Miriam cringed. She knew she had to go out to the kitchen and see Anna, but what would she say to her? Taking a deep breath, she hurried to her new sister-in-law.

  Levi sat down on a hay bale and pointed at the one in front of him for Wayne. He shook his head. What was Wayne involved with? The way the family was living, it did not show he was making money at anything illegal. But what?

  “Brother! What is the matter?” Wayne rushed to ask and stood in front of Levi. He finally sat when Levi pointed to the bale of hay again.

  Levi pulled the note from his coat and handed it to Wayne. “You tell me what the problem is.”

  Wayne read the note. He raised his eyes and looked directly into Levi’s. “I cannot tell you.”

  “Are you prepared to leave my farm? This is what will happen if you do not tell me what this is all about.”

  Wayne shook his head.

  Levi felt a bit sorry for his brother, but he could not have him keeping secrets from him. It was not safe for his family nor Wayne’s. “Is it serious? Dangerous?”

  Wayne finally nodded but did not utter a word.

  “You had better speak up. I am serious.” Levi crossed his arms over his chest, not backing down on his demand.

  Finally, Wayne caved and faced his brother. “About a month ago, I was out hunting and came across a meeting of five men at an old run-down barn.” Levi nodded in encouragement for Wayne to continue.

  “They were talking about rustling horses. Expensive horses and selling them.”

  “You did not tell the authorities I suspect.”

  “Nee. I could not do so. They would have arrested me.”

  Levi shook his head, not understanding. “Why?”

  “Because!” Wayne hollered. “Because it was at night. I was poaching deer for us to eat. I could not go to jail and leave Anna alone with the boppli.” Wayne stood and in agitation paced back and forth on the packed dirt floor. “Besides, I do not know the names of those men. They might think I do, but I do not!”

  His brother’s words sounded like he was a ten-year-old caught shoplifting. “Why are you so afraid?”

  “Because those men know where I am apparently, and they must think I was near enough to hear them during their conversation. If they see the police here, they will do something. I have to get out of here.”

  Levi shook his head. “Nee brother. You cannot run. You acted this way when you were younger when bishop Yoder shunned you. You were not even baptized. You see how well that worked out.”

  “What am I going to do?”

  “We will figure this out together and resolve the danger.”

  CHAPTER 8

  Levi heard the buggy coming up the drive. He patted the horse’s neck and stopped his brushing. “Best to see who comes visiting, Mayhem.”

  He made his way through the barn door, trying not to lose any heat. Upon seeing the Bishop driving up, Levi pushed the wide barn doors open so the man could drive the buggy into the warm barn.

  Once Bishop Eischler settled the buggy Levi hitched the horse and gave him feed and water. “What brings thee out this way, Bishop? Do I need to find Wayne?”

  “Nee, Levi. I come to speak to you about troubles around the district.”

  Levi must have looked as bewildered as he felt. “Come, Bishop, let’s sit and tell me what has happened.”

  The Bishop sat across from Levi and started, “Your mentor Mr. Schmidt has had a couple of mares stolen. The thieves took them from the barn at night and proceeded to load them into a waiting trailer in the field.”

  The Bishop took a breath as Levi rose in agitation from his seat over the news. “Does he know who did this?”

  “Nee Levi, he needs help and asked for you. On a sad note, one of the mares dropped her foal in the field.”

  Levi moaned over this announcement. He knew all the horses at Mr. Schmidt’s and especially the mares.

  “He did find the foal, and with Gott’s help, it should survive.”

  “Good, were there any clues?”

  “Nee, nothing.”

  Levi slowly took his seat. “Have any other farms had problems?”

  “One other, the Kelso brothers. They took three from them, two mares and one stud. They actually used two trailers.”

  “Sounds as though they are well planned. Might be we should contact Asher...” He didn’t have time to finish his statement before the Bishop halted him.

  “We will handle this in our way.”

  “Jah, of course.”

  Levi knew many of the older members in the district were still mulling about the police involvement over the missing girls a few months ago, which resulted in murders. He kept his own feelings to himself and would nee say otherwise.

  “I will go right over to Mr. Schmidt and then the Kelso farm. Bishop, we may need to call a council of the breeders.”

  “Yes, I have sent out the call. We will meet on Wednesday, two days should give you time. They will want to go over what you find and what measures we need to take.”

  His hand moved over his pants to brush the hay away and realized the threatening note to Wayne was there. Nee, he did not dare show the message to the bishop. The man would feel as Levi had at first. He would assume Wayne was involved.

  “I will saddle up as it will be quicker for me to ride through the fields.”

  “Jah, you are right, of course.”

  Levi backed the Bishop’s buggy out of the barn. Little else was said.

  Once mounted, Levi looked down at Wayne, “Take care of them and keep our home safe, Wayne.”

  “Yes, brother.”

  “I am going to ride over to the store and tell Miriam what has happened.”

  Anna moved up to the horse, preventing Levi from leaving, “Yes, Anna?” Levi was a little surprised by her actions as she usually appeared too meek to speak.

  “You should be careful, my brother. We will keep our combined family and the horses safe.”

