A Secret of the Heart (Amish Secrets--Book 3)

by J. E. B. Spredemann

  Jones punched some numbers into a panel and the door swung open. He confidently walked through the door and Lillianna followed. She looked behind the door and gaped in amazement when no one was there.

  “Close front door,” Jones said.

  Lillianna watched in astonishment as the door closed on its own.

  “Hello, Jones,” a female voice called out of nowhere.

  “Who is that?” Lillianna spoke up.

  Jones chuckled. “It’s a voice-activated facial-recognition security system. Mrs. Stevenson will have to program your name in too.”

  Lillianna just nodded, not wanting to admit her ignorance. She had no idea what he was talking about. This was fancier than anything she’d ever heard of.

  A petite brunette entered the foyer. She smiled and offered Lillianna her hand. “You must be Lillianna.”

  Lillianna shook her hand and nodded.

  “I am Candace, Clay’s wife.”

  “Gut to meet you.”

  Candace turned to Jones. “Let’s take those bags up to her room, Jones.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Stevenson.” Jones lifted the bags.

  “I’ll show you to your room, Lillianna. We’ll go over your duties tomorrow, as I’m certain you’d like to rest from your trip.” Candace walked to a spiral staircase and Lillianna followed with Jones behind her.

  “Denki.”

  Candace came to a door and stopped. She turned the knob and opened the door to a beautiful, large bedroom. She turned to Jones. “You may leave those by the door. Thank you, Jones.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  Lillianna briefly watched Jones descend the stairs, and then turned back to the wonderful gut room. Candace walked over to a door on the opposite side of the room. “This is your private bath and the closet is over there.” She pointed to another door.

  Lillianna opened the bathroom door and peered in. Her face brightened when she saw the giant bath tub. How lovely it would be to bathe this evening.

  “Do you have any questions?” Candace asked.

  Lillianna shook her head.

  “Okay. Well, if you do, I’ll be downstairs.” Candace turned to go, and then turned back. “If you need to make any phone calls, there is a phone beside the bed. Feel free to use the computer as well. Everything in this room is for your use.”

  “Denki.”

  “I’ll leave you to get settled.”

  Lillianna watched Candace exit. She turned back to her room, still disbelieving that she would be staying in a place so fancy. She walked to the window and peered out. An enormous flower garden was displayed below her. Many kinds of flowers, in a vast array of colors, seemed to weave through various green shrubberies. Several walking paths led to various places – one to a pond with a fountain of some sort in the middle, one to a grassy area where park benches and trees stood, and a couple more areas she couldn’t see from her view. She’d have to check it out another day when there was more daylight available. What a perfect place to read.

  She retreated from the window and whisked her bags to the closet. Her eyes bulged when she realized the closet was the size of a small room. How much clothing does a fancy Englischer usually have? You can only wear one dress at a time. Lillianna’s closet at home was barely large enough to step into, but it was sufficient for her needs. She removed her shoes and placed them on one of the closet shelves, and then removed her second identical pair from her bag and placed them there too. After she finished emptying her clothing bag, she placed her personal items in the nightstand drawer next to the bed, and put her books onto an empty shelf in the bookcase.

  Lillianna’s bath had been relaxing, but she would’ve enjoyed it more if she hadn’t been so tired. She quickly slipped into her nightgown and under the luxurious sheets of the impressive bed. She closed her eyes. Thomas was right; I don’t think I’ll ever get used to being Amish again after the year is over.

  <><><>

  Lillianna padded downstairs, ready to start the day. The sun was barely rising and it appeared nobody had awakened yet. A walk in the garden would be wonderful right now. She quietly tiptoed to the door and gently pulled it open, so as not to wake anyone.

  Suddenly a loud honking noise began, along with a strange high-pitched siren and flashing bright lights. Lillianna quickly closed the door and covered her ears. She’d never heard anything so frightening.

