A Dark Amish Night (6 page)

   The clock alarm on his cell phone started going off signaling that Hannah would be coming down the way anytime now. Shaking himself from his sleep Quinn took out his binoculars and walked down to the road. In perfect timing he watched from the brush as Hannah drove past him in the buggy, taking Timothy to meet with the other school children.

   He could just make out Hannah’s full black bonnet that hid her face from view. That beautiful face with her blonde hair always up in a prim bun and those big clear blue eyes fringed with long lashes.
I have to stay focused here. There is too much at stake for me to be running around like a lovesick schoolboy.
Quinn chastised himself and walked a little further down the road until he reached a point where he could see Elder Troy’s long buckboard full of children stop to pick up Timothy. He scanned the entire area and saw nothing out of order. Soon as the buckboard was on its way, Hannah’s buggy turned and headed back towards home.

   Quinn decided that this would be a good time to scout out the rest of Hannah’s farm and check in with her and Ruth Anne. Hannah’s children were both adorable, but Ruth Anne was already a favorite with Quinn. If ever he’d had a baby he’d want one like Ruth Anne. She was precious in his eyes.

   After walking across Eric’s plowed fields. Quinn spotted something flashing in the woods edging the line of the property, and he decided to take a closer look. When he got closer to the spot it turned out to be what he was afraid he’d seen. A tattered tent flapping in the breeze, someone had been camping in this area, and by the looks of it fairly recently.

   Hannah was busy baking a list of things to take into town for her weekly orders when she heard a buggy pulling up in the front of her house. She figured it would be Pattie Sue coming to check on her, but was surprised to see Bishop Miller standing on her front porch with his black hat in hand.

   “Good Morning, Sister Hershberger, may I come in?”

   “Bishop Miller, what an unexpected surprise. Please do, come in. I hope you’re hungry. I just pulled a batch of strudel out of the oven and I have a fresh pot of coffee on the stove.”

  “That would be very kind of you, Sister.”

   Hannah had always liked Bishop Miller. She thought of him as dear uncle. He’d been close to her parents and had married her and Eric himself, but she dreaded his tidings today. He had to be here to bring news of his and the deacons’ decision as to whether or not the church would support her in opening her own bakery. She found herself holding her breath as she set out a slice of strudel and poured a cup of black coffee for the bishop.

   “Where are the children today?” The Bishop asked as he took a seat at the table.

   “I sent Timothy back to school just this morning, and Ruth Anne is upstairs napping. Can I get you anything else?”

   When the Bishop shook his head Hannah poured herself a cup and sat down at the table across from the Bishop. “Well I assume you have news for me.”

   “There’s the Hannah we all know and love, straight forward as always. I can’t tell you what it means to see you looking so well and knowing you are going on with things. I praise the good Lord for it, and yes, I bring you glad news, I hope.”

   Hannah smiled and let out her breath. It didn’t really matter what the answer was. She trusted the Lord and trusted her community and church to do right by her and her family.

   “The church deacons have decided, in light of the demise of your husband, and the fact that you are now a widow in good standing within the community, that it would be in the best interest of the community to help you. We would like to help you open a bakery in town.”

  Hannah was so excited she jumped up from the table and knocked her chair down. “Really, Bishop Miller? I promise I’ll not let you or the church down. I’ll work hard and pay back every penny you loan me when I sell the farm.”

   “Oh, Hannah, we hope you won’t sell the farm. The church deacons understand that you would need to live in town to run a bakery while raising your children, but we hope that you would hold off on selling your farm for a while. Some of the deacons have volunteered to shelter your livestock and help with the caretaking of the farm until such a time as you would consider taking another husband. One would hope that the drought will end and that your farm would soon be a productive one again.” 

   Hannah’s heart sank in her chest. There were some strings attached to helping her after all. Still, it was a generous offer, one she wouldn’t turn down. “And what if I never feel I can marry again? Will the church turn its back on me then?”

   “Of course not, Hannah. As I said, you and your children are much beloved in our community. Let me say this to you not as your Bishop, but as a good friend to your late father. You are still young, and maybe you will never want to remarry. But don’t let your present grief cloud your judgment. You may well find when your period of mourning is over that you do wish to be a wife again. If that time never comes then you will still have your farm to leave to Timothy and his future bride. The church deacons, and indeed I myself, want only to see that your family is secure and your family farm is a huge part of that security.”

   “But if I don’t sell the farm I am not sure I would be able to pay the church back for a long time. It will take me a while to build up enough of a profit from the bakery to support my children and pay on a loan.”

   “My dear, that is why we are a community, we help each other without obligation of return. Like I said, you bless us by being a productive member of our community. Let us help you continue to be a blessing.”

   Hannah was ashamed of herself. She should never have doubted the generosity of her church and community. “Yes, let me continue to be a blessing. I think it will take me about a month or so to get everything closed up here on the farm and to find a place to live in town. Maybe Pattie Sue can help me with that. You know she has offered me the use of her storeroom attached to the Mercantile to use for my bakery.”

