The Missing Will Read online

  CHAPTER 5

  Berlin

  It was the last Saturday of October, and for the first time since her breakup with Joel, Kristi felt a sense of excitement. Moments ago, she and Mom had left the quilt shop where they’d taken their first quilting lesson. Since her Saturdays were free now and she needed something fun to do, learning how to quilt seemed like a good idea. It was also an opportunity for her and Mom to spend time together, doing something they both enjoyed. Kristi had certainly enjoyed today’s lesson, although most of the morning had been spent learning the basics of quilting and cutting the pieces of material they would use to make their quilts. Kristi had chosen two shades of purple for the queen-size quilt she planned to put on her bed.

  Another reason she liked the class was because their Amish instructor was kind and patient. Kristi’s desire to know more about the Amish way of life could be somewhat fulfilled by spending time with Mattie Troyer. It was a shame she’d have no connection with Joel’s sisters now that she and Joel had no plans to be married.

  “You’re awfully quiet over there.” Mom removed one hand from the steering wheel and tapped Kristi’s arm. “It was beginning to feel like I was alone in the car.”

  Kristi’s lips parted slightly. “Sorry, Mom. I’ve been deep in thought.”

  “Mind if I ask what you were thinking about?”

  “Oh, nothing exciting—just reflecting on our first quilting class. I enjoyed it so much and appreciated how patient our teacher was with all my questions.”

  “Yes, she was very kind and helpful. I had fun, too, and look forward to our class next week.”

  “Same here.” Kristi pulled down the visor to check her hair.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind taking a side trip to Charm so I can get more of that good cheese I bought for your dad the last time we were here?”

  “I don’t mind at all. I’ll probably buy some cheese, too.” Looking in the visor mirror, Kristi pulled her hairband off and brushed every strand back in place before securing it in a ponytail.

  As they drew closer to Charm, she spotted the road she and Joel took to his dad’s place. She was on the verge of asking Mom to turn there so she could see it but changed her mind. One of Joel’s sisters, or even Joel, might be there, and it could be awkward. It was best to say nothing and keep going. If she even pointed out the road and said it led to Eustace Byler’s home, Mom might say she was better off without Joel. Kristi didn’t need the reminder; she still felt she had done the right thing. She would continue to pray for Joel, as Audrey had suggested, but it wouldn’t be for them to get back together. She’d ask God to help Joel see the importance of developing a close relationship with his sisters and their families and, most of all, to know God personally.

  “Say, I have an idea.” Mom broke into Kristi’s thoughts a second time. “When we leave the cheese store in Charm, why don’t we head up to Walnut Creek and eat lunch at Der Dutchman? I really enjoyed our meal the last time we went there.”

  “That’s fine with me.” Kristi leaned back in her seat. Being in Amish country made her feel nostalgic. If only things had worked for me and Joel.

  Walnut Creek, Ohio

  Doris was glad her shift would end at two o’clock. She’d arrived at the restaurant early today to serve the breakfast crowd, but a lot more people had come in for lunch. In addition to a few waves of nausea she’d experienced during her shift, her feet hurt from being on them so long. Fortunately, she only had another hour to go; then she’d head for home and take a nap.

  Maybe Brian was right when he said I should quit my job. But with a baby coming, we need the extra money, so I’ll try to keep working as long as I can.

  Glancing toward her section of tables, Doris noticed the hostess seating two women. One she recognized immediately—Joel’s girlfriend. She moved over to their table. “It’s nice to see you again, Kristi.”

  Blinking rapidly, Kristi offered Doris a brief smile. “Oh, hi. I’d forgotten you worked here.” She motioned to the auburn-haired woman sitting across from her. “This is my mother, Jo Ann. Mom, I’d like you to meet Joel’s sister Doris.”

  “It’s nice to meet you.” Doris lifted the pencil and order pad from her apron pocket.

