The Crow’s Call: Amish Greenhouse Mystery Book 1

by Wanda E. Brunstetter, Kristin Billerbeck, Kristy Dykes, Aisha Ford, Birdie L. Etchison, Pamela Griffin, Joyce Livingston, Tamela Hancock Murray

  Mom’s eyes brightened a little. “That is a very generous offer, but don’t you usually sell them at the farmers’ market or set up a roadside stand in front of your place?”

  “We’ve tried that a few times, but it’s a lot of work. And with Lenore being so busy with two little ones, it’s more than I can keep up with by myself.” She touched Mom’s arm. “Please, Belinda, I want you to have them. I’ll just keep a few out for ourselves is all.”

  Mom nodded and gave Mary Ruth a hug. “All right then, but I insist on paying you. I’ll send Henry over with our market wagon to get them as soon as he finishes disposing of the rest of the lifeless plants.”

  “If you sell a lot, you can give me a small payment, but I want you to be able to make a profit.” Mary Ruth’s big smile and light, bubbly voice indicated that she was more than willing to share from her abundance. It was kind and generous people like her who made the world a better place. It appeared that things might be looking up for them again.

  Later that morning, Lydia got out her scooter and headed to the greenhouse to talk to Amy. She needed to set her straight on how things were between her and Jared. She could only imagine what her friend must have thought when Mom told her that Lydia and Jared were talking about getting married. Amy probably thinks I betrayed her. If I don’t set things straight right away, it could be the end of our friendship.

  Lydia thought about Rudy and how she’d kept her relationship with him a secret even from her best friend. “I should have at least told Amy,” she mumbled as she neared the Kings’ place. “I’m sure she would have kept my secret, and she wouldn’t have gotten the wrong idea about me and Jared.”

  When Lydia arrived outside the greenhouse, she parked her scooter near the building and went inside. She found Belinda sitting on a stool behind the counter, sorting through some papers.

  “Guder mariye, Belinda.” Lydia smiled. “Is Amy here? I need to speak with her about something important.”

  Amy’s mother shook her head. “My daughter had a dental appointment. She hired a driver to take her there. I believe she may have had a few errands to run too, so she probably won’t be back for several hours.”

  “Oh, I see.” Lydia was tempted to tell Amy’s mother the reason she had come over and ask her to give Amy the message, but she decided against that idea. It would be better if she talked to Amy herself. Perhaps she could put in a good word for Jared too, like she’d tried to do in the past. Only this time, maybe she could talk some sense into her friend.

  Lydia pulled her shoulders back. If Amy could take time out to attend my birthday gathering, she could certainly find the time for Jared to court her. I just need to make her see that and then act upon it.

  “Now that was sure strange.” Belinda stroked her chin, watching as Lydia rode out of the parking lot on her scooter. I wonder why she wouldn’t give me a message for Amy. She didn’t even ask me to let my daughter know she had stopped by here looking for her. Oh well, I guess she’ll come back if it was anything important.

  Remembering the new watering cans she’d purchased to sell in the greenhouse and left outside the door, Belinda stepped out. Her forehead creased as she looked down at the spot where she’d placed them. There had been four cans earlier, but now there were only three.

  I wonder if Henry thought they were for our personal needs and hauled one off to use somewhere.

  She looked up toward their garden but saw no sign of her son. Maybe he took it up to the house for Sylvia to use in the flowerbeds near the back door. Belinda was tempted to walk up there and see but didn’t want to leave the greenhouse unattended. Guess it’ll have to wait until Henry shows up. She picked up two of the watering cans and brought them into the building then went back and got the third one.

  Twenty minutes passed, and two customers had come in, but still Belinda saw no sign of Henry. What could that boy be doing all this time? He was supposed to join me here as soon as Amy left for her dental appointment.

  Another ten minutes went by before Henry finally made an appearance. “Where have you been?” she asked. “There are people here who might need some assistance, and I can’t do that and be up here at the checkout counter too.” Belinda kept her voice down, hoping none of the patrons could hear her conversation with Henry. This business of him showing up late for work and disappearing all the time was getting old. She’d need to have a talk with him about this, but it would have to wait until a more opportune time.

