Hidden in Amish Country Read online

  Her stepbrother gave her his wide cheerful grin. “It’s perfect. No one would think to look for you there, and I could continue digging until I find what I need.”

  “Where?” she asked again, growing more tense by the second.

  “You can stay with Ben. No one would look for you in Amish country.”

  * * *

  Ben gaped at his friend, certain he had missed something. Kurt was desperate; he could comprehend the feeling, even empathize with it. In addition to that, he and Kurt had known each other for several years. Ben was a carpenter by trade, and they had met several years back when Kurt was writing a story on local businesses. He had included a section on businesses within the Amish community and had come out to interview Ben. They had formed a connection. When Lydia became ill the following year, Kurt had gone out of his way to assist and to be a support to his friend. He was the one and only Englischer that Ben considered more than a mere acquaintance. In fact, when Ben had decided to move away from the district where he and Lydia had both grown up, Kurt had helped him locate a new home.

  Even so, the idea of the attractive young Englisch woman staying in his home was ridiculous. A widower did not ask a single woman to stay with him unchaperoned. It just wasn’t done. He knew it would not be appropriate, and the gossip that would surely sprout from such an event could be devastating. Not to mention the trouble he would get in with the bishop.

  Nee. He wanted to help. Truly he did. But not this way.

  He tried to convince himself that he was making the right decision, but he couldn’t keep the worry about what would happen to her once she left the hospital out of his mind. And almost as important, what he’d tell Nathaniel. His son had been almost in tears when Ben left to come to the hospital, afraid that the woman was dead.

  With a start, he realized he was actually considering taking this woman into his home. He needed to put a stop to this foolishness.

  “I am a widower,” he told his friend sternly. “I cannot have a single woman living in my home, even temporarily, without a chaperone. You know this. That’s not our way.”

  “I’m sure I’ll be fine,” a soft voice said. He turned his head and looked straight into eyes the color of warm caramel. Eyes that intrigued him, although he couldn’t say why. “Please, don’t worry about me.”

  He would worry, though. He knew he would. He just couldn’t think of anything else to do. As he gazed into those eyes, he was reminded of someone, but the memory skirted just outside of his reach. This woman was familiar, somehow, but he knew that he had never met her. He shrugged the feeling away.

  Kurt shifted in his chair, dragging Ben’s attention away from the lovely Englisch woman with a bandage on her temple. He knew he was doing the right thing, but his conscience wasn’t easy about it.

  “I don’t want to get you in trouble with your church. You know I don’t. But isn’t there a relative who could stay with you for a short time? Someone who could provide you with the chaperone you need? It will be for a short time. A week. Maybe two.”

  Before he could reply, Sadie turned her attention to Kurt with a puzzled frown on her face. “Don’t I have a job? How is it that I can get away with just vanishing?”

  Ben blinked. That was a very good question.

  “You work as a high school counselor. There’s no way you could go back to your job in the condition you’re in. I have already contacted them and told them you’ve been in an accident. Obviously, they know nothing about the amnesia yet, but once they know, they’ll agree. You have some sick time saved up, although only about three weeks. If it takes longer than that, you’ll have to take unpaid leave.”

  Ben let their conversation wash over him without really hearing it. Every instinct he had was screaming at him that if he left her in the hospital, Sadie would still be in danger. The image of her pale and lifeless-appearing body trapped in her vehicle filled his mind. Englischers could be a very reckless and violent people. He still remembered the father of a childhood friend being murdered years ago by an Englischer. The killer, a local teenager, was still in prison.

  He shook his head. He couldn’t hold the actions of one man against all Englischers. Kurt, despite his lack of common sense at times, had proven himself to be a good and loyal friend. Ben knew that their family had suffered tragedies.

  He couldn’t get involved, though.

  He opened his mouth to tell his friend how sorry he was that he couldn’t help. Instead, he found himself saying, “Let me think about this and see if there’s a way I can make it work.”

  Relief filled Kurt’s eyes and a wide grin broke over his face. What had he done? He glanced again at Sadie. Unlike her brother, she was frowning. He could see the slight furrow in her brow.

  “Ben, I appreciate your willingness to consider helping me out. I know that you are friends.” She waved a hand between two men. “I don’t mean any offense, but I don’t know you. I don’t even know Kurt, not at the moment, but he is my stepbrother. But we haven’t met before today.”

  Kurt stepped closer to the bed. “I would never let you stay with anyone who wasn’t trustworthy. Ben is as fine a man as they come. I promise.”

  The exasperated glance she threw at her brother had Ben biting the inside of his lips to keep from smiling. She may have been injured, but she had fierceness inside her. He was glad to see that.

  “How do I know that I can trust your word?” she asked. Kurt looked a little hurt at that, but it was a fair question. She shook her head and then winced. “It’s just that if I am in danger, and right now we can’t really prove that I am, I hate the thought that I would somehow be bringing that danger into his home. He has a little boy he has to look after.”

  His heart warmed that she was thinking about his son. He needed to get back home. He had left Nathaniel with Caleb and Lovina. If he didn’t go soon, he’d be getting home after it started to get dark. He hadn’t gotten a driver since he hadn’t planned on being gone that long.

