How’s it going in here?” Martha asked her father when she stepped into the barn and found him holding a spray can in one hand. “I sprayed some of your mamm’s room deodorizer around and opened all the windows. I think the smell will be gone before she and Grace get back from town.” Dad’s eyebrows pulled together in a frown. “I think it’s best if they don’t know about this. No point in causing them to worry for nothing.”
“I’m in agreement with that, but I don’t think this is nothing.” Martha motioned to the shattered window across the room. “Someone deliberately threw that stink bomb into the barn. If it’s the same person who did the other things to us, then we have every reason to be worried.”
Dad set the can of deodorizer on a shelf. “Regardless of who’s responsible for this, I don’t want the rest of the family getting all upset. Especially not your mamm. She’s been through enough these past several months.”
“I don’t think the attacks affected Mom nearly as much as they did Grace,” Martha said. “With her being in a family way, it wouldn’t be good for her to have more stress added.”
Dad nodded solemnly. “Unfortunately, most of Grace’s upsets have been of her own doing.”
Martha didn’t argue. She had a hunch Dad hadn’t completely forgiven Grace for leaving home when she was a teenager or for keeping her previous marriage and the birth of her daughter a secret for so long.
“How’s that new job you’ve got with Irene Schrock working out?” Dad asked, redirecting their conversation.
“It’s okay.” Martha nodded toward the back of the barn, where the inside section of her dog kennels had been built. “With summer being here, more tour buses are scheduling dinners at the Schrocks’. Even though Carolyn’s able to help again, Irene asked if I would continue to work for her. So once I get enough money saved up, I’m going to buy a few more dogs. Maybe a couple of poodles this time.”
Dad grunted. “Poodles are too prissy to suit me. Besides, they yap too much.”
“Maybe I should get a pair of hunting dogs. From what I’ve read in the breeders magazine, they seem to have more puppies than some of the smaller breeds.”
“Now that makes good sense.” Dad removed his straw hat and slapped the brim of it against his knee, sending sawdust blowing off his pants in every direction. “Why don’t you get some German shorthaired pointers? Then Cleon and I can do some pheasant hunting this fall.”
“Since when have you ever gone hunting?”
“Went all the time when I was a boy. Might be nice to try it again.”
“I’d like to go hunting sometime,” Martha said.
“Hunting’s for men, not girls.”
“I’m not a girl, Dad. I turned nineteen a few months ago, remember?”
He grunted. “That may be so, but you’ve never shot a gun. It wouldn’t be safe for you to hunt.”
Martha’s defenses rose. Even though she’d never shot a gun, she didn’t think it would be too hard to learn. She couldn’t help but wonder if Dad was disappointed because he’d never had a son. Maybe that was why Dad and Cleon got along so well.
“If Cleon doesn’t want to hunt, I could see if Abe would like to go,” Dad continued. “Might do Abe some good to get out in the fields and away from his harness shop awhile.”
“Ruth mentioned that Abe’s been sleeping a lot. Do you think it’s to avoid thinking about his loss?”
Dad nodded. “Everyone deals with grief in their own way, but it’s my job as Abe’s friend to help him.” He took a seat on a bale of straw, and Martha did the same.
“That’s what friends are for,” she agreed. “To encourage each other and help during times of need.”
Dad pulled a piece of straw from the bale he was sitting on and slipped it between his teeth. “Between your job at Irene’s and raising your dogs, I guess you’ll be plenty busy all summer.”
“Jah.”
“Doesn’t leave much time for socializing.”
Martha merely shrugged in reply.
“A woman your age ought to be courting by now.” He eyed her curiously. “Have you got your sights set on any particular fellow?”
Martha cringed. She did have an interest in someone, but she didn’t dare say so. Dad would have a conniption if he knew she’d come to care for Luke Friesen. Especially since he thought Luke might be the one responsible for the attacks against them.
Dad nudged Martha’s arm. “Is there someone you’re interested in?”
“I’m too busy with other things to be worried about having a boyfriend,” she said, carefully choosing her words.
“Guess there’s still time for you to find the right man.”
“Jah.”
When Martha heard the rumble of buggy wheels outside, she stood. “Do you suppose that’s Mom and Grace back from town? If so, they didn’t stay very long. I figured they wouldn’t be back until this afternoon.”
“Only one way to find out,” Dad said, rising to his feet. “Let’s go have a look-see.”
As Grace climbed out of the buggy, her legs shook so hard she could barely stand. All the way home, she couldn’t stop thinking about Gary showing up in town. When he’d left a few months ago, she had hoped they’d seen the last of him. Her plans to treat Mom to lunch at the Farmstead Restaurant had been forgotten when Gary came into the bakeshop. All she’d wanted to do was go home.
“I didn’t think you’d be back so early,” Martha said as she and Dad stepped out of the barn. “Figured you’d have lunch after you finished shopping.”
“We ran into that reporter fellow at the bakeshop.” Mom took hold of Grace’s arm. “After that, Grace didn’t feel like eating.”
Dad’s lips compressed into a thin line. “What’s that guy doing back in town? I thought he’d left Holmes County for good.”
“He said he’s decided to do a few more stories on the Amish in our area.” Grace’s voice trembled as she spoke. It was all she could do to keep from crying. She’d been especially emotional lately and figured it had to do with her changing hormones. The distress she was dealing with right now, however, had nothing to do with her pregnancy. She was worried that Gary had come back to the area to fulfill his promise to get even with her for breaking up with him after they’d dated awhile during her rumschpringe years. Grace’s life was just getting back to normal, and she didn’t think she could deal with more attacks on her family.
