Plain pursuit Read online

  “Yeah, I’m doing well,” Carley lied. The red Chevy came blazing through her mind, then her mom’s face, the wooden spike impaling Carley’s stomach—

  She took a deep breath.

  “Are you all right?” Lillian leaned toward her.

  “I guess things have been a little rough. I really miss Mom.” She drew in another breath and fought the knot building in her throat.

  “I can’t even imagine, Carley. I’m so sorry.” Lillian sat up a little straighter. “Ach, I hear Anna. I’ll be right back.”

  A few minutes later Lillian returned holding Anna, with David trailing behind her.

  “David, how are you this morning?”

  “I’m all right.” He winced. “Mei chin hurts though.”

  “Just going to take some time to heal,” Lillian said. She placed Anna in the high chair and began to prepare a plate of breakfast for David.

  Carley leaned toward Anna, taking in the aroma of lotion and baby powder. So precious.

  “On Wednesdays mei Englisch friend, Barbie Beiler, picks me up and takes me to the farmers’ market in the town of Bird-in-Hand. I can take the buggy, but I always purchase so many things. I like spending the day with her, so she takes me in her car. She’ll be here in about thirty minutes. You’ll like her.” Lillian paused, giving Carley a sympathetic look. “You look pooped, Carley. If you’d rather not go with us, you’re welcome to stay here and enjoy some peace and quiet. I know you must be tired from your trip, plus very little sleep last night. It’s completely up to you.”

  “So let me get this straight,” Carley began. “You can’t own a car, but you can ride in one? Even when it’s not an emergency like last night?”

  “Ya. There are so many different types of cars. To own one would cause competitiveness and vanity. The bishops in most districts would never hear of owning a car, certainly not in an Old Order Amish district. But we are allowed to ride in cars.”

  Carley suppressed a yawn. As much as she’d like to take a trip to town, jet lag was settling in. “Are you sure you don’t mind if I just hang around here today?”

  “Absolutely not,” Lillian answered.

  “And feel free to leave this precious bundle with me, if you want.” Carley reached over and stroked Anna’s soft skin. She’d forgo sleep to take care of little Anna.

  Lillian’s face lit up with surprise. “I wouldn’t know how to act if I wasn’t carting Anna. It’s not too often I have an opportunity to go to market on my own.” She pondered the offer. “Are you sure? I mean, Anna would probably take a nap with you later this morning. And we won’t be gone too terribly long.”

  “I would love to stay here with Anna, and you enjoy some time by yourself,” Carley assured her.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Quite sure. Me and Anna will just laze around this morning.”

  “Deal.” Lillian sounded thrilled. “And David will be here too. But Samuel is expecting him back on the plow tomorrow, so I imagine he’ll catch up on his sleep today.”

  Carley nodded. “It’ll be fine. You go and have a good time.”

  Noah pulled out of the hospital parking lot, thankful his shift was finally over. Despite his exhaustion, he couldn’t stop thinking about Samuel and his family—and the reporter they were allowing into their lives when he was not welcome himself. Attractive, yes. But her presence in Samuel’s house brought on pangs of resentment, no matter how misdirected.

  And Samuel’s allowing her to write about them? Incredible.

  He deviated from his normal route home and headed down Lincoln Highway toward Paradise, knowing it was probably a mistake but compelled to do so just the same.

  He could gather his thoughts on the way to Samuel’s place.

  Prior to yesterday, it had been sixteen years since he had seen Samuel, who seemed to have it all now. A beautiful wife. Beautiful children.

  But Noah knew it all came with a price. Losing his first wife to cancer had to have been quite a blow. He recalled a letter from Mary Ellen about Samuel’s wife’s death. The letter hadn’t arrived in time for Noah to attend the funeral.

  As bitterness crept in, Noah wondered if moving back to Lancaster County two months ago had been a mistake. And yet, ignoring his internal warnings, he turned right off of Lincoln Highway and onto Black Horse Road.

  A nap was exactly what Carley needed. Curled up with Anna on the couch in the den, they both slept for over an hour, only stirring when Anna voiced her hunger.

