Wanted (8 page)

“
Jah
.
Danke
,” she murmured, only realizing after the fact that he'd spoken to her in Pennsylvania Dutch and she'd replied in the same fashion. “I
um,
didn't realize I'd be so uncomfortable being stared at.”

“It is different outside of the inn, isn't it?”

“Yes. At the inn, it's your parents' home, so it feels like we're the hosts. Here, I feel so exposed and at their mercy.”

“They mean no harm.”

“I suppose. It's just that it's different at the inn.”

He gently clucked his tongue. “Anna, the inn is your home now, too, yes?”

His sweet words made everything feel right again. No matter what, she was happy with Henry, and happy with how things were going with their life. She needed to remember that. “Yes.”

“Let's pay for our things and go home.” His voice seemed to linger on the word.

Contentment settled over Anna as she followed him to the counter and stood by while he paid for the pasta and flour that their kitchen had run out of. Taking his bags from Mr. McClusky, Henry said, “Good-bye, then.”

“Bye, Henry, Anna,” the older man said with a knowing smile, making Anna wonder if he, too, was thinking of not so long ago when she didn't quite fit into this world. Much like the “sightseeing” ladies in the store. “Oh, I almost forgot.” Sam McClusky's forehead creased. “Katie got another letter.”

“Another?”
Anna's hand shot out before Henry could claim it. She looked to Henry in alarm.
What was going on?

Sam nodded. “Yeah. The first one came about ten days ago, right, Henry?”

“More or less.”

As Anna looked at Henry curiously, Sam continued. “I have to tell you both, the girl who's been dropping these letters off looks pretty desperate. It ain't my business, but if I were you, Henry, I might talk to Katie. I wouldn't want to have some stranger looking for my sister the way she is.”

Henry looked genuinely alarmed. “Thank you for the note, and for your concern.” He frowned at the envelope in Anna's hand before facing the proprietor again. “When did you say the girl dropped this off?”

“Three or four days ago. She was asking all kinds of questions about Katie, about where she lives, what she does, but I put her off.” With a self-satisfied smile, he waggled his white bushy eyebrows. “You know me, I'm not about to divulge anything to outsiders.”

Anna knew she would be forever grateful for that character trait. “I know that for a fact, Mr. McClusky. You certainly kept your silence when Rob was after me.”

“He was no good, Anna.” Shaking his head in dismay, he added, “I still can't believe he tried to bribe me in order to find you.”

“If he had known what kind of person you are, Rob Peterson would have never tried such a thing,” Anna said. “I can't imagine you ever accepting a bribe. You are a
gut
friend, indeed.”

“I appreciate your help,” Henry said before usher
ing Anna out into the brisk wind. As they walked across the busy parking lot toward their buggy, he murmured, “Something isn't right.”

Anna had a sudden desire to toss the envelope in the trash and never tell Katie of its existence. Turning to Henry, she asked, “Did she let you read the first note?”

“Nope. She got right angry when I tried to learn about the contents, too. Anna, Katie had quite a rebellious time during her running-around years. I'm wondering if her past has come back to haunt her.”

Anna knew all about running from her mistakes, but yet, Katie was the sweetest girl she knew. “I doubt that. What did Katie do during her
rumspringa
, stay out late one or two nights?”

To her surprise, he shook his head. “Oh no. It was more than that. She'd go out almost every night. She wore makeup, too.”

Anna couldn't help but chuckle. “Oh, Henry. That doesn't sound too strange. If you could have seen some of the girls in my ninth grade class—why the makeup they were trying out was crazy!”

“No, it wasna like that.” He narrowed his eyes as he remembered. “It wasn't the makeup she wore, it was more the way she seemed to embrace everything about the English. And…her running around lasted a long time. My sister, Rebekeh, and I were sorely worried that we were going to lose her.”

“Lose her? To what?”

“To the outside world.” He held up his hand when it was obvious she was about to find offense. “Her leaving was a
real matter of concern. She wouldn't talk to us about her new friends, wouldn't let even Rebekeh counsel her. She kept saying that we wouldn't understand.”

“If it's her past that is bothering her, I know she won't get very far. I'm proof the past always comes back. You can't hide from it for long.”

