I loved Lizzie and Noah’s apartment. Homey, warm, and charming. The four rooms had been turned into two bedrooms, a living room, and a spare room with an extra bed, dresser, and desk. Lizzie liked to work on her accounts in the fourth room, keeping her papers and receipts in a small wooden filing cabinet. When she and Charity first moved here, Cora used the room for storage, but after Lizzie and Noah married, he set up shelves and storage space in the basement, freeing up additional space for the three of them. Even though Lizzie was excited about the new house, I knew she would miss this place. I wondered if the lovely rooms would sit empty or if someone else would move in.
We congregated in the living room. Noah grabbed a couple of chairs from other rooms so everyone would have a place to sit. Once we were settled, Roger began the meeting.
“We’ve gathered as much information as we could,” he said, pulling a small notebook out of his pocket. “You’ve got to understand that the sheriff isn’t what you’d call . . . helpful. He’s keeping a lot of information to himself. Besides, he has a really bad attitude about Christians.”
“We’ve certainly seen that,” Noah said. “What’s his problem?”
Roger shook his head. “About ten years ago, he and his wife attended a small church in Washington. His wife worked as the church secretary. One day she took off with the pastor, who left his wife and children behind too. That explains why Sheriff Ford seems so bitter toward people of faith.”
“That’s awful,” Noah said. “How can people call themselves Christians and make such selfish decisions? The havoc wreaked in the lives of their families can take years to repair.”
“Well, it certainly sowed some bad seed in Sheriff Ford’s life. You remember his son, Tom?”
I nodded. How could I forget? I tried to keep his leering grin out of my mind.
“Well, he was really hurt when his mother left. Tom used to be a nice kid, but he’s changed. Now the sheriff has to deal with him too. Frankly, I feel sorry for the guy.”
“I feel bad for him too,” Jonathon said, “but he still has the responsibility to do his job. If he can’t, he should step down.”
Roger shrugged. “I agree with you there, but I wouldn’t count him out. He may not like us, but I think he’ll do what he can to find out who caused Avery’s death.”
While I searched my heart for some compassion for Tom, which was more difficult than it should have been, I couldn’t help but notice Lizzie staring at Roger with suspicion. Although I was two years older than Lizzie, we were both terrorized by Roger when we were in grade school together in Washington. Children from Kingdom were treated like oddities by the regular kids. Roger had been one of our worst tormentors, and for some reason, Lizzie had been at the top of his list. In the past couple of months, tensions had eased some. Noah and Roger had become friends, and Roger had offered his heartfelt apologies to Lizzie for being such an “ignorant jerk.” She forgave him, but I knew she still didn’t completely trust him.
“Why are you helping us?” Lizzie asked suddenly. “You don’t live here.” She turned her attention to Mary. “And you moved away years ago. This isn’t your fight.”
Mary smiled at Lizzie. “First of all, just because I moved away doesn’t mean I don’t care about the people in Kingdom.”
“I appreciate that,” Lizzie said, “but your presence here still surprises me.”
Mary frowned at her. “My parents live here, Lizzie. I’m trying hard to repair the misunderstanding between us. Things are actually going very well. I guess I feel if I can do something to help this town, people here may forgive my selfish actions.”
Lizzie’s expression softened. “Leaving wasn’t selfish, Mary. I left for a while too. At the time I felt I had no choice.”
Mary nodded. “I felt the same way. But ignoring my parents for years when I lived only a few miles away was wrong. They were good to me, and they deserved better.”
“Your father was very strict. I remember when he pulled you out of school for eating lunch at a sandwich shop in Washington.”
She smiled. “What you don’t know is that he didn’t take me out because I went to the deli. He took me out because I was extremely rebellious at home, and he was worried about me.”
Lizzie stared at her for a moment without saying anything. “All these years I had it wrong.” She shook her head. “Not the first time, and I guess it won’t be the last.”