  Carley fed Anna some peas, carrots, and applesauce that Lillian had prepared before she left. Then she lifted Anna’s bottle from the bowl of hot water on the counter and squirted a tiny amount of the white liquid on her finger to check the temperature. “Perfect,” she whispered to Anna, offering her the bottle.

  David was still upstairs. Carley headed to the front porch and took a seat in one of the wooden rockers. It felt good to go barefoot, her toes free to wriggle as she pushed against the porch floor until the rocker began to glide. She could see Samuel far off in the pasture, four mules pulling him and a plow across a flat surface. Amazing that with all the modern technology, it’s still done this way.

  Closing her eyes and resting her head against the back of the rocker, she breathed in the fresh country air. “It’s peaceful here, Anna,” she whispered. “And beautiful—just like you.” She leaned forward and kissed the baby on her forehead.

  In addition to the picturesque scenery, Carley liked the way things smelled here. Inside Lillian’s house, the pleasant aroma of freshly baked cookies and bread lingered. Outside, the smell of freshly cut grass and mowed fields brought on a sense of tranquillity. It was all very simple.

  There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and a light breeze sailed across the porch. Carley felt like she could sit here forever.

  She lifted her head to the sound of car tires rolling against the dirt driveway. As the white car neared, she sat up a little straighter and strained to see who was driving.

  “Company, Anna,” she whispered, standing. “I wonder—”

  Dr. Noah stepped out of the car.

  “Uh-oh.” Without her even realizing it, Carley’s hand crept up to her scraggly slept-on hair.

  “Hello,” the doctor said as he walked toward the porch. “I came to check on David.”

  Gamely trying to ignore the fact that she had not a scrap of makeup on, Carley watched the doctor approach. His shirttail was still out, he looked like he’d slept in his clothes, and his nametag was hanging sideways. She felt marginally better about her own appearance. This doctor was a mess.

  It seemed odd that an ER doctor would make a house call over a few stitches on David’s chin. “I think David is resting upstairs. But he seems fine.”

  He stopped in front of her and leaned in, smiling at Anna. His smile certainly made up for his lack of grooming efforts.

  “She is a beautiful baby,” he said.

  “Yes, she is.”

  He ogled Anna for a few more seconds then straightened. “I suppose that’s Samuel over there?” He nodded toward the field.

  “Yes. He’s been out there since early this morning.” A breeze carried his scent—day-old cologne with a dash of antiseptic. Something inside her twisted.

  He stepped back and squinted into the sun’s glare toward Samuel, the tiny lines around his dark eyes becoming more distinct. “I need to talk to Samuel and Lillian.”

  “Lillian went to town with a friend. And, as you can see, Samuel is plowing. Can I help you with something?”

  “No, thanks.” He placed his hand in a salute over his eyes, blocking the sun as he stared at the field, obviously hoping Samuel would notice he was there.

  As they waited to see if Samuel headed toward them, Carley fished for a conversation starter. “Samuel mentioned Noah is your first name. Why don’t you use your last name?” She’d been curious about that.

  “My last name is hard to pronounce and stirs up a lot of questions I’d rather not deal with.”

 
“What is it?”

  Noah ignored her question, let out an exasperated sigh, and then reached into the inner pocket of his white coat and pulled out a card. “I need to talk to Samuel. Here’s my number.” He handed the card to Carley. “It’s very important that he or Lillian call me.”

  Carley accepted the card and watched him walk down the stairs and across the front yard toward his white Lexus. She couldn’t help but wonder how many times the good doctor had delivered news such as she’d received about her own health and the death of her mother. And does he do it with ease and a lack of compassion like the others?

  Which led to another thought.

  “Wait!” she yelled.

  He spun around.

  “Is something wrong?” Carley headed carefully down the porch steps with Anna. There had been a sense of urgency in his tone.

  “It’s about David. They need to call me.”

  “Do you want to come in and see David?”

  “No, I don’t think Samuel would want me going inside.” He nodded at the card. “Just have him call me.”

