A Promise of Hope (5 page)

Sarah searched her brother’s eyes for any hint of a lie and couldn’t shake the feeling he wasn’t being completely open with her.

“Sarah!” Beth Anne called. “Can you help me with this chocolate cake?”

Walking slowly back toward the bakery, Sarah sucked in a deep breath. A headache pulsed in her temple, and her body quaked with hurt and worry.

Closing her eyes, she sent up a prayer.
Please God, lead me to the truth about my husband’s past. Give me faith in my future, and help me figure out who Luke Troyer is and why he’s here now.

5

S
arah’s hands trembled as she puttered around her mother’s kitchen later that evening. While she chopped lettuce for salad, her mind whirled with confusion caused by the afternoon spent with Luke Troyer. She kept asking herself why Peter would’ve claimed to be an orphan when he had family living in Ohio. Why would Peter want to hide his identity from Sarah, his wife? She and Peter had pledged to share all of their secrets and be loyal to each other.

Mamm
opened the oven door, and the aroma of juicy meatloaf penetrated the warm kitchen, tickling Sarah’s taste buds.

“I think it’s just about done,”
Mamm
said, closing the door.

Sarah nodded and scraped the lettuce into a large bowl.

“You’ve hardly said a word for the last hour, Sarah Rose,” her mother said, wiping her hands on her apron. “Meeting Luke has to be difficult for you. You know you can talk to me,
mei Liewe.”

“I don’t know what to think,
Mamm.
Everything is a big, jumbled mess. I don’t understand why Peter would tell me he had no family in Ohio if it wasn’t true. I don’t know how to feel. But I do know that I’m hurt.” Sarah’s eyes flooded with tears. “Why did he lie to me,
Mamm?
Why couldn’t he trust me, his wife, with the truth?”

“Oh, Sarah Rose.”
Mamm
opened her arms, and Sarah folded herself into her mother’s warm hug as the tears fell. “I’m so sorry you’re going through this. But remember we all love you. Perhaps God sent Luke here to help you through the rest of the pregnancy.”

Sniffing, Sarah looked up at
Mamm.
“What do you mean, ‘help me through the rest of the pregnancy’? How could some stranger who claims to be Peter’s relative help me through a pregnancy?”

Mamm
pushed back a lock of hair that had escaped Sarah’s prayer
kapp.
“The Lord may have plans for you and Luke to become friends and help each other through your loss.”

Sarah wiped her eyes and nose with a napkin. “How do I know he’s truly family? Peter said he had no family and then this mysterious man shows up months after his death. He knows Peter’s middle name and his birth date. He even knows Peter had a birthmark on his shoulder blade. But that doesn’t prove anything! A former schoolmate would know those things.”

Leaning back on the counter, Sarah covered her mouth to stifle a sob. The confusion swelling in her mind was making her crazy. She wished life would return to normal, and that Peter would bound through the front door with a smile and kiss for her.
Ack,
she would even be happy to hear him fuss at her for forgetting to mend his favorite shirt or for burning supper.

“Mei
liewe,” Mamm
began, rubbing Sarah’s arm. “I think you know in your heart that he’s family. Just look at his face, and you’ll see the truth.” She nodded toward the window above the sink. “See for yourself.”

Sarah gazed out the window to where Luke stood with Timothy and
Dat.
She agreed Luke resembled her late husband, but the resemblance didn’t answer the questions burning in her heart.

“But Peter said he didn’t have any family.” Sarah watched
Dat
pat Luke on the shoulder and laugh, and her heart thumped in her chest. This mysterious man was already worming his way into her family, and his presence nipped at her nerves. Was he a symbol of the untruths Peter had told her? Had she ever known her husband at all if he would lie about his family?

“Why would he show up now?” she asked, her voice trembling like a leaf in a gusty autumn wind. She grasped for someone to take the blame for her husband’s dishonesty and settled on Luke. “What is Luke after? Does he want some of our land? Or does he want money?”

Mamm
chuckled. “I doubt that. It isn’t our way to go around looking for money after a
freindschaft
dies.”

Biting her lip, she faced her mother, needing her reassurance and guidance. “Do you think my husband lied to me when he said he was an orphan?”

Mamm
sighed while straightening the ties on Sarah’s prayer
kapp.
“I don’t know. Luke brings up some unanswered questions. Why would a husband deceive his wife about his family? What would be the purpose in that?”

