[Kentucky Brothers 01] - The Journey (19 page)

“You’re right about that. There aren’t any hotels close to where I live either. The nearest town with hotels is Hopkinsville.”

“It doesn’t matter. Even if I could get away right now, I doubt Hannah would come. She’s never liked to go very far from home.”

“Guess it’s a good thing her family lives nearby.” Titus glanced up and noticed Isaac heading his way. “I’d better go. The boss is here, and I need to get to work.”

“Okay, but keep in touch. Now that you’ve got a cell phone there’s no excuse for not calling.”

Titus chuckled. “I’ll do my best. I’ll talk to you again soon, and I’m still praying for you and Hannah.”

“Danki.”

Titus had just clicked off the phone and was about to slip it back into his pocket, when Isaac walked up to him wearing a frown. It was the first time he’d seen the elderly man look so stern. “Where’d you get that cell phone?” Isaac asked.

“I … uh … bought it in Hopkinsville so I could keep in better touch with my family back home.”

“Cell phones aren’t allowed in our church district.” Isaac’s bushy gray eyebrows furrowed, making the wrinkles in his forehead more pronounced. “Although I know of a few men who use cell phones anyway, despite what the ministers have decided.”

Titus cringed. If cell phones weren’t allowed, he’d either have to get rid of his or keep it a secret, which meant he would only be able to use it when other Amish people weren’t around. It probably wasn’t the right to do, but if others were doing it …

“Why aren’t you content to use the phone shanty that’s on the property where you’re staying?” Isaac questioned.

“What phone shanty? I’ve never seen one anywhere on the property.”

“It’s out behind the barn a ways, but since the trailer has been sittin’ empty for some time, I guess maybe the phone shanty could be covered with an overgrowth of bushes by now.”

“I’ll have to look for it when I get home this afternoon.”

But even if I find it
, Titus thought,
I’m not sure I’ll be willing to give up my cell phone
.

“Looks like my driver’s here,” Suzanne’s mother said, peering out the kitchen window. “I won’t be back in time to fix lunch or take it out to the menfolk, because after my dental appointment I have some shopping to do in Hopkinsville, so you’ll have to do it.”

Suzanne nodded. Since there wasn’t much to making sandwiches, she figured she couldn’t mess it up too badly. After all, she’d made sandwiches before.

“I’ll see you later this afternoon.” Mom grabbed her shawl and black outer bonnet, then hurried out the door.

Soon after Mom left, Suzanne went out to the garden to check the bedding plants she’d be taking to the Fairview Produce Auction next week. She noticed Titus talking to Grandpa, and then the two of them headed for the shop. She wondered if it was hard for Grandpa to go there every day and not be able to do the carpentry work he used to do. Since his fingers didn’t have enough strength to hold a piece of wood very long, whenever there was no paperwork to be done, he sat and visited with Nelson and Titus while they worked.

Sure wish they’d, let me help out
, Suzanne fumed.
If they’d give me a chance, they’d realize that I can do a good job at woodworking, too
.

When Suzanne finished checking the plants, she went out to the barn and fed the cats. As she sat on a bale of straw, watching them eat, her thoughts went to Titus and his dislike of cats. Maybe if Callie stayed at his place long enough, he’d form an attachment to her—or at least build up some toleration.

Suzanne continued to sit, even after the cats had finished their meal and scurried back to whatever place they’d come from. She enjoyed being in the barn, where she could pet the cats, listen to the pigeons coo, and smell the pleasant aroma from the bales of stacked hay.

Her stomach growled noisily, reminding her that it was time for lunch and she needed to go back to the house and make some sandwiches.

When Suzanne entered the kitchen, she found her little sister, Effie, sitting at the table, drawing a picture. “I’m
hungerich
,” the girl said, blinking her eyes at Suzanne. “When’s Mom comin’ home to fix us somethin’ to eat?”

“Not for a while, but I’ll fix your lunch.”

Effie shook her head. “Think I’d better wait for Mom.”

“Sandwiches are easy to make,” Suzanne said, taking a loaf of bread from the breadbox. “In fact, you can help.”

“Can I make peanut butter and jelly?”

“You can make yours that way if you like, but I’m fixing tuna fish for everyone else.”

Effie wrinkled her freckled nose. “Eww … I don’t like tuna. It stinks like fish.”

Suzanne chuckled. “That’s because tuna is fish.”

“Think I’ll stick to peanut butter and jelly.”

“That’s fine.” Suzanne set the jars of peanut butter and jelly on the table beside Effie, along with two slices of bread and a knife. “Here you go. Have fun.”

While Effie made her sandwich, Suzanne stood at the counter, mixing the can of tuna fish with mayonnaise and relish, which was the way she’d always liked to eat it. When that was done, she slathered mayonnaise on the pieces of bread, then added the tuna and a hunk of lettuce to each one. Next, she put the sandwiches in plastic wrap, placed them in the lunch basket, and added some of Mom’s ginger cookies. Then she grabbed a jug of iced tea and turned toward the door. “I’ll be back soon, but if you want to eat while I’m gone, that’s fine,” she called to Effie over her shoulder. “Oh, and don’t forget to pray before you eat.”