  She watched him slide into his car and head back down the dirt drive. She climbed back up the porch steps with Anna.

  About David? The boy had a nasty cut on his chin. What could Dr. Noah need to talk to Samuel and Lillian about? And why wouldn’t Samuel want him in the house?

  Dr. Noah had barely made the turn onto Black Horse Road when Carley saw Samuel come blazing across the pasture with the mules. She waited.

  Samuel briskly strode across the front yard and up the porch steps. “What did he want?” he huffed when he hit the porch. “That was Noah, wasn’t it?”

  Carley offered him the card. “Yes, it was. He said it’s important that you or Lillian call him.”

  Samuel pushed back his straw hat and stared at the card, almost in disbelief. Then he grunted, wadded up the card, and threw it down on the porch. “My brother has no business here,” he spat, thrusting himself back down the porch steps two by two and back toward the fields.

  “Your brother?” Carley knew her eyes were wide with wonder, but Samuel just walked away.

  Carley waited until Samuel was actively plowing before she reached down and retrieved the business card. Flattening out the crumpled white paper, she read the name.

  Noah Stoltzfus, MD.

  5

  CARLEY LAID ANNA IN THE CRIB IN LILLIAN AND SAMUEL’S room later that afternoon while pondering how Lillian could have not known about Samuel’s brother. They were married. Wouldn’t that have come up in general conversation? She began walking down the stairs but slowed her descent when she heard voices.

  “I don’t understand,” she heard Lillian say.

  “I reckon we can talk about it more after supper.” Carley glimpsed Samuel’s backside as he made the statement and headed out the door of the den.

  It was obvious to Carley what had caused Lillian and David’s dumbstruck expressions. Samuel had revealed how he knew Dr. Noah. Carley hadn’t broached the subject with Lillian earlier. She wanted to give Samuel a chance to offer up the news he had so abruptly shared with her earlier. She was glad he’d finally done so. It had been hard not to say anything to Lillian.

  Carley came the rest of the way down. “Everything okay?” She could see the wheels churning in Lillian’s head.

  Lillian shrugged in frustration then slapped her hands to her sides. “Samuel was just telling David and me that Noah is his brother.”

  Carley wasn’t sure what to say. Maybe she should have told Lillian, softened the way for Samuel—for all of them. She took a seat beside David on the couch as Lillian began to pace.

  “Samuel has two sisters and one brother,” Lillian said. “Well, make that two brothers. Samuel said Noah was shunned.”

  “But wouldn’t he have mentioned Noah to you, even if he was shunned?” Carley posed the question to both Lillian and David.

  “Evidently not,” Lillian said.

  David shook his head. “When a streng meiding happens, we don’t talk of it. That person has to leave their family, friends, and life behind.”

  Lillian sat down on the couch on the other side of David. “I know, David. But I’m just surprised your pop didn’t tell us about Noah. That’s all.” She patted him on the leg, then leaned toward Carley. “Did Anna do all right?”

  “She was perfect,” Carley said, hoping to lighten Lillian’s mood.

  David appeared disinclined to end the discussion about Noah. “I wonder what Noah did to get shunned.”

  “Well, he’s a doctor.” Lillian stood and resumed her pacing. “He would have been baptized and then chose to leave afterwards, presumably to further his education and become a doctor. That would never be allowed.”

  “I’ve heard about shunning,” Carley began, “but it just seems cruel to oust your own like that. I mean, to never see that person again seems awfully harsh.”

  Lillian’s short time in the Amish faith left her dependent on David. She turned to him. “Maybe you can explain this to Carley better than I can.”

  “Folks are warned before they’re banned,” he said with conviction. “We know what will happen if we choose baptism and then break our baptismal vows.”

  Lillian seemed more bothered by the fact that her husband hadn’t told her about his brother. “I don’t know why Samuel didn’t mention Noah,” she said, disappointed. “I still have a lot to learn. But for now, I guess I’d better go check on Anna before I hang the clothes on the line.”

  Carley followed Lillian up the stairs and waited until they were out of earshot from David before she offered Lillian the business card.