  “Actually, this isn’t our first meeting.” JoAnn glanced briefly out the window, then back at Doris. “My daughter and I ate lunch here a few months ago. You were our waitress then, as well. But that was before Kristi had been formally introduced to you the day of your father’s funeral.” She paused and moistened her lips. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  Doris fought for control. Nearly every time someone offered their condolences, she teared up. “Thank you,” she murmured.

  “How’s your family?” Kristi asked. “Are you and your sisters getting along okay?”

  “Under the circumstances, we’re doing the best we can.” She paused. “How’s Joel? None of us have seen him since the funeral.”

  Kristi’s cheeks flushed as she spun the bracelet around her wrist. “Umm…Joel and I aren’t together anymore.”

  Doris drew in a quick breath, nearly dropping her order pad. “I—I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

  “It’s all right. If you want to hear what happened, feel free to give me a call some evening, and I’ll explain everything.” Kristi picked up the menu in front of her.

  “Oh, okay.” Doris had almost forgotten she and Kristi had exchanged phone numbers the day of Dad’s funeral. She was curious to know why Kristi and Joel had broken up, so she would definitely give her a call. Based on Joel’s past history with Anna, Doris felt sure the breakup was his fault.

  Akron

  When Joel stopped working at two o’clock to eat lunch, he decided to check his cell phone for messages. He’d been busy remodeling a closet for a newly married couple and had absentmindedly left his phone in the truck. Due to the stress from his breakup with Kristi and her refusal to return any of his calls, he’d forgotten a lot of things lately. Joel was consumed by his desire to be with Kristi. He couldn’t believe she wouldn’t talk to him or respond to any of his text messages.

  Maybe I should send her more flowers. Joel climbed into his truck and picked up his cell phone. Doesn’t she realize how desperate I am to get her back?

  Joel typed in his password, hoping one of the messages he’d received was from Kristi. The first two were prospective customers. The next one was the carpenter to whom he still owed money. The final message was from Elsie, asking Joel to check with Kristi to see if they could come to supper one evening.

  “There’s no point replying to that message,” he mumbled, placing the cell phone on the passenger’s seat. “Sorry, Sis, but you’re a little too late. And what about Dad’s will? You made no mention of that.”

  Joel’s face tightened as he rubbed at the knots in the back of his neck. Elsie promised to get back to him about Dad’s will, but so far there had been no word. Did it mean they hadn’t found it yet, or was she keeping it from him? “Could Dad have cut me out of his will?” Joel grunted. “He’d better not have done something like that.”

  He sucked in a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm himself. Elsie had always been a straightforward person. If they’d found the will, she would have said so. He reached over to the passenger seat and grabbed his lunch pail. Looking inside, he decided to start with the bag of chips. While he ate them, he thought about how to deal with his situation. He still had another hour or two before he finished working today.

  Clutching the steering wheel, Joel decided he would go home, take a shower, get a bite to eat, and head to Charm. He was going to take the quest for Dad’s will into his own hands. Surely it couldn’t be that hard to find.

  Charm

  When Joel arrived at his father’s house, he wasn’t surprised to see all the windows completely dark. He figured by now his aunt and uncle would have returned to their home. Since no one lived here anymore, it was his perfect opportunity to look around.

  He pulled his truck up
near the barn and turned off the engine. Fortunately, he’d had the good sense to bring a flashlight along, because it would have been nearly impossible to find his way to the front door in the dark.

  Stepping onto the porch, Joel turned the knob and was surprised to find the door locked. He kicked it and gritted his teeth. In all the years he’d grown up in this house, Dad had never locked any of the doors. Joel figured his sisters had locked the place to keep anyone from breaking in.

  Guess in a way, that’s what I’m doing, he thought as he headed around back, hoping to find that door unlocked. Irritation welled when he discovered it, too, was locked.

  “Sure wish I had a key,” Joel mumbled. “Now I’ve gotta check every window and hope one is open.”

  He shined the light on the first window. In so doing, he caught sight of the basement door. Maybe that’s unlocked.

  Making his way carefully down the stairs, he turned the knob. Bingo! The door opened. Joel figured there had to be a gas or kerosene lamp down there somewhere, so he shined his flashlight around until he found one. After lighting it, he began his search—looking through box after box for anything that resembled a will.

