A Sister's Test Read online

  “Martin and I have been getting along pretty well,” Ruth admitted. “The only thing is. . .sis mer bang.”

  “You’re afraid?”

  “Jah.”

  “Why are you afraid?”

  Ruth swallowed hard, refusing to give in to her swirling emotions. “Whenever things are going well, it seems as if they suddenly turn bad.”

  “Are you talking about the way things went with you and Luke?”

  “That and all the things that have happened at our place over the last year.”

  “The break-ins and vandalism, you mean?”

  “Jah, and also the fire at Cleon and Grace’s house. Just when we thought things had settled down, something else happened to test our faith. It makes me afraid of being happy for fear something will go wrong and spoil it.”

  “Guess there will always be things in life that test our faith,” Sadie said. “But we can’t let it keep us from falling in love or finding joy in things.”

  Ruth smiled. “When did you get so schmaert, anyway?”

  “I’ve always been smart; you’ve just been too busy to notice.” Sadie motioned to the fellows. “Sure is nice to see how well they get along, isn’t it?”

  Ruth nodded. “Toby seems to have a better relationship with Martin than he does with Luke.”

  “You’re right. For some time now, I’ve noticed tension between Toby and Luke, but I’ve never figured out the reason for it.”

  “Guess there doesn’t have to be a reason,” Ruth said. “Some folks just get along better with certain people than they do others.”

  “Maybe so, but it’s like there’s some kind of competition going on between Toby and Luke. Almost seems as if Toby wants to make Luke look bad.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  Sadie shrugged. “Beats me, but the other day I heard Toby speaking with his daed about Luke. He said he knows that Luke’s been running around with some rowdy English fellows.”

  “What’d the bishop say about that?”

  “Said he was aware that Luke had been keeping company with some Englishers, but there wasn’t much he could do about it since Luke’s still going through his rumschpringe.”

  Ruth sighed. “I had hoped he would get that out of his system, settle down, and join the church while we were courting, but he seems bent on kicking up his heels.”

  Sadie patted Ruth’s arm. “You’re better off without him.”

  Ruth nodded. “I know.”

  “That lunch Ruth and Sadie fixed sure was tasty,” Toby said as he baited his hook with a plump worm. “Made me almost wish I was married.”

  Martin cast his line into the water and took a seat near the edge of the pond. “Why aren’t you, then?”

  “I’m not quite ready to settle down.”

  “But you’ve joined the church.”

  “That’s true.”

  “And you’ve got an aldi you seem to like.”

  “Uh-huh. Sadie and me have been courting a little over a year.”

  “Then what’s the problem? Why don’t you ask her to marry you?”

  Toby shrugged.

  “Are you in lieb?”

  “In love with Sadie?”

  Martin’s gaze went to the sky. Sometimes Toby seemed so dense about things. “Of course I meant Sadie. She’s the only one you’re courting, right?”

  “Jah, but I’m not sure what I feel for her is love.” Toby dropped his line into the water and sat back on his heels. “I like her a lot, and we get along pretty well, but—”

  “Are you afraid of marriage?”

  “Why would I be afraid?”

  “Don’t know. Just asking, is all.”

  “I ain’t afraid of nothin’.”

  Martin chuckled. “Jah, right.”

  As Martin fished, he found himself thinking of Ruth and wondering about her response to the pickup Toby and Sadie had found in the woods. Whose secret was Ruth keeping, and why? He was tempted to press her about it but didn’t want to do anything that might drive a wedge between them. Maybe after they’d been courting longer, he would feel free to ask about the truck. If she was honest about it, she could be trusted and might be the right woman for him. If not, he didn’t know what he would do.

  Are you sure you want to move these?” asked Cleon’s brother Ivan as he and Cleon lifted one of the bee boxes onto the back of an open wagon early Monday morning.

  Cleon nodded. “I think it will be better if I have the boxes closer to home. That way I won’t have to leave so often in order to check on the bees and extract the honey.”

  “Guess that makes sense.” Ivan wiped the sweat from his brow and squinted his dark eyes. “Sure hope no one will try to burn out your bees again.”