“That's what makes me
naerflich
. I think my sister is truly worried about being reminded of her past, but she won't let me help.”

“I can understand you being nervous. Well, I'll go to the Lundy farm tomorrow and deliver the letter. While I'm there, I'll try to get Katie to tell me what all this means.”

He glanced at her in gratitude. “You'd do that?”

She reached out to him, clasping his hand. “Of course I would. I care about Katie. She's like a sister to me.”

But as she said those words, a deep sense of foreboding nagged at her. From the day they'd first met, Katie had felt like a sister. Last year, she'd spent hours confiding to Katie about Rob, about his abuse. All along, Katie had just been supportive and caring.

Why hadn't Katie ever given her even a hint that she knew what the outside world was like? That at times, she, too, had made mistakes and felt regret for her actions?

More important, why wasn't she trusting Anna now?

“You are truly my best friend, Anna,” Katie said as she led the way into the
sitzschtupp
, which she'd stubbornly taken over. She'd become tired of Jonathan's rules and hearing about how Winnie and Sarah had always done things. Though she might only be in the Lundy house for a short time, she was determined to at least try and fit in—walking around like an unwelcome guest had become mighty trying.

Because of that, she had made the front parlor a cozy area. After a few begrudging remarks, even Mary now seemed to look forward to their nightly lessons in measuring, cutting, and piecing together fabric. The result was cheery mix of three-inch squares waiting to be added to their Sunshine and Shadow quilt.

Anna patted the bright yellow, blue, red, and cream colored fabrics lovingly. “These are beautiful. I like the size
of the squares, too. The last Sunshine and Shadow quilt I made, the squares were cut so small, it made my eyes dizzy just to look at it.”

“The larger pieces are easier for the girls to manage. We're going to add wide borders, too.”

“I think it's going to be pretty.” With a winsome look, Anna sighed. “I've been hoping to do some quilting myself, but I haven't had much time.”

“You've been busy with other things, things far more important than piecing together a new quilt, I'm thinkin'.”

“I wish I had more to show for all the time I've spent studying.” Anna grimaced. “Katie, I'm afraid my Pennsylvania Dutch isn't getting much better. What am I gonna do if I never learn that language? I promised Henry I'd do my best.”

“And, you are doing your best,
jah
? Don't be hard on yourself, dear Anna. You forget that most of us learned Pennsylvania Dutch before English. And never at such an old age.” As she heard herself, Katie felt her cheeks heat. “Oh! I mean old…I just meant that most Amish learn to speak Pennsylvania Dutch first.”

To Katie's relief, Anna didn't take offense to the “old” remark. Instead, she looked relieved. “You're right. I forget how much of what I'm learning you practically take for granted.”

“You shouldn't. I know neither Henry nor our parents ever forget your sacrifices. You've changed so much for Henry.”

“I have changed, but not just for Henry. I've changed the way I look at things, and I have to admit that I do like this
‘new' me. Well, most of the time. Other times, I feel so awkward, I'm sure that I'll never be comfortable.”

“Don't fret so. At the end of the day, Henry wants you to be in his life, not a master of two languages.”

“I don't seem to be mastering much. I ruined one of your mother's tablecloths yesterday. I scorched it.”

“There's ways to fix scorches. I'm sure my mother told you.”

“Not that mess. I ruined it something awful, Katie.”

Katie did her best to keep a straight face. “It's just fabric. We all make mistakes.”

Anna rolled her eyes. “Those horrible hens hate me. They peck my fingers something awful.”

“That's because they know you fear them.”

“Of course I do! Their jabs hurt! I don't know what to do about that. I think your
daed
has just about had enough of me and my accidents.”

“I know that's not true.” Reaching out, Katie clasped Anna's hand. “Hush, now. One day I'll tell you about all the things I've done wrong at the inn. And there's a great many things I've done wrong.”

“Promise?”

Katie hid a smile. Anna's look of hope was almost comical. “I promise. Well, I will if you vow never to mention bread baking around Henry. He loves to recount my first attempts making cloverleaf rolls.”

“I'll give you my word. Though I have to tell you that I'm very curious about what happened.”

“I can only tell you that it involved too much yeast, too much salt, and a dining room full of paying guests.” Katie
shuddered at the memory. “We went through a record amount of water that evening.”