Mary laughed. “So am I allowed to stay?”
Lizzie waved her hand. “Please ignore me. I’m obviously an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot. And thanks.” She cleared her throat and the smile left her face. “Roger and I actually visited with several people who’d been harassed by these men.” She tossed her head, her long hair flipping across her shoulder. She was no longer the shy, backward little girl with dull eyes and lifeless hair.
“So what did you find out?” Noah asked.
Roger spoke up. “Believe it or not, we think they’re young guys. Late teens, early twenties. No one we talked to got a good look at them, but everyone’s description was pretty much the same. Oh, and a couple of people mentioned a red truck. No license plate or anything. I wish we’d gotten that.”
“Hard to worry about a license plate number when you’re fighting for your life,” Jonathon said with disgust.
“You’ve got that right,” Roger said. He frowned at Jonathon. “Didn’t you say you had another man who might be able to help us?”
“Yes, Aaron Metcalf. He offered to assist in any way he could, but right now he’s so busy with the store I don’t think we can count on him.”
Roger shrugged. “I think keeping this town safe is a little more important than worrying about a business.”
“It’s not like that at all,” Lizzie said sharply. “A lot of people are counting on Aaron, and he’s got agreements set up with different distributors that can’t be changed.”
Roger noticed her tone and backed off. “Okay. I understand.”
I held my hand up. “Could I ask a question?”
Mary smiled at me. “You don’t have to raise your hand, Hope. This isn’t Mrs. Gaskin’s class.”
Her mention of a particular teacher at Washington Elementary made me laugh. I put my hand down. “Does the sheriff have this same information?”
Roger nodded. “He should. We didn’t have any trouble finding people who wanted to talk to us.”
“Then I’m confused. If he’s looking for the people behind these attacks, why are you doing the same thing?”
“I know it might seem redundant, but we don’t trust him enough to leave the entire investigation in his hands. We want to make sure he doesn’t miss something important.”
Mary smiled and patted his leg. “Roger has always wanted to be a policeman. This gives him the chance to try out his investigative skills.”
Roger colored with embarrassment, but he didn’t disagree with his wife.
“Sheriff Ford threatened us when he came here after Avery was killed,” Jonathon said. “He told us that if we made a big deal out of it, the media would be all over our town and that would open us up for more trouble than we had now.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Mary said loudly. “That man really makes me mad. How in the world did he ever get elected in the first place?”
“Well, we sure didn’t vote for him,” Noah said with a deadpan expression.
Everyone burst out laughing, aware that the Kingdom community shunned involvement with the government or politics.
“Okay, you got me,” Mary said, grinning, “but seriously, what can we do? How do we catch these guys, and how do we protect Kingdom?”
No one said anything for a moment. Finally Noah spoke up. “First of all, let me make one thing clear. I won’t carry a gun or any other kind of weapon. I don’t mind patrolling our borders . . . or doing anything else that might help, but my views are much closer to Ebbie’s. I may have cracked a chair over a guy’s head once who was trying to hurt Lizzie, but that’s as violent as I’m ever going to get.” He cleared his throat. “I hope.” He gazed around the room. “So what are we signing on for here? I don’t think you want me driving around with a chair in my truck just in case I happen upon one of these men.”
Roger chuckled. “No. I think you can leave the chairs in the restaurant. Look, I’ve never been Mennonite, and Mary may be a fallen Mennonite”—he grinned at his wife—“but we’re not into violence either.”
Listening to Roger helped me to realize that Ebbie was wrong. No one here was promoting aggression. They were just trying to find a way to help our people in the most peaceful way possible.
I noticed that Sophie was scowling at Roger. No one appeared to be paying any attention to her. When she wasn’t glaring at the rest of us, she was looking at Jonathon as if she were a dog and he a piece of meat. He didn’t seem to notice.
“So all we’re going to do is patrol?” Jonathon asked. “What happens if we see someone we don’t know? How are we going to stop these troublemakers from coming into town?”
