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  A woman wearing a pink robe opened the door, her eyes half open. “Can I help you? Who’s knocking on my door at this hour?”

  Annie almost didn’t recognize her aunt. She had always been a tall woman, but Annie didn’t remember her being so hunched over, and wrinkles connected like a spiderweb across her face. She was much thinner than Annie remembered also. But when her aunt flashed a set of pearly whites, Annie remembered why she’d liked her as a child. Aunt Faye’s eyes seemed to get bigger when she smiled. It made her look a little like a cartoon character, especially since she had really big ears. Annie hadn’t been allowed to watch television growing up, but there were a few times she’d seen cartoons when they’d visited Englisch friends.

  “Aenti Faye?”

  Annie’s great-aunt opened her eyes even wider, still smiling. “Do I know you, child?”

  “It’s me. Annie. Eve and Lucas’s daughter. I’m sorry to be showing up in the middle of the night, but . . .” Annie blinked her swollen eyes, having no idea what she’d do if Aunt Faye turned her away. And without realizing how fearful she’d become, she burst into tears again.

  Faye pulled the screen open and pulled Annie into her arms. “Oh my. Oh my.”

  “I didn’t know where else to go.” Annie wept so hard she was gasping for breath. “I’m with child. Mamm and Daed—” Her voice broke before she could finish her sentence.

  “You came to the right place,” Aunt Faye whispered as she held her.

  Daniel propped his elbows on the kitchen table and laid his forehead in his hands. He’d rarely heard his parents bicker, but today topped any past arguments. They were in their bedroom with the door shut, but his mother was screaming, and Daniel could hear every word. “You were much too hard on her, Lucas. What if she doesn’t come back?”

  “She has shamed us, her and that boy!”

  Daniel cringed. He didn’t think he’d ever heard his father so angry. Lucas Byler was usually content letting his wife handle family matters, but it was clear earlier today that he was the one in charge when he’d blasted Annie for being unwed and pregnant. At one point, Daniel had thought his father might strike Annie, something he’d never done. But instead, he whipped her with his words until Annie looked beaten, her face flushed and red, her eyes puffy. Worst of all was the way Annie had hunched over, cowering from Daed, one hand across her stomach, like she, too, feared he might hit her. It was awful to watch, and Daniel felt sick to his stomach. He recalled what his father had said earlier about a baby being a blessing, no matter what. That must not pertain to his unmarried, pregnant daughter.

  Annie had left a note saying she was leaving, then snuck out the back door at some point during the night. Daniel had tried to call Annie several times, but she never answered. He’d even tried to call Jacob, thinking that maybe Annie had contacted him. Apparently Charlotte had gotten the boy a phone, and thankfully Annie had given Daniel his phone number. Everyone in his family was abusing their cell phone privileges; he suspected that was the case at Jacob’s house too. To his knowledge, neither of his parents had let Jacob’s family know that Annie was gone. Daniel was going to wait until tomorrow to notify them, in case Annie changed her mind and came home. His mother was yelling again, and Daniel didn’t think that could be good in her condition. But he sat quietly at the table and prayed for peace for all of them.

  Charlotte watched Jacob step out of the cab and walk across the yard Tuesday afternoon, toting the same boxy suitcase. The prodigal son was home. Thank You, God. She waited until Lena and Hannah quit hugging Jacob, then she gave him a quick embrace and stepped aside so Amos could greet his son. If they’d been angry with him for leaving, they’d tucked those emotions away and chosen joy at his return. Charlotte was glad he was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, but someone was eventually going to see his tattoo. Charlotte hoped she wasn’t around on that day.

  It was thirty minutes later when someone knocked on the door. Hannah let Daniel in as Buddy jumped from Amos’s lap and scurried toward Annie’s brother. Daniel skidded to a halt in the middle of the room, barely noticing the barking dog at his feet.

  “Jacob, what are you doing here?” Daniel walked toward Jacob, who was sitting in the rocking chair eating a slice of apple pie.

