Katie's Journey to Love (20 page)

“My
daett
need never know this.” Mabel's hand swept across her brow. “That is, if you don't go telling him.”

“Such things always come out, Mabel. You can't hide them for long.”

“How do you know?” Mabel shot back. “Aren't you hiding things in your life?”

Katie shook her head. “No, Mabel, I'm not. Sure, I'm doing things you don't approve of…and even
Mamm
and your
daett
don't approve, but I'm not sneaking around.”

Mabel snorted. “I don't believe you. No one is such a little saint. Not if she runs around with Mennonites.”

Katie shrugged. “I guess you need to decide that for yourself. But you'll have to stop meeting Mose.”

“And what plan do you have to stop me?” Mabel said, her eyes narrowed. “Tell
Daett
? Is that it? Or worse, your
mamm
so she can tell my
daett
?”

Katie thought for a moment before answering. “No, like I've said before, I'm not going to do either of those things. I'm just warning you that eventually you'll get caught. I was hoping you'd listen to reason because it's not
gut
what you're doing, and I think you know it. These things always come out in the end.”

Relief spread over Mabel's face. “
Gut!
Thank you for not telling…if you really mean it. Apparently you have some morals left.”

There was no sense in pushing the matter further. Katie had done her part, and Mabel was determined to find her own way. Katie had one more thing to say though. Maybe this was the time. “Mabel, could we…perhaps…choose to live peacefully together in the same house without all the fuss all the time?”

Mabel didn't think long on that question. “If you mind your own business about my meeting with Mose, then of course. I'll try to be nicer.”

“
Gut
. I'm glad to hear that,” Katie said.

Mabel nodded. “Just remember your end of the bargain and there won't be any problem. Now, let's go inside before someone sees us.”

That sentiment had come a little late in the evening, Katie thought, but she nodded in agreement. Mabel blew out the kerosene lamp and carried it with her in one hand. With the other, she led Katie out to where the starlight reached inside from the open barn door in the back. Then they walked toward the house together.

Mabel whispered once they were outside, “Go in the front door, while I sneak in through the washroom door. You can create some cover noise for me if someone is listening. They're expecting you to be coming in.”

Katie walked across the yard toward the porch, and Mabel disappeared into the shadows of the house near the washroom door. By the time Katie got inside, Mabel would already be well upstairs.
Katie took a moment longer than necessary before she opened the front door. There was no sign of Mabel when she stepped inside. The girl must be an expert at moving through the house without a sound. But then Mabel had grown up here. She would know her way around.

Before Katie opened the stair door, a floorboard squeaked from the direction of Jesse's bedroom, and
Mamm
's form appeared in her nightgown. “Is it you, Katie? I thought I heard a buggy drive in some time ago.”

Katie's thoughts swirled before she whispered, “Ben dropped me off a little bit ago, but I didn't come in.” She couldn't lie, and yet she didn't want to reveal Mabel's secret either.

Mamm
didn't say anything for a moment. Finally she asked, “How did the evening go with Ben?”

“
Gut!
” Katie replied.

Mamm
's face looked pale in the starlight coming through the window. “I hope it works out well for you, Katie. I hope I've been wrong.”

“Thank you,” Katie said quietly. She knew those words must be hard for
Mamm
to say, and yet she was saying them.

“One more thing,”
Mamm
said after a moment's hesitation. “I think you should stay away from the barn when you come home, Katie. Remember, you can only be responsible for so much.”

Katie stood speechless as
Mamm
turned and disappeared down the hallway. A floorboard gave a loud squeak before the bedroom door closed. Astonishment flooded Katie's mind. So
Mamm
knew about Mabel, about what she was doing. Yet she wasn't telling Jesse. And
Mamm
obviously didn't want her telling either. How sweet of
Mamm
, Katie thought as she found her way up the stairs. If Mabel only knew how fortunate she was, perhaps she would be more thankful. And, really, this was a huge change for
Mamm
. Not that long ago she had been so determined to
keep other people out of their lives. Now
Mamm
had opened her heart to a man and five children who were not her own. Even unlovable Mabel.

What lessons she could learn from
Mamm
, Katie decided.
Mamm
loves me, and I haven't been that lovable lately. Katie opened her bedroom door. Could she do what
Mamm
had done tonight—be nice to her daughter who did things she disapproved of? And in Ben's case,
Mamm
disapproved sharply. Yet she'd found a way to keep on loving.

Katie found the side of the bed with her hands and knelt to whisper a prayer as she faced the star-filled window. “O dear
Hah
, thank You so much for all the
gut
things You are sending into my life.
Mamm
didn't have to marry Jesse, and You didn't have to give her love again. And You didn't have to give me such a
wunderbah
evening tonight with Ben. I know there will likely be much trouble ahead because that's how You help us grow, but right now I thank You…so very, very much. Amen.”

Chapter Twenty-One

The following Monday night, Ben parked his buggy in front of the grocery store in Dover. Rogge would have a fit, but Ben figured a little subterfuge was in order. Christmas was only a week away, and downtown was flooded with late-night shoppers. Following the same pattern like they had for the past two years wasn't wise. What better plan than to transact business out in the open? No one would suspect anything. And if Rogge Brighton didn't like it, well Ben wanted to quit anyway. This might hasten things along. But he couldn't just sit here waiting because that would look suspicious. Ben climbed down from the buggy and entered the grocery store. In the snack aisle, he picked up several candy bars and paid for them at the counter. When he was outside, he unwrapped one and took a bite. He sauntered back to his buggy and climbed in. Perhaps this wasn't wise after all. The time was well past their usual drop-off schedule, and the grocery store would be closing soon. Rogge might not have the brains to figure out he needed to look around for him and make contact in the front parking lot.
Ben decided he wasn't going to give in. If Rogge didn't come in a few minutes, he would leave. Perhaps that was the best thing anyway. His date with Katie last week had meant more than he expected. Anxiety and guilt were gnawing at him. What if she learned what he'd been doing? She probably wouldn't ever want to see him again. But she wouldn't find out because he was quitting, getting out. And what could Rogge really do if he stopped cooperating? Beat him up? They were friends, after all.