  He tipped his hat to her and smiled. It warmed his heart that she was feeling closer to him as a new family member. Something in her warning bothered him a bit, but he could not pinpoint what it was. He supposed the situation was getting on his nerves. The horse must have felt his anxiousness and took off at a fast clip over the road.

  The store was in the same direction he would take to get to the other farms. He would not go without stopping and telling Miriam.

  “There it is, come on, let’s go see my wife,” Levi said to his horse.

  Before he made it to the door, Miriam stood on the small covered porch looking so beautiful. He could see the questions in her eyes for his unexpected visit.

  “Hello.”

  She giggled at him. “Hello, husband.”

  He swung his leg over the horse and righted himself. Standing there, he stood looking at her. He loved her so much. Their problems were sorting themselves out, and they had become much happier.

  “Why have you stopped, Levi?”

  “I know I’ve been a stranger around here...”

  “Could be I will be home, so you won’t have to race over.” Miriam’s soft laughter sounded like spring in the bitter cold.

  “Please, lovely, let’s go inside for a bit as I must be going soon.”

  He held the door for her, taking in the soft fragrance unique to Miriam.

  Regretfully, he told her of the Bishop’s visit and where he would be going. All humor left her pretty face. “I will be careful. Is Wayne involved in this? Is this what the note was about?”

  Levi did not want to bring her into this, but there was no other way. “Yes. He overhead the talk of rustling, but he could not tell who the men were. He had only seen one or two but was not involved with them. They are from his old location. I guess they feel it is easier to steal than to work for a living.”

  Levi pulled Miriam into his arms to hold her and kissed her forehead. “This afternoon, come home as soon as possible, Miriam. Anna will be beating the bushes if you don’t.”

  “Does Anna know about all of this?”

  “She does now. Wayne told her.”

  Taking her shoulders, he placed her to one side so he could reach the door. “I’ll be home as soon as I can, but there are some people I need to talk to. We have to work out some sort of plan, but I have no clue what it is.”

  Levi walked through the doorway without looking back. It always saddened him to leave Miriam.

  CHAPTER 9

  Miriam drove her enclosed buggy home through the deep, blowing snow. The wiper blades whipped across the window she hoped the battery kept operating as it also powered the front and the back lighting systems. She and her Mammi purchased the buggy for the healing and birthing business a few years back, and it still looked like a new carriage.

  The closer to home she got, the more her eyes wanted to drift shut. She had been busy this week with two births, and tonight she’d been over to Elmer Eckhardt’s place. His wife Lucy fell down the cement basement stairs and severely wrenched her back. She was not a young woman, more middle-aged and Miriam knew an injury could have lifelong effects.

  Elmer had called her from the neighbor's phone shanty as they were getting ready for supper. Levi had not been happy with her, but realizing the Eckhardt’s place was so close, he relaxed about her traveling there and knowing this was not a birth helped.

  Miriam had completed a hands-on energy healing, and when she left the couples home, the woman felt much better.

  Being the powwow healer in their district was difficult. Some people lived by her healings and folk remedies, but others? Nee, they were uncomfortable and her worst enemy Rebecca Zohn, had called her a witch once when she was talking to a group of younger women after a singing. Mammi told her the girl was jealous, and she had to ignore the negative comments.

  Miriam sighed when she saw the lights of her home through the blowing snow. Guiding the horse into the turn on the path leading to the house, fatigue swamped her.

  She drove past the house and toward the barn. Levi was waiting. He opened the barn door for her to drive in. All was well with her life.

  Miriam sat on the single seat that went from one side to the other of the buggy, too tired to move. Something had to give in her life. Between working at the store daily and the midwifery and healings, she couldn’t keep up. Never in her life had she been this tired.

  Suddenly, the buggy door opened, and Levi reached in and helped her out. Sweeping her into his arms, he cradled her in his warmth and filled her with love.

  “I’m glad you are back so soon. How is Mrs. Eckhardt?”

  Miriam turned in his arms and stepped toward the buggy to retrieve her medical supply bag. She needed to refill a few herbs she used during the healing. “The woman will be alright. Probably a bit sore, but nothing was broken, and she had no lacerations. These longer dresses and heavy socks are protection at times.”

  Levi laughed at her observance. He was walking the horse to a stall. “Go in and have your supper while I brush down Buster. You must be starving.”

  “Nee, I think I’m too tired to feel hunger.”

  “At least try to eat, it is not healthy to go so long between meals.” Levi offered.

  Miriam opened the barn door wide enough to slip through and turned, saying, “I’ll try to eat something for you. I’ll see you at the house.”

  The next morning at eight a.m. Miriam turned the stores closed sign to the open side. The store would be quiet for a couple hours, and it gave her time to deal with the previous days' receipts and to straighten the displays.

  She trudged around, sighing each time she found items in the wrong place. The customers picked things up, then when they found something they liked, even more, they dropped what was in their hands and replaced it with the new item.

  The smell of the kaffe brewing made her stomach lurch. She knew she had been too tired to eat much last night, but Levi had come in the house and had sat with her while he encouraged her to eat the last bit of rice pudding. It was just too heavy for her, and now she was paying for it.

