Is Ruth feeling better now, Papa?” Esta asked as she turned in her seat at the front of the buggy. “I hope so, daughter. It’s been three weeks since the accident, and I’m hoping she’ll feel up to some company.”
“I’m glad you waited until Saturday when I wasn’t in school to visit Ruth,” Esta said, grinning at him. “But I wish you woulda let me bring Winkie along.”
Abe shook his head. “I’m not sure Ruth will be up to having that much excitement today. You know how crazy Winkie can get when he’s excited to see someone.”
Esta giggled. “When Bishop King came by to pick up that harness you made for him last week, Winkie got so excited, he piddled on his boot.”
“That wasn’t a good thing,” he said, giving Esta a sidelong glance. Truth was, Bishop King had asked for the accident since he’d gotten the dog riled up when he first arrived.
“Josh was mad ‘cause he couldn’t come with us today.”
“I explained to him and the other kinner that I thought it might be too much if we all barged in on Ruth. Maybe later, after she’s had more time to recuperate from her injuries, we can all pay her a visit.”
Esta’s forehead wrinkled. “I heard Aunt Sue talkin’ to Ruth’s sister Martha the other day. They were sayin’ that Ruth can’t have no bopplin. Is that true, Papa?”
Abe nodded. “Ruth had some serious injuries that required surgery and left her unable to have children.”
“That’s a shame. I know for a fact that Ruth likes kinner and wants to be a mudder; she told me so.”
“Some things aren’t meant to be.”
Esta sat with her lips pursed. Finally, she looked over at Abe and said, “You think you’ll ever get married again, Papa?”
“What makes you ask such a question?”
She shrugged her slim shoulders. “I was just thinkin’ that since you don’t have no fraa anymore, and Ruth don’t have no mann, maybe the two of you could get married. Then she could be our mamm and wouldn’t feel sad ‘cause she can’t have no bopplin.”
Abe’s jaw clenched. Just the idea of his replacing Alma with another wife made him feel unfaithful to her memory. And married to Ruth Gingerich of all people! Why, the woman was a good ten years younger than him! Besides, she’d been married to his good friend and loyal worker. That just didn’t seem right to Abe.
“Papa, did ya hear what I said?” Esta asked, nudging Abe’s arm.
“I’m not looking for a wife right now, and it’s way too soon for Ruth to even be thinking about marriage again.”
“Maybe someday?”
“Esta, girl, if the good Lord desires for me to find another wife, then He’ll have to drop her right in my lap.”
Ruth was lying on the sofa, reading a book, when Mom entered the living room with Abe and Esta Wengerd. “You’ve got company, daughter.”
Ruth set the book aside and pulled herself to a sitting position, tucking in the quilt draped over her legs.
“It’s good to see you,” Abe said as he and Esta took seats in the chairs across from Ruth.
“How are you feelin’, Ruth?” Esta asked in a near whisper.
Ruth shrugged.
“Abe, would you care for something to eat?” Mom asked. “I baked some gingerbread this morning, and it should be plenty cool by now.”
“Danki, that’d be nice,” he replied.
“How about you?” Mom smiled at Esta. “Would you like a glass of milk and a hunk of gingerbread?”
Esta nodded with an eager expression. “Sounds real good.”
Mom turned to Ruth. “Would you care for some gingerbread?”
“No thanks; I’m not hungry.”
“How about a cup of tea?”
“That would be fine.”
“Would you like some tea, Abe?” Mom asked.
“I’ve never had much appreciation for tea, but a glass of milk would suit me just fine.”
Mom reached out her hand toward Esta. “Would you like to help me whip up some cream in the kitchen?”
“Can I lick the bowl?”
“Jah, sure. Martha usually licks the bowls around here, but since she’s gone on an errand this morning, you can take over her job.”
“Can I go up to Anna’s house and see if she wants some gingerbread, too?”
“If it’s all right with your daed, it’s fine by me.”
Abe gave a quick nod. “Be sure you put your coat on.”
“I will.” Esta skipped out the door behind Mom, leaving Ruth alone in the room with Abe.
He leaned slightly forward in his chair. “I … uh, know what it’s like to lose a mate, so I think I have a pretty good understanding of what you must be feeling right now.”
Ruth gave no response.
“Losing Alma hurt more than words can tell.” Abe stared at his clasped hands. “But God’s been with me every day since Alma died, and He’s given me the strength to get through it.”
“Does it help to know that she died from a freak act of nature and not because someone killed her in a senseless attack?”
He lifted his gaze to meet hers. “What?”
“Whoever rammed our buggy did it on purpose,” Ruth mumbled, barely able to speak around the lump lodged in her throat. “It was no accident.”
“Maybe the driver of the vehicle hit a patch of ice. Could be he just lost control.”
Ruth gulped down a sob that threatened to erupt. “The person who killed Martin and left me unable to have children rammed our buggy six times!”