  “Noah said it’s very important that you or Samuel call him. It’s about David, Lillian.”

  Lillian stared blankly at the card. “Oh no.” Then she looked up at Carley and handed the card back. “Can you please call him and tell him we will be taking David to Dr. Reynolds next week?”

  “But, Lillian, it sounded urgent. Are you sure you shouldn’t call him?”

  Lillian shook her head. “Samuel said we are not calling him. I don’t want to go against Samuel’s wishes.”

  Carley kept the card and didn’t push the subject. Having grown up in another world than this, Carley knew it was hard for Lillian to be so submissive, even though Samuel was a wonderful man who made Lillian happy.

  But regardless, someone needed to call Noah.

  Noah opened the front door of his three-bedroom house and greeted the same mess he’d left. He flung his white coat onto the tan leather couch amid a growing pile of laundry. Pulling a seventy-two hour shift had been unavoidable when Frank’s wife went into labor early. Dr. Frank Overton had covered for him on several occasions, and Noah wasn’t about to let him miss the birth of his first child.

  “Come on, Chloe,” he hollered out to the backyard. His yellow Labrador ran in through the kitchen door, panting with excitement. He’d need to remember to pay the kid next door for feeding her while he pulled the extra shift.

  Five minutes later he was dragging himself into the king-size bed and giving a nod for Chloe to do the same. As the Lab got comfortable at the foot of the bed, Noah closed his eyes. He should have been out instantly, but his mind was awhirl with thoughts of Samuel and his family. And the reporter. He still found it unbelievable that Samuel would allow her to do a story about the Amish. Samuel’s new wife must have convinced him to allow it. The Samuel he knew wouldn’t have heard of such a thing.

  There it was again—the familiar bitterness creeping into his heart like an old friend who continued to betray him over and over again.

  It had been hours since he left word for Samuel or Lillian to call him. If they didn’t, he’d be forced to go over there again. His news couldn’t wait much longer.

  Suppertime passed awkwardly, with no mention of Noah. After helping Lillian clean the supper dishes, Carley excused herself and took a drive. Maybe Lillian, Samuel, and David needed some time alone.

  The towns of Bird-in-Hand, Interc
ourse, and Paradise are within a ten-minute drive of one another. As she slowed and passed the numerous buggies on the highways and back roads, she thought about how far she was from Texas. While the dipping, curving roads were similar to those in the Hill Country of central Texas, several things distinguished Lancaster County from her home state. Every half mile or so, Amish men plowed fields with antiquated equipment. In addition to buggies, Plain people used foot scooters for transportation. Here men and women sailed along the country roads, carting goods in the metal baskets on the front of the scooters.

  The farmsteads were fairly uniform in this part of Amish Dutch Country. Usually a large two-story house, painted white, with a spacious front porch. Two or more outbuildings, mostly stained a dark crimson, although some were weathered natural wood. And one or two buggies were parked near the houses.

  Almost every house had a clothesline running from an upstairs window down to a tree below. Hanging from the lines were dark-colored dresses like Lillian wore, blue and brown slacks, dark-colored shirts, and lots of black socks.

  Each farm had a silo for housing feed—another distinction from Texas spreads, where most farmers utilized a nearby feed mill, picking up large bags as needed.

  Although sharing likenesses in layout, each homestead still boasted character and individuality.

  She turned her attention from the scenery to the problem at hand, reached around to her left back pocket, and pulled out Noah’s business card. Someone needed to call him. A courtesy call, at the very least.

  “Yes, hi. Dr. Stoltzfus?” she asked when he answered the phone. “This is Carley Marek, Lillian and Samuel’s friend.”

  “Just Noah,” he quickly said. “Samuel’s not going to call, is he? And he probably instructed his wife not to call either.”

  “That’s correct.”

  A heavy sigh came from Noah’s end. “That’s what I figured.”

  “I . . . was surprised to hear that you’re Samuel’s brother.” Carley hesitated. “And, uh, Lillian and David were shocked as well.”