  In short order, bare-chested Congressman Stevenson appeared in a pair of blue flannel pajama pants. He raced to the panel next to the door and quickly punched something in. Lillianna sighed when the house was finally silent again.

  “I take it nobody’s told you how to use the alarm system yet?” His arms crossed his chest.

  Lillianna’s cheeks burned as though she’d been standing too close to the cook stove. This was not how she’d envisioned starting out her new job. “Ach, no.”

  “Come here,” he beckoned her close.

  She felt uncomfortable being so near while he was standing shirtless.

  “See those buttons? If no one is up and you’d like to leave the house, type in the passcode. For this door, it’s six, two, seven, nine.” He punched in the numbers.

  “Six, two, seven, nine?”

  He nodded. “Then you press the ‘Disarm’ button.”

  “Six, two, seven, nine, Disarm,” she repeated, attempting to drill it into her brain.

  “That’s correct.” He yawned. “I’m going back to bed now.”

  “Daddy, what was that noise?” a young boy asked from the bottom of the stairs.

  The congressman whisked him up into his arms and tousled his hair. “That was the alarm. It’s not time for you to get up yet, so go back up to your room. It should be quiet now.” He set the boy down and gave his back a gentle pat.

  Lillianna watched as the little boy made his way back upstairs.

  “Good night,” the congressman said as he journeyed toward his bedroom.

  After all was quiet, Lillianna decided to postpone her waltz in the garden. She didn’t want to take any chances of waking the household again. Instead, she headed back up to her room to read the Bible she’d brought along.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Lillianna was dying to make a large breakfast for the family, but she wouldn’t without instruction first. After the humiliating incident this morning, she didn’t dare take any chances. Who knows how many other strange things this fancy house was capable of? She sat on the loveseat in the family room and waited for the Stevenson family to emerge from their rooms. She was really looking forward to meeting the kinner.

  “Oh, wonderful! You’re up.” Candace walked into the family room with a child at each side.

  “Jah. Would you like me to start making breakfast?” Lillianna stood up.

  “That can wait a bit.”

  Lillianna glanced down at the small boy and girl. “Hello. Who are you?” She kneeled next to the youngest one.

  The little one looked up at her mother, then hesitantly at Lillianna.

  “You may tell her,” Candace permitted.

  The little girl hid behind her mother’s leg.

  “I’m Lillianna.” She held her hand out to show her friendliness.

  “She’s going to be your new nanny,” Candace explained.

  The little boy spoke up. “Mommy, we don’t need no nanny. We got you.”

  “It’s ‘we don’t need a nanny’,” she corrected. “And, yes, you do. Lillianna is going to watch you while Mommy and Daddy are gone.”

  “Does she make good food?” The boy eyed Lillianna undecidedly.

  “If you tell her your name, I’ll bet she’ll make something for you.” Candace raised her eyebrows.

  The boy looked suspiciously at Lillianna and crossed his arms. “What will she make me?”

  Lillianna glanced at Candace, who nodded. “Do you like coffee soup?”

  “You’re gonna make me coffee?” His eyes widened.

  Lillianna nodded.

  “I don’t know about that.�
�� Congressman Stevenson entered the room.

  Lillianna’s excitement deflated.

  “Yes, Daddy, coffee soup!” the boy protested.

  “Offee thoup,” his younger sister repeated.

  The congressman raised an eyebrow at Lillianna. “Just what exactly is this coffee soup?”

  “It’s a little coffee, with mostly milk, and some sugar. We usually dip bread or crackers into it. It’s quite tasty, actually. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like it.”

  “Coffee soup, coffee soup!” the two young ones demanded.

  Candace spoke up, “It looks like you’re outvoted, Clay.”

  He raised his hands in defeat. “I guess coffee soup, it is.”

  “Coffee soup!” the little ones chanted.

  Lillianna put a hand on her hip. “Wait a minute. You haven’t told me your names yet.” She eyed the young ones.