  “Me, too. At least with these new boxes out behind our house, I can keep a closer watch on things.” Cleon grimaced. “First my bee boxes were burned and then my house. Makes no sense why someone would want to do such hateful things.”

  “I heard that the firemen found a cigarette lighter outside your home the day of the fire,” Ivan said as they headed over to get the next bee box.

  “Jah, that’s right.”

  “You know anyone who smokes?”

  Cleon shrugged. “None of my Amish friends.”

  Ivan’s forehead wrinkled. “I’ve heard rumors that Luke Friesen smokes.”

  “Where’d you hear that?”

  “Toby King mentioned that Luke’s been hanging around a bunch of English fellows who smoke and that he’s smelled smoke on Luke’s clothes a time or two.”

  “That doesn’t prove he’s a smoker. Could be that Luke just smells like smoke because he’s been with others who do.”

  “Maybe so.”

  “As far as who’s responsible for the fires that were started. . .it could be the same person who broke into the Hostettlers’ place, took some of Roman’s tools from his woodworking shop, and did several other acts of vandalism.”

  Ivan’s eyes narrowed. “You think Luke could have done all those things?”

  “I hope not. Grace thinks it was Gary Walker, that reporter who hung around the area for a time taking pictures and asking a bunch of nosy questions.” The brothers set the bee box on the wagon.

  “Why would the reporter want to do anything to hurt the Hostettlers, or you?” Ivan asked.

  Cleon pulled his fingers through the back of his hair and frowned. “You know the story. Gary Walker used to date Grace when she left home to try out the English world. After she broke up with him, he said he would get even with her someday.”

  “But the reporter left Holmes County to do some other stories. So if he’s the one who did the attacks, then they’re not likely to happen again.”

  Cleon nodded, but his mind raced on. What if the reporter wasn’t responsible for any of the crimes? He hated to think it could be Luke or anyone else they knew. The one thing he did know was that he planned to keep a close eye on Grace and the rest of her family. That was the real reason he’d decided to move the bee boxes from his folks’ property.

  “Say, Ivan, I was wondering. . .”

  “What’s that?”

  “Would you be willing to make some of my honey deliveries when you’re not helping Pop in the fields?”

  “You don’t plan to make your own deliveries anymore?”

  “I will when I can, but with me working for Grace’s daed and tending my bees, I don’t have as much time for making deliveries.”

  Ivan nodded. “I’ll help whenever I can.”

  “I appreciate that, and I’ll pay you something for your time.” Cleon clasped his brother’s shoulder. “Could you start this afternoon?”

  “Making deliveries, you mean?”

  “Jah. There are a couple of shops in Charm that sell my honey. The last time I was there, they were getting down on their supply.”

  “I can’t do it today,” Ivan said with a shake of his blond head. “I promised Pop I’d help him clear that back field.”

  “What
about Willard and Delbert?”

  “They’ll be helping, too. The ground’s really rocky there, and it’s gonna take all four of us to get the job done.”

  Cleon grunted. “Guess I’ll have to deliver the honey myself. Maybe I’ll take Grace and Anna along. It’s been a while since they’ve been to Charm.”

  Grace stood at her bedroom window, watching Cleon and his brother unload the bee boxes they’d brought to the field behind their new home. She was glad he’d decided to move the boxes so he wouldn’t be gone so much.

  She pressed her hand against her lower back to ease out some of the kinks and moved away from the window, knowing it was time to wake Anna and get breakfast on the table before Cleon came inside.

  A short time later, Grace, Cleon, and Anna gathered around the kitchen table. “Too bad Ivan couldn’t join us for breakfast,” Grace said after their silent prayer. “He would have been more than welcome.”

  “I’m sure he would have stayed if he hadn’t had to get home and help our daed and brieder clear a new field. We’ll invite him some other time.” Cleon gave his dark brown beard a quick tug, then looked over at Anna and smiled. “How would you and your mamm like to go with me to Charm this morning to deliver some honey to Grandma’s Homestead Restaurant and a couple of other places?”

