A middle-aged woman entered the room and called Karen’s name.
“Guess it’s now or never,” Karen said as she rose from her seat.
Mom gave her a reassuring smile. “I’ll be praying that everything goes well.”
When Will entered the makeshift shop he’d set up in their storage shed, he noticed that the door was ajar. He figured Papa Mark must have gotten something from the shed earlier and forgotten to close the door.
He lit the lantern hanging overhead, as well as the small propane-operated stove. He rubbed his hands briskly to warm them up and was about to grab his hammer and a can of nails when he heard a strange squeaking noise. He tipped his head and listened. There it was again.
He followed the sound to the back of the shed and halted when he came to a wooden box full of rags. There lay Sandy with five squealing puppies nestled against her body.
“Well, what do you know?” Will leaned closer to the box for a better look. “I guess you didn’t like the bed I made for you in the barn, huh, girl?”
Sandy grunted as she opened her eyes and looked up at him.
Will patted the top of her head. “Go on back to sleep; I won’t disturb you or your sleeping pups.” He grabbed his tools and some pieces of wood, figuring he could work in the barn. He’d just stepped outside when he spotted his friend Nathan coming from the store.
“Wie geht’s, Will?” Nathan asked.
“I’m doing okay. How about you?”
“Can’t complain. I stopped at your mamm’s store to see if you were working, and she said you were either in the shed or the barn.”
Will motioned to the shed. “I was going to do some work in there, but I discovered that my cocker spaniel snuck in and had her hundlin there. I figured I’d better head out to the barn to work so I wouldn’t disturb Sandy and her brood.”
“How many pups did she have?”
“Five in all. Would you like to see ’em?”
“Maybe some other time. I’m on my way to Goshen to do some shopping at Walmart and wondered if you’d like to go along.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I think I’d better pass.” Will lifted his tool pouch. “I’m heading to the barn to work on a birdhouse I plan to give Karen for Christmas. When I’m done, I’m going over to Karen’s house to see how she’s doing.”
“What’s wrong with Karen? Is she grank?” Nathan asked as he followed Will to the barn.
Will shook his head. “She’s not sick. She was supposed to have her wisdom teeth pulled this morning. If it goes anything like it did when my mamm had hers out a few years ago, Karen probably won’t feel like herself for the next couple of days.”
“Karen’s got youth on her side, so I’m sure it won’t be near as bad as what your mamm went through.”
“Are you saying Mama Regina’s old?” Will asked as he placed the wood and tools on the workbench inside the barn door.
“‘Course not. That isn’t what I meant at all.”
“What did you mean?”
“I meant that Karen’s young and—”
Will held up his hand. “That’s okay. No need to explain. I guess I’m a bit oversensitive where Mama Regina’s concerned.”
“How come?”
“You know the story, Nathan. If Mama Regina and Papa Mark hadn’t taken me in and raised me like a son, I’d have probably been hauled off to some orphanage or put in a foster home.”
“I’d never thought about that possibility. I can see why Mark and Regina are so special to you.”
Will nodded and picked up his hammer and a nail. He positioned it over one of the pieces of wood and brought down the hammer. “Yeow!” He pulled his thumb back, and the hammer thudded to the floor.
“You’d better watch what you’re doin’, dummkopp.” Nathan bent to pick up the hammer. “A few more misses like that, and you won’t have a thumb left.”
“I was watching. I just missed the nail, that’s all.” Will squinted at Nathan. “And what’s up with the dunce remark? I thought you were my gut friend.”
“I was only kidding, and I am your good friend.” Nathan placed the hammer on the workbench and thumped Will on the back. “Which is why I’ve decided to stay here in Indiana—at least until after your wedding.”
“Really? You’re not going back to Ohio for Thanksgiving?”
“Nope. I may not go back for Christmas or New Year’s, either. I may decide to stay here permanently.”
“That’d be great, Nathan.” Will’s face broke into a wide smile. “Now I know for sure that you’ll be here as one of my witnesses.”
“At your wedding?”
Will gave his friend a playful swat on the arm. “Of course at my wedding. What else would I want you to be my witness for?”
Nathan motioned to Will’s throbbing thumb. “I thought maybe you wanted me to witness you smacking your thumb a few more times.”
Will grunted. “I’ll take that to mean you like being with me.”
“Of course.” Nathan moved toward the door. “I’d better get going.”
Will picked up his hammer. “See you soon.”
CHAPTER 10
When Frank entered his house and smelled the distinctive aroma of stuffed peppers coming from the kitchen, his stomach rumbled. It felt good to be home, and he was more than ready to eat supper.
