“Our deacon and minister encouraged Amos to lure Jake back with kindness, but Amos became cruel. Belittled him is what he did, punishing him until eventually Jake ran away as fast as he could.”
Beatrice stepped closer. “Ruth, we have women at church who might help you and Amos.”
“But we’re Amish,” I said. “I can’t believe no one would help you.”
“When Amos was injured, half a dozen young men came to work the farm until Jake arrived. And women brought food and helped me with the cleaning, for which I am grateful. But they never visited Amos in the hospital or asked about him. Only our deacon and one minister visited.”
Beatrice walked over to her and wrapped an arm around Ruth’s shoulders. My admiration for Beatrice grew as I watched her kindness. “I hate to have to leave you, Ruth.”
“If you want to spend the night here, I’ll pick you up in the morning,” Stephen said.
“Really. You’d do that?” Ruth said, looking first to Stephen and then to Beatrice.
Beatrice nodded. “I will if Stephen and Eva will go in the house and let the dogs out.”
“Maybe I’m the one who should stay here,” I said, but I was met with scowls of displeasure.
“You want Jake to come and find you moping over him?” Beatrice asked. I knew she was right. Enough of my waiting for Jake to maybe show up.
“I can sleep on the couch right here,” Beatrice said.
“Okay. I’ll go back to the nursery now if Stephen has the time to drive me.” Stephen nodded, and I moved to Amos’s bedside and took his hand, feeling paper-thin skin. “I need to leave, Amos, but Beatrice will stay and help Ruth. Please don’t get out of bed without their assistance, okay?”
“But I want you, Eva.”
“Why?” Ruth said. “I don’t understand.” She turned to me. “I wonder if Amos even knows. The doctor said he might not recall any of this time when he’s trying to get back on his feet.”
If he does, I thought.
FORTY-THREE
Before leaving the Millers’, Stephen checked the phone shanty and found no messages left from Jake—or anyone.
“Wait up.” I was surprised when Beatrice fished a cell phone out of her purse. “I’ll call Stephen if we hear from Jake or need help. I usually leave my phone off, but I’ll keep it on tonight. Eva, won’t you please spend the night in the main house so I can get in touch with you if I need to? Plus, the dogs…”
“Yah, okay. If Stephen will let me in. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“But we have plenty of beds upstairs. The guest room’s all made up, not to mention my room on the third floor.”
“No. Better I find a blanket and camp out on the sofa.”
Stephen scratched his scalp in a way that told me he wanted nothing to do with the conversation about where I slept, but he agreed to lend me a key to the house.
On the way to the nursery, I kept my eyes peeled to oncoming traffic, hoping to see Jake’s vehicle. But I didn’t recognize it, not that Jake would drive this route. Stephen and I traveled in silence for ten minutes, until I saw the Yoder’s Nursery sign.
“Thanks for bringing me home.” I glanced over to face him. He kept his vision on the road. His features were stern, his lips drawn tight.
“I couldn’t just leave you there, now could I?” He cruised into the nursery’s parking lot, around the house, and stopped at the cabin.
“I’m sorry if I’ve made you late.”
“You haven’t. I was going to visit a friend, but I called when I was outside and said I couldn’t make it.”
“An excuse to leave the Millers’?” I wondered if it was a guy or female friend.
“Yep.” He stopped near my cabin’s front door. “First, go in and get everything you need while I let the dogs out. I don’t want you shuttling between the cabin and the house during the night, you hear me?” He switched off the engine but made no move to exit the vehicle. “We’ll get you situated in the house and make sure the doors are locked before I leave. I’ll write down Beatrice’s and my numbers on a piece of paper and place them on the kitchen table by the phone. If anything comes up, call me first. Not much Beatrice can do other than worry.”
“Okay.”
“You have your key?”
I reached into my pocket. “Right here.” I hopped out of the pickup, proceeded into the cabin, and packed my toiletries, nightgown, slippers, and bathrobe in a brown paper grocery bag. And a scarf. At the last moment, I scooped up my book, although I doubted I could concentrate on reading. On the other hand, I might lie awake all night with skittering thoughts disturbing my slumber.
I told myself I could handle anything, but I felt adrenaline pumping in my veins. What was I afraid of? Sleeping in the big house with all its electric appliances? Getting a call in the middle of the night from Jake, saying the baby had died? Or that the child was indeed his, and he was moving away? No, Jake wouldn’t desert his invalid father and helpless mother and deprive them of a grandchild. Or would he? Jake and I had never talked
