Sisters of the Quilt Trilogy (68 page)

His mother wasn’t just angry with Daed; she was bitter. And as Luke stood there, he vowed to always give Mary a voice. They were a team, and he might be the leader, but he’d not ever think Mary should hold her opinions while doing things his way. They’d talk and pray and decide together. Even if they made the wrong choice because he gave her too much say, they’d go through whatever happened in unity. Any bad decision made and worked through together had to be better than what his father had done to his mother.

Mamm pointed a finger at his father. “You despise Naomi Esh for speaking to you the way she did, but at least she was honest. Heaven forbid a female see something a man doesn’t and tell him he’s wrong.”

“Ruth! You will get control of your tongue immediately.”

“I won’t. God gave me a mind and a heart, and you’ve trampled all over them. Rather than stand before the church leaders and tell them they were mistaken, you sided with them.”

“Is it my fault Hannah snuck letters to that Mennonite boy and lied about why she was going to Mrs. Waddell’s? How do you know that child she carried wasn’t his?”

In spite of his fear, Luke knew it was time to speak up. “Daed, I know Paul. I met him the first week Hannah was gone. The baby wasn’t his. They were secretly engaged, but he’s as good a man as I’ve ever known. Even though he’s got that education in psychology, he planned to work for you and win your approval. I don’t doubt that he kissed Hannah, but it went no further. I believe that, and if he had any reason to think that was his child, he would have married her. Fact is, he came back for her and intended to marry her anyway, regardless of how she came to be pregnant.”

His father stared at him as the clock ticked the seconds into minutes. Finally Daed’s shoulders slumped, and he sat on the bed, looking up at his wife. “Do you hate me for this, Ruth?”

Mamm stared at him, and Luke thought she just might.

She knotted her hands into fists. “I want my daughter back—if only so we can stand before her and confess our sin. I think she’d know how to help Sarah. She’s in a bad way, and she’s only gotten worse since the day she learned of Hannah’s troubles. Hannah would know what to do. I believe that.”

Mamm went downstairs, leaving Daed without an answer to his question.

Luke’s father ran a rough hand over his face, swiping his misting eyes. “I … I’d like to be alone for a while.”

Luke closed the bedroom door as he left. He went downstairs, gave his mother a long, wordless hug, and walked out of his house. As he climbed into his buggy, a windstorm of emotions pounded against him. But he didn’t know anything he could do to change the situation. Not one thing.

H
annah stacked the books into the crook of her arm and whispered a prayer as she locked the cabin door. Days of poring over pages of nursing care for each stage of a person’s life would do her no good if she was late. Schooling didn’t get easier as time went on, but in months she’d have her nursing certificate.

And probably run down the aisle to receive her diploma, at least on the inside. She opened the passenger door and laid her books on the seat. A car horn blasted long and loud three times. Even though she wasn’t able to see over the knoll, she was sure it wasn’t Martin. He arrived at work early and stayed until nearly bedtime—except on Fridays, when they went out.

But that wasn’t the way Faye blew the horn either.

Faye’s vehicle topped the knoll, spewing dirt in every direction before it fishtailed. The driver regained control and flew toward Hannah before slamming on the brakes. Faye climbed out of her vehicle. Her unkempt hair and dirty clothes turned Hannah’s stomach.

“Faye, is something wrong?”

Faye didn’t even look at her as she opened the backseat to her car and unbuckled Lissa. Kevin climbed out behind his sister.

“I … I have class tonight, but you know we planned for Kevin and Lissa to come here on Saturday after my rotation and to stay until Monday evening.”

“No!” She slammed the car door.

Hannah started toward her. “Faye?”

Faye set Lissa’s feet on the ground and nudged her away. “Go,” she snapped at both children. Kevin and Lissa joined hands, staring at their mother.

Hannah stepped between Faye and her children. Hannah reached for her, but she jumped back and glared. Icy fingers of anxiety wrapped around Hannah’s throat, making it difficult to breathe. This was no tantrum or bad mood. Faye’s pupils were dilated. She was using again.

“What have you done?” Hannah whispered through clenched teeth.

Faye pushed her backward. “I can’t do this anymore. I just can’t.”

