A Dark Amish Night (11 page)

Hannah could feel the pain radiating off Quinn. She understood the depth of his guilt and shame, but nothing came to her to say that would comfort him. So she asked a question that burned inside of her to distract him.

   “So what’s it like to go dancing in a bar?”
   Quinn had been so lost in self-recrimination that he was taken aback by Hannah’s question and could not suppress the laugh that came out as a snort. It was getting easy to forget that Hannah had lived a sheltered life in the Amish community and would have never been out dancing on a real kind of date. Without thinking about it, he jumped up and pulled Hannah to her feet.

   “Wait right there.” Quinn sprinted to his car and turned on the radio and adjusted it until he found what he was looking for. Soon the strains of Garth Brook’s ‘The Dance’ filled the air in an almost far off sound.

  Before he started to second guess what he was about to do, Quinn walked back up to where Hannah stood and held out his hands to her. She stepped easily into his embrace and slid her hands in his.

   At first it was a little awkward for Quinn. It had been many years since he had danced, but the two-step had been ingrained in him since he was old enough to learn the steps on the toes of his big sister, Bella. Soon he and Hannah were gliding together in sync on the dew slick grass of the front yard. In the pale moonlight, Quinn looked down at Hannah’s soft face and lost himself there.
Who are you kidding, Ramsey? You’re falling hard for this woman. You know what? I don’t care. I want this and I think she does too. 

  
Quinn let his thoughts slip from his mind. He continued to look deeply into Hannah’s emerald green eyes as he led her effortlessly across the lawn until the last notes of the song faded away. For just a few moments the two of them stood in the moonlight just gazing into each other’s eyes. Quinn started to lean forward to kiss her. The reality of what he was about to do hit him like a jolt and he turned loose of her hands and shoved his own inside his pockets.

   “Ahem… Well aren’t you full of surprises. Either you’re a natural or you’ve two-stepped before¸ Hannah.”

   Hannah lowered her lashes and a smile spread across her face.  “I’m guilty. I did have a Rumspringa, Quinn. I learned the two-step then. The dancing was one thing I enjoyed the most about that time in my life.” Hannah sighed and walked back to the porch steps. Quinn followed her and sat down beside her.

   “Rumspringa, there’s a word I’ve heard before. But what’s it exactly?”

   “In Pennsylvania Dutch it means ‘to run around’; for the plain folk it is the time when a youth in the community reaches the age of sixteen until they are twenty-one. It is during this time when we are given the chance to see how the English live and then we must choose to either be baptized in the church as adults or to stay in the English world.”  Hannah was silent for a moment as memories of her Rumspringa made her both smile and wince at the same time. It had been a happy time for her, but also a trying one. Her coming of age had not been without the angst that many young Amish faced.

   “So what do you do during this Rumspringa?”

   “Well, here in our community those that are in the Rumspringa age gather for Sunday night sings. At the sings we play English music and dress English. There is dancing. Some will even smoke and drink. I admit I liked the dancing, but I knew that I would choose to be in the church. I never thought otherwise. I wanted to be married to Eric. It was after one of the sings Eric finally asked me to marry him.” Hannah paused for a minute as tears welled in her eyes. Quinn put his hand on her shoulder.

   “You don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to.” His voice was barely a whisper.

   Hannah smiled in the dark. “No, I want to talk about it. It’s just that it was one of the happiest days of my life, but it was also a scary time for me. I remember I was so afraid that I was going to lose Eric. You see, he was promised to marry Margaret Miller, and when she decided to leave the community for good he was heartbroken…” Hannah’s voice trailed off as memories of being young and in love with a man who was promised to another flooded her mind. She kept talking as the memories flowed.

  
Somehow Eric caught wind that Peter Yoder was trying to court me. Peter had taken to picking me and some others up in his father’s buggy to give us all rides to the Sunday night sings. And yes, I mean the same Peter Yoder who used to pull my hair in school. But, as we all do, Peter grew up. Anyway, I liked Peter; it’s just that I loved Eric. But Eric had become withdrawn after Margaret left. Eric barely spoke to anyone much less me.

   I tried to talk to Eric at one of the Sunday meetings I always sat next to him if I could after the meetings when we had dinners or picnics. But this one time he told me not to sit with him, that he wanted to be alone. I was heartbroken. Eric knew he hurt me. He just left me and sulked off on his own. I thought maybe he would come to me and tell me he was sorry the next Sunday, but instead he ignored me. My feelings were so hurt I cried. I tried to hide my tears by hiding out in one of the buggies, but Peter found me. He let me cry on his shoulder and told me to forget about Eric and asked me to come to the Sunday night sing with him.

  So for the next few Sundays I went with Peter and his friends to the Sunday sings. I was having fun and enjoyed the dancing. One night I had been dancing with everyone and I asked Peter to step outside with me so I could get some air. Peter was very gracious and kind about it. I remember he started telling me how much he’d always liked me and was so sorry he was so mean to me when we were growing up. So I wasn’t surprised when he kissed me. It was a gentle innocent kiss and he didn’t try anything more. Honestly, the more time passed, the more I liked Peter. I guess somebody told Eric that they saw me and Peter kissing and at the next Sunday sing Eric came and danced with me all night. Eric took me home in his buggy and in my parent’s yard he proposed. I was so happy. That was in August and the next November, in the marrying month, we were wed. Eric never made me regret our marriage not even once. He was never cross with me. I don’t think we ever really fought.”