  “I was lookin’ for my crow. Haven’t seen him in the yard for a few days, and I’m worried about him.”

  Belinda rolled her eyes. Is that crow really so important?

  He shrugged and started walking toward the customers, but Belinda stopped him with one more question. “There were four brand-new watering cans outside the door, but now there are only three. Did you take one of them?”

  He shook his head. “I never saw four cans, only three, and that was when I went lookin’ for Charlie.”

  Belinda waved her hand. “All right then, go ahead and see if any of the customers have questions or need help with anything.”

  As her son headed down aisle 1, Belinda leaned forward with her elbows on the counter. Am I losing my mind? Could I have purchased only three watering cans to sell and thought it was four?

  Clymer

  “I wonder how things have been going for your mom and siblings,” Michelle commented when Ezekiel came into the house to get his lunch. “Have you talked to any of them lately?”

  He shook his head. “Guess it’s been close to a week. I’ve been meaning to phone them and ask, but I’ve had so many orders to complete in my shop, I keep putting off making the call.”

  He combed his fingers through the ends of his beard. “Guess my priorities are mixed up right now. I’ll stop at the phone shed and call before returning to my shop.”

  “Would you rather I do it for you?” Michelle offered. “I could do it right now while you’re in the house or wait till the baby and Angela Mary are down for their naps.”

  Ezekiel shook his head. “No, that’s okay, it’s my responsibility to check on my family back home.” He pulled Michelle into his arms and gave her a kiss. “You have enough to do taking care of the kinner as well as the house.”

  “I don’t mind, really.”

  He kissed her again. “I know you don’t. You’re such a sweet and caring person. I feel seelich that you agreed to marry me.”

  She stroked his face. “I’m the one who is blessed.”

  He grinned at her and grabbed his lunchbox. “I’ll see you later this afternoon.”

  “I look forward to it.” Michelle’s dimpled smile almost made Ezekiel change his mind about going back to work, but his responsibility to the customers who’d placed orders won out.

  As he headed to the phone shed, Ezekiel thought about Henry and how he had suspected the boy might be smoking. He’d made good on his decision to climb into the hayloft while he and his family were there visiting and had been relieved when he didn’t find anything except a pair of binoculars by the open window. Maybe Henry wasn’t lying when he said he hadn’t been smoking. Ezekiel hoped it was true.

  Strasburg

  Amy came away from her dental appointment feeling more depressed than ever. It turned out that the sensitive tooth she’d been dealing with for the last week—and hadn’t told anyone about—was abscessed. The dentist had prescribed an antibiotic to deal with the infection and offered her two choices: a root canal, followed by a porcelain crown, or pulling the tooth. Due to the expense of the first procedure he’d offered, Amy had gone with the second option and scheduled an appointment for next week. The tooth in question was near the back of her mouth, so at least having it gone wouldn’t be noticeable.

  “Seems like there is always some kind of trouble,” Amy mumbled as she approached the pharmacy, which was a block down the street from the dentist’s office.

  When she entered the building, she checked at the counter for her medicine, a
nd they told her it wasn’t quite ready, but Amy went ahead and paid for it. While she waited, she milled around the aisles, looking at things.

  Amy looked up and saw their neighbor come in and walk up to the prescription counter. “I’m Virginia Martin, and I’m here to pick up a prescription for my hormones.”

  “All right, let me go check.” The man stepped away.

  “Amy King!” the other clerk called.

  “Yes.” She stepped up to the counter.

  “Here’s your antibiotic, and the receipt is in the bag.”

  “Thank you.” Amy turned to her neighbor. “Hello, Virginia.”

  “Oh hi. So, you had to come in here too, huh?”

  “Yes. I have a tooth that’s giving me some trouble.”

  “That’s too bad.” Virginia looked at the pharmacist who had returned with her prescription.

  “Here you go. Do you need anything else today?”