  This could take forever. He blew out his breath. If I don’t find something soon, I may as well head home and come back another day when I’m not working and have plenty of time to look around.

  Joel had to be desperate to be in Dad’s basement, searching through all this junk. “Really, what are the odds the will would be down here anyway?” he muttered.

  He decided to check another box, but just as he opened the lid, the kerosene lamp went out. Oh, great.

  Feeling his way, Joel moved slowly across the room, hoping he was heading in the direction of the door. After he’d turned on the lamp, he’d stupidly laid his flashlight down, and now that he was in the dark, he couldn’t find it. If he could make it to the door, he’d have to find his car in the blackness of night.

  Joel continued to move around and managed to knock something over. The metallic sound resonated throughout the basement, and he reached out to see if he could tell what it was. From the feel of the object, he was fairly certain it was one of the old milk cans Dad was so fond of. Grunting, Joel moved it aside. Trying to walk through the maze of clutter wasn’t working out too well, so he went down on his knees. As he crawled across the floor, he moved his hand around, searching for the flashlight. A chill went up Joel’s spine when he heard a noise behind him. What was that?

  Suddenly, an intense light shone in his face, stinging his eyes. A deep voice shouted, “What are you doing here?”

  CHAPTER 6

  Maybe I should be the one asking ‘What are you doing here?’” Joel blurted, when he realized the young man holding the flashlight in front of his face was Elsie’s son Glen.

  “I’ve been stayin’ here since Aunt Verna and Uncle Lester went home.”

  “Oh, I see.” Joel found his own flashlight and clambered to his feet. “How come the house is so dark? It was only seven o’clock when I got here. I doubt you were in bed.”

  “Just got back from havin’ supper at my folks. Sure was surprised to see your truck parked out by the barn.” Glen pointed his flashlight at Joel again but avoided his face. “What were you doin’ down here in the dark, and how’d ya get in?”

  “The basement door was unlocked, and not that it’s any of your business, but I’ve been looking for my dad’s will.”

  “My mamm and her sisters have been doin’ that. Do they know you’re here?”

  “No, they don’t, but even if they did, I don’t care.” Joel tightened his fingers around the flashlight. “This is my dad’s house, and I have as much right to be here as anyone else in the family.”

  “So, did ya find Grandpa’s will?” Glen leaned against a stack of folding chairs.

  “Not yet, but I’ll do more looking tomorrow.”

  Glen’s eyebrows squished together. “You’re comin’ back on Sunday?”

  “I won’t have to come back, because I’m already here.” Joel didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of it before, but since he was at his dad’s house and didn’t have to work tomorrow, he may as well spend the night. It didn’t matter that tomorrow was Sunday, because he had no plans to go to church. In fact, he hadn’t attended even once since Kristi broke up with him. What would be the point? He’d only be going to impress her, which probably wouldn’t work, since she’d no doubt be there with her folks. Since Kristi’s dad didn’t want Joel bothering his daughter, Joel figured he’d better stay clear of Kristi’s parents.

  “What are you saying—that you plan to spend the night here?” Glen stared at Joel as though in disbelief.

  “Yeah, that’s right. I’ll bed down in my old room tonight.”

  “There are a lot of boxes up there. You’d probably have to move some of ’em to get to the bed.”

  “It won’t bother me. I’ll do what needs to be done in order to make the room comfortable. Maybe I’ll look through those boxes before I go to bed.” Joel pointed toward the stairs that led up to the kitchen. “Let’s head on up.”

  Glen led the way, as he continued to speak. “You can do whatever you want, but it won’t do ya no good. I think the boxes in your old room have already been gone through, and no will was found.”

  Joel’s pulse quickened. This twenty-year-old man seemed determined to keep him from spending the night. But Joel wasn’t about to be dissuaded. If he didn’t find what he was looking for tonight, he’d continue his search in the morning.

  The following morning, Joel woke up to the sound of soft winds blowing against his bedroom window. He groaned, slowly pulling the covers over his head. It felt like a herd of horses had trampled his back. The mattress on his old bed was a lot harder than he remembered.