“Oh, Katie. You do make me laugh! I knew I was right to pay you a visit.”

“Your timing couldn't have been better.”

Immediately concern filled Anna's green eyes. “Why? Are you having a difficult time?”

Though Katie would have loved to cry on her friend's shoulder and tell all, she knew better than to give into such foolishness. She'd wanted to be at Jonathan's home. She'd fought and cajoled her way to be here. She certainly didn't want to seem ungrateful or flighty—or inept. Especially not after she'd been giving Anna so much advice about managing an Amish household.

However, there was one matter that she was justifiably nervous about. Something that made even the most exacting housekeeper shudder and fret about. “I just heard today that we will be hosting church services here in two weeks' time.”

Anna's eyes widened. “Are you sure? I was sure Irene told me it was the Barr's turn to host.”

“The Barr's youngest has been sick with tonsillitis. Now the doctor says the tonsils need to come out. In light of that, Jonathan volunteered his home.”

“Oh, Katie. We have a lot to do.”

That was somewhat of an understatement. Holding church services was a big undertaking. The whole house would need to be cleaned top to bottom, food prepared, and room made for the benches and tables. “Thank you for saying ‘we.'”

Anna laughed. “Of course I'll help you. Why, we all will!” Looking around, she asked, “I haven't been here for church before. Where does Jonathan usually hold the services?”

Katie pointed to the door that led to the bottom floor. “In the basement. There's lots of room.”

“Enough to seat two hundred people on benches?”

“Jonathan says so. Luckily, the area shouldn't need too much work to be ready to host. It's fairly clean and tidy and is sparsely furnished. There is also a door that leads outside so everyone won't track mud and dirt through the house. It's everything else that makes my stomach turn in knots.”

“What do you plan to serve?”

“The usual fare. Coffee and tea to drink. Trail bologna sandwiches, with fresh bread and relishes. And of course, peanut butter and jelly for the kinner.” Katie thought some more. “Oh, and cookies. I thought we'd have cowboy bars, oatmeal cookies, and snowballs.”

“Your
mamm
and I can do the baking. We'll bake the bread and cookies.”

“
Danke
. Some other ladies will come over next week to help me clean.”

Anna reached out and clasped her hand. “Everything will work out just fine. I feel certain.”

Katie smiled. “That's what I told Jonathan. However, I have to warn you he didn't look as confident as you sound.”

“He doesn't know you like I do. Remember, you are the woman who taught me to cook for a crowd. If you can do that, you can handle this.”

“I'm glad you have so much faith in me.” Turning back to the beautiful quilt fabric in front of her, Katie said, “But for now I want to spend some time on this quilt. That is important, too.”

They both started organizing the fabric. It was almost impossible to sit still when there was quilting to do. Anna eyed Katie a little more closely. “So are you going to tell me how things are going?”

“You heard what I said.”

“And, I also heard what you did not say. Come on Katie, this is me.”

Anna was right. Maybe her ear really was what Katie needed. A friendly person to listen objectively. “All right,” she said haltingly. “Things have been…more difficult than I had imagined.”

“How so?”

“I don't rightly know. Things have been awkward in so many ways. I'm having trouble finding my place here. I had hoped that Jonathan and I might have some time together, but that seems like it will never happen.”

“It's only been a few weeks.”

But what an isolated time it had been! “That is true.”

“How are the girls?”

“Confused. Hannah is a dear, but Mary harbors a lot of anger, I tell you. She doesn't trust me.”

“It must be hard, losing her mother.”

“I'm sure it is. There's been lots of other changes, too. Jonathan's working at the lumberyard has been a hard adjustment, I'm thinkin'. The girls were used to knowing he was close by even if they didn't see him.”

After hesitating about whether to divulge more information, Katie decided to add some more. “And, then there's everything going on with Winnie.”

Anna leaned forward. “I've been thinking a bit about her trip and that first meeting with Malcolm. Have you heard from her? Was Malcolm everything she'd thought he was going to be? Is she happy?”

“Anna! You sure you've only been thinking about her trip a ‘bit'?”

“Okay. Maybe more than a little bit. Though we don't know each other too well, I do hope the best for her. I know how hard it is to jump into a new situation. So, what have you heard?”