   “That is wonderful. Come to the church deacons meeting next week. We will work to put together a business plan for you and see how much it will take to get you started. Also, I would like to have our Sunday meeting here sometime this month. That way the menfolk can get a feel as to what needs to be done to the farm to secure it before you leave and the womenfolk can help you pack up and shut down the house. Would that be all right with you?”

   “I would be honored.”

   Hannah could hear Ruth Anne stirring as she watched the Bishop’s buggy leave. She heaved a long sigh of relief and let her tense shoulders relax. A huge burden had been lifted from her. Everything would be fine. She had the community to back her and she would not have to sell the farm to get her bakery started. Hannah knew she had plenty of work to do, but if the Lord was willing she would be moved into town and have her bakery up and running by summer’s end. Her step was just a little bit lighter as she went upstairs to get Ruth Anne.

   Quinn watched the house from the fields as he waited for Hannah’s visitor to leave. He’d scouted all around the rough campsite in the woods. He left the site as untouched as possible for evidence. There was a campfire ring and the remains of trash from cans of food piled all around. Whoever had been here had been here for at least a few weeks. But the most disturbing thing for Quinn was the footprints at the edge of the woods. Footprints that indicated someone had stood and watched over Hannah’s farm house. His plan was to come back to this site tonight and wait for anyone who might come back. If no one returned he would have a team come out to gather evidence and clean out the site for good.

   This was further proof that Hannah and her children were in danger. It was time to take things up a notch. To keep from spooking anyone Quinn had put off questioning some the folks who had to have seen Eric that night in town. But it was now clear that Hannah was being watched. She needed to get off the farm. And it was time to start asking some questions. 

   He spotted Hannah coming out the back of the house with a laundry basket on one arm and Ruth Anne on the other. This woman was tireless. She was up at the crack of dawn and worked all day cleaning and cooking as well as caring for her children. All by herself, Hannah was amazing. Quinn vowed again to protect her with his life. She deserved no less from him.

   Hannah saw Quinn out in her fields and watched him as he walked across the way. A strong wave of longing overcame her. She’d never known such a pull of attraction from any man other than Eric. This just could not be. Quinn was English. There was only one thing to be done. She would have to put as much distance between herself and Quinn as she could as soon as possible. She would just have to tell him that she would be moving into town soon and that he no longer needed to watch over her. The church deacons would take care of her and the children.  She would be polite but she needed to make things clear for herself and for Quinn. Her way of life was the Amish way and that did not include him.

   “Hannah, we need to talk.” Quinn was dirty and tired from tromping all around the woods all morning, but he felt it was urgent that he get Hannah off the farm and into a safe place as soon as possible.

   “Yes, I think we really should talk. Come inside and wash up. I need to feed Ruth Anne some lunch and you might as well join us.” Hannah was colder than she usually was and Quinn couldn’t help but notice.

   Hannah barely spoke to Quinn as she set out fixings for sandwiches and made plates for him and Ruth Anne. It wasn’t until she sat down with her own plate that she even looked at Quinn. Then in her straight forward manner she told him what was on her mind.

   “Look, Sheriff. I really appreciate what you’ve done for me and I will always be grateful, but you can’t stay out here like this. Bishop Miller and the deacons from our church are going to help me move into town and open my bakery up. They are my community and family. They will help me take care of my children. I know you’re looking for Eric’s killer and I’ll still help you in any way I can with that. But this is not the way of the plain folk. We have to forgive any trespasses against us, even murder. I need to move on and so do you. With the church deacons watching over us we’ll be fine. You no longer need to stay close.”

   Something caught in Quinn’s gut. In some ways he expected Hannah to try to pull away from him, and it was right that she do so. But she didn’t know what he knew, and there was no way he was leaving her out on the farm alone. In fact, he planned on moving into her barn this very night and he would stay there as long as she stayed on the farm. Until then, she was stuck with him like it or not.

   “Wrong, Hannah, you need me closer than ever now. You’re being watched, closely. I found a campsite in the woods across from the fields. I want you and the children off this farm as soon as possible. How long will it take to get you moved into town?”

   “At least a month.”

   “Well, then I’ll be sleeping in your barn for at least a month.”

A Dark Amish Night

Chapter Six

  Hannah gasped and started to protest, but the determined look on Quinn’s face kept her from it. It took a few minutes for what Quinn had just told her to sink in.  Her children were being watched. Not one of them was safe. Quinn was right; she needed him closer than ever now. Hannah would just have to put her own feelings about Quinn aside. The sooner he found Eric’s killer the safer her children would be. How could she stand in the way of that?

   Quinn did not miss the look of terror that crossed Hannah’s face as the realization that she was being watched set in.

   “Okay, then we need to let the church deacons know you want to stay out here to look for Eric’s killer. They’ll want a chaperone to stay with us.”

   “A chaperone? Really? I’ve never seen an actual chaperone.” Quinn laughed out loud.

   “Quinn, this is no laughing matter. The children and I could be shunned and outcast forever. I would never do that to Timothy or Ruth Anne. Think of what it would mean for them to be stripped of their community and heritage permanently.”

   “No, I suppose you’re right, that will not do. Tell me what we need to do to make things right with the church deacons.”

   “Well, I think we should go into town and meet with Bishop Miller as soon as possible. You can tell him what you know, and we’ll go from there.”