When Suzanne entered the woodshop, Nelson greeted her with a smile. “What’d Mom make for our lunch today?”

“Mom’s in Hopkinsville, so I made tuna fish sandwiches.”

“There’s no vinegar in them I hope,” Titus said with a snicker.

She frowned. “Of course not. But I hope you like mayonnaise and relish.”

“Sorry about the vinegar remark,” Titus said. “I’m sure the sandwiches will be fine.”

Suzanne set the lunch basket on Grandpa’s desk. “Where’s Grandpa? I saw him come to the shop earlier and figured he’d still be here.”

Nelson shook his head. “He was tired and went to the
Daadihaus
to take a nap. Didn’t you see him come up?”

“No, but then I’ve been busy, so he might have gone into his side of the house without me knowing it.”

“Grandpa’s been really tired lately,” Nelson said. “I’m worried about him.”

“Is he having more pain than usual?” she asked.

Nelson shrugged. “I don’t know, but then he’s never been one to complain.”

The door to the shop opened just then, and one of their English neighbors stepped in. While Nelson spoke to the man about a storage shed he wanted, Suzanne poured some iced tea into the men’s cups and set them beside the sandwiches.

“That was a nice party you had for Esther,” Titus said, moving to stand beside Suzanne. “She seemed real surprised, didn’t she?”

Suzanne nodded. “I think everyone had a good time.”

“I know I did. Plan on having a good time tomorrow morning, too.”

“What’s happening tomorrow?”

“Esther and I are going with Allen and his friend to see the Jefferson Davis Monument.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize that.”

“Figured maybe Esther had told you.”

“I haven’t seen Esther since Thursday night.” Suzanne moved toward the door. “I hope you and Esther will have a good time,” she called over her shoulder.

“I’m sure we will.”

As Suzanne headed for the house, her insides felt like a twisted rubber band. She was happy for Esther, since she knew this was what Esther wanted. But she couldn’t help feeling a bit envious, wishing someone special would take an interest in her.

When Titus got home that evening, he put Lightning away and then went into the house for a drink of water. He’d just taken a glass down from the cupboard when he heard a familiar
meow
.

“Oh no! Not this again!” He hurried into his bedroom. Sure enough, Callie was curled up at the foot of his bed, with all four of her kittens.

“That’s it!” Titus snapped his fingers. “I’m going to find out once and for all how that determined cat’s been getting in.”

Titus spent the next hour searching every nook and cranny for a hole that led to the outside. He was about to give up when he discovered a small hole in his bedroom closet. He ran out to the barn, found some wood to cover the hole, and hauled Callie and her brood back to the barn. When that was done, he decided to look for the phone shanty Isaac had mentioned earlier today.

Sure enough, it was there … several feet behind the barn, hidden under some overgrown vines and thick brush.

Titus figured he ought to wait until morning to clear the growth away from the shanty. Right now, he needed to get inside, because from the looks of the darkening sky, they were in for a good rain.

W
hen Titus woke up on Saturday morning, he was glad to see that the sun was shining. He hurried to get dressed, then went to the kitchen and fixed himself a bowl of cereal. When he finished with breakfast, he went out to the barn to give Callie some food and was relieved when he found the cat nursing her kittens inside the wooden box. Apparently he’d taken care of the problem of her getting into the house.

He studied the kittens a few minutes. Two were orange, white, and black like their mother, and two were white with black patches. They were kind of cute, but though they might look innocent and sweet right now, they’d soon grow up and would scratch and bite.

Titus left the barn and went around back to take a look at the inside of the phone shanty he’d discovered the evening before. He quickly cleared away the one vine that was still hanging across the front door of the shed. When he opened the door and stepped inside, it was dark and smelled musty. He brushed away several cobwebs that hung from the ceiling.

He left the door open to give more light and to help air out the shanty. Then he picked up the phone sitting on a rickety-looking folding table. There was no dial tone, of course.

Guess I should probably get the phone service connected
, Titus thought,
but I’m already paying for my cell phone, so why pay for both?

A horn honked, and Titus stepped out of the shanty in time to see Allen’s truck pull up in front of the barn.

“I’d like you to meet my friend, Connie Myers,” Allen said when Titus opened the truck door and climbed into the backseat of the extended cab.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Titus leaned over the seat and shook Connie’s hand. “I’m Titus Fisher.”

She smiled. “Yes, I know. Allen’s told me about you.” Connie’s dark hair was cut short in a curly bob, and her eyes were also dark, like well-brewed coffee. She was pretty but wore too much makeup as far as Titus was concerned. Of course, he was used to Amish women, who wore no makeup at all … unless, like Phoebe, they liked to experiment with makeup and jewelry during their running-around years.