  “Nope. That’s all.” She pulled out her checkbook.

  “Well, have a good day, Virginia.” Amy left the counter.

  “You too.” Virginia barely glanced her way.

  Mom’s right. She is a person of few words.

  When Amy came out of the pharmacy with her prescription, Helen, one of their new drivers, was just pulling into the parking lot. After Amy approached the van, Helen rolled down her window and stuck her head out. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Amy, but I just got a frantic call from my mother. She said my dad was in a car accident and is being rushed to the hospital in Lancaster. She wants me to meet her there right away.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear about your father. I hope he’ll be okay.”

  “So do I. Listen, would it be all right if I call a friend of mine and ask her to come and take you home?”

  “That’s okay. I’ll walk.”

  “Are you sure? Your place is a good two miles from here.”

  “It’ll be fine. I’ve walked that road before, and it wasn’t too bad. Besides, the fresh air and exercise will do me some good.”

  “All right then. Thanks, Amy.”

  “Please give us a call later and let us know how your father is doing.”

  “I will.”

  Amy watched as Helen’s van pulled out of the parking lot and onto the street. She knew all too well the agony of losing her father. Right then, Amy said a prayer that Helen’s dad would be okay.

  Before Amy started her trek toward home, she stopped at Strasburg Country Store on Main Street for a bottle of water. Despite the cooler weather they’d been having, the warmth of the sun beating down on her head caused Amy to wonder if she’d made a mistake telling her driver not to call someone else to take her home.

  Well, it’s too late to change my mind now. Amy trudged along and soon headed out of town and down the country road in the direction of home.

  She’d gone a short way when a horse pulling a market buggy came up beside her. “Where ya headed?”

  Amy turned and was surprised to see Jared in the driver’s seat. “I’m going home.” Her heartbeat picked up speed as he gave her a friendly smile. “Hop in. I’ll give you a ride.”

  Common sense told Amy she should say no, but her heart won out. As much as it hurt, the only right thing to do was tell Jared that she wished him and Lydia all the best. She truly did want the best for her friends, but it would be impossible to say she was happy for them. Just a sincere “Well wishes to you both” would have to suffice.

  Amy climbed into the passenger side of the buggy. “I appreciate the ride. I thought I was up to the two-mile walk, but I’m not feeling my best today.”

  Jared turned in his seat to face her. “I’m sorry to hear that. What’s wrong?”

  Amy explained about her tooth and what the dentist had said. “Guess it could have been worse.” She touched her jaw. “The prescription I got should relieve the ache until the problem can be fixed.” If only there was something that could take away the pain I feel in my heart.

  “Are you going to get a root canal?” he asked, guiding his horse back onto the road.

  She shook her head. “It would be too expensive, so I made an appointment to let the dentist pull my abscessed tooth.”

  “If it’s about the money, I’d be happy to pay for it, Amy.”

  She shook her head so vigorously the ties on her kapp swished across her face. “Since there are marriage plans in your future, you’ll need all the money you earn.”

  “Marriage plans?” Jared glanced at her and tipped his head.

  “To Lydia.”

  His head flinched back slightly. “Where in the world did you get that idea?”

  “Lydia’s mamm told me that you and Lydia were courting and also talking of marriage.”

  “I have no idea where Darlene would have gotten that idea. Lydia and I aren’t courting, much less planning to get married.”

  “You’re not?” Jared’s denial didn’t make sense. Amy saw no reason that Lydia’s mother would make up such a thing.”

  “Lydia has secretly been seeing Rudy because she knew her parents did not approve of him.”

  “Rudy Zook?”

  “That’s right.”

  “But … but you and Lydia have been seen together several times, and at her birthday party, you were with her most of the evening.”

  “Jah, thanks to her mamm. She kept pushing us together.” Jared reached over and lightly touched Amy’s arm. “The only reason Lydia and I have been together is because we were talking about you. She was trying to help me figure out some way to—”

  A car with a couple of teenage boys inside came roaring up beside them. Amy recognized the blond-haired fellow sitting in the passenger’s seat. She didn’t know the boy’s name, but he and his family lived down the road from them. Sometimes she had seen him mowing lawns or doing yard work for other people along their road.

