The Betrayed Fiancée (6 page)

“While you two work on those, I'll take the paper trash out to burn.” Doris scooped up two bags and headed behind the barn, where the burn barrel was located.

After Doris lit a match to light the paper in the barrel, she made sure the flames took hold. She'd stay here until the fire turned to embers, to make sure it was safely out.

Doris turned her attention to the maple, where the remains of the tree house still clung. She could hardly look in the direction of the tree and tried to rethink the event, to tone down the harshness of Dad's death.
At least he died here at home and in a place he was happy
.

Not everyone agreed with Dad building the tree house, but how could one deny his happiness? Dad's face had lit up each time he announced he was doing it for their mother.

Gazing heavenward, Doris imagined her parents walking hand-in-hand.
Mama and Dad had a special bond, and now they're together
.

As she looked closer at the wood scattered around the maple, Doris saw the sun reflect on something. It looked like a piece of metal lying among the splintered wood. She glanced in the barrel and stirred up the contents. Since the flames were at a low burn, Doris thought it was safe to go see what was there.

She picked up a board, then another, and discovered birdhouses attached to each one. While the wood they were nailed to was blackened from the force of the lightning, somehow the two birdhouses remained untouched.

I'll bet, for Mama's sake, Dad nailed these to the railing of the tree house
. Doris remembered fondly how much her mother loved the birds. She looked at the small-framed houses, so meticulously made by her father. The tiny perch at the opening, the imitation windows with cute little shutters on both sides, and the tin roof to keep the baby birds dry showed the love Dad had for his wife and for the birds she'd cared so much about.

Doris walked through the debris, making sure nothing else was hidden under the pieces of wood. Then she spied her dad's tool box. Incredibly, beside the open box, Doris found a third little house. It was as cute and undamaged as the first two, only shaped a bit differently. How it happened, she would never understand, since the toolbox and birdhouse were only a few feet from the tree.

Doris gathered the birdhouses and put them in the small wagon Dad had often used to carry supplies. In some ways, maybe these birdhouses would bring a bit of peace to her, as well as to Arlene and Elsie.

Doris stopped at the burn barrel to check it again. She was glad the paper products burned quickly, as she was anxious to take what she'd found back to her sisters. She stirred the ashes to make sure the fire was out and was satisfied when no more smoke wisped up.

Putting the lid back on the barrel, Doris pulled the wagon around the barn. When she came to the front, she heard a noise coming from inside and halted. She noticed the barn door slightly ajar. Was it the colt's whinny, a cat's meow, or something else she'd heard? Tilting her head to one side, Doris leaned forward and listened. It sounded like someone crying.

She dropped the handle of the wagon and slowly entered the barn. Doris let her eyes adjust to the dimness, with only the light coming through the windows. Slowly, she followed the soul-wrenching sobs. Hearing it made tears come to her eyes.
Who is in so much pain
?

As she rounded a stack of hay, Doris's hands flew to her mouth. Lying on a bed of straw in an empty horse stall was Anna.

She ran quickly to her friend's side, crouched down, and held Anna in her arms. “Are you okay? I thought you'd already left.”

Sniffling and choking on sobs, Anna sat up. “I shouldn't be blubbering like a
boppli
, but seeing Joel today with his fiancée upset me. I thought I'd gotten over him, but my feelings for Joel are still here.” Anna placed one hand against her heart. “I've kept them buried.”

Using the corner of her apron, Doris dried Anna's tear-stained cheeks. Anna was a good person, and she hated to see her suffer this way.

Akron

After Joel dropped Kristi off at her condo that evening, he went straight home and got out the Corvette. Today had been stressful, and he needed some time alone. A few hours on the open road in his shiny black Vette might be what Joel needed to ease some of his tension.

He headed down the driveway and turned onto the highway with his high-beams on, always on the lookout for deer. The last thing he needed was to hit one of them tonight and total his priceless classic, not to mention hurt a deer.

Today didn't go well with Kristi
, Joel thought.
She thinks it was terrible I brought up Dad's will. If she realized how badly I need money, maybe she'd understand. But if I tell her I'm in debt up to my neck because I spent big bucks on a fancy car, she'll be even more upset
. He gripped the steering wheel and bit his lower lip.
Not to mention how angry she'd be if she found out I took money from our joint account without her knowledge
.

Joel felt like he was walking a tightrope with no net under him. One wrong move and he could lose his balance, falling straight to his death.

I've got to find out soon if Dad has a will, and if so, how much of his money I'm entitled to. I'll wait till the middle of next week, and then I'm calling Elsie. If Dad left each of us a fourth of his assets, my sisters and I will have all the money we need. And I, for one, need it bad
.