  “Calvin and Camille. She goes by Cammie, though, and I like Cal,” the boy volunteered.

  Lillianna smiled. “Nice to meet you, Cammie and Cal.”

  “Can we call ya ‘Lilly’?” Cal asked.

  “May we,” his mother corrected.

  “May we call ya ‘Lilly’?” he asked again.

  “‘Lilly’ is fine.” She turned to Candace. “You’ll have to show me how everything works here. I’m afraid this is much different than my Amish home.”

  “Of course. Follow me,” Candace said. “Clay, will you keep the children out of the kitchen while Lillianna and I prepare breakfast?”

  “Certainly,” he said.

  Lillianna followed behind Candace.

  <><><>

  Upon entering the enormous kitchen, Candace pressed a button on the wall that lit up the entire room. Lillianna followed her employer around a large island to a flat black counter. “This is the stove top.” Candace pressed another button that caused a red circular surface to appear. Lillianna put her hand over it and immediately felt the heat.

  Candace pulled open a wooden panel that seemed like part of the cabinetry. “This is the oven.” She turned and walked to the opposite side of the kitchen and opened another wooden panel. “This is the refrigerator. If you need to use any appliances, they’re inside the island,” Candace informed her.

  “Island?” Lillianna’s lips twisted.

  Candace moved to the counter in the center of the kitchen. “This is the island.” She smiled and opened one of the lower cabinet doors to reveal all kinds of gadgets.

  Lillianna was certain she wouldn’t be using any of those. “Where are the mixing bowls and wooden spoons?”

  Candace opened up another cabinet. “Feel free to look around to find what you need. You saw the pots and pans, right?”

  Lillianna looked up and pointed to a large cast-iron rack hanging from the ceiling. “Those?”

  Candace nodded. “Any questions?”

  “Where can I find the coffee and sugar?”

  “The coffee will be in the freezer and the sugar is in a canister in the cupboard. The grinder is kept in the island.” Candace removed the sugar, coffee, and the grinder and placed them on the island.

  She opened up the bag and found wonderful-smelling beans inside. This was quite different than the coffee she was used to having. “I’m not sure how that works.”

  “It’s simple. Remove the lid from the grinder and add some beans, close it and push down.”

  Lillianna did as instructed and jumped slightly when the grinder began.

  Candace nodded satisfactorily and moved to join the others in the family room. “Oh, and I should warn you that Clay uses the kitchen often. He adores utilizing his culinary skills, so he’ll probably prepare most of our dinners.”

  A man working in the kitchen? Yep, this was definitely a whole new world.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Thomas’ arrival at the airport in San Diego had been pleasant enough, yet anxiety still prevailed concerning the treatments. He didn’t think he’d ever be facing his cancer again. Prior to meeting Lillianna, he’d been resigned to his inevitable end. Finding Lillianna again had breathed new life into him. He now felt as though Mount Everest wouldn’t be too difficult an obstacle. What other woman would’ve been willing to forfeit an entire year of her life for him? He had to get better, if for no other reason than for Lillianna.

  As his eyes scanned the travelers, he looked for a sign with his name on it, as he’d been instructed to do. He eventually spotted a man with a baseball cap, holding a sign that read, ‘Thomas Girod’. He quickly approached the man.

  “I’m Thomas.” He shook the man’s hand.

  “Tristan. Nice to meet you, Thomas.” Tristan glanced down at his bag. “Do you have any checked luggage we need to pick up?”

  Thomas shook his head. “Nope; this is it.”

  “Great. Let’s get out of here.” Tristan smiled.

  As they drove near the border, Tristan informed Thomas of what to expect. “Is your passport handy? They don’t always ask for it, but just in case.”

  Thomas nodded. Fortunately he’d acquired a passport a few months ago in anticipation of completing his ‘bucket list’, the things he wished to do before he died. In fact, he probably wouldn’t have seen Lillianna again, had it not been for his bucket list. The Grand Canyon was one of many places he’d wanted to see in the States before he traveled abroad. If all went well with his treatments, perhaps he and Lillianna would have the opportunity to travel. He smiled just thinking about it.