  “He called on Sunday and told us he was coming home. He wanted to surprise Annie, with high hopes they can work things out.” Lena brought her hands to her chest, smiling. “He left by train Sunday and just got home a little while ago. Isn’t that wonderful?”

  Daniel took off his straw hat and held his palm to his forehead as he glared at Jacob. “Have you talked to Annie? Do you know where she is?”

  Everyone got quiet, waiting for Daniel to go on. When he didn’t, Lena said, “Daniel, what are you talking about?”

  Amos was sitting on the couch reading the newspaper. He took off his reading glasses and folded the paper, searching Daniel’s face like the rest of them. Charlotte scooped Buddy up and stroked his head until he finally stopped barking.

  “Annie’s gone. She left a note saying she was leaving.” Daniel glared at Jacob. “I’d hoped she’d change her mind and be back home by now, but since she’s not, I thought I better let everyone know.”

  Charlotte looked around at the expression of shock registering on everyone’s face.

  “We don’t know where she is. We’ve called around . . . no one knows. Has she tried to call any of you?” Daniel glanced at the Kings, then glared at Jacob again.

  Jacob choked down the pie he’d been holding in his mouth, his eyes round. “Uh, my phone isn’t charged.”

  Daniel hung his head, shaking it.

  “Why did she run away?” Jacob’s voice rose an octave.

  Daniel clenched his fists at his sides.

  “I’m so confused,” Charlotte whispered.

  “Why did she run away?” Jacob asked again, more emphatically.

  Daniel’s face turned bright red as he walked toward Jacob. He reached down and grabbed the collar of Jacob’s blue shirt. Lena gasped and Amos stood from his spot on the couch.

  “Annie is pregnant. Pregnant and alone. You have dishonored everyone, especially Annie.”

  Charlotte couldn’t breathe. “Um . . .” She couldn’t seem to gather her thoughts. “I thought Eve was pregnant.”

  Daniel looked over his shoulder at Charlotte, then he finally let go of Jacob and turned to face the rest of the family. “Mamm is pregnant too.”

  Charlotte narrowed her eyebrows. “And no one knows where Annie is?”

  Daniel shook his head. “Nee. Annie should have known better than to upset Mamm this way while she’s pregnant, but we’re still very worried about Annie.” He glowered at Jacob as he leaned his weight forward.

  “Annie is pregnant?” Lena fell onto the couch, her eyes tearing up as she frowned at her son. Amos had his arms crossed, his expression dark. Charlotte glanced at Hannah, who hadn’t said a word. Her friend stared at Jacob, looking sick.

  “I’ve been trying to call Annie. She and my parents had a big fight. She told them she was with child, and mei daed went ab im kopp, yelling at her.” Daniel turned to Jacob, his fists balled at his sides again, his jaw tensing.

  “Annie’s pregnant.” Jacob spoke softly, as if to himself, then turned as white as the walls.

  Charlotte stared at the faces around the room. She’d run from her troubles back home, but there seemed to be even more drama here.

  Daniel scrambled to pull his phone out of his pants pocket when it started to ring. He listened for a few moments, the muscles in his face relaxing, then he hung up. “Annie is okay. That was Mamm, and she said that Annie showed up at our great-aunt’s house in Harrisburg. Aenti Faye said Annie doesn’t want to talk to anyone.”

  Jacob stood up slowly and faced Daniel, stretching taller, but Jacob still wasn’t as tall as Annie’s brother. “I will go bring her home safely.”

  “Nee. You will not go near her right now. I will hire a driver to take me to Harrisburg in the morni
ng.” Daniel’s nostrils flared. He was a nice-looking guy, but right now he looked a bit scary.

  “I’ll drive you,” Charlotte interjected, hoping to help. “Oops. Never mind. I forgot, I don’t have a car.”

  “I heard today that our regular driver is down with shingles. She’s not making trips anywhere right now,” Lena said, sniffling and clutching a tissue.