“I can’t imagine a reason to do that to me.” Sarah swiped at a wayward tear, her voice still quaking. “If he could lie to me about that, then he could’ve lied to me about anything and everything. It’s not fair that I can’t ask him. Why did God have to take Peter when he was so young and in the prime of his life?”

Mamm
shook her head. “I promise we’ll get through this. The Lord will see you through. Remember Nahum 1:7: ‘The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.’ ”

Sarah nodded, hoping her mother was right and that her emotions would calm before she had to sit at the supper table with this mysterious visitor.

Luke followed Timothy and Eli into the kitchen, which included a large gas oven, beautifully crafted cabinets, and a magnificent hutch in the corner. He assumed Eli had built the hutch and maybe even the cabinets; they were the products of a master carpenter.

The two men sat at the long table in the center of the large room, Eli at the far end and Timothy to his right. Timothy shot Luke another cool glance, causing Luke to wonder what Peter had said about him. Was Timothy simply overprotective of his younger sister due to her delicate condition, or had Peter told lies about Luke’s character and integrity?

His attention turned to the savory smells penetrating the room. The fragrance of meatloaf awakened his appetite, causing his stomach to growl in response. He cleared his throat, hoping to shield his rude body in front of his new friends.

“I hope you like meatloaf,” Elizabeth said, placing a pan on the table.

“It smells
appeditlich,”
Luke said.
“Danki.”

“Don’t thank me,” Elizabeth said. “Thank Sarah Rose. She’s the talented chef in the family.” She smiled with pride toward her daughter.

Sarah shook her head as she handed a bowl of salad to her father. “Don’t be
gegisch, Mamm.
You taught me everything I know.” After calling her mother silly, her eyes met Luke’s and then quickly darted away. “Have a seat,” she muttered, nodding toward the chair next to her brother.

“Danki,”
he said, wondering if she was always shy or if his presence made her uncomfortable. He hoped he hadn’t overstepped his bounds with Peter’s family. Jealousy bubbled up inside him at the thought.

Did Peter even realize how lucky he was to have a family like this?

Ack,
what Luke would’ve given to be surrounded by a large, loving family like the Kauffmans.

The women finished delivering the various dishes, then sat. Luke bowed his head in silent prayer along with the rest of the family and looked up when the sounds of cutlery banging against the dinnerware broke through the silence. He began to fill his plate, putting each entree on a different corner of the dish in order to prevent the food from touching—a habit he’d learned from his father when he was young. When he felt someone’s eyes boring into him, he glanced across the table to find Sarah staring at his plate. Her gaze met his, and her eyes widened with astonishment.

Luke chuckled in response to her disbelief. “It’s an old habit.”

She nodded, the blood draining from her pretty face.

“You all right, Sarah Rose?” Eli asked, his face full of concern. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

She blinked and lifted her glass of water to her lips. Elizabeth whispered something, and Sarah averted her eyes to her plate. Luke wished he could read Sarah’s mind. He hoped he wasn’t the cause of her distress. Like Timothy, he was concerned for her welfare.

“How long do you plan to stay in Bird-in-Hand, Luke?” Eli asked, slapping mashed potatoes onto his plate.

“I’m not certain.” Luke stabbed his meatloaf. “I thought I’d stay at least a couple of weeks to learn about Peter’s life.” In his peripheral vision he spotted Sarah watching him. When he looked up, she quickly glanced back at her plate. He wished she would look at him. He couldn’t bear making her uncomfortable in her parents’ home.

“Do you have a place to stay?” Elizabeth asked.

Luke shrugged. “I figured I’d find something out on that main highway. What is it—Route 30?”

“Route 30 out by the English tourists?” Eli asked. “Don’t be ridiculous. We have plenty of room here.”

Covering her mouth, Sarah began to sputter and choke.

“Sarah Rose?” Elizabeth leaned over and held her hands while her daughter continued to cough, tears streaming down her porcelain cheeks. “Lean forward,” she ordered. Once she moved, Elizabeth rubbed her back. “It’s all right. Just breathe easy.”

After a few deep breaths, the coughing subsided.

“Take a drink,” Elizabeth said.

“Are you all right?” Luke asked.

Sarah nodded. “Something went down the wrong way.”

Her glance met his for a split second, and he saw something flash deep in her eyes—sadness or perhaps loneliness. Luke stood and picked up her glass from the table.

“What are you doing?” Sarah asked, her voice laced with annoyance.

