Chapter 6
As soon as Hannah ate her piece of chicken, she outlined her dreams for Howard’s Hardware. If she became the owner, she would buy the empty building next door, knock out a wall, and instantly double their square footage. The more space they had, the better they could meet the community’s needs. After providing for herself and her child, she would plow any profits back into the store. The Howards had already promised her cheap rent for the next two years as part of the purchase agreement.
Seth liked her ideas, especially her plan to reinvest future profits. If their bid was accepted, he would move from his apartment in Harrisburg and rent a room in Bluebird or one of the outlying farms.
By the time the Howards walked into the dining room, they knew Hannah and Seth’s answer with one glance. “Judging by those smiles, I guess your answer is yes?” asked Lawrence.
“It is indeed, sir,” said Seth.
“Are you surprised, Mrs. Howard?” asked Hannah.
“Nope,” said Martha. “You two are smart enough to get out of your own way. Who’s ready for dessert to celebrate?”
Seth raised his hand while Hannah groaned. “Not for me,” she said. “But I will have another cup of coffee.”
While the three enjoyed a piece of chocolate cake, Mr. Howard explained forming a legal partnership through an attorney and contacting a real estate agent to handle the transaction. He also outlined their timeline for moving to Florida, providing they found a buyer for their home.
“What about the offer from Kings Hardware?” Seth asked.
“I made it clear I wouldn’t make a hasty decision and that I would be considering all offers. Should Kings tire of waiting, they’re welcome to look at other properties for sale.”
“Hopefully far away from Bluebird,” added Martha to everyone’s amusement.
When Hannah drained her mug, she pushed to her feet. “I’m sorry, everyone, but my head is swimming with all this information. After we do the dishes, I’m calling for a ride back to my apartment.”
“Nothing doing, young lady,” said Martha, stacking the plates. “We have a dishwasher that’s seldom used with two people.”
Seth swallowed his last bite of cake and stood. “No need to call anyone, Mrs. Kline. I go right past the store on my way home. I’ll drop you off.”
Hannah felt helpless. She didn’t like leaving Martha’s kitchen a mess and liked getting into a stranger’s car even less. Yet she’d just gone into business with the same stranger. “All right, then. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Howard, for lunch. I’ll see you back at the store tomorrow.” Walking to the foyer on shaky legs, she couldn’t help but think: What on earth am I doing?
Seth thanked their host and hostess, carried her suitcase to the truck, and opened the passenger door. Once she’d climbed into the cab, he programmed his GPS with the address. “Soon I’ll know my way to the store from every direction.”
“That would be helpful, Mr. Miller. That is, if everything goes smoothly with the sale.” Hannah cast a quick glance in his direction. “But if we’re to go into business together, I’d like to know more as to why you left the Amish church.”
“I guess you have a right to know.” After a pause, Seth told a sad tale of false accusations, damage done by the rumor mill, and a lack of trust by his father—a story which broke Hannah’s heart. “Since I hadn’t officially joined the church, I never was shunned. But my father ordered me never to darken his doorstep, and since he was respected in the area, I imagine most of the district believed him.” Seth finished just as they pulled up in front of Howard’s Hardware.
“I don’t know what to say, Mr. Miller, other than I’m sorry you suffered due to that Englisher’s accusation.”
“So you believe me?” he asked.
“Yes, why wouldn’t I?”
He shrugged. “Well, it’s water long over the dam.” Jumping from his truck, he set her bag on the sidewalk. “But if the deal goes through, do you think you could call me Seth?”
Hannah held her stomach and jumped down from the high step. “If we become partners, I will call you Seth and you may call me Hannah. Thank you for the ride.” She grabbed her suitcase and walked toward the steps.
“What are your plans for tomorrow?” he called.
“Why?” she asked.
“I want to learn all I can from the Howards. I can set up an appointment with an attorney from here. If you’re at the store, you can help with my training.”