  She and her husband had talked about her quitting the store. She felt sure Levi thought she would never do it. She wondered if she could leave. It was more than a job to her.

  “Gute mariye.” Her sister, Ruby, breezed into the room and removed her coat and scarf, placing them on the pegs by the door. “Goodness, Miriam, you look unwell.”

  “Tired is all. I have had a lot going on the past few days. Two births and one healing.”

  Ruby pulled out a chair, and the two women sat behind the wall which separated the store from the business area. “You know you can count on me to help out when you need to go. Or you can stay home and rest if you have a night away.”

  Reaching out, Miriam took Ruby’s hand. Ruby was so kind to her. It broke her heart to continue on in this vein of conversation, but she just had to. “I know, but I’ve always been reluctant. You are busy with the farm stay and making sure Matthew and Hannah have a firm grasp of running the business.”

  Ruby shook her head. “Nee, not anymore. They are doing fine. If only Hannah could learn to bake. It will take time. Until then, they will have to rely on the bakery in town. That is if old mister Hamlin can continue. I’ve heard talk he wants to sell the bakery.”

  “He must be getting up in age, goodness, we used to go there to get a free cookie when we were young. We couldn’t have been any older than eight or nine.”

  “Yes, feels like yesterday. I will say Carly loves to bake and is constantly filling the pantry with goodies for the guests and bread every day. Hannah would sorely miss our friend.”

  Miriam agreed, “I love her muffins, they are a meal in themselves, and I can’t wait to see what her flavor is today.”

  “The house smelled marvelous this morning, all the sweet baking aroma flows right over to the dawdi haus.” Ruby couldn’t help but laugh over their enjoyment of Carly’s creations.

  “So what are you doing with your time, Ruby?”

  “Not much. I’m bored to tears sitting in the dawdi haus watching it snow.”

  Miriam stood and stepped into the doorway to see if customers were coming up the road. No one. Maybe this was the time to talk to her sister about her thoughts.

  “Ruby? Um...I need to, well...”

  Ruby’s eyes narrowed as she looked at her. “What is it sister, you appear afraid to talk to me. What is wrong?”

  “Nothing is wrong.” Miriam was having a hard time with this decision. She looked down at the floor and could not cast Ruby a glance. “I want to quit working here at the store. I have so much to do with the birthing boppli and trying to keep up the house. Levi needs more of my time. And his brother, wife and two boppli are living with us until the men can get the old farmhouse into shape for them to move over there. I feel as if I’m losing control of everything, including my mind!”

  Ruby stood and took Miriam into her arms. “There, there, sister. I understand. Here, sit down with me and we will talk about this.”

  Tears rolled down Miriam’s cheeks, and she pulled a snow white hankie from her apron pocket and dabbed at the moisture. “I did not know how to tell you this. I feel so bad for saying it.” Another round of tears fell from her eyes.

  “Nonsense, I have nothing better to do with my time, and I would enjoy taking on the store. We have always worked closely on it, so I do not need training,” Ruby laughed, which caused Miriam to smile with her.

  “So when do you want to begin this change? I’m so worn out I could walk out of here today and dump it all in your lap.”

  “So go home. Do not worry your sweet soul about me, sister. I truly will enjoy having something to do with my time. “

  Miriam began gathering her things just as Levi opened the store door and the bells rang, a notification Miriam used to notify her she had a customer. “Levi, what are you doing here at this time of day?”

  He wiped his snow-covered boots on the rug by the door then walked through the store, heading for his wife. “I’m going into town and visit the livestock sales barn.” Pouring himself a cup of kaffe. Levi blew on the hot liquid before taking a small sip. “I’m buying a new stud standard-breed. I’m hoping he will solve our problems.”

  “I can see where this is heading, Levi.” Miriam stood in front of him, wringing her hands. “Please do not do this.”

  Miriam watched Levi’s frown. He did not like her to interfere. He told her about the missing horses a few weeks ago.

  “It is the only way. Asher thinks...”

  “Asher?” The name came out louder and sharper than she intended. She was surprised he had even contacted Asher, the chief of police in the area. Levi told her the bishop wanted it handled by their community. He could be stern in his words, but she knew it was just his concern showing. He had a deep-seated love for his community. This was one of the things which drew her to him, and she loved him so. “Why did you bring the police into it when you were told by the bishop to let the community handle it?”

  “This is bigger and more dangerous than we can handle, Miriam. I took Asher into my confidence. He will let us handle it, but we can contact him if something goes wrong.”

  “He would do that?”

  “He said he will, and I trust him, He’s Amish. He understands us.

  “Oh, on another subject, I did as you asked.” He pulled a cell phone from his pocket. Miriam smiled and hugged him tightly.

  “I am glad you approve. Asher is a good man. He will keep your news under his hat if he said he will,” Ruby said.

  “Okay, enough of this horse talk. I hear about the horses’ day and night. Should I tell him, Ruby?” Miriam finished putting Levi’s phone number in her phone and hers in his then turned toward her sister.

  Ruby laughed. “You might as well, he will find out about it soon enough.”

 

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