Rosemary groaned as she bent to pull a clump of weeds from a flower bed near her house. This was the second week of March, and spring was on its way. So was a backache if she didn’t take it a bit easier. She smiled, despite the knot that was beginning to form in her lower back. It felt good to be back in her home state, living close to Roman and his family. Ken and Sharon were getting along fine on their own, and in Ken’s last letter, he’d said they were planning to build a new house in a few months.
A cool breeze rustled through the trees, and Rosemary turned her thoughts back to the weather. Now that the snow was gone, she planned to take a day sometime soon and drive up to Geauga County to see where Walt and his family lived.
Rosemary straightened when she heard a car pull into the driveway and was surprised when a middle-aged man with thinning hair got out and came up the sidewalk. She realized it was Carl Davis. “Remember me?” he asked, stepping up to her. “I remember, Carl. We met at Grace’s.”
He smiled and nodded. “I was driving down the road and spotted you standing in your yard, so I decided to stop and say hello, since we’re almost neighbors.”
Rosemary tipped her head. “Oh?”
“I’m renting a house about a mile from here.”
“You’re planning to stay in Holmes County then?”
He nodded. “Anna’s my only granddaughter. I want to be close to her.”
Rosemary’s jaw clenched. She knew how Grace felt about Carl showing up out of the blue. She also knew Grace was afraid he might try to take Anna away from her again. But if Carl planned to stay in the area, then it wasn’t likely he had kidnapping on his mind.
He shifted from one foot to the other. “I don’t know how much Grace has told you about my wife and me taking Anna away from her, but—”
“You owe me no explanations,” Rosemary said with a raised hand.
“I know I don’t, but I was hoping once you heard my story you might be willing to talk to Grace for me—smooth the way, if you will.”
Irritation welled in Rosemary’s soul. “Look, Mr. Davis, I barely know you, and I really don’t think—”
“Won’t you please hear me out?”
She motioned to the porch. “Shall we have a seat?”
Carl stepped onto the porch and lowered himself into one of the wicker chairs near the front door. Rosemary took the seat beside him.
“I never meant to hurt Grace by taking Anna,” he said. “My wife convinced me that it was the best thing for the child.” He clasped his hands around his knees and grimaced. “She said we’d be doing Grace a favor by removing the burden of raising a child without a father.”
“Did you think to offer your son’s widow a home, too?”
Carl dropped his gaze to the porch as he slowly shook his head.
“Why not?”
“Bonnie convinced me that Grace was an unfit mother and our son had told her that if something happened to him, he wanted us to raise Anna.” He lifted his gaze to meet hers. “My wife was a very controlling woman. In order to keep the peace, I went along with most everything she wanted.”
Rosemary swallowed hard. She could relate to Carl’s last statement. She’d done many things during the time she’d been married to Bob in order to keep the peace. She knew well what it was like to be married to a control freak.
“Shortly after my wife died, I decided that Anna would be better off with her mother. I was having some health problems and didn’t think I could care for the child on my own.” Carl sucked in his bottom lip and released it again. “After my meeting with Grace the other day, I realized she felt threatened by my showing up and wanting to see Anna.”
“That’s understandable, don’t you think?”
He nodded. “She has no reason to feel threatened. I’m not here to take Anna away. I just want to be close to my granddaughter. My health has improved, and I want to be able to do all the things for Anna that a grandparent should do.”
“I understand.”
“Do you really?”
“I believe so.”
“Will you speak to Grace on my behalf? Will you assure her that I’m not here to make trouble for her or take Anna away?”
“I’ll act as a go-between if necessary, but I think you should talk to Grace yourself and tell her what you’ve told me.”
“Yes, yes, I’ll do that.”
“Grace and her family have been through enough with the attacks against them. Grace doesn’t need anything else to stress about.”
Carl’s eyebrows pulled together. “Attacks? What kind of attacks are you talking about?”
“I figured Grace had probably written and told you.”
Carl shook his head. “She only responded to a couple of my letters after I brought Anna to her, and she never mentioned any attacks having been made on her family.” He leaned slightly forward, as deep creases formed in his forehead. “Can you tell me what happened?”
Rosemary cleared her throat a couple of times as she tried to formulate a proper response. How much should she share with this man she barely knew? If she told him the details of the attacks and he became concerned for Anna’s safety, he might change his mind and try to take Anna away after all.
