The following morning, Elizabeth was glad to find Mammi Ruth sitting at the side of her bed. “How are you feeling, today?”
“Sehr gut.” The elder woman managed a smile. “I should like to come downstairs to break my fast.”
Elizabeth managed to shake off the sliver of disappointment at not being able to share a private meal with David. “Ach, that’s wonderful. Let’s get you ready, ja?”
Fifteen minutes later, she escorted her mother-in-law down to the main level. David was already up and working at the stove.
“Good morning.” He smiled warmly. “Breakfast should be ready soon.”
“Denke, David.” She couldn’t seem to get used to how he jumped in to help. After getting Mammi Ruth settled at the table, she poured her a cup of coffee. “It’s kind of David to cook, ja?”
Mammi Ruth glanced over at him, then frowned. “Women’s work,” she said curtly.
Apparently the kindness Mammi Ruth had felt toward David after he’d lifted her into bed had begun to wane.
David arched a brow but didn’t say anything. Elizabeth wondered if he’d caught the gist of her mother-in-law’s comment.
Elizabeth said grace, first in Pennsylvania Dutch for Mammi Ruth’s sake, then again in English. “Lord, we humbly ask You to bless this food, this home and the people who are staying here, amen.”
“Amen,” David echoed.
The conversation was somewhat hampered by Mammi Ruth’s lack of English and David’s inability to understand Pennsylvania Dutch, but David didn’t seem to mind. When they finished eating, she assisted Ruth back upstairs to rest.
When she returned, she found David doing the dishes.
“I can take care of this,” she protested.
“So can I,” he said with a grin. “Mammi Ruth seems a bit better. You really think she’ll be okay by Wednesday when the Amish Shoppe reopens for business?”
“I hope so.” She began drying the dishes. “It’s a short week with the holiday, ain’t so?”
“True.” He hesitated, then added, “Speaking of the Amish Shoppe, I need to get some work done on the baby cradle that was struck by a bullet. Would you be willing to come with me? You could do some sewing while I work.”
She hesitated, glancing toward the stairs leading to Mammi Ruth’s room. “I should stay here in case she needs me.”
David slowly nodded. “Of course, I understand. I’ll stay then, too.”
“You shouldn’t have to give up your work for me,” she protested.
“I’m not leaving you alone.” There was an underlying note of steel in his tone. “I didn’t imagine someone outside peering into the house in the middle of the night. If I thought I could lure the intruder away, I would.”
“No, please, don’t do that.” She detested the idea of David putting himself in harm’s way. “Certain sure it’s better for us to stay together, ja?” Then another thought struck. “You could bring the cradle and the tools you may need here. Adam had been renovating one of the bedrooms upstairs. It’s still a mess, but you are welcome to use that space.”
If the barn had a woodstove, she’d offer that for him, but it was too cold to be of use over the winter months.
“Thank you for the offer. I wouldn’t mind using the room but carrying the cradle back on foot would be difficult.”
“We could walk to the Amish Shoppe together and use the phone there to call Liam. I’m sure he’d help drive us back with the cradle.” She impulsively reached over to take his hand. “Please, David, I’d feel so much better if I wasn’t causing you to get behind on your work.”
He hesitated, then nodded. “That would be great, thank you.”
“Wonderful.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “Mammi Ruth should be okay for a short while, ja?”
“I would think so.” A frown furrowed his brow. “I believe that whoever peered through the window was looking for me.”
After the way someone had shot at him outside the Green Lake Grill, she was forced to agree. If that was true, though, why had the person peering through the window just left? Why not shoot at David through the glass?
She didn’t have an answer. Thinking of the noon meal, she checked the pantry. Many staples were running low, which meant she’d need to ask some of the other women for assistance.
Leah’s mother, Mary Moore, was very good about offering to help. Elizabeth had grown closer to the Moore family after Leah had been injured by a man who’d mistaken Leah for Shauna. She decided they should take a small detour to Leah’s family farm before heading to the Amish Shoppe. David agreed.
Mary Moore promised to stop by to check on Mammi Ruth, while bringing additional eggs, canned fruits and vegetables and chicken. Elizabeth paid her with money she’d earned from selling quilts.
As she walked beside David, she glanced at his profile. He was a few years older than Adam had been, yet she found him more appealing to the eye.
And in many other ways, too.
“Let’s be careful along this stretch of highway.” David put out a warning arm, tucking her close to his side as they approached the area where they’d been targeted by gunfire. “Stay here, closer to the trees.”
He’d positioned himself so that he would take the brunt of an attack. But thankfully, there was no gunfire, or any other evidence that they had been followed.
Soon, the large red barn came into view, and she couldn’t help but notice how desolate it looked on a day when there were no customers in attendance. It made her a little sad to realize that David often stayed in his workroom alone on the days the shops weren’t open.
“Wait.” David’s steps slowed, and he put out his arm to prevent her from going any closer.
“What is it?” She whispered, even though there was no one around to overhear.
“I thought I saw someone moving around to the back of the barn.” David frowned as he glanced around, seeing no one else nearby. “Liam promised to have a deputy swing by to keep an eye on the place.”