“Daddy!” Kim squealed as she wrapped her arms around his legs. “I missed you, Daddy!”
“I missed you, too.” Frank bent down and scooped the little girl into his arms. “Where’s your big sister?”
“She’s in the kitchen settin’ the table.”
Frank kissed the top of Kim’s curly head. “How come you’re not in there helping her?”
“‘Cause I’m in here with you.”
He smiled and set the child on the floor. “Where’s your mother? Is she in the kitchen, too?”
Kim nodded. “Mommy made hot dogs for me and Carrie.” She crinkled her nose. “That’s ‘cause we don’t like green peppers.”
Frank grimaced. Megan was always pacifying the kids. He thought they ought to learn to eat real people food, but he wouldn’t make an issue of it tonight. He was too tired to argue about anything. He just wanted to relax and enjoy his meal then spend the rest of the evening sprawled out on the couch watching his favorite game show on TV.
Frank took Kim’s hand and headed for the kitchen, where he found Megan making a tossed green salad while Carrie filled the glasses on the table with water.
“Be careful with that pitcher,” Frank admonished. “And don’t fill the glasses too full.”
Megan whirled around, a frown marring her forehead. “Is that any way to greet your daughter?”
“Sorry,” Frank mumbled. He waited until Carrie was finished with the water then bent down and kissed her cheek. “Did you have a good day at school?”
She nodded. “We got to draw pictures of our favorite zoo animal. I drew a monkey, and Teacher said my picture was really good.”
“That’s nice, honey.” Frank snatched a pickle from the jar on the counter and took a bite. “How soon until supper’s ready, Megan?”
Her frowned deepened. “Is that all I get—‘How soon until supper’s ready’?”
“Sorry. It’s been a long day, and I’m hungry enough to eat a horse.”
Kim’s eyes widened. “You wouldn’t really eat a horse, would ya, Daddy?”
He ruffled her hair. “It’s just an expression, pumpkin.”
She stared up at him and blinked a couple of times. “What’s a ’spression?”
“It’s ‘expression,’ and it means a way of saying something.” Frank turned to give Megan a hug. “How was your day?”
“It was fine. I—”
“You’ll never guess what I saw on my way to East Earl this morning.”
“What’d you see, Daddy?” The question came from Carrie.
“I saw an Amish buggy turned on its side, and the horse pulling the buggy was on the ground.”
“It seemed to be. I stopped to see if I could help, but the emergency vehicles were on the way, so I didn’t hang around long.”
“Was anyone hurt, Daddy?” Carrie questioned.
“From what I was told, the driver of the buggy was shaken up pretty good, but he wasn’t seriously hurt.” Frank slowly shook his head. “He sure could have been, though. I’ve heard of some buggy accidents that left—”
Megan nudged Frank’s arm. “Could we please talk about something else? I don’t think this is a good topic of conversation for the girls.”
He shrugged. “It’s a fact of life, and the girls shouldn’t be sheltered from the truth.”
Megan shot Frank an icy stare as she handed him the bowl of salad. “Would you please put this on the table? It’s time to eat.”
“Yeah, sure.” Frank placed the bowl on the table and went to the refrigerator to get the salad dressing. He’d just taken a seat when Megan placed the hot dogs and stuffed peppers on the table. He swallowed the temptation to talk to her about the unhealthy way she fed the girls.
When Megan sat down, she looked over at Kim and said, “Would you like to ask the blessing tonight?”
Kim nodded and bowed her head. “Dear God, thanks for the yummy hot dogs, and please keep all the horses in the world safe. Amen.”
Frank bit the side of his cheek to keep from laughing. Most kids had a soft spot for animals, and Kim was certainly no exception.
He grimaced as a rush of memories flooded his mind—memories of when Will was a little guy, seeking answers to countless questions and often begging for a dog. But Frank couldn’t give Will a dog because they were always on the road. To his way of thinking, it wasn’t practical to have a pet unless he could give it a good home. A boy needed a home, too—a place his father would return to each evening after work.
“Frank, did you hear what I said?”
He jerked his head in Megan’s direction. “What was that?”
“Would you please pass the salad?”
“Yeah, sure.” He handed her the salad, as well as the bottle of dressing.
“How much longer do you think you’ll be on the road driving one of your trucks?” Megan asked.
“That depends on how long Mitch and Ray are out sick.” He grabbed the saltshaker and sprinkled some on his salad.
“Do you have to use so much salt? It’s not good for your blood pressure.”
Frank gripped his fork so tightly that his fingers started to throb. Megan was worried about him eating too much salt, yet she fed the kids hot dogs four times a week. Where was the logic in that?