  Anna’s eyes brightened. “Could we eat at the restaurant?”

  Grace chuckled and pointed to the child’s plate, still full of fluffy french toast and sticky syrup. “You’re eating right now, silly girl.”

  Anna shrugged her slim shoulders. “Figured we could eat lunch at the restaurant.”

  “Sorry,” Cleon said, “but I’ve got to get the deliveries made right after breakfast. Then I’ll need to hurry back home and go to work in your grandpa’s woodworking shop.”

  Anna’s lower lip protruded. “Seems like you’re always workin’, Papa.”

  “That’s what daeds do when they’ve got a family to support.” Cleon reached for the bottle of syrup. “The good news is I won’t be gone so much now that my bee boxes have been moved closer to our home. Ivan’s agreed to make some of my honey deliveries, which means I can spend more time with you and your mamm.”

  Anna grinned and forked a hunk of french toast into her mouth.

  Grace looked over at Cleon, and he winked at her. Despite the fact that Anna was the daughter of Wade Davis, an Englisher who had died when Anna was a baby, Cleon had accepted her as his own child, and Grace felt grateful. During the time when her family had been under attack, she’d looked toward the future with dread. Now she anticipated the new baby who would be coming soon and hoped they would have many happy days ahead.

  “I was talking with Irene Schrock the other day, and she mentioned that her daughter slipped on the stairs and broke her arm a few days ago,” Ruth’s mother said as Ruth helped her and Martha clear the breakfast dishes from the table.

  “Does that mean Carolyn won’t be able to help Irene with the dinners they do for tourists?” Ruth asked.

  Mom nodded. “Not for several weeks. Carolyn won’t be able to do much with only one hand.”

  “I could go there and help,” Ruth offered.

  “What about your job at the bakeshop?” Mom asked.

  “I’m usually off by early afternoon, so that shouldn’t get in the way of my helping Irene. I could help on my days off, too.”

  Mom shook her head. “I don’t know. . .seems like a lot of work to me, especially since you already have a job.”

  “Guess I could help,” Martha said. “Of course, Ruth’s better at cooking than I am.”

  “I’m sure you would do fine.” Mom patted Martha’s back.

  Martha shrugged. “I’d better let Ruth do it.”

  “I think I’ll drop by the Schrocks’ on my way to work and speak with Irene about helping.” Ruth smiled. “Since Abe Wengerd’s place is on the way, I might stop and see how Esta’s doing with her puppy.”

  Mom nodded. “That’s a good idea. We need to check on Abe and his kinner often.”

  Martin reached for a piece of leather that hung on a hook above him and spotted Ruth outside the window, talking with Esta. When Ruth bent down and gave the little girl a hug, he thought about how well she got along with Abe’s children. No doubt she would make a good mother someday, and he hoped the children she had would be his.

  “What’s so interesting?”

  Martin whirled around at the sound of Abe’s resonant voice. “Huh?”

  “Out the window. You’ve been holding that piece of leather and staring out the window for several minutes.”

  Martin’s face heated up, and he dropped the hunk of leather to the workbench. “I. . .uh. . .just noticed Ruth Hostettler’s here. She’s in the yard, talking to Esta.”

  Abe moved over to the window and nudged Martin’s arm. “You’re in love with her, jah?”

  Martin couldn’t deny it, yet he didn’t want to admit it, either. “Would you mind answering a personal question?” he asked.

  “What do you want to know?”

  “I was wondering when you first knew you were in love with Alma and how long you waited until you asked her to marry you.”

  Abe chuckled. “I can’t imagine why you’d want to know that.”

  Martin glanced out the window again. He hoped Ruth would drop by the harness shop and say hello.

  Abe tapped Martin on the back. “Are you gonna stand there all day staring out the window, or did you want to hear the answer to your question about when I fell in love with Alma?”

  Martin pulled his gaze back to Abe. “I do want to hear it.”

  Abe motioned to a couple of wooden stools. “Have a seat, and I’ll tell you about it.”