Dad looked at Martha, and they exchanged worried glances. “Maybe you should get Anna so Grace can go home and rest,” he said.
Martha nodded. “That’s a good idea.”
“Where is Anna?” Grace asked. “Is she in the barn?”
“She’s at the woodworking shop with Cleon,” Dad said.
“What’s she doing there? I’ve told her not to bother Cleon when he’s working.”
Dad rocked back and forth on his heels. “She … uh … came out there with Martha to talk to us.”
Grace frowned as she turned to face her sister. “I thought you were going to keep Anna entertained in the barn, not haul her out to the shop to bother the men.”
“I didn’t haul her out there. We went there because—” Martha stopped speaking and glanced over at Dad.
“What’s going on, Roman?” Mom asked. “You and Martha are acting so missdrauisch. Is there something you’re not telling us?”
“We’re not acting suspicious,” he was quick to say. “It’s just that—well, we had a little incident in the barn a while ago, and I didn’t want to worry you.”
“What kind of incident?”
“Someone threw a stink bomb through one of the barn windows, and Martha brought Anna out to the shop to tell us about it.”
Mom hurried into the barn, and the rest of them followed.
Mom’s nose twitched. “I do smell something funny in here.”
“I thought I had the barn aired out pretty good, but I guess the putrid odor will linger awhile.” Dad motioned across the room. “I’ll have the window fixed before the day’s out.”
Grace’s stomach clenched as she gripped her mother’s hand. “This was Gary’s work. I’m sure of it.”
Dad shook his head. “Sell kann ich mir gaar net eibilde.“
“What do you mean you can’t conceive of that? Gary’s back in Holmes County. He promised to get even with me someday, and I’m sure he’s the one who did all those horrible things to us before he left for Pennsylvania.” Grace’s knees nearly buckled, and she leaned against a wooden beam for support. “I think Gary may have come here and thrown the stink bomb into the barn before he went to town. I–I’m afraid if he’s not stopped, he’ll continue to do more things.”
“You’re worried for nothing, Grace. I’m guessing that stink bomb was thrown by some prankster,” Dad said.
“You said that before, when the attacks first began. But things only got worse.” Grace drew in a deep breath to settle her nerves. “Anna or I could have been killed when our house was set on fire. I don’t think that was done by any prankster.”
“She’s right, Roman,” Mom put in. “Whoever did most of those things to our property was out for more than a good time.”
Dad stared at the ground, and a muscle in the side of his cheek quivered. “Cleon and I will keep an eye on things; I can promise you that.”
Grace shrugged and headed out of the barn. “I need to get Anna and put her down for a nap.”
“I’ll do that,” Martha said. “Mom, if you’d like to walk Grace up to her house, I’ll be there with Anna real soon.”
Mom nodded, and they started up the driveway toward Grace and Cleon’s new home, Mom leading Grace by the arm.
Martin hurried down the sidewalk toward the bakeshop. He’d come to Berlin to pick up some supplies for the harness shop, and since Abe had told him to take all the time he needed, he figured he may as well stop at the bakeshop and say hello to Ruth. He might even pick up a few doughnuts and take them to Abe.
When he stepped into the bakeshop, the pleasant aroma of freshly baked pastries flooded his senses and made his stomach rumble. He was pleased to see that no customers were there at the moment, but then he spotted Ruth sitting behind the counter with her head resting in the palms of her hands.
“Ruth, what’s wrong?” he asked, rushing over to the counter. “Do you have a koppweh?”
Ruth lifted her head, and his heart clenched when he saw the weary look on her face.
“I don’t have a headache, but I have had a rough morning,” Ruth said, rising to her feet.
“What happened?”
“That reporter, Gary Walker, is back in town. He came into the bakeshop a while ago, while Grace and Mom were here.”
Martin pursed his lips. “Grace used to date that fellow, right?”
Ruth nodded. “She thinks he’s the one responsible for all those acts of vandalism that were done at our place.”
“What do you think?”
“I–I’m not sure, but I do know that Gary is a troublesome fellow.”
“Did he do or say anything to bother you?” Her gaze dropped to the floor. “Well—”
“What did he say?”
“He just gave me a hard time, but Jake put a stop to it.”
“What exactly did the reporter say to you?”
Ruth’s face flushed the color of ripe cherries. “He wanted me to have supper with him after I got off work today.”
Martin’s spine went rigid, and he clenched and unclenched his fingers. He had enough to be concerned about, worrying whether Luke was still interested in Ruth. He didn’t need some fancy-talking Englisher chasing after her.
“I wouldn’t have gone with Gary, even if Jake hadn’t come into the room,” Ruth was quick to say. “So you needn’t look so concerned.”
“How long ago did the reporter leave the bakeshop?”
“Twenty minutes or so.”
“Maybe he’s still in town.” Martin turned toward the door.
“Where are you going?”
“To see if I can find him.”
“What for?”
Martin stopped walking and turned to face her. “I think it might be good if I had a talk with him—asked him to stop bothering you.”
Ruth dashed around the counter. “Oh no! Please don’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t trust the man. If Gary is the one who did those attacks, then he could be dangerous.”
“I’m not afraid.”
“Well, I am.” Ruth clutched his arm, and tears glistened in her eyes. “Please don’t go looking for him.”
“All right, I won’t. But if he ever bothers you again, I want to know about it.”