  He let out a few breaths, while slowly rising from the bed, then winced when his bare feet touched the cold hardwood floor. He might as well have been standing on a frozen lake. Joel’s trailer house had carpeting in the bedroom, so he wasn’t used to walking on a frigid floor as soon as he stepped out of bed. Stretching his arms overhead, Joel ambled over to the window and looked out. The sun was hidden behind the clouds, but at least it wasn’t raining.

  He hurried to get dressed, and shortly after, caught a whiff of coffee brewing. I could sure use some caffeine to kick-start my day.

  Closing the door to his room, Joel hurried down the stairs, following the enticing scent. He found his nephew in the kitchen, slathering peanut butter on a piece of toast.

  “Mornin’. Coffee’s ready if ya want some, and there’s bread to make toast. Or if you’d rather have cold cereal, there’s some of that, too.” Glen pointed across the room.

  “I’m good with coffee for now.” Joel took a mug out of the cupboard and filled it with the steaming brew. “Thanks for making the coffee.” He took a sip and smacked his lips. “This hits the spot. Not too bad at all.”

  “You really oughta eat some breakfast. My mamm always says, ‘Everyone needs a hearty breakfast to begin the day.’”

  “Your mom’s not here, so I’ll do as I please.” Joel pulled a chair toward him and took a seat at the table, ignoring his nephew’s finger tapping on the tabletop. Glen probably wishes I wasn’t invading his space. Well, if he does, it’s too bad. I’m here, and I plan to make the day count for something, even if I don’t locate the will. If I look long enough, at least I’ll know where it isn’t.

  “How long will you be sticking around?” Glen’s serous brown eyes seemed to bore right into Joel’s soul.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know yet. Could be a good part of the day.”

  “You gonna keep lookin’ for Grandpa’s will?” Glen got up to warm his coffee.

  “It’s important for somebody to find it… and soon.”

  “Sure seems odd no one’s located it yet. Makes me wonder if there even is a will. What do you think, Joel?” Glen bit into his toast and brushed the fallen crumbs off his black vest.

  Joel’s i
nternal temperature heated as he gripped his fingers around the handle of his mug. “There has to be a will. My daed was no dummkopp. I’m sure he’d want to provide for his kinner.” He scratched his cheek, unsure of why he’d spoken several Amish words. When Joel walked away from his heritage, it took a while to quit speaking Pennsylvania Dutch, but he’d left it behind. Except for the few words he’d shared with Kristi, Joel hadn’t spoken it in a long time. Being here in Dad’s house and speaking to Glen must be what caused me to revert.

  “Come to think of it, my mamm said Aunt Verna told her that Grandpa did make out a will.” Glen finished eating his toast and washed it down with a swig of coffee. “The only trouble is Aunt Verna can’t remember where he put it.”

  “That’s ridiculous. He should have told someone else where it is.” Joel wondered if his dad had gone to a lawyer to have the will made up, or if he’d done his own and had it notarized. He guessed the latter, because if Dad had a lawyer, surely one of Joel’s sisters or Aunt Verna would know who it was and have contacted him by now. Don’t know why Dad had to be so closemouthed about things.

  “Whelp, I need to get outside and hitch my gaul to the buggy.” Glen pushed away from the table and put his dishes in the sink, rinsing them off. Then he brushed off his dark-colored dress trousers, where a few crumbs had stuck. “Today’s a church Sunday for our district, and I don’t want to be late.” He turned to face Joel. “Would ya like to go with me? My folks, as well as my brother and sisters, will be there. I’m sure they’d like to see you.”

  “Yeah, I figured by the way you’re dressed that it was a church day. I won’t be going with you, but I will walk out to the barn. It’ll be nice to see my dad’s horses.” Joel grabbed his jacket and followed Glen out the door.

  After they entered the barn, Joel watched Glen get his horse ready and lead it outside to the buggy. “Do you ever take my dad’s buggy horse out for a ride?” he asked.