   Quinn waited for Hannah to stop talking before asking the obvious question. “So what happened to Peter?”

   Hannah sighed. “Peter was hurt and he left the community for a few years. But he came back with his new wife, Rachel. They’re wonderful people and very happy by the looks of them. Rachel gave birth to their second boy this past February. Joshua and Jason are beautiful boys. Peter helped bury Eric. They were good friends in the end.”

   Quinn looked at his watch. It was past midnight. It had been so easy to let the time pass in Hannah’s company. “Well its getting late. You better go get some sleep. I’m going to make a perimeter check and then I’ll be out here in the car if you need me.”

   Hannah stood up and dusted off her skirts. “Yes, it’s late. Good night, Quinn. I do hope you can get some sleep.”

    “I’ll try.” Quinn waved as Hannah closed the door behind her. When he was sure she’d gone upstairs he started his search of the perimeter. He made a mental note to check out Peter Yoder first thing in the morning. Maybe he’d just stumbled on someone who could have wanted to harm Eric Hershberger. 

A Dark Amish Night

Chapter Ten

   Quinn allowed himself to doze off in the front seat of his cruiser after making a last perimeter check in the dark. Just as the sun came up, he was woken by a stout tapping on the driver’s side window. He was not surprised to see a menacing looking Bishop Miller peering at him through the window. He grabbed his Stetson from the seat beside him and shoved it on his head as he exited the car.  

   “Morning, Bishop Miller.” Quinn tipped his hat at the scowling Bishop. “Sherriff Ramsey, you cannot continue to stay outside of Widow Hershberger’s home unattended. This has got to stop. So I’m taking her and her children into my own home until other arrangements can be made. You can leave now. Your services are no longer required.”

   “Bishop I will remind you that I’m conducting a murder investigation and I will remain as close to the Hershbergers as I need to until I am done with my investigation and I am certain Hannah and her children are safe.”

   The Bishop looked as if someone pinched him with Quinn’s use of Hannah’s given name. “As I told you, Sheriff, we will look after the Hershbergers from here out. I thank you for aiding us in an emergency last night, but I can take it from here. You’re welcome to visit my home any time you need to speak to the widow from now on.”

   “Fine, let me just tell Hannah I’m leaving.” Quinn started toward the house but the Bishop blocked his way.

   “There’s no need for that I’ll give her your regards and tell her that you’ll visit her at my home if you have any further questions for her.”

   “You do that then,” Quinn said as he turned back to his car and left.

   He returned to the cabin he’d been semi-living in and packed up his gear. He wondered why the Bishop had irritated him so badly. The Bishop was right in taking Hannah in. It certainly made things much easier that way, truth be told. Now he could focus on other matters like finding Eric’s killer.  Then why was he pouting like a child who’d just had his candy taken away.
Hannah.
She was the reason and Quinn knew it. He longed to be close to her, and around her his own broken heart did not seem so battered. Her children made him happier as well. The whole family had become dear to him in a short amount of time.

   Quinn shoved his gear in the trunk of the car and slammed it shut.
Get a grip, Ramsay. Hannah and her kids are much better off without having you lurking over them, and you’re much better off steering clear of this kind of involvement.

   Quinn arrived back at the Sheriff’s office in a foul mood and a craving for a strong cup of coffee. He went to the electric coffee pot only to find it empty. When he opened a cabinet to reach for the can of coffee grinds he found the can empty as well.

   “Why is it every time I want a cup of coffee we’re completely out? Am I the only one who can buy coffee around here?” Quinn shouted and walked back out the door. He slammed it shut behind him leaving a bewildered Porter and Jess in his wake.

   “What’s up his butt this morning?” Porter asked.

   “Who knows?” Jess replied with a shake of his head.

   Quinn decided to walk over to the mercantile and clear his head some. He would apologize to his deputies later. This thing with Hannah had him all twisted up in knots. It would be good to put some space between him and her. He realized that while it felt good to talk about Kathleen last night and get some of that old hurt out in the open, it didn’t mean anything. Hannah was a friend and someone who needed his help as the Sheriff. That was all this ever could be. With a heavy sigh, he decided he could now get back to his usual routine and maybe even get some sleep.

   The bell tinkled over the shop door and Pattie Sue looked up from her counter as she was going over some ledgers.

  “Morning, Sheriff, can I help you with something?”

   “Morning, Pattie Sue, I just need some coffee.” Quinn walked through rows of shelves till he found the coffee he wanted and brought two cans to the counter.

   “You know, there is something I wanted to ask you about. You’ve lived here a long time, Pattie Sue, right?” 

   “You know that, Sheriff. Told you as much the last time we spoke.”

   “Yeah, right. What can you tell me about the Yoder family?”

   “Yes there are plenty of Yoder’s in this area, anyone in particular?”

   “Peter Yoder, in particular.”

   “Which Peter Yoder? There’s three of ’em: the senior, the junior and the junior’s son.”

   “I’m asking about the one that would be about Eric Hershberger’s age.”

   “Well, that Peter Yoder has had a rough time of it to be sure. He ran off about ten or so years ago and came back with his wife. Asked the church to take both of them into the community that was about four years ago?”

   “And the church took him back and accepted her just like that?”

   “Oh, they had to endure a long period of shunning before the community accepted them both into the fold. They had to live with his family and be shunned in their own home. No one could talk to them or do any business with them. Had to be hard having no one but themselves to talk to and to be at the mercy of his family for their every need.” 

   “I bet. So what happened at the end of the shunning?”