His face was shadowed from the moonlight, but Hannah could hear the concern in his voice.
“Adam, I need to talk to you.”
Adam stuck the pitchfork into the hay and came toward her, taking her hands when he reached her. They were rough and calloused. A farmer’s hands, cold in the night air.
“Is there something wrong? Is that why you brave a dark, windy night to find me?”
Hannah took a deep breath, resisting the urge to step into his strong embrace. How many times had he banished her fears through the years? But this was different.
“Liesbet told one of those teamsters about our signal and they’ve been using it to meet. I saw the cloth and thought it was from you. I found them together in the clearing behind the barn. I’m afraid for her.”
Adam leaned against the fence rail and pulled her toward him. Moonlight threw shadows, turning his familiar face into a landscape of sharp angles. The cattle in the pen snuffled as they tossed through the scattered hay with their noses.
“Tell me about it.”
As Hannah told him about the conversation in the clearing, his hands tensed and his handsome face grew hard.
“And I don’t know if she’s only playing with this man or not,” Hannah finished. “You know how Liesbet can be.”
Adam sighed. “Ja, I know how she can be. Does your father know anything about this?”
“That’s just the problem. Liesbet said she’d tell Mamm we were courting if I told Daed about George.”
“Why is it a problem if she told your mother we were courting?”
Hannah pulled her hands away from his and tucked them into her shawl. “Because we aren’t, and Mamm wouldn’t like it if we were.”
Adam stood straight, his hands on her shoulders. “You think she wouldn’t like it because I’m Mennonite and you’re Amish.”
“Ja. You know that’s important to her, and to Daed too. I don’t know what Mamm would do if she thought they were losing me to the Mennonites.”
Adam grinned. “That’s not a bad thing, is it? Our churches are so similar, there’s no reason to keep us separate.”
“But there is, Adam.” Hannah stepped away from him. “You know there is. But if Mamm thought she was losing both Liesbet and me . . . What can I do? Liesbet says she’s going to marry this man.”
“Liesbet has always been like one of these leaves, blowing in the wind. Do you really think she’s going to follow this path very long?”
Hannah shuddered, thinking of the way George had pulled Liesbet close as she had kissed him.
“What if she’s already followed it too far? What if he takes her away before she decides she wants something different?”
“Do you think that might happen?”
Hannah nodded. Adam would know how to fix this mess. She had always relied on him to help.
“There’s little we can do, but I’ll try to keep a watch. Maybe I can stop him before he tries to visit her again.”
“He said he was going to be away for a while. He told Liesbet he was on his way to Philadelphia.”
“So the time to watch will be when he comes back. I’ll keep my eyes open for any strangers around.” Adam reached out and lifted her chin. “Don’t worry, Hannah. Everything will be all right.”
Would it be all right? Would Liesbet come to her senses?
“Come now, I’ll walk you home. Maybe we’ll catch a glimpse of that owl that lives in your barn.”
Hannah let Adam lead her on the path back home, casting glances up into the tree branches as they went. She had never seen an owl in Daed’s barn, but she watched for one just the same. It was better than dwelling on Liesbet.
Jan Drexler brings a unique understanding of Amish traditions and beliefs to her writing. Her ancestors were among the first Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren immigrants to Pennsylvania in the 1700s, and their experiences are the inspiration for her stories. Jan lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband, where she enjoys hiking and spending time with her expanding family. She is the author of The Sound of Distant Thunder, The Roll of the Drums, Hannah’s Choice, Mattie’s Pledge (a 2017 Holt Medallion finalist), and Naomi’s Hope, as well as several Love Inspired historical novels.
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Dedication
1
2
3
4
5
6
Recipe: Jam Thumbprint Cookies
An Excerpt from Hannah’s Choice
About the Author
Back Ads
Back Cover