Noah stared at him blankly.
After clearing his throat, Roger spoke up. “Look, I understand how you all feel about this nonresistance thing—”
“It’s not really nonresistance,” Noah said. “We just don’t believe in resisting evil with violence.”
“The Bible says we’re supposed to resist the devil, and he’s evil,” Sophie spat out. “So how are we gonna do that? Maybe Lizzie could make him a pie. That oughta do it.” She shot daggers at Noah, anger distorting her features. “Do you have one single idea about how we can stand up to these people?”
“That Scripture you referenced also says we should submit ourselves to God first,” Noah said gently. “Which is what we’re trying to do.” He shook his head. “And you’re right. Our resistance should be against the devil. Not human beings.”
Sophie snorted. “What in the world does that mean? You sound like my father. Saying things that don’t make sense just so you can control everyone.”
Noah frowned at her. “I’m simply saying we need to figure out how to protect ourselves in a way that won’t betray our faith.”
“Ebbie says we should just pray and let God protect us.” The words popped out of my mouth before I could stop them. Everyone’s eyes turned to me.
“I know,” Jonathon said, “and I’m trying to respect him for his faith, but God uses people, Hope. And again, we’re not advocating violence. We’re just trying to find a way to . . . I don’t know . . . a way to keep these people away from Kingdom. If we can do that, we’ll be fulfilling the intent of Christ’s teaching without giving them free rein over us.”
“Look,” Roger said, “I’m going to suggest something I’m pretty sure you’re not going to like.”
Noah nodded toward him. “Go ahead.”
“Everyone here has a gun, right?”
“Well, rifles for hunting,” Noah said.
“What if we set up different times to patrol the road into Kingdom, and we carry our hunting rifles? We’re not going to use them, but no one needs to know that.”
“Yeah, but everyone knows Mennonites aren’t going to shoot anyone,” Lizzie said. “How would that help?”
“Most people don’t have a clue what Mennonites believe,” Mary said. “Since leaving Kingdom, I’ve found that our . . . I mean, your community is a mystery to other folks. They think all you do is drive around in buggies, wear weird clothes, and shun electricity. To be honest, what the church believes isn’t that interesting to them.”
“So you’re suggesting that we look like we’re willing to shoot intruders even though we’re not?” Noah shook his head. “I don’t know. . . .”
I started to raise my hand again but stopped myself at the last second. “Isn’t that dishonest?”
Lizzie nodded. “That’s exactly what I was thinking. Besides, if they weren’t planning to shoot us in the first place, waving a rifle at them could start something we don’t want.”
Jonathon stood to his feet. “I understand what you’re saying, but these guys are playing for keeps.” He directed his attention toward Noah. “If that had been Lizzie in that buggy—”
“I know. I know,” Noah said harshly. “But this is different. This isn’t a spur of the moment reaction. It’s a prearranged strategy that could lead to someone getting hurt. Or worse.”
“What if you carried a rifle that isn’t loaded?” Roger asked. “Would that make you feel better?”
“That might do it,” Jonathan agreed. “We wouldn’t be in a position to really shoot anyone, but they wouldn’t know that.”
“We’re splitting spiritual hairs here,” Noah said. He looked back and forth between Lizzie and Jonathon. Finally he held his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I’m an elder in the church. I appreciate what you’re saying and how you feel, but I just can’t do that. Carrying a rifle as a weapon, whether it’s loaded or not, feels wrong to me. I’ll do anything else I can to help, but I won’t do that. You’ll have to patrol without me.”
Roger got up from his seat and walked over to where Noah sat on the couch. He put his hand on Noah’s shoulder. “I respect that, Noah, and I think you’re doing the right thing. Can I ask you to keep our plans to yourself though? I’m afraid if word gets out, it might make our efforts more difficult.”