Hannah easily regained her footing and ignored the physical shove. “You
have
to be able to do it. We’ll call Martin. He’ll go with you, talk to the counselor with you.”

“I’m done, Hannah.”

“Done? You can’t mean that!” She silently counted to three, trying to control her anger. “I know your life has been unfair and filled with a ton of grief. Our lives are a lot alike in that. But you’ve gotta keep fighting. I’ll help you more. My schooling will be over soon.” Hannah managed a smile, wondering how much of what she had said was getting through the drug-induced fog.

Faye backed away from her. “You know nothing about my life! You waltz in here and become Zabeth’s hero. I’m the one who stole her dearest friend!”

“I … I …” Stunned at this viewpoint, Hannah struggled to find some words. “Faye, this isn’t about me or Zabeth or Martin or even your mom. You’ve got to fight for your life, the one God gave you, regardless of anyone else—including your own past. I landed here and—”

Faye covered her eyes. “And you lived happily ever after.” The hopelessness in Faye’s voice sounded painfully familiar.

Hannah took Faye’s trembling hand and looked into her eyes. “Oh, come on, Faye. You know where we met and how I changed my last name. Half the time I just manage to cope.”

Faye’s steely eyes looked a little softer for a moment. “That’s all?”

Hannah sighed. “It’s enough.” She rubbed her throbbing head. “My drug of choice is absolute determination.”

Faye shook her head, hostility returning to her expression as she opened the trunk of the car. She took out two large boxes filled with crumpled clothes and toys, tossed them on the ground, and shut the trunk. “Take care of my babies.” Faye climbed back into the car.

“What?” Hannah glanced around, looking for something that made sense. “Wait. When are you coming back?”

She slammed the door and slung pebbles and debris as she sped off.

Hannah wanted to scream and run after her, but instead she smiled at Kevin and Lissa. “Hi, guys.” She knelt in front of them. “Why don’t you go get some eggs out of the refrigerator and some mixing bowls to make mud pies with?”

Kevin wrapped his arm around his sister’s shoulders, as if to ease the weight of their mother’s departure. “Sure.” He turned his back on Hannah. “Come on, Lissa. You can cook those pies using some muffins tins, just like Aunt Zabeth showed us.”

Hannah pulled her phone from her pocket and called Martin.

Martin laid the set of plans in front of the developer. “Your problem began when your graders read the stakes wrong. The field books and survey-crew equipment verify that we staked the curb accurately. We’re not paying for your mistake, but what I can help you do is adjust the elevation of the building’s foundation to match the existing curb. It won’t be a super easy adjustment, but …” He felt his phone vibrate. “We won’t charge for restaking the building. The engineering fees to rework the plans will be your responsibility.”

The man stared at the plans, clearly needing a few minutes to digest the bad news.

Martin ignored the buzz of the phone hooked to his belt. The last four calls had been from Faye. He’d read the screen and continued with his business meeting. He’d call her later. Maybe in a day or two. He’d spent the last three days dealing with issues on this job site, and he wanted to stay on track so he could get out of Columbus by midnight.

“You say the construction crew read the survey stakes wrong?”

“Yes, that’s what the surveyor and I showed you earlier on the job site. The elevations on the stakes do not match the curb that was poured, but—” Without removing it from his belt, he shifted the phone to hit the Reject button and caught a glimpse of the screen.

Hannah
.

She’d called him a total of four times since arriving in Ohio—the first three were when Zabeth needed to be hospitalized, the fourth was the night Zabeth stopped breathing. He grabbed the phone and pulled it to his ear. “Hey, what’s up?”

The developer smacked the papers. “How much money are we talking about?”

Martin held up his hand, signaling for the man to give him a minute.

“She dropped off the kids with large boxes of their stuff and told me to be good to her babies. Martin, I … I don’t think she’s coming back.”

“What?”

The developer rattled the paper. “Can we get back to this, please?”

Martin didn’t miss the man’s ill-tempered tone, but he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. He glanced at his watch. “Call Nina and take the kids there. I know it’s a school night and all, but this is sort of an emergency deal. Her parents will understand. Then you go to class. Tell her to put them down in sleeping bags in the living room and someone will pick them up in the morning.”

“No.” She elongated the word. “I can’t. They know what’s going on. They watched Faye leave them, and I’m not going to hurt them worse by dropping them elsewhere.”