“My insurance policy’s paid up,” he muttered as he forked some salad into his mouth. “If I die from eating too much salt, your financial needs will be met.”
“Frank!” Megan pursed her lips and gave him her “You shouldn’t talk like that in front of the girls” look.
Frank crammed another forkful of salad into his mouth. Fine, then—he would eat the rest of his meal in silence!
As Megan watched Frank, she noticed how red his face had become. He was obviously upset about something, and she figured it wasn’t just her mentioning that he had used too much salt on his salad. More than likely, seeing the results of that Amish buggy accident today had brought back memories of his son. He’d probably been stewing about his past most of the day.
When Frank finished eating, he put his dishes in the sink and headed for the living room.
Megan turned to the girls and said, “When you’re done eating, I’d like you to go upstairs and get ready for bed.”
“Can’t we play awhile?” Carrie whined.
“After you’re in your pajamas, you can play for half an hour. Oh, and be sure to say good night to your daddy before you go upstairs.”
As Megan did the dishes, she rehearsed what she wanted to say to Frank when she joined him in the living room. She had come up with an idea she wanted to share and hoped he would be open to it.
When she entered the living room a short time later, she found him lying on the couch watching TV. “Mind if I join you?”
“Be my guest.” Frank shifted his feet, making room for her to sit on the other end of the couch. “This new game show is really good. The contestants are expected to—”
“Frank, we need to talk.”
“Yeah, okay. As soon as there’s a commercial.”
“I’d like to talk to you now, if you don’t mind.”
Deep wrinkles formed in his forehead. “What’s so important that it can’t wait until commercial time?”
“Our lives—that’s what’s important.”
He muted the volume on the TV. “What about our lives?”
“I think this whole fixation you have with Amish people and their buggies and horses needs to stop.”
“I don’t have a fixation with the Amish.”
“Yes, you do. Ever since we moved to Pennsylvania, all you’ve done is look at Amish buggies, talk about Amish people, and brood over the loss of your boy.”
Frank pulled himself to a sitting position and swung his legs over the couch. “What would you have me do—forget I ever had a son named Will?”
“Of course not, but you don’t know where Will is, and you have a wife and two beautiful daughters who need your love and attention.” Megan sighed. “Just a few weeks ago, you promised you’d keep your focus on me and the girls.”
“I am keeping my focus on you. I just can’t think about you every waking minute.” He grimaced and thumped the side of his head. “No matter how hard I try, I can’t stop thinking about Will. Every time I see an Amish buggy or a young Amish man, I’m reminded that my son is out there somewhere, and short of a miracle, I’ll never see him again.”
“Then I think we should move.”
“What?”
“I think we should move someplace where there are no Amish communities.”
His lips compressed as he folded his arms. “I can’t believe you said that, Megan. In case you’ve forgotten, my business is here.”
“I know, but you can relocate.”
He shook his head. “I am not relocating!”
CHAPTER 11
Karen stretched her legs to the end of the sofa as she snuggled beneath the quilt Mom had draped over her. Despite the pain Karen had in her mouth, it felt kind of nice to be pampered a bit.
“Is there anything I can bring you?” Mom asked. “Maybe some juice or a bowl of Jell-O?”
Karen shook her head. “I’m still full from the oatmeal I had for breakfast.”
“Do you need another pain pill?”
“No, I’m fine.”
Mom patted Karen’s feet. “If you need anything, just give a ring.”
Karen looked at the little bell Mom had placed on the table near the sofa. “How are you going to hear me ring that if you’re working in the store?”
“I won’t be working there today. Cindy and your daed can manage without me, and Mavis plans to work a few hours this afternoon.”
“But you didn’t work in the store yesterday because you went with me to the oral surgeon’s, and since I won’t be up to helping for a few more days—”
Mom held up her hand. “Don’t worry about it. I wouldn’t feel right about leaving you in the house alone. What if you started bleeding real bad or needed me for something?”
Karen was tempted to argue further but didn’t have the strength for it. Besides, it would be nice to know Mom was in the house. “Danki,” she said as she relaxed against the pillow Mom had placed under her head.
“You’re welcome.” Mom moved toward the door. “I’ll be in the kitchen doing the dishes. Don’t forget to ring the bell if you need me.”
When Mom left the room, Karen took her Bible from the coffee table and turned to Psalms. Her gaze came to rest on Psalm 146:5: “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God.”
She closed her eyes. Thank You, Lord, for the reminder that You are my help. Please give me the patience to rest while I heal.”
A knock at the back door ended Karen’s prayer.
“I’ll get it,” Mom called from the kitchen.
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