“For the last two years, my brother and his family have been the victims of some acts of vandalism,” she began. “They don’t know who did the attacks or why.”
“What kinds of things have been done?”
“Break-ins, tools stolen, clothes cut in two, a fire started at Grace and Cleon’s place, and—”
“Their house was set on fire?”
Rosemary nodded and drew in a deep breath. “Grace’s sister Ruth and her first husband, Martin, also had their buggy rammed off the road, and Martin was killed in the accident. Of course we aren’t sure the accident was related to the other attacks.”
Carl’s face blanched as he rose to his feet. “Grace should have told me about this! Anna’s life could be in danger. It’s my duty as her grandfather to see that she’s protected from potential danger.” Without another word, he rushed off the porch, climbed into his car, and sped down the driveway.
Rosemary gripped the armrests on her chair. “Oh, Lord, what have I done?”
“Cleon, what are you doing?” Grace asked when she entered the kitchen and spotted him sitting at the table with a pen and piece of paper. “I figured you had left for work by now.”
“I’ll be heading out soon. I wanted to make a list of some supplies I need for my beekeeping business first. I’ve thought about building a small shop near the front of our property, where I can sell honey and beeswax candles, but as long as your daed needs my help in his woodworking shop, I probably won’t follow through with the idea.”
Grace pulled out a chair and took a seat beside him. “If you really want to quit working for Dad and go out on your own, I’m sure he could find someone else to take your place in his shop.”
Cleon shook his head. “I don’t want to leave him in the lurch right now. He’s been through enough with having to deal with all the attacks.”
Grace shuddered. “That land developer is back in the area, you know, and he’s after Dad to sell.”
“That’s about as likely to happen as one of Martha’s hundlin giving birth to a baby bee.” Cleon pushed away from the table and bent to give Grace a hug. “If there are any problems today, come out to the barn and get me, okay?”
“I will.”
Cleon started for the door but turned back around. “I mean it, Grace. If you need me, I’ll come.”
Grace forced a smile. “I’m sure everything will be fine.”
When Cleon headed out the door, Grace went upstairs. She found Anna sitting on the floor in her room, playing with the doll Carl had given her. “Why aren’t you dressed yet?” she asked. “Have you forgotten that you have school today?”
Anna dropped the doll and scrambled to her feet just as a shrill scream came from across the hall.
“I’d better tend to your bruder,” Grace said, hurrying from the room.
A short time later, Grace had Daniel in his high chair, and Anna was seated at the table eating breakfast.
“When’s Poppy coming to see me again?” Anna asked.
Grace shrugged and reached for a piece of toast.
“I hope he comes soon.”
Grace made no comment, thinking Anna might change the subject if she didn’t answer her question.
“I can’t wait ‘til school lets out for the summer,” Anna continued. “Then I’ll be able to see Poppy a lot. He’s gonna move here, isn’t he, Mama?”
“Maybe.” Grace pointed to Anna’s plate. “Finish eating and then clear your dishes. You don’t want to be late for school.”
Much to Grace’s relief, Anna ate the rest of her breakfast in silence. When she finished, she put her dishes in the sink and grabbed her lunch pail off the counter. With a cheery smile, she said, “See you after school, Mama,” and skipped out the door.
Grace had just started cleaning scrambled eggs off Daniel’s face when she heard a car pull into the driveway. She finished up with Daniel, scooped him out of his chair, and headed for the door. When she opened it, she found Carl sitting in one of the wicker chairs, with Anna in his lap.
“What are you doing here, Carl?” Grace asked as she stepped onto the porch and took a seat in the chair beside him, placing Daniel in her lap.
“Poppy wants me to see his new house,” Anna said, her blue eyes twinkling like fireflies, and her lips curving upwards. “Can I go there now?”
Grace shook her head.
“How come?”
“Because you have to go to school, and if you don’t leave now, you’re going to be late. Aunt Martha’s planning to give you a ride, and I’m sure she’s waiting down by the barn with her horse and buggy by now.”
“Can I go with Poppy after school?”
“No.”
Anna opened her mouth as if to say more, but Carl spoke first. “Anna, why don’t you run on now? I’ll come again soon, and then we can talk some more.”
Anna hesitated a moment but finally gave Carl a hug and headed down the driveway toward the barn.
Carl turned to face Grace. “We need to talk.”
“About what?”
“About the attacks that have been made against your family and about the safety of my granddaughter.”
“Who told you about the attacks?”