“Hannah, just do it. Attendance is ninety percent mandatory at all times. You can’t afford to—”

“I didn’t call for you to give me a list of orders, Martin.”

The dull headache he’d had all day increased, sending a twisting pain down his neck. “I’m trying to keep you on track. That’s all, Hannah. I can’t just drop everything, and neither should you. Let me try to reach Faye, and I’ll call you back later.”

She didn’t answer him.

“Hannah?”

“Yeah, I heard you. Bye.”

Disconnecting the phone, he realized that whatever she’d hoped for when she called him, he’d let her down. He didn’t understand certain aspects of Hannah yet, but this much he got: she hadn’t wanted him giving directions like he was her boss or her parent.

He walked back into the room. “Dale, I have to go.”

“You can’t leave now.”

He began rolling up the plans. “There’s a family emergency, and I need to go.”

The man pulled a leather billfold thick with cash from inside his suit coat, visually sending a reminder of his strength. “I believe in the Golden Rule. The man with the gold rules. Stay, and we work this out. Go, and I’ll find someone else.”

“A very smart woman once asked me, ‘Do you think money is the answer to everything?’ I have a family issue, and I’m going home.” He slid the prints into the cylinder container. “I’m sure I’ll be available next week. If that’s not good enough, we’ll send all the information we have to whoever you hire.”

Martin walked across the parking lot wondering what Faye would have done with Kevin and Lissa if Hannah hadn’t been home. He piled the plans and his laptop into his car. He wouldn’t arrive in Winding Creek for nearly three hours, but it was the best he could do. He tried to reach Faye, and he tried calling Hannah back. Neither woman answered her cell. He called Dr. Smith to see if she’d heard from Faye or knew where she was headed. The doctor talked to him for over an hour, sharing pieces of encouragement. It all sounded nice, but the reality was bleak and heavy.

It had long been night by the time he pulled into Zabeth’s drive. His frustration had grown with each passing hour. As the car lights hit the front porch, he saw Hannah sitting on the steps. He parked the car, wishing he’d come across as less of a jerk and more of a friend when she’d called him. Hannah stood, and he walked to her.

He smiled. “You okay?”

She shook her head. “I was so sure we could make a difference.” She closed the distance between them. “I’m sorry.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “You don’t need to apologize.”

She laid her head against his chest.

“We did our part, Hannah. That’s all anybody can do.” He laid his cheek on the top of her head. “How about we get you moved into the cottage so it’ll make life easier while we get this mess sorted out?”

Without answering, she pulled away and turned toward the cabin. He saw a rustic cabin, a relic, and not something to regret leaving, but he doubted that Hannah viewed it the same way.

Martin stepped next to her. “I can help you pack. It’s not like you own much, mostly clothes and books, right? After we get the cars loaded, we’ll move Kevin and Lissa, hopefully without waking them. Then—”

She placed her hand on the center of his chest. “But it’s my home.”

He sighed and nodded. “I know, sweetheart. I do. But I don’t know how we can juggle everything with you way out here. It’s the school year, and their district doesn’t bus this road. And even when I leave early, I can barely get home from work in time for you to leave for your classes. I certainly can’t make it here.”

Without a word she walked to the fence and patted Ol’ Gert. He followed her. She had a passion for certain things, and he loved that about her—even if it meant working through their different, equally headstrong opinions.

He took her hand. “Talk to me, okay? Say what you’re thinking.”

She tilted her chin, looking resolved. “There’s nothing else to talk about. Kevin and Lissa need a stable environment—for now that means living in a way that keeps them from being shuffled around like they’re a burden.”

“I agree, but that’s just your decision, Hannah. I asked for your
thoughts.
”

She shrugged. “Even without the
Ordnung
instructing me, I think desire comes second to doing what is right.”

“You’re pretty amazing, you know it?”

“I know you think so. Far be it from me to disagree.”

Martin chuckled, running his fingers over her soft cheek. “I’m sorry for barking orders at you when you called.”

“I know.” She kissed him. “What are we going to do about Faye?”

“I’ve got meetings all day tomorrow, but then I’ll start looking for her while you keep Lissa and Kevin, okay?”

She nodded. “Let’s start packing.”