“Tomorrow I need to discuss this partnership with my parents. I also have to talk to the bishop.”
“Of course. Good night, Mrs. Kline.”
“Good night, Mr. Miller.”
* * *
Hannah awoke in the metal bed she’d shared with Daniel. For a few seconds she didn’t know where she was. Then the incredible sequence of the past week’s events came rushing back, leaving her both frightened and sick to her stomach. She took care of the nausea with a quick trip to the bathroom. Then she banished her fear the only way she knew how—by getting busy. Some people could lie in bed for hours, rationally planning a solution for any tough situation. But Hannah only knew how to work through problems, even if her actions took her down one dead-end path after another.
After thoroughly cleaning the four rooms from top to bottom, she packed up her laundry in a black trash bag. If she was going to Mam’s, she might as well use the propane washer on the porch. Her driver arrived less than thirty minutes later and Hannah arrived at her parents’ farm well before noon.
Oddly, her parents didn’t seem surprised to see her. “I told your father you’d be back soon. You no longer have a reason to keep saving a big pile of money.”
Hannah felt her baby kick. “We’ll talk about that later. For now, what can I do to help you?”
“Just set the table. Lydia invited Nathan to lunch, so she’s doing the cooking.” Sarah Troyer grinned and rolled her eyes. “That young man has no idea what he’s getting into.”
As Hannah set the table, she kept an eye on the stove. Her sister would rather clean barn stalls, pick fruit, or weed the garden—anything but stand over a hot stove. But today, Lydia did a fine job with pork and sauerkraut and a mixed green salad. And with Lydia doing most of the talking, the meal passed pleasantly enough.
When they finished eating, Nathan stood and reached for his hat. “Thank for lunch, Mrs. Troyer, Lydia. I’d better get back to work.” Then the shy young man vanished out the door.
Lydia also jumped up. “I’ll clear the table and start the dishes,” she said.
But Hannah grabbed her sister’s arm. “No, you and I will do them later. Right now I have news to share, and a decision in which I seek my family’s approval.”
Lydia sat back down, while Mam refilled coffee mugs. “What is it, daughter?” asked Dat.
Hannah spelled out the details of Mr. and Mrs. Howard’s idea of her and Seth Miller forming a partnership. She mentioned Kings Hardware, along with the advantage of having Plain owners instead of a corporate chain.
To their credit, her parents stopped to consider what they’d heard, while Lydia looked like an animal caught in a hunter’s crosshairs. Finally, her father spoke. “Hannah, no matter what the merits, this partnership comes too soon after your husband’s passing. You aren’t ready to make such a decision. You have not finished grieving.”
That was the exact argument she feared. “I don’t disagree with you. I thought the same thing when Mr. Howard made the suggestion. But they cannot wait six months or a year to sell. Mr. Howard’s health is failing. He gets tired walking to the store from his car. They wish to spend their remaining time with their family in Florida.”
“How does this concern you, daughter?” Her mother’s brow furrowed into deep creases.
“If they get half the money as a down payment, they’re willing to owner-finance the store for an Amish buyer. If none steps forward, they must go with a chain hardware store that will line up financing through a bank.”
Sarah looked to her husband, who also seemed at a loss for words. “It’s not seemly for a widow to go into business. The bishop will never agree to such an idea.”
“Our bishop understands that Plain folks need to form partnerships to remain independent in the world. Remember, I will soon have a child to support.”
Her father offered another perfect rebuttal. “They may form partnerships, yes, but not with Englishers.”
“His name is Seth Miller and he’s not really an Englisher. He had a disagreement with his father and left home to work in construction. But since he never took the kneeling vow, Seth was never shunned by his district.”
John Troyer shook his head. “In my book, that still makes this man English. I’ll need to discuss your forming a partnership with the bishop. Tell me about this disagreement with his family.”