“Refilling your glass,” he said, wrenching open the refrigerator door.

“You’re our guest,” Sarah said. “You’re supposed to sit while I refill your glass.”

Luke topped off the drink and brought it back to her. “A simple thank you would suffice.” He then returned to his seat.

Sarah studied Luke while Eli snickered.

“He told you, daughter,” Eli said.

Sarah shot her father an evil look while Luke grinned.
Ack,
she was beautiful, especially when she was angry.

Turning toward Timothy, Luke found the man glaring at him. Luke cleared his throat and turned his attention back to his plate. He had crossed a line and gotten a cold stare for the effort. But he sure didn’t regret it.

“I was thinking you could stay here,” Eli repeated. “It would be wasteful to spend money on a motel when we have so much room.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Luke spotted Sarah shooting her father a look of horror. His heart twisted with disappointment. He couldn’t fault Sarah for being upset after hearing Peter had lied to her. However, he’d hoped they could somehow forge a friendship. He longed to be a part of her twins’ lives, since they were his closest link to Peter.

Luke met Sarah’s disapproving stare as he responded to her father. “Thank you for your hospitality, Eli, but I think it would be best if I stayed in a hotel.”

Sarah’s gaze was unmoving, challenging him. She sure was a feisty one!

“I won’t allow you to waste your money,” Elizabeth retorted. “You’ll stay here. Why doesn’t he stay at your house, Sarah Rose? It’s been empty for six months now, and I’m sure the walls would enjoy some company.”

Gasping, Sarah turned to her
Mamm. “My
house?” she asked. “The house that Peter built for us?”

“Ya,”
Elizabeth said.

The women exchanged expressions, a silent and private conversation, before Sarah faced him again. “I’d be happy to host you,” she deadpanned. “Please stay at my house.”

“Are you certain?” Luke raised an eyebrow.

Sarah nodded and returned her attention to her supper.

“Where did you say you worked in Ohio?” Eli asked.

“A cabinet shop near my home,” Luke said.

“Tell us about it,” Eli said.

Luke swallowed a piece of juicy meatloaf and then told the Kauffmans about his life back home.

“How could you do that to me?” Sarah snapped while scrubbing a pot after supper. “How could you put me on the spot like that?”

“Whatever are you going on about?”
Mamm
asked, wiping off the table.

“What makes you think I want that man sleeping in my house?” Sarah shook her head and rinsed the detergent off the pot. “That was our house! The house I shared with my beloved Peter. I don’t need that stranger—”

“He’s not a stranger.” Her mother’s voice was calm.

“Yes, he is!” Sarah threw down the towel for emphasis. “I don’t need him coming in here and stirring things up while I’m trying to create a life for my
zwillingbopplin.”

“He was Peter’s family, so that makes him the
zwillingbopplin’s
family too.”

“How do you really know that?” Sarah propped her hands on her hips. “What proof do you have?”

A smile curved
Mamm’s
lips. “I know you saw it at supper. I witnessed the shock on your face.”

Sarah shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sarah Rose, don’t lie to me.”
Mamm
wagged her slim finger. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.
Dat
even asked you what was wrong. He asked you if you’d seen a ghost.”

Sarah gulped, knowing she’d been caught in a fib. “I did see it,” she whispered. “He separated his food so it wouldn’t touch.”

“Peter did that at every meal I shared with him.” Crossing the kitchen,
Mamm
pointed out the window. “Look at him, Sarah Rose. Tell me you don’t see similarities in the way he walks and holds himself.”

Licking her dry lips, Sarah turned her attention to the field where Luke stood by the barn, chatting with
Dat
and Timothy. Luke held onto his suspenders as he listened to
Dat.
Before speaking, he lifted his hat and smoothed back his hair.

“Peter always did that,” she whispered, her voice croaking with emotion and memories. “He’d hold onto his suspenders and then smooth his hair when he was trying to remember something.” Tears filled her eyes.
“Dat
was right when he asked me if I’d seen a ghost. I have seen one, and he’s standing right there with my brother and
Dat.”

Mamm
rubbed her back. “Embrace him as a friend. He’s a connection to your Peter.”

Sarah wiped her eyes. “But if I embrace him, then I embrace the knowledge that my marriage to Peter was a lie,
Mamm,”
she whispered. “Don’t you see how his presence here is breaking my heart? How do I know I married a man named Peter Troyer? His real name could’ve been something completely different.