  “I need to head for home. I just came to assure myself and Nathaniel that you were well.”

  She was, for now.

  Ben slapped his hat back on his head as he exited the building and strode briskly to where he had left his buggy. It had grown colder while he’d been inside. The chill bit at him. He ignored it. It would grow much colder. Dealing with harsh weather was just a part of his life. He had lived his entire life in this part of Ohio. He expected he’d probably die here, as well. Although, he was over an hour from where he’d grown up. He refused to allow guilt to take root. He’d moved out of the heart of Amish country in Homes County to get away from the memories of his dead wife. And to escape the expectations of his family.

  Would Sadie’s brother talk her into staying with him? he wondered as he pulled away from the town. He didn’t know if Kurt’s worries were founded or not. However, he had never known Kurt to be fanciful. Kurt might sometimes act without thinking, but he did seem to be very observant, which was probably why he had been entrusted with what appeared to be a dangerous assignment at his job.

  Ben mulled over the facts as he knew them throughout the rest of the evening. He found himself distracted, thinking about the young woman he’d rescued that afternoon. With no memories, how would she know who to trust? Anyone could pose as a friend. Her brother wouldn’t be able to be with her at all times. Just how serious was this story Kurt was following? If what Kurt said was true, and Ben had no reason to believe it wasn’t, he was entangled too deeply to get out of it now.

  It was very unsettling to not know what they were going to do. Part of him hoped that they would decide not to bring Sadie out to his home. Then he could just wash his hands of the whole situation.

  He didn’t know if he would be able to rest easy, not knowing if she was safe. Somehow, when he had pulled her out of that car, he had become invested in making sure she survived. It didn’t make any sense, nor was it w
ise to become so deeply enmeshed in her life. He couldn’t help himself, though. Seeing her unconscious, knowing she might not be safe, sat heavily on his mind even as he went to bed that evening.

  Tomorrow, he thought, could bring more complications into his life than he wanted. Or than he was prepared for.

  THREE

  Where was Kurt?

  Sadie glanced at the clock on the wall for what must have been the twentieth time. He had promised to be at the hospital to pick her up by ten in the morning. It was now almost noon. She didn’t know if she should be annoyed or worried, although in her present condition she was leaning more toward worried. Was such extreme tardiness something she should have expected from Kurt? She had no way of knowing, but that wasn’t the impression she had gotten from him the day before.

  She could try calling him again. The cell phone that his friend Ben had brought in was still lying where he’d left it. She had found Kurt’s name and picture in her contacts. So she really did know him, even though she still couldn’t recall a thing about him. She’d given herself a headache the night before, trying to remember anything about her life. It was all still blank.

  Five more minutes passed. This was getting ridiculous.

  A nurse walked in the room. “Honey, is your ride coming for you? Do you need us to call someone?”

  Great, now the hospital was trying to kick her out. She pasted on what she hoped was a pleasant smile that disguised just how frayed her nerves truly were. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon. I’ll give him another call.”

  “That’s a good idea. Let me know if you need any help.”

  The nurse gave her a comforting smile and retreated out of the room. Sadie snatched the phone from the table and tapped the phone icon next to her brother’s name again.

  This time, the call was picked up. She barely let him answer before she was talking. “Kurt? Where are you? They need this room for another patient. Are you coming to pick me up?”

  “Ah, yes, Sadie. I’ll be there soon.”

  The phone disconnected. She stared at the device in her hand, frowning. The voice was a bit muffled, but it hadn’t sounded like Kurt’s. There had been a lot of commotion in the background, though, so maybe she was wrong.

  She stilled. In her mind, she replayed the commotion. Had someone been shouting run?

  She glanced again at the phone, shivering as a chill settled into her body that had nothing to do with the cold. Whoever he was running from, they had Kurt. She had no way to prove it. It could have been another friend who had answered his phone, but she knew it was not.

  What she did know was that someone was coming for her.

  Galvanized into action, she jumped off the bed and grabbed her coat. Kurt had been very sweet the night before, leaving during dinner to bring her a change of clothes. Nothing fancy, just a simple pair of blue jeans and a T-shirt and a pink-and-purple flannel shirt. When she saw the clothes, though, she thought they must have been favorites, judging by the amount of wear in the knees and elbows. Which showed how well he knew his sister. What if she never got the chance to get to know him?

  Stop it! This kind of thinking would get her nowhere. She could go to the police. She considered that option; surely it made the most sense. Except Kurt had been so adamant that he couldn’t that she hesitated. She had no way of knowing if she’d put him in more danger by alerting the police. She didn’t want to do that.

  Nor could she go home. The ambulance driver had brought in her purse. She had her driver’s license, so she knew where she lived. She also had an idea that if she went there, someone would be waiting for her. Panic started to churn inside her. Then she remembered. The early morning nurse had brought her a newspaper. There was a write-up of the accident in it. She snatched the paper. It gave the address where the crash had taken place. Ben had said that it happened right in front of his house.