Swallowing hard, Hannah took a gulp of coffee. “Seth got his driver’s license and bought a beat-up old truck during his rumschpringe. His bishop allowed it, as long as he sold it once he joined the church. Seth drove his family and members of his district on their errands. At the time he worked for pay as a roofer and handyman for Englishers, but he followed the bishop’s rules regarding no power tools.”
“What did he do with the money he earned?” John Troyer interrupted.
“He gave most of it to his father.” Hannah paused a moment, then continued. “Seth was fixing a door that kept sticking in an Englisher’s house. She was an elderly widow named Mrs. Robb. All Seth had to do was sand down the bottom of the wooden door and adjust the closure. But when he finished with the door, Mrs. Robb accused Seth of stealing her wedding rings. She said she put them in a little bowl to do the dishes and now the rings were missing.”
Her parents exchanged a look. “Didn’t the woman stay in the kitchen while Seth was working?” asked Sarah. “Sanding down the door shouldn’t have taken too long.”
“That’s what I asked him, too. Seth said Mrs. Robb went out to her garden to pick some flowers. She didn’t check the bowl on the sink until Seth was ready to leave. That’s when she noticed the rings were gone. Seth swears he didn’t steal her jewelry,” cried Hannah, watching her father’s complexion darken. “He turned out his pockets and emptied his toolbox onto the floor. But Mrs. Robb didn’t believe him and called the sheriff.”
Her mother’s opinion became all too apparent. “Oh, daughter. You can’t possibly go into business with a thief.”
Hannah closed her eyes to steady her nerves. “Aren’t we to give people the benefit of the doubt? Even in the English court of law, aren’t people presumed innocent until proven guilty?”
“Tell us the rest, daughter,” prodded Dat.
“When the sheriff arrived, he searched Seth, the toolbox, and his vehicle, even though he hadn’t gone out to his car. Then he filed a police report but never charged Seth with a crime. The case is still open.”
That piece of information had little effect on her parents.
“So Seth drove home and told his father what had happened. At first, his father believed him. But after Mrs. Robb spread rumors and word got back to their bishop, he changed his mind. His father ordered Seth to give back the jewelry, apologize to the widow, and repent of his sins because he’d broken a commandment. He and his father had a terrible argument, and his father ordered him to stay away from the house. Well, you can’t give back what you don’t have,” Hannah concluded as tears filled her eyes. “I believe Seth Miller is telling the truth.”
Again, Sarah looked to John for direction, who sat rubbing his chin for a full minute. “That very well may be the case, daughter. If Seth Miller was falsely accused, the good Lord knows the truth. And it’s only God’s opinion that we need to worry about, not the elder Mr. Miller, or Mrs. Robb, or the local sheriff. Yet in the meantime, Seth Miller isn’t Amish, so I doubt our bishop will agree to your forming a partnership.” He clucked his tongue, a habit he’d learned from Mam. “You’re moving too quickly. Daniel just died. Live with us for a year or two. Have your little one here. Perhaps by then your future will be made clear.”
Hannah’s gaze scanned the table, hoping for someone to take her side. But it was not to be.
“That sounds like a wise idea, John.” Sarah smiled at him.
“I agree,” said Lydia, jumping to her feet. “I can’t wait to be an aunt. In the meantime, let’s get this kitchen cleaned up.”
Hannah picked up a stack of plates and followed her sister to the sink. For now the matter was settled. There was no point in arguing. But later that night, after Lydia had gone to her room and her parents dozed in the living room, Hannah wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and walked outside. In a yard bright with moonlight, cold stars shone down from an unfathomable distance, as though mocking her insignificance. Closing her eyes, she heard the familiar night sounds of hoot owls, and one lonely coyote. Then Hannah quieted her mind and listened with her heart. Call it intuition; call it God’s favorite method of communication, but she knew in an instant she had to find Mrs. Robb’s missing rings.
Until someone discovered the thief’s true identity, she would never get her hardware store. And one righteous man would never be restored to his family or to his faith.