A soft step behind the buggy interrupted his thoughts, and Ben stuck his head out the door.

“Why aren't you where you're supposed to be?” a harsh whisper asked. “Rogge has been waiting for fifteen minutes already.”

“Tell him I want to meet in the front.” Ben didn't crane his neck to see the speaker. He didn't have to. Rogge's brother, Lyman, had a distinctive nasal tone to his speech.

“That's not going to work,” Lyman whispered back. “Now pull around where you belong, and Rogge will meet you there in five minutes.”

Ben stiffened and the tension was reflected in his voice. “Tell Rogge to follow me out of town in ten minutes. I'll be parked in the woods on the right just outside the town limits. No one will see us there.”

“What's wrong with the old way?” Lyman had raised his voice.

“Just do it or I'm out of this tonight,” Ben snapped. He leaned forward and clucked to Longstreet. The horse jerked forward. Lyman let out a yelp as a buggy wheel clipped his foot. Ben knew he probably shouldn't have been so rough, but he wanted Rogge to take him seriously. As he approached the edge of town, he checked behind him and to the sides before pulling down a small road into the woods. This small, overgrown path led to a hunting cabin. It was kept up enough so that vehicles could pass through one at a time. Rogge would figure out where he'd parked, even if his buggy wasn't seen from the road.

Ben climbed down and waited. Sure enough, the soft rumble of Rogge's car was soon heard coming down the lane.

The car jolted to a halt and Rogge got out, obviously angry. “So what's this all about?” he demanded.

Lyman stayed inside the car, but Ben could see through the windshield that the brother's face was grim. Ben kept his voice steady. “I thought it was time for a different routine. We'll get caught doing the same thing every time.”

“You could have called me,” Rogge shot back.

Ben stepped closer. “We agreed a long time ago to make no phone calls, remember? No contact except at our scheduled meetings.”

Rogge snorted. “This isn't more of that nonsense about quitting, is it? You had me scared there for a bit.”

Ben didn't hesitate. “I am quitting in the next few weeks. I don't want to stay in this business forever. It's not right. Now let's get this over with.”

Rogge glared at Ben, but he got a large bag from the car and gave it to Ben.

Ben slid it under the buggy seat. “Now, there's something you can do for me.”

“Really?” A sly grin spread over Rogge's face.

Ben produced a roll of bills and held them out.

Rogge's grin disappeared. “Why are you giving me money?”

“I want you to have Lyman or your sister drop this off at a place called Byler's Market. It's that little grocery store just out of town. There's a girl who runs the deli counter. Her name is Esther Kuntz. Have your brother or sister tell her this is to finance the trip for Katie Raber. Esther will understand. And make sure they don't mention where the money came from. I don't want Katie to know.”

Rogge's eyes got big. “You're buttering a broad's bread?”

“Something like that.”

Rogge's grin was back. “She must be a sweet one. Why don't
you give her the money yourself? Might get you more mileage that way.”

“I don't want that kind of mileage, and I don't want to explain. Will you just see to it that Esther gets the money and the message to give it to Katie Raber?”

“Anything for you, my longtime and prosperous business partner.” Rogge smirked as he turned on his heels and headed to the car without waiting for any additional comments.

Ben almost shouted, “This isn't going to last much longer, Rogge!” But he decided Rogge wouldn't listen anyway. As the last sounds of Rogge's automobile engine died away, Ben checked the client list with his flashlight. There were a few new names with directions to the drop-off places attached. Most of them were at the usual gathering places on weekends. He would have to go to one on Friday and Saturday night. Beyond that, there was one stop to make at a residence, which he could do tonight. He got back into his buggy, turned it around, and drove away. Longstreet's hooves were soon beating steadily on pavement. Ben drifted into deep thought, imagining Katie's amazement and what she would say when Esther announced that someone had dropped off enough money for her trip to Europe. Would she faint? Scream? He smiled.
Nee
, Katie wouldn't do any of that. She'd be thrilled—excited that her miracle had come through. That's how Katie would look at this. She would think it was a gift from
Da Hah
—which maybe it was, Ben thought, but he doubted it. The money was tainted with sin and illegal activities.
Da Hah
probably didn't work that way.

And if he'd tried to give Katie the money himself, there'd be too many questions. Katie was innocent, but she would still ask a lot of questions. She'd want to know where he'd obtained the money because it was such a large sum. Ben didn't feel like lying to her. There were enough sins on his account that needed
cleansing without adding that to the pile. And would Katie even take the money from him? They didn't really know each other well. He sensed she'd had a crush on him, but that probably wasn't enough to get her to accept this much cash. And Ben didn't want to take the chance of clouding this special moment for Katie by arousing unpleasant questions or a tense situation.

Yah
, Katie looked at things differently from what he did. She wasn't hard around the edges. Her smile was always open and frank. The girl had suffered in her life, that much he'd figured out. Yet she hadn't turned bitter. What would it be like to have such an open attitude? Ben wasn't sure, but it was one of the reasons he was attracted to her.