Noah chuckled. “You’ve never lived in Kingdom, Roger. You can ask Mary about it, but secrets are hard to keep here. I won’t tell anyone, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the whole town knows about it before long.”
Roger patted Noah’s shoulder once more, walked over to the window, and looked down on the street below. “All we can do is hope people understand.”
“I believe they will,” Jonathon said. “A lot of changes have already come to Kingdom. People are open to new ideas and have more freedom to make decisions on their own.”
“No one is forced to do anything they don’t want to,” Noah said quietly. Even though his tone was light, he was obviously rebuking Jonathon. “The tenets of our faith are in place to protect us. To help us. Not to control us.”
“You’ve got to admit it hasn’t always been that way,” Lizzie said. “I remember what it was like when my father was an elder.”
“I do too,” Mary said. “It’s one of the reasons I left.”
“I understand,” Noah said, frowning, “but as you said, Jonathon, we’re undergoing transformation. I guess I’m just trying to say that not everything we believe needs to change. Nonviolence is our way of following the teachings of Christ.”
“But not everyone follows Jesus, Noah,” Jonathon said. Noah started to say something else, but Jonathon held his hand up. “Look, we could go around and around about this, but what good would it do? We’ll take unloaded rifles with us. There’s no way we can hurt anyone with an empty weapon. Everyone here is trying to follow their faith the best they can. In my opinion, this is the perfect solution.”
Silence followed his statement. Noah shrugged but didn’t say anything. Jonathon and Roger got up and went downstairs to set up a schedule for patrols. Sophie and Mary followed behind them. Noah, Lizzie, and I were left upstairs staring at one another.
“I don’t know how to feel about this,” I told them. “Jonathon may have saved my life. If he hadn’t come along when he did, I might not be here right now.”
Noah took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “That’s why I’m not trying to stop them. I don’t have all the answers. I know what I believe, but when it came down to it, I used violence to stop the man who was trying to hurt Lizzie and Charity.” Lizzie got up and came over to the couch, plopping down next to him and grabbing his hand. He kissed her fingers. “And if I had to do it again, I would.” He shook his head. “You’ll have to find your own way here, Hope. But I can’t carry a rifle, even if it’s unloaded. Maybe if I wasn’t an elder in the church, I could find a way to justify it. But for now I’ll have to stand with the other elders and with our pastor. And I know they wouldn’t approve of this plan.”
I stood up. “Thank you both for being so candid—and for trying to do what’s right. I’ve always believed in peace, but when I close my eyes at night I can still see that red truck coming toward me. I also think about Avery. I know that revenge belongs to God, but I must also be honest and tell you that there is anger in my heart against the person who killed him. I can’t stand by and let another one of our friends die because I did nothing.” I could feel tears on my cheeks. The emotion that had been building inside me since Avery’s death seemed to be coming out on its own. Lizzie got up and came over to me, putting her arms around me. She held me while I sobbed.
“It’s all right,” she said softly, patting me on the back. “Everything will be okay.”
I cried for a while, but when I was finally ready to stop, I looked up to see Noah standing next to us.
“I’m sorry, Hope,” he said. “I should have realized how hard this was on you. Would you like to stay awhile and discuss how you’re feeling?”
I shook my head and wiped my face. “Thank you, Noah. Maybe later. Papa should be home soon, and I don’t want him to know I’ve been talking to anyone about these plans to protect Kingdom. He wouldn’t be pleased.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t,” Noah said, frowning. “But I don’t like the idea of hiding something from him.”
“I have no plans to share my concerns with my father,” Lizzie said. “He may have softened some in the past several months, but he still has very strong opinions. I’m certainly not opening that can of worms.”
“Well, maybe it’s wise to keep our conversation to ourselves for now,” Noah said, “but I’ve found that almost every time I have to be secretive about something, it turns out to be a mistake.”
“Not this time,” Lizzie insisted, her dark eyes fastened on her husband. “We can’t let another person die. And anyone in this town who doesn’t agree is just . . . wrong.”