  A yellow ‘caution’ sign with a man, woman, and child running caught Thomas’ eye. “What does that mean?”

  “This is one of the busiest areas for illegal immigrant crossing. I heard they erected the signs after several people were struck by vehicles.”

  “Oh, wow.” Thomas grasped his seatbelt when traffic suddenly slowed to a near-stop.

  “Whatever you do, don’t give money to the street children,” Tristan advised.

  “Street children?”

  “You’ll see in just a little bit. They stand on the streets selling gum, candies, and other things. It’s usually a lot worse on the way out because they have a captive audience with all the cars waiting in line to cross over the border.”

  “Why shouldn’t we give to them?” Thomas felt like he could at least give a couple bucks to a needy child.

  “If you give to one, they will all surround your car. Besides, it’s dangerous for them to be weaving in and out of traffic, so I don’t want to encourage it. It’s a sad thing.” As the border patrol waved them through, Tristan pointed. “See, there are some.”

  Thomas’ eyes widened. “Those children can’t be more than five or six years old! Who would allow their children to run around on the street like that?”

  Tristan shrugged. “People think differently. Maybe they really need the money.”

  “I think I’d find a way to make money myself instead of sending my little ones off. Anyone could just pull them into their car and kidnap them.”

  “Sad. I know. And then there’s human trafficking, where the poor children are sold to money-grubbing men who prostitute them out to pedophiles.” Tristan blew out a breath.

  Thomas’ skin crawled. “That’s beyond belief.”

  “We often don’t realize how good we have it, Thomas.”

  He nodded. “You’re right. And I thought I was in a predicament with this cancer.” Thomas grasped the door handle when another vehicle zoomed past and nearly ran them off the road. “Sheesh! The people drive crazy out here. I’ll be lucky to even make it to the clinic.”

  Tristan chuckled. “I’ve been doing this for years and I’m still alive.”

  Thomas shook his head. “I don’t see how.”

  “Only by the grace of God, is what I say.”

  Thomas knew he needed to change the subject quickly. The last thing he wanted was to begin another ‘God’ conversation. “How’d you get this job?”

  “My mother came here about twenty years ago for treatment. I saw how well these treat
ments work, in spite of all the negative press in the States, and I wanted to help out some way. My mother wasn’t the only one getting well. Prior to coming here, she did her research. She talked with others who’d gone through it and compared their results with those who’d gone the traditional route. She realized the survival rate statistics in many of the Mexican clinics were much better than with conventional medicine. Sometimes I wonder about that, you know? You’d think if something works that the medical community would embrace it. The results these clinics get are impressive and I might not believe it had I not seen it with my own eyes. I admit I was skeptical at first.”

  “Why do you suppose these American cancer associations and doctors are so against it?” Thomas raised an eyebrow.

  “One word: money. Think about it. The cancer industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. What would happen if the answer to cancer was something simple – a plant that everyone could grow in their backyard?” Tristan pushed on the horn when another vehicle cut in front of him, nearly causing an accident.

  “I’m not sure. I guess there would be a lot of people out of jobs.”

  “Bingo.”

  “So, what about your mother? Is she still alive?”

  “My mom? Oh yeah, she’s alive more now than ever. Once she began her treatments here, she only improved. She’s been real good about only consuming what she’s supposed to. The ones who stick with the diet and lifestyle are the ones who typically make it.”

  Thomas nodded. “That’s what I’ve been told.”

  “Not everyone survives, of course. I believe that if it’s your time to die, no treatment is gonna stop it. But if it isn’t your time, your chances are a lot better here.”

  “Thank you. I feel a little more confident now. My fiancée talked me into this.”

  Tristan smiled. “You’ll thank her later.”