Y
ou look tired, honey. Did you and Joel get back from his father's funeral late last night?” Kristi's mother asked when Kristi stopped by the following morning on her way to work. She was working Saturday to complete the trade she'd made with a coworker so she could go to the funeral.

“Not too late. I'm tired because I didn't get much sleep.” Kristi went over to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup, making sure it didn't overflow. After refilling the water reservoir on her parents' coffeemaker, she picked up her mug and took a seat at the kitchen table. “I stopped by to give you a treat and fill you in on a few things.” She placed a bag of chocolate-chip cookies on the table. “One of Joel's sisters sent these home with us yesterday, and I wanted to share some with you.”

Mom sat across from Kristi. “That was thoughtful. So why didn't you get much sleep last night?”

Kristi sighed. “Because I was, and still am, deeply troubled.” When she'd learned about the death of Joel's father, Kristi had called her parents to let them know she would be traveling to the funeral with Joel.

“About Joel?” Mom took a cookie and also a napkin.

“Yes.” Kristi's stomach tensed as she explained about Joel's Amish background.

“How long have you known this, Kristi?”

“I didn't know anything until yesterday. As we were driving to his dad's place in Charm, where the funeral was held, Joel blurted out his family was Amish. And get this—Joel left the faith seven years ago.”

“Oh my!” Mom touched her parted lips. She seemed at a loss for words.

“I don't have anything against his Amish heritage, but I was hurt by his deception.”

“And well you should be. Given all this time you've been dating Joel, he should have told you about his family long before now.” Mom's gaze flicked upward. “I've always thought it a bit strange that he'd never introduced you to his family. It's not normal, Kristi. Not in a healthy, loving relationship.”

Staring into her coffee cup, Kristi could only nod.

“Did you feel out of place at the funeral?”

“A little.” Kristi brought her mug to her lips, but the coffee seemed to lack any taste when the warm liquid touched her tongue.

“Was Joel's family accepting of you?”

“They seemed to be. His sister Doris gave me one of her mother's quilted wall hangings.” Kristi smiled. “It's so beautiful, Mom. I can't wait for you to see it.”

“Oh, how nice. Was Mrs. Byler okay with her daughter giving away one of her quilts?”

“Joel's mother is also deceased.”

“How sad. Does Joel have any other brothers or sisters?” Mom asked.

“Besides Doris, he has two other sisters. Joel's the youngest. Doris, Elsie, and Arlene all seemed so nice. I'm looking forward to knowing them better.” Kristi wiped her mouth on a napkin and rested her elbows on the table. “I felt a sense of peace when I was with them—at least, I did until Joel caused some tension.”

Mom's eyes blinked rapidly. “What happened?”

Kristi recounted the details of what had transpired when Joel asked about his father's will. “It was so embarrassing. I couldn't believe he would be insensitive enough to bring it up on the day of his dad's funeral, when everyone was grieving.”

Mom's mouth opened, as though about to respond, but she allowed Kristi to keep talking.

“What's more puzzling is he didn't shed a single tear during the funeral or graveside service.”

Mom placed her hand gently on Kristi's arm. “It sounds like Joel has some serious issues he needs to deal with, Kristi. Do you see now why I've been concerned about your relationship?”

“I understand, but—”

“He's been keeping things from you, and that's never good. It's a shame Joel didn't attend the marriage seminar with you. If he'd heard what our speaker taught us, he might realize the importance of honesty between a couple.” Mom leaned slightly forward. “For that matter, we should be honest with everyone. It's the Christian way. But since I'm not sure Joel is a Christian…”

“I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to go.” Kristi glanced at the clock on the wall. “I don't want to be late for work.” A tingly sensation shot up Kristi's spine as she pushed her chair aside and stood. She said a quick goodbye to Mom and hurried out the door.

As she stood on the porch, rubbing her temples, Kristi wished she hadn't told her mother Joel had asked about his father's will—although she couldn't keep the truth about his Amish heritage from her folks.
If I hadn't told Mom about Joel's family being Amish, she would have fainted in shock when she saw them at our wedding. Dad may have been surprised, too
. No, she'd done the right thing sharing with Mom about Joel's family being Amish. But she wished she had kept quiet about what went on after the funeral dinner.

I'll give Joel a little more time to work through things
, Kristi told herself as she got in the car and headed to work.
But I'm not giving up on him, no matter what Mom thinks
.

Charm

Doris's boss had given her a week off to deal with the funeral and other issues, so despite exhaustion and queasiness, Doris had gotten up early to help her sisters clean their dad's place. She'd just walked her horse into the corral and closed the latch when she heard Aunt Verna and Uncle Lester in the barn.

“Now, Lester, don't overdo. You could hurt yourself bending too far and end up straining your back.”