Noah put his arms around his wife and held her. “I understand how you feel, Lizzie. I really do.” He let her go and smiled. “I think Charity will be home soon. Don’t you need to get tonight’s specials started?”
“Oh my goodness,” she said, her eyes wide. “It’s Friday. I’ve been so distracted by everything, I almost forgot.”
“Can I help you, Lizzie?”
“Thanks, Hope, but I think everything is under control. Callie’s been such a wonderful assistant. With school almost out, soon she’ll also be able to help with the cooking. I can hardly wait.”
“And I’m sure you’ll be happy to have more time with Charity,” I said.
“Yes . . . well, I guess so.”
Noah shook his head. “Charity’s been . . . I don’t know . . . going through something. We can’t quite figure out what’s wrong. She won’t talk to us.”
“I’ve noticed it too,” I said. “I keep hoping she’ll open up to me.”
Lizzie smiled. “She loves you so much, Hope. You remind me of Ruth Fisher. She was my confidante when I was a little girl.”
I laughed. “Well, I love Ruth, but I must admit that I hope I don’t look like her.” Ruth was well into her eighties.
“Well, you have been looking a little tired lately,” she said, grinning.
“Okay, that’s it for me,” Noah said. “You two are getting into a dangerous area that no man can tread safely through.”
We both giggled.
“I’ve got to run to Washington for a few more supplies,” Noah said to Lizzie. “I won’t be gone long.”
An idea suddenly popped into my head. “Noah, could I possibly go with you? I accidentally left something at the fabric shop in Washington, and I’d really like to get it.”
Noah and Lizzie exchanged a quick look.
“If it’s any trouble . . .”
“I’m happy to take you,” Noah said slowly, “but you know that under normal circumstances men and women who aren’t married are discouraged from being alone together.”
Lizzie snorted. “Another silly rule. You and Hope are like brother and sister.” She smiled at her husband. “I give you permission to take Hope with you. Does that help?”
“I guess it’s okay,” he said. “What about your father, Hope?”
I laughed. “Don’t worry about him. Papa loves you like a son. Let’s throw caution to the wind and not worry about the rules this once. Okay?”
“Maybe you can keep your head down as you leave town,” Lizzie said. “No one will know you’re in the truck.”
“If Hope comes with me, we won’t hide,” Noah said sharply.
Lizzie nodded at him. “You’re right. Sorry.”
I looked over at the clock on a nearby table. “We should be back in plenty of time for dinner, and Lizzie can tell Papa where I am if he comes back before we return.”
“Are you ready to go now?” Noah asked.
“I certainly am.” I was excited about getting the fabric so I could finish Noah and Lizzie’s quilt. I dismissed any concerns about what other people would think. Frankly, I was a little tired of worrying about the opinions of others. Trying to live up to everyone else’s standards was tiring, to say the least.
“You two get going and be careful,” Lizzie said. “I’ve got to get to the kitchen right this minute or I’ll have some very unhappy customers tonight.” She kissed Noah on the cheek. “I’ll see you both when you get back.” She took my hand in hers. “Why don’t you and Samuel come to dinner tonight? My treat.”
I shook my head. “Papa said he won’t take any more free meals from you. He says if you don’t quit giving away free food, you’ll go broke.”
She laughed. “Your father shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. It might bite him.”
“He worries about you, Lizzie. You’re like his other daughter.”
“I know that, and I love him to pieces for it. But try to get him to come. Friday nights are fun around here.”
I had to chuckle at her comment. Most families spent the weekends at home, so Friday was the last chance for them to eat out and visit with their neighbors. It was so nice to see a business that was once frowned upon turn out to be such a blessing. Even Pastor Mendenhall and his wife liked to come on Friday nights.
“I’ll do my best.” I squeezed her hand. “Maybe I’ll see you later.”