  Amy was preparing to wave, but before she could lift her hand, the young driver honked the horn and sped on by. She could hear the boys’ laughter through their open windows.

  All the noise must have spooked the horse, because Dandy took off like a shot as they neared a Y in the road. Amy wasn’t sure they’d even be able to make the turn that veered to the right.

  Her heart pounded erratically as she clung to the edge of her seat, and Jared’s knuckles turned white as he clutched the reins and hollered, “Whoa, Dandy! Whoa!”

  As if in a frenzy, the horse’s hooves kept pummeling the road. Several times the gelding crossed over the white line, and then he would jerk back again.

  Amy’s mouth went dry when she saw a car coming from the opposite direction. All she could think about was that she’d lost her father, brother, and Sylvia’s husband in a tragic accident less than six months ago. Please, Lord, don’t let anything happen to Jared or me. Our families would be devastated.

  Amy hung on for dear life and kept praying as the vehicle approached. Jared pulled sharply on the reins, forcing Dandy to the lane they should be in. When the car passed, the driver shook his fist and blew the horn, which only riled the horse more. Amy was so scared, she couldn’t speak. Didn’t the man behind the wheel of that vehicle realize Jared had not directed his horse into the other lane on purpose?

  It seemed that the more Jared hollered for his horse to stop, the faster Dandy galloped down the road. Amy feared if he didn’t get the horse under control soon, they could end up in a ditch with the buggy toppling over. And if the horse kept moving into the opposite lane, they would most surely be involved in a head-on accident.

  Sweat poured off Jared’s forehead and ran down his face as he continued the struggle with his horse. Finally, when Amy felt sure the buggy would tip over, Reckless quit running and slowed to a trot.

  “Whew, that’s a relief. Are you okay, Amy?” Jared reached across the seat and touched her arm.

  “I’m fine,” she said, barely able to catch her breath. “That ordeal really shook me up.”

  “Same here.” Jared guided Dandy to a wide stret
ch of the road where there was plenty of room to stop. “I think we need a little time to catch our breath and quit shaking.”

  Amy nodded her agreement.

  Still holding tightly to the reins, Jared looked over at Amy with such a tender expression, tears flooded her eyes. He let go with one hand and reached over to wipe them away with his thumb. “I love you, Amy, and I always will. Please say that I can begin courting you again. I would do just about anything to get you back.”

  “What about Lydia? Did you come to care for her during the time you and I were apart?”

  Jared pointed his finger at her. “Didn’t you hear a word I said before Dandy started acting up?”

  “Well, I wasn’t sure …”

  “It’s you I love, Amy, not Lydia. Like I said, she’s secretly been seeing Rudy, and the only reason Lydia and I have gotten together is to talk about what I could do to get you back.” A muscle in Jared’s right cheek twitched. “I think if you’ll just listen to me, we can work things out.”

  Amy pressed a trembling hand to her chest. “Oh Jared, I’ve missed you so much, and I have been praying about our situation.”

  “Did you receive an answer?”

  “I thought I had until I ran into Lydia’s mamm and she mentioned that you and Lydia were talking about marriage.”

  He chuckled. “Oh, Lydia’s talked about it all right, but it’s not me she’s eager to marry. Your good friend is eager to become Rudy’s fraa.” Jared lifted Amy’s chin so she had no choice but to look right in his eyes, and then he leaned forward and gave her lips a sweet, gentle kiss. “And I’m eager for you to become my wife. After we have courted a respectable time, will you agree to become Mrs. Jared Riehl?”

  Amy nodded slowly as a renewed sense of hope welled in her chest. They had a lot to talk about the rest of the way home.

  When Belinda heard a horse and buggy pull into the parking lot, she opened the greenhouse door and looked out. Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Her mouth nearly fell open when she saw Jared helping Amy out of his market buggy at the hitching rail.