Thinking back to the sound of Winnie's voice, Katie hedged. “Well, she called Jonathan at the lumberyard to let us know she arrived safe and sound. The Troyers have a phone booth at the end of their road to use for emergencies and such.”

“I'm pleased to hear that, but I'm more curious as to how she's finding Malcolm. Did she say? How are they getting along, face to face?”

Katie looked at her friend with a new awareness. “I'm now realizing that you are not terribly hopeful about Winnie's trip.”

This time it was obvious that Anna was the one who was choosing her words carefully. “I'm hopeful that she finds happiness.”

“But you don't think Winnie will?”

“I didn't say that.”

“It's what you are not saying that interests me. Truly,
Anna, you don't sound as if you hold out much hope for a happy ending for Malcolm and Winnie.”

“I don't, not exactly. Before she left, Winnie seemed so eager to find Malcolm as everything she wanted. I'm afraid that she will either not see his faults or not take the time to really get to know him,” Anna said, not looking away. “This sounds obvious, but people are hard to really know. Sometimes it takes weeks or months to see who the real person is. Sometimes first impressions can be so misleading.”

“You are speaking of Rob, aren't you?”

Anna looked away. “It's hard for me not to think of Rob when I hear about Winnie's excitement to meet the man behind his letters. I mean, on the surface Rob looked polished and handsome and successful. He was running for a seat in the House of Representatives. It was only after we'd become serious that I realized how controlling and abusive he was. It's easy to only look at the surface of people. Far harder when you dig deeper. We all have so many layers on for reasons.”

“Even Henry?”

Anna grinned. “Most especially Henry. He'd been hurt when Rachel left him for the
Englischer
. When we first started talking, I was sure he was just a sour, glum man.”

“And he thought you were simply a spoiled, flighty fancy girl.”

Anna looked serious again. “We were lucky, because we found out that our hearts matched and complimented each other. That isn't always the case, though.”

“No, I imagine not.”

Rubbing a worn spot on the wooden table, Anna added, “You might not know about this, but there's lots of stories in the news about men and women who pretend to be something they aren't on the Internet. That makes me wonder about this man's letters. Malcolm may have good intentions, but he may not be everything he says he is. It's only natural to want to downplay a person's flaws.”

“I don't believe Winnie is finding that to be true. While she hasn't sounded over the moon about Malcolm, she sounds happy enough in the letters we've received so far.”

“I hope she will be.”

“I do, too. Maybe we shouldn't worry so much, Anna. I've learned that Winnie is a woman of strong will and character. She might want to be in love, but she is no
dummkopp,
no dunce. If this man has shortcomings, she'll discover them.” Katie shrugged. “In any case, because of Winnie's trip, I think the girls are even more unsettled. I think they've overheard Winnie talk about her wish to one day be with Malcolm. To them, it's one more person stepping out of their lives.”

“You'll win them over.”

“With the Lord's help I might.” Katie did not say that lightly. She was finding so many stumbling blocks, it would be a miracle if the girls and she reached common ground any time soon. Pushing the quilt project to one side, she stood up and smoothed her skirt. “I suppose I'd better get started on supper.”

As they entered the kitchen, Katie motioned to a plate in the sink, where she'd set out pork chops to thaw. “I thought I'd season these for a bit before I bake them.”
Suddenly she doubted everything about herself. “Does…does that sound like a
gut
idea?”

Anna squeezed her hand. “You are a wonderful good cook. I imagine anything you make will be tasty.”

Katie couldn't believe how much she needed to continually hear the praise. She'd always thought of herself as a strong woman, but at the moment, she'd never felt more alone and weak. “I thought we'd have applesauce, too. I made some yesterday.”

“All
kinner
like applesauce.”

The Amish way of speaking of children perked Katie right up. “You sound mighty
gut
, Anna. I bet your guests at the inn think you are Amish, born and raised.”

Anna giggled. “As long as I can tell them about where to shop, they are happy.”

“And answer all their questions.”

“Oh, all those questions! Someone asked me the other day if I had an alarm clock in my room. She had supposed a rooster woke me up every morning.”

Katie laughed merrily. “Oh, can't you see my
daed
, having to fuss with a noisy rooster every morning? We'd be having it for supper after a week.”