“Does the sheriff have any idea who might be responsible? I mean, is he conducting an investigation?”
Ruth thought about her attempt to phone the sheriff. She would have tried again if Martha hadn’t begged her to wait until she’d spoken with Luke herself. Well, if Martha didn’t find out something soon, Ruth was going to let the sheriff know her suspicions whether Martha liked it or not!
“I don’t know what the sheriff thinks,” she said in answer to Abe’s question. “He asked me all kinds of questions about the accident and said he would be checking things out.” She sighed. “I’ve not heard anything since.”
“I guess investigations take time.”
She grunted. “If the sheriff had kept a closer eye on things like he said he was going to do, maybe the culprit would have been caught by now.”
Abe drummed his fingers along the arms of his chair. “With no husband to support you, I know it’s going to be hard for you financially.”
“I can’t stay in the house Martin and I rented,” Ruth said, feeling the agony of her bitterness weighing her down. “My folks don’t mind me staying here, and since Dad’s willing to support me for as long as I need his help, I guess I’ll manage.”
“What about your hospital bills? I know you’ll need help with those.”
She nodded. “Some of it has already been taken care of through the community fund. Dad says there’s been talk of a benefit auction to raise the rest of the money.”
Abe drew in a deep breath as he pulled his fingers through the ends of his reddish-brown beard. “Martin was a good friend. I miss seeing his smiling face when I come to work each day.”
Not nearly as much as I miss him every night, Ruth thought regrettably. “Have you hired anyone to take his place?” she asked.
“Jah. Ivan Schrock.”
“I see.”
Mom stepped into the room just then carrying a tray, which she placed on the narrow table near the sofa. “Where’s my daughter?” Abe asked.
“She and Anna are out in the kitchen having their snack at the table.” Mom handed Abe a plate of gingerbread. “Those girls have been chattering ever since they got back from Grace and Cleon’s.”
Abe nodded and forked a piece of gingerbread into his mouth. “This is sure good.”
“Danki.”
Ruth swung her legs over the side of the sofa. “I’m feeling kind of tired. If you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go up to bed.”
Before either Mom or Abe could comment, she skirted out of the room.
Martha’s heart pounded as she tied her horse to the hitching rail and headed for John Peterson’s woodworking shop. She had stopped by the Friesens’ to speak with Luke and had been told by Luke’s folks that John had asked Luke to work today. Deciding this would be a good chance to see how Flo was getting along, as well as to speak with Luke, she’d headed over to John’s.
She found John sitting at his desk, talking to a customer. Luke sat on a stool in front of one of the workbenches, sanding the arm of a chair.
He looked up and smiled when she approached. “Wie geht’s, Martha? What brings you over here today?”
“I’m doing okay, and one of the reasons I came by is to ask John how Flo’s getting along.”
“See for yourself.” Luke pointed across the room to where the female beagle lay near the potbellied woodstove. “She’s happy as a pig with a bucket of slop.”
Martha smiled. “Glad to hear she’s adjusted so well.”
“From what I could tell, she took to John right away.”
“That’s good to hear.” Martha shuffled her feet a few times, trying to think of the best way to broach the sensitive topic on her mind.
“You’re lookin’ kind of thoughtful. Is there something else you wanted to say?”
“Well, I was wondering …” She leaned closer to Luke. “Do you still have that truck you keep parked in the woods?”
His eyebrows lifted high on his forehead. “How do you know about that?”
“Ruth told me.”
He grunted. “So she couldn’t keep a secret, huh?”
“That doesn’t matter. What matters is whether you still have a truck hidden in the woods.”
His only reply was a quick nod.
“And your folks don’t know about it?”
He shrugged. “Can’t really say, but they’ve never mentioned it, so I don’t think they know.”
Martha shifted her weight again.
“Anything else you want to know?”
“Actually, there is. I was wondering what you did on Christmas Eve.”
“Had supper with my folks.”
“Were you there the whole evening?”
“All except for the short time I drove over to the Kings’ place to borrow something my mamm needed.”
“Did you drive there in your truck?”
“Now how would I do that when it’s parked in the woods? I took one of our buggies over to the Kings’. Jah, that’s what I did, all right.”
“What time was that?”
“Around four, I think.”
Martha felt a sense of relief. If Luke had been home all evening except to make a quick trip to the Kings’ at four o’clock, there was no way he could have been driving the vehicle that rammed Martin’s buggy sometime after six. She was sure Ruth was just being paranoid about this situation and would change her mind when she heard what Luke had said.
“I’d best be going,” she said, turning away from him.
He tapped her on the shoulder. “What about John? I thought you came to ask him how Flo’s doing?”
She nodded at the sleeping dog. “I can see for myself the answer to that.”
“Oh, right.”
“See you later, Luke,” Martha said as she rushed out the door.