A Sister's Test (36 page)

Ruth lifted her gaze to meet his. “I’m sure you’ve had a lot on your mind, especially with Sue moving back home.”

“It’s still no excuse. I’m sorry I brought it up.”

“Even if I could have children, I doubt I would ever remarry,” Ruth said as a feeling of bitterness threatened to choke her.

“Why not?”

“I don’t think I could ever love anyone the way I loved Martin.”

“I know what you mean. I doubt there’s anyone who could fill the place in my heart left by Alma.” Abe grunted and pushed his chair aside. “Think I’ll go out to the barn and see if Gideon’s done all his chores.”

Ruth nodded. “I’d better check on Willis. Then I’ll get supper started.”

“What are we having?” Abe asked as he reached the door.

“Chicken and dumplings.”

“Sounds good. That’s one of my favorites.”

When the door closed behind Abe, Ruth put their glasses and the
cookie plate in the sink. She glanced out the window and saw Abe in the yard, tossing a ball for Esta’s dog to fetch.

A sense of despair came over her, and she nearly doubled over with the pain.
I’ll never know the joy of watching my husband laugh and play with our kinner. I’ll never know love again.

G
uder mariye,” Grace said when Martha stepped into her kitchen. “What brings you over here on this warm spring morning?”

“Came to deliver this.” Martha held out a loaf of bread. “It’s cinnamon-raisin. Aunt Rosemary brought a couple of loaves by our house right after breakfast.”

“Dad’s sister was here again?”

Martha nodded.

“Did she talk to Dad?”

“She tried to, but he mumbled something about being late to work and hurried out the door.” Martha frowned. “I don’t know why he’s being so stubborn. He ought to at least hear what she has to say. Don’t you agree?”

“I do—but then, what I think has never mattered much where Dad’s concerned. I’m not sure he’s ever gotten over my keeping the secret about Anna and Wade from him and the rest of the family.”

“He never mentions it,” Martha said.

“Maybe not, but I’m sure it comes to mind.” Grace sighed. “With Aunt Rosemary showing up, Dad has been touchier than ever.” She motioned to the kitchen table. “Would you like to join me for a cup of coffee and some of that delicious-looking bread you’re holding?”

“Jah, sure. That’d be nice.” Martha placed the bread on the table and pulled out a chair. “It’s awfully quiet in here. Anna must have left for school already.”

Grace nodded as she took plates from the cupboard and set them on the table. “Cleon’s at work in Dad’s shop, and Daniel fell asleep
right after I nursed him, so it’s been quiet for nearly an hour.”

“Do you ever miss working at the restaurant in Berlin?” Martha asked as she cut a slice of bread and placed it on Grace’s plate.

“Not really. I enjoy being at home with my kinner more than waiting tables and trying to keep all those hungry customers happy.”

“I like my job working part-time for Irene,” Martha said, “but I enjoy being at home where I can work with my dogs a lot more.”

“Maybe in time you’ll make enough money so your business can turn into a full-time operation.”

“I hope that’s the case.”

They finished their snack, then Martha pushed back her chair and stood. “Guess I should head home so you can get busy with whatever you had planned for the day.”

“Before you go, I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”

“What is it?”

“Could you stay here with Daniel while I walk down to the mailbox? Cleon’s expecting a beekeeping catalog he ordered a few weeks ago.”

“I don’t mind staying with Daniel,” Martha said, “but I’d be happy to go to the mailbox for you.”

Grace shook her head. “I appreciate the offer, but if the catalog is there, I’ll want to stop at the woodworking shop and give it to Cleon.”

“I could do that, too.”

“I know you could, but I had something I wanted to say to Cleon at breakfast, and he rushed out the door before I got it said. This will give me a chance to do that, as well.”

Martha sat down again. “Sure, no problem. Take your time.”

“If Daniel wakes before I get back, he’ll probably need his windle changed. Can you handle that for me?”

“Jah, sure.” Martha wrinkled her nose. “I’ll just sit here and enjoy another piece of bread and pray he wakes up clean and dry.”

Grace chuckled and headed out the back door. A blast of warm air greeted her, but it felt good on her face. Summer was almost here, and she preferred the hot days to the bitter cold of winter.

As Grace approached the two mailboxes at the end of her folks’
driveway, her throat constricted, and her heart pounded so hard she heard it thundering in her ears. Both metal boxes had been smashed in, and a note was attached to the side of her and Cleon’s mailbox. It read I’
M
N
OT
D
ONE WITH
Y
OU
Y
ET
.

With a strangled sob, Grace tore the note off the box and rushed to the woodworking shop.

“I’m going to be busy cleaning house the rest of the morning,” Judith said as Roman took a seat at his desk to do some paperwork. “That’s why I brought your lunch out a bit early.”

“No problem.” Roman took the lunch box and placed it on one end of the desk. “Have a nice day.”

Her forehead wrinkled as her eyebrows drew together. “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

“ ’Course not. Since you’ve got housecleaning to do, I figured you’d want to be on your way.”

Her face relaxed, and she gave his shoulder a squeeze. “From the looks of this stack of papers on your desk, I’d say you do, too.”

