Simon.”
“Hey, Darla,” Simon greeted her. Roman simply nodded.
Studying them, Darla couldn’t help but approve of Lukas’s choices for support. Both were good men whom she felt comfortable with.
After she got to her feet, Roman enfolded her in a gentle hug, much like she imagined he would have given his twin girls. “I’m so sorry, Darla.”
She closed her eyes and let his comforting presence soothe her frayed nerves. He was a big man, and his hug made her think of a teddy bear. “Danke. I guess you’re going to come help me talk to Aaron?”
“I wouldn’t miss it.” His usual pleasant expression turned hard. “Lukas shared that Hannah isn’t the first woman he’s treated roughly. I wish you would have reached out to me. I would have talked to your brother before now.”
She tucked her head, hating the guilt that was consuming her. If she had spoken up more and hidden her pain and bruises less, could Hannah’s pain have been prevented?
“Hey now,” Lukas said as he lifted her chin with one finger and looked into her eyes. “No more guilt. For what it’s worth, I don’t think Aaron would have been any more receptive to interference from Roman or Simon than he was to me.”
She took a shuddering breath. “You might be right.”
He winked. “I know I am.”
“Are you sure you don’t want us to simply take care of things?” Simon asked. “You can go visit with Amelia Kinsinger. Lukas can come get you when we are back.”
She glanced Lukas’s way.
He nodded. “He’s hurt you enough, Darla. He might lash out and say something to hurt your feelings if you are there. If you don’t want to go to my farm, you’re welcome to stay here. I’ll make sure Rebecca sits with you.”
It was tempting to simply put her needs into the hands of these three strong men. She knew they would not only have her best interests at heart, but they would also be pleased to help her. But if she let them take care of things, she would continue to be Aaron’s victim. And, maybe, a victim of this whole tragedy. No, she needed to talk to Aaron once again. She also needed to be there for the rest of her family.
She couldn’t hide from the truth any longer.
“I need to be there.”
To her amazement, Lukas didn’t argue. Instead, he smiled softly. “See? You are just as strong as you ever were. I’m proud of you. Let’s go, then.”
“I hope this doesn’t go as badly as I fear it might,” she said as they walked down the hall, their shoes and boots pattering softly against the wood floor that was shined to a deep polish.
“Something has to change. Aaron needs to remember who he is and what he believes in,” Simon said quietly as they walked down the stairs toward the front reception area. “For some reason, he has forgotten.”
“Let’s go help him. It’s time, I think.”
She liked the way he phrased that. They weren’t going to simply put a stop to Aaron’s poor choices and abuse, they were going to help him. If Aaron accepted their help, then he would no longer feel as if he was being ignored. He could begin to heal.
After checking in with Rebecca, they set off toward her farm, walking quietly two by two—Roman and Simon in front, Darla by Lukas’s side right behind.
Their group of four drew many curious glances, and Darla supposed she couldn’t blame anyone for staring at them. Moreover, she was thankful she was no longer alone. Walking into Kinsinger’s Mill by herself an hour ago had been one of the hardest things she’d ever done.
Now, at least, she was part of a group.
LUKAS HAD BEEN debating with himself the whole way to Darla’s farm. He had mixed feelin
gs about taking matters into his own hands, and even more mixed feelings about how to handle Darla.
He could tell that she was nervous for what was about to happen. He didn’t blame her. She loved her brother and was still missing her father. In addition, she was part of a big family that no doubt had conflicting thoughts about both Aaron’s behavior as well as the Kinsingers’. He didn’t want to make the tension between her and her siblings worse than it already was.
By the time the four of them were halfway up the Kurtzes’ driveway, Darla’s twin brothers were standing on the front porch along with Patsy. All three were watching them approach with looks of concern on their faces.
Beside him, Darla inhaled sharply.
“You going to be able to handle this?” Lukas murmured under his breath.
She darted a glance his way. “Jah.”
“If things get too tough, let me know, okay?”
“I’ll be fine.” Her blue eyes looked resolute, her posture stiff and sure.