Noah and I started for the stairs, but before I could get to the door, Lizzie grabbed my arm. “I’m so grateful to God that you’re okay,” she said, her breath catching. “I love you, Hope. Promise me you’ll stay safe. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.”
“I love you too, my friend, but you know we’re not supposed to make promises.”
“I know. Just tell me you’ll be careful.”
“I’ll be careful. Feel better?”
“A little.”
I gave her a quick hug before Noah and I headed down the stairs. When we reached the dining room I found Jonathon, Roger, Mary, and Sophie hunched over a table, talking. Noah told me he needed to make a quick run to the bathroom before we left, so I started toward the front door. Before I could get there, Jonathon jumped up and intercepted me.
“I’d really like a few minutes with you, Hope,” he said softly. “We need to talk.”
“I think we do too, but I’ve got an important errand to run right now. Papa and I are going over to Avery’s in the morning for the viewing. Then Papa will bring me back to town. He and some of the other men are going to Noah and Lizzie’s house tomorrow after lunch to work, so I’ll be alone. Why don’t you come by in the afternoon?”
“Okay. I’ll see you then.”
I could tell by the look on his face that he wanted to kiss me again, but I knew he would never do that in front of anyone else. I said good-bye and hurried out the door. I waited only a couple of minutes before Noah came out, and we got into his truck. When we reached the main road that led to town, I could see Noah and Lizzie’s house. The old Strauss home was only about a quarter of a mile from the intersection of the main road and the road to Kingdom. Even though I came this way once a month, I hadn’t really looked closely at it for quite some time. It was really coming along.
“The house looks pretty good,” I said to Noah. “How much longer until you can move in?”
He shrugged. “I’m not sure. We’re making progress, but it’s a lot of work. Of course, I’ve got plenty of help. You know how people are in Kingdom. Someone’s always stopping by with lumber or paint. Or just wanting to donate their time.”
“You know, your house is actually out on the main road. Do you worry about your safety?”
“Not really. I’m hardly ever there alone. Sometimes when we work late, we’ll all just bed down on the floor and spend the night. We’re about as safe as anyone can be right now, I guess. My understanding is that actual church buildings are more at risk than regular houses.”
“I hope you’re right. It wouldn’t be hard for anyone to recognize you’re Mennonite by the way you’re dressed.”
Noah snorted. “Please don’t suggest we remove our hats. After your father’s rebuke, I may nail mine permanently onto my head.”
I laughed. “You really took his comments to heart, didn’t you?”
He nodded, his smile gone. “I respect Samuel immensely, Hope. He stands by his beliefs without wavering.”
“We all waver sometimes, Noah,” I said softly. “None of us is perfect.”
He was silent until we reached the main road and turned toward town. Then he said, “Are you wavering, Hope?”
I sighed. “I have to admit that I’m dealing with some confusion. It’s like there are two voices in my head. One is fully committed to our doctrine of nonviolence under any circumstance. Another asks me what I would do if someone I loved was in trouble. What would I do to protect them?”
“Would you disobey God?”
I turned to stare at him. “Why would God want us to be defenseless? Like lambs led to the slaughter?”
He glanced over at me, his forehead creased in a deep frown. “I don’t think He does. I believe our protection comes from our faith in His promises. Do you know Isaiah 54:17?”
“Papa quotes it often. ‘No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.’”
“That’s right. But do you believe it?”
“I believe every word of God. My faith in His promises will never waver.”
Noah chuckled. “I didn’t ask you about every word of God. I asked you about that Scripture. Although God was talking to the children of Israel, He showed His heart toward His people. And we’re His people.”
I didn’t say anything, but I felt conviction in my heart. My thoughts went back to what Papa had said about Ebbie. He believed we should spend our time in prayer, believing that God was our best defense.
“What I’m trying to say, Hope, is that as Mennonites, perhaps we should lay down the swords of men and pick up the sword of the Spirit.”