  Amos cleared his throat. Everyone got quiet as he walked across the room to the coatrack by the door. Next to it was a hook with several key rings hanging on it. He picked the one with a single key, then walked to Charlotte and held it out to her. “There is a Ford automobile in the old barn at the very back of the property.” He cut his eyes at Lena, whose face had fallen into a frown, then he turned back to Charlotte. “I was going to give it to you to use until you could get your own car, but it needs a battery.” He shrugged. “There’s a new battery in the barn. I just hadn’t gotten around to . . . uh . . . telling Lena the automobile was still on the property.” He cleared his throat again. “I will put a battery in it early tomorrow morning so you can drive Daniel to see about Annie.”

  Lena stood up and put her hands on her hips. “It’s a long walk to that old barn. I bet I haven’t been out there in two years. I thought you’d gotten rid of that thing after you took it on trade for the money Albert Hines owed you.”

  Amos shook his head before he said quietly, “Nee, nee. It’s just been sitting out there.”

  “If the bishop knew . . .” Lena huffed out a long breath.

  “It ain’t like I’m driving it around town.” Amos held out his hands to Buddy, who lapped at them before he practically dove into Amos’s arms. Unbelievable. “Hope you can drive a stick shift,” he said as he and Buddy walked back to his seat on the couch.

  “Uh, yes, I can.” Charlotte resisted the urge to cry, touched that Amos would want to help her. But once she let the thought settle in her mind, she knew this was more about Annie and getting to her as quickly as possible. She looked at the key and then at Daniel. She waited for him to refuse Amos’s offer, but Daniel nodded and made his way to the door.

  It’s gonna be a long ride to Harrisburg tomorrow.

  Nine

  Jacob sat at the kitchen table with his parents after Daniel was gone. Daed asked Charlotte and Hannah to go upstairs. After they had left the room, his father put his palms flat on the table as his mother fidgeted. Jacob thought about being a father, how he’d left Annie, how Annie’s parents had yelled at her until she felt she had to run away. There wasn’t much his father could say to him right now that would make him feel any worse than he already did.

  “When Annie comes home, you will marry her.” Amos King didn’t speak often, so when he did, his authoritative tone demanded respect. Jacob nodded, finding himself back where he was before any of this started—feeling trapped. But what choice did he have? He was going to be a father, he loved Annie, and he planned to do the right thing. Once again, he recalled Charlotte’s words: The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. But he hadn’t really given the Englisch life much of a chance. His desire to return to Annie had been stronger than his need to have freedom. But once his father stole his freedom, it was all he could think about again.

  They all sat quietly. Jacob waited for someone to yell at him, but his mother just wept quietly. Then both of his parents stood up, went to their bedroom, and closed the door. Their disappointment in Jacob hung in the air like the Houston pollution he’d wallowed around in until a couple of days ago.

  Charlotte shuffled straight to the coffee percolating on the stove the next morning. Something was baking in the oven, but it wasn’t bread. Sniffing the air, she recognized Lena’s homemade cinnamon rolls cooking. She eased the oven open and breathed in the heavenly aroma. Movement out the kitchen window caught her attention.

  No way. She took a few steps closer and gawked out the window until footsteps came up behind her.

  Lena chuckled. “Not what you were expecting, ya?”

  Charlotte stared at Amos and Daniel putting a battery in the vehicle she was supposed to drive to Harrisburg. “It’s a truck,” she said with a hitch in her voice, mixed with a healthy dose of fear. “It’s old. Very old.” She pursed her lips. And red. Very, very red. And dirty.

  Lena huffed as she cozied up beside Charlotte. “Amos doesn’t fool me for one minute. That’s a ’57 Chevy, and even Amish men seem smitten with automobiles, especially those the Englisch consider classics, like that one.”

  Charlotte brought a hand to her chest. “I wonder if it’s been driven since 1957.” She eyed the big dent on the left rear bumper, and it looked like it tilted to one side.