  Martin listened as Abe told the story of how he’d taken an interest in Alma soon after she and her folks had moved to Ohio from Pennsylvania. “When Alma turned sixteen and started attending some of the young people’s functions, I asked if I could court her. Soon after our first date, I knew I was in love. Two years later, I asked if I could marry her,” Abe said, dropping his gaze to the floor.

  Martin figured talking about Alma must have conjured up some nostalgic feelings. He wished he hadn’t brought up the subject of Abe and Alma’s courtship. “Sorry if I’ve upset you.”

  “I miss my wife, but it’s good for me to talk about her.” Abe touched his chest. “Keeps her memory alive in here.”

  Martin nodded solemnly. If he were married to Ruth and lost her the way Abe had lost Alma, he didn’t know how he could go on living. No wonder Abe slept so much when he wasn’t working. It was probably the only way he could deal with his grief.

  “Want my advice, Martin?” Abe asked as he stood.

  “Jah, sure.”

  “If you’re in love with Ruth, don’t let her get away. Don’t waste a single moment you have together.”

  Martin’s forehead wrinkled. “Are you saying I shouldn’t wait to ask her to marry me?”

  “That’s got to be your decision. But if it were me, I wouldn’t wait too long.” Abe lifted his shoulders in a brief shrug. “One never knows what the future holds. One never knows how much time they have left on this earth.”

  “You’re right, Abe. Danki for the good advice. I’ll be thinking on what you said.”

  A few seconds later, the shop door opened, and Ruth stuck her head inside. “I’m on my way to work, so I can’t stay,” she said, smiling at Martin. “But I wanted to say hello.”

  “Glad you did. It’s always nice to see you.” Martin moved toward the door. “I had a good time with you at the pond last Saturday,” he whispered.

  She nodded. “I enjoyed myself, too.”

  “Maybe we can do it again sometime soon.”

  “That’d be nice.” She glanced toward her horse and buggy, parked outside the harness shop. “Guess I’d better go.”

  Martin fought the urge to hug her; he knew it wouldn’t be appropriate. Especially with Abe right behind him, no doubt watching and listening to their conv
ersation. “See you soon, Ruth,” he said. “Have a good day.”

  As Martin returned to his workbench, Abe shot him a knowing look.

  Martin grabbed a hunk of leather and set right to work. Every time he saw Ruth, he fell deeper in love with her. How long would he have to wait until he felt free to ask her to marry him?

  As Ruth headed down the road toward the Schrocks’ place, the pleasant scent of wildflowers growing in the woods wafted through the open buggy flap, and she drew in a deep, satisfying breath. She was glad she had been able to stop by the harness shop to see Martin.

  Ruth’s thoughts turned to Esta. She’d been pleased to see how well the child was doing. From what she could tell, the puppy had adjusted to its new home. As time allowed, she hoped to continue her visits to the Wengerds’ to check on Abe’s children.

  Ruth was about to turn into the Schrocks’ place when a black truck whizzed past, causing the horse to whinny and veer to the right. She hadn’t been able to get a good look at the driver, but she thought he was wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses.

  “Sure wish folks wouldn’t drive so fast,” she muttered.

  A few minutes later, she spotted a horse and buggy up ahead. It didn’t take her long to realize it was Martha’s rig. Ruth followed as the horse and buggy turned to the right and headed up the Schrocks’ driveway past the sign reading SCHROCKS’ HOME COOKING.

  “How’d your visit with Esta go?” Martha asked as she stepped up to Ruth moments later.

  “It went fine.” Ruth squinted. “What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming to speak with Irene.”

  “Changed my mind. Since my dog business isn’t doing too well yet, I figured I could use some extra money.”

  “I doubt Irene will need us both.”

  “Then I guess she’ll have to choose between us.”

  Ruth frowned. She didn’t think it would be fair to put Irene in that position, and Martha should have realized it, too. “Never mind. You can have the job.”

  Martha shook her head. “I won’t work for Irene if you want to. I just figured since you already have a job—”