It wasn’t until that moment that she realized what he was feared. “Do you think the same person that set fire to your house might strike here?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m worried about,” David admitted. “For once I wish I had a car.”
“Or a horse and buggy,” she said with a frown. They were out in the open, standing alongside the highway, mere yards from the Amish Shoppe parking lot. “Ach, I’m not sure what we should do. Stay or head back?”
David didn’t answer for a long moment. “We’ll stay, but we’re going to run to reach the front doors before anyone can come around to see us, okay?”
She nodded and took the hand he offered, praying her knee wouldn’t cause her to be too slow. She gathered her dress with one hand. A moment later they were running as fast as possible toward the front doors of the Amish Shoppe, as if a bobcat was nipping at their heels.
David had never regretted giving up his previous life to lead the plain life of the Amish, until now.
He desperately wished for a car, or a phone that wasn’t tucked away inside his workroom.
As he jammed his key into the lock, he saw a flash of red and blue lights from the corner of his eye. Still, he continued unlocking the door. He opened it and gently pushed Elizabeth inside.
“Are you okay?” he asked with concern.
Breathless, she nodded.
He glanced around the interior but didn’t see anyone nearby. He patted her arm. “Stay here for a moment. I’m going to check in with Liam’s deputy.”
Clutching her cloak close, she blew out a breath. “Okay.”
He slipped back outside and lightly jogged to the squad. Recognizing Garrett Nichol, Liam’s chief deputy, he reached for the passenger-side door handle. He opened the door so they could talk. “I need you to check around back. I saw someone disappear around the building as Elizabeth and I walked up.”
Garrett frowned and got out. “I’ll go. You should wait for me.”
“No, I’m coming with you.” David closed the door and quickly joined Garrett. There were tracks in the snow, proof that he hadn’t imagined the guy.
Garrett led the way, gun in hand. But after they turned the corner, there was no one hiding back there.
David frowned, then noticed a set of footprints heading toward the woods. The footprints were widely spaced, as if the guy had been running. The same way he and Elizabeth had run to reach the safety of the building. “He went that way.”
“I really need you to stay back,” Garrett said firmly. “Remember what happened at the Green Lake Grill? We know this guy is armed and doesn’t hesitate to shoot. I want you to stay put. I’ll check in with you later, okay?”
Difficult to argue, so he reluctantly nodded. As Garrett headed toward the woods, David hurried back to Elizabeth, silently praying for the deputy’s safety.
“What did you find?” She searched his gaze.
“Footprints heading into the woods. I think he’s long gone, but stay close, anyway.” He took her arm as they walked quickly toward the back of the barn, where their shops were located.
“Did you ask Garrett for a ride back?” Elizabeth stayed close as he unlocked his showroom.
“No, but he’ll return to check in. And I can use the phone to call Liam if needed.” He glanced at her. “Do you regret coming along?”
“Ach, no. ’Tis better we were together than for you to have been alone, ja? Although I can’t say my boots are made for running,” she added wryly.
It bothered him that she’d been forced to run for her life. “The good news is that we’ll get a ride back to your house, which should help.” David pulled his damaged cradle toward the front door and then grabbed the hand tools and sandpaper he would need to finish the project. He packed the tools inside a burlap bag.
He couldn’t help wondering what Garrett had found. He was feeling guilty over allowing the deputy to go alone, but then heard a knock on his rear workshop door.
Hurrying over, he opened the door just a crack to make sure Garrett was the one standing there. When he saw the deputy, he opened the door wider and gestured for him to come inside.
“Find anything?” David asked hopefully as Elizabeth joined them.
“No, but I’m glad you and Elizabeth arrived when you did. Your arrival likely scared him off.” Garrett’s expression was grim. “Although I have to ask, why are you here?”
“It’s my fault.” David sighed. “I wanted to work on finishing my baby cradle that had been damaged by gunfire but didn’t want to leave Elizabeth home alone. I was awakened by noises from someone peeking in through one of the windows last night, and remain worried about her safety.”
Garrett grimaced. “That’s not good. And you couldn’t call Liam because you didn’t have a phone.”
“Exactly.” David shrugged. “I didn’t find anyone lurking nearby and all was quiet last night. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.”
“I think it’s obvious the shooter from the Green Lake Grill wants you injured or dead. Between the gunfire and your house burning to the ground, he isn’t being very subtle,” Garrett pointed out. He turned to look around the workroom. “I’m happy to offer you a ride back to Elizabeth’s. How much of this stuff do you want to take?”
“A ride would be great.” He hesitated, wishing he could take more, but Garrett’s squad car wasn’t that large. “Just the baby cradle and my bag of tools is fine.”
“Okay, let’s hit the road. I’ll feel better once you’re back at the house.” Garrett gestured for them to lead the way through the back room to the showroom.
David carried the cradle while Garrett grabbed his bag of tools. Elizabeth took care of locking his showroom doors as well as the main doors on their way out.
Garrett opened the trunk of his car for David, then set the bag on the floor in the back seat. Soon they were settled inside and heading back toward the Amish community.
“You’ll tell Liam what happened?” David asked as Garrett pulled up in front of Elizabeth’s house. “I’m very concerned about the safety of the Amish Shoppe.”