“It doesn’t matter who told. What matters is that Anna might not be safe living here.”
Grace’s face heated up. “Are you saying my husband and I aren’t capable of protecting our daughter?”
Carl squinted. “Your daughter, Grace. Anna’s your daughter and my granddaughter, and I won’t stand by and watch her be victimized by some lunatic who’s determined to hurt your family. Therefore, I’d like Anna to move in with me for a while.”
Her mouth dropped open. “What?”
“I’d like Anna to move in with me. Just until the attacker has been caught and I know it’s safe for her to come back here.”
“Absolutely not! Anna is not moving in with you!”
“I’ll be back to see Anna sometime soon.” Carl reached into his pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. “Here’s my new address and also my cell phone number, so if you change your mind about Anna moving in with me, bring her over or give me a call.”
As Martha headed for town, a strange feeling came over her, as though something was wrong. Was it the way Gid pulled against the reins when she tried to make him run, or was it the absence of cars on the road that made her feel so odd? Usually at this time of the morning, several cars would be heading toward Berlin. Today, however, her horse and buggy seemed to be the only things moving on this stretch of road.
“Giddyap there, boy.” Martha flicked the reins. “I thought you liked to trot.”
The gelding whinnied and flipped his head from side to side.
“What’s wrong with you, Gid? Are you getting old and lazy?” She snapped the reins again and was shocked when they broke in two. Gid bolted down the road as the buggy, now out of Martha’s control, bounced and swayed behind him.
“Whoa! Hold up there!” she hollered.
The horse kept running, and all Martha could do was grip the edge of her seat and hope he would decide to stop before they ran off the road or were hit by some other vehicle.
She spotted a truck coming down the hill and said a prayer out loud. “Dear God, don’t let Gid drag this buggy to the other side of the road.”
“I’ve got to stop that horse!” Luke whipped his truck into the other lane and pulled ahead of Martha’s horse. When he slowed his truck, the horse halted. A sense of relief shot through him as he shut off the engine and hopped out of the truck. He sprinted around and grabbed the horse’s broken reins. “Are you okay?” he called to Martha.
“I’m fine. Shaken up a bit, but not hurt.” She jumped down from the buggy and started toward him. “The horse’s reins broke, and—”
“They didn’t break, Martha. From what I can tell, they were cut.”
Martha’s eyes widened, and she gasped. “No wonder Gid was acting so skittish when I smacked the reins and tried to make him trot.”
“Have you got any rope?”
“I think there’s some in the buggy.” Martha scurried around to the back of the buggy and returned a few minutes later with a piece of paper in her hands.
“Where’s the rope?” Luke asked as she approached him.
“There wasn’t any. I found this lying on the floor where the rope should have been.”
Holding on to the horse, Luke took a step toward her. “What is it?”
“It’s a note. I … I think it was written by the person who’s been attacking my family.”
“What’s it say?”
“SOMEONE NEEDS TO PAY.” Martha’s voice quivered. “Oh, Luke, just when we think this nightmare might finally be over—just when my hopes begin to rise—something else happens to let us know that the attacker isn’t done with us yet, and the hope I felt sinks like a rock thrown into the pond.” She drew in a deep breath. “Someone cut Gid’s reins, and if you hadn’t happened along when you did and gotten the horse stopped …” Her voice faltered.
Luke let go of the broken reins and pulled Martha into his arms. His insides twisted with the thought of what could have happened to Martha. “I’m concerned for your safety,” he said, gently patting her back.
Martha opened her mouth as if to say something, but Luke spoke again. “Are you going to tell your daed about this?”
“About the note or the cut reins?”
“Both.”
She shrugged. “I suppose he needs to know about the reins, but I’m afraid to mention the note—at least not in front of my mamm.”
“How come?”
“It’ll upset her too much. She tries to hide it, but she’s been a ball of nerves since the last few attacks.”
“Then do whatever you think’s best. Maybe you can talk to your daed about this when your mamm’s not around.” Luke motioned to Gid. “If you don’t mind leaving your horse and buggy here, I’ll drive you over to Abe’s harness shop and we’ll see about getting some new reins.”
“Danki. I appreciate your help with this.”
Luke struggled with the desire to kiss Martha, but a van came by just then, so he pulled away. The last thing he needed was for someone they knew to see them hugging or kissing. That kind of news would probably get back to Roman, and then both he and Martha would be in trouble. He gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “Let’s go, shall we?”