I nodded slowly. “I understand, Noah. But if someone stood in front of you, holding a gun and threatening to kill you, would you be able to confront him with Scripture instead of a weapon?”
He grunted. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m telling you. Now, whether or not I would remember that when a gun was actually pointed at me . . . Well, that’s a whole different story.”
I grinned at him. “Let’s pray you never have to find out.”
“That’s a prayer I can definitely agree with.”
He was silent for a moment. “Can I ask you something, Hope?”
“Anything.”
“You know I lived outside Kingdom for a while.”
“Yes. You went to school out in the world for a couple of years.”
“That’s right. And Lizzie lived in Kansas City for five years.”
I frowned at him. “I don’t understand. What is it you want to know?”
He paused for a moment as if trying to gather his thoughts. “As I listened to everyone this afternoon I realized that the only people in the room who hadn’t been away from Kingdom at one time or another were you, Sophie, and Roger. Of course, Roger never lived here, and Sophie is only seventeen. As an elder, I hear people talk about leaving for a variety of reasons. And some of them do.” He turned his head to look at me. “But not you. Not once. Why?”
I looked at him in surprise. “It never occurred to me, I guess. Kingdom is my home and the only place I want to be.”
“Even though bad things have happened to us?”
“Nothing will ever break my commitment to Kingdom. And it isn’t because I’m afraid of the world. I’m not.” I sighed. “I can’t really explain it, but I know I’m where I’m supposed to be. I don’t have any desire to live anywhere else, because my heart is in Kingdom—and it always will be.”
“I feel the same way, and so does Lizzie. Kingdom is a very special place. I really do want to protect it.”
“I know that. It’s hard to know what to do, but in the end, we must trust God and make sure we are true to our hearts.”
He smiled at me. “Exactly. And thanks for understanding why I couldn’t get involved in Jonathon and Roger’s plan.”
We left our discussion about faith and moved on to more mundane topics. Noah explained the work that was going on in the house and what it would look like when completed. We also talked about the expansion of the electric company to Kingdom. Many of our citizens were availing themselves of the new opportunity. Each request for electricity had to pass through the elders first for approval, but most requests were being granted, especially for the farmers who lived outside of town. Two residents who had dairies were given permission as well. If the recent transformation hadn’t happened in our church, I was certain no one would be the recipient of this once-shunned prospect. I wondered if Papa would ever agree to sign up for it. Our quilt shop got so cold in the winter, even with the potbellied stove we used to provide warmth. And in the heat of summer, it could be stifling.
When we finally arrived in Washington, Noah dropped me off at Flo’s while he went to the building supply store to pick up his order. Flo had my fabric under the counter, waiting for my return. We visited while I waited for Noah. Most of our conversation centered on Avery’s death.
“When I heard that someone in a buggy had been killed,” Flo said, “my heart almost stopped in my chest. I was so afraid it was you.”
I reassured her that I wouldn’t be out on the road by myself again until the men behind the attacks were caught. By the time Noah came back to pick me up, she had calmed down considerably.
We started back to Kingdom a little later than we’d planned because Noah’s order wasn’t quite ready at the supply store. I hoped Papa wasn’t worried. Although I’d purposely tried to not think about the wisdom of going to Washington with Noah, on the way home I began to worry about the consequences. The idea that anyone would be concerned about our being alone in Noah’s truck seemed ludicrous, but I had no desire to cause trouble for Noah. Had I pushed to get my way without thinking it out first? Though Lizzie, Noah, and I had no problem with our decision, that didn’t mean everyone else would feel the same way. Would the move toward grace in our church cover us, or would we be chastised for breaking the rules? I really had no way of knowing, but a tickle of fear began to wriggle its way around inside me. I’d just decided to discuss the situation with Noah when I heard the sound of another vehicle coming up behind us. I checked the side mirror, and a feeling of horror made my current concerns seem unimportant. Behind us, and drawing closer, was a large red truck.