“We’re keeping an eye on the place.” Garrett met his gaze in the rearview mirror. David nodded, remembering the cameras Liam had put up.
“What about the cameras?” Elizabeth asked as if reading his mind. “They’ll provide information, ja?”
“I—uh, yeah.” Garrett looked surprised that she knew about them. “I’ve already asked Liam to check the video. Hopefully we’ll get a good look at the guy’s facial features.”
“Unless he’s wearing the black ski mask again,” David muttered.
“There is that.” Garrett looked grim as he pulled over to park in front of Elizabeth’s house.
“Will you ask Liam to come see me when he has a chance?” David pushed open his door. “I’d like to know if he learned anything from the Green Lake Grill shooting incident.”
“There’s been nothing new that I’m aware of.” Garrett shut down the engine. “But sure, I’ll ask him to swing by.”
“Denke, Garrett, the ride was very much appreciated.” Elizabeth offered a wan smile as she slid out of the car. “Take care.”
“You, too.” There was concern in Garrett’s gaze as he carried the bag of tools up to the house. He hesitated before leaving. “David, I really wish you’d have brought the cell phone with you.”
“There’s no electricity to keep it charged,” David reminded him.
“God will protect us,” Elizabeth added.
A look of frustration crossed Garrett’s face, but he nodded before returning to the squad car and driving away.
David carried the cradle up the narrow staircase and found the spare room Elizabeth had mentioned. She’d indicated Adam had been renovating the room, but as a carpenter, he couldn’t quite understand what vision her deceased husband had for the space.
There were tools lying around, and several boards propped up against the wall. Elizabeth set the burlap bag on the floor, then looked around with a grimace.
“It looks rougher than I remembered,” she admitted. “Mayhap I should ask Luke to finish the project.”
“Luke is a carpenter?”
“No, but I’m sure he knows enough about woodworking, ain’t so? And Adam may have told him what he had planned for this space.”
Everything inside him rejected that idea. “I’d rather do the work myself,” David quickly offered. “Besides, what difference does it make what Adam wanted? This room is yours now, to use as you wish.” He eyed the dimensions, gauging the space. “There’s good morning light from those windows facing east. You may want to use this as a sewing room.”
“A sewing room?” Her light brown eyes brightened with excitement. “Sehr gut, that would be wonderful.” Then her face fell. “But I can’t ask you to do the work for free.”
“You didn’t ask, I offered. And I’d like to do this for you. After all, you’ve been feeding me for the past few days. It’s the least I can do in return.”
“Happy to do so, ja?” She smiled. “I would like that sewing room very much. But you must promise me your furniture will come first.”
He’d rather her renovations took priority, then again, he’d need to increase his stock over the winter months if he was to rebuild his house come spring. The amount of work facing him was staggering, but he reminded himself that God would guide him. “I’ll find a way to do both,” he assured her.
After she left, he glanced around the room again, anxious to get to work. The idea of helping Elizabeth in this way made him happy. It had been two years since he did this type of home construction, but he looked forward to the challenge.
In the back of his mind, though, he thought it was a shame the room wouldn’t be used as a nursery.
He was curious about the fact that Elizabeth and Adam didn’t have children. Not that their relationship was any of his business. Still, it was the natural order of things.
Was the lack of children one of the reasons Elizabeth did not want to marry?
He couldn’t think of a way to ask that wouldn’t come across as rude.
After pulling out his tools, he arranged the workspace to his liking. As always, working with wood was soothing. After he replaced the damaged section of the cradle, he began sanding the wood until it was flawlessly smooth to the touch.
He had to roll up his shirtsleeves as he worked. When Elizabeth called him for the noon meal, he was surprised to realize he’d been working for several hours without a break.
The cradle was coming along nicely. By tomorrow he should be able to begin applying the shellac.
“David?” Elizabeth called again.
“Coming.” He glanced around the room once more, noticing the closet tucked in the corner. Curious, he went over to look inside, only to find the door was locked.
Strange. Why lock a closet door? There was no sign of a key, either.
He hurried downstairs, to the wonderful scent of chicken soup. “Smells amazing.”
“I hope you like it.”
“I will. Do you know what’s in the closet in that spare room?”
“No, why do you ask?”
“It’s locked.”
“Locked?” She turned to face him, her expression guarded. “Why would it be locked?”
A shiver of apprehension slid down his spine. “I was hoping you could tell me. There must be some reason Adam had decided to lock the door.”
Her face turned grim and she stared down at the floor for a moment, before finally meeting his gaze. “Only to keep me away, certain sure.”
“What? Why?”
“Ach, I have no idea, as Adam didn’t choose to enlighten me before he died.” She picked up the tray. “Excuse me, I must take this to Mammi Ruth.” Without saying anything more, she hurried from the room.
David was shocked by her response, even as he realized once again how strained the relationship had been between Elizabeth and her husband.
It also explained why she’d been so upset that he’d gone to the Green Lake Grill without including her in his plans. It seemed Adam had done the same.
Yet he couldn’t help but wonder what sort of secrets a husband would keep from his wife?
In his mind? Nothing good.