  Lena put a hand on Charlotte’s back. “We will pray for safe travels for you and Daniel.”

  Charlotte thought about the U-Haul she’d driven across the county. I can do this. But she nodded and whispered, “Yes, prayers please.”

  Daniel stood next to Charlotte, along with Lena and Amos, all of them staring at the vehicle that Charlotte was to drive with Daniel to Harrisburg. Isaac had picked up Hannah a few minutes ago. They had plans to spend the day together, and everyone had insisted Hannah keep those plans. There wasn’t anything Hannah could do for Annie right now. Jacob was still asleep, weary from his travels, Daniel presumed.

  “It’s not much of a looker.” Amos ran a hand the length of his beard. “But it will get the job done. Our prayers are with you, that all goes well with Annie.”

  Daniel appreciated those prayers, but as he eyed the lopsided truck with more than just age in its disfavor, he quietly asked the Lord to guide their way today. He opened the driver’s side door for Charlotte, giving it a final jerk when it seemed to stick midway. She climbed inside and Daniel went to the other side. Same problem with the passenger door. Inside, the musty smell mingled with something that resembled mold. Or maybe a dead animal. Exposed springs protruded from the seat in between them, and most of the dashboard was hanging loose, although Amos had assured them that the gauges worked. But the vehicle started right up when Charlotte turned the key—although she stalled it four times trying to get out of the driveway. She needed to get familiar with that clutch.

  “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” He tried to keep the impatience from his voice since Charlotte was doing them a favor by making the trip.

  Charlotte’s knuckles were white as she clutched the oversized steering wheel. She briefly turned his way. “Of course I don’t know what I’m doing.” The truck jerked and died again when she pushed the long gear stick to the right.

  “Maybe I should drive,” he mumbled under his breath as she turned the key to restart the engine.

  Scowling, she faced him again. “Do you know how to drive?”

  “Nee, not really. But maybe better than you.” He grinned.

  She didn’t say anything for a while as they bounced down the gravel driveway. It seemed to take all of Charlotte’s might to turn the steering wheel onto the road. Daniel wondered how she’d do on the highway.

  “No power steering,” she said, grumbling.

  With the windows down, Charlotte’s long brown hair blew in the wind. She wasn’t wearing any makeup this morning, which Daniel thought was a much better look for her. With that thought, he was reminded of her time disguised as Mary Troyer. Daniel never condoned lying, but maybe he’d reacted too harshly to Charlotte’s deception. She must have loved her brother very much to go to the lengths she did to find out what pushed him to end his life.

  “I hate to ask you this . . .” She grunted as she pushed the long stick shift forward. “But in all the commotion, I didn’t know I had a voice mail message. Ethan’s house is listed with a real estate agent, and she left a message saying that she had a showing for the house yesterday. When they got there, water was running out the front door.” She rolled her eyes. “Obviously that showing didn’t go well, and she turned the water off inside, but she said it’s a mess.” She glanced at Daniel, a strained look on her face. “We ha
ve to go right by there. Do you mind if we take five minutes to stop and see how much damage there is?”

  “That is fine.” A few minutes wasn’t going to make a difference in Annie’s mood, one way or the other, once they arrived in Harrisburg.

  “Thanks.” She kept taking her hands off the wheel to push back wild strands of hair that were flying all over the place. It was warm enough to have the windows rolled down, but with each bump dust swirled around them and found its way inside the truck. Daniel could almost taste it. She successfully parked the truck in front of Ethan’s house and forced the door open, reaching into her purse for a key. “I’ll be right back.”

  Something didn’t seem right about letting her go inside by herself, so Daniel followed her up the porch steps. She unlocked the door and walked inside.

  “This can’t be happening,” she said in a voice that sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

  Daniel sidled up to her, both of them standing on the wet floor.

  “Isaac did so much work on this house so I can sell it.” Charlotte looked up at Daniel with teary eyes. “I guess a pipe broke.”