Judith was almost to the door when Cleon called out, “If you see Grace, would you tell her I’ll be home for lunch around twelve thirty?”

“Jah, sure.”

At that moment, Grace rushed into the shop waving a piece of paper. “He’s done it again!” Her eyes were wide, her face pale.

“Who’s done what?” Judith asked, taking hold of Grace’s arm.

“I—I went to get our mail, and—and this is what I found tacked to the side of our smashed-in mailbox.” She thrust the piece of paper into her mother’s hands.

Judith pushed her glasses to the bridge of her nose. “It says ‘I’m not done with you yet.’”

Roman jumped to his feet and hurried across the room. “Let me have a look at that.” He snatched the paper from Judith, and his eyelids twitched as he studied the note.

“Was it our mailbox or your folks’ that got bashed in?” Cleon asked, coming to stand beside Grace.

“Both mailboxes.” Her chin quivered, and her eyes filled with tears. “He’s come back, Cleon. Martha told me the other day that Gary Walker is back in Holmes County. He’s taken a job at the newspaper in Millersburg and plans to move here permanently.” She gulped in a quick breath. “I’m sure he’s the one who wrote the note and smashed our mailboxes.”

“How can you be certain? There’s no way you could recognize his handwriting, because whoever put this note together didn’t write it by hand. It was typed in bold letters.” Judith clutched Roman’s arm. “Will these attacks ever stop? Will we spend the rest of our days living in fear and wondering what’s coming next?”

He groaned. “I hope not—we can’t stop living.”

“So much for Sheriff Osborn keeping an eye on our place,” Judith said bitterly. “Makes me wonder if he even cares what’s happening to us.”

“I’m sure he cares,” Cleon put in. “But he and his deputies can’t be everywhere at once.”

“Donna Larson came by the other day.” Judith looked at Roman. “She said if we decided to move, she and Ray would still be interested in buying our place.”

Roman shook his head. “I am not selling out because someone smashed in our mailboxes.”

“It’s not like this is the first attack.” Grace’s voice sounded unsteady, and her eyes were wide with fear. “They stop and start. Just when we begin to think the attacks are over, another one happens again.”

“She’s right, Roman.” Judith sniffed. “There must be something we can do about this.”

Roman patted Judith’s back, hoping to offer her comfort. “ ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble,’ ” he said, quoting Psalm 46:1. “We must continue to trust Him.”

“It’s fine to trust God and believe He will help us, but we need to do something to put an end to these attacks.” Grace’s voice sounded stronger, and the look of determination Roman saw on her face let him know that she meant what she said.

“What do you think we need to do?” Judith asked.

“It’s me Gary is trying to punish. I’m going to find him and demand that he stop harassing us.”

“No, you’re not.” Cleon shook his head vigorously. “I’m your husband. It’s my job to look out for you. If anyone’s going to talk to Gary, it will be me.”

As Ruth moved over to the sink, she spotted Abe’s empty lunch box sitting on the counter. She couldn’t remember whether Abe had said he would be coming up to the house for lunch today or if he’d asked her to make his lunch and bring it out to the harness shop. Things had been so hectic during breakfast this morning, she’d barely had time to make lunches for the children and send them off to school, much less remember anything Abe might have said. Molly had poured her glass of apple juice on the floor and followed that by splattering oatmeal down the front of her clean dress. Owen had whined throughout much of breakfast because he couldn’t go to school with his older brothers. Gideon and Josh had gotten into an argument about whose turn it was to muck out the horses’ stalls. And Willis had accidentally poked Esta in the eye with his elbow when he reached for a piece of toast.

Ruth took a sip of water and let the cool liquid trickle down her parched throat.
Maybe I’m not up to this job. Abe might be better off if he found someone else to care for his kinner and take charge of his house.
She sighed deeply.
But I enjoy spending time with the children. It gives me something meaningful to do—a reason to get up every morning.

She set the glass in the sink and reached for the metal lunch box, deciding to make Abe’s lunch and take it out to him. It was a balmy, bright day, and the walk to the shop would be good for Molly and Owen—and for Ruth, as well.

A short time later, with Abe’s lunch box in her hand, she and the children headed to the harness shop.

When they stepped inside, Molly squealed when she saw her father, and Owen zipped across the room and grabbed Abe’s leg. Ruth glanced to the left, and the sight of Cleon’s brother standing in front of the riveting machine, wearing the same leather apron Martin used
to wear, caused her to flinch.

The knowledge that Ivan was working in her husband’s place and that Martin would never work in Abe’s shop again was almost unbearable. Even the pungent odor of leather and neat’s-foot oil reminded Ruth of Martin.

“Are you all right?” Abe asked, nudging Owen aside and stepping up to Ruth. “You look pale and kind of shaky.”

“I’m fine; just a bit tired, is all.” She lifted the lunch box. “I wasn’t sure if you wanted to eat at the house or planned to have your lunch here, so I fixed you something and brought it out to you.”

“Danki.” Abe bent to pick up Molly, and then he looked back at Ruth. “Are you working too hard? Do you need a day off?”