  She would go there. He wasn’t really expecting her, even though they’d tossed the idea around of her staying with him. Last night she had not wanted to impose on him, a stranger. This morning, he was the only one she felt she could trust.

  She made her decision. Grabbing up the newspaper and her purse, she left the room. The nurse at the station was talking with a doctor as Sadie strode by. She averted her face. Neither of them called out to her but continued what appeared to be an intense discussion about another patient. She rode the elevator down to the lobby, feeling the walls closing around her the entire time. She tensed as the door slid open with a soft whoosh, but no one was on the other side.

  Relieved, she pulled the hood of her coat up, both to protect herself from the chilly air and to shield her face. She walked past the reception desk and out into the cold.

  Now what? There was no one meeting her, and she had no car.

  A car with a taxi sign pulled up in front of the hospital, and an older woman got out. She paid the driver and started to head toward the hospital.

  Sadie looked around. No other taxis were in sight. This might be her only chance. She quickened her step, trying to hurry without drawing attention to herself. Please, don’t leave.

  The driver saw her and he smiled. She could almost see him mentally adding on another customer. “You need a ride, miss?”

  She nodded. “Can you take me here?” She pointed at the address listed in the paper.

  “Absolutely! That’s about a twenty minute drive. That all right?”

  “Fine.” She hurriedly climbed into the vehicle. The driver, a young man in his twenties, pulled away from the curb and slid smoothly into the light traffic. She glanced back at where she’d just left.

  A man was jogging from the parking lot toward the hospital. Pulling her hood so it hid the right side of her face, she looked away. Something about the man struck her as familiar. Half a memory of an angry face formed, then it faded. She had seen him before. And he scared her.

  She had been right to leave the hospital. Whoever had answered her brother’s phone probably had him, and they were apparently coming to get her, too.

  She bit down on the panic that was screaming to get out. Ben was the only one she could go to. Maybe he’d know what to do.

  Her phone vibrated. Hands shaking, she looked at the text.

  I got away. Hide. Don’t text back. Danger. No police.

  Kurt had gotten away. The very fact that he told her not to text back reassured her that it really was Kurt and not someone trying to get to her.

  When the driver pulled up at the large two-story farmhouse, she distractedly paid him. There was something very solid and comforting about the look of the house. And, she realized, something familiar. Not specifically about this house, but about the feel of the place.

  This was not her first visit to an Amish home, she decided. For a moment, she tried to grasp at the memory, but gave up as it continued to evade her.

  A young boy watched her approach from the wraparound porch. He looked about seven. Ben’s son was seven. She thought back briefly, trying to recall his name.

  “Are you Nathaniel?” she asked gently.

  He nodded, his eyes wide.

  “Could you ask your father if he has a moment to talk? My name is Sadie.”

  The boy whirled around and dashed into the house, calling for his father. Sadie climbed the steps. The sudden adrenaline rush she had experienced as she escaped the hospital had gone, leaving her exhausted. Her bones felt like they had turned into half-cooked spaghetti. She just wanted to slump down against the wall and take a nap.

  Footsteps pounded toward the door. She straightened her spine, embarrassed at her weakened state.

  The man from the hospital appeared, his dark eyes astonished as he held open the door for her. His gaze swept the driveway behind her. Searching for Kurt, she realized. He wouldn’t have expected her to show up alone.

  When those eyes returned to her, she responded to the que
stion in their depths.

  “I need your help.”

  * * *

  Ben stared at the woman in shock. He hadn’t really thought that she would show up here, much less on her own. The silence between them stretched tensely before he realized that her face under the bandage on her temple was pale and drawn. There was an air of sorrow that hovered around her.

  He was being rude. “Sadie. Come in. My son and I were getting ready to eat lunch. Please join us.”

  He could see the dismay that crossed her face and hurried to make her feel at ease. “It’s no imposition. I made plenty.”

  He led the way into the kitchen. The little boy who’d greeted her sat at the table, his eyes excited. “Is it her, Dat? Is it the lady from the car?”

  Ben chuckled. His son had run into the house telling him that the lady from the accident was at the door. Ben hadn’t mentioned the idea that she might come and stay with them. The more he had thought about the idea, the more ludicrous it had seemed. He was a widower living with a young boy. Having a young woman in the house at night was not appropriate, and he didn’t know who he could have stay with them. It would have been different had they been near his own family, but he and Nathaniel had moved to this district three years ago after Lydia was gone. They had friends, but no real family close by. He had done that on purpose, to escape from the expectations that he remarry and give Nathaniel a mother.

  He had never expected to have her show up on his doorstep alone.

  That alerted him that something had gone wrong. His stomach tightened. Kurt had been working on a sensitive project. A potentially dangerous one. Despite Ben’s desire to keep his distance from the pretty Englisch woman, he needed to discover what had happened to Kurt.

  The small group settled down to eat. Ben and Nathaniel both bowed their heads to pray silently, the way they always did before meals. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Sadie was staring at her plate uncomfortably. It had never occurred to him that she might not be a praying person. Kurt was, he knew, so Ben had assumed that his sister was, as well. Or had she forgotten?