But as they got closer, Lukas wasn’t so sure. None of Darla’s siblings looked all that pleased to see them. And so far none of them had said a word to Darla.
Just as he was about to ask them where Aaron was, Roman spoke.
“Hiya, Patsy. Hey, Samuel. Evan.” He waved a hand, just like he’d stopped over for dessert after supper. “We stopped by to speak to Aaron. Is he around?”
Patsy crossed her arms over her chest. “What’s going on?” she asked, her voice thick with worry. “It’s the middle of the day. Did something happen at the mill?”
“I understand your concern, but we need to speak to Aaron first,” Roman said, his voice patient. “Where is he?”
“I’m not saying a thing until you tell me what’s going on, Darla,” Patsy replied.
After looking warily at Lukas, Darla stepped forward. “Patsy, Aaron caused some trouble in town this morning.”
“What did he do?” Evan asked as he trotted down the steps.
Lukas released a breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. He was glad that Evan, at least, wasn’t being standoffish toward his eldest sister. “Why don’t you let us speak to Aaron first?” he said.
“I ain’t a baby, Lukas. If something bad happened, we need to know.” Lifting his chin, Evan continued. “You know I’m going to find out about it sooner or later.”
Darla swallowed, then said, “He accosted Hannah Eicher on Main Street today.”
All the salt and vinegar evaporated from Patsy’s stance. After exchanging looks with Darla, she rushed down the stairs. “Is Hannah hurt?”
“We think so,” Lukas replied. “Luckily, a friend of hers was nearby and took her to work.”
Samuel ran down the stairs to stand beside his twin. “Lukas, are you sure that really happened?”
“It’s true,” Simon said, his expression quiet and stern. “A lot of people saw it.”
Determined to get on with it, Lukas stared hard at Patsy. “Patsy, where’s your bruder?”
“He’s inside.”
“Truly?” Roman raised his eyebrows. “He’s hiding behind his sisters and brothers?”
For the first time, Patsy looked embarrassed. “He told me that Darla had probably made up another story about him.”
Twin spots of color appeared on Darla’s cheeks, making Lukas yearn to grab her brother and shake him until he promised to treat her with more respect.
“Do I need to go inside and get him, or will he come out?” Roman asked, his dark brown eyes staring at Patsy intensely.
After what felt like ten minutes, the door opened and Aaron walked out, pushing past Patsy. His eyes looked hooded but his voice was clear when he spoke. “It’s the middle of the morning. I thought I was the only person not working at Kinsinger’s anymore. Or are all of you paying a social call?”
“We wanted to talk to you about Hannah,” Simon said. “Is there someplace we can speak?”
“What makes you think I’d welcome anything you had to say?”
“Because we’ve known each other a long time,” Simon replied. “Because you must see that we want to help you.”
Aaron crossed his arms and scowled at Darla. “Is this what your infatuation with Lukas has come to, sister? You are now making up tales about me and attempting to get the whole town to side against me?”
Darla’s expression froze and pure pain entered her eyes. However, Lukas noticed that her voice didn’t waver. “I’m not making up anything. I had nothing to do with this.”
“No, you just brought them over here.”
Lukas stepped forward, consciously blocking her from her brother’s sight. “This isn’t about Darla or your treatment of her, though I suspect I should have brought Roman and Simon with me the last time I came here to talk to you about your actions.”
Roman coughed, gaining everyone’s attention. “We need to talk, Aaron, and you need to listen. Where would you like to go?”
“Not in my home. Let’s go to the back of the barn.”
Lukas remembered there was an old picnic table behind the barn. “Let’s go.”
Aaron glared at his siblings. “All of you stay here. This ain’t none of your business.”
Samuel lifted his chin. After taking a visibly fortifying breath, he said, “It is if it’s about you being mean and mad at all of us.”
Beside him, Evan nodded. “We’re tired of you yelling all the time. And you can’t be mean to Darla anymore, neither.”
Instead of looking at her siblings, Darla stared at Lukas, making him feel like he was ten feet tall. She was depending on him now, and he relished her belief in him.
Gently, he murmured, “I think it might be best if you stayed with Patsy and the boys.”
To his relief, she nodded. “All right.”
Though he was tempted to reach out and squeeze her hand in reassurance, he simply turned to Simon and Roman. “Let’s go.”
Neither man said a thing. Instead, they followed him and Aaron to the back of the barn.
It was time to take care of things. Lukas hoped God would give him the strength to do that in the right way.
Chapter 21
As Lukas perched on the top of an old picnic table behind the Kurtzes’ barn, he couldn’t help but remember the many times he’d spent lounging there, talking with Darla and her family. Though he loved his own home, he’d been here so often, and it brought back many fond memories of happier times—as well as more than a couple of less than happy ones.
Almost as if it had served as a cornerstone of his life.
He and Darla had carved their names in one of the picnic table legs and then spent days worrying about what would happen when her parents found out. It turned out they’d simply laughed when Darla had shamefully confessed their vandalism three days later. John had chuckled and said that he’d assumed it had been there for years.
Lukas had sat there with Darla when she’d had to help Gretel do homework. He’d kept Maisie company when she’d needed an escape from Patsy’s nagging.
One hot day in July, Lukas had sat with Darla, Aaron, Rebecca, and the twins and gorged themselves on fresh vanilla ice cream. And John Kurtz had sat Lukas, Levi, and Aaron down when he’d gotten a report that the boys had been talking back to their teacher.
So, it was familiar. A place not much different from any other Amish family’s backyard—filled with warm memories, private conversations, and a dozen benchmarks of childhood.
However, in all that time, he’d never felt as uncomfortable as he did at that moment. Here, he was sitting on top of the picnic table, as was Roman. Simon was sitting on one of the benches and Aaron was standing against the back wall of the barn, glaring at all of them.
“Say what’s on your mind,” Aaron said impatiently. “Unlike you three, I’ve got a lot planned. I’d like to get this over with as soon as possible.”
Those words, said so dismissively, irked Lukas something fierce. Even before his father passed away, Lukas had been given a good amount
of responsibility at the mill. He had been on the leadership team for years. Because of that, it was rare that any man in the community blatantly disregarded his presence. He had to remind himself that Aaron was feeling cornered, that the man needed compassion and patience instead of anger and accusations.
Thank goodness Roman didn’t wait for Lukas to start things rolling. “Aaron, I’m afraid what I came to say can’t be discussed quickly. Because I think we need to talk about your father.”
Right then and there, the disdain that had filled Aaron’s blue eyes evaporated. In its place was a new hesitancy highlighted by a fragile pain. After a second, he blinked, shuttering his expression. “I think not,” Aaron said at last.
Lukas recognized that pain. He’d lived it. But he’d also witnessed the destruction it was causing. First with Darla, and now Hannah, and ultimately Aaron himself.
“I think differently,” Lukas replied when he was sure he could keep his voice steady and calm. “Until you find a way to ease some of your pain, you are going to continue to carry it and hurt yourself and other people.”
“I haven’t hurt anyone.”
Unable to stop himself, Lukas sprang to his feet. “Don’t lie. I’ve seen Darla’s bruises. We’ve talked about it.”
“Easy, Lukas,” Roman said under his breath.
Aaron rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. “Stay out of my business. My sister ain’t no concern of yours.”
“What about Hannah Eicher?” Simon asked. “Whose business is she?”
Aaron stilled. “Is she okay?”
“You slapped her in the middle of Main Street,” Simon replied. “How do you think she’s doing?”
“What happened?” Roman asked. “How did you get so angry with her in the first place?”
Pure puzzlement filled Aaron’s features. “I don’t know. At first I just wanted to talk to her. I mean, I thought we’d become friends.” His voice drifted off as he frowned. “But then she said she didn’t want to talk to me. Not anymore.” Staring at Roman, Aaron glared. “She was ignoring me. Ignoring Paul’s death. She was ignoring